Poliquin Lifestyle

An Easy Idea for On-the-Go Meat ‘n Nuts Breakfast

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

I love Charles’ infamous “Meat and Nuts” breakfast. The thinking and research behind it are solid, and my own personal experience of greater focus, clarity and satiety when I eat it tells me it produces on its promise. But breaking out the grill at 7am is not my idea of an easy morning. For the most part I like to plan for it by making extras at the evening meal to have on hand for a quick breakfast. I will often eat leftover meats cold or at room temp in the morning. Grilled salmon is great this way.

If you want to have an easy-thaw back-up on hand for mornings when there’s no ready meat in your fridge, try making mini-meatloaves. Choose any meatloaf recipe you like and make it in a muffin tin. Just under 2 pounds of raw ground meat will fill twelve cups. You need to use the leanest meat possible because the cups are small and there's no place for extra fat to drain. Clean, lean ground turkey works beautifully. Preheat your oven to 375°F and spray the muffin tin lightly with olive oil. Spoon the raw meatloaf gently into the cups to fill without packing and bake for about 30 minutes or until they’re cooked through (160°F on an instant read thermometer). Rest them for 5 minutes and remove them to cool. Chill in the fridge for 4 hours to overnight and then freeze them in a freezer-style zip closure bag, squeezing out all the air. They will keep for up to 3 months in your freezer, but the taste will be best if you eat them within 2.

My Perfect Grocery List

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

I often get asked, “What can I eat?” When people make the transition to a lower-carb lifestyle, they often feel they are depriving themselves. But the funny thing is, most people eat the same thing, day in and day out. In fact, many people have told me that they have had the same breakfast and lunch for the past 20 years! Let’s fix this.

First, understand that eating low-carb does not have to be boring and redundant. There are numerous types of meat and vegetables available to you. If you eat the same thing all the time, that’s on you, not the plan.

Here is what I do: I go to the grocery twice a week, once on the weekend, and again midweek. I buy for my husband and myself. He is a big guy, who trains hard and eats like I do, which makes shopping easier. Likewise, you will have to adjust the quantities of food you purchase to fit your family.

This is how my weekly trips to the grocery store work out for us:

• 3 pounds of meat per day (grass-fed beef or bison, wild-caught fish, free-range poultry)

• 2 bags of frozen organic vegetables per day

• a different fresh vegetable for each day

• butter (from grass-fed cows)

• organic coconut oil

• avocados

• organic olive oil

• organic balsamic vinegar

• herbs and spices, e.g., basil, hot chili peppers, oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, Herbes de Provence, steak spice, sea salt, pepper, Caribbean rub, cloves (these are my personal staples)

• Raw nuts

• Olives

• Organic coffee

• Heavy cream (from grass-fed cows)

• 2 dozen eggs high in omega-3

To make things easier on ourselves, this is how we prepare our meals: First thing in the morning, we cook 2 pounds of ground meat and 2 bags of frozen vegetables. That food covers our breakfast, plus two other meals each. We also have nuts for my husband and olives or avocado for me (because I am allergic to nuts), and coffee with a splash of heavy cream to complete our breakfast. For dinner, we usually bake 1 pound of fish with a fresh vegetable that we stir-fry or roast in the oven.

This system is easy and efficient and provides plenty of variety. Our meals never taste the same, and I never get bored because the combinations of different meats, vegetables, smart fats, herbs and spices are endless.

Be creative, try something new! After all, variety is the spice of life!

Grilled Peppercorn Rib-Eyes with Dijon Butter

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Rib-eye streaks are fantastic on the grill and the sweet, tender flesh pairs beautifully with the pungent spice of crushed peppercorns. You can mix and match different types of peppercorns, including green, white or even Szechuan for peppercorn steak, but this recipe combines the classic crunchy black with the milder, softer red. These rib-eyes don’t need an extra sauce, but if you have the time, topping them with a dab of the mustard butter will provide an elegant presentation and more depth of flavor. Porterhouse is another cut that lends itself well to a hardy peppercorn crust –just remember to choose grass-fed for all of your beef. Combine these steaks with a cooling side – a large green salad with crispy lettuce, a citrus or balsamic dressing and a few handfuls of fresh sliced strawberries or sweet heirloom cherry tomatoes would be perfect.

Ingredients

¼ cup whole black peppercorns

3 tablespoons pink peppercorns (or more black)

Sea salt, to taste

4 rib-eye steaks, about 1-inch thick (around 10 ounces each)

Neutral, high-heat oil, such as rice bran, to coat the grill

Optional Dijon Butter

2 tablespoons pastured butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon minced shallot (or chives or red onion)

2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard (or smooth)

Instructions

Preheat the grill to medium high.

Combine the peppercorns in a spice grinder or designated coffee grinder and pulse until they are crushed, but not pulverized. If you don’t have a spice grinder, make a pile of about one third of the peppercorns in the middle of a large cutting board and crush them with the bottom of a cast-iron or other heavy-bottom skillet by rolling it over them from side to side. Repeat until all the pepper is crushed. Set aside.

Pat the steaks very dry with paper towels and season to taste with the salt. Sprinkle the pepper evenly over both sides of each steak and press to embed it lightly into the flesh.
Spray or wipe the grill lightly with oil and arrange the steaks. Cooked to desired doneness, flipping carefully only once –4-5 minutes per side, depending on size, for medium-rare.
While steaks are cooking, in a small bowl combine the butter, shallot, and mustard and blend well with a fork until thoroughly mixed.

When steaks are cooked, let them rest on a platter for a few minutes before topping with a dollop of the butter to serve.

Yield: about 4 servings

Notes from the Clean Food Coach:

You can also prepare these steaks in a grill pan. Try to minimize turning, but it’s fine to move them around in the pan to balance hotter and cooler areas. Lightly oil the preheated grill pan before adding steaks and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or to desired doneness. You will need to do it in two batches unless you have a large grill pan – crowding steaks tends to steam rather than sear them. Instead of making the mustard butter, take advantage of all the tasty bits left in the pan by deglazing it with a cup of a full-bodied red wine. Simmer until it’s reduced by half and whisk in a tablespoon of pastured butter for extra richness. Pour a bit over each steak to serve.

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

This is from one of our winners, Erin Mendelssohn of the US. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more too taste)

1 tsp. minced garlic

¾ cup 100% fruit marmalade

3 tbsp. tamari

2 tsp. fish sauce

1 – 2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Place chicken thighs in a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients with enough chicken broth to cover the chicken, Cook on high for about 4 hours or low for about 6 hours.

Serve with veggies and shred leftover chicken to place on a salad.

Clean Beef Stir Fry

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Stir fries are an excellent paleo staple because they are so easy to make and oh so clean: just meat and veggies. They can be thrown together with nearly any protein and multiple different types of quick-cooking vegetables. This one is made with a delicious, sweet-hot citrusy sauce that combines freshly squeezed orange juice and the pungent chili bite of Sriracha. If you can handle the carbs, serve this stir fry over bowls of steamed brown basmati rice. If you’re eating low carb, enjoy it straight up, over a bed of lightly steamed greens, or over spiralized raw zucchini noodles.
Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari

2 teaspoons Sriracha* Hot Chili Sauce (or other hot chili sauce)

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon brown rice syrup, optional

2 teaspoons kudzu (or 1 tablespoon corn starch or arrowroot), to thicken sauce

1 tablespoon sesame or peanut oil, divided

1 pound pastured boneless top sirloin or flank steak, fat trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices, 2–3 inches long

2 cups bite-sized broccoli florets

2 cup snow or sugar snap peas, trimmed

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

1/3 cup sliced green onion

Instructions

Whisk together orange juice, tamari, Sriracha, brown rice syrup and kudzu in a small bowl until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium high heat. Add the steak strips in a single layer and sauté, turning occasionally, for about 4 minutes or to desired doneness. Remove steak and set aside.

Add remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to pan, add broccoli and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the peas and cook for about 2 more minutes or until vegetables reach desired tenderness. Cover pan briefly to speed softening, if desired. Remove veggies from pan and set aside with the steak.

Pour a few more drops of oil into the pan and add the garlic, ginger and green onion, and sauté for 1 minute. Pour sauce into pan and whisk for about 30 seconds or until it thickens slightly. Add meat and veggies back to the pan, mixing gently, and cook for a couple of minutes until everything is hot.

Yield: 4 servings

Notes from the Clean Food Coach™
*Look for Sriracha in the international section of most large grocery chains or Asian markets.

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

9 Not-So-Healthy Health Foods

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Tony the Tiger says his breakfast cereal is “Greeeaaaat!” Bruce Jenner, before taking a backseat to the Kardashians, was an Olympic champion who attributed much of his success to Wheaties®. And Taylor Swift, Batman and Superman all sported milk mustaches and asked if you’ve “Got Milk?” If you think these are merely entertaining and harmless ad campaigns, Houston, we’ve got a problem. The truth is these messages – and many more like them – have convinced Americans to accept as health foods many products that are actually bad for us. Let’s look at a few:

Cows’ milk. A 2011 study in the journal Nutrition and Cancer found that cows’ milk stimulated the growth of prostate cancer cells, producing an average increase in cancer cell growth rate by more than 30 percent. In contrast, almond milk suppressed the growth of prostate cancer by more than 30 percent. The researchers caution that elevated levels of estrogens in cows’ milk may be the source of the increased cancer cell growth. Although milk has been suggested as an ideal protein source, it is extremely allergenic.

Soy milk. Researchers suggest that soy affects the hormone balance in humans, resulting in higher testosterone levels in girls, who normally have minimal levels of testosterone; and higher estrogen levels in boys, who normally have minimal levels of estrogen. Another concern is that almost all soy is genetically modified. Men should avoid soy because it has been shown to lower testosterone, while women of reproductive age should also steer clear of soy because it can lead to poor body composition and increased risk of breast cancer.

Cereal bars. Where did people get the idea that eating bars made out of the same ingredients found in unhealthy cereals would be good for them? In addition to often containing gluten, which many people do not tolerate well, these bars often contain large amounts of sugar.

Pizza. There was a rumor last year that the US government declared pizza a vegetable! Not quite. If you find a copy of the massive 401-page agriculture appropriations bill that is at the heart of this controversy, you won’t find any mention of pizza directly, but it does mention tomato paste. More specifically, Congress was trying to determine how much tomato paste equals a half-cup of vegetables, and the answer appears to be an eighth of a cup. So, not only does Congress not know their vegetables, they also seem to have a problem with math!

Diet soda. One of the most popular types of sweeteners used in diet soda is aspartame. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It contains methanol and two amino acids: aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Phenylalanine can depress serotonin (a chemical released from nerve cells that has many benefits, such as helping you sleep). Aspartic acid is an excitotoxin that can overstimulate neurons in the brain, causing them to die. Aspartame has been associated with 92 different health side effects, including vision damage, depression, high blood pressure, insomnia and PMS.

Protein bars. Just the name protein bar borders on false advertising because it is difficult to design a bar that makes a significant contribution to daily protein requirements. Here are some examples of the protein content of several of the most popular health food bars: BTU Stoker, 10 grams; Clif Bar, 5; Protein Edge bar, 10; and Gator Bar, 3. Another problem with so-called protein bars is that they often add sugar (protein is not sweet).

Energy bars. Most popular energy bars are full of things you really don’t want in your system. For example, a single PowerBar™ contains 230 calories spread among 45 grams of carbs, 2.5 grams of fat and 10 grams of protein. Unfortunately, the number-one ingredient in these bars is fructose corn syrup, which promotes type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease.

Bottled tea. Refined sugar is commonly added as a sweetener in bottled tea. Also, bottled teas usually lack antioxidants called polyphenols. According to a study presented at the American Chemical Society in 2010, some bottled teas were so lacking in polyphenols that you would have to drink 20 bottles to get the equivalent amount found in just a single cup of brewed tea!

Yogurt cups. Often these products contain a considerable amount of sugar in the form of corn syrup. Also, many frozen yogurts contain yogurt that has been heat-treated, a process that kills the active cultures.

When you’re shopping, remember the popular axiom “Fool me once, shame on you – fool me twice, shame on me.” Be a smart consumer, read nutrition labels and don’t get fooled again by misleading advertisements.

Why Eating Like A Dietician May Not Be the Best Way To Eat

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Life as an Integrative Dietitian is never dull. For starters, I’m a big hit at cocktail parties. Complete strangers divulge their bathroom habits to me, completely unsolicited. I am the laughing stock of my non-industry friends who see me pop supplements like a junkie on the streets. And, I love to write about what are considered to be controversial topics by the mainstream. Which means I’m also at complete discord with my (non-integrative) dietitian colleagues.

The USDA considers RDs to be experts on the subject of nutrition. But the USDA heavily influences the curriculum of the dietetics association, which means there isn’t much in the way of holistic nutrition in mainstream nutrition education. When I received my MS in Clinical Nutrition in the early 1990’s, low fat eating was the diatribe, along with “everything in moderation.” Not much has changed since then in the dietetics profession, and the nation’s obesity levels continue to rise steadily. In order to create changes in the eating habits of our nation, we need to understand where the information comes from to begin with.

I went online and looked up articles on what a typical RD eats on a daily basis. Here are some of the results I found:

Breakfast: 1 cup black coffee, 2 cups Bran Flakes OR 1-2 slices whole wheat toast with 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 cup skim milk?

Snack: Blueberry non-fat yogurt?

Lunch: 2 cups carrots or raw veggies or salad with ½ cup 2% cottage cheese OR 1/4 cup hummus OR 2 tablespoons dressing (or, sometimes a small sandwich). 1 cup fresh fruit (strawberries/grapes/orange/melon)?and 3 tablespoons nuts (peanuts or almonds) or? Triscuits or Granola Bar.

Snack: Apple?

Dinner: Broccoli with cheese, fish or poultry (no red meat), salad, whole wheat dinner roll or brown rice, diet soda. Microwaved frozen veggies in a Ziploc steam bag. Night Snack (some days): Varies. Light ice cream, fudgesicles, yogurt, nectarines, clementines, graham cracker goldfish, flavored seltzer.

If the average American follows this meal plan, they can expect the following:
-Body composition of 25-30% body fat
-Inability to build muscle tissue
-Poor energy levels
-Poor sleep
-Hunger and cravings between meals
-Impaired detoxification pathways

This diet is excessively high in processed foods, carbohydrates and sugar, and totally deficient in protein, quality fats, fiber, and antioxidants. So even though it’s not fast food, eating this way long-term will leave you just as malnourished and unhealthy. Let’s take a good look at four simple ways to make over this meal plan and improve the health of our people.

1.    Quit cold cereals and starch-heavy breakfasts. Charles Poliquin is king of the meat and nuts breakfast, and for good reason: it works. Eating protein and nuts at breakfast gradually increases the body’s energy levels and mental focus by raising neurotransmitters throughout the morning. Adding quality fats like raw nuts provide trace minerals that help stabilize blood sugar. Balanced blood sugar means sustained energy all day long—without the dreaded 3pm crash or nighttime cravings. It’s not only adults who benefit from this; children who eat this way will enjoy improved cognitive benefits and live (relatively) tantrum-free. Rotate your proteins and nuts to avoid potential food sensitivities down the road and keep life more interesting.

2.    Eat protein throughout the day to support adrenal function and detoxify the body. The detoxification pathways in the liver are based on a two-phase system that requires amino acids to work. Phase I requires glutathione, N-acetylcysteine to function; Phase II requires glutathione, glycine, glutamine, methionine, taurine, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid. Inadequate levels of these amino acids from dietary protein means decreased liver function and detoxification. Detoxification is essential for hormonal regulation, deep sleep, balanced biochemistry and digestive wellness.

3.    Do not use a microwave and never heat foods in plastic containers. Microwaving is a controversial topic. A 2010 study showed that microwaved vegetables retained more phenolic compounds than boiled vegetables, because nutrients were leached out of the water they were cooked in. On the flip side, a 2007 study in the Journal of Food Science showed that microwave heating induced acrylamide formation- a carcinogenic compound that can damage the nervous system. Adding water can greatly accelerate the loss of nutrients when cooking any food, so methods like steaming or low-heat sautéing will enable vegetables to retain their antioxidant status. When cooking foods, use a chemically inert container like stainless steel, enamel-coated cast iron, glass, or clay pots. Plastic containers, especially when heated, leach harmful Bisphenol-A—a hormonal disruptor that mimics the effects of estrogen and gets stored in fat cells.

4.    Eat dark green leafy vegetables every day. I hail to kale at least three times per week because it is one of the mostly nutritiously verdant vegetables you can eat. Kale is alkalizing in the body, and facilitates the liver's ability to eliminate environmental toxins. You can enjoy kale two simple ways:

Kale chips- Tear one head of kale leaves into small, bite-size pieces. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Kale smoothies- In a Vitamix, toss in ½ head of kale, 1 cup almond milk and ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 scoop chocolate whey protein, and ½ cup fresh blueberries. Blend on high for 10 seconds.

References Yuan Y, Chen F, Zhao GH, Liu J, Zhang HX, Hu XS. A comparative study of acrylamide formation induced by microwave and conventional heating methods. J Food Sci 2007 May;72(4):C212-6.

Clean Ham and Yam Quiche Dijon

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

I usually make frittatas or “naked quiche” to avoid the gluten in traditional crust (and the high calories of an almond flour crust), but using sweet potatoes is a clean and fun new way to “crust” your quiche. I love replacing classic starches with veggies for the double bennie of dropping gluten-rich carbs and adding extra veg nutrients. I often use raw vegetables as containers for different types of ”stuffies”, but the cooked yam shell in this recipe provides a hearty and warming cold weather option. Of course you could also use white potatoes, but sweet potatoes contain more fiber and other nutrients for a slightly lower glycemic load.

Though the actual recipe comes together quickly, you need to plan ahead because the potatoes must be baked first. You can bake them and then make the quiches straight away, or bake them a day or two before and cool in the fridge until you’re ready to make the quiches. This is especially helpful for very soft sweets like garnet yams because they will hold their shape better cold than hot-from-the-oven.

Enjoy this dish for a hearty breakfast, amazing lunch or simple, satisfying dinner!

Ingredients*
4 medium sweet potatoes or garnet yams

Drizzle of olive oil.

4 eggs

2 generous teaspoons Dijon mustard (or honey mustard)

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

¼ cup finely chopped ham (organic or free range)

¼ cup finely chopped kale (lacinato works well – use the food processor to quickly mince)

2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion (or slightly less chive)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Thoroughly scrub and dry the sweet potatoes. Pour a few drops of olive oil into your hands and rub the skin of each potato all over to very lightly coat.

Arrange potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and cook for about an hour or until tender to the squeeze.

Store in the fridge to chill for later preparation or cool slightly until you can handle the potato easily.

Set the oven temp to 350°F.

Using a sharp knife, cleanly slice off the very top of each baked potato (see photograph) and set aside. Carefully scoop out the flesh and set aside for another use (chilled cooked sweet potato is great in post-workout smoothies) – a melon baller works very well for this. Leave enough flesh inside the skin for the potato to hold its shape well.
Arrange potatoes open-side-up on a fresh foil-lined baking sheet.
In a small bowl lightly whisk together the eggs, mustard, salt and pepper.
Add the ham and kale and stir with a fork to thoroughly combine.
Carefully spoon the egg filling into the cavity of each potato until it is nearly full. Top each potato with one quarter of the green onion.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the centers are almost solid, but the mixture is still soft. As with any quiche, do not over-bake or the egg can get a little leathery. If your oven and potatoes are still hot from just-baking, the cook time will be closer to 20 minutes. If your oven started cold and the baked potatoes were chilled it will probably take at least 25 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

Notes from the Clean Food Coach™
*The ingredient amounts needed will vary slightly based on the size of your potatoes.
You can easily quarter or half the recipe to make just one or two individual potatoes. Great if you have a couple left over from something else!

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Homemade Baby Food

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

“The bulk of what your baby will be eating from 6 to 9 months is a variety of foods in puree form. Although grains, produce, and meats require different techniques, all forms of purees are quite easy to make, even for the avowed non-cook. Remember purees for the newest eaters should have silky, runny textures. Within a month after she starts eating purees, they can get a little thicker. By the time she is 9 months old, her purees should have more body to their textures, some containing very small chunks that she can pick up with two fingers. Sometime between 9 and 12 months, her food can be chopped into soft little pieces rather than pureed.

To save time, be sure to consult the Three P’s of Scheduling (Planning, Purchasing, Preparing. With a little organization and a few weeks’ time, you can have a freezer stocked with enough purees that will make daily homemade food preparation for your baby a snap.

Pureeing Produce

Carefully clean all fresh produce with cold water before preparing. Peel tough skins or indigestible peels, and remove any pits or seeds. Some fruits and vegetables are easier to peel and pit after cooking, others before cooking.

You may also puree frozen or canned produce, but canned produce is lower in nutrients. If you are using frozen or canned fruits or vegetables, look for plain, organic versions with no additives or salt. All hard frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables must be cooked to softness before pureeing; canned vegetables are precooked, so they can be pureed directly.

You can bake, steam, or sauté produce until it is very tender and can be mashed easily. More nutrients and vital energy are lost in boiling or microwaving, but they have been acceptable cooking methods. Use as little water as possible with these methods to minimize nutrient loss.

Once the fruits or vegetables are cooked, you can puree them with a small amount of liquid (cooking water, breast milk, or formula are best for young babies) to desired consistency. For fibrous or seedy fruits or vegetables, use a food mill to puree-it will strain out the tougher parts.

It is acceptable to peel and mash or puree uncooked fruits (such as avocado, banana, and melon) in the same way if they are very soft (and age appropriate).”

This is an excerpt from Jeannette Bessinger’s book “Best Food For Your Baby & Toddler”. The book can be purchased in our US/Worldwide Store

How To Get Probiotics In Food For Optimal Health

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

The road to optimal health starts in the gut. This is true on so many different levels. Consider the following:
•   Eighty percent of the neurotransmitters are made in your gut.
•   Your body’s immune system starts in the gut.
•   Your gut is where nutrients get absorbed, and it is where the pH gets balanced.
•   All these factors are instrumental to achieving optimal health.

Absorption is the first step. You can eat all the healthy foods you want, but if you are not absorbing the nutrients, then you are not any closer to health. The first step to ensure this is happening is to optimize you stomach acid levels with hydrochloric acid. Probiotics are the second step in order to ensure proper digestion and absorption.

These friendly little bacteria help keep the non-friendly pathogenic bacteria like E. Coli or Candida at bay. Many health problems are caused by not having enough of the good bacteria. Pathogens in the air we breathe, the food we eat, stress, lifestyle, acidifying diets, sick people we come in contact with (ya you know who you are!), all these things will make us sick if we do not have enough of the good bacteria in our gut to fight against them.

The easy way to increase the good bacteria in your gut is to take a high-quality probiotic daily. If you want an alternative to taking a pill, there are certain foods that contain probiotics naturally. Make sure they are not pasteurized or homogenized since these processes kill most of the bacteria. Look for the organic, raw versions of these foods. Here are a few examples:

1.   Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage. It is very easy to make at home. All you need is shredded cabbage, salt, and a container with a wooden lid, like a fermenting crock-pot.

2.   Yogurt
Most of the yogurt you see in the grocery store is void of any good bacteria, AND many of them contain sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Look for a live-cultured plain yogurt, made from goat’s milk or pasture-raised cow’s milk. These typically have extra probiotics added to them. If you have the time, homemade yogurt from raw milk is the best way to ensure you are getting plenty of natural probiotics.

3.   Kefir
Kefir is fermented milk. The fermentation process breaks down the lactose found in milk, making it ideal for those who are lactose intolerant. You can make your own kefir quite easily with Kefir Starter Kits or you can buy it ready made.

4.   Raw Cheese
Although I don’t recommend dairy as a staple in your daily diet, raw cheese once in a while is okay. Dairy from goat’s milk is typically high in probiotics.

5.   Kimchi
Kimchi is a Korean dish with a great resemblance to sauerkraut. It is made of fermented cabbage but with a lot more seasonings. It can be very spicy depending on how much chili pepper is used in the recipe.

6.   Pickled Vegetables
Again, making this at home is easy and is the only way you can ensure that there are live bacterial cultures in them. Cucumber, asparagus, pearl onions, and even cauliflower can be pickled.

So you see, it is possible to get probiotics with your food. It will just take a little more effort when choosing them in stores (unpasteurized, un-homogenized, and raw) or making them at home.

Make Your Own Valentine’s Chocolates

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Valentine’s Day is a time for love, a time to celebrate romance, a time to eat….chocolate. Pure chocolate is made from the seeds or “beans” of the Theobroma cacao tree and its mood-enhancing qualities are well documented. Dark chocolate is also a powerful antioxidant, rating an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) score of nearly 21,000. That score drops by nearly 2/3rds when you add milk, however, so milk chocolate isn’t even in the same ballpark. Add a whole lot of sugar, some low quality fillers and a few artificial ingredients to make the standard commercial Valentine’s chocolates, and you’ve all but cancelled out cacao’s healthy, uplifting effects.

This Valentine’s Day, to celebrate your sweetie with a chocolate treat that is as powerfully good for you as it tastes, consider making your own pure cacao candies. The core ingredients have become quite easy to find. Even if you don’t live near a good health food store, you can order them from many reputable sources online. Choose raw, organic cacao powder and cocoa butter for the highest quality chocolates. They will last for months if you store them in a cool dry place.

Truffles are a sexy and versatile chocolate that are quite easy to make –no tempering required –so they’re a great beginner candy. To preserve the cacao’s high ORAC, use nuts or nut butters instead of cow milk or cream to give your truffles that characteristic rich quality and soft texture. The cacao powder provides most of the chocolaty flavor and the cacao butter gives your chocolates a smooth creaminess and helps them set when chilled.

This recipe uses hazelnuts for the base and leaves them with a bit of crunch for texture. Hazlenut skins are slightly bitter, which works well with a sweet dark chocolate. If you wish to reduce that bitter edge, rub the dried nuts in a nubby dish towel before soaking and/or rub the soaked nuts with a moist wash cloth to remove any loose skins. For a different flavor profile and a smoother texture, you could use soaked cashews and blend them into a butter. The fun with truffles comes with the “add-ins”. You can easily customize any base with multiple ingredients and flavors to create very special, completely personalized treats. Things that hold their texture well, such as shredded coconut, cacao nibs or crushed nuts can be rolled right into the finished batter for a little extra flavor and crunch. You can also grind or powder multiple ingredients to coat the finished truffles. I love to use citrus zest, ground spices such as cinnamon and ginger, or more exotic flavors such as cayenne, pepper, dried thyme or powdered hibiscus flowers. Experiment a bit until you find the exact flavor combos that will light your sweetie’s Valentine fire.

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

Generous ½ cup shaved raw cacao butter
1 cup raw hazelnuts, soaked for 1-2 hours, drained and rinsed
½ cup brown rice syrup
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon hazelnut oil, optional
10-15 drops liquid stevia (Vanilla NuStevia), optional for more sweetness
Pinch sea salt
½ cup raw cacao powder
Optional coating: Few tablespoons palm sugar ground into a powder (in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle) and zest from 1 naval orange, allowed to dry for 30 minutes

Melt the cacao butter in a double boiler or place it into a thin metal bowl and set the bowl on top of a small saucepan of simmering water until it melts completely. You should end up with a scant half cup of melted cacao butter.

While the cacao butter is melting, combine the hazelnuts, brown rice syrup, water, vanilla, hazelnut oil and stevia, if using, and the sea salt in a high-powered blender and blend until well combined but still chunky, scraping down the sides, as necessary.
Add the cacao powder and reblend until just incorporated. Taste and adjust for sweetness, if desired.
With the blender on low, pour the cacao butter into the blender in a steady stream and blend until well incorporated.
Transfer the chocolate into a small bowl and place in the freezer for about 45 minutes to set.
Using a melon baller, scoop scant 1-inch rounds out of the chocolate and roll into smooth spheres with your hands.
If you plan to use the optional coating, make a mixture of the powdered palm sugar and slightly dried zest on a clean flat surface and roll the truffles to completely coat.
Store finished truffles in the refrigerator.

Yield: about 30 truffles

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Why I Love Coconut Oil

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

For years, coconut oil was portrayed as a destroyer of cardiovascular health. Its artery-clogging, heart-attacking-causing, cholesterol-raising side effects were flaunted in the media, and the public responded by shunning this useful and natural oil. However, researchers made one big mistake, which they conveniently did not publicize: In their studies they used hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated coconut oil. By doing so, they changed everything good about coconut oil.

The hydrogenation process destroys antioxidants in foods and causes the formation of trans fat. This trans fat wreaks havoc on your health. In fact, in 2006 the Food and Drug Administration required food manufacturers to report the amount of trans fat in products by printing it on food labels. The truth is virgin coconut oil contains health-building saturated fat.

Coconut oil is finally getting the good reputation it deserves, and there are many ways to use it. Here are nine compelling reasons to start enjoying the benefits of coconut oil:

1. Quick energy. Coconut oil is made of medium chain triglycerides, commonly referred to as MCT oil. MCT oil is processed through the liver and is used for immediate energy, not stored with other fats in the body. MCT oil is used in the body almost like a carbohydrate but without the spike in insulin.

2. Boosts the immune system. The predominant type of MCT found in coconut oil is lauric acid, which is also the main fat found in breast milk. Along with its lauric acid content, the presence of capric acid and caprylic acid in coconut oil makes it a great antioxidant; it is also antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasite and antiprotozoa.

3. Cardio-protective. Populations that consume 30-60 percent of their daily caloric intake from coconuts are virtually free from cardiovascular disease. This proves that eating a diet high in naturally occurring saturated fats is not dangerous to your health but is, in fact, healthy. Coconut oil improves cholesterol ratios.

4. Increases metabolism. Those populations described above (high use of coconuts) were also very trim. No wonder that when some farmers in the 1940s tried to fatten their cattle by feeding them coconut oil, that idea didn’t work. The cattle became more active and lean and despite their increased appetite.

5. Stimulates the thyroid. Unsaturated vegetable oils (like soybean oil and corn oil) block the secretion of thyroid hormone. The saturated fat in coconut oil does not.

6. Easy to digest. Coconut oil is very easily digested and absorbed compared to vegetable oil. Coconut oil helps relieve and heal intestinal problems while aiding in proper bowel function.

7. Great moisturizer. Coconut oil is great for your skin and hair. It helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles and helps fight against free radical damage. I even use it as a makeup remover.

8. Increases mineral absorption. Coconut oil helps the body use calcium and magnesium, minerals that are especially important for bone health.

9. Great for pregnant and lactating women. Here are several benefits of coconut oil to women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies:
•   Helps balance out hormones. This is especially important for women trying to conceive.
•   Aids in brain and bone development
•   Helps with morning sickness
•   Helps manage gestational diabetes
•   Helps breastfeeding mothers produce milk more easily and regularly

It’s easy to incorporate coconut oil into your daily routine. It’s the best oil for cooking (keep the olive oil for your salads), as it remains stable at high temperatures. You can add it to protein smoothies. Coconut cream makes a satisfying creamer in coffee or tea. The possibilities are endless.

Don’t get fooled into using cheap vegetable oils or ready-made convenience foods with their hidden trans fat, even if they are promoted as healthy. Instead, reap the benefits of coconut oil by adding three tablespoons of coconut oil to your daily diet (while reducing carbohydrate intake, of course) and see how this fantastic oil works for you.

The Fastest Way to Peel Garlic

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Garlic is one of my favorite pungents. Most home cooks use it a lot in everything from Italian dishes to simple garlic butter. I love to prepare it raw in lots of veggie dishes, raw sauces and salad dressings all winter long for its health-protective, antimicrobial properties. If you need a lot of it quickly and don’t want to spend 15 minutes getting your fingertips stinky, try this amazing, now infamous tip from Saveur Magazine for peeling an entire head in seconds with no mess or fuss. Take a head of garlic and set it on a hard surface. Place your palm over the head and lean into it, using your body weight to crack it open and separate the cloves. Next, sweep the separate cloves into a lightweight, medium-sized, metal mixing bowl, and top it with a second bowl of the same size, inverted –open part to open part. Pinch the edges of the bowls together with your hands to form a closed sphere with your garlic inside. Now shake the heck out of it! Yup, just shake it hard in different directions for 5-10 seconds. When you open the bowl up, all your cloves will be lying there naked in a bed of their papery peelings. Try it – it works!

For more great tips visit The Clean Food Coach

Chicken in Spinach and Mustard

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

This recipe is from Preeth Nazareth of Singapore:

Serves two

Takes about 45 minutes to prepare

Ingredients:

3 dried hot red chillies

3 bay leaves

2 long cinnamon stick

4 cardamom pods

4 cloves

A small piece of chopped ginger

500 grams chicken breast (approx. 3-4 breasts), cut into 4 to 6 pieces

4 tablespoons Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red chili powder

1/4 teaspoon coriander powder

1 large cup of chopped boiled spinach

1 cup of freshly chopped Chinese parsley (coriander leaves)

3 tablespoons mustard (I make my own mustard)

4 tablespoon of coconut oil

Cooking method:

In a bowl, mix together the cut chicken breast pieces, salt and yogurt. Set it aside. In a large non-stick pan add the coconut oil and when the oil is hot enough, put in the bay leaves, cardamon pods, cinnamon stick, cloves and red chilies. Stir in until the bay leaves turn a little brown. Now add the chicken pieces and yogurt mix, ground black pepper, coriander powder and chili powder into the pan.Stir all the ingredients in the pan well and bring it to boil. Simmer and cover for 10 minutes.

Into a blender, add ginger, green coriander leaves and 3 teaspoon of water and blend to a smooth paste. Now add the spinach and blend the spinach very briefly to a coarse texture. Empty this green sauce into a bowl. Add the mustard and mix well.

When the chicken is done, remove the cover and add the green sauce, mix well and bring it to boil stirring occasionally.

Serve hot!

Cheers!

Lose Weight By Eliminating Processed Foods From Your Diet: Why The Calorie Approach To Weight Loss Doesn’t Work

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Lose weight by eliminating processed foods from your diet and eating whole foods instead. If you’re trying to lose weight, be aware that a calorie approach to weight loss won’t necessarily help. A new study that shows how all calories are not created equally will provide guidance.

Researchers compared the effect of a processed food meal with a whole food meal on metabolism in the 6 hours after eating. Participants ate either a processed cheese sandwich with white bread or a “whole” cheddar cheese sandwich with whole grain sunflower seed bread. Both sandwiches contained the same amount of calories (800) and a similar proportion of carbs, protein, and fat.

The amount of calories burned as the body digests and absorbs the food was 50 percent greater after participants ate the whole food sandwich than after they ate the processed food sandwich. Also important, the participants who ate the processed food sandwich had their metabolic rate drop below their average resting metabolic rate, which is the amount of energy needed to keep the body functioning at rest.

Overall, the subjects burned an average 138 calories digesting the whole foods sandwich compared to only 74 calories burned from the processed food sandwich. Researchers think that the higher fiber content in the whole cheese sandwich is the primary reason it cost so many more calories to digest.

It’s clear from this study that if you are trying to lose weight by reducing calories, you will get the best results from eliminating processed foods in favor of whole foods. Over the course of the day you could easily burn 150 to 300 more calories digesting whole foods, depending on how much you eat total. Take note, that the whole food cheese sandwich is not actually what is generally meant by “whole” foods since the ingredients in the bread and cheese did require food processing, however it was minimal in comparison to the processed cheese sandwich.

Rather, opt for foods that do not require any processing: meat, fish, eggs, whole beans, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruit. Avoiding grains is also a good choice if your goal is fat loss because they are digested quickly and elicit a large release of insulin, which can stall weight loss efforts. If you do eat grains, be sure to limit your intake to boiled grains rather than bread or foods containing flour.

Take away the following tips for weight loss:
•    Always favor whole foods over packaged and processed foods.
•    Consider eliminating grains for fat loss.
•    Eat foods that are naturally high in fiber, such as vegetables and some fruits.
•    Supplement with a high-quality fiber to enhance fat loss.
•    Protein requires more calories for the body to break down than carbohydrates. Simply increasing your protein intake and decreasing carbs can help you lose fat and it support muscle building.

Reference
Barr, S., Wright, J. Postprandial Energy Expenditure in Whole-Food and Processed-Food Meals: Implications for Daily Energy Expenditure. Food and Nutrition Research. July 2010. 2(54), 144-150.

Ten Benefits of Coffee for Performance, Health & Body Composition

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Get numerous benefits from coffee! Research shows that in many cases, more is better when it comes to coffee improving health. The evidence is so robust that the medical community is even changing its tune from “coffee is more trouble than it is worth” to “it is not as bad as we were told!”

This article will give you ten reasons to drink coffee and consider some of the concerns and misconceptions that surround this wonderful beverage.

#1: Coffee Decreases Risk of Total & All-Cause Mortality
At least 5 recent studies show that drinking coffee is associated with a decreased risk of mortality in men and women from a variety of ethnicities. For example, a large-scale 14-year observational study of more than 400,000 people found that the more coffee people drank, the lower their risk of mortality.

Men who drank 2 to 3 cups a day had a 10 percent lower risk of mortality, and those who drank 4 to 5 cups per day had a 12 percent lower risk. Drinking 6 or more cups decreased mortality by another 10 percent compared to non-drinkers. The figures were slightly higher in women, and they remained after adjusting for cofounders like age, body fat, race, education, and lifestyle factors.

#2: Coffee Lowers Risk of a Variety of Cancers
Coffee drinking has been associated with a lower risk of lung, prostate, breast, endometrial, pancreatic, stomach, and colon cancer. In some studies the association is robust, while others have shown no benefit from coffee, which could be due to many reasons. But, it seems clear that coffee can be protective and does not increase cancer risk.

It is the antioxidants caffeic and chlorogenic acid that coffee provides that are protective against cancer and other disease. An example of how the antioxidants lower cancer risk is with endometrial cancer, which is a cancer of the lining of the uterus. A study of over 67,000 women demonstrated that women who drank 4 or more cups of coffee per day had a 25 percent lower risk than those who did not drink coffee regularly.

Researchers think the high antioxidant activity in coffee lowered oxidative stress, and that coffee also upregulates the expression of enzymes in the liver that help metabolize estrogen down the healthiest 2-hydroxyestrone pathway. This is a much preferred pathway for detoxifying estrogen from the body and it plays a role in preventing estrogen-related cancers such as breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer in men.

#3: Coffee Lowers Risk of Heart Disease & Heart Attack
Coffee intake is highly protective for the cardiovascular system and has been repeatedly found to decrease risk of heart disease and death from a heart attack. In one 15-year study of 41,000 women, drinking up to 3 cups of coffee a day was linked to lower risk of heart failure. Similar results have been shown for men.

#4: Coffee Improves Vascular Health & Does NOT Raise Blood Pressure
The caffeine in coffee has actually been shown to improve the health of the blood vessels because it increases nitric oxide production in the endothelium (the thin layer of cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels), which improves vascular muscle tone. Coffee also supports healthy arterial pressure, lowering blood pressure over the long-term.

It is true that drinking caffeinated coffee can increase short-term acute blood pressure, but blood pressure will return to normal once the caffeine is metabolized. One study found that 8 weeks of habitual coffee drinking lowered blood pressure readings significantly.

#5: Coffee Improves Cholesterol Health
The antioxidants in coffee can improve total cholesterol, raise “good” HDL cholesterol, and lower inflammation related to heart disease. In one study, regular coffee drinkers were asked to increase their coffee intake to 4 and then a whopping 8 cups a day. This dosing improved the ratio between “bad” LDL and HDL cholesterol by 8 percent.

#6: Coffee Decreases Metabolic Syndrome Risk
Metabolic syndrome is the combination of obesity, a large waist circumference, and insulin resistance, all of which increase heart disease and diabetes risk. Coffee drinking can improve fat burning, potentially influencing body composition, and it has been has been closely linked to lower diabetes risk.

For example, one study of a Japanese population showed coffee consumption was inversely correlated with risk of metabolic syndrome because greater intake was associated with lower triglyceride levels and better glucose tolerance.

#7: Coffee Improves Body Composition & Elevates Fat Burning
There is compelling evidence that coffee increases your metabolic rate so that you burn more calories, and it can help shift the body to burn fat rather than glucose for energy. In addition, coffee modulates blood sugar and can improve insulin sensitivity. Caffeine taken alone, however, has been shown to decrease insulin sensitivity, which is only relevant to this discussion if you have problems with insulin, are popping caffeine pills, and eating high-carb foods.

The fat loss effect of coffee drinking hasn’t been studied extensively, but one study showed drinking 500 ml of coffee daily for 4 weeks produced 2.5 kg weight loss in overweight subjects. Perhaps more effective, green coffee extract, which comes from the bean before roasting and can be added to any beverage, has been shown to produce significant fat loss.

One study found that a high-dose of green coffee extract (1050 mg) taken for 6 weeks resulted in an average 8 kg loss in body weight and a 4.4 percent drop in body fat—very impressive! A low green coffee dose produced no changes in body composition.

#8: Caffeine Increases Power & Strength Performance
Sports scientists like to test the effect of caffeine supplements on athletic performance because isolating a part of the plant allows them to avoid confounding variables, such as the antioxidants. That said, you can improve power and strength performance by getting the right dose of pre-workout caffeine from a supplement since using coffee as your sole source of caffeine would require 6 to 9 cups for a 90 kg lifter, depending on sensitivity to the caffeine.

One study found that a dose of 3 mg/kg of body weight of caffeine is necessary to improve power output in the squat and bench press. Another study showed that taking caffeine before early morning workouts can elevate performance in the morning when it is naturally diminished compared to later in the day. Caffeine is thought to act directly on the muscles to produce greater power and strength, rather than acting directly on the nervous system.

#9: Caffeine Speeds Recovery and Reduces Muscle Soreness
Caffeine can speed recovery and reduce post-workout muscle soreness by up to 48 percent. It can also improve performance during a second high-intensity workout performed in one day. One study showed that giving athletes 8 mg/kg of body weight of caffeine after performing a glycogen-depleting exercise trial to exhaustion allowed for better performance on a second sprint interval test also done to exhaustion 4 hours later.

The group that took the caffeine went for 48 minutes compared to only 19 minutes by the placebo group and 32 minutes in a group that only drank carbs. Researchers suggest the caffeine may improve muscle glycogen resynthesize post-workout, while mobilizing fatty acids to be burned for fuel during exercise.

#10: Caffeine Increases Motivation & Reaction Time
Taking 4 mg/kg of body weight of caffeine improved reaction time on soccer skill tests in athletes when sleep deprived. A similar dose increased motivation and led athletes to voluntarily do more reps using 85 percent of a 1RM load when sleep deprived, resulting in a greater volume compared to a placebo group.

Researchers also measured testosterone and cortisol response to training in this study. The elevations in these hormones correlated to the volume of load lifted, indicating that caffeine did not lead to greater cortisol production. If you are sensitive to caffeine or have issues with cortisol but want the performance benefits of caffeine, take 2 to 10 grams of vitamin C after training. Vitamin C can speed the clearance of cortisol allowing for a better recovery.

References
Copyright © 2012

The Meat and Nut Breakfast

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

When people ask for the single best dietary tip for optimal leanness, energy and sustained mental focus, it’s simple, try the Poliquin™ Meat and Nuts Breakfast. Clients ranging from NHL & NFL stars, to corporate executives and the stay at home moms, rave about the increased mental acuity and focused energy they derive from this food combination. The meat allows for a slow and steady rise in blood sugar. The nuts provide a great source of healthy smart fats that allows the blood sugar to remain stable for an extended period of time.

Virtually everyone who switches to the Poliquin™ Meat and Nuts Breakfast reports improved mental clarity, increased energy, better appetite control and reduced cravings throughout the day. Besides ensuring a very slow and constant rise in glycaemia, the biggest reason to try the Poliquin™ Meat and Nuts Breakfast is how it positively affects the neurotransmitters dopamine and acetylcholine. These neurotransmitters increase drive, commitment and euphoria. Fat loss and muscle gains also occur very quickly when making this one simple change to your diet.

For travel, pre-scout where the best breakfast is served and simply choose steak and eggs, or a salmon omelet, or lox and poached eggs. Always search for the best options, Sea Dream cruises for example, will offer you a wide range of animal protein at breakfast, along with an impressive choice of nuts.

Multiple studies on employee productivity and on children’s attention patterns have demonstrated that a high protein breakfast not only impacts energy and productivity levels from the morning until noon, but extends its positive effect all the way into the late afternoon.

Here is a sample 5-day rotation of the meat/nuts breakfast. It goes without saying that you DO NOT ADD ANYTHING TO IT in terms of food or beverage.

Organic tea, coffee or herbal infusions are permissible; milk, juice or other liquids are not allowed. You may use heavy cream (from pasture-raised cows) in your coffee, but no creamers or artificial stuff. You may also season the meat with herbs and spices, no sauces. You can even add vegetables.

Day 1

• 1-2 Buffalo or Bison patty

• 1 handful of macadamia nuts

Day 2

• 4-8 oz. smoked wild caught salmon
• 1 handful of cashew nuts

Day 3

• 1-2 grass-fed beef patty

• 1 handful of almonds

Day 4

• 1-2 can of sardines

• 1 handful of brazil nuts

Day 5

• 1-2 chicken breasts

• 1 handful of pumpkin seeds

One of the other advantages of this system is that is reduces the development of food sensitivities, which are known to increase the stress hormone cortisol. When we test first-time clients for food sensitivities, we often find that they have antibodies to the food they have consumed daily, often for years. This is even more the case with physique competitors. It not uncommon for them to have intolerances to beef, eggs, whey, casein, tuna and oatmeal, the basic bodybuilding staples.

What if you are allergic to nuts?

Then replace the nuts with a portion of the following low glycemic/low fructose fruits:

apricot

avocado

blackberries

blueberries

grapefruit

loganberries

nectarines

olives

papaya

peach

plum

raspberries

strawberries

Make sure that the fruits are organic, especially the strawberries, as they are one of the most sprayed crops in the World.Lastly, we recommend taking a teaspoon to a tablespoon of quality fish oil to mitigate the insulin response even more. Fish oil will also ensure top-level concentration.

Freezer Tips to Save Time and Money

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

The humble household freezer is one of the most useful yet under-used tools in the clean food kitchen. For the average person the freezer is a crowded, unorganized repository for ice cubes, ice cream, frozen prepared foods and a few ancient, unidentifiable items way in the back. With a little effort, though, you can turn your freezer from wasted space into a valuable storehouse of accessible, tasty, time-saving, pre-made entrees. Use the following freezer tips to start building your own frozen family meal medley today.

How to freeze homemade entrees:
These rules are the same for pre-cooked and uncooked entrees. The keys to freezing food for the freshest final product are:
•    Freeze it fast. The faster a food freezes, the smaller the ice crystals and fewer the changes to its flavor and texture. Chill all entrees to refrigerator temperature before freezing –never freeze warm or room-temperature foods. Don’t crowd the food you’re trying to freeze. Leave space around it in the freezer (versus stacking) to speed freezing time. You can stack and pack your entrees once they are frozen solid. Try to keep your freezer at 0°F (-18°C) and minimize opening the freezer door.
•    Remove any excess condensation from chilling in the fridge before freezing. Any extra moisture will freeze into unappetizing crystals that will add unwanted liquid to your dish when thawing.
•    To help prevent freezer burn, reduce air exposure when possible. Squeeze all air out of zip closure bags before sealing. Lay a layer of freezer-safe plastic wrap directly over the surface of foods like soups, stews and casseroles in formed storage containers before putting the lid on. Use vapor lock seals if you have them.
Though many meals will last longer, a good general rule of thumb is to eat your homemade frozen entrees within three months of the freezing date. Eating the foods within that time will yield the freshest-tasting product.

How to thaw homemade entrees:
The best way to thaw your frozen dishes is in the refrigerator versus on the counter or in the microwave. Countertop thawing is not a safe practice because of the potential for dangerous bacterial growth, and the microwave defrosts foods unevenly and tends to kill the “freshness factor”. Instead, at your evening meal transfer your frozen entrée to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. The next day, remove any lid or plastic wrap and reheat or cook it for dinner that night as if you’d just made it. Dense or large dishes, such as layered lasagna, will sometimes require 36 hours versus just 24 to thaw, so plan accordingly.

The best freezer storage containers:
It’s helpful to have a set of “soft” and “hard” containers for freezing on hand. The most practical soft containers are freezer-safe zip closure bags of different sizes. These work well for liquids like cream of tomato soup or slices such as sliced meatloaf. Though most plastics are freezer-safe because they are inert in the cold temps, my favorite hard freezer containers are tempered glass dishes built to withstand both cold and heat. The glass will not affect your food’s taste, will not stain, nor will it leach anything harmful into your food when heated. Tempered glass can also travel safely from fridge to freezer to fridge to oven to table for minimal dish use. It’s not safe to go from the freezer straight into the oven with tempered glass as the extreme temperature change can shatter it, but fridge-to-oven use is fine. Some brands, like Pyrex, also come with their own handy lids.

Don’t freeze these foods:
Though there is an endless variety of dishes that freeze beautifully, some foods do not hold up well to freezing. Both white and sweet potatoes can turn an unappetizing shade of grey in the freezer, though that won’t appreciably affect the taste. Scrambled eggs will freeze and thaw fine, but hard-boiled or fried eggs will turn to rubber. If you want to freeze breakfast burritos, for instance, use scrambled eggs. Egg-based meringues will also die if frozen. Many cream, cheese and yogurt-based sauces and mayonnaise will separate if frozen. Sometimes they will hold up if used as a small component of a casserole, however. Pasta doesn’t freeze well unless it’s immersed in sauce, soup or a casserole. Delicate, water-based fruits and vegetables such as lettuces, cucumbers and melons don’t freeze well. Salad veggies will disintegrate into a mess when thawed. Melons will hold up, but have a leathery texture if thawed. They work fine if used frozen, however, as in smoothies.

Want more?  Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Nearly-Raw Hummus Lasagna

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

I know what you’re thinking….hummus lasagna?

A new concept, maybe, but the flavors and overall nutrient impact are destined to make this one a clean classic! It’s a tasty way to get multiple servings of cleansing raw veggies into one condensed dish. It makes a perfect post-holiday meal because it is ultra-fresh, lightly detoxifying and yet hearty enough to help you wean off of rich eating without a system shock.

Like all lasagna made from scratch, this recipe has several parts. But don’t be intimidated –you can radically cut the prep time if you need to by buying many of the components premade without compromising the overall quality too much. Unlike classic Italian lasagna, this recipe is vegan, mostly vegetables, nearly all raw, and comparatively low-carb. Unlike most raw lasagna, it is rich in terrific fats from olives, olive oil and pine nuts, hearty from the fiber in the beans, and tomato-free.

If you are detoxing it may work as a light meal. If you need more protein, serve it alongside a piece of great fish or a couple of grilled lamb chops – delicious, fresh and very satisfying.

Ingredients and Instructions

Noodles
2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
Drizzle of high quality olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Slice the zucchinis in half the long way and, using a mandoline, slice the flat sides thinly into long wide noodles. Set the remainders aside. (If you don’t have a mandoline, use a vegetable peeler and work from the outside in around 3 sides, leaving the seeded cores as remainders.)
Drizzle the noodles lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Massage gently with your hands to coat most of the pieces and set aside to marinate.

Lemon Hummus (or substitute 1½ cups prepared lemon hummus)
1 15-ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed
Juice of 1 large lemon (or more to taste)
3 tablespoons raw tahini (or omit and add more olive oil)
1-2 cloves crushed garlic*, to taste
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup high quality olive oil

Combine the chick peas, lemon juice, tahini, if using, garlic and salt in a food processor and break everything up. Add the olive oil and process until smooth. Set aside.

Zucchini Basil Pesto Cream (or substitute ½ cup prepared basil pesto)
Remainders of zucchinis after slicing (1-2 cups chopped)
Leaves from one bunch fresh basil
¼ cup pine nuts
½ teaspoon salt
1 high quality olive oil, or more or less, as needed

Combine the leftover pieces of zucchini, basil, pine nuts and salt in a food processor and process until well broken up. Add the olive oil, if necessary and process until mostly smooth. Set aside.

Ground Olives (or substitute ½ cup prepared green or kalamata tapenade)
1 6-ounce can high quality ripe green olives in brine, well-drained

Pulse the olives in a food processor until well chopped. Set aside.

Minced Greens & Herbs (or skip processing step and just layer the whole spinach leaves and chopped herbs right into the lasagna)
2 green onions, coarsely chopped
1 loosely packed cup fresh, flat-leaf parsley (stems removed)
5 ounces baby spinach leaves

Place the green onion, parsley and half the spinach into the food processor, in that order and process and pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until finely chopped. Fold in remaining leaves and process until the batch is well chopped. Set aside.

Extra Veggies
2 red or orange bell peppers, cut into thin rings
1 loosely packed cup shredded carrots
1 green onion, thinly sliced, optional for garnish

Lasagna Assembly
In an 8x8-inch glass or nonreactive baking dish, make a layer of 1/3 of the zucchini noodles. Cover with ½ of the hummus and spread carefully into an even layer. Top the hummus with ½ of the pesto cream, spreading into an even layer. Top that with ½ of the olives, spreading gently into an even layer. Cover the olives with ½ of the carrots and ½ of the pepper rings.
Press gently to pack the layers together and repeat with identical layers using 1/3 of the zucchini and the remaining half of everything else. Top with remaining 1/3 of the zucchini and garnish with chopped green onion, if desired.

Notes from the Clean Food Coach™:
When working with raw garlic, it’s best to remove the thin, slightly green vein in the center of each clove to reduce bitterness. Raw garlic has a strong flavor, but it also has excellent detoxifying and health-protective properties, especially in cold weather, so don’t skimp!

This recipe is pretty versatile –feel free to change up the hummus, drop either the basil or the olive layer (you need at least one for flavor), or swap out different veggies or greens if you wish.

Yield: 6 Servings

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10 Steps to Mastering a Low-Carb Diet

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

History has proven time and time again that cultures were healthier eating their indigenous foods, before being introduced to western foods like sugar and flour. Were these indigenous diets completely without carbs? Definitely not, but they were low glycemic. In other words, the carbohydrates in those diets were mostly leaves, vegetables or fruits the people found in their natural environment. Everything they ate was in its natural state – nothing was modified or processed into another form, as routinely happens today.

Nowadays, eating a low carbohydrate diet is probably the healthiest option for anyone but it is not for everyone. The steps I propose in this article are something that everyone should try to master. If going low carbs seems overwhelming, this is a great place to start.

Today, low-carb eating takes some planning, but the health benefits are worth the effort. No matter if you choose to quit carbs cold turkey or if you want to do it gradually, here are a few tips to help improve your nutrition.

Step 1: Eat every two to three hours.
Having frequent meals is very important to balance your insulin and cortisol levels. It also keeps you from being hungry and consequently eating something you shouldn’t. There are two schools of thought on this: Some people say three meals are best, and others say six meals are best. In my experience, people who truly transform their bodies typically eat at least five to six meals a day.

Step 2: Eat a complete protein with each meal.
Your best bet in protein is anything that could once fly, swim or run in the wild. Choose meats that are wild caught, free range or pasture raised.

Step 3: Eat two to three cups of vegetables with every meal.
Many people complain of constipation when they switch to a low-carb diet. That’s because they aren’t eating enough vegetables.

Step 4: Eat a healthy fat with each meal.
Healthy fats include organic coconut oil, organic butter from pasture raised cows, olive oil, nut oils, avocados and, of course, fish oil (as a supplement).

Step 5: Eat foods in their natural state.
Avoid processed foods.

Step 6: Drink only calorie-free liquids.
Water, organic green tea and organic coffee are the best choices. Avoid artificially sweetened beverages.

Step 7: Eat carbs (other than vegetables) only when deserved.
There are two options: (a) eat carbs postworkout, but only if you are lean, and/or (b) allow yourself a higher-carb meal every five to seven days.

Step 8: Eat a wide variety of foods.
Avoid eating the same thing day in and day out because it can lead to food intolerances and nutrient deficiencies.

Step 9: Be prepared.
Prepare your meals in advance and have them with you when you go to work.

Step 10: Eat to satisfy your own needs and goals.
Don’t eat something just to please the people around you. Choose to eat what you want; don’t let someone make you feel bad because you are not eating the same crappy food they are.

If you follow these simple rules at least 90 percent of the time, you will see results. Let me break this down for you: If you plan to eat every three hours and you have your first meal at 7 a.m., that means you can get five meals in, with your last one at 7 p.m. Five meals a day for seven days means 35 meals per week. In order to hit the 90 percent mark, that means 32 of your 35 meals need to be on point.

That leaves you with three meals each week in which you can go off-track. Remember, though, skipping a meal counts as an off-track meal. At the end of each day, tally your score. It’s important to keep track; initially you will be surprised how far you are from 90 percent. With time, though, you will get better and better.

The Only New Year’s Resolution You’ll Ever Need: Starting Over

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

I used to love New Year’s resolutions. They hold such delicious promise for organization and accomplishment –the ultimate mind candy for control freaks like me! But alas, humans are fickle, cyclical beings by nature. We are driven by flow, by the alternating rhythms of contraction and expansion –powerful internal “seasons” of dark and light, energy and rest, celebration and abstinence – like our own personal weather systems. It’s just the way we roll. But we like to believe that if we can harness all our good intentions into ironclad Resolutions, this will activate some holiday magic. It will somehow keep us on a steady course of healthy behaviors the whole year through.?This is a fake out. Ultimately resolutions can’t produce on their promise of all nice, no naughty. That seasonal driver in all of us stubbornly refuses to wear the shackles of consistency. ??

We can fight it. We can try to swim in a straight line against the currents of our rhythmic nature, but eventually we will fail. Count on it. What is the longest time your resolutions have lasted? Once I got up to about eighteen months in a spectacular show of iron will, but to this day I’m still sliding around on that particular issue, trying to find a foothold again. If you’re determined to go for it anyway, this is the perfect time to make your healthy resolutions. You’ll be able to ride the natural “season” of calming, clearing, detoxing, etc. that ultimately follows several months of holiday partying. But it’s only going to get you so far –roughly to the time when your bodymind system is ready to “party” again. It might come embarrassingly quickly, like tonight, or maybe it will take a little longer. (I’ve noticed that fitness geeks have highly honed control panels that help them keep their resolutions for much longer than the average guy.)

But there is another, much more effective way. There is a technique that will ninja its way across all seasonal change, both internal and external. It can parkour itself across the weakest of wills and leap deep setbacks in a single bound.
Just start over.

If you’re about to stop reading because you think just starting over is too simplistic to be useful, please take twenty minutes of your time to see if you can actually do it first. Set a timer, close your eyes and keep your mind focused exclusively on your breath. I’ll tell you up front that you won’t be able to hold a consistent focus for twenty minutes. The Buddha himself will tell you that’s impossible. What IS possible is to start over when you lose your focus, to begin anew again and again and again. When your mind invariably wanders from the breath, just start over and bring your attention right back to it. You may have to do this seventy times a minute if you’ve got a lot on your mind, and that’s fine. Remember, the goal itself is an impossible one – the point is to practice starting over. If you try this and it’s easy for you the first time, I’m coming over to study at your feet!

What you’ll soon discover is that starting over is not so much an action as a mental position. Unlike its rigid fellow “resolution”, it’s not so much attached to outcomes as to process. It’s not mired by mental concepts like success and failure, but anchored in the ultimate reality of the present moment. The will and discipline involved lie not in achievement, but in a kind of stubborn insistence on staying in the game. Like anything juicy and powerful, it takes patience, determination and practice to get good at it.

The next time you find yourself losing ground with a personal goal, instead of getting so sidetracked by the inevitable “seasonal” elements of being human (crisis, celebration, anger, self- judgment, pain, failure and on and on) that you fall off the wagon or quit –just start over.

Woke up at the bottom of a pint of Ben and Jerry’s? Just put the spoon down and start over then and there. No fanfare, no self-flagellation –just recommit to the healthier eating style you have chosen for yourself and make your next meal a clean one.

After working with this practice for a long time, I am no longer as turned on by the promise of my sexy old boyfriend “Resolution”. Instead I’m falling for that plain and humble guy, “Just Start Over”. Though the new year looms closer and Resolution is knocking insistently at my door, again and again I turn my back on him to Just Start Over.

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Making Holiday Treats? Almonds, Beans and Pumpkin are the New Flour!

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

One hallmark all the traditional December holidays share is “fancy” foods at our celebration gatherings, especially sweets and treats. While no holiday should give you carte blanche to gorge with abandon, it’s important to the rhythms and rituals of our lives that we find ways to enjoy special foods at special times. For some occasions, such as parties away from home, planned indulgence is a good working strategy –thinking about it and deciding ahead of time what you will enjoy and what you will abstain from. For the celebrations you have under your own roof, however, consider transforming some of your holiday favorites from dishes that will skyrocket your blood sugar levels (and trigger a host of food reactions!) into something cleaner. It’s possible to clean up many homemade candies and baked goods while retaining the familiar flavors and textures if you use lower glycemic load sweeteners (such as stevia, erythritol and rice syrup) in place of the sugars, and exchange traditional refined flours for gluten-free, whole foods stand-ins.

The current clean-food swap in vogue for baked goods is to use almond flour in place of wheat flour. Almond flour is simply ground nuts and has all of the terrific nutritional properties of whole almonds, including the fiber and protein content. Unfortunately it also has the high caloric content of almonds, which means that eating several almond flour treats can elevate your calorie intake to startling levels, so enjoy these a very few at a time. Use a blanched almond flour, like the one made by Honeyville (honeyvillegrain.com – also available on Amazon), for the best baking performance. Though you will need to add a binding agent like arrowroot powder in some recipes, such as quick breads, almond flour works very well on its own for many cookies, scones and biscuits, yielding a dense and satisfying final product.

My favorite flour substitute for overall nutritional impact (including minimal calories) is a combination of cooked beans and cooked pumpkin (roasted, slow cooked or canned [organic only]). It’s not as flexible a substitute as almond flour, but can yield a delicious moist cookie, brownie or even a crepe when combined with pastured eggs. The end result is a “treat” with a high protein and fiber content –which will also help with the recipe’s overall glycemic load – and a reasonable number of calories. The texture is somewhat different than most baked goods, however – closer to a tender flourless cake or a soufflé than a fluffy or crisp product. Eggs make the best binder/lifter for beans and pumpkin and you can play with the balance between them as you experiment with different dishes. More beans gives you more density, while more pumpkin and egg give you more lightness.

Try this tricked-out holiday recipe to get you started. This is a rich dessert if you use all the ghee/butter, but still much lighter than anything comparable. And it calls for real chocolate chips – gasp! But the overall nutritional impact is closer to a whole food than a classic dessert. And it makes a divine holiday treat, a spice-filled cross between a chocolate soufflé and a fudgy brownie. These are best warm from the oven and they don’t need the icing at all –that’s just turns them into an over-the-top chocolate-y delight.

Happy holidays!

Holiday-Spiced Cocoa Soufflé Bites
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 eggs + 1 egg white
1/2 cup cooked pumpkin puree (canned is fine)
¼ cup high quality dark cocoa powder
¼ cup rice syrup
6 packets NuNaturals stevia
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 tablespoon melted organic ghee (or pastured butter or nut oil)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons cinnamon*
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon clove
2 pinches cayenne pepper, to taste
Pinch sea salt
1/2 cup high quality organic dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.
Spray a mini muffin tin with a vegetable or nut oil spray and set aside.
Combine all ingredients from black beans through sea salt in a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
Carefully fold in chocolate chips and spoon batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until just cooked through.
Rest soufflé bites in the pan for 10 minutes until removing to cool.
While bites are cooling, make the icing.

Yield: 24 soufflé bites
*If you prefer plain chocolate, simply omit the holiday spices.

Cocoa Cinn-Orange Icing
1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked 30 minutes and drained well
1/3 cup high quality dark cocoa powder
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons organic ghee, partially melted (or pastured butter, or coconut oil, but consider omitting spices as they won’t work as well with a coconutty flavor)
2 tablespoons rice syrup
¼ teaspoon vanilla NuStevia (or 1 packet NuNaturals stevia)

2 teaspoons orange zest*
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt

Combine all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. If your blender is too large for this small recipe you can use the food processor, but you’ll need to run it a little longer to get the same smooth texture.
When bites are mostly cool, spread icing generously over the tops and serve immediately or refrigerate to store. Best served warm.

Yield: about ½ cup

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Bedtime Snacks: What to eat before bedtime to help you get to sleep, stay asleep and build muscle

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Before getting into what to eat before bedtime, we’re going to dispel a myth about Turkey Day. You might remember “The Thanksgiving Song” Adam Sandler introduced on Saturday Night Live: The lyrics go, “Turkey lurkey doo and turkey lurkey dap, I eat that turkey, then I take a nap.” Sure enough, we do get sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner, and scientists have been telling us for years that turkey contains L-tryptophan. If carbs make us sleepy and L-tryptophan makes us sleepy, then wouldn’t the perfect bedtime snack be a turkey sandwich? Not quite.

First: although there is L-tryptophan in turkey – a 200-calorie serving of turkey contains about 507 mg of L-tryptophan – consider that the same amount of chicken contains almost as much, about 491 mg. You don’t hear anyone complain of sleepiness after eating a carton of chicken nuggets, do you? In fact, many other foods are much higher in tryptophan. So why has turkey gotten such a reputation as a sleep inducer? Think about it: On Thanksgiving, all those high-carbohydrate foods we pile on our plates (mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls and pie, oh, my!) add up to a surefire recipe for sleepiness – and think of the amount of energy it takes to digest it all.

Yes, carbohydrates are just the ticket to make you sleepy, and you should consume the majority of them in the evening. Also, if fat loss is not a major concern, carbs can be added to your postworkout shake. But it has to be the right type of carbs. That bread in your turkey sandwich probably contains gluten, which is bad news for just about everyone. All processed carbs are bad – that piece of cake may cause you to crash, and in the long term those bad carbs will make you fat and inflamed.

It’s best to consume carbs toward the end of the day to induce sleep. Carbs are associated with a release of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is linked to the onset of sleep and the regulation of blood pressure regulation and mood control. As a general guideline, the types of carbs you should consume are “Paleo” carbs.

To learn exactly which carbs are acceptable, you can consult books such as Loren Cordain’s The Paleo Diet, but to get started simply ask yourself, “Would a caveman have access to these carbs?” Oranges and sweet potatoes? Yes. Kellog’s Frosted Flakes? No. It also makes sense not to consume foods that stay in the stomach a long time – so a small tub of Chunky Monkey ice cream before bedtime might create some stomach distress in the middle of the night or the following morning. And although the jury seems to still be out on the subject, for some individuals sugar consumption before bedtime might cause nightmares. Alcohol and foods high in salt and grease, like pizza, may get you to sleep but also may cause shallow sleep. Heavy boozing can make you feel like a sleep-deprived zombie the next day – and not only because you were out until 2 a.m.

Drinking alcohol before bed is common – in fact, it may be the most common sleep aid – but it’s not a good idea according to research. A Japanese study published in the November 2011 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research looked at the affects of alcohol on sleep. The authors concluded that alcohol inhibits parasympathetic nervous system and as such “interferes with the restorative functions of sleep.”

If your goals include increasing your strength and muscle mass, then consider taking branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) before bedtime. A study published in the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise in 2012 tested the effects of strength training late in the evening followed by a large protein feeding on rates of muscle building and sleep quality. The subjects trained at 8:00 p.m., and at 11:30 p.m. they were given either a placebo or a protein drink containing 40 grams of protein.

None of the participants had trouble going to sleep or staying asleep, and they all reported decent sleep quality. Further, the authors found that the pre-bedtime protein feeding after strength training triggers a dramatic increase in muscle synthesis. As such, for anyone who has trouble gaining mass and doesn’t want to take a protein shake before bedtime, BCAA supplementation at night is a great option.

So let’s talk turkey, figuratively speaking. To improve the quality of your sleep, focus on eating some good carbs late in the day. And to boost your muscle and strength training progress, take BCAAs before turning out the lights.

Copyright © 2012

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Low Carb Nutrition

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

What are some advantages and disadvantages of a low carb nutrition approach?

There are many advantages to low carb nutrition, which is why I tend to use this dietary method with about 75 percent of my clients. But, low carb nutrition is not for everybody. There are some genotypes that do very poorly on a low carb diet.

If you are interested in a low carb diet to lose fat, be aware of what the best-selling author and dietitian Jonny Bowden would say, “You need to approach your fat loss system like you would approach relationships: with daily attention, nurturing, support, crisis management, intervention, focus, attention, consciousness, and mindfulness. It requires good negotiation skills. All the things we don't tend to have when it comes to food”!

The Advantages of Low Carb Eating

It promotes muscle gains while reducing fat stores
I am not a believer in the bulk-up/get lean approach of hypertrophy training. For 75 percent of the population, I strongly believe that if you want to gain lean body mass while losing fat, the low carb approach is most effective, especially if you are takings supplements that enhance insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity tends to improve on low carb diets, making the fat loss that you achieve more sustainable.

It is very valuable in treating dyslipidemia or high cholesterol
Low carb diets are particularly effective at reducing high cholesterol and elevated triglycerides. The effect of a low carb diet on raising the good form of cholesterol is not as drastic. but overall, low carb eating will improve the HDL:LDL ratio in a manner that significantly reduces cardiovascular health risk.

It reduces inflammation
Many patients will report reduced joint pain while following a low carb diet. High insulin levels that come from high carb eating are linked with inflammation markers, and more inflammation in the body leads to joint pain. In addition, another cardiovascular health risk marker called C-reactive protein will go down very rapidly when a low carb diet is followed.

It improves blood sugar and insulin levels
Blood sugar management is probably one of the biggest benefits of low carb diets. Almost 68 percent of Americans are pre-diabetic. Insulin, which is a hormone that is secreted by the pancreas in response to eating carbs, increases aging and inflammation when it is consistently elevated. Managing insulin is one of the best ways to promote a healthy long life. An added benefit of improving blood sugar is reduced mood swings and less likelihood of binging on food because you won’t feel hungry or crave high sugar foods.

It lowers blood pressure
Low carb diets reduce inflammation, which lowers blood pressure.

It increases energy
Greater energy levels is a very common report of low carb dieters. In studies that test the effect of mood and low carb diets, psychological test results always indicate greater well being from low carb eating, likely due to better management of blood sugar. As nutrition expert Robert Crayhon says, “if you want more energy, take care of your mitochondria.” Lower insulin levels help manage the energy producing capacities of mitochondria.

Disadvantages of Low Carb Eating

It tends to be bland
Low carb eating is thought to be bland, but this is not a reality. There are plenty of resources such as cook books like Living the Low Carb Life by Jonny Bowden that provide you with a wealth of recipes (www.jonnybowden.com).

Food prep time is greater
The meat content is typically greater with low carb eating making more time necessary to prepare food. Cooking a steak takes more time than making a sandwich. But again, there are solutions. If you use salad instead of the pita, you can do low carb wraps in a flash.

Constipation is often an issue
That can be off-set by taking in a mixture of ground flax seed hulls and ground fenugreek seeds first thing in the morning. Besides providing the body with many forms of fibers, it helps detoxify the body daily and improves insulin sensitivity.

Possible nutrients deficiencies
Anytime you eat a specific diet and abstain from certain foods, you can become deficient in certain nutrients. I recommend that everyone take a high-quality, broad nutrient multi-vitamin supplement.

This goes along with a varied plan of antioxidant supplementation that changes every week. To make it simple, I change the color of the antioxidants I take. For example, the first product may have 5 to 6 flavonoids like limonene (so the base color is yellow), and the next week, I switch to purple so that I use a formula that has grape seed extract, bilberry, and others.

Poliquin Staff's Healthier Baking Alternative: Gluten-Free Buche De Noel

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Several years ago I had the opportunity to work at a French bakery. Every Christmas season we would make hundreds of traditional Buche De Noel. This classic sponge cake is based on the tradition of the burning of a yule log during the winter solstice. It is usually decorated with meringue mushrooms and marzipan holly. This gluten-free version is from the Living Without website. Although this recipe may seem a bit involved, give it a try. It’s worth the effort!

Ingredients:

Cake:

6 large eggs
¾ cup organic sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
¾ cup cocoa
6 tablespoons gluten-free flour blend
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
6 tablespoons clarified unsalted butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13 inch jelly roll pan and line with parchment paper.

Put eggs in their shells into a bowl of very hot (not boiling) water to heat (not cook).

Heat some water in a pot that’s large enough for a mixing bowl to fit in but not so large that the bowl sits in the water. Place mixing bowl over hot water.

Crack warm eggs into mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar and salt. Continue whisking egg mixture until it feels quite warm. Remove from heat.

Use mixer fitted with a whisk to beat warmed egg mixture until it begins to thicken and ribbon. Add vanilla and continue beating until batter forms a ribbon that does not melt into the rest of the batter.

Sift cocoa, flour blend and xanthan gum together in a separate bowl.

Sift a third of the cocoa mixture over egg mixture and fold in. Sift and fold in remaining cocoa mixture, half at a time.

Fold in clarified butter, half at a time.

Gently pour batter into pan and smooth top.

Bake the sponge cake in the middle of the oven for 18 to 22 minutes or until the cake is firm to the touch and pulls away slightly from the side of the pan.

Spread a kitchen towel on the counter and dust with cocoa. Invert baked cake onto towel. Trim edges. Loosely roll cake up in towel and place on a rack to cool.

Once cooled unroll sponge cake onto clean parchment paper. Spread with filling (see below for chocolate mocha cream). Use the parchment paper to roll cake into a tight cylinder. Trim the cake ends on a diagonal and position these pieces like branches on the log.

Cover Buche De Noel with filling or chocolate buttercream.

Use raspberries or cranberries for decoration and sprinkle with powdered sugar to resemble snow.

Filling/Frosting:

3 cups heavy cream (chilled)
½ cup of confectioner’s sugar
½ cup unsweetened powdered cocoa
2 teaspoons instant coffe or espresso

Blend all ingredients in a bowl by hand with a spatula. Chill in refrigerator for a half hour.

Mix in mixer until stiff.

A Better Brunch: Portobello Benedict with Sundried Tomato Pesto

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

I don’t know about you, but I love Sunday brunch. Many classic brunch dishes are way too high in carbs and or calories to qualify as “clean fare”, however. If you love eggs benedict, but don’t love what starchy English muffins and heavy Hollandaise do to your physique, try this version instead. This Benedict eschews puddles of classic Hollandaise in favor of a touch of fresh, raw pesto. Not only is it simple to make from scratch (while Hollandaise is notoriously fussy!), but it has the anti-inflammatory benefits of olive oil as well. Using portobellos to replace the classic white English muffins not only reduces calories and carbs, but also improves the overall flavor of the dish and provides some B vitamins and potassium.

Ingredients

Olive oil cooking spray
4 large portobello mushroom caps, stemmed and gills removed*
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 10-ounce bag baby spinach
1 10-ounce bag baby arugula
Sprinkles salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon salt (can omit if eggs are very fresh**)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (can omit if eggs are very fresh**)
4 very fresh, extra large eggs
½ large, ripe Hass avocado, sliced thinly, optional
1 large heirloom tomato, cut into 4 thick slices, optional
8 teaspoons prepared high quality sundried tomato pesto, or to taste

Preheat broiler and lightly spray a broiler pan with cooking oil.
Place the prepared portobellos top-down on the broiler pan and broil for about 7-8 minutes or until tender – watch closely to prevent scorching.
While the mushrooms are cooking, fill a medium sauté pan about half-full of water, add salt and vinegar, if using, and bring water just to a simmer (not a full boil!).
While the water is heating, heat the oil in a large sauté pan.
Add the shallots and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Add spinach and arugula, and cover for 1 minute to wilt slightly.
Remove cover, season with salt and pepper to taste, turn gently for even cooking and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes or until greens are wilted to desired tenderness.
While greens are wilting, one at a time, break the eggs one into a small bowl and slide gently into the simmering water in your waiting sauté pan. Try to slide them against the edge of the sauté pan to help them keep their shape.
Simmer eggs for about 4 minutes or until the whites are cooked through, but the yolks are still soft.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the pan and set them aside to drain.
While the eggs are draining, place one broiled Portobello cap on each of 4 plates.
Lay one fourth of the avocado slices, if using, evenly over each mushroom, top with one fourth of the prepared greens, 1 tomato slice, if using, and 1 poached egg.
Spoon 2 teaspoons of pesto (or to taste) over the egg and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Notes from the Clean Food Coach™:
*To stem the portobellos, gently pinch and grip the stem firmly at the base with one hand, and slowly twist the cap with the other hand until the stem separates. To remove the gills, scoop them out with a teaspoon leaving hollowed out shells.

**The freshest eggs have very firm whites and yolks, so tend to retain their shape better when cooking –yet another reason to buy right from the source! If you didn’t buy your eggs at a farm stand, use the salt and vinegar to help them hold their shape when poaching.

Even Healthier: When you have the time, you can make a flavorful, nutrient-rich, fresh pesto yourself. This can easily be prepared in advance because it keeps for a week tightly sealed in the fridge. Extra sundried tomato pesto is excellent spooned over grilled fish or chicken, too.

1/3 cup julienne-cut sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
1 clove crushed garlic
Packed ¼ cup basil leaves (or use double spinach)
Packed ¼ cup baby spinach leaves (or use double basil)
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (omit and add 3 additional tablespoons pine nuts if dairy-free)
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra if needed
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

In the food processor, combine all ingredients in the order given from sundried tomatoes through black pepper in a food processor and pulse or process to desired texture, scraping down the sides as necessary. Drizzle extra olive oil one teaspoon at a time if mixture is too dry.

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Poliquin Staff Healthier Alternative Holiday Recipes: Gluten-Free Biscotti

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

As an Italian American, I grew up with a lot of Christmas traditions--Christmas Eve was the Night of Seven Fishes, a different fish dish to represent the Seven Sacraments. For Christmas dinner the courses were endless…there was always pasta no matter what the main course was and, of course, there were lots of desserts and fruit cake. But the things I looked forward to most were the Christmas cookies. My mother and my aunt would start baking days before and there would be trays and trays of cookies on the table. Now that my mother and aunt are older, I have taken on the task of making the Christmas cookies along with my daughters. One of our favorites is biscotti. The thing I like about biscotti is once you have a good base recipe you can make several variations with the same recipe. I used traditional anise extract with almonds and dried cranberries, but the possibilities are endless. Use any extracts and add-ins you like—lemon, almond, vanilla, walnuts, pistachios, chocolate etc. I found the gluten-free recipe that follows on Carla’s Gluten-Free Recipe Box.

I hope you try these and enjoy them with a wonderful cup of coffee!
Buon Natale!

Ingredients:
•    1 cup of sugar or evaporated cane juice
•    1 stick of butter, very soft
•    3 eggs, at room temperature
•    2 tablespoons pure extract (almond, lemon, anise etc.)
•    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•    1 tablespoon baking powder
•    3 tablespoons brandy (milk or water can be substituted)
•    3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (if flour does not contain gum use a ¾ tsp. of xanthan gum)
•    1 cup of chopped nuts or whatever you choose to add in
•    1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl cream butter and sugar; add eggs one at a time; add brandy (or whatever liquid you choose) and extracts and mix until well blended. Do not over mix as you do not want a lot of bubbles in the dough.

Whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, and baking powder. Add to butter mixture and beat until dough forms.

Fold in nuts or other add-ins by hand and mix evenly.

Divide the dough into two pieces and place one on top of some floured plastic wrap. (The dough will be very sticky).

Form the dough into a flattened log approximately 2” wide. Repeat with second piece of dough. Place the logs side by side on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Lower oven to 300 and cool logs on a rack for about 10 minutes.

Once the logs are cooled, use a serrated knife and cut 1” slices on a diagonal. Place slices on their side on the baking sheet and bake for an additional 10 minutes turn cookies over and bake for 10 minutes more or until golden brown.

Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Spicy Spaghetti (Squash) Bolognese

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Low-carb or not, every now and again most of us get a craving for a hot plate of spaghetti covered in meaty sauce. Though convenient, flour-based pasta is just too starchy to be healthy and most jars of conventional spaghetti sauce are either too high in sugar, sodium or poor quality fats. Making your own tastier, healthier, clean version will take more time than using pre-made ingredients, but you don’t have to spend all day nursing a pot of simmering tomatoes to get delicious rich flavors with a far lower glycemic impact. In the warmer weather it’s great to use spiralized raw zucchini “noodles”, but in the winter it’s more soothing to use cooked spaghetti squash. At only 42 calories a cup, it makes an excellent clean “pasta”. This recipe delivers a nice kick of heat – really good with the fire-roasted tomatoes. If heat isn’t your thing, just reduce the amount of hot spices called for.

Step 1: Roast spaghetti squash.

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Slice a large spaghetti squash in half the long way and scoop out the seeds and threads with a heavy spoon. Lightly olive oil the cut flesh with your fingertips and place the halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the flesh gives when you press the skin side gently with a spoon (timing will depend on the size of your squash).

Step 2: Make the sauce.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced, to taste

1 pound pastured ground beef

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, divided

1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or ½ teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika)

¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste

¾ teaspoon each salt and fresh ground pepper, plus extra

2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained (also tasty with fire-roasted)

¼ cup tomato paste

½-3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar)

¼ cup slivered fresh basil, optional

Heat the oil over medium in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook about 5 minutes until slightly soft. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.

Add the ground beef and break it up. Evenly sprinkle 1½ teaspoons of the Italian seasoning, paprika, cayenne, and ¾ teaspoon salt and pepper over the meat and mix everything well. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until the beef is browned throughout – no pink remaining. Drain off any excess oil and return to the heat.

Stir in the remaining ingredients, including the remaining 1½ teaspoons of Italian seasonings, from the tomatoes through the red pepper flakes and mix well.

Reduce the heat slightly, cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar, fresh basil, if using, and add additional salt and pepper, to taste.

Step 3: Assemble your Spaghetti Bolognese.

When the sauce is almost done, use a fork to scrape the squash out of the skins, shredding a bit to separate the strands. Divide equally onto 4 plates and cover liberally with the finished sauce. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese to serve, if desired.

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Healthier Snickerdoodles

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Here at Poliquin™, we’re all getting ready for the holidays in New England. Of course, our minds turn to food (frequently) and to baking in particular. Who hasn’t waited eagerly this time of year for that cookie plate (you hate, but) love to get from a neighbor or grandma’s special cheesecake? It’s a party in our head and a bellyful of ingredients we know we should stay away from!

My sister makes a great Snickerdoodle cookie, those cinnamon treasures that seem to go down way too easily. Here is an alternative to the usual wheat flour/white sugar version, which popped up on Fast Paleo and on other sites:

What you will need:
•    1 1/2 cups of almond meal
•    1 tbs of coconut flour
•    1 egg
•    1/4 cup of honey
•    1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
•    1 tsp of vanilla
•    1/2 tsp of cinnamon + extra for rolling dough in
•    1/2 tsp of nutmeg
•    1/2 tsp of baking soda
•    1/4 tsp of sea salt

Directions:
1.    Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.
2.    Cover the cookie dough and place in the fridge to chill for one hour.
3.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4.    Roll the cookies into small balls and coat in cinnamon.
5.    Use the bottom of a cup or jar to flatten them out.
6.    Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Chase Away the Cold(s) with Fire Cider

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

One of my favorite folk remedies for fighting off colds (in the early stages) and boosting immunity in the cold weather season is fire cider. Though it originated in this country over a century ago, it is still a helpful remedy in modern times. Raw apple cider vinegar is a fermented food with a pH between 4.5 and 5.5. Its acid content, primarily acetic with some malic, is antimicrobial in nature. And vinegar in general has antiglycemic properties, reducing insulin spikes when taken with starches or sugars. Fire cider traditionally contains a collection of pungents loaded with health-protective benefits: garlic (antioxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-parasitic), onion (antioxidant, antiviral, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory), and horseradish (inhibits bacterial infection, increases circulation). It’s also common to include capsaicin-rich peppers in the form of cayenne powder or fresh hot chilies – warming and stimulating. I’ve boosted this recipe with additional ingredients high in vitamin C: lemon, orange, and rosehips (whole chilies are also loaded with vitamin C); and both ginger (antiemetic, digestive aid, antimicrobial, antiviral, immune-boosting) and curcumin-rich turmeric (also a member of the ginger family) – warming, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Most of these ingredients are readily available and the method for making fire cider is an easy one –though you do need to plan ahead as it needs to sit for at least three weeks. Once it’s prepared, you can take it straight or diluted in a little water or apple cider (1-2 tablespoons), use it in homemade salad or vegetable dressings, or use it to make delicious cocktails – alcoholic or non-alcoholic. It makes a tasty and beneficial addition to your winter larder.

Cold Weather Fire Cider

½ yellow or red onion, chopped
½ peeled lemon, quartered
½ peeled orange, quartered
1/2 cup grated fresh horseradish root (if you can’t find the fresh root in your grocery store, use ½ cup prepared, well-drained)
1/3 cup grated fresh ginger root
1/8 cup crushed and chopped garlic
2 tablespoon dried rosehips, optional
1 chopped jalapeno pepper, with seeds (or habanero for more heat)
2 tablespoon turmeric powder
Cayenne, to taste
Slightly warmed raw apple cider vinegar, to cover all (about 3+ cups)

Combine all herbs in a sterile quart-sized mason jar and pour warm vinegar over all.
Mix well.
Cover bottle opening with a double layer of plastic wrap and screw on the lid.
Leave in a sunny place for 3-4 weeks, shaking daily to mix.
Strain and compost all veg material and mix in a small amount of raw honey, to taste.
Store in bottles in the refrigerator.

References
Johnston, Carol, PhD, RD and Gaas, Cindy, BS. “Vinegar: Medicinal Uses and Anti-glycemic Effect”, MedGenMed: 8(2):61, May 30, 2006.

Bowden, Jonny. The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Fair Winds Press, 2007. Print.

Ten Ways to Use Your Leftover Turkey

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

When everyone is sated, the Thanksgiving festivities are winding down, and it’s time to start the cleanup, it’s not uncommon to find yourself left with 5-10 pounds of turkey meat from your holiday bird. According to the National Turkey Federation, Americans bought seven hundred thirty six million pounds of turkey for Thanksgiving in 2011. And according to the Environmental Working Group’s “Meat Eater’s Guide”, America throws away two hundred twenty eight million pounds of turkey after Thanksgiving! That means we are wasting nearly a third of that vast amount of meat. There’s really no excuse for throwing it away as leftover cooked turkey is an excellent resource for a clean eating lifestyle. Check out the following ten tips for using up your tasty turkey leftovers.

1.    Have a second Thanksgiving for lunch on Black Friday. It probably only took your family or company about twenty minutes to eat the gorgeous spread you spent hours or even days preparing. Have it again with all the trimmings to get the most out of your hard work.

2.    Make a tasty soup from some of your stock and leftover meat. This one (adapted from my recipe in The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer Cookbook) is one of my all-time favorites – easy, satisfying and delicious! And it freezes well, too.

Low-Cal Turkey, Wild Rice, and Cranberry Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large shallots, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
4 cups turkey stock (or chicken broth)
1/3 cup uncooked wild rice
1½ cups shredded or diced cooked turkey meat
1 15-ounce can red beans, drained and rinsed (or kidney beans)
1 cup canned hominy, drained and rinsed (or frozen corn)
½ teaspoon tarragon
½ teaspoon thyme
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons marsala wine

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for 3 minutes. Add carrots, stir to combine, and sauté for another 3 minutes. Pour broth over all, increase heat to high and bring soup to a low boil. Add wild rice. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
After soup has simmered for 30 minutes, stir in turkey, beans, hominy, tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Add cranberries and wine and cook for another 5–10 minutes or until rice reaches desired tenderness. Adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Yield: 4 servings

3.    Shred and freeze the portion of the leftover turkey you don’t think you’ll use in 48 hours. Seal meal-sized portions into freezer Ziplocs and press all the air out. The key to preventing the formation of pesky ice crystals is to chill the meat completely in the fridge before freezing. If you freeze it warm, the condensation will turn to ice and toughen the meat when thawed. When you’re ready to eat turkey again, take it out of the freezer and thaw it overnight in your fridge. Then use it for any and all turkey recipes –which will seem much more fresh and appealing once Thanksgiving is a distant memory.

4.    Make a big pot of chili substituting shredded turkey for chicken, ground beef or ground turkey. Use your favorite chili recipe and just sub in an equal part of leftover turkey for the meat called for. This is a double bonus because you save the time of cooking the raw meat for the recipe. Most chili also freezes really well.

5.    Make a variety of different cold turkey rollups for lunches. To keep this meal low-carb, use Romaine or stemmed collard leaves in place of bread. Try turkey salad made with just enough all-natural mayo to hold it together and a couple of spoonfuls of leftover cranberry sauce. Fill it out with fresh sprouts and enjoy.

6.    Fold leftover turkey into scrambled eggs or an omelet and serve with prepared salsa and slices of avocado for breakfast.

7.    Warm leftover shredded turkey with a small amount of your favorite barbecue sauce and serve inside hollowed out red bell peppers for a quick lunch or dinner.

8.    Make easy turkey enchiladas by spreading half a bottle of high quality prepared enchilada sauce evenly onto the bottom of a baking pan, covering with a single layer of sprouted corn tortillas, then a thick layer of shredded turkey mixed with black beans (canned, drained) and salsa, then baby spinach, then a thin layer of shredded raw cheddar cheese (optional), another layer of tortillas, and topped with the other half of the enchilada sauce. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes.

9.    Use leftover shredded turkey in place of ground beef in your favorite Bolognese sauce recipe and serve it over roasted spaghetti squash for a filling-but-low-cal-and-carb mock “pasta” dish.

10.    Top crisp green salads with leftover turkey. My two favorites are Waldorf salad with cold shredded turkey and Cobb salad with warm, sliced turkey breast.

Want more?  Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Top Tips for a Thin Thanksgiving

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Well, here we are in the middle of the two-month American holiday eating extravaganza, looking forward to the mother of all food celebrations: Thanksgiving dinner. For many of us the Thanksgiving holiday represents a kind of unspoken “reprieve” from the balanced natural eating style we try to maintain for most of the year. If your meal is a clean one, with seasonal, low-glycemic dishes and a free range bird as the centerpiece, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying it to the hilt. But too often when we open that “anything goes” eating door, one special meal can turn into a three-day free-for-all. Here are a few tips to help you stay on track through the holiday…

•    Avoid the black and white approach to healthy eating. Try to keep your eating “rules” as guidelines or guard rails rather than rigid absolutes. That way on a special holiday you can have one helping or just a few bites of something you love but usually avoid for health reasons. Most of the time the occasional treat or overindulgence does not, in and of itself, sabotage healthy eating. The problem comes if you fall into what I call “breaking the seal” syndrome, or “stacking”. In the throes of that syndrome you may have a dinner roll as a Thanksgiving treat, but then think – “well, I’ve broken the seal, might as well have every form of gluten on this table” and proceed to power your way through a Caligula-style eating binge. While one dinner roll may not be a big issue, generous helpings of cornbread, stuffing, and all three of Aunt Tilley’s pies will likely cause you some disquiet, not to mention discomfort, after the fact.

•    Don’t skip any meals on Thanksgiving day. Treat the holiday like every other day, having a regular, balanced breakfast and lunch. If you skip meals or don’t get enough calories throughout the day trying to “save up” for a bigger pm meal, your blood sugar will be low at dinner and that’s a setup for overeating. Contrary to popular opinion, if you are starving before Thanksgiving dinner, you will not enjoy it more. Being too hungry will cause you to eat very rapidly, without really savoring the special dishes, and you will almost always eat too much.

•    Stay hydrated all of Thanksgiving week. Drinking extra water has the double benefit of preventing false hunger before and helping your system flush the effects of any overindulgence after the celebrating.

•    Stick to your regular exercise plan, working out Thanksgiving morning if at all possible. In addition to the regular health benefits of working out, keeping to your workout routine will help the rhythm of the day feel more “normal” and discourage any early onset of that “free-for-all” holiday mentality. If you can, plan for a good hard workout Friday morning as well, both to get you right back into the saddle and help you use up any extra carbs and calories.

•    Mentally prepare yourself for the meal. Take a little time that day to think through how you want to approach the celebration. Will you have cocktails or not? How many? Decide ahead and stick to your plan. Will you eat gluten, bread, dairy, dessert, etc. or not? If so, how much? Will you have seconds or not? Consider how you want to feel Friday morning. Deciding what you’ll do in advance and thinking it completely through will help you stay on your healthy track right through the holiday. On the other hand, having three beers at noon and suiting up in your stretchiest sweats for dinner will help you fall right into a hole you could seriously regret the next day.

•    Focus on the people rather than the food. In the end, though we make a big deal of the Thanksgiving meal itself, you will have a much better holiday if you put the people first and leave the eating in the background. You don’t want to get so lost in preparations or eating that you forget to really connect with and enjoy your circle of family or friends sharing the holiday with you. Thanksgiving is about giving thanks, after all, and the people closest to us are one of life’s greatest gifts.

Want more?  Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Clean and Simple No-Bake Pumpkin Pie (Grain-Free!)

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

I’ve been making pumpkin pies for years and the ingredient list and “cooking” process keep getting shorter and shorter. This softly-flavored pie has only 6 ingredients (not counting the salt), requires no baking, is gluten-free, low-glycemic load and either high in protein or high in fiber, depending which binder you use (tofu or avocado). You can also have it on the table in less than 30 minutes. This is sort of an interactive recipe because you need to decide what your priorities are –i.e. are you looking for the highest protein and lowest glycemic load? Try the tofu and Orange NuStevia combination. Don’t eat soy? Go with the avocado for the binder (it will not set as firmly as the soy). Looking for something a little sweeter and more traditionally flavored? Use canned pumpkin and 1/3 cup pure maple syrup. You can even put the filling into a traditional baked flour crust – it’s still going to be a much healthier pie than any conventional option. Experiment a bit to hit the sweet level you enjoy and make it your own, tailored to your personal tastes and fitness goals. I love orange with squash and pumpkin, so I always use the Orange NuStevia and add a couple of teaspoons of orange zest.

Ingredients

Crust
2 cups macadamia nuts (raw or roasted)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided

2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger

Filling
2 cups fresh-cooked pumpkin* (or sweet winter squash, such as kabocha)

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Sweetener of choice, to taste (Options: 1½ droppers of Orange NuStevia; or ¼ cup maple syrup; or ¼ cup rice syrup plus 1/8 teaspoon liquid stevia; or ¼ cup tagatose; or 1 cup ripe banana slices or pitted date puree, etc.)

1 12.3-ounce package firm silken tofu or 2/3 cup lightly mashed ripe hass avocado

Instructions
To make the crust, combine the macadamias, 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and ginger in a food processor. Slowly pulse and process, turning the mix over occasionally for even processing, until it looks like fine crumbs and holds together well when you pinch it between your fingers. If it’s under-processed it will not stick together, but if it’s over-processed, it will turn into an oily nut butter. When the consistency is right, transfer contents into a 9-inch pie plate and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the plate, scalloping around the edges with your thumbs, if desired. Place the crust in the freezer to help it set while you prepare the filling.
To make the filling, combine the pumpkin, spice, sweetener, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a food processor and process until smooth and well-mixed. Add the tofu or avocado and process until completely incorporated (it takes a little longer for the tofu, and a little less time for the avocado). Spoon the filling into the crust and refrigerate for an hour to set completely. It’s fine to serve the pie at room temp, but it will be soft.

Yield: 8-12 servings

Notes from the Clean Food Coach:
*To cook a sugar pumpkin (or any large winter squash), simply cut it in half and remove stem and seeds. Cut each half into quarters (or eighths if the pumpkin is more than a few pounds) and cook on low in a slow cooker with 1/3 cup apple cider (optional) for 6-8 hours or until tender. Scoop out the flesh for use and discard the skins.
You can also use high quality organic cooked pumpkin, but it will taste a bit blander than fresh-cooked –consider adding another half teaspoon of ground ginger or cinnamon to the filling.

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Is Sugar More Trouble Than It's Worth?

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

For optimal body composition, sugar is absolutely more trouble than it is worth. Eliminating sugar is the best choice if you want to get and stay lean, prevent diabetes and avoid a host of health problems, including cancer, hypertension, heart disease, and accelerated aging. It’s not that sugar directly causes these health problems, but we eat WAY too much of it every day, making us fat and degrading our health. Sugar should be used as a delicacy in small quantities once a week, but the average American eats 22 to 28 teaspoons of added sugars A DAY—that’s 350 to 450 calories, or nearly a pound a week, that few people can afford.

Many people think that sugar is okay in moderation, or that there are sweeteners that are better for us because they are raw, natural, or come from a plant. Just because it’s raw and plant-based doesn’t mean it won’t make you fat!

All sweeteners except artificial ones come from plants—refined sugar, brown sugar, molasses, evaporated cane juice, raw sugar, organic cane sugar, agave, maple syrup, fructose, juice concentrates, and corn syrup—they are all completely natural. Honey, the remaining sweetener, contains vitamins, antioxidants, and is thought to enhance the immune system, but if fat loss is your goal, it should be avoided because of the high fructose content.

To help you make your own informed decision about sugar intake, this article will look at how the body processes different forms of sugar and what the research tells us about sugar and health risks.

What Is Sugar?
For the purpose of this article, sugar includes all the sweeteners that are produced from sugar cane, sugar beets, corn, fruit, honey, agave, maple syrup, and fructose. White and brown sugar, evaporated can juice, raw sugar, and molasses are all made up of a sugar molecule called sucrose, which is about half fructose and half glucose.

Glucose is the sugar that is turned into glycogen and stored in the cells for energy, or if there is too much of it, it is turned into fat. Glucose isn’t sweet by itself, but when paired with fructose in an equal ratio it is what we know as sugar. If you need to replenish energy stores quickly after a very intense workout, glucose is the best choice, but from a body composition perspective it should be avoided.

Fructose is the sugar that is found in fruits and some vegetables, and it makes up at least 48 percent or more of all the sweeteners mentioned here. Fructose is metabolized by the liver and it doesn’t raise insulin. Still, studies show that eating foods with added fructose can put you at greater risk of diabetes, and lead to significant fat gain, especially visceral belly fat.
Orange and grape juice concentrates contain slightly more than half fructose, with the rest being glucose. High-fructose corn syrup is 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose, whereas agave is 88 percent fructose and 12 percent glucose, which is the reason that agave is not the wonder sweetener that it has been marketed to be. It is true agave has a low-glycemic index since it is mostly fructose, but that whopping dose of fructose appears to wreck metabolic havoc on the body.

The Problem With Sugar
There is a serious flaw with the argument that sugar is okay in moderation. Humans don’t seem to be able to control themselves when it comes to sugar intake. And for good reason: Sugar has the effect of altering hormone response and brain function so that we are driven to eat more of it.

Wakefulness, energy expenditure, and the brain’s reward center are all downregulated when we eat sugar. A network of transmitters in the brain respond to the food you eat, and if you eat carbs, especially sugary carbs, the network is inhibited, slowing energy use and making you less alert. For example, dopamine signaling is reduced so you feel less pleasure and want more sweets, while the hormone leptin, which suppresses hunger and signals fullness, is not elevated.

Humans aren’t to “blame” for loving sugar or being unable to control their intake since it basically hijacks the brain to persistently crave more sugar, a craving that the vast majority of humans are not able to overcome. And many people eat some if not lots of processed foods, nearly all of which contain some added sugar, making their intake that much higher and intensifying their cravings. Therefore, if you or your children eat foods with added sugar on a regular basis, there’s little doubt that you are getting too much, and putting yourself at risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, and disease.

If you don’t eat processed foods EVER, you have a shot at completely avoiding sugar, or choosing to eat it only in severe moderation. However, if are trying to lose fat, completely avoiding sugar is the best solution.

The Problem With Fructose
Fructose was originally thought to be a great alternative to sucrose because it doesn’t affect insulin. Recent research shows that when you consume food or beverages with added fructose, it will slow your metabolic rate, halt fat burning in the body, and the liver will turn any excess fructose into fat very quickly.

For example, a study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the effects of eating a diet that was high in fructose-based carbohydrates with one that included mainly glucose-derived carbs on body composition in overweight individuals. Researchers had participants eat a diet that was 15 percent protein, 30 percent fat, and 55 percent carbohydrate (30 percent was complex carbs and 25 percent was either fructose or glucose) for 10 weeks.

Both groups gained fat, but the fructose group gained more fat, most of which was visceral belly fat. They also decreased their resting metabolic rate, meaning they burned fewer calories at rest after the 10 weeks, which is never a good thing because it will lead to an excess energy balance and fat gain. Fat burning was also decreased in the group that ate the fructose, which is a very unfavorable result because it leads to fat accumulation in the liver and decreased insulin sensitivity.

Other studies provide additional evidence that fructose is bad news: A Harvard review of 300,000 people found that for each 12-ounce serving of high-fructose corn syrup sweetened beverage ingested a day, diabetes risk was increased by 15 percent, and a similar finding linked fructose sweetened beverages with greater visceral belly fat and insulin resistance in teenagers. Aside from causing visceral belly fat gain, diabetes risk, and lower metabolic rate, fructose intake is thought to lead to elevated blood triglyceride levels, which is a primary indicator of heart disease risk.

All of these negative effects are set off by what happens with the liver when too much fructose enters the system. The liver can process a small amount of fructose efficiently, such as the amount found in a serving of blueberries or raspberries. But more than a few grams gets converted quickly by the liver into fat, and the liver appears to favor putting the fat into muscle, the abdominal cavity, and the liver itself. All this fat is called visceral fat and it is the worst kind for you to have because it sends out inflammatory factors that promote insulin resistance, raise triglycerides, and degrade muscle tissue.

Ten Tips To Avoid Sugar For A Better Body Composition

1)    Eliminate All Processed Foods
The easiest way to avoid sugar is to eliminate all processed foods. Opt for whole foods: Organic meat, whole milk dairy, nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables, and fruit.

2)    Read All Food Labels
You should avoid all processed and packaged foods, but in the rare cases that you can’t, try to buy foods that don’t have added sugar. First, check the ingredient list for all of the following: Sugar, evaporated cane juice, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, beet sugar, brown rice syrup, agave, honey, molasses, brown sugar, and fruit juice concentrates.

Second, check the nutrition label to find out how many grams of sugar are in the food. This may be added sugar or naturally occurring sugar, which is found in milk, plain yogurt, and fruit. Don’t worry about naturally occurring sugar as long as you eat reasonable quantities. Obviously, you want to avoid added sugars whenever possible.

3)    Start By Limiting Sugar Intake to 100 Calories a Day
If you are a sugar junkie and can’t fathom the idea of eliminating sugar, start by cutting back. Shoot for 100 calories a day, which is equal to about 25 grams a day or 6.5 teaspoons.

4)    Avoid All Sweetened Beverages
Avoid all sweetened beverages and all other beverages that have added sugar, including diet and regular soda, tea, sports drinks, energy drinks, etc. There is compelling evidence that sweetened beverages of all kinds are linked to accelerated fat gain, greater risk of obesity, diabetes, and other health problems because liquid sugars are turned into fat very quickly and alter insulin sensitivity.

5)    Avoid Fruit Juice
Avoid fruit juice. Juice contains none of the fiber of fruit and most fruit juices have a whopping dose of added sugar. Even if they don’t, from a body composition perspective, you need to avoid them because the liquid sugar (much of which is fructose) is quickly converted into fat just like with soda.

6)    Minimize Your Fructose Intake
Save your fructose intake for fruit and avoid all other forms. Most fruits are high in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, making them an important part of your diet. For fat loss, limit your intake to 5 to 10 grams of fructose a day, with very active individuals maxing out at 20 grams. Lower fructose fruits and vegetables include most berries, nectarines, grapefruit, avocado and tomatoes. Bananas, apples, and pears are on the high end of the scale.

7)    Don’t Add Sugar To Foods or Beverages
If you currently drink tea or coffee with added sugar, stop.

8)    Accept that There Is No Healthy Sugar
Although added fructose may be the worst sugar because of how it slows metabolism and halts fat burning, there is NO nutritional value in any form of sugar except possibly honey. For optimal body composition, avoid ALL sugar. Be aware that “healthier” sweeteners are a myth—agave is one of the worst sweeteners because it is almost pure liquid fructose with an even higher fructose content (88 percent) than high-fructose corn syrup!

9)    Avoid Diet Sweeteners
Avoid diet soda and other diet sweeteners because many are chemically derived and have been linked with severe health problems and cancer risk. Ingesting sweeteners such as aspartame, splenda, etc., increases your toxic load, and there is evidence that humans naturally use sweet taste to predict the caloric content of food. Eating sweet non-caloric substances may degrade this predictive relationship, leading us to eat more calories, and producing fat gain.

For example, controlled studies of rats have found that feeding the animals artificially sweetened food reduces the correlation between sweet taste and the caloric content of foods, resulting in increased energy intake, fat gain, and a blunted thermic response to sweet-tasting diets. This means the rats’ bodies adapted to burn fewer calories in response to the same amount of food intake, indicating a slower metabolic rate.

10)    Enjoy Stevia in Moderation
Stevia is a non-caloric sweetener that comes from the stevia bush, which is native to South America. It has been found to improve glucose tolerance and may help fight diabetes. Other studies have shown it can lower blood pressure and may convey additional health benefits. Stevia doesn’t cause an insulin release but it does need to be metabolized by the body, which happens via a detoxification through the liver and kidneys. So, it’s not turned into fat or used as energy in the body, but it still must be processed and excreted, meaning you don’t want to eat huge quantities.

Copyright © 2012

Lighten Up Fall Dinners: Swap the Mashed Potatoes for Root Veggie Purees

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

White potatoes are a starchy carb that, although they’re a whole food, rate as poorly as the refined “whites” (sugar, white flour, white rice, etc.) in terms of their effect on your insulin levels. Though they’re in the medium-low range for glycemic load, in most rating tests they score even higher than white bread on the insulin index. For people trying not to spike their insulin levels (and that should be nearly everyone), the colorful root veggies of fall can offer multiple delicious and lower-starch alternatives that still warm and satisfy on a cold night. (They also offer a broad spectrum of nutrients and antioxidants lacking in white potatoes, such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, sporamins and anthocyanins.)
Most people will recognize the sweeter fall roots like yams and parsnips. But a couple of less familiar autumnal roots like the rutabaga/turnip and celeriac (also called celery root) are extremely low in calories, starches, sugars and overall glycemic load, (1 cup of cooked celeriac pieces has only 42 calories and a GL of 3; 1 cup of turnip has 36 calories and a GL of 3.) Mixing the more calorie-rich choices such as sweet potatoes with the lighter turnip or celeriac in a tasty mash will yield a side dish that is rich in flavor and nutrients, but easy on your waistline and blood sugar.

To emphasize the sweet qualities in any root veggie, you can make a simple puree by peeling and chopping about 2 pounds of the roots into large chunks and placing them into a large saucepan. Just cover the veg with a mixture of half pure apple cider (or orange juice) and half water. Bring to a quick boil, then lower the temp to a simmer, cover and cook until easily pierced with a fork. Drain well, reserving the cooking liquid. Puree the roots in a food processor with salt and pepper to taste and just enough cooking liquid to get the solids moving. To emphasize the savory qualities, prepare in the same way, but boil in plain water with 2-3 cloves of peeled garlic. When pureeing, include the boiled garlic in the mix. You can use the boiling water to thin or try plain almond milk for a creamier consistency. Toss in a couple of pats of butter for a richer finish.

Sweet Fall Medley Mash

Ingredients

2 medium garnet yams (or any sweet potato), peeled and chopped into medium chunks
2 medium celeriac, peeled and chopped into small chunks
2 medium firm apples, peeled, cored and quartered (such as Mutsu or honey crisp)
2 tablespoons pastured butter*
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1/4-1/2 cup pure apple cider (or cooking water)
1/3 cup roasted hazelnuts or pecans

Instructions

Combine the yams, celeriac and apples in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a quick boil and reduce the temp to a steady simmer. Cook until the yams and celeriac are tender, about 17 minutes, and drain well, reserving some of the cooking liquid if you aren’t using cider. Transfer the roots and fruit into the food processor, add the butter, salt and pepper and gradually add the liquid, starting with ¼ cup. Puree until smooth, adding additional liquid only if needed to keep the mixture moving.
Top with the nuts to serve.

Yield: about 6 servings

Notes from the Clean Food Coach:

*To reduce the dairy or for a flavor twist, exchange 1 of the tablespoons of butter for 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (for savory) or 1 tablespoon of raw honey (for sweet), or omit the butter entirely and leave as is or replace with 1 tablespoon hazelnut oil.

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Help Your Kids Have a Healthier Halloween

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

For many people Halloween marks the beginning of a three month “holiday binge” on treats and rich foods. Our culture encourages this overindulgence with massive holiday candy displays that start showing up just moments after the “back to school” things disappear. They are EVERYwhere, from the bank to the supermarket, acting as constant visual triggers to “celebrate family fun” by stockpiling the lowest quality sugars. If you want your family to be a part of the traditional Halloween festivities, you will be hard-pressed to minimize their sugar intake. Though it’s getting better (with federally mandated limits on the use of candy and other junk foods as rewards and party favors), most kids are going to get that kind of stuff right in school at some point this month.

Halloween shines a spotlight on the sticky issue of whether sweet treats are a harmless and natural part of community celebrations, or yet another brick on the dark path to obesity and illness. There are compelling arguments on both sides, but the bottom line is that at this moment in time every parent has to decide that for themselves, hopefully with a good sense of their family’s special needs, wishes and goals in mind. It is my personal wish that every parent would draw a line in the sand for a balanced and reasonable approach versus just giving in to the commercial free-for-all.
Here are a few tips to help you celebrate this potentially challenging holiday with minimal overindulgence and maximal fun.

•    Keep the time leading up to and the holiday itself busy with fun activities versus focused totally on the treats. Instead of just buying something off the rack, help your child come up with creative costume ideas and spend some time with them putting it together. One of my own kid’s best dress up ideas was a Christmas tree and one year we spent weeks figuring out how to make it wearable and decorating it with Christmas baubles. Look around especially for local Halloween-themed physical events like hayrides or pumpkin walks to help keep them active.

•    To help them keep a balanced focus, emphasize the seasonal versus the commercial nature of this time of year. Decorate your home with dried corn stalks from the farm. If you have one nearby, visit a pumpkin patch and let them pick their own pumpkins to bring home. Choose a couple for family carving and a couple of smaller sugar pumpkins for cooking and eating. Let them draw or cut their own designs on their pumpkins (depending on their ages), and separate out all the seeds.
Wash and then boil the seeds in a medium saucepan of water for 7 or 8 minutes to soften the hulls. Then dry them well and spritz with a bit of Braggs Liquid Aminos (comes in a spray bottle) or toss them with a little gluten-free tamari. Spread them in an even layer on a nonstick baking sheet with edges, and bake at 350° for about 20-30 minutes or until very crispy. They will still be a little tough because of the hulls, but tasty and crispy enough to chew up.

•    To cook the sugar pumpkin, break or slice off the stem, cut it in half with a heavy chef's knife, scoop out the seeds and fibers with a big heavy spoon, and cut the halves in half or thirds if it's over a few pounds. Put the pieces into a slow cooker with a splash of water or cider and cook them all day on low, or for about 6 hours on high. When they are very tender, take the pieces out, cool them enough to handle, and use a butter knife to cut their skins off –kids can help with this part. The soft flesh can be used in any way you use canned pumpkin puree: in pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes, or even pumpkin smoothies –great for Halloween morning breakfast. To make a pumpkin pie breakfast smoothie, combine 1 cup of vanilla almond milk with 1/3 cup fresh pumpkin puree, a scoop of vanilla protein powder, and ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. You can sweeten with a few drops of Vanilla NuStevia, a chunk of frozen banana, a couple of teaspoons of raw honey, or a couple of pitted dates. Blend until smooth, and then, for more creaminess and staying power, blend in ¼ of a ripe avocado, just until thickened and slightly shiny.

•    Much as you might be tempted to, don’t buy Halloween candy more than a day before the 31st. The manufactures know what the research bears out: If it’s in the house, we’re much more likely to end up giving it to our begging kids or eating it ourselves than to keep it around long enough to give away!

•    If you must buy edible treats, consider some options other than traditional candy, such as snack packs of seed-based trail mix (nuts are tricky because of the prevalence of peanut/tree nut allergies among children). Mini boxes of raisins are nearly all sugar, but at least the sugars are from a whole fruit. You can also find cleaner candies in natural food stores, such as Sunspire Sundrops (similar to M&M’s, but with natural dyes and organic ingredients) –they come in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, sunflower and peanut varieties. If you want to give away a commercial candy, have a look at the new Unreal line . It looks and tastes like the classic candy favorites, but contains only half the sugars and uses no artificial ingredients, GMO’s, preservatives, or corn syrup. Read more about it in my Lifestyle tip “Is Commercial Candy Getting Real?”

•    For years now my personal choice for Halloween giveaways has been non-food items. I just don’t feel comfortable preaching clean food and then handing out candy to young children of increasingly wider girth each year… I’ve tried different choices over the years and have never had a trick-or-treater express disappointment. Good choices are stickers, vampire fangs, glow bracelets, small toys like yo-yo’s or glow-in-the-dark super balls, etc.

• On Halloween day make sure your child gets extra protein and fiber all day long. Start them with a good hearty, protein-based breakfast and be sure to feed them dinner before they head out the door. If they are not hungry they will eat less trick-or-treat junk, and the protein in their bellies will help offset the sugar spike from the candy they do eat.

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

No-Starch, Low-Carb Pizza

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

I’ve been experimenting with different options for low-carb pizza crusts for years. Some of my favorites have been made out of eggs, sort of like a frittata, portobello mushroom caps for mini-pizza’s, various dehydrated seed-based “batters”, or almond flour and arrowroot powder. They all have their advantages and disadvantages, but most of the options I’ve tried are either a little disappointing in the taste department, too time-consuming, or very calorie-dense. This veg-based option is one of the best for a good balance of taste, calories and ease. Cauliflower, egg and cheese are the main ingredients and are all readily available anywhere. Making it is a lot faster than making a regular flour-based crust, and the nutrient density is high for the calories, especially if you use pastured eggs and pastured, raw-milk cheese. The taste is light and pleasant – a perfect foundation for flavorful toppings. You can top this crust with anything you like. I chose the salty, slightly smoky flavor of ham and peppery bite of arugula because I think they make nice complements to the cruciferous crust, but it works great with many different options. Try a cheeseless pesto pizza with sweet veggies, like roasted bell peppers for a light touch, or a sausage and steamed spinach combo for a heartier dish.

Ingredients

Crust
1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and coarsely chopped (should yield about 5 cups pulsed)
2 eggs
1 cup grated sharp raw-milk cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Italian spices, optional (or try granulated garlic and onion, or any spice combination you enjoy in a pizza)

Topping
1 cup high quality pizza sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella, optional
2 loosely packed cups baby arugula
8 ounces organic ham, cubed or shredded

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375?F.
In two batches (depending on the size of your food processor), pulse the cauliflower into rice-sized pieces. Transfer to a fine mesh sieve or nut milk bag and press or squeeze to release excess moisture. Alternatively, you can roll in a clean dish towel or doubled paper towels to absorb the liquids. Set aside.
Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl and stir in the cheese, salt, and spices, mixing until well incorporated. Fold in the cauliflower and mix well.

Use a pizza stone or line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spoon batter out into 4 equal mounds (it helps to use a 1-cup measure, heaping). Spread the batter out into circles 5-6-inches in diameter and about ½-inch thick.
Bake for 30 minutes or until browned and firm.
Remove from the oven and top each mini-pizza with ¼ cup sauce, ¼ cup mozzarella, if using, ½ cup arugula and 2 ounces of ham.
Return to the oven and cook for about 10 more minutes or to desired doneness.

Yield: 4 servings

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Top Tips for Cleaner Tailgating

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Everybody loves a tailgate party, but too often they are weighed down with the very worst kind of “man food” for your health and your waistline. With a few strategic tips, however, you can still enjoy the fun and flavors of many of the familiar favorites.
Check out these ideas for keeping it clean and safe on game day:

•    We love burgers and dogs for tailgating parties, but there’s a big nutritional difference between burgers made from conventional premade patties in bulk and patties made from grassfed beef. The same is true of cheap, nitrate-loaded dogs versus a clean organic choice with no fillers. If you want to go with burgers and dogs, spend the extra money to get high quality meat. Blackwing.com produces some of the absolute cleanest and most delicious ground meat available, both beef and bison (buffalo). Or try buffalo hot dogs from Buffalo Guys or Applegate’s uncured turkey dogs for the leanest and lowest-in-both-sodium-and-sugar choices out there.

•    To save prep time and calories, you can go with a made-ahead entrée of pulled chicken sandwiches instead of making and cooking multiple patties and dogs. Make this the day before and store it in a disposable aluminum container to throw on the side of the grill to reheat when you’re ready to eat. Try this easy recipe from my book The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth (available in the Poliquin store!).

Lower-Sugar Barbecue Pulled Chicken Thighs
1/3 cup lower-sugar ketchup (or use 1/3 cup tomato sauce for lowest sugar)
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon hot or Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (organic to avoid high fructose corn syrup)
2 tablespoons palm sugar or erythritol
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon each salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper, or to taste
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

In a medium bowl, whisk together ketchup, tomato paste, cider vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sweetener, garlic, paprika, salt, and peppers until well mixed.
Make a layer of onion on the bottom of the slow cooker. Lay the chicken thighs over the onions and pour the sauce evenly over all. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is cooked through but still juicy. Using two large forks, pull apart and finely shred the tender thighs and stir well to mix with the sauce. Mixture will thicken slightly as it cools.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

For a lower-carb serving option, skip the buns and try this rolled up into large, tender lettuce leaves or stuffed into hollowed out bell peppers or tomatoes.

•    For a one-two nutritional punch of fewer carbs and more nutrients, skip the potato or pasta salad in favor of some high quality veggie slaws. Try this delicious zippy recipe for no-starch Cucumber Mango “Pasta” Salad: http://www.charlespoliquin.com/Lifestyle/Nutrition/272/Freshest_Cucumber_Mango_%E2%80%9CPasta%E2%80%9D_Salad_(No_Starch!).aspx
Or, for a super-simple option, whisk together 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 1/3 cup of rice syrup, raw honey or erythritol (or to taste), 1 teaspoon of salt, and black or cayenne pepper to taste, and add 2 bags of precut slaw veggies, 1 cup of shredded carrots and a diced apple. Toss until well-coated and keep it cold before serving.

•    Since most tailgating parties have access to a grill, take advantage of that by grilling some surprising super-light options instead of the heavy or greasy fare everyone expects. For a real man’s twist on the classic green salad, bring along 3 or 4 hearts of Romaine. Slice them in half the long away, then spray or wipe the flat cut sides with olive oil. Season the oiled areas with a bit of garlic salt and pepper and lay them on the grill on their flat sides for just a minute or two. Serve them with a splash of balsamic vinegar and another drizzle of olive oil, if desired. For a warmed-up fruit-based treat, lightly spray or wipe olive oil onto thick slices of watermelon, season with salt and pepper, and grill for 4-5 minutes until grill marks are clear, turning once half way through.

•    Beer is the tailgating beverage of choice, but it’s made from grains that contain gluten and it can throw off your system if you are gluten-sensitive. You can find gluten-free beer, but most of it is made with sorghum and the taste is a disappointment to true beer lovers. If that’s the case for you, give Brunehaut's Bio Blonde a try. It's a "real" beer that's tasty enough to please any connoisseur, gluten issues aside. It's a Belgian brew sold in the states. It's organic, vegan and uses a proprietary process (organic) to filter out the gluten after brewing to only 5 parts per million. It isn't labeled gluten-free, but 5 ppm (Bio Blonde’s gluten level) is below what's required for the official label. It's a deep golden beer with a crisp, spicy finish. Their Bio Amber is also gluten-free and nearly as good, but the blonde is the real bombshell. www.brunehaut.com

•    Pack for easy clean up –you don’t want to leave a mess behind. Bring along a roll of paper towels for napkins and small spills. Antibacterial wipes are also great for quickly disinfecting public tables or other surfaces touched by multiple hands. Be sure to bring along several kitchen-sized garbage bags for trash.

•    To help prevent the development of any food-borne illness, keep your hot food hot and your cold food cold. For preheated foods, line a sealable cooler with a towel and tightly layer in any hot foods with hand towels in between. Top with another towel and tightly shut the lid. The cooler will help to maintain the temperature of the food for a short trip.
To keep foods chilled (you want to keep them below 40 degrees F), line your coolers with small frozen water bottles. They are compact, and when the food is taken out they will melt and provide you with ice cold drinking water.

See “Tasty Tailgate Chicken Wings” for another great, easy recipe!

Want more?  Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Clean-Food-Coach/141800545881392) for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Easy, Tasty Tailgate Chicken Wings Two Ways

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

There’s a snap in the air and a game on the field –tailgating season is here! Though burgers and dogs are standard tailgating staples, chicken wings are a fun and tasty alternative that works beautifully for a tailgate party. Classic hot or barbecue wings are usually a poor quality choice because of the frying, breading, and/or unnecessary calories from butter or sugar overkill, but these two versions clean them up into an entrée or appetizer that’s still satisfyingly spicy, tangy and sweet, but baked, gluten-free and a lot lower in total calories. For a cooling blue cheese dip, ditch the calorie-heavy bottled glop and use this one made with high-protein Greek yogurt. To save time, buy precut organic chicken wings that have already been separated into the easy-to-eat “wing” and “drummette” pieces. You can also choose just one of the two sauces and double it up if you want to keep things super-simple. Prebaking the wings is not only a healthier alternative to frying, but it will save you time at the game –just pop them on the grill for a few minutes to rewarm and give them that smoky quality everyone loves. Bring along your easy, no-cook sauces in gallon-sized Ziploc baggies to douse the wings right off the grill and they’ll be ready for kick-off.

Ingredients

4 pounds chicken wings, cut into wings and drummettes
Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Hot ‘N Tangy Tailgate Wings Sauce
½ cup Sriracha hot chili sauce* (available in the international section of large grocery store chains)
¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons granulated garlic

Cooling Bleu Cheese Dip for Hot ‘N Tangy Tailgate Wings
½ cup organic Greek yogurt (or cottage cheese or sour cream)
3 tablespoons crumbled bleu cheese
1 tablespoon natural mayonnaise, optional
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon rice syrup, optional
1 clove garlic, finely minced
¼ teaspoon each salt and fresh ground pepper

Honey Mustard Wings Sauce
½ cup smooth Dijon mustard
¼ cup raw honey

1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

Few shots of hot sauce, optional

Instructions
To bake the wings ahead:
Preheat the oven to 400?F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with olive oil.
Salt and pepper the wings to taste and arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheets. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, then turn them and bake for 10-15 minutes more or until lightly browned and cooked through. Cool them off and store them in gallon-sized Ziplocs for travel.

To make the hot sauce:
Combine all ingredients from the Sriracha through the garlic in a small bowl, whisk well to combine, transfer to a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and refrigerate.

To make the bleu cheese dip:
Combine all ingredients from the yogurt through the pepper in a small traveling container, whisk well to combine and refrigerate.

To make the honey mustard sauce:
Combine all ingredients from the Dijon through the hot sauce, if using, in a small bowl, whisk well to combine, transfer to a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and refrigerate.

For the tailgate:
Pack the precooked wings, hot sauce, bleu cheese dip, and honey mustard sauce into a cooler with ice or frozen water bottles and seal tightly for the trip. Once you arrive and preheat your grill, remove everything from the cooler. Lay the wings out in a single layer on the hot grill for a couple of minutes until just heated through.
Transfer half the reheated wings into the bag with the hot sauce, and half into the bag with the honey mustard, and toss to coat the wings well with the sauces.
Empty the bags onto a serving tray to serve with the bleu cheese dip on the side of the hot wings.

Yield: 6-8 servings
Notes from the Clean Food Coach:
*Sriracha isn’t a completely clean hot sauce, but it’s a slightly thick, super-tasty, better-quality alternative to the classic half hot sauce/ half butter recipe of most hot wings. If you want to go ultra-clean, substitute Frank’s RedHot Chile ‘N Lime Sauce (it’s made with only cayenne peppers, vinegar, salt, spice, lime and garlic) with two teaspoons of olive oil whisked in. It’s a thinner sauce than the Sriracha, but the little bit of olive oil will help it stick to the wings.

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Clean-Food-Coach/141800545881392) for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Ten Ways to Use Those Fresh-Picked Apples

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Fall is here and with it comes the once-a-year opportunity to pluck fresh, sweet apples of all kinds right from the trees. Outside in the apple orchard the air is crisp and the sweet tangy scent of fresh fruit is all around. If your family is anything like mine, you’ll find it easy to get carried away there and end up driving home with a giant basket of apples wondering how on earth you’re going to eat them all…

Try these ten fun ideas to help you get the most out of your seasonal apple haul:

1.    Core large crisp eating apples, such as Mutsu or honeycrisp, and slice them thinly “around the equator”. Use the discs as “crackers” for spreads like lemon or pumpkin hummus.

2.    Core and slice apples thickly around the equator and use the widest slices as “bread” to make sandwiches with spiced nut butters, banana rings, and cinnamon, or deli turkey and muenster cheese slices with a bit of honey mustard.

3.    Make a clean version of caramel apples with a raw, nut-based caramel.
Clean, Raw Caramel Apples

½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes and drained
½ cup coconut nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup raw macadamia nuts
6 small crisp eating apples, such as Pippins, Pink Ladies, Jonathons or Jonagolds
6 popsicle sticks
Optional toppings: shredded coconut, dark mini-chocolate chips, cinnamon, raw cacao powder, crushed hazelnuts, roasted peanuts, etc.

To make the caramel, combine the cashews, coconut nectar, vanilla and salt in an industrial-strength blender, such as the Vita-mix, and blend on low power until smooth. Add the pine nuts and blend until smooth. Add the macadamias and blend until smooth, stopping to turn the mixture over with a spatula, if necessary, to keep it moving. Transfer contents to a shallow bowl and rest in the fridge to cool completely.
Press one popsicle stick carefully into the top of each apple. When the caramel has cooled, roll each apple in it to partially coat, or spread it over the apple’s surface using a butter knife.
Coat the caramel with any combination of the optional toppings and carefully stand the apple up on a sheet of waxed paper. Store the apples in the fridge until ready to eat to keep the caramel firm and set.

Yield: 6 caramel apples

4.    Add thin slices of apple to regular ham and cheese or grilled cheese sandwiches –great with a sharp cheddar.

5.    Core and chop a softer cooking apple, such as a McIntosh or Empire, and steam in a small saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water and 7 whole cloves for a few minutes until just-tender. Drain and enjoy as is, over yogurt, or as a side for leftover roast chicken.

6.    Shred Gala or Cortland apples (their flesh doesn’t brown as quickly as many other varieties), toss with a sprinkle of lemon, lime or orange juice to slow oxidation, and add to homemade coleslaw or toss into a green salad with roasted nuts or seeds.

7.    For an ultra-quick “baked” apple, peel a Fuji or Rome Beauty, slice in half and cut out the core. Sprinkle each half with half a packet of stevia and half a teaspoon of cinnamon. Microwave for 3½-5 minutes until soft and let it rest for a few minutes. Top with a sprinkle of slivered almonds and enjoy.

8.    Use a spiralizer to turn green apples into “pasta” for use under an Asian-style stir with chicken or beef fry in place of rice.

9.    To make a simple apple sauce, chop and core unpeeled apples such as Jonagold, Cortland or Winesap (great for sauces) and place in a saucepan to fit. Add a few tablespoons (for 2-3 apples) to ½ cup (for 7-8 apples) of pure apple cider, a tablespoon or two of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, a good sprinkling of cinnamon and a pinch of salt and stir well to coat the apples. Cover and heat to a simmer over medium. Reduce heat and simmer on medium low, stirring occasionally, until apples are very soft. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher or large fork. Sweeten to taste with stevia, palm sugar, or erythritol, cooking for a few more minutes to incorporate, and serve warm or chilled.

10.    Finally, apples can be used to ripen unripe produce and to moisten dry baked goods. Apples give off ethylene, a natural hormone in gas form that accelerates ripening. Place an apple in a closed baggie with unripe bananas, avocados, tomatoes, etc., and the gas will speed the ripening process of the other fruits. Also, if your bread, muffins or cake have dried out a bit, enclose an apple quarter or half in the storage container with them for a few hours to help restore lost moisture.

Want more?  Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Clean-Food-Coach/141800545881392) for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Warming Pumpkin Soup

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

•    3-4 pound sugar pumpkin (1 medium)
•    4-6 sweet cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I love Mutsu apples in this dish)
•    3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
•    1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
•    4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (or use a mix of broth and apple cider for a sweeter soup)
•    1/3 cup frozen apple juice concentrate
•    3/4 teaspoon salt
•    ½ teaspoon cinnamon
•    ½ teaspoon ground ginger
•    ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
•    ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
•    2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Optional garnish: diced apples, pomegranate seeds and/or toasted pumpkin seeds

Wash the pumpkin and remove the stem. Using a heavy knife, cut the pumpkin vertically down the middle. Using a heavy spoon, scrape out all seeds and fibers, reserving the seeds to rinse and cook later. Lay each half face down on the cutting board and cut away the peels. Quarter each half of the peeled pumpkin.

Combine all ingredients from the pumpkin through the cayenne pepper in a slow cooker and cook for 7 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high (or until tender).

Stir in the cider vinegar and puree until smooth with immersion blender or, once slightly cooled, in batches in food processor or blender. Be careful when blending hot soups.

Adjust seasonings to taste for heat, salt and sweet.

If desired, garnish with chopped apples, pomegranate seeds, and/or toasted pumpkin seeds.

Yield: 8-10 cups

Upgrading Your Family’s Eating Habits

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Nowadays it’s pretty common for one person in the family to be the first to break away from unhealthy eating “norms” in the household. They might decide they want to lose a little weight, get a little fitter, or maybe they just get tired of feeling tired all the time and want to upgrade their diet. Sometimes it’s a man, sometimes a woman, or sometimes it’s one of the kids. This can be a little bumpy when everyone else in the family is still invested in their comfortable-but-less-than-healthy eating habits. If one motivated person sticks to their guns, though, their gradual transformation can be inspiring to others in the family. It’s harder when the innovator is one of the children who doesn’t do the shopping or cooking, but I have seen examples of strong, persistent kids bringing their parents over the fence into a healthier lifestyle.

If you are the innovator, it’s much easier to have some influence because you're an adult. But if you’ve already tried persuading your partner or kids to come along for the ride, you’ve probably been shut down a few times, am I right? Getting a whole family on a clean food diet is much more of an ongoing practice than a specific, one-time act. Regardless of how big or small a percentage of the family’s food is processed, restaurant-based, or of poor nutritional quality, it will take time for the new habits to evolve and get established.

Even if you’re in charge of groceries and meal prep, you'll likely have better success if you keep your change agenda somewhat under the radar. It’s usually best not to announce to everyone that you’ve seen the light and will be throwing out all the sugar! Too many changes made too quickly will create a mutiny under your roof, and you don’t want everyone to run away screaming when you say things like “good for you” or “healthier lifestyle”.

This can be challenging if you’re the one who’s been eating better. You're probably feeling better too and want the rest of your family to have that same great experience. One of my clients told me that after her weight loss she became a scary combination of nutritional preacher and food police at home. When her husband started calling her “the born-again nutritionist” she realized that she may have gone a tad overboard. You can avoid these types of pitfalls by recognizing that everyone has their own pace for change and you’re simply not in charge of that. Maybe try to keep your zeal for a family-wide clean food reboot to yourself for awhile and let your example lead the way.

It’s a bit of a different story with children, though, especially young ones. If you’re their parent and you’ve been feeding them unhealthy food, it's your responsibility and not theirs to provide them with a healthier selection. (As always, though, remember that you’re in charge of what you offer in the home, but they're in charge of what they put in their mouths.) Here are some basic guiding principles for introducing healthier eating habits to your kids gradually and with respect:
*    Make changes one at a time and keep them subtle. Do this without fanfare, and maintain a neutral attitude about the responses. Research tells us that calling foods “good” or “bad” tends to negatively influence our kids’ behaviors toward them, so try offering things without any judgments at all.
*    Add new things before taking away the old and familiar. It’s always easier to try something novel than to say good-bye to an old habit. For example, offer some tasty fun vegetables before cutting back on the French fries and rolls. Eventually, when you find some new veggies your family likes, it won’t be as big a deal when those empty starches get replaced from time to time with healthier options.
*    Avoid telling anyone they are “wrong” for their current behaviors—that can separate you and alienate them. Instead, offer praise for any small steps they make in a healthy direction.
*    Do your best to frame everything in the positive, especially with young children –for instance, “We’re trying to get more sleep tonight so we’ll feel really good tomorrow,” versus “You can’t stay up late tonight because you’ll be exhausted when you wake up.” That first version is a lot easier to hear, right? And by the way, helping the family get more sleep on a regular basis is an excellent and non-invasive way to begin making food changes: Better-rested people find it much easier to ease up on the starches, sugars and snacking in general than exhausted ones…

New Lower-Sugar Kind Bar Line

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

One of the drawbacks of eating a clean, essentially low-carb diet is that it’s hard to find prepared snack foods (or any prepared foods!) that fit the quality and nutrition profile. There are some highly processed bars that hit the nutritional markers, but very few that are made from whole foods. I’ve always liked the Kind bar line for occasional snacking because they are made mostly of nuts and seeds and there are no artificial ingredients. Most of them have way too much sugar, but a few types, like the Nut Bar, have only seven grams.

Recently though, they launched a new “Nut & Spice” line that has only four grams of sugar (five for the ones with chocolate). The base sugar is a non-GMO glucose, so they are completely fructose-free. There are four flavors: Cashew & Ginger Spice (my fave), Madagascar Vanilla Almond, Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt, and Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan. Primary ingredients are nuts, chicory root fiber, crisp rice and the glucose. They contain a small amount of soy lecithin, probably as the thickener. They’re all 200 calories, with 14-15 grams of fat, about 16 grams carbs (6-7 fiber and 4-5 sugar), and 6 grams of protein.

They are sweet and satisfying. The Nut & Spice line is a little softer than the other bars, but the spices make them more flavorful. The new bars aren’t perfect, but they’re among the best all-around contenders for taste, convenience, access (nearly every grocery store carries them now), and ingredient and nutritional quality.
Check ‘em out and see what you think.

No-Cook Method for Tenderizing Dark Leafy Greens

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

In the more temperate zones, farms and gardens are still producing scads of dark leafy greens. I love the dense and “chewy” Asian salad greens like smooth crisp tatsoi leaves and feathery, slightly snappy mizuna, but my favorite greens for maximum nutrient impact are all kinds of young kale. We just went through an unusually hot spell here on the East coast and I didn’t want to turn my stove on at all, even to lightly steam the delicious greens overrunning the garden. The solution? Massage. Really –you can manually break up the tough cellulose fibers so the raw leaves have the same tender bite as cooked leaves.

Start by removing any large or tough stems and folding the leaves in half, lengthwise. Then roll them up tightly like a cigar and slice thinly along their width to make ribbons (chiffonade cut). If you like, you can then cut the ribbons lengthwise a few times to make a fine confetti, but it’s not necessary. Place them in a bowl and add a little olive oil and salt, about a teaspoon of oil for every cup of cut greens. I also like to add a few dashes of lemon juice or a good vinegar for a piquant flavor hit and to help with the tenderizing process, but it’s not strictly necessary.

Then roll up your sleeves, grab the leaves with your clean hands and start massaging, squeezing and rolling them firmly for a minute or two until the overall volume has reduced and they have deepened in color. You can eat them just like that or let them rest for more time for even more tenderizing, up to a couple of days in the fridge. Massaged greens are great plain, as a salad base, or with a few fun extras thrown in like chopped bell peppers, fresh berries or raisins.

Lower-Carb Enchilada Bake

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Mexican food is delicious, but often very high in carbohydrates. This enchilada bake dispenses with the starchy wraps altogether, replacing them with a layer of spinach, egg and a small amount of raw milk cheese. The beans offer a higher-protein, higher-fiber alternative to grain-based wraps that will leave you feeling quite satisfied. If your body does okay with carbs, you can add a layer of four organic sprouted corn tortillas over the sauce and under the beans in the bottom of the baking pan.

Ingredients

Olive oil cooking spray
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil*
1 small yellow or sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ cup chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon palm sugar, erythritol or xylitol
3 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 2 breasts or the equivalent of dark meat)
1 15-ounce can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 egg
1 1/4 cup shredded raw milk cheddar cheese, divided
3 packed cups baby spinach

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 7 x 11-inch Pyrex (or other tempered glass) baking dish lightly with olive oil and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the onion and cook for about 4 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and palm sugar, and mix gently until well combined. Increase heat to bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Puree the mixture to desired consistency using an immersion blender (pour the sauce into a deep bowl first to prevent spattering), or carefully in your blender. Adjust the seasonings if necessary.

While the sauce is cooking, beat the egg in a medium bowl and mix in the spinach and one half cup of the cheese until everything is well coated and set aside.

In another medium bowl, combine the pureed sauce and chicken and mix well.

Pour a little of the sauce and chicken into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly to form a thin layer.

Cover with the beans in a single, even layer.

Cover with the spinach and cheese mixture in an even layer.

Cover with an even layer of the chicken and sauce and sprinkle remaining ¾ cup of cheese evenly over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Notes from the Clean Food Coach:

*If you’re in a hurry, use a high quality prepared enchilada sauce instead of making your own from scratch. In that case, omit ingredients from olive oil through palm sugar.
Also, if you crave that corn flavor in your enchiladas, add ¾ cup of fresh or frozen organic corn to your bean layer, no need to cook or thaw first.

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Lunchbox Tips

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

It’s back to school season and time to think about feeding your children during their long hours away from home. Sadly, most school lunch programs are still nutritionally sub-par, and many are actually unhealthy. Streamlining lunch box “production” in your home with quality foods your kids will actually eat is a power move for both their health and school performance. Check out these tips to help you send them on their way with confidence.

Eating Ease: Kids aren’t given much time to eat during their lunch break, so keep the portions reasonable and don’t include any foods that are complicated to assemble or unwrap. Making their sandwich neat and easy to eat will make it more appealing. Cut it in half or into quarters and don’t use wet or runny fillings. Cutting veggies into sticks and slicing full-sized fruit like oranges and apples will help them get eaten.

Macronutrient Balance: Include a hearty protein and small amount of fat for staying power in every lunch. Also try to include at least one fruit and one veggie to help them get enough produce servings into their daily diet. Skip the sugary drinks –offer cold water, clean milk or chilled herbal tea (tisanes only, no caffeine!) instead. If you’re keeping your kids gluten-free or they don’t like traditional sandwiches, try making them a compartmentalized bento box-style lunch. Here’s a great concept from my Real Food Moms partner, Tracee Yablon Brenner, RD:

Asian-Style Bento Lunch-Box
Protein: 3-5 slices of deli or leftover chicken or turkey breast roll-ups
Veggies: 1 cup raw cucumber, red pepper, carrot, or celery sticks, or pea pods (snow or sugar snap)
Fruit: 1 small apple or pear, unpeeled, sliced with a little lemon juice for freshness, 1/2 cup sliced strawberries, or 1 slice watermelon
Fat: ¼ avocado, cut into chunks with a little lemon juice for freshness or small handful of tamari almonds
Rice crackers, optional (if avoiding starch, offer endive “scoops” instead or omit): few Lundberg rice chips, Eden Foods brown rice tamari crackers, or Nut Thins
Asian Dipping Sauce:*

Ingredients
1/4 cup low sodium, gluten-free tamari sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Instructions
In a bowl or measuring cup whisk all ingredients together until well-blended.

Yield: ¾ cup

*This dipping sauce would also be great on lettuce wraps with shredded chicken or ground beef.

Leftovers for lunch: As the weather turns colder, kids will naturally start to crave denser and warmer lunch offerings. Using leftovers is a key way to make a lunch box meal work well during the late fall and winter --it saves time, money and energy. When organizing your dinner, think about the next day’s lunch. Make extra servings at dinner, set them aside, and when they are cool put them in lunch containers and refrigerate for the next day so they’re ready to go. If you make a pasta dish for dinner, set aside some of the cooked noodles for a pasta salad with oil, a protein and chopped veggies for lunch. If you’re making a meatloaf, double the recipe and cook the extra in oiled muffin tins to freeze into mini-loaves for a quick protein centerpiece. To save time, buy prewashed and cut fresh veggies for crudités, i.e. baby carrots, mini-cucumbers, sugar snap peas, etc. to toss in with your leftovers, and don’t forget the healthy dip (hummus is a great one)!

Food Safety: Food-borne illnesses can develop from different types of bacteria that grow and multiply rapidly in the danger zone between 40 ºF and 140 ºF. To avoid contamination risk, keep everything clean when packing the lunch, not only the food, but also food preparation surfaces, utensils, and your hands. Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. The best way to keep food cold is with an insulated lunch box. Add a freezer gel pack or chilled fruits and veg. For hot foods, keep them hot to the touch (that will be at or above 140 degrees F) in a vacuum bottle. Use a stainless steel or glass-lined thermos rather than a plastic-lined one. Preheat the thermos by filling it with boiling water for a few minutes in extra-cold weather.

Best Boxes: Bento boxes are very popular these days and some of them have insulated covers. Look here for a great selection: http://www.laptoplunches.com/

If you buy a more traditional lunch box, look for something with separated and/or easy to clean sections; an ice pack compartment; and a strap or space for a thermos. Make sure it’s BPA, lead and PVC-free; easy to open and close, pack and unpack; leak-proof; insulated to keep food cold for at least 2 hours; stain-resistant and durable (reusable).

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Don’t Waste Those Slightly-Tired Veggies in Your Crisper!

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

It happens to me year-round, but even more in the summer when I always seem to have more garden veggies in the fridge than my family can eat: tired, wilted produce taking up space in those crisper drawers. If they are mutating into something unrecognizable, turning to liquid, browned or slimy, they are past the point of no return and you should add them to the compost or chuck them out. But if they are just looking a little past their prime you can still get some use out of them. Most leafy greens will plump back up somewhat if you submerge them in a large bowl or sink of cold water with a generous splash of organic white vinegar. They may not make the grade for a salad, but rinse them off and they’re fine for blending into smoothies, sautéing, steaming, or tossing into a quick soup.

Hardier veggies are great for making your own vegetable stock. It’s super easy to do and homemade stock is more nutritious and less expensive than buying organic premade broths in a carton. Leave the peels on and just coarsely chop your assortment. With the exception of salad greens (they will disintegrate), hot peppers or radishes (they can add too much bite or bitterness) and potatoes (the starch will gum up your stock), almost anything goes in a veggie stock: summer squash, carrots, bell peppers, onions, greens, celery, etc. You can even save your veggie tops and peels from the week to flavor your stock even more. I keep them in the freezer until I’m ready to make a batch. Just add it all to clean water (about one part veg to three parts water, but this is very flexible) and simmer it for a couple of hours in a covered soup pot on the stove or up to 8 hours on low in your crock pot. Strain all the veggie matter out and store the liquid in 4-cup portions in zip closure baggies in your fridge or freezer (veg stock will last for about three days chilled and three months frozen) until you’re ready to make soup or stew.

Another option for the same type of veggies is to chop or dice them into small chunks or cubes and add them to a flavorful, slow-cooked sauce such as marinara or Bolognese. I had a client who every week added all her older veggies to a big bottle of high-quality store-bought spaghetti sauce and cooked them down all day in the crock pot for Friday night pasta –great way to give a veggie boost to a prepared product.

Simple Kicky Kimchi

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

In this culture it’s not all that easy to get clean fermented foods into your diet on a regular basis. Eating fermented foods is a healthy and natural way to populate the gut with friendly bacteria, but most of us have no idea what to choose beyond dairy products like yogurt and kefir. Most natural food stores carry things like true fermented sauerkraut or pickles (made with salt, not vinegar), but it’s actually quite easy to brine and ferment a wide variety of vegetables at home. Kimchi, a spicy fermented Korean dish, is a great place to start because the basic formula is very forgiving. You need a brining base of salt and pungent spices (adjust chili amounts to suit your heat preferences), and you can add many different kinds of veggies, including cucumber, radish, daikon, green onion, etc. (This recipe is a riff off of one by Matthew Kenney from my time spent in his raw food culinary academy.) Heavier salt will increase fermentation time, lighter salt will decrease it – but you need enough to kick off the brining process.

Once your Kimchi has reached the desired level of sourness and is refrigerated, it will continue to ferment and strengthen in flavor, but the process will be greatly slowed by the cold temperature. Fair warning: kimchi has a strong odor. In fact, in Korea they often have a separate refrigeration unit just for kimchi so it doesn’t “perfume” the whole house!

Ingredients

1 small shallot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1-inch square chunk of peeled fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon rice syrup (or two teaspoons coconut nectar)
1 tablespoon sea salt (not Morton’s)
1½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
8 packed cups nappa cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces, heavy lower stems removed (about 1 small head)
1 cup julienned red pepper (about 1 large)
1 cup julienned or shredded carrot (about 1 large)
½ cup julienned or shredded daikon radish, optional

Instructions

Combine the first five ingredients from the shallot through red pepper flakes and blend in a small blender, such as the Nutribullet, small food processor or with an immersion blender until pureed. Because the amount is so small, you will likely need to scrape down the sides several times to get a mash. If you have a mortar and pestle, chop or grate your ingredients finely and pulverize into a mash by hand.

Place your cabbage into a large bowl and add the pungents and salt mixture. Wearing gloves, thoroughly coat the cabbage and massage the leaves very firmly until they begin to release their liquid –this will be your brine. Setting the mixture aside for ten minutes and massaging again will speed the moisture release.

Add the peppers and carrots and massage well to incorporate.

When the mixture is sufficiently juicy, transfer vegetables and all liquid into a sterile one-quart mason jar*. Using your gloved hand, press the mixture very firmly into the jar so that the vegetables are all completely covered by the liquid. Make sure there is at least two inches of empty space at the top of the jar. If your jar is too full, discard some of the veggies.

Seal the jar with the lid and set in an area out of direct sunlight to ferment for 24-72 hours until kimchee reaches desired degree of sourness and pungency. Warmer temps will speed fermentation and cooler temps will slow it. At twenty four hour intervals, open the jar to release any accumulated gases, taste for doneness, and press the veggies back down under the liquid. When it’s ready to eat, place the jar in the refrigerator to store.

Yield: 3-4 cups

Notes from the Clean Food Coach:
*To reduce the risk of bacterial contamination, always work with sterile jars and equipment when fermenting, including the tongs or other utensils used to remove refrigerated Kimchi from the jar when serving. Most dishwashers have a sterile setting that makes sterilization easy. Also, using gloves to mix and press the Kimchi not only protects your skin from the pungent spices, but is also an important sanitation practice. In a pinch you can use a plastic sandwich bag to press the mixture down into the jar during initial fermentation – discard after each use. Visible mold growth, discolored areas, or a spoiled odor indicate contamination and you should discard that batch and try again.

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Rules for Eating Clean, Simplified

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

In this era when nutritional science is still very young, and new (and often conflicting) information continuously floods the media channels, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when thinking about what and how to eat. In fact, according to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s 2012 Food & Health Survey, over half of all Americans believe that preparing income taxes is easier than figuring out what to eat for better health! Many westerners have given up on nutrition entirely and just eat situationally, letting things like habit, visual cues, imbalanced hormones and emotions make their food decisions for them. Others are still trying to make conscious, healthy decisions, but struggle to manage the challenge of “too much information”. We need to develop some simplified personal eating credos to help guide us through the tangle.

Michael Pollan’s now-famous ultra-simple rule is “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.” While that’s an excellent study in pithiness, most of us need more specific direction to keep from going off the rails. If I love sweets and this is my credo, I’d feel okay about having a small bowl of dates or tropical fruits for breakfast, for example. Then I’d most likely spend the rest of the day careening around on the blood sugar roller coaster –ugh.

We can also get too vague with our personal guidelines. Many of us carry around mantras like, “I need to eat more vegetables”, which, while probably true, is an open-ended statement that rarely leads to the kinds of behaviors we’re looking for. Eat more veggies than what? What we ate last year? Yesterday? At lunch? How many more? The decision-making channels in our brains get short-circuited by too many choices and again, we end up eating according to our default position, which in 2012, is pretty lousy for about two thirds of the population.

The answer lies somewhere in the middle: We need accurate information distilled into a few personalized, easy-to-remember guidelines with enough simplicity, direction and clarity that they can help us successfully navigate all kinds of eating situations. We also need to be more elastic than rigid with these rules. In nutritional science the one thing we’ve proven unequivocally is that our knowledge is limited: Today’s wisdom is likely to be tomorrow’s folly. Don’t fall so much in love with your rules that you can’t let go when, say, the truth comes out that fat is not really your enemy and in fact you probably need to eat it every day.

Here are a few ideas to get you started. Feel free to dismiss the ones that don’t fit, but use the concepts as a springboard to help you customize your own guidelines to your individual, evolving eating needs.

Choose quality over convenience. Recognizable whole foods take some time to prepare. I know you probably don’t have a big window for food prep, but if you want optimal health you must make the time to work with real food. We simply cannot create or sustain health on convenience foods (packaged, processed, chemical, artificial, hyper-sweet/salty-fatty, fast, etc.). In choosing the level of quality that is important to you, think freshness, seasonality, closeness to original state, local, organic, wild-caught, pastured, heirloom, etc.

Eat a diet rich in a variety of different foods. Eating the foods that grow seasonally in your region will automatically build some variety into most people’s diets. Create a mixture of colors, textures, raw and cooked, and flavors on your plate. Over time this one action will help increase your sense of satiety after eating, improve your micronutrient levels, and decrease your risk for food sensitivities and reactions.

Know your personal macronutrient needs and honor them. This is perhaps the most hotly debated issue in the nutritional arena. Part of the problem is that there is no single formula that fits everyone or even one person all the time. For great hormonal/metabolic balance, eat mostly whole foods rich in protein, fiber, micronutrients and water, with small amounts of foods rich in great fats.
You need to make sure you’re eating enough protein at every meal for your satiety, stamina, and personal fitness needs. If you’re carb sensitive, overweight, working with diabetes, metabolic syndrome or heart disease, or trying to get leaner for a fitness goal, you need to limit your overall carb intake. Everyone needs a good balance of healthy fats daily.
If you’re looking for a simple template to start experimenting with, try the hand guide. It’s a more accurate portion/proportion guide than using plate measurements because a petite woman might use giant Pier One platters, but she’s not likely to have ham-sized hands. For men and women at each meal: eat about a cupped-hands-sized serving of vegetables, and a thumb of fat. For women: eat about a palm-sized serving of protein; for men: eat about a fist-sized serving of protein. Carbs are individual, but generally not more than one fist for men or women, and ideally it should be a low-glycemic load choice, such as beans, sweet potato or berries.

Swap out most or all of your grain-foods/starches for vegetables. This one action will not only reduce the calories and negative metabolic effects of eating starchy carbs, but will also up your vegetable intake, thus automatically upping your nutrient, fiber and water intake. Use lettuce, endive leaves, stemmed collards or dinosaur kale as wraps in place of breads. Use summer squash “noodles” in place of pasta, and hollowed peppers, tomatoes or cucumbers in place of buns. Use cauliflower florets pulsed in the food processor in place of rice. Try to eat at least half your vegetables raw year-round, and up to one hundred percent raw in warmer weather.

Chew your food well. Beyond the myriad digestive and metabolic benefits, chewing each bite of food well will automatically slow down your eating, reduce your appetite and reduce the amount you consume. Thorough chewing is one of the simplest and best strategies for natural portion control.

Get adequate sleep and downtime every day. Most of us need 8 hours of sleep every night to help reset normal hormonal balance. Good hormonal balance is crucial to balanced eating, balanced weight and overall well-being. We also need to build some white space into our calendars on a regular basis to give our systems opportunities to dial down excess cortisol production and provide us with some “vitamin P” (pleasure) – key to helping reduce mindless, compulsive or excessive eating. If unscheduled time is stressful rather than relaxing for you, consider cultivating a meditation or meditative movement practice instead, such as hatha yoga or tai chi.

Listen for deeper messages in any out-of-balance cravings or appetite. Eating behaviors are about much more than just nutrition, digestion and elimination. Eating is only one element in the complex and fluid system of life and should always be treated as part of an integrated whole: body, mind, emotional heart and spirit.
What information are your strong cravings or appetites trying to deliver? Consider macronutrient balance in your diet and micronutrient levels in your body; consider the balance of control versus release in all areas of your life; consider whether or not you are living your life according to your personal values, etc.

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Ten Easy Ways to Improve Your Favorite Comfort Foods

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Everyone has a favorite comfort food and unless you’re working toward an extreme fitness goal, there should be occasional opportunities for indulgence in the average diet. But comfort foods don’t have to be nutritional nightmares to provide the pleasure and familiarity we’re looking for. Following are ten easy ways to improve the nutritional impact of popular comfort foods while preserving the flavor and texture qualities we love.

1.    To get some of that familiar crispy crunch without all the calories and dangerous, altered fats, replace fried chicken with baked chicken: Remove the skin, coat chicken pieces with a thin layer of Greek yogurt spiked with lemon juice, garlic, salt and cayenne, coat in whole grain bread crumbs, and bake at 350°F until crumbs are lightly browned and chicken is cooked through.

2.    For things like French fries, rather than deep frying, slice potatoes or yams into thin half-moons, French fry shapes or wedges, coat lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 375-400°F until caramelized on the outside and soft on the inside.

3.    For improved pan-fried steaks, use a grill pan with raised ridges to preserve the seared surface but reduce the total calories by keeping the bulk of the meat from resting in the pool of hot oil.

4.    To reduce total sugars and calories in baked goods, try removing 1/4 of the sugar from the recipe. Most of the time there will be little-to-no discernible change in flavor or texture.

5.    To reduce calories and boost the protein content of pie, choose an egg white meringue over whipped cream. To reduce total sugars, replace meringues with lightly sweetened whipped cream (pastured and organic only)!

6.    To reduce total calories and boost the protein content of sauces and baked goods by one third, replace full fat sour cream with Greek yogurt. You can spike it with a little lemon juice and minced garlic in savory dishes, if desired.

7.    To significantly reduce calories while maintaining the tart creaminess in baked goods, replace buttermilk with equal amounts of milk and apple cider vinegar –proportion is one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to one cup regular milk. Mix the milk and vinegar together and let them rest for five minutes before using. (This is a handy tip for any time you need buttermilk but don’t want to run out to the store to buy it.)

8.    To reduce calories and avoid dairy while maintaining the creamy thickness of cream-based soups, try replacing the cream with a small amount of brown rice pureed with just enough broth or water to make a thick paste. Use an immersion blender to seamlessly blend it into the soup. Chilled or room temp soups can also be “creamed” with pureed avocado for fewer calories and a higher fiber content.

9.    To increase the micronutrient load in baked goods, try adding some grated or pureed fruits or veggies to the batter, such as diced apples in pancakes, shredded sweet potato in spice cakes, shredded zucchini or pureed pumpkin into quickbread or pureed beets into brownies. If you match the colors, purees “disappear”, but shreds are usually still visible, so use your discretion.

10.    To increase the micronutrients in pasta sauce or ground beef dishes such as meatloaf, add mixed diced or shredded veggies. Finely chopped onion or mushrooms, shredded summer squash like yellow, zucchini or patty pan, and shredded carrots all go beautifully into a red sauce for spaghetti, or even into meatball mix or meatloaf without significantly altering the flavors. Another great trick is to thaw a box of frozen, chopped spinach and squeeze it to thoroughly drain, then add it to a meatloaf. Though you will see the spinach, the flavor is subtle and it actually makes the meatloaf more moist and tender.

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Spicy Citrus Salt for Grilled Meats and Fish

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Protein-conscious eaters tend to enjoy barbecue year-round, but in the warm weather (when you don’t want to heat your house up by running the oven) the grill often becomes a dinner mainstay. Though high quality grilled meats and seafood are delicious prepared very simply, they can get a little monotonous. Marinades and rubs help with variety, but need some advanced planning. This spicy salt, on the other hand, comes together in just a few minutes and can be prepared while the meat is cooking. You can adjust the flavors to your liking by adding more zest for more citrus flavor (but don’t go crazy or your salt will have a bitter edge), or more or less chili for heat (see chef notes below). Try it sprinkled sparingly over freshly grilled steaks, chicken, fish or scallops for a zippy salty snap that will turn your plain protein into something special.

Ingredients

1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and coarsely chopped*
2 teaspoons finely grated citrus zest (lemon, lime or orange)
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt (use less if you only have a fine grind)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in the food processor and pulse several times until pepper is ground up and ingredients are well combined. Taste and adjust for flavor balance, if desired, and sprinkle lightly over grilled meats or seafood.

Yield: Slightly over 2 tablespoons

Notes from the Clean Food Coach:
The heat in hot chili peppers lives in the seeds and membranes, so if you want to control the spiciness of your salt, remove those parts of the pepper before pulsing and add them in a little at a time until you get a bite you’re comfortable with. Gloved hands work best for this. If you’re a heat demon, use a hotter chili variety like Serrano’s.

Want more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page for tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

Frozen Watermelon Pops

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

I’m in Oklahoma City for the month of July and the temp has been hovering around 106°F every day. As a Yankee, my body’s not used to having to cool itself down so much so I’m thirsty all the time. All week long I’ve been craving ice cold watermelon. Cravings for cold foods are often just a mask for thirst, so this makes perfect sense. Yesterday it was 112° and I drove by an ice cream truck and suddenly the idea of a popsicle made excellent sense! Actually eating a traditional, dye-and-sugar-filled popsicle is never a good plan, though. It was, however, inspiration to put my two big cravings together. I hope you enjoy the result!

Watermelon Pops

1 1/4 pound chilled seedless watermelon chunks (about 3-4 cups of bite-sized chunks)

Juice and zest of 1 small lime

1 tablespoon sweetener of choice (rice syrup, palm sugar, erythritol, or a few drops of vanilla stevia will all work), optional, to taste

Pinch salt

Puree all ingredients together in a high-powered blender until well incorporated. Taste and adjust for sweetness or tartness if necessary. Quickly pour into 6 popsicle molds (try to leave the foam behind) and freeze solid, 3-4 hours. If you don’t have popsicle molds, you can pour into ice cube trays and stick toothpicks or swizzle sticks into each cube once the mix is frozen enough to hold them upright – at about the 2 hour mark.

You can also skip the sticks altogether and blend a few frozen cubes into a quick slushy or soft Italian ice and eat with a spoon.

Freshest Cucumber Mango “Pasta” Salad (No Starch!)

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Pasta salad needs a re-think. Seriously, what exactly is the appeal of cold, rubbery noodles slathered in mayo? It’s certainly not the nutritional impact –between the wheat and the glycemic load it’s probably got a negative value. In this high-flavor, no-starch noodle salad alternative, you are trading up on the pasta for extra veg and fruit –a win-win move. The dressing is a vibrant mixture of sweet, salty and sour with a bite from the chili. Because it hits so many flavor points, even though it’s a low-calorie dish, you will find it very satisfying. This is one of my all-time favorite salads and it always disappears fast when I serve it at friends’ or functions.

Ingredients

Dressing
1-2 Serrano or jalapeno chili peppers, seeded and quartered (to taste, for heat)
1 large clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons fish sauce (available in the ethnic/Thai section of large grocers)
2½ tablespoons palm sugar (or erythritol for lower glycemic load)
Juice of 2 limes, plus ½ lime

Salad
1 English cucumber, unpeeled
1 small zucchini, unpeeled
1 small jicama, peeled (or use a red apple)
1 green apple, unpeeled
1 ripe-but-firm mango, peeled, pitted and julienned
1 cup grated carrots
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
½ cup roasted peanuts, crushed, optional to garnish

Instructions

Combine the chilies, garlic, fish sauce, palm sugar, and juice of 2 limes in a food processor and process until contents are liquefied and well blended, scraping down the sides as necessary. Taste and adjust the seasonings for salt, sweet or heat, if necessary. Set aside.

To prepare the vegetables, you can either use a spiral slicer or the grater attachment on your food processor. To use the spiral slicer, simply trim the ends off of the cucumber, and zucchini and slice them in half through the middle, so you have two long halves. Place them firmly into the unit one at a time as directed and spiralize them into a bowl. Slice off just enough of the apple and jicama ends to get them to fit neatly into the slicer and repeat, clearing out the grater as necessary.

Five Do’s and Don’ts to Clean Up the American Salad

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

We’re not eating enough salad, period. According to the well-known report by market research group NPD “Eating Patterns in America” from 2010, the number of salads served for the evening meal dropped from 22 percent in 1994 to 17 percent in 2010. At restaurants, the number of salads eaten as main meals dropped down to just 5 percent! As salad is one of the main ways that Americans get their veggies in, this is a disturbing trend indeed. Step one is obviously to find ways to get the salad-free 80-percent putting some greens on the table at dinner, but step two is to upgrade the salads we are already eating.

The classic American salad generally fits one of two molds: simple and salad bar. The American simple salad is generally a wedge of iceberg lettuce smothered in creamy dressing with two tasteless cherry tomatoes. The salad bar salad is a much bigger and more complex affair, often characterized by a profusion of heavily pre-dressed noodles and a marked lack of greens. Both versions are remarkably high in calories for their low-nutrient density. A healthy salad should have the opposite ratio: a very high nutrient density for a lower number of calories.

Following is a list of a few simple do’s and don’ts to give your salads a more balanced nutritional bang for your buck.

DO’s:

•    Add some beans, including lentils. Adding a small amount of beans of all sorts to salads will give the plate of low-calorie vegetables more staying power. Chances are you need the extra fiber and it will help with the “fullness factor”, making a light salad more satisfying.

•    Don’t be shy about using unusual ingredients or “non-salad” veggies in your salads because almost anything goes. A boring salad becomes fun and more vitamin-rich with small touches of healthy “non-salad” foods. Try adding low-sugar seasonal fruit to green salads, such as summer raspberries over a bed of baby spinach and arugula with a touch of goat cheese and a sprinkling of almonds –great with a homemade raspberry vinaigrette. Or try adding a few tablespoons of protein, good fat, and fiber-rich hempseeds and any chopped steamed veggies to a mixed greens base with a lemony flax oil dressing.

•    You can spice up the same simple salad base in multiple ways by using different ethnic seasonings for flavor variety. Making one large simple salad base and then spicing it up differently for different meals is not only tastier, but it’s a time-saver. A basic green salad with tomatoes, carrots and colored bell peppers can go Mexican with the addition of some chopped avocado and a dressing made of salsa, Greek yogurt and a good sprinkling of chili powder. The same base can go Mediterranean with the addition of a few pitted Kalamata olives and a dressing of lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced fresh garlic and dried oregano; or Italian with a few pine nuts, slivered fresh basil, chopped chicken and a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

•    A fun salad twist in the colder months is to wilt the greens with a hot dressing. Try making a tangy dressing from chopped and sautéed fresh tomatoes pureed with sprinkles of a good wine vinegar and olive oil with just a touch of natural sweetener over chopped fresh spinach and sweet onion slices.

DON’TS:

•    Don’t eat anything from the salad bar that you couldn’t pick, dig or catch. You definitely want to skip the croutons and any of those weird dry bready bits, like rice sticks or wonton strips. Most are a highly refined “food product” made from white flour and a laundry list of unnecessary additives with no redeeming nutritive value. No “bacon bits”, either! Nearly all versions are high in sodium, poor quality fats and artificial ingredients. Don’t kid yourself –tasty though some people find them, bacon bits are not food. You can replace fake bacon bits with tamari almonds, sunnies, or pepitas for a healthier touch of smoky crunch.

•    Don’t go overboard with the salad dressing. Watch both the quality and quantity of your dressings. Skip any dressings made with poor quality oils, too much sodium or sugar, or artificial ingredients. Dress lightly or keep it on the side for dipping to reduce calories.

At the salad bar you can always make your own light dressing with olive oil and a bit of wine or balsamic vinegar. At home you can easily make dozens of dressings from scratch in just a couple of minutes. Want an even quicker option? Shake on a little granulated garlic, some dried Italian herbs, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil and squeeze half a lemon over everything.

•    No colorless lettuce! Skip the low-nutrient iceberg and build your base with darker and more colorful nutrient-rich options, such as spinach, arugula, chicory, escarole, red leaf lettuces, and young, finely chopped dinosaur kale.

•    No mayo salads! At the salad bar just walk on by any veggie, egg or meat “salad” that is coated with heavy white mayo. These types of offerings are generally made from overcooked veggies, high-sodium deli meats, or white pastas. They add an unnecessary load of poor quality fats and calories to an otherwise light and healthy salad.

If you’re looking for more flavor or variety at a salad bar, go for “uncoated” options, such as 3-bean salad, pickled beets, or steamed peas or edamame, and keep the portions of anything dressed low to reduce sugar and calorie content.

Reference:
Severson, Kim. “Told to Eat its Vegetables, America Orders Fries”, New York Times. September 24, 2010.

Top 10 Summer Fruits You Should Be Eating

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Yes, fruits are sweet and yes, most of us have to watch our carb intake, but summer is actually the best time of year to indulge. If you are eating seasonally, then you’ve been enjoying piles of spring’s dark green leafy vegetables for a few months. Those bitter, chlorophyll-rich greens will have helped your system flush out the extra fat and mucus in your body left over from the cold season. You should be primed for processing the lighter, sweeter, hot weather fare, including fruits. Besides being delicious, these top ten summer fruits are nutrient power-packs and all of them have a low-to-medium glycemic load. Enjoy them straight up or try one of the unique serving ideas below.

Apricots
Fresh apricots are very low-cal – about 17 each! They’ve got a little fiber (about 1.5 grams) and a lot of antioxidants, including the powerful carotenoid beta-cryptoxanthin, which is lost when you dry them. Look for plump fruit with orange or reddish translucent skin, no bruising. They should yield slightly to pressure and smell sweet. Try them pitted and eaten whole as a snack, or halved and added to baked chicken for the last ten minutes of cook time

Blueberries
Everyone knows that blueberries are nutritional superstars. They score among the very top fruits on the ORAC scale (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), which means they contain among the highest concentrations of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds of all the fruits on the planet. They are loaded with other phytochemicals as well, the combination of which can help protect you from inflammation, heart disease, some types of cancer and even memory loss.

Try this easy recipe for a cool, refreshing blueberry blast:

Spiced Blueberry Frozen Yogurt
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup rice syrup or coconut nectar
¼ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
11/2 cups (12 ounces) plain Greek yogurt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor in the order listed and process until the blueberries are broken down but the mixture isn’t completely smooth, about 10-20 seconds, scraping down the sides once or twice.

Follow the directions on any ice cream maker or, if you don’t have one, transfer contents to a 9 x 9-inch freezer-safe container and freeze. Remove the container every 30 minutes, whisk contents well and return to the freezer. Do this for 90 minutes – 3 mixing sessions. Then freeze to desired consistency, at least 2 hours.
You can also enjoy it as is, with no freezing.

Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe, like all melons, has a high water content and relatively low number of calories –about 277 for the whole thing. It’s also very high in potassium and vitamin A. Look for firm, heavy melons with a slight give at the stem end when pressed. They should have a subtle, sweet scent and no soft spots or visible bruising.

Try cantaloupe seasoned with salt and fresh ground black pepper –a southern preparation. Or toss bite-sized pieces with two parts lemon juice to one part raw honey, whisked into a simple dressing. It’s even better with a little chopped fresh mint and a few handfuls of blueberries.

Figs
Fresh figs are only available when in season, so they are a true summer treat (though some warm climates get another short season in November). Though they are higher in sugars than most of the other fruits on this list, they are also relatively high in fiber, about 2 grams per fig, which helps reduce their overall glycemic load. And they are potassium powerhouses, with respectable amounts of vitamin B6, calcium and iron, especially for a fruit.

Fresh figs have a pleasant, unusual texture, combining a soft skin with chewy pulp and crunchy, crackling seeds. They are highly perishable, so plan to eat them within a day or two of purchasing. Ripe figs should smell slightly sweet, not at all sour, and feel soft, but not mushy. Try using fresh fig puree as a sweetener for sauces, dressings and even baked goods. Simply remove the stems, quarter them, and puree in the blender or food processor. If you want to enjoy them as is, try splitting them open and inserting a scant teaspoon of chevre (soft goat cheese) – yum!

Mango
Though mango is a sweet tropical fruit, it’s got a high water content and is relatively low in calories compared to pineapple or banana – about 135 for a whole mango –giving it a pretty low glycemic load of around 9. It’s high in potassium, vitamin A and beta-carotene. You can’t always judge mango ripeness by color as some varieties remain green when ripe, so go by feel. The flesh should have a slight give when pressed with your finger. The skin should be smooth and rich in color, with no visible bruising.

Fresh mango is spectacular in smoothies. It can also make a quick and tasty sauce for sandwiches, fish or meats. Try blending a peeled, pitted and chopped mango with a seeded jalapeno, handful of fresh cilantro, juice of a large lime and generous sprinkling of salt. If you’d prefer a salsa, skip the puree step and finely dice all ingredients.

Papaya
Papaya is a creamy, astringent fruit –slightly drying on the tongue. It is fleshy with a pleasant, lightly musky flavor. The seeds are also edible, though a bit on the bitter side. It’s very high in potassium, vitamins A, C, folate, and beta-carotene. A cup of cubes has 55 calories and 2.5 grams of fiber. Papaya is also rich in papain and other digestive enzymes.

There are a few different varieties, but the most commonly available is long and large. With this larger, elliptical variety, look for green skins turning yellow. The skin on ripe or ripening papayas can look a little bruised, but shouldn’t have any large black or mushy spots. Ripe papaya should yield slightly to the squeeze. To serve it in a fun way, scoop the seeds out of two large halves and fill them with chopped fresh strawberries and kiwis and a few squeezes of fresh lime juice.

Raspberries
Raspberries take the fiber prize among summer’s superstars, containing 8 grams per cup with only 64 calories! They are also super high in vitamin C. Unsurprisingly, they have the lowest glycemic load of the top ten. Raspberries, like all the berries, also contain powerful antioxidant compounds. And they are rich in ellagic acid, a cancer-fighting compound.

Raspberries are the most delicate of all the berries so you should choose them with care. Any squashed berries or moldy areas will spread quickly and can ruin your whole batch. Look for clean, deeply colored raspberries without bleeding. Don’t wash them until just before you are ready to eat them. Try them sprinkled over a greens base of half baby spinach, half baby arugula with feta cheese, slivered almonds and a balsamic dressing for a tangy summer salad.

Red Grapes
Every part of the red grape is packed with powerful phytonutrients: The seeds are loaded with tannins and other antioxidants. The skins are also tannin-rich and high in anti-aging resveratrol and other flavonoids. The flesh is sweet and contains a nice dose of soluble fiber. Grapes also provide a decent hit of vitamins C and A.

Dr. Jonny Bowden’s favorite way to eat grapes is to freeze them before enjoying. They taste super-sweet and creamy that way, and the chill factor may help prevent overeating them –a very easy thing to do with a fresh bunch…

Strawberries
One cup of strawberries contains 49 calories, 12 grams carbs (3 are fiber), and 1 gram protein. They are a good source of vitamin C, folate, potassium, and manganese. They are rich in antioxidant and cancer-protective compounds. Look for plump bright red berries with fresh green leaves –avoid any bruised fruits.

Try fresh strawberries in a light and foamy smoothie: Blend 1 1/2 cups stemmed berries with 1/3 cup raw egg whites (use pasteurized if you’re worried about salmonella) and a little sweetener, optional. Or make a cold gourmet soup by blending together 2 cups strawberries, 2 cups cold water, 1/3 cup dry white wine, ¼ cup raw honey and ½ cup plain yogurt .

Cherries
Cherries have a pretty short growing season, and sour cherries – the most nutrient-rich variety – have an even shorter one, usually only a couple of weeks in June-August, depending on where you live. All cherry varieties are a good source of anti-inflammatory anthocyanins, but tart cherries contain higher concentrations and may help reduce risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Cherries are also rich in antioxidants and cancer-preventive compounds, including quercetin and ellagic acid.

Look for deeply colored, firm cherries with smooth, unblemished skins. Enjoy them as is for an anytime snack, or try pitting and blending 1 cup of them with 1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk, 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder, 1 scoop protein powder, and 2 tablespoons pure cherry juice (or substitute a chunk of frozen banana to sweeten). You can freeze the cherries first or add ice if you want a frosty consistency.

Grilled Lamb and Onion Skewers

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Kebabs are a terrific way to grill different meats and seafoods quickly. Plus kids love anything on a stick, so they make great family meals. Middle Eastern shish kebabs are often made with lamb. The onion and yogurt marinade yields a very flavorful and juicy meat that reduces the slightly gamey flavor of the lamb. Traditional shish kebab is pulled off the skewers and rolled into naan or pita, but it’s much healthier to serve these tasty cubes and onions over a bed of spring greens. Try adding chopped fresh heirloom tomatoes and drizzles of olive oil and fresh-squeezed lemon juice to finish the dish.

Ingredients
1/4 cup raw almonds
8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup plain organic yogurt
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 bunch cilantro
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon each salt and cracked black pepper
2 pounds top round lamb
1 red onion, peeled

Directions
Grind the almonds into meal in the food processor.

Add the garlic and pulse a few times to chop.

Add the onions, yogurt, lemon juice, cilantro, turmeric, cumin, salt, and pepper and process until it forms a pasty puree, scraping down the sides as necessary.*

Lay the lamb out in a shallow, non-reactive container and pour the marinade over it, turning to coat all sides evenly. Cover and marinate the lamb from 3 hours to overnight, turning it over a few times.

Preheat the grill to medium low. Quarter the red onion and half each quarter, so you have about 8 pieces. Separate each piece into 3 sections.

Scrape off as much of the marinade as possible and cut the lamb into 1½-inch cubes –it will yield about 20 pieces. Thread the onion and lamb cubes alternately on 5 metal (or soaked bamboo) skewers, leaving space between the pieces.

Grill to desired doneness, about 8-10, minutes, turning occasionally.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Notes from the Clean Food Coach:
*Processing all that onion into a mash releases a lot of tear gas. You can prepare for it by running a fan near where you’re working so you don’t get gassed when you lift off the top. If you do get hit, sticking your face in the freezer for a minute will usually slow or even stop the crying.

Interested in learning more? Check out The Clean Food Coach Facebook Page which provides you with tons of tips, tricks and recipes for prepping clean, whole foods in tasty, innovative and easy ways.

The Ethics of Eating Meat

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Okay, true confession: I’ve spent good chunks of my life living as an ethical vegan. For awhile I was even macrobiotic –possibly the single worst eating strategy for an obese type 2 diabetic like me (outside of the Standard American Diet), but that’s a story for another time. Today I am a staunch advocate of the profound health value of eating an essentially paleo diet, including foods from animals. I had to go there to heal my own issues and I’m definitely not alone. We’ve all seen the remarkable transformative effects of paleo eating on a large percentage of the population working with similar imbalances. But I have to tell you, I still struggle. For me, loving life and killing it to live has nearly always been an ethical koan (a spiritual puzzle or riddle that has no logical answer in the world of the mind).

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve changed my perspective somewhat on the “killing” part of the puzzle, and this has given me a workable meat-eating practice. It only takes about a minute of observation to see that killing to eat is an inherent part of the natural animal world. There’s a pile of logs from a long-ago downed tree right outside my door and every spring several woodchucks take up residence there. We call it the “condo”. A few weeks ago I went outside early and startled six tiny groundhog kittens who had just made their way out of the logs for maybe the first time. They were round and fuzzy and clumsy and utterly, utterly charming. My whole family became avid groundhog-watchers and soon we were all in love with these fuzzy new neighbors. My daughter gave them each names to match their distinctive personalities.

Earlier this week I was in the kitchen and saw a huge red-tailed hawk fly across the house with one of the babies in her talons. She landed smack inside my garden fence and sat there for ten minutes placidly finishing the kill. She flew away with the kitten’s limp body beneath her.

I had the strangest combination of emotional reactions to this wild-kingdom event in my yard. I feel a deep admiration, even kinship with the hawks and osprey who frequent the island where I live. They are gorgeous, majestic birds and it’s always meaningful to me when I see them flying overhead. I knew instinctively that this was a female and felt in my bones the rightness of her feeding herself and possibly her own young.

I also felt a deep empathy with the groundhog mother who sat on the highest log for an hour after the snatch without leaving her perch. She was looking all around, maybe for her kitten, maybe for the hawk’s return, I don’t know. But the other five kittens didn’t come out again that day.

Killing to eat is built in to the natural world: One animal takes the life energy of another to survive. Sometimes it’s quick and painless, sometimes long and brutal, but it’s always about survival. Animals don’t kill more than they need to eat. And they are as efficient as possible about it. Even though my heart was clutching in my chest and part of me wanted to go out and try to save the young groundhog, I could still appreciate the elegance of the hawk’s kill.

There is nothing elegant about the way modern, first-world humans kill their food animals. It is not efficient, not quick or painless, and not natural. We routinely kill far more than we need to survive as a species. One of my friends is the daughter of one of the research scientists who helped to design the original factory farm concept. Her grandfather raised chickens the “old fashioned way” on a poultry farm on the East coast. Her father grew up on that farm, but left farming to study it in college, eventually becoming a professor of poultry science. During the years that he was getting his graduate degrees, the family farm saw a decline in this country.

The U.S. population was growing rapidly with the “baby boom” after the Second World War and concerns were increasing about how the country’s agriculture was going to keep pace with the food supply. The United States Department of Agriculture claimed that family farming was no longer a viable way to feed the growing population. They posed the question to the universities at the time of how current farming practices could be modified to increase food production.

Her dad was part of the team that designed potential solutions. He helped write the book that became the “Bible of poultry production”: Chicken, Meat and Egg Production. My friend has a signed first edition copy of this book that is still industry standard. Though she understands and respects the origins of today’s poultry industry and her father’s part in it, even she feels that, over time, in the hands of the “capitalist machine”, the practices have strayed from the original concepts into something monstrous.
She does not eat chicken.

Today the standard industry practices of mass animal production including confined, indoor quarters, damaging, inappropriate feeding, and cruel milking, egg laying and slaughter practices are well known. These atrocious practices are not only deeply unethical, but also unhealthy, not just for the food animals but also for the people who eat them. Fortunately more and more people are committed to raising food animals in humane, healthy and more natural ways. The health benefits of the foods from pasture-raised and wild-caught animals are well-documented. It’s becoming easier every year to find them. Even the slaughterhouses used by all farms who ship their animals out for “processing” (including the organic and pasturing ones), which have been slow to evolve, are starting to improve and upgrade their methods. People like Dr. Temple Grandin, a leader in humane livestock handling practices, are leading the way with creative and insightful innovations to the practice of humane killing for food.

I no longer see the “kill to eat” process as an unsolvable koan. I appreciate and honor the mystery of life feeding life as yet another miraculous element of nature’s elegant design. But I cannot and will not sanction the unnatural and life-robbing practices of factory farming. The spirit of paleo eating is to eat as our ancestors were designed to eat. To me that is not just about the types of food, but also the food’s origins and ways it is obtained and prepared. Eating fried chicken from a factory farm is simply not paleo practice. We live in a plutocracy where our spending habits have a real and measurable effect on our industries. Choosing clean, ethically raised animal foods over factory farmed is one powerful step everyone can make in the healing of our damaged food and eating practices that have strayed so far from the natural path.

Boost Your Vitamin P Levels: Experience Real Pleasure

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

It took me awhile to get to my writing today because I kept finding myself outside, staring at my spring garden. It is strangely alluring, this moist and fertile patch of earth, studded with baby plants. And I’m not the only one drawn to it. I often catch my husband out there just standing and gazing. My daughter practically sets up shop in the garden, lying down next to it on a blanket with the pillow from her bed. We have all described the experience in different ways, as grounding, relaxing, Zen… We keep strolling out to the back yard to be fed, somehow. It feels nourishing just to be in the place where the plants grow.

After a long winter, we’re all going out there to get an easy infusion of “vitamin P”, Pleasure. Pleasure is one of a trio of vital non-food nourishers I’ve coined the “P-nutrients”: pleasure, passion, and purpose. The P-nutrients feed our deeper longings for fulfillment and satisfaction in our lives. They are as crucial to our well being as all the physically nutritive vitamins, and often even boost their performance efficiency in our body.

Everyone longs for pleasure. Seeking pleasure is a biological drive shared by all animals, not just the human ones. But, as with so many other natural drives, humans take it to extremes. We continuously seek out pleasurable acts and experiences. To that end we’ve created a massive entertainment industry, a booming sex industry, an active trade in alcohol and less legal drugs, and whole new categories of foods designed exclusively to stimulate our pleasure centers. The interesting thing about all this is that though we are somewhat obsessed with these pleasure-seeking experiences, when we are actually having them we tend to zone right out and don’t derive much true pleasure from them at all!

More often than not we just skate the surface of these experiences, going for quantity over quality to numb out our less comfortable feelings rather than heightening the more pleasurable ones. We think we’re enjoying ourselves, but actually we’re just splitting off from our internal experience. I think this phenomenon is part of the reason so many of us will forego homemade, super-fresh, high quality foods in favor of Big Macs and Big Gulps. In this ultra-fast-paced age we’ve traded in slow, rich, sensual pleasure for speedy “low-cal” stimulation. This “junkfood” stimulation doesn’t truly satisfy, so we keep going back for more.

Pleasure satiety doesn’t come from accumulating more and more of these kinds of empty experiences, but rather in tapping more deeply into any experience to extract the pleasure inherent in it. True pleasure occurs much more in the body than in the mind.

It doesn’t come from our mental stories about things, but through direct experience. So to tap it we have to get past the distraction of our constant, usually negative thinking. In our mind we use words to categorize things, and we use thoughts about those things to avoid pain and maximize pleasure. But pain is a more powerful stimulus than pleasure, so our thoughts are mostly preoccupied with pain, remembering it in the past and planning ways to avoid it in the future.

Here’s a way to jump over pain-based thinking and into the felt sensation of pleasure right now: Check out your immediate environment. What is the most attractive item in your space? If you’re in a dingy cubicle, maybe you can find a pretty color on a pamphlet somewhere. Now really look at that object. Focus your full attention on it. Soften your gaze a bit and relax your jaw. Keeping your visual attention on the item, tune your ears into the sounds around you. Don’t label the sounds, just let them pass through you like light passes through crystal. Listen between the sounds to the silence that holds them. Now, while you are looking and listening, go inside your body and notice some part of you that feels deeply comfortable. Maybe it’s your backside cradled in a soft chair cushion, or your feet in soft, warm shoes. Maybe it’s just one cheek feeling the soft touch of the warm air of the office. Keep your focus on the beauty of the object, the sounds and quiet around you, and the part of you that is in comfort. Breathe slowly and gently while you do this, feeling the light lift that comes from the oxygen entering your blood, and notice the calm that descends over you.

It’s harder to get distracted (pulled out of direct experience) by thoughts when you keep your attention focused on sensations. And if you focus on pleasurable sensations, you will begin to relax and have the actual felt experience of pleasure. You can do this anytime, anywhere. It’s easier to do this in relaxed settings, and especially in nature. It’s much easier to feel pleasure in a new garden than in the dentist’s chair, for example, but your focus point is ultimately more important in this exercise than your surroundings.

Try it and see.

In the Kitchen With...Kale

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

In this third installment of "In the Kitchen With...", Jeannette Bessinger tells us why kale is such an important food to include in your diet, the differences between the many varieties, how to store it, and the best time to cook it.

www.lifestylebypoliquin.com

In the Kitchen With...Tropical Green Smoothies

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Jeannette Bessinger, "The Clean Food Coach," shows us how to make Tropical Green Smoothies from her kitchen.

Visit www.lifestylebypoliquin.com for daily updates and posts on all thing wellness and health.

www.lifestylebypoliquin.com

Riding Out the Emotional Wave of the Crave

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

In the food and nutrition world our focus on food cravings is most often diagnostic, usually kept to the physiological realm. But at its core a craving is a feeling, and feelings resist easy deconstruction, moving as they do across not only the physical dimension, but also the mental, emotional, and even spiritual ones. While it’s often crucial to address food cravings on the digestive, metabolic and other essentially physical levels, it can sometimes also be helpful to address the felt experience of craving. What does it actually feel like to crave something?

We tend to blend that feeling of wanting or needing with the object of the craving, as if the desire for that hot fudge sundae is all about the ice cream. We focus on the ice cream, trying to avoid it or replace it or diving headfirst right into it. But actually, the craving and the sundae are two completely separate things, in some ways totally unrelated. In our efforts to either eliminate or satisfy the craving with an object focus, we don’t even realize there might be another option –to delve deeply into the felt experience of the wanting itself.

The feeling of desire is no different than the multitude of other feelings in our emotional world. They come and go like weather systems in our bodies. And, like the weather, they often serve an environmental purpose, even the strong and unpleasant ones. Feeling your feelings (not acting on them, but simply feeling them inside your bodymind system) is an essentially healthy practice. But this action is in opposition to our socialization. In life, we are conditioned to not accept the fullness of our own emotional experiences. As we grow from children into adults, our socialization teaches us that this natural experience of emotions is wrong, even dangerous. Our social and cultural ideas, belief systems, world views, and religions all say that some part of our organic experience of feeling is not okay.

Which feelings and how much of those feelings are okay and not okay is determined by your own unique upbringing and is different for each of us. You may have learned that experiencing anger is healthy and cleansing, but experiencing joy is risky because you might jinx a happy event. Or maybe you learned that “boys don’t cry” and so you block your experience of grief. Think for a moment about what you may have internalized about desire, craving, wanting… Is it okay to feel the depth of your own wanting? Or is it self-indulgent, sinful, or weak? Do you think that it’s dangerous to desire something because you believe you will lose control or be unable to keep yourself from acting on it?

See if you can tease out the story you tell yourself about craving. Then remind yourself that this story probably originated from somewhere outside of you and ask yourself if you really believe it to be true. Then, story aside, see where that felt experience of craving is happening in your body and notice what it’s like to actually feel it.

Where in your body do you feel the energy-in-motion (e-motion) of craving? Is it in your belly? Your chest? Your throat? Then move toward it with your awareness. If we don’t like a feeling because of the story we tell ourselves about what it means, we usually try to move away from that feeling. We attempt to control it by stuffing it down, or venting it out. Or, with wanting in particular, we get distracted by the object of the wanting instead of the feeling itself and put our focus there. So feeling a craving inside will be counter-intuitive at first. Try to use your will, first to set aside the mental story and/or object of the craving and allow the feeling to just be there; second to notice where it is in your body; and third to feel it moving around and changing. If you allow that to happen naturally, without resisting it, the energy of the feeling will eventually integrate, like a kind of emotional digestion.

If you practice this regularly with the sensation of cravings, you will find that in many cases the feeling will resolve itself without you acting on it and eating something you aren’t truly hungry for. Letting yourself feel the full experience of wanting often results in a dissipation of the craving. I had a powerful teacher on this topic who used to say that if you felt your true wanting deeply enough, one of two things would eventually happen –either the feeling of wanting would go away, or you would receive the satisfaction you are craving, though not always from the initial object of your desire.

In the Kitchen With...Choco Antiox Smoothies

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

In this episode of "In the Kitchen With..." Jeannette Bessinger shows us how to make a "Choco Anti-Ox Smoothie. We tried this one, its worth trying out at home...

Visit Lifestyle by Poliquin for daily posts on all things food, health and nutrition, relaxation and general wellbeing.

www.lifestylebypoliquin.com

Top 10 Must-Stock Clean Food Pantry Staples

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Flexible everyday cooking requires that you keep your dry goods pantry well supplied with high-quality basics. Following is a list of the top ten foods you should stock on a regular basis to help create tasty and nutritious meals and snacks quickly. If you keep these items on hand at all times, they will provide a base for building easy meals from the fresh, seasonal perishables you purchase each week –animal foods, fruit and vegetables.

How well does your current pantry stack up? Copy this list and take it with you to your grocery and natural food stores to lay the foundation for your own clean food kitchen.

Beans: dried or canned (additive and salt-free, organic): black, kidney, garbanzo, navy, adzuki, split pea, lentils, etc.

Beans are a cheap, shelf-stable staple that you should always keep on hand for a high-fiber meal or side in a pinch. Dried beans are the least expensive, but good quality canned beans are also reasonable, super quick and easy, and they retain much of their nutritional value. Chick peas can become a simple hummus in minutes, and black bean can turn a green salad into a Mexican entrée. Keep a good selection on your pantry shelves.

Broth or stock, organic: free-range chicken, vegetable, beef

Most canned soups are of pretty poor quality. They have usually lost much of their nutritional potency and, unless they are of the tasteless, low-sodium variety, are always too high in salt. You can still have soup in a hurry if you use the broth/stock to make it yourself from quick proteins (such as frozen shrimp or pre-cooked chicken or beef), and a selection of veggies. Homemade soup is always the superior nutritional choice.

Fish and Shellfish, canned, jarred or tinned: chunk light or skipjack tuna in water, Alaskan wild-caught boneless, skinless salmon in water, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, lump blue crab meat, etc.

Shelf-stable seafood is my favorite pantry protein staple. It tastes great and can be converted into a meal or snack in minutes. Try rolling sardines up in lettuce leaves with red pepper strips and a squeeze of lemon, or make a tuna fish salad with a mix of mayo and Dijon, chopped avocado and celery, and sprinkling of toasted pine nuts. Bonus nutritional points for the rich, hard-to-find, omega 3 fatty acids in salmon, mackerel and sardines.

Kudzu: a starchy root (powdered) found in the ethnic or macrobiotic sections of natural foods stores

Kudzu is used as a thickener for sauces, stews and gravies. It’s more nutritious than cornstarch and yields a smoother texture with no “starchy” taste. It is also soothing to the digestive system. To use it, dissolve it in cold water or other thin liquid before adding to foods (1 part kudzu to 2 parts water). Simmer the mixture for a minute or two for maximum thickening. You can add it to fruit to thicken pie filling, or stir it into hot liquids like gravy. Use the same measurements as cornstarch.

Nuts and Seeds, raw and roasted: walnuts, almonds, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc.

Nuts and seeds are nutritious, filling and very versatile. In addition to all their well-known uses as snacks and salad additions, you can grind them up and mix with shredded coconut and a drizzle of oil to make a starch-and-flour-free pie crust. You can process a small handful (raw) with two cups of water in a high-speed blender to make instant, high-fiber nut milk, or use half the amount of water to make a dairy-free “cream” (the cream works best with cashews or pine nuts, especially when they are soaked for an hour prior to blending).

Oils: first cold-pressed olive, raw, unrefined coconut, avocado, walnut, sesame, chili, peanut, etc

Keep a good selection on hand and to use for safe cooking at different temperatures and to make a variety of different salad dressings.

Soy Sauce: wheat-free, low-sodium tamari or shoyu (traditional fermented soy sauce made with wheat –fermentation breaks down the soy to make it more digestible)
Small amounts of high quality soy sauce such as tamari or shoyu instantly give almost any dish an Asian flair. It works equally well in marinades, in salad dressings, dips, sauces, soups and stews.

Safer Sweeteners: NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia, erythritol or xylitol, and/or palm sugar, coconut nectar, and brown rice syrup

Keep regular sugars out of your pantry and use lower-glycemic-load choices such as stevia or the sugar alcohols erythritol or xylitol. Both of the sugar alcohols are a little less sweet than sugar, but you can use comparable amounts in most recipes, including baked goods. Xylitol is sweeter, but erythritol causes less digestive distress than xylitol in people who are sensitive to that harmless but not-so-pleasant side effect. If your body can handle actual sugars, palm sugar, coconut nectar (both made from coconut) and rice syrup have the lowest glycemic loads of all the natural sweeteners, including raw honey, pure maple syrup, blackstrap molasses and agave nectar (which you should not eat because it’s nearly pure fructose).

Tomatoes: canned, paste, sundried

With different kinds of shelf-stable tomatoes on hand you can make a wide variety of multi-cultural dishes. Fire-roasted diced tomatoes make a delicious, easy chili. Tomato paste enlivens everything from meatloaf to Bolognese sauce. And sundried tomatoes can turn a simple hummus into something special, or be combined with fresh summer tomatoes and fresh basil to create an instant raw red sauce.

Vinegars: apple cider, balsamic, red wine, white wine, unseasoned rice or Japanese umeboshi plum (salty and sour, light citrusy flavor, unfermented – no acetic acid), etc.

Stocking a variety of different vinegars allows you to add flare to simply prepared whole foods. Vinegar is also a foundational ingredient in great home-prepared vinaigrettes –superior in every way to the poor quality bottled options. Homemade vinaigrettes are less expensive, more flavorful and much more nutritious than anything you can find at the store.

In The Kitchen With...Chia Seeds

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Lifestyle by Poliquin. In this installment, Jeannette Bessinger, the 'Clean Food Coach' shows us how we can quickly and easily use chia seeds to thicken up our smoothies.

Mom’s Light and Lemony Berry Salad

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons raw honey (or a few drops NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia), or more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest, optional
½ teaspoon ground ginger, optional
2 cups mixed fresh berries
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
2 teaspoons ground flaxseed, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, and ginger, if using.

Add the berries and almonds and toss gently to coat.

Sprinkle with the flaxseed, if using

Yield: 2 servings

Read the article Celebrating Mom on Mother's Day

Mother’s Day Berry Breakfast Truffles

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

2 medjool dates, pitted (or 3 regular, pitted)
¾ cup raw cashews
½ cup raw almonds
1 scoop unsweetened vanilla protein powder
1 heaping tablespoon soaked chia seeds (To soak chia seeds, mix one quarter cup water with 1 tablespoon chia seeds and let it sit for about 15 minutes, stirring or shaking a few times to prevent clumping.)
Few drops NuNaturals vanilla stevia or ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
¼ cup dried shredded coconut, unsweetened
½ cup frozen blueberries or raspberries

Directions

Combine all ingredients from dates through shredded coconut in food processor.

Process steadily until well combined and holding together in a dough, about a minute.

Fold in frozen berries and form into 16 truffles (about 2 inches). Kids with clean hands can help with this.

Read the article Celebrating Mom on Mother's Day

Savory Low-Carb Mother’s Day Crepe

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

2 eggs
Sprinkles salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Spray or drizzle of olive oil, optional
1 tablespoon prepared pesto of your choice
1/3 Hass avocado, thinly sliced*
1/2 cup diced heirloom tomatoes*
1 cup any sprouts, baby spinach, or baby arugula*

Directions

In a small bowl whisk the eggs, salt and pepper together until well blended.
Heat a large nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium. (If you don’t have a safe non-stick pan, use a large sauté pan very lightly coated with olive oil over medium-high heat.)

When the pan is well heated, pour in the eggs and quickly swirl the contents until they coat the entire bottom surface of the pan very thinly. You may need to do this more than once to disperse the egg evenly all over the pan.

When the egg sets (30 seconds to 3 minutes depending on the size, type and heat of your pan), loosen the edges and bottom with a large spatula and slide it very carefully onto a large flat platter in one circular piece.

Immediately spread your egg “crepe” evenly with the pesto.

In the lower third of your crepe, make a stacked row of the avocado, the tomatoes and sprouts and/or greens, if using, and gently roll the omelet up away from you like a cigar.

Slice it in half with a sharp knife and serve immediately.

Yield: 1 serving

*This crepe works well with many different fillings. If the mom you are cooking for doesn’t like these, simply make some seasonal substitutions in relatively similar amounts to customize it especially for her.

Read the article Celebrating Mom on Mother’s Day

The Seven Tastes: Use a Fuller Flavor Spectrum to Calm Cravings

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Most westerners don’t think much about the flavors of what we eat and drink beyond a pleasant or unpleasant experience on the tongue. Though it seems simple and straightforward, our experience of taste is actually a complex function that involves nearly all the senses and affects multiple systems in the body. In many ancient Eastern health models, such Traditional Chinese Medicine, Traditional Thai Medicine and Ayurveda, there is a deep understanding of how different tastes impact the bodymind system. The cuisines from these cultures reflect this wisdom in meals that deeply satisfy the eater beyond calorie-count or macronutrient balance.

If we combine Western and Eastern taste classifications, there are seven primary categories: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami (meaty), pungent (spicy hot), and astringent (drying). You can easily find meals that are well rounded in all seven flavors at many eastern restaurants, such as Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Thai. For example, at a traditional Japanese restaurant, you might start with miso soup (salty) and then a small amount of protein such as tofu, fish, chicken, or seafood (sweet or salty or umami). This would be followed by rice (sweet), ginger or wasabi (pungent,) and sautéed vegetables (bitter), preferably in sesame oil and soy sauce (salty, umami). With your meal, you would drink green tea (bitter and astringent) and end with fruit such as an orange (sweet and sour). This Asian meal is healthy, light and satisfying –stimulating to the digestion and pleasing to the taste buds.

Compare this to a typical American dinner of grilled chicken breast (bland or salty), iceberg salad (bland or sour) and French fries (very salty). This meal is missing multiple flavors and does not stimulate the digestive system at all. It may be filling, but it isn’t satisfying. A meal like this leaves you wanting something more that’s not always easy to define. Too often we follow it up with a heavy, rich dessert because sweet fatty foods tend to give us that feeling of satisfaction we’re seeking, at least in the short-term.

Following are brief descriptions of the seven primary tastes and some examples of foods with those predominant flavors. If you or your family are plagued by cravings, experiment with broadening the flavor palette of your meals beyond the typical sweet, sour, and salty to include elements from the other categories. You might even try incorporating all seven tastes and notice how you feel at the end of a meal like that. Build on your regular staples with small additions of new types of produce and a more balanced use of seasonings. If you make an effort to better balance the different tastes in your regular meals, you will automatically be broadening your nutrient base and, over time, you will notice a gentle easing in your cravings.

Sweet
Sweet tastes are calming, relaxing and moist to the tongue. They’re “anabolic” or tissue-building and in excess will increase body weight.

Sweet herbs and spices include cinnamon, cardamom, poppy seed, anise seed, dill, fennel seed, tarragon and nutmeg. Sweet foods include sugar, honey, maple syrup, butter, cream, milk, ricotta cheese, tofu, wheat, barley, almonds, sesame seeds, many meats, sweet fruits, dried fruits, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, winter squashes, fennel, cucumbers, avocados, and cucumbers.

Sour
Sour tastes stimulate the digestive system and appetite, increase metabolism and can help to relieve gas. They are generally anabolic.

Sour foods include yogurt, sour cream, oranges and other citrus fruits, plums, strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, fermented cheeses such as goat cheese, vinegars, pickles, sauerkraut, and kombucha.

Salty
Salty tastes are warming, soothing and drying. In small quantities, they can help speed up digestion and increase appetite. Too much salty food can stimulate water retention. This taste can also increase tissue and body weight if eaten in excess.

Salty foods include sea salt, soy sauce, tamari, celery, deli meats, smoked meat or fish, baking soda, baking powder, prepared condiments such as ketchup and mustard, brined foods such as pickles, olives and sauerkraut, and seaweeds. (Many poor quality processed foods have a strong salty taste because they are high in added sodium.)

Bitter
Bitter tastes have a sharp, biting effect which many westerners dislike, but can learn to enjoy once the palate is better balanced, (one quick way to improve your palate is to reduce or eliminate heavily sweet and salty foods and increase your vegetable intake). The bitter flavor is drying, cooling, and generally catabolic (can help reduce body fat). Small amounts help to stimulate digestion.

Bitter herbs and spices include turmeric, fenugreek, and cumin seeds. Bitter foods include eggplant, rhubarb, green tea, coffee, tonic water, dark chocolate, licorice, walnuts, dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, beet greens, chard, spinach, dandelion greens, lemon and orange peel.

Umami
The umami taste has a meaty quality. It’s rich and provides flavor “body”. It’s often associated with the salty taste, but has something more. If you add the umami flavor to a low-sodium dish it will seem more pleasant and satisfying than without it.

Umami foods include soy sauce, tamari, mushrooms, cheeses, nutritional yeast, meats, seafood, liquid smoke, smoked foods, cured foods, cabbage, fish sauce, and shrimp paste.

Pungent
Pungent tastes are “hot” and spicy. They boost metabolism, digestion and circulation, and they can be drying. They are catabolic and can be helpful in lowering body fat.

Pungent herbs and spices include basil, chili powder, cumin, curry, ginger, cloves, peppermint, spearmint, fennel, anise, cayenne pepper, black pepper, Hungarian hot paprika, mustard seeds and powder, and dried horseradish. Pungent Foods include hot peppers of all kinds, mustard, chili oil, hot sauces, horseradish, mustard greens, arugula, radish, radish sprouts, onion, ginger, garlic, dill.

Astringent
Astringent tastes are cooling and catabolic. Astringent foods have a drying effect on the tongue.

Astringent herbs and spices include nutmeg, bay leaf, basil, tarragon, turmeric, rosemary, and sage. Astringent foods include pomegranate, green apples, pears, rhubarb, green grapes, citrus peels, chard, cabbage, spinach, lentils, most beans, aloe vera and avocado.

Fajitas- Fast!

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Traditional Tex-Mex fajitas are made from marinated skirt steak, the long thin cuts of beef that run along the inside section of the ribs and the upper section of the flank, over the diaphragm area. Once cut away from the forequarter of the cow, the skirts need be trimmed of a heavy layer of fat and silver skin before use. The term fajita is the diminutive form of the Spanish word “faja”, meaning girdle or belt, an apt description for the location of the skirt steaks.

In the early 80’s Homero Recio, an animal science professor from Texas, got a fellowship to research the popular dish’s history. According to his findings, the earliest fajitas can be traced back to an area near the Texas/Mexico border in the 1940’s. On the west Texas cattle ranches, the skirt was considered a throwaway cut of the beef, along with the head, entrails, etc. and was often given to the Mexican farmhands. Skirt steak, like flank steak and flap, is a tougher cut with a chewy bite. The early Mexican ranchers would marinate the meat in lime juice and sear it quickly over an open fire to make it tender. These steaks, though tougher than loins and T-bones, tend to be rich in flavor and are still cheaper in today’s meat markets.

In today’s restaurants, however, fajitas are rarely made with the skirt steak anymore. But the dish is still served in the style of the original ranchers, with savory condiments and wrapped in a soft flour tortilla. Lean beef and veggies with a thin wrap should make for a relatively low-cal dish, but classic restaurant versions tend to run very high in calories from the fattier meat cuts, vegetable frying oil and gobs of conventional sour cream. Chili’s beef fajitas without the condiments or tortillas weigh in at 390 calories, but add three tortillas and one serving of condiments and your entrée tops out at 880 cal.

Calories aside, there’s a reason fajitas are so popular: They rock out loud in the flavor department. The sizzling platters at the restaurants add sex appeal and we do love to roll our own, but it’s the taste combination of Mexi-spiced beef and pungent sautéed veggies that keeps bringing us back for more. The good news is that you can recreate the basics of this dish quite quickly and easily for a healthier, home-cooked “cheater fajiter” that will please your hungry family in a flash.

If you use a tender cut of meat, like tenderloin, sirloin or even top round, there’s no need to marinate ahead of time, which means you can get this tasty dish on the table in minutes. You can whip up a quick Mexican herb and spice combo with things you already have in your spice rack. Or, to save yourself even more time, you can use a premade fajita seasoning pack instead. Just make sure it’s one hundred percent natural, low in sodium, additive-free, and sugar-free. Simply Organic Fajita Seasonings is a decent choice. You can slice your own onions and peppers or use precut versions form the market, fresh or frozen. You can even cook the meat and veggies together if your diners are banging their forks on the table, but the meat will sear better if you cook it first, without the moisture from the veg. Douse everything with splashes of fresh lime juice and tamari sauce at the end of cook time to give your fajitas a touch of that long-marinated flavor.

Skip the white flour wraps in favor of warmed sprouted corn or whole grain tortillas for that soft, satisfying consistency. To keep it low carb, use hardy lettuce leaves or roll your fajitas in half collard leaves, sliced from their stems, either raw or blanched. Dress ‘em up any way you like with fun Tex-Mex condiments like spicy salsa, chopped olives, spinach, lettuce and tomatoes and/or a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt (from pastured cow’s for best quality and nutrient values).

Roll ‘em up and enjoy!

Try the Fast Fajitas recipe!

Roberts-Dominguez, Jan. “Food for Thought: History of Fajitas is Short, Flavor is Not”. Gazette Times. Feb 22, 21012.

Chili’s Menu Nutrition Facts: http://www.chilis.com/EN/LocationSpecificPDF/MenuPDF/001.005.0000/Chilis_Nutrition_Menu_Generic.pdf

Fast Fajitas

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

•    2 teaspoons chili powder
•    1½ teaspoons cumin
•    1 teaspoon oregano
•    3/4 teaspoon each salt and cracked black pepper
•    1 tablespoon peanut oil, plus more if necessary
•    1¼ pounds grass fed beef tenderloin, top sirloin, or top round, trimmed and thinly sliced across the grain into 1x1/4-inch strips
•    3 cups sliced onion and bell pepper strips, any color (sliced fresh, precut in the refrigerated section or frozen, thawed)
•    3 tablespoons lime juice
•    1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari
•    4 large organic sprouted whole grain or corn tortillas, or large hardy lettuce leaves (or 8 small)
•    1 cup high quality prepared salsa

Optional extras: baby spinach, chopped avocado, chopped black olives, shredded raw cheddar cheese, pastured sour cream or Greek yogurt

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine and mix the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.

Toss the sliced beef with the spices to thoroughly coat.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high.

Add the beef cook and cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes, turning frequently for even browning.

Remove the beef with tongs and set aside.

If the beef released a lot of oil or juices, drain off enough to leave the bottom of the pan well coated. If necessary add another drizzle of peanut oil. Add the onions and peppers and cook to desired tenderness, about 5-6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium if pan begins to brown at all. You can cover the pan for a minute or two to speed vegetable softening.

Return the meat to the pan and stir in the lime juice and tamari for the last minute of cook time.

Divide the meat among four plates, add a wrap, ¼ cup salsa and any optional extras to serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Read the article Fajitas-Fast!

Lose Weight for Summer: Top Five Dietary Tips For Optimal Body Composition

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Lose fat fast by combining a strength training program with a diet that helps you burn fat and build muscle. You will lose the most fat by eating a diet that supports muscle building, prevents nutrient deficiencies, and helps you achieve the best hormone response for body composition. This article will give you my top five tips for incorporating those three goals into a dietary program for fat loss.

For some of you, these tips will be a radical approach to diet and fat loss, whereas for other readers, they will be old news. If you find these tips to be extreme, consider these points:

1) You have complete control over what you put in your mouth. No one ever ate anything by accident.

2) If you are looking for fat loss tips, a radical approach to diet is probably necessary because what you are doing must not be working.

3) These are tips—not the universal answer. I suggest them because they are based on research and have worked for many clients. If something else works for you, that’s great.

Be aware that these tips are based on the assumption that you are strength training and getting as much as physical activity as possible. Just as it is nearly impossible to out-train a bad diet, it’s very difficult to achieve significant fat loss without exercise. The right training program will get you where you want to be faster. This is the second article in a series on tips for body composition. Last week, I posted Top Five Training Tips for Optimal Body Composition.

The Run Down on Eating for Fat Loss

An essential part of a diet that helps you lose fat, while supporting optimal health and energy, is to eliminate foods that your body has a difficult time processing. Your body may be intolerant of certain foods due to insufficient levels of a specific enzyme.

Common food intolerances include gluten, lactose, nuts, fructose, and soy. Many people also find that a food intolerance is complex and better results may come if they eliminate lactose and dairy—meaning even dairy with the lactose removed. The solution is to identify the foods that trip you up and eliminate them.

That said, these tips may not be the best for you because everyone has unique food intolerances, or foods that just don’t do them much good. Not everyone will have best results by eating a low-carb diet. Your needs will be dictated by your genotype, lifestyle, training status, and goals. These tips are general research-based guidelines for fat loss.

Tip #1: Eliminate All Processed Foods
Eliminate all processed foods from your diet. Processed foods are all-around bad news. They lack nutrition, generally contain chemicals, dyes, and artificial additives, and the macronutrients have been modified or are denatured, which means they aren’t metabolized in the same way as if they were in the unprocessed state. The chemicals and additives in processed foods increase your toxic load. All of these chemicals must be metabolized and removed from the body, which can overload the body’s natural detoxification system. For the same reason you need to eat organic as much as possible, which I’ll get into below, but eating organic processed foods is no solution.

Best fat loss results will come from removing processed foods completely from the diet. Many people don’t realize that even foods such as cereal, bread, and energy bars that say “made with whole-grains” or “great source of protein and fiber” on the package are still highly processed and should be avoided. Once a grain has been ground up into flour, it’s no longer whole and you shouldn’t be eating it. Similarly, processed protein has been denatured, which means that if your goal is body composition, you need to eat high-quality protein in its most natural form.

Tip #2: Eat Smart Fats
A healthy fat intake is essential for body composition because dietary fat is used to make up the lipid layer of cells, and it is involved in the production of muscle building hormones such as testosterone. Diets that contain 30 to 50 percent fat are associated with much higher testosterone levels in men than low fat diets, which is significant because higher testosterone is associated with a better body composition. Additionally, research shows that in both men and women, eating a diet higher in certain dietary fats is associated with a leaner body composition and less body fat than a diet lower in fat and higher in carbs.

The key is to eat the correct fats in the ideal ratio and to eliminate all trans and hydrogenated fats from the diet. There are no safe levels of trans or hydrogenated fats because they impair insulin receptors on cells, decreasing energy use in the body and slowing metabolism. They also lead to elevated levels of the bad LDL cholesterol and put you at risk for heart disease. Trans fats are commonly found in processed foods, which is another great reason to completely avoid processed foods.

The omega-3 fats (EPA, DHA, and ALA)are the healthiest fats for you to eat, because they are more permeable than other fats, which is better for the health of your cell lipid layers. The best omega-3s are DHA and EPA, which are found in fish oil, wild meats, and organic grass-fed beef. Having adequate meat intake will help you avoid nutrient deficiencies such as calcium, vitamin B12, zinc, taurine, carnosine, among others.
Omega-6 fats, which are found in abundance in the Western diet, are in high quantities in corn, safflower, peanut, soy, sesame, and canola oil (all the vegetable oils). Diets that are higher in omega-6 fats than omega-3s have been shown to cause more inflammation and put you at greater risk for disease such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disease.

Shoot for a diet with a near equal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats. This may require taking a large dose of fish oil because unless you eat wild fish, grass-fed beef, and wild meats such as elk, buffalo, ostrich, moose, and boar on a regular basis, you won’t get enough omega-3s. Optimal fat loss results have been seen with 1 to 1.5 grams of omega-3s per percent of body fat, meaning that if you have 20 percent body fat, you would get at least 20 grams of omega-3s in your diet.

Tip #3: Eat a High-Protein Diet: The Quality is Most Important
Eat a high-protein, low carbohydrate diet for optimal body composition and muscle building. For best results, organic meats will provide the largest “bang for your buck” protein. The quality of the protein you eat is essential when it comes to fat loss because you want to get the greatest amino acid intake per unit of energy (calories) you eat.

High-quality complete protein is only available from animal sources because they have an amino acid pattern similar to that needed by the body. Plant-based proteins are deficient in one or more of the essential amino acids, making them low-quality, incomplete proteins. In order to provide the body with adequate amino acids to make a complete protein, you would need to eat more total protein, which would likely raise your overall energy intake.

A number of studies have shown that a high-protein diet is more effective than a low-fat diet for fat loss. For example, a recent study in the journal Nutrition showed that a high-protein diet produced greater body composition improvements than either a low-fat diet or a Mediterranean diet.

All three diets improved biomarkers of health, but the high-protein diet resulted in less loss of muscle mass, and slightly more fat loss than the others. Researchers suggest the high-protein diet also helped participants develop better dietary habits that they could continue after the study ended because the high-protein, low-carb diet produces less insulin secretion and better energy use.

A second study that received a lot of media attention provides insight into the value of a large dose of protein in the diet. This study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, compared the effect of overeating on body composition and fat gain from diets with three different protein contents. Participants ate either 5, 15, or 25 percent of their diet from protein with an extra 954 calories a day for eight weeks. A “low” protein diet contained 5 percent protein, 52 percent fat, and 42 percent carbs; a “normal” protein diet had 15 percent protein, 44 percent fat, and 42 percent carbs; and a “high” protein diet had 25 percent protein, 33 percent fat, and 41 percent carbs.

All three groups gained the same amount of fat from the overeating—about 3.5 kg. What was most interesting was that the low-protein diet group gained the least total body weight because along with the 3.5 kg of fat gain, they lost 0.7 kg of lean mass. In comparison, the normal-protein diet group gained 2.9 kg of lean mass and the high-protein diet group gained 3.4 kg of lean mass. From a body composition viewpoint, the high-protein diet was best even though participants gained more total weight than the low-protein group.

Resting metabolic rate dropped significantly in the low-protein group, and more than 90 percent of the extra calories eaten were stored as fat—all the extra carbs and fat were turned into fat. In contrast, in the other two diets about 50 percent of the extra energy consumed was turned into fat, and the resting metabolic rate increased by 53 percent in response to the higher protein intake.

For best fat loss and muscle building results ensure you eat a high-quality of protein—I suggest the Meat and Nuts Breakfast to start your day. Supplement with whey protein and branched-chain amino acids to pad your protein intake.

Tip #4: Eat Low-Glycemic Carbs: Limit Carbs to Vegetables and Berries
Eliminate all high-glycemic carbs and eat only low-glycemic vegetables and berries. Vegetables, especially green leafy ones, are highly nutritious, contain lots of fiber, and produce a very moderate insulin response. They are antioxidant rich, and the cruciferous vegetables such as kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and bok choy contain compounds that help the body detoxify and eliminate excess estrogen—this is one reason these vegetables are considered “cancer-fighting” foods.

Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, and bilberries are all low-glycemic and high in antioxidants, or compounds such as polyphenols that enhance the production of enzymes in the body that help detoxify free radicals that cause cancer. Compounds in berries and green vegetables are digested more slowly and cause the pancreas to secrete a minimal amount of insulin—the hormone that binds to cell receptors to facilitate the entry of glucose into the cell to be used for energy.
Carbs that have a low-glycemic index will result in a small amount of glucose in the blood that can be processed effectively so that is used for fuel rather than turned into fat. Carbs that have a high-glycemic index result in a large amount of glucose in the blood. The pancreas will secrete too much insulin in order to help the body process the high blood glucose. The high insulin levels trigger more of the stress hormone cortisol to be released. Over time, high insulin and cortisol this will result in the cells becoming resistant to insulin, which leads to fat gain.

For best fat loss results, eat carbs only from vegetable and berry sources. By eliminating higher glycemic carbs, many people can make their bodies more carb tolerant because they have improved their insulin sensitivity and have better body composition (more muscle less, faster metabolic rate, less fat).

Tip #5: Stay Hydrated: Limit Beverages to Water, Tea & Coffee
Drink adequate water and limit beverages to water, tea, and coffee. Completely eliminate juice, all soda, alcohol (the one exception may be red wine), and any “sports” drinks. Juice tends to be high-glycemic, and soda is filled with chemicals and high fructose corn syrup or toxic artificial sweeteners. Sports drinks are just different version of soda and must be avoided if you’re trying to lose fat.

Alcohol does you no good because it causes an insulin spike, slows metabolism, halts recovery from training, and provides excess calories. Certain red wines such as Sardinian and Spanish wines have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, so they could be an exception to the no alcohol rule. For BEST results, all alcohol should be completely avoided.

For water intake, shoot for 0.6 to 0.7 ounces per pound of body weight, which calculates to 120 to 140 ounces for a 200 lb man, or 72 to 84 ounces for a 120 lb woman. Naturally, this suggestion may vary based on the amount you sweat, the amount you train, and your personal circumstances. If you are not even close to your water intake goal, start by increasing intake by 4 to 8 ounces a day until you reach your goal.

Green tea and coffee have both been shown to increase insulin sensitivity, and they provide a slight boost to resting metabolic rate. They are rich in antioxidants and green tea supports detoxification. Drink only organic tea and coffee for best results.

References
Simopoulos, A., Norman, H., Gillespy, J. Purslane in Human Nutrition and its Potential for World Agriculture. World Review for Nutrition and Dietetics. 1995. 77, 47–74.

Simopoulos, A., Salem, N. Purslane: A Terrestrial Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. New England Journal of Medicine. 1986. 315, 833-837.

Bourre, J. Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Women. Biomedical Pharmacology. 2007. 61(2), 105-112.

Bourre, J.M. Where to Find Omega-3 Fatty Acids and How Feeding Animals with Diet Enriched in Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Increase Nutritional Value of Derived Products for Human: What is Actually Useful? The Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging. 2005. 9(4), 232-242.

Mozaffarian, D., Aro, A., Willett, W. Health Effects of Trans-Fatty Acids: Experimental and Observational Evidence. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2009. 63(Suppl 2), 5-21.

Simpopoulos, A.P. The Importance of the Ratio of Omega-6/Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. 2002. 56, 365-379.
Bray, G., Smith, S., et al. Effect of Dietary Protein Content on Weight Gain, Energy Expenditure, and Body Composition During Overeating. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2012. 307(1), 47-60.

Allen, N., Key, T. The Effects of Diet on Circulating Sex Hormone Levels in Men. Nutrition Research Reviews. 2000. 13, 159-184.
Williams, Peter. Evaluation of the Evidence Between Consumption of Refined Grains and Health Outcomes. Nutrition Reviews. 2011. 70(2), 80-99.?

Golan, R., Tirosh, A., et al. Dietary Intervention Induces Flow of Changes Within Biomarkers of Lipids, Inflammation, Liver Enzymes, and Glycemic Control. Nutrition. December 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Daley, C., Abbott, A., et al. a Review of Fatty Acid Profiles and Antioxidant Content in Grass-Fed and Grain-Fed Beef. Nutrition Journal. 2010. 9(1).

In Season: Two Spring Secrets – Fresh Favas and Fiddlehead Ferns

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Spring is here! By incorporating some of this season’s powerhouse produce into your daily fare, you can start to shake off the winter blahs and revitalize your diet. You can encourage a gentle, natural, internal “spring cleaning” by drinking more clean pure water, getting some of your workouts outdoors and eating some the foods that are in season in your area now. Some seasonal U.S. superstars are well known, such as asparagus and apricots, but there are several lesser known, but highly nutritious spring standouts, such as fiddlehead ferns and fava beans. They are not around for very long, but they are worth getting to know because of their unique flavors and nutrient punch. An individual serving of both fava beans and fiddlehead ferns provides more than fifteen percent of your total recommended daily intake of at least four different vitamins and minerals.

Fava beans, sometimes also called broad beans, have a clean, fresh flavor and a smooth texture. People who don’t like the “mealiness” of other cooked beans will often enjoy fresh favas. Though they are a bit of work (especially mature beans, which also require skinning after cooking), they are only around for a few weeks of the year and they make a special spring treat. Fiddlehead ferns are generally wild crafted as opposed to cultivated, which makes them a unique food in today’s grocery marketplace. Eating local wild crafted plants (like every other herbivorous mammal) is an especially effective way to help get your body in sync with the season. Fiddleheads look really cool, too, like a tight green leafy spiral. They are very perishable so you need to cook them right away after harvest. Their flavor is earthy, even woodsy, kind of like a combination between fresh greens and mushrooms.

Fava Beans
•    1 Cup (whole, in pod): 111 calories, 1 gram fat, 22 grams carbohydrate (unknown fiber content), 10 grams protein
•    Good source: Vitamins A, C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese
•    Look for: 7-9” pods, light-medium vibrant green shade. Avoid thick, shriveled or yellowing husks. 1 pound of pods yields about 1 cup of beans. Store whole pods in the refrigerator for 2-4 days.
•    Try them: Shell the beans like peapods and cook them in lightly salted boiling water for about 2 minutes. No need to remove bean skins if the pods are very young and fresh. If they are older, the skins will be tough and should be removed, which is fairly labor intensive, so look for fresh-picked. Add to salads or toss with whole grain pasta, shaved Pecorino cheese, thin slivers of organic ham or prosciutto, a drizzle of olive oil and salt/pepper to taste.

   Fiddlehead Ferns
•    200 Grams (just under 1 Cup): 68 calories, 1 gram fat, 11 grams carbohydrate (fiber content unknown), 9 grams protein
•    Good Source: Vitamins A, C, riboflavin, niacin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, manganese
•    Look for: Tightly coiled ferns of a rich green color about 1” in diameter with only 1” of stem extending beyond the coil. Fiddleheads will keep tightly wrapped in plastic (to prevent drying) in the fridge for a couple of days, but are best eaten right after harvest.
•    Try them: rinsed several times in cold water (rubbing them gently to remove any remaining chaff), steamed for 8-10 minutes and added last to salads or sauces. They are great in a vegetable stir fry with a light teriyaki sauce or in a lemon butter sauté with morel or other wild mushrooms.

Post-Holiday Ham and Pea Soup

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

One of the great joys of cooking a ham for special holidays is making split pea soup with the bone the next day. As always, start with the highest quality ham. Most commercially available hams are cured with sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate, chemical preservatives that give meats that cured pink look and distinctive flavor. Also the living conditions for conventionally raised pigs, as for all factory-farmed animals, are atrocious. Pigs are highly intelligent creatures, and the inhumane treatment that is status quo for mass-produced meat animals seems even crueler for an animal with a mental capacity closer to dogs than cattle.

It’s possible to find hams cured without nitrites and from humanely treated, pasture-raised pigs, but they are quite pricey. So for my family a ham is a rare and special treat reserved for holidays. Have a look at the exquisite hams from companies like Surry Farms or Heritage Berkshire. Whole Foods carries hams from several high quality producers for a slightly lower cost. Have a look at the profiles they provide for their pig farmers.

Because ham is a salty meat with a strong flavor, it provides the perfect lift to the mellow, slightly sweet taste of split peas. I like to boost that contrasting sweetness by adding a little sweet potato and some fresh peas to the mix. One cup of cooked split peas provides 16 grams each of protein and fiber, with nice hits of folate and thiamin. It’s also rich in minerals, especially manganese, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous copper, iron and zinc. Split peas make a thick and hearty soup with no pre-soaking required.

Using a ham bone in your pea soup will make a delicious broth base for your split peas from plain water. If your ham has been smoked, it will be highly flavorful with few additional ingredients. I like to give it greater depth with the classic combination of sautéed carrot, onion and celery, but that is not necessary. I also prefer to use chicken broth over water or vegetable broth for more umami, but I like my pea soup very rich. If you use broth, just make sure it is sodium-free because added salt can slow the cook time of legumes. This recipe is so rich, in fact, that it will also work as a vegetarian entree if you skip the ham altogether and use veggie broth.

I have tried this soup using sweet onion, cippolini onions, shallots, and chopped leek as part of the base and they all work very well. I’ve also substituted 10 ounces of chopped frozen spinach, thawed and lightly drained, in place of the fresh peas for even more of a mineral boost. The basic structure of the soup holds up very well as a simple presentation or something a little more dressed up, as a vegetarian option, or loaded with ham. Give it a try and you probably won’t have enough leftovers to freeze after your family tastes it.

Rich Ham and Pea Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
2 medium carrots, sliced into thin rounds
1 large celery stalk, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound split peas, picked over, rinsed, and drained
1 meaty hambone from cooked ham
7-8 cups sodium-free chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water), depending on desired thickness
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
1 10-ounce package frozen baby peas
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoons cooking sherry, optional

Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté for about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

Transfer pan contents to slow cooker and add sweet potatoes, thyme, split peas, hambone, broth, and red pepper flakes. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours until everything is very tender. Remove from heat, remove the hambone, and partially puree the soup with an immersion blender (or in a regular blender) to desired consistency. Pull the meat off of the hambone, shred it, and add to the soup, discarding the bone. Stir in the frozen peas, salt and pepper and cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes. Stir in sherry, if using, just before serving.

Yield: about 9 cups

Food Trends...Whats (Still) In, Whats (Still) Out

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Humans are charmed by food—we like to eat it, think about it, use it to help us shape our bodies, and watch it being prepared. Food can cause us serious problems, as seen with the appalling situation of the obesity epidemic. It also offers delicious rewards and helps us feel good. Unfortunately, the combination of big business, incomplete science, and the desire for cheap, abundant meals has resulted in a lack of authenticity or nutrition to much of the available food.

A recent report on food trends published by the Hartman Group, a market research firm in Washington state, shows that the population at large wants food that is authentic, real, and flavorful. People are getting savvy about how to eat for long-term health and longevity, and a lean body composition.

It’s what I’ve been saying for years:

    Avoid soy and opt for wild meat.
    Eat foods that are real, not some processed conglomeration of sugar, additives, dye, and hyper processed macronutrients.
    Eat fats that taste good (coconut, real butter, whole fat dairy) and provide cancer-fighting lipids, rather than GMO-derived vegetable oils.
    Opt for stevia or low glycemic sweeteners and avoid fructose-filled ones like agave.
    Salt intake should be individualized, not completely eliminated from diet.

Although, the way we eat is shifting toward a diet for greater well-being, it’s not always smart to do what’s cool. Let’s consider the health and body composition benefits of eating what’s hot, and those trends that you should pass on by.

Trends to Adopt For Better Health and Body Comp…

1)    Eat Grass-Fed Meats Instead of Processed Soy
Grass-fed organic meats and dairy provide healthy fats and high-quality protein. Despite the recent Harvard study that found a link between red meat intake and mortality, grass-fed organic animal products are becoming more mainstream. People who are hip to what real food is know that we have to get away from feedlot meat that is raised on antibiotics, steroids, growth hormones, and filled with omega-6 fats from the grain-filled diet the animals are eating.

Make the effort to search out organic grass-fed or wild meats because they will provide omega-3 fats and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fat that protects against disease and stimulates the immune system. Equally, avoid modified fat dairy (fat-free or low-fat versions). Look for grass-fed dairy made from particular breeds, such as the Jersey, Guernsey, and Brown Swiss cows rather than the Holstein cow that has been bred to produce huge quantities of milk. The Jersey, Guernsey, and Brown Swiss cows produce milk that is rich in the DHA and EPA omega-3s, CLA, and vitamins A and D—the milk includes “authentic” vitamins and it doesn’t need to be fortified.

The need to avoid soy, particularly genetically modified soy, is catching on as the evidence mounts that soy may affect hormone levels and has been linked to cancer risk. The abundance of processed soy products, including soy milk and fake meats, should be avoided in favor of unprocessed, high-quality protein.

2)    Use Real Butter and Omega-3 Fats Instead of Margarine and “Fat-Free”
The right kinds of fats can make you healthier, more muscular, leaner, and smarter. Along with getting adequate fat in your diet, fat intake needs to be balanced.

The anti-fat sentiment is in decline even if everyone hasn’t gotten on board. Eliminating fat from the diet has disastrous effects on cellular health because every cell in the body is made up of a double layer of fats. The omega-3 fats are permeable, liquid fats that should make up the cell lipid layers so that energy and nutrients can easily cross the cell membrane and waste can be removed.

If you don’t eat fat, or if you eat the wrong kinds of fat (Trans fats, hydrogenated fats, and excess vegetable-derived fats), your cell lipid layers will be unhealthy, rigid, and impermeable. This causes insulin resistance and fat gain, nutrient deficiencies and persistent fatigue, and chronic inflammation.

Including adequate healthy fats in the diet may be the silver lining to a healthier, leaner life. Get your fats from wild and grass-fed meats and dairy. Include real butter instead of margarine, and try to get coconut oil into your diet because it contains the beneficial lauric acid. Use olive oil, while minimizing intake of other vegetable-sourced oils. For example, the ubiquitous canola oil is highly processed, genetically modified, and high in omega-6 fats.

3)    Eat Seasonal Fruits Like Cherries Instead of Exotic “Life-Saving” Antioxidants
Eat superfruits seasonally, not chronically. Eat local or regionally available fruits to avoid developing an intolerance or good allergy. Antioxidant-filled superfruits do offer health benefits because they enhance the body’s natural detoxification system by increasing the production of enzymes used to remove toxins and fight cancer. But, you don’t want to rely on super antioxidant fruits to save you from chronic inflammation because they won’t.

These fruits are marketed as superfoods because they score very high on test tube measurements for antioxidant content, but the effect in the body is less impressive. Still, all of these fruits and berries will enhance detox and provide fiber and vitamins making them an excellent addition to diet when in season.

Cherries, blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates, and raspberries provide just as many health benefits as exotic tropical fruits such as acai, noni, mangosteen, and goji berries. Pomegranates and cherry juice have both been found to speed recovery from strength and endurance training, while blueberries, cranberries, and raspberries are all low-glycemic and have been shown to improve insulin response when eating them with a high-glycemic food.

4)    Portion Control and “Lifestyle Eating” Instead of Nutrient Restriction
It’s not a huge surprise that people are sick of dieting since, in general, it doesn’t work. The key to better short- and long-term body composition results is a “lifestyle” change rather than a temporary diet change to induce immediate weight loss.

A recent study shows that eating a high-protein, low-glycemic carbohydrate diet that includes adequate healthy fats rather than a low-fat, low-calorie diet is most effective for long-term weight loss. The high-protein, low-glycemic diet will “induce a cascade of changes in biomarkers of lipids, inflammation, liver enzymes, and glycemic control.” You’ll lose weight because your body will have less inflammation and better insulin and lipid health, which likely raise energy levels too.

Portion control doesn’t mean you have to be hungry all the time. Portion control is about choosing to eat a reasonable amount of food with high-quality protein, low-glycemic carbs, and the right fats. You should not get extreme cravings for high-glycemic carbs because your body is able to regulate its energy use, and you will have the appropriate hormone response to make you feel satisfied and not hungry anymore. If you are still hungry, eat more. If you are eating the right foods, your body will be able to handle it.

5)    Coffee and Sea Salt Are No Longer Demonized
The mainstream scientific community is just beginning to accept that coffee and salt may actually provide health benefits. Two things are clear when it comes to coffee and salt: Individuals respond differently to both and have diverse needs, and you have to get authentic, unprocessed, additive-free coffee and salt to get benefits.

Coffee is filled with antioxidants and it can promote insulin health, which is why it is often suggested as good for fat burning. Caffeine improves athletic performance and time to exhaustion in exercise trials because it mobilizes fat to be burned for energy.

It’s long been demonized as raising blood pressure, but the evidence isn’t there. Caffeine intake may temporarily raise blood pressure, but it doesn’t lead to long-term increases. The antioxidant content has actually been shown to improve cardiovascular health and prevent cancer. That said, people do respond differently to caffeine. If you have a certain genetic variety, you will be more sensitive to caffeine and may get more of a performance benefit from caffeine when exercising. But, it may make you jittery, less focused or unable to sleep, in which case the obvious solution is to avoid it.

Coffee should be organic whenever possible, and avoid processed, flavor-filled varieties because they contain endocrine-altering chemicals. Also, be wary of decaf because the process of removing caffeine can contaminate the coffee with pollutants.

The deal with salt is similar to coffee and caffeine: The evidence isn’t there that everyone will benefit from a low salt diet. It’s true that if you are overweight and at risk of diabetes, you should probably eat a low sodium diet, but salt intake needs to be individualized. Athletes, people who eat a high-protein diet, or individuals with adrenal fatigue must get adequate salt.

The key is to identify individual sodium needs and include sea salt accordingly. Avoid all refined salt because it contains none of the 84 mineral elements that are contained in good quality sea salt such as Celtic Sea Salt or Hawaiian Red Sea Salt.

Trends To Question…
1)    Carbohydrate Revival
The revival of carbohydrates, especially starchy bread and bakery products, as trendy and “pretty good for you” isn’t something to embrace or believe. A fanatical approach to food is not the best strategy either because it can promote obsessive tendencies, but in general, it’s best to avoid pretzels, bagels, breadsticks, donuts, and cupcakes, even if they are prepared “authentically” or based on a “culinary history” as with the Montreal bagel, Italian-style grissini breadsticks, fried Kool Aid balls, or cupcakes that are hand-crafted at the state fair.

Despite the “hint of whimsy” that these treats will provide they also pack an insulin punch and include processed grains. Authentic, real food is wonderful, but spend your money on organic high-quality meat, dairy, produce, and necessary supplements.

2)    Snacking on Processed Foods
Snacking on processed foods is not your best bet even if they have “global flavors” such as Boulder Rice and Adzuki Bean chips, Levant Falafel Chips, or Trader Joe’s Baked Lentil Chips. I doesn’t matter that they have “naturally occurring protein and fiber,” processed snacks are just that—processed—and this is the case even if the package says “good source of whole grains.”

Whole-grain flour is wheat that has been ground into flour meaning it’s no longer whole. The reason companies get away with calling it “whole-grain” is that the flour was a whole grain at one point—but it’s not now. Similarly, processed foods that contain a “good source of protein” do contain protein. but it’s been denatured , which means that although the amount of protein is the same, it isn’t metabolized in the same way as it would be in its unprocessed state.

Look, if it’s been processed, comes in a package with marketing slogans such as “organic,” “has whole grains,” “contains natural protein,” “is a good source of fiber,” “gluten-free,” “natural salt,” or “cracked pepper,” etc., you shouldn’t be eating it with any regularity. “Carbohydrate-based snacks with quality protein and fiber” are not a good “solution.”

3) Focusing on Specific Nutrients or Ingredients In Processed Foods
“Nutritionism” in which specific nutrients are celebrated and added to processed foods at the expense of the whole food is still cool in consumer culture, but just the words “processed foods” point to what’s wrong with this strategy.

For example, adding omega-3 fats to baked potato chips, enhancing fat-free yogurt that contains sugar and modified corn starch with probiotics, and adding ginseng, ginger, or cayenne to vodka or mezcal do not make these “healthy” foods. Although still trendy, consumers appear to be approaching nutritionism with skepticism and opting for purity and whole foods when possible.

Reference:
The Hartman Group. Looking Ahead: Food Culture 2012. 2012. Bellevue: WA. www.hartman-group.com/downloads/looking-ahead-2012-trends.pdf
Barr, S., Wright, J. Postprandial Energy Expenditure in Whole-Food and Processed-Food Meals: Implications for Daily Energy Expenditure. Food and Nutrition Research. July 2010. 2(54), 144-150.
Steffen, L., Jacobs, D., et al. Associations of Whole-Grain, Refined-Grain, and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption with Risks of All-Cause Mortality and Incident of Coronary Artery Disease and Ischemic Stroke. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2003. 78(3), 383-390.

Myint, P., Welch, A., et al. Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Self-Reported Functional Health in Men and Women in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer-Norfolk. Public Health Nutrition. 2007. 10(1), 34-41.

Williams, Peter. Evaluation of the Evidence Between Consumption of Refined Grains and Health Outcomes. Nutrition Reviews. 2011. 70(2), 80-99.

Golan, R., Tirosh, A., et al. Dietary Intervention Induces Flow of Changes Within Biomarkers of Lipids, Inflammation, Liver Enzymes, and Glycemic Control. Nutrition. December 2011. Published Ahead of Print.
Womack, C., Saunders, M., et al. The Influence of a CYP1A2 Polymorphism on the Ergogenic Effects of Caffeine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.
Daley, C., Abbott, A., et al. a Review of Fatty Acid Profiles and Antioxidant Content in Grass-Fed and Grain-Fed Beef. Nutrition Journal. 2010. 9(1).

The Nutribullet: Bringing Healthy Eating Solutions to the Masses

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Recently there have been two surprising collaborations between pioneers in the field of whole foods nutrition and mainstream commercial corporations. David “Avocado” Wolfe, a well-known presenter at the forefront of the raw/super-food movement, has teamed up with the infomercial product king “Magic Bullet” to market the Nutribullet, sold by Target. The second shocker was that the Fortune 500 corporation Proctor & Gamble acquired New Chapter supplements. New Chapter is one the most successful natural, food-based supplement companies on the market, characterized by strident quality guidelines, external-party lab testing, and ethical business practices.

Though many faithful followers of these nutrition visionaries are angrily crying “sell-out” at the top of their lungs, I think that something deeper is at work here. It’s likely that these guys are just breaking the seal and we’re going to see more and more mergers between established whole foods products/companies and corporate America. By now we all know that our S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) eating style is problematic. In response, the media is pumping out new information and experts on healthier eating strategies at the speed of light. The market is saturated with news about how sick we are and how we should be eating to end our health crisis. But information is never enough.

Currently there’s a huge chasm between healthy, whole foods-based eating and the “processed and prepared” way most westerners are eating. Unlikely mergers like Wolfe/Nutribullet and Proctor & Gamble/New Chapter may be able to provide some practical, large-scale bridges across this divide. Look at the Nutribullet, for example. One fact that everyone in every nutrition camp can agree on is that our overweight, unwell population needs to be eating more fresh vegetables. But getting in multiple servings of veggies every day requires prep time, rudimentary cooking skills, and a reasonably healthy palate. S.A.D. eaters, however, insist on speed, prep ease, and predominately sweet, mild flavors –all at a low cost.

The Nutribullet provide one workable solution. It’s different from other blenders in a few distinct ways. It’s smaller and a lot cheaper than high performance blenders, retailing for $99 as opposed to $449 -$649 for a Vitamix. But it’s more powerful than common blenders, sporting a 600 watt motor. Unique to both is its specially designed high speed blade that breaks open nuts, seeds, and skins and pulverizes fibrous leafy vegetables. The marketing platform is that it is a nutrient “extractor”, capable of breaking down the tough cell walls of whole seeds, nuts, vegetables and fruits to release more of their inherent nutrients, sort of like a juicer. But unlike juicers, this preserves all the crucial fiber in the fruits and vegetables, resulting in smoothie-style “juices” with a much lower glycemic load. It’s also simple to use, easy to clean, and, unlike the original model, BPA-free.

David Wolfe started out touting this improved Bullet to his progressive, health foods fan club as an easier way to eat concentrated amounts of raw greens and superfoods. (In marketing terms, almost everyone who follows David Wolfe is an “early adopter”.) But now he is a spokesperson for the infomercials on big-name networks. And Target apparently thinks the Nutribullet will appeal to the masses, as they are currently the exclusive retail provider of the product. The Nutribullet provides a reasonably priced, efficient, speedy way to get large amounts of fresh, raw, green vegetables, some fruits and seeds into a tasty smoothie that can be made by anyone, even kids, every day. I hope Target is right, it takes off, and everybody buys one.

The recipes they recommend are higher in fruit (e.g. higher in sugar) than they should be, but they do offer a tiered approached with advanced “Phase 3” recipes including richer greens, such as kale and collards, and less fruit as your palate adjusts.
To improve on the booklet recipe template, I would recommend a balance more like this:
Veggies: 2-3 generous handfuls of dark green leafies (choose a broad variety over time)
Fruit: 1 piece of low glycemic load fruit, such as a chopped, unpeeled apple or a cup of berries

Thickeners: ¼ -1/2 avocado (skip the banana unless it’s post-workout) and
2 tablespoons soaked chia seeds (To make: Soak 3 tablespoons dry seeds in 1 cup water for at least 10 minutes and mix well. Store in the fridge.) Avocado and chia seeds are rich in fiber and great fats, including omega 3’s, and the chia gel has a gentle detoxifying effect.

Fat for staying power: ¼ cup hemp seeds (for their high protein content) or 1 tablespoon raw coconut oil or 2 tablespoons flaxseed or hemp oil (great for constipation)

They recommend water to cover, which is definitely easiest, but I’d recommend cold herbal or green tea (great for the antioxidants) or fresh coconut water for the additional flavor and nutrients. For even more of a flavor and nutrient boost, you can add fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro, ground flaxseed, fresh ginger root, peeled lemon, lime or grapefruit, raw cacao powder or nibs, nut butters, vanilla, etc.

It’s too late for a moderate approach. If we’re going to reverse the current health crises of the western world we are going to have to start thinking bigger and taking some risks. The founders of New Chapter, Paul and Barbi Schulick, released a video defending their reasons for merging with Proctor & Gamble. The company has always been characterized by integrity, and they made a personal plea for trust that this move is in alignment with their core mission: healing through natural means. Though these early innovators may crash and burn under the weight of mainstream companies like P & G, they are breaking new ground and that will pave the way for better, more effective mergers in the future. Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, the Schulicks and David Wolfe are true visionaries, and I applaud their bold attempts to bring healing, whole foods solutions to more people on a global scale.

The Best Peanut Butter

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Peanut butter is so delicious I think we should make it an honorary food group. But all brands are definitely not created equal. For your family’s health, take an immediate pass on any brand that lists any form of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredients.* Skip the added sugar, too. If you want sweet peanut butter, do it yourself with something reasonable like all-fruit jelly, smashed banana, or a little rice syrup and cinnamon. There are lots and lots of different clean options out there, but a few companies make some truly outstandingly yummy butters.

My hands-down all-around favorite is Vermont Peanut Butter’s Green Mountain Goodness (www.vtpeanutbutter.com). It is an incredibly tasty, slightly chunky blend of peanut and almond butters with some bonus flaxseed, pumpkin seed and whey protein in the mix. This stuff tastes so fresh and rich it should probably come in smaller containers (because eating a pound of nut butter in one sitting is not okay). With its outstanding flavor, high protein and fiber content, and the producer’s commitment to local sourcing, this product takes peanut butter goodness to a whole new level.
*Some brands use palm oil as a natural substitute for hydrogenated oils to help prevent separation and increase spreadability, including a finalist in the taste test: Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter (www.justinsnutbutter.com). Even with no added salt this small-batch peanut butter is my favorite for outright deliciousness, but it contains organic palm fruit oil. Most palm fruit and palm kernel oils are grown at great cost to the environment and their production should not be supported. Huge areas of natural rainforest have been clear cut to make room for palm plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia. An effort has been made to increase sustainable growing practices, however, and some of the organic producers have achieved the feat, most based in South America or peninsular Malaysia. I have a query in to Justin’s about their source(s), but as yet have not heard back from them, so the jury’s still out. If/when I hear back from them, I’ll post the info on my Facebook page.

Three Quick Chicken Dishes to Please Your Picky Eaters

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Chicken is America’s go-to staple for dinner, but it can get a little ordinary or monotonous without putting in some time-consuming preparation to fancy it up. There are some shortcuts you can use, however, to get great-tasting chicken dinners on the table with less fuss in less time. As always, start with a quality meat. In chicken, that means pasture-raised or at least cage-free organic if you don’t have a source for free-running birds. Chickens that are allowed to roam free will get the proper amounts of sunlight and a more balanced diet, including protein-rich insects, than their factory-raised counterparts. They are also a lot less stressed during their lifetimes, and happy healthy chickens produce meat that’s richer in flavor, lower in stress-induced hormones and higher in vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids than conventional poultry.

One time-saving trick for white-meat dishes is to buy the tenders or pre-sliced breast meat. These smaller, low-fat cuts will sauté up in just a couple of minutes on the stove top. Looking for a crowd-pleaser that even the kids will enjoy? Try my Cheater General Tso’s Chicken. Okay, true confession: The resemblance to that infamous Americanized Chinese dish is pretty low-key, but can we agree that, aside from the yumminess, that’s a good thing? Classic General Tso’s chicken is typically deep-fried, breaded, poor-quality chicken in a goopy sauce loaded with dyes, MSG, sugar, and low quality salt. Granted it usually comes with broccoli, which may be its only redeeming quality nutritionally, but the broccoli is usually saturated with the same scary sauce.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a single serving of General Tso’s Chicken contains about 1300 calories with 11 grams of saturated fat and 3200 mg of sodium. That’s over a whole day’s RDA of salt for a grown man in one dish! I’ve seen the total fat count for one serving as high as 40 grams…. My super-easy cheater version has about 265 calories per serving, with 7 grams of total fats and about 1200 mg of sodium. The salt content is still high, but it’s less than a third of the restaurant version and most of it comes from fish sauce and tamari, which are much better quality, more natural alternatives to the highly reactive salty additive MSG. General Tso’s sports around 60 grams of carbs with 2 grams fiber per serving as opposed to my cheater dish which contains about 16 total grams with 4 of fiber. You’ll need to purchase a good quality prepared Thai chili sauce and Thai fish sauce to make the quick cheater version, but neither of those is difficult to find. Most large supermarket chains carry at least a couple of brands. Bonus: You can prepare the easy cheater recipe in a fraction of the time it will take for that Chinese restaurant to deliver the health-killer version to your door.

Looking for something a little more gourmet? Try my Cheater Chicken Madeira. Classic Madeira chicken usually requires a longish cook time and fussy reduction technique to develop a rich sauce made from Madeira wine, beef broth, flour, heavy cream, and lots of butter. My version skips all that with one quick shortcut: blending a high quality prepared bean soup as a lower-calorie, higher-fiber sauce base. One serving of Chicken Madeira at the popular Cheesecake factory contains 1424 calories, a whopping 44 grams of saturated fat*, 2038 mg of sodium and 78 grams of carbs. (*Restaurant nutritional info typically only provides counts for saturated versus total fats, sadly, but that saturated fat is absolutely from factory farmed animals, so it’s not the clean kind). One serving of my cheater version, on the other hand, contains 234 calories, 6 grams of total fat, and 9 grams of carbs, with 2 of fiber. It is also completely non-fussy and can be prepared in under 15 minutes.

Finally, if you want the ultimate in prep ease but have a little time for the actual cooking, try my Super-Simple Pesto Chicken Thighs for a rich and flavorful, 2-ingredient, dark meat option. It doesn’t get easier than this, folks, and, for such a surprisingly simple recipe, it’s a really popular dish. There’s nothing wrong with the skin and bones of chicken thighs, but buying boneless, skinless saves time and calories – there’s plenty of healthy fat in both the meat of the thigh and the olive oil in the pesto.

Enjoy!

Easy Gourmet Tip for Juicier Grass-Fed Burgers

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

What makes a burger juicy? It’s the fat content. This can be a little problematic when you cook with grass fed beef or bison because the meat from pastured animals is naturally low in fat (though far superior in taste and nutrition). Try adding a red wine reduction to “boost the juice” in your grass-fed patties. For four burgers made from about a pound and a half of pastured ground beef, reduce 1 cup of a fruity merlot or rich cabernet in a small saucepan over medium heat to just over ¼ cup. It will need to simmer for around 10-15 minutes to reduce and thicken. I used the excellent and inexpensive wine maker’s blend Apothic Red the other night and it was outstanding. Cool the wine reduction and add it to the ground beef with a heaping tablespoon of Dijon mustard and generous amounts of sea salt and fresh ground or cracked black pepper. Work the wine and seasonings gently but thoroughly through the beef and form into four patties. Grill to desired doneness and serve with buttery lettuce and a thin slice of cheddar melted on top or a shmear of Boursin or chevre for an easy gourmet treatment.

Tangy Tomato Rainbow Trout

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

•    2 tablespoons neutral high-heat oil, such as rice bran or organic canola
•    8 boneless, 3-4-ounce rainbow trout fillets or 4 whole 6-7-ounce rainbow trout, deboned and butterflied wide open
•    Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
•    2 tablespoons olive oil
•    1 large clove garlic, crushed and thinly sliced
•    1 large lemon, peel and pith cut away, and roughly chopped (seeds removed, if possible)
•    1 pound campari tomatoes, halved (or use 2 pints whole cherry tomatoes to save chopping time)
•    ½ cup whole pitted kalamata or green olives, drained
•    2 tablespoons capers
•    ½ lemon, optional
•    1/4 cup chopped parsley, optional for garnish

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet, sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium high.

Evenly season the trout fillets to taste with salt and pepper. Add the fillets in a single layer to the skillet, skin side up, and allow them to cook, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes. Gently flip the fish and sear the other sides for about 2 minutes or until just cooked though. (Try to flip the fish only once to prevent breakage.)

While the fish is cooking, heat the olive oil in large sauté pan at just below medium-high heat. Add the garlic, lemon, and tomatoes, and sauté for 3–4 minutes until tomatoes start to soften. Add the olives and capers and sauté for 2 minutes more, (bursting some of the cherry tomatoes, if using) until everything is hot and tender.

Make a bed the hot lemon tomatoes and olives, and arrange the fillets on top.

Squeeze lemon over all and garnish with parsley, if using.

Yield: 4 servings

Read the article Tilapia vs. Trout- Battle of the High Protein, Low-Cal Farmed Whitefish

Tilapia vs. Trout – Battle of the High-Protein, Low-Cal Farmed Whitefish

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Tilapia is a mild, tender, white-flesh fish that cooks up in minutes. It’s inexpensive and easy to find in many regions. With its lack of “fishy” flavor, low price and prep ease, tilapia has become the most popular farmed fish in the U.S. with an overall consumption of over 425 million pounds in 2011. Nutritionally, however, tilapia is an essential fatty acid (EFA) lightweight among other types of cold water fish, sporting less than one tenth the omega-3 content of salmon. To make matters worse, it has twice as many omega-6 fatty acids as omega-3, making its total fat content inflammatory in nature –a particular insult in seafood, our greatest resource for the anti-inflammatory compounds EPA and DHA.

Wild tilapia consume lake plants, algae and other fish, which generate a better EFA profile, but farmed tilapia are fed corn and soy pellets (our two most notorious GMO crops), turning tilapia into our newest aqua-culture “chicken”-of-the-sea. The corn-based feed contains short-chain omega-6 fatty acids which the fish convert to arachidonic acid (AA) and store in their tissues. (AA is highly inflammatory.) Some farmers do enhance the feed with fish oil, but it’s expensive and tilapia grow quickly without it so it’s not standard practice.

The other fundamental problem with tilapia is environmental in nature. The species is highly invasive and hard to remove once introduced, making it a particularly risky animal crop to be farming in non-native areas. In addition, the waste produced by the farmed fish is destructive to natural lakes and other ecosystems where the farms are often established.

Three ounces of tilapia contain 21 grams of protein and 1 gram of fat (mostly saturated) at only 108 calories, making it a good low-cal protein source. But you can do much better both nutritionally and for the environment with another farmed fish: rainbow trout. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in rainbow trout is 1:2 (the same as salmon), as opposed to 2:1 in tilapia. While higher in calories because of the additional EFA’s, the protein content of rainbow trout is the same as tilapia: 3 ounces contain 21 grams of protein with 6 grams of fat, 3 saturated, for about 141 calories. According to Seafood Watch, rainbow trout farmed in the U.S. is a “Best Choice” because it is farmed in an ecologically responsible way. Rainbow trout produces less waste because it is naturally more efficient at converting its feed into protein, and U.S. farms are doing an excellent job at preventing escapes and species contamination. Seventy five percent of U.S. trout is produced in Idaho in a complex system of aquifers and springs. Rainbow trout also made the 2010 Seafood Watch “Best of the Best” list for low levels of mercury and pcb’s.

From a culinary standpoint, the two types of fish are very similar, both mild, quick-cooking fillets. In the supermarket, rainbow trout fillets often retain the skin, while tilapia fillets are most often skinless. With thin fillets of either fish, you can easily pan-sear them to doneness in a small amount of high-heat oil or pastured butter, starting with the skin side up, at medium-high heat in just a few minutes per side. For a speedy, tasty, high-EPA fish-dish, rainbow trout out-swims tilapia by a mile. Try this incredible lemony Mediterranean treatment in Tangy Tomato Rainbow Trout.

References:
USDA Economic Research Service Aquaculture Datasets: http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/aquaculture/TilapiaImportsVolume.htm

Rosenthal, Elizabeth. “The Flip Side of Tilapia, the Perfect Factory Fish”. The New York Times. May 2, 2011.

“Popular Fish, Tilapia, Contains Potentially Dangerous Fatty Acid Combination”. Science Daily. July 8, 2008.

Seafood Watch Fact Sheet Tilapia: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org//cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx?fid=64

Super-Simple Pesto Chicken Thighs

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

• 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6)
• ½ cup high quality prepared pesto

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer in an 11x7-inch baking pan. Spoon the pesto evenly over the top and distribute it over all the chicken with a butter knife.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until cooked through and juicy.

Yield: 4 servings

Read the article Three Quick Dishes to Please your Picky Eaters

Cheater Chicken Madeira

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

•    1 tablespoon olive oil
•    1 ¼ pounds chicken tenders
•    Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
•    1 cup high quality canned black bean soup (such as Amy’s or Muir Glen)
•    8 ounces sliced mushrooms (baby bellas, white, button, or wild mushroom varieties all work well)
•    1/3 cup chicken broth or water
•    2 tablespoons Madeira wine (or Marsala wine)
•    1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (a brand with no high fructose corn syrup)
•    1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Add the tenders and lightly season with salt and pepper.

Sauté the tenders for 1-3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.

Set aside.

While the chicken is sautéing, blend or process the soup until silky smooth.

Once chicken is removed from the pan, lower heat to medium and add the mushrooms, sautéing for a few minutes until they release their juices.

Stir in pureed soup, broth, wine, Worcestershire and mustard, mix well and increase heat to medium high.

Pour any juices released from the resting chicken into the sauce.

Simmer for about 3 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and the sauce reaches desired thickness.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, if necessary, and pour sauce over tenders to serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Read the article Three Quick Dishes to Please your Picky Eaters

Cheater General Tso’s Chicken

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

•    ½ cup high quality prepared Thai sweet chili sauce
•    1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
•    1 tablespoon gluten-free low-sodium tamari
•    ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
•    1 pound broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
•    1 tablespoon sesame oil
•    1 ¼ pounds chicken tenders
•    2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions

In a large pot, steam broccoli for 2-3 minutes or until just tender-crisp (you can also microwave, if you must!)

While broccoli is steaming, in a small bowl, whisk together the chili sauce, fish sauce, tamari, and lime juice and set aside.

Heat the oil in large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high.

Add tenders and sauté for 1-3 minutes per side until just cooked through.

Add steamed broccoli and mixed sauce to the pan, reduce heat to medium, and stir gently to coat.

Cook for 1-2 minutes or until hot and glazed.

Top with sesame seeds and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Read the article Three Quick Dishes to Please your Picky Eaters

Naked Summer Paleo Pasta

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

• 3 medium zucchini or yellow squash, unpeeled
• 2 ripe heirloom tomatoes, halved
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
• ½ cup sundried tomato strips in oil, well drained
• Small handful of fresh basil leaves
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon each salt and fresh ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons fruity extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Cut off the ends of the squash and slice them into long, thin, flat “noodles” with a vegetable peeler or mandoline. Set aside.

Combine the tomatoes, pepper, sundried tomato strips, basil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a food processor. Drizzle the oil over all. Pulse a few times to break up the larger pieces, then process steadily, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the mixture forms a sauce that is mostly smooth. If the mixture is too thick, drizzle in a little more oil one teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Make a bed of the summer squash “noodles” and spoon the sauce over all. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Pie Crust

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

• 2 cups blanched almond flour (my favorite brand is Honeyville. You can also use regular almond flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill, but the texture won’t be quite as smooth.)
• 1/3 cup organic butter, melted (or almond oil)
• 2 tablespoons coconut nectar or brown rice syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

In a medium bowl combine the almond flour, butter, sweetener and vanilla. Mix until well combined and transfer contents to a deep dish pie plate (9-91/2-inches). Working with your hands, press the dough into an even layer covering the entire plate, creating a smooth edge at the top or scalloping by pinching between your thumb and 2 fingers. Moisten your fingers with water to prevent sticking.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove and cool before adding the filling.

Looking for a pie filling? Try Best Blueberry Pie!

Best Blueberry Pie

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup palm sugar (a high-nutrient, low Glycemic load sweetener made from coconut nectar – look for it in your natural food store)
• 3 pints blueberries, divided
• 2 tablespoons kudzu + ¼ cup cold water (a starchy root (powdered) used as a thickener - more nutritious than cornstarch and soothing to the digestive system. Look for it in the macrobiotic or Japanese section of your natural food store)

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine ½ cup water and palm sugar and mix well. Add 1 cup of the blueberries and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Don’t over-boil or too many of the blueberries will burst.

Combine the kudzu and ¼ cup water in a cup or small bowl and mix until kudzu is dissolved. Add it to the simmering blueberry mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until it thickens well, 1-2 minutes.

Remove from heat and fold in remaining blueberries.

Spoon into cooled pie shell and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Yield: 8-12 servings

In-Season: The Tender-Hearted Artichoke, a Spring Superstar

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

If you’ve never cooked an artichoke before, now is the perfect time to give it a try. Spring is prime season for the artichoke crop, most of which is grown in California in the U.S. It’s common to be a little intimidated by this odd-looking vegetable. Maybe you even tried picking one up and got “bitten” by the nasty thorns at the end of its tough leaves. It takes a little technique to handle and eat, but it’s actually super simple to cook. Add a fun dipping sauce and you’ve got instant whole-foods gourmet that packs a nutritional wallop!

Artichokes are a nutrient superstar because they provide more than 15 percent of the total recommended daily allowance (RDA) for four or more different vitamins and minerals. Cooked artichoke hearts, placing at number seven overall, are the highest ranking vegetable in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry’s top 100 foods for total antioxidant content.

• 1 medium: 60 calories, 0 grams fat, 13 grams carbohydrate (7 g fiber), 4 grams protein

• Good source: Vitamins C, K, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese

• Look for: a firm heavy artichoke with compact center leaves, medium green.

• Try them: Steamed, stem and thorny leaf tips trimmed, in a steamer basket with water until the leaves pull off easily, 35-45 minutes. If you’d like a more fragrant artichoke, spice the steaming water up with a few peppercorns, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, a splash of red wine and 2 lemon wedges.

• To eat: Pull the leaves off, dip in drawn butter, natural mayonnaise or balsamic vinegar and the drag base ends through your teeth, scraping off the tender pulp and discarding the tougher section of the leaves. When leaves are all removed, scoop out the thistly fibers (choke) with a spoon, discard, and enjoy the tender “heart” (base) and stem.

Grilled Artichokes

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

•    4 artichokes
•    ¼ cup olive oil
•    Juice of ½ lemon
•    3 cloves garlic
•    ½ teaspoon each salt and cracked black pepper

Optional Dip (great with steamed artichokes, too!):

•    ? cup natural, organic mayonnaise
•    2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
•    2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
•    2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
•    1 small shallot, minced
•    ¼ teaspoon each salt and white pepper

Directions

Rinse the artichokes and trim off any thorny leaf ends. Slice off the bottoms of the stems, leaving a full inch at the base if possible, and remove any small leaves on the stem or base. Cut each artichoke in half lengthwise, and cut or scoop out the thistly chokes above the hearts.

Add at least 2 inches of water to a large steamer pot (the water line can go right up to the level of the steamer basket), and place the artichokes, cut sides up, into the basket.
Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium high and steam for 20 minutes. Preheat grill to medium-high.

While the artichokes are steaming, in a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Drain the steamed artichokes well and toss in the oil mixture to lightly coat. Drain and grill, turning frequently, for about 7 minutes or until leaf tips start to lightly char.

To make the dip, in a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, chives, shallots, salt and pepper until well incorporated. Adjust seasonings to taste and set aside in the refrigerator for the flavors to develop while the artichokes are cooking.

Serve each artichoke with ¼ of the dip.

Yield: 4 servings

Raspberry Marinade

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

•    1 cup wild raspberries, fresh or frozen
•    ½ cup raspberry vinegar
•    ½ cup olive oil
•    ½ cup water or chicken broth
•    1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
•    1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
•    ½ teaspoon salt
•    ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. This tart and fruity marinade is excellent on chicken and turkey.

Simplest Teriyaki Marinade

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

•    1 cup low sodium tamari (choose wheat-free if gluten-sensitive)
•    2/3 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine – look for it in the Asian sections of groceries or natural food stores)
•    1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
•    2 tablespoons sesame oil
•    2 tablespoons brown rice syrup, optional
•    4 cloves garlic, minced
•    2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. Teriyaki marinade is great on poultry, beef, bison, and salmon.

Tomato Paste

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

5 pounds mixed, overripe heirloom tomato varieties (heirloom tomatoes generally have a lower acid content than conventional and far superior flavor)

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and quartered

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Halve the tomatoes and cut away any bad spots –quarter them if they are very large. In batches, run them through the food processor with the red pepper until they liquefy. Transfer the contents to a large, heavy-bottomed pot.

Stir in the salt and bring the tomatoes to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes. Run the mixture through a food mill to remove any large seeds or tough skins. If you don't have a food mill, cool slightly and push the mixture through a sieve with a spatula. (Though this step is something of a hassle, I find it easier than peeling the tomatoes first. Tomato peels can get very tough when cooked so they really need to go for smooth sauces and pastes.)

Whisk the olive oil into the strained tomatoes and carefully pour it out into a large jelly roll pan (11x17-inches with an edge). Keeping it level, carefully place the pan into the middle of the oven.

Cook for 1 hour, then open the oven and carefully stir the mixture with an oven-safe spatula. Repeat the stirring every 30 minutes for 1-2 more hours until the mixture starts to thicken, being sure to scrape the corners to prevent burning.

At some point during the 2-3 hour mark, you will notice that much of the moisture content has gone and the sauce has thickened significantly. At that point, reduce your oven temperature to 250°F to prevent scorching, and keep stirring at 30 minute intervals until you notice the color deepen to the rich, dark red of tomato paste. Remove from the heat and cool. Store in sterile jars, covered with a thin layer of olive oil, in the refrigerator – it will keep all winter long.

Total cooking time will be 2½ - 4 hours, depending on how much moisture your tomatoes need to lose. The size of the final batch will also depend on that evaporation. Sometimes I end up with nearly 2 cups of sauce, and other times closer to 1¼ cups. It's definitely a labor of love, but once you've tried homemade tomato paste you will never go back.

Baby Nosh: Pureeing the Rainbow

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Attention all pregnant moms and new parents: Want your child to eat plenty of veggies as s/he grows? Then make vegetables a regular part of their diet as soon as they are able to eat solid foods. While it’s true that babies and toddlers have a built-in, adaptive taste preference for sweet (the predominant flavor of breastmilk) and a built-in aversion to bitter (the predominant flavor of poisonous plants), it’s also true that babies and toddlers come to prefer what is most familiar. (This is probably also biologically adaptive –it would have made the young children of early man less interested in eating any new and potentially dangerous flora and fauna they discovered as they toddled around the fields and forests.)

The research on taste preference tells us that the way we acquire our learned preferences is through repetition: Kids learn to prefer the flavors of foods that are the most familiar, regardless of the taste, especially if they feel good after eating them. (If they have an uncomfortable digestive response after eating something, they’re more likely to take a pass the next time it’s offered.) It follows then that if you want to help your children develop a taste for the most nourishing types of foods, then that’s what you should offer them nearly all of the time. (Just so you know: When you introduce an unfamiliar food to a young child, he will often tell you that he “doesn’t like it” before he even puts it in his mouth. A new food may have to be offered a minimum of eight times before he will willingly taste it, and he may have to taste it several times before it becomes familiar and he learns to like it. Offer new foods with a neutral attitude and be patient.)

When I was writing “Great Expectations: Best Food for Your Baby and Toddler” (Sterling Publishing Company, 2010), I did several comparisons of the nutrient content of high quality jarred vegetable purees for babies and homemade purees of fresh and frozen vegetables. What I found was that in nearly every case the nutrient values were higher in the homemade versions, a few twice or even three times higher. This isn’t really surprising –we know that the fresher and less processed the produce the higher the nutrient content. But when you’re weighing the convenience factor as an exhausted parent of a young child, it’s good to know that cooking fresh is worth the extra effort.

The good news is that it’s actually very easy to make and store your own vegetable purees for babies. If you are willing to spend 15-30 minutes once a week prepping some veggies, within a few weeks you will have a decent variety of high quality, nutrient-packed frozen vegetable “cubes” ready-made for your precious one. You will also save some money as prepared baby purees are a lot pricier than homemade.

To make high quality homemade purees from fresh, seasonal vegetables, start by carefully cleaning all produce with cold water before prepping. You don’t have to wash bagged produce that’s been prewashed (“Prewashed” or “Triple Washed” should be clearly written on the packaging), although a rinse never hurts. Washing helps remove pesticides and fungicides from conventionally grown produce (although washing can’t completely remove them. Check the “Dirty Dozen” list for produce you should always buy organic: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/ .) It also removes microbes, dirt, and other residues accumulated through harvesting and handling, so it’s important to wash even fresh organic produce. Delicate produce, such as leafy greens, needs to be washed gently. Fill a large bowl with cold water and submerge the separated greens. Agitate them gently in the water so all the silt and grit falls to the bottom. Hardier produce, such as root vegetables, should be scrubbed vigorously with a vegetable brush to remove all pockets of dirt and grit.

Peel tough skins or indigestible peels, and remove any pits or seeds. Some vegetables are easier to peel and pit after cooking, some before. All hard vegetables must be cooked to softness before pureeing. You can bake, steam, or water-sauté produce until it is very tender and can be mashed easily. More nutrients and vital energy are lost in boiling or microwaving, but you can do that too. Use as little water as possible with these methods to minimize nutrient loss.

Once the vegetables are cooked to softness, puree them with a small amount of liquid (cooking water, breastmilk, or formula are best for young babies) to desired consistency (silky smooth for the youngest babies to a chunkier texture for older ones). For fibrous or seedy vegetables, puree with a food mill to strain out the tougher parts. For softer veggies, you can use a high-powered blender, but they puree best in larger versus smaller batches. Immersion blenders work well for smaller batches. Cool purees completely or chill in the refrigerator before freezing for the best results.

To freeze purees into baby cubes, portion the cooled puree out into ice cube or baby cube trays (each cube cup holds one ounce; two cubes make about ¼ cup; one ice cube tray holds about 1½ to 2 cups total depending on the number of cube cups), and seal with the lid or use freezer-safe plastic wrap sealed with a rubber band or freezer tape.

Once the individual servings are frozen solid (usually in two to four hours), you can pop them out and place in zip-closure freezer bags—press as much air as possible out of the bag when sealing to help prevent freezer burn. If the cubes don’t easily slip out of the trays, just let them rest on the counter at room temp for about three minutes and try again. Write directly on the freezer bag or use masking tape to record the type of food, its initial freezing date, and the expiration date. Although most vegetable cubes will safely last for about 2 months, their quality will deteriorate over time. For the best-tasting, freshest meals for your baby, try to use your cubes within four to six weeks.

To prevent the spread of bacteria, it is best to reheat frozen baby food directly, without waiting for it to defrost first – quick and easily done with food cubes. Remember, reheated (or any) baby food should only be warm, never hot. Babies’ mouths are more sensitive than ours and could easily be burned by improperly heated foods. For that reason, don’t prepare baby food in the microwave—it heats very inconsistently and can leave the food with both frozen pockets and burning pockets. Use a stainless steel bowl over a small saucepan of hot water to warm food cubes instead.

One final note: This is a less-than-perfect world, and busy parents need backup for those weeks when you can hardly get your teeth brushed, never mind cook up all the baby food fresh. For those times, my favorite veggie staple to keep on hand is frozen premade organic purees over jarred for the freshness factor and higher nutrient content. More and more companies are producing these, but I like Jack’s Harvest for overall superior product quality and company values: www.jacksharvest.com.

Mexi-Flank Steak

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

1½-2 pounds flank steak
½ yellow onion
1 Serrano chili, halved and seeded
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bunch cilantro
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
Couple pinches palm sugar (or erythritol), optional
Juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Score one side of the steak(s) with shallow knife cuts across the grain (about ¼-inch deep), season on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside. (Scoring is optional, to help the marinade penetrate more deeply into the meat.)

Combine the onion, Serrano, garlic, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, palm sugar, lime juice, and red wine vinegar and pulse until vegetables are well minced. Pour into a shallow glass baking dish and whisk in the oil until well combined.
Lay the prepared steaks in the dish, turning to coat. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours to all day in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.

To cook the marinated meat, heat the grill to medium high and scrape off any remaining marinade, blotting excess moisture with a paper towel.

Grill for 4-6 minutes per side for rare (or desired doneness), flipping once half way through cooking time (thick pieces will take longer than thinner cuts). Thinly slice the cooked meat across the grain to serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Fabulous Flank Steak

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Flank steak is an excellent mealtime staple for families who are eating clean. It is a thin, relatively lean cut of meat from the underside belly area of a cow or buffalo (below the short loin). It’s a tough cut, but if prepared correctly offers a tender, satisfying bite. It has a lot of flavor and is relatively inexpensive. With the right handling, flank steak makes a delicious and versatile protein that cooks up quickly and is easy to prepare.

The flank steak is a long, flat cut that should be smooth in texture and deep red in color. It’s very thin and often folded in half in the packaging –typically about 2 pounds but you can get it larger. For optimal nutrients and flavor, flank from grass-fed cows is always best. Buffalo is a great alternative, though it’s even leaner than cow and cooks up a little more quickly. (If you can’t get it in your local market, a great online source for bison meat is http://www.blackwing.com . They also have phenomenal clean beef and game meats.)

Though marinating is overrated as a deep tenderizing strategy, it is a perfect treatment for flank steak because the cut has so much surface area. You’ll get some flavor with just a couple of hours of marinating, but a full day will yield a stronger taste. If your marinade has a lot of acids (vinegar, citrus juices, etc), they will tend to break down the meat’s surface a bit with too much marinating time. Though the flavor is excellent with overnight marinating, it will change the texture somewhat, giving you a slightly spongy surface instead of a firm sear. Rubs or pastes generally contain no acids, so those work great for overnight treatments. Try oiling your flank steak and using your fingers to coat it well with a strong spice rub. Or blend sweet onion and garlic with a little salt, pepper and olive oil in your food processor or blender to make a thick paste and spread that evenly over the steak’s surface. Store these in glass overnight and cook them the next day.

You can prepare a flank steak in several ways, but the quickest is to grill it. Some experts suggest searing it over high heat and then moving it to a cooler area of the grill to finish. My preference is to cook it quickly over medium-high heat to rare (medium-well or well-done flank steak is tough). This minimizes any damage caused by charring (AGE’s – advanced glycation end products) and yields a tender steak. Once you have removed all traces of paste or marinade, blot the steak with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. (This is not necessary with a rub.) The dryer the meat when it hits the heat source, the better the sear. You can grill “wet” meat, but it will be partially cooked by steaming versus searing and you’ll get a slightly mushy surface texture. Depending on the size and thickness of the steak, it will take about 4-6 minutes per side for rare or medium rare.

Rest it for 5-10 minutes once it’s removed from the heat and slice it very thinly against the grain. If you cut it with the grain it will be very tough because the muscle fibers in this part of the body are tightly bound. But if you cut it thinly across the grain you are cutting across all the bonding and the individual strands will come apart easily when you chew the meat. It makes an excellent entrée, but cook up extra because those tasty, convenient slices are great the next day tossed into a salad or rolled into veggie wraps (try the Mexi-Flank Steak rolled up in hardy lettuce leaves with avocado and salsa).

Mexi-Flank Steak Recipe

Dark Chocolate Orange Brownies

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

• 4 ounces high quality unsweetened dark chocolate (try Dagoba for a full-flavored organic choice)
• 3 tablespoons extra dark cocoa powder (my favorite is Cacao Berry Extra-Brut)
• 1/2 cup organic butter (grass fed is optimal)
• 1/3 cup hazelnut or almond oil (or any neutral, high quality vegetable or nut oil)
• 1 15-ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia
• ½ teaspoon orange extract
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1/2 cup erythritol (or xylitol or palm sugar)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray a 12x17-inch non-stick edged baking pan with cooking oil and set aside.

Melt the chocolate, cocoa powder, butter and oil together over low heat and whisk until well combined.

Remove from heat and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the beans, eggs, vanilla stevia, vanilla, orange extract and zest, if using, and process until very smooth.

Add the xylitol, salt and cooled chocolate/oil mixture and process just until well incorporated.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan, spreading to create an even layer.

Cook for 18-20 minutes or until just-set –do not overcook. Brownies should be dense and moist.

Remove, cool and slice small squares. Refrigerate remaining slices (handle them gently to keep them intact).

Yield: 24 brownies

Orange Black Bean Soup

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

1 ½-inch piece of kombu (optional, to make the beans more digestible – look for it in the Asian section of your natural foods store)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
2 cups baby carrots
1 pound black beans, presoaked* (about 2 ½ cups dried)
7 cups no-sodium vegetable broth** or water
1½ teaspoons cumin
1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
2 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1½ teaspoons orange zest
1½ cups plain organic Greek yogurt
1 large garlic clove, minced
1½ tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, packed

Soak the kombu in a small bowl of water for about 10 minutes until softened. Drain, mince, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add carrots and sauté for 2 minutes. Add black beans and broth or water, increase heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, add kombu and cumin, and cover and cook for about 75 minutes or until beans are just tender to the squeeze.***

Add tomatoes, peppers, salt, and red pepper flakes, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Add orange juice and zest and puree 75 percent of the soup with an immersion blender (or in a blender), leaving some chunkiness and whole pieces. Return to low heat for an additional 10 minutes cook time.

In the meantime, in a small bowl thoroughly mix together the yogurt, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro.

Serve in soup bowls with a generous dollop of the yogurt mixture. Soup flavors will deepen over time.

Yield: 6–8 servings

* To soak dry beans, pick them over for any small stones, then rinse them in a colander. In a large bowl, cover them with water (to 2 inches above the tops of beans), cover the bowl, and let them soak from 8 hours to overnight. Drain, rinse, and they are ready to go.

**Salt and acid toughen beans and lengthen their cooking time, so you shouldn’t use a cooking broth containing any salt. No-salt veggie broths do make for a more flavorful soup, however, especially if you make it yourself from vegetable peels and scraps. Salt and acid-containing ingredients, like orange juice, can be added once the beans are tender.

***Cooking dried beans needs to a relaxed effort because beans are temperamental. Fresh, well-soaked dried beans will cook quickly, while older beans take a little longer. If your broth has added salt or your beans are older, they may take more initial cooking time. After the first hour, check beans every 10 minutes and make sure the liquid level is adequate, adding a little more broth if necessary. If you’re short on time, you can substitute 2 cans rinsed and drained black beans and 3 large carrots cut into thin coins (to speed their cooking time).

Bang For Your Buck Vegetable- Broccoli

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Eat more broccoli to get more fiber and prevent cancer. Broccoli is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables, and is most known for its ability to support estrogen detoxification and prevent prostate and breast cancer. It is a great source of all of the following:

Fiber
Potassium
Calcium
Vitamin C
Folate
Magnesium
Phosphorous
Beta-Carotene
Vitamin A
Lutein
Zeaxanthin

Did you know that the broccoli head is actually the flower of the plant? It is a cruciferous vegetable that is in the same family as bok choy, swiss chard, cabbage and kale. Opt for organic broccoli whenever possible to minimize your exposure to pesticides and contamination.

Reference:
Bowden, Jonny. The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. 25-24. Fair Winds Press. 2007.

Sweet Spiced and Warming Winter Beef Stew

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

1 red onion, whole, peeled
8 whole cloves
1-pound bag baby carrots
3 large parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds grass fed beef chuck (shoulder roast), cut into 1½-2-inch cubes
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 14-ounce can sliced stewed tomatoes, drained
1 cup beef broth (or 1 cup water with 2 teaspoons organic beef Better Than Bouillon)
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins

Stud the red onion evenly with the cloves and place in the cooker.

Add carrots, parsnips, and sweet onion.

Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper and place on top of the veggies.

Pour tomatoes over the beef.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the broth, molasses, vinegar, garlic, zest, coriander and cinnamon and pour over all.

Cook for 3-4 hours on high, or 5-6 hours on low until vegetables and beef are tender.

Add raisins for last 30 minutes of cook time.

Remove studded red onion before serving.

Yield: about 6 servings

Clean Fast Food Cooking Tech: Easy Cold Weather Cooking with the Slow Cooker

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

As the days grow shorter, time becomes an even more precious commodity in our lives. While technically slow cooker dishes take hours to complete, the actual hands-on time and effort for preparation is minimal. I have discovered that, paradoxically, many “slow food technologies”, such as clay pot and slow cooking, can provide elegant food with well-developed flavors while saving you lots of prep time. January 1, 2012 marks the release of what is possibly my favorite cookbook in the series I’ve written with Dr. Jonny Bowden for Fair Winds Press, The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth. As a special preview (and to illustrate my devotion to the slow cooker as an indispensable clean food cooking tool!), I am sharing a terrific recipe from the book here, Sweet Spiced and Warming Winter Beef Stew.

Though you can make stews in a variety of ways, (braising in the oven, simmering on the stovetop, etc), the slow cooker is my number one choice both for ease and for time efficiency. While you do have to find a little time in the morning or at lunch to prepare the ingredients, the slow cooker safely simmers your stew all day without you. The biggest advantage of slow cooking for me is that when my husband and I come rushing in late from work and my kids come in starving from sports practice, dinner is ready and waiting for us!

There are a few tricks to making perfect stews in the slow cooker. Slow cooked red meats tend to have a somewhat unappealing, grayish coloring. To prevent this, you may sear any cut of meat in a bit of oil or butter at medium high temperature to brown the surface before placing in the cooker. In a stew, however, where the chunks of meat are submerged in liquid, I often opt to skip this step to save time.

My Favorite Slow Cooker
{With regard to the question of whether or not to pre-brown meats for the slow cooker, I feel compelled to make a nod to my all-time favorite model, the All-Clad 7-Quart Anodized Aluminum slow cooker. To me it’s the Cadillac of slow cookers and I love it. Its best feature is a safe (anodized), nonstick insert that can move between the stovetop and slow cooker. Though there are some stovetop-safe stoneware models, as far as I know this is the only nonstick model that allows you to brown meat and vegetables or melt fats or cheeses and then drop it right into the cooker. Because the same machine can brown and slow cook, it has revolutionized slow cooking for me. It’s also quite large –big enough to fit two whole chickens (very convenient for making soup stocks), and has a programmable timer and dual heat settings that automatically switch to warm at the end of cook time.}

Most hard grains, beans and hard vegetables are not easily cooked to doneness in a stew because the proteins and more delicate vegetables cook more quickly and leave the longer-cooking ingredients undercooked. The best ingredients for slow cooker stews are soft vegetables (like winter squash, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and celery) or hard ones cut small (such as carrots or parsnips sliced into thin rounds or finely diced beets or turnips).
Place the onions and the hardest vegetables at the bottom of the pot. Then add the softer vegetables, and top with the meat. Finally any liquids can be poured over everything. Be conservative with the amount of liquid you add. There is very little evaporation in a slow cooker, so your dish will tend to get juicier rather than drier while cooking.

Here is a Slow Cooker recipe for Sweet Spiced and Warming Winter Beef Stew

Want More? Purchase “The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth” right here!

Urban Legend: The Whole Grain Myth

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Let’s be clear: “Whole grains” are definitely better than processed grains.

The question is “how much better”, and the answer is… not so much.

Sure, this sounds like nutritional heresy, but consider the facts, starting with processed grains. Processed grains- like most cereals, pastas and breads—are bad because...

1.They contain almost no nutrients (except the ones the manufacturers put back in with “fortification”).

2. They contain minimal fiber.

3. They are almost always high on the glycemic scale, meaning they raise your blood sugar quickly. This inevitably leads to a sequence of events resulting in energy fluctuations, cravings, and, for some, the fogginess and mood swings associated with low blood sugar.

For years we’ve been hearing that we should switch to whole grains, as they

are supposed to offer the solution to the problems of processed grains.

But the truth of the matter is... they don’t.

See, grains- unlike fruits and vegetables and most nuts- can never be eaten without some processing. You can’t pluck a stalk of wheat and start chowing down. Even a natural, whole grain has to be turned into a food, and it’s “natural” state is much farther from “edible” than, say, a berry or a carrot.

Once your whole grains have been ground into flour, then by definition they’re not truly whole grain anymore. Flour may have started life as a whole grain, but by the time it’s flour all bets are off. Big food companies love to proclaim that their products are a “good source of whole grains” but read the ingredients, not the advertising copy on the package. “Whole grain flour” is only marginally better than regular flour.

It’s amazing how many people buy into the conventional wisdom about grains being a great source of fiber. They’re not. Most commercial breads have one or two grams of fiber at best, and there’s not much difference between the amount of fiber found in breads made with whole grain flours and the amount of fiber found in breads made with white flour. For comparison, a cup of beans contains between 11-17 grams of fiber, and half a Florida avocado contains 8.5. Those are real high-fiber foods.

Then there’s the blood sugar issue. Because whole grains- in theory- are higher in fiber, they are supposed to have a much more muted effect on blood sugar.

But that’s not always the case. A quick glance at the glycemic load tables shows that there’s only a few points difference between white spaghetti and whole wheat spaghetti, and brown rice and white rice are within spitting distance of each other. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t good things in brown rice that aren’t found in white rice, but it does mean that if you’re trying to control your blood sugar, whole grains are very far from a “free lunch”.

Finally, there’s the gluten issue. Gluten- a protein found in wheat, barley and rye- is a very reactive substance that causes a lot of problems for an awful lot of people. Shari Lieberman, PhD, CNS has linked gluten to an enormous range of symptoms and disorders including neurological disorders, autoimmune disorders, and digestive disorders, and that’s just for openers(1). Dr. Leiberman suspects gluten sensitivity may be an issue in chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, anemia, asthma and many other conditions.

Many people who have tried going off gluten report remarkable improvements in a host of symptoms that they hadn’t suspected were linked to their food. If gluten might be a problem for you, whole grains won’t solve it.

So does this mean you should discard the concept of eating whole grains? No. But read labels carefully. Try to find “flourless” breads, or those made from sprouted grains. Check the fiber content on the nutritional facts label. And remember, there’s no basic physiological need for grains in the human diet, so don’t worry too much about it if grains just aren’t doing it for you.

Eat them if you like- but if you’re one of the many people who feel better without them, don’t give it a second thought.

References

Lieberman, Shari, “The Gluten Connection”, Rodale, 2006 http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Connection-Sensitivity-Sabotaging-Control/dp/1594863873/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318284966&sr=8-1

Three Squares or Six Meals

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

For decades—at least since the days when I was still a personal trainer in the early 1990’s—we’ve been hearing (and teaching) the gospel of six “mini-meals” a day. The theory is that small frequent meals keep you from getting too hungry, keep your blood sugar even, and prevent insulin- the fat-storing hormone- from skyrocketing. Sounds like an excellent weight management strategy, right?

But is it really true?

A new study(1) says “no”, confirming what I’ve been saying for quite a while.

In terms of reducing appetite or creating a sense of “fullness”, the study showed clearly that six mini-meals a day had no advantage over three squares a day.

In this study, published in the journal Obesity, 27 overweight or obese men were put on the same reduced calorie diet, but half were told to consume their daily calories as three meals, while the other half were told to break it up into six. (There was another difference, but I’ll get to that in a second.)

The men were asked to record their feelings of hunger and/or “fullness” every waking hour, using a special electronic device.

No difference. Daily hunger, late-night desire to eat and preoccupation with thoughts of food were not different between the groups.

But here’s where it gets really interesting. Remember that “second difference” in the diets? To make it interesting, the researchers varied the diets of both conditions by having half the men in each condition eat 25% of their calories as protein (the high-protein condition) while the other half of the men in each condition consumed 14% of their calories as protein (the low-protein condition).

Because the researchers essentially manipulated two conditions—frequency (6 meals vs 3) and protein (high vs low) we have a 2x2 matrix:

THREE MEALS PER DAY	SIX MEALS PER DAY
----low protein	-low protein
---high protein	---high protein

Overall, the men eating the high-protein diet felt more satisfied and less hungry than those eating the low-protein diet. (Remember, this was a low-calorie diet to begin with, so it’s particularly noteworthy that the high-protein guys didn’t experience any particular hunger or reduction in fullness, showing that higher-protein diets are definitely more filling and less likely to lead to hunger and overeating.)

“Collectively, these data support the consumption of high protein intake, but not greater eating frequency, for improved appetite control and satiety …(during) calorie-restricted weight loss”, wrote the authors.

Of course, no one is saying that five or six mini-meals is wrong; just that it’s not the only way to go and doesn’t appear to have any inherent advantage over the “grazing” method of eating every two or three hours.

What does seem to make a big difference- and not just in this study- is higher levels of protein in the diet. Tons of studies have shown that higher protein diets- even when calories are kept the same as in this study- lead to greater feelings of fullness, less cravings, and even a boost in metabolism.

References

1) http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v19/n4/abs/oby2010203a.html

Mushrooms and Your Health

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

While mushrooms have been used medicinally in Eastern medicine for eons, Western medicine is now beginning to catch up, as the healing properties of mushrooms are beginning to be demonstrated scientifically.

The three specific types with the greatest health benefits are Shitake, Reishi and Maitake. All three have powerful effects on the immune system and all three act as medicine.

When you think about it for a minute, it makes an awful lot of sense that mushrooms have medicinal properties. Mushrooms are fungus. They scavenge on organic matter. Where do you find them? Growing on decaying wood, or worse (cow patties, anyone?) That means they are able to absorb- and then safely eliminate- toxins. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to put them to work doing that in my own body, and eating them appears to be a great way to do it.

Maitake

In addition to being loaded with vitamins, Maitake has a special polysaccharide component called Beta 1,6 glucan. a very close relative of the Beta 1,3 glucan in the Shiitake (see below). Beta-glucans stimulate the immune system. Many of the compounds in the cell structures of mushrooms are actually used as adjunctive cancer treatments throughout Asia-- in fact, Maitake is approved by the Japanese government for just this purpose. It’s especially good for counteracting the toxic effects of radiation and chemotherapy, such as extreme fatigue and nausea.

Shiitake

The Shiitake mushroom is one of the most widely cultivated specialty species of mushroom in the world, and is deeply valued for its medicinal effects as well as for the fact that it tastes delicious.. It contains enzymes and vitamins that do not normally appear in plants- like all 8 essential amino acids and one of the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid. The caps contain more nutrients than the stems.

This superstar mushroom contains beta 1,3-glucan, a polysaccharide that has potent immune-stimulating effects, and a close relative of the beta 1,6 glucan found in Maitake (see above). When beta glucans bind to immune system cells like NK cells, T-cells and macrophages, the activity of these cells is increased. No one is quite sure of why, but my friend Bob Rountree, MD, author of “Immunotics”, speculates that the beta glucans “trick” immune system cells into thinking they’re under attack (mushrooms are after all fungus, and maybe the cells think the harmless little critters are dangerous. Who knows? Point is: the immune system is stimulated by them).

Many studies have confirmed beta glucan’s wide range of protective effects, including improved resistance to infections, liver-protection and cardiovascular benefits. It also appears to help inhibit tumor growth in mice

Reishi

Sometime in the third century BC, the Chinese Emperor Shih Huang was reputed to have sent a fleet of ships to search for a mushroom called the “Elixir of Immortality”. That mushroom? The Reishi. It’s special chemical make-up was thought to be a tonic for a long and healthy life. In traditional Chinese medicine, Reishi is still considered to be among the highest class of tonics.

Reishi’s beneficial components- specifically ganodermic acids classified as triterpenopids, plus a number of polysaccharides- seem to benefit everything from blood pressure to liver detoxification to adrenal function.

Even the conservative and highly regarded Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has Reishi mushroom listed on the “about herbs” section of its website, where it states that Reishi mushrooms stimulate the immune system through their positive effect on macrophages and other immune compounds.

Sloan-Kettering also references clinical studies showing that Reishi increases antioxidant capacity and enhances the immune responses in advanced-stage cancer patients.

Reishi mushrooms appear to be a natural stress-buster. According to Dr. Roundtree, Reishi is the mushroom of choice for people under extreme physical or emotional stress. Bob recommends it for endurance athletes as well. Reishi mushrooms also have a very high level of antioxidants, largely due to their ganoderic acid.

Crimini (white button mushrooms)

I almost omitted crimini mushrooms from the list completely- I mean, after all, how could these little prosaic mushrooms possibly hold a candle to the downright medicinal value of their famous siblings? But crimini mushrooms are super dense with nutrients. One 5-ounce serving (dry weight before cooking) gives you over 50% of the daily value for the cancer-fighting trace mineral selenium, 40% of the daily value for riboflavin, 35% of copper, 30% of niacin, 20-25% of pantothenic acid, phosphorus and zinc, plus 10-15% daily value of manganese and thiamin. They also have trace amounts of magnesium, calcium, folate, B-12 and iron”. Now I don’t feel so bad counting mushrooms as a vegetable!

Mushrooms in general also contain a powerful antioxidant called L-ergothioneine. L-ergothioneine neutralizes dangerous free radicals called hydroxyl radicals, and also increases enzymes with antioxidant activity. In at least two studies, it seems to act as a metabolic energy enhancer, stimulating the breakdown of sugar in the red blood cells and mimicking carnitine in its ability to transport fat into the mitochondria of the cells where the fat can be burned for energy. That’s exactly what most over-the-counter weight loss supplements promise but rarely deliver.

I gave mushrooms a “STAR” rating in my best-selling book, “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth”. Don’t dismiss this common vegetable as “nutritionally empty”.

It’s anything but.

The Best Form of Protein Powder

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

For as long as I’ve been in the field, health professionals have been debating the relative merits of different protein supplements, particularly whey and soy.

The pro-soy contingent likes to point to studies showing a modest decrease in cholesterol and potential benefits on cancer, menopausal symptoms and bone density, but much of this is heavily disputed.

The American Heart Association no longer recommends soy for heart disease and the FDA is currently reviewing its policy on soy health. And there have been more than a few well-credentialed experts who have been extremely vocal on the dangers of soy, pointing to the fact that they contain phytates (which bind to minerals making them less available), goitrogens (which may suppress thyroid function) and have a mildly estrogenic effect which could be a problem for many people. “At this time it is difficult to know for sure what the actual benefits of soy product or soy supplement consumption would be.

There is a great deal of controversy regarding the benefits and dangers of soy ingestion”, says Ray Sahelian, MD, whose moderate position is a model of balance and fairness.Of course, some are more outspoken. Charles Poliquin, for example, who minces no words when it comes to soy (or anything else, for that matter), has famously said “Soy is for sissies”.On the other hand there’s very little controversy about whey. Nearly all the studies using whey protein have been positive, noting benefits on appetite, weight control, blood pressure and even IBD (colitis).But no study has ever done a head-to-head comparison of whey vs soy specifically looking at metabolism, fat loss and satiety (a feeling of fullness).But a study just published(1) in the American Journal of Nutrition does exactly that.

Researchers started with the premise that dietary protein stimulates metabolism and fullness more than either carbohydrate or fat, but pointed out that little is known about the differences between different protein sources. So they took 23 lean healthy subjects and put them on a supplement of either whey protein, casein protein or soy protein. (Casein and whey are the two major proteins found in milk and dairy products). Then they measured the “thermic effect” (which is how much heat- calorie burning- is produced in the body after eating).The three groups each ate a meal of 50% protein from either whey, soy or casein, plus 40% carbohydrate and 10% fat. A fourth group- control- was fed a very high carb meal (95% carbs).

All three protein meals produced greater thermic (calorie-burning) effects than the carb meal; but the whey protein was the clear winner, beating out both the soy protein and the casein. Cumulative fat burning was also significantly greater after the whey-protein meal. (interestingly, subjective appetite reports suggested that casein and soy were more satiating than the whey, but the subjects “liked” the whey much better! This finding should be interpreted carefully, since many other studies have shown that at typical levels of consumption whey is more satisfying than other protein powders).

References

1) http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2011/01/12/ajcn.110.005850.abstract

Cooking Methods Make a Difference!

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

The way you cook your food can be a huge weapon in the fight against insulin resistance. And a new study(1) indicates just that, showing clearly that cooking methods can influence insulin sensitivity.

As readers of this website know all too well, insulin resistance is a condition you really don’t want to have. It’s at the root of a host of metabolic dysfunctions and diseases of civilization from metabolic syndrome to diabetes to obesity. Insulin is the body’s “sugar wrangler”, escorting excess sugar from the bloodstream and taking it to the muscle cells where it can be used for fuel. But when your cells are resistant to the effects of insulin, they simply stop listening to it. The muscle cells close their doors when they hear it knocking, and eventually you wind up with both high blood sugar and high levels of insulin, a sure path to full-blown type ll diabetes (not to mention belly fat for days)!

You want your cells to be insulin sensitive, not insulin resistant. You want them listening carefully to insulin, not ignoring it.

In this study, sixty-two healthy volunteers (aged 18-24) consumed each of two different diets for four weeks each. The diets were identical in terms of nutrients and calories but different in one major respect: the type of cooking and preparation techniques of the foods themselves.

In one condition, (high-heat-treated diet), foods were cooked using techniques such as frying, grilling and roasting, and contained “industrial” food known to be highly cooked (such as extruded corn flakes, coffee, dry cookies, and well-baked bread with brown crust). In the second condition (low-heat-treated diet) used steam cooked and raw foods only. “Convenience” food products were prepared with gentler processing methods (steamed corn flakes, mildly baked bread).

Then the investigators measured something called AGEs.

AGEs- the aptly named acronym for Advanced Glycation End-Products—do exactly what the acronym implies. They age you. Badly, in fact. They are formed during the cooking of food by a reaction between a sugar (like glucose or fructose) and protein. These Advanced Glycation End-products can modify protein structures in tissues, and can age skin (think “liver spots” in your grandmother’s day). AGEs have been shown to promote inflammation, and they play a role in cardiovascular disease, diabetes and fibromyalgia.

They also cause insulin resistance.

So from the investigators point of view, measuring AGEs in the two diets made a lot of sense.

They found two things.

The first finding was not surprising: Mean intake of these damaging AGEs was a whopping 59% lower with the low-heat-treated diet than with the high-heat-treated diet.

The second finding was that compared to the folks eating the low-heat diet, the high-heat-treated diet folks significantly decreased their insulin sensitivity by 17%!!

This study shows that AGEs are not only bad for all the reasons we previously knew (i.e. skin aging, protein damage), but also because they decrease insulin sensitivity, something no one with diabetes, pre-diabetes or a weight problem should ever want to do.

Bottom line: In general, cook at the lowest heat you can get away with. Cooking at lower temperatures and in the presence of wter results in less AGE formation than cooking at higher temperatures and in the absence of water.

Emphasizing boiling, poaching and stewing over frying, broiling and roasting may decrease daily AGE intake by up to 50%, according to integrative medicine icon Alan Gaby, MD.

Microwaving of foods increases their AGE content only modestly, to about the same extent as boiling.

Of course eating more raw foods is one of the best ways to reduce the AGE content of the diet. (And yes, you can eat more raw foods even if you’re on the kind of high-protein diet recommended by Charles and other experts for maximum body fat loss.)

And try to avoid sugar-based sauces on protein foods, especially at high heat. That’s the perfect storm for the formation of AGEs and the worst possible situation if you’re trying to age beautifully.

References

1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20335546

Airport Eating

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

I spend a lot of time in airports. This results in the development of much useful knowledge. For example, I know exactly where to find the National Enquirer in virtually every Hudson News store in America. I can tell you exactly what color travel pillows they have at Brookstone’s. I know what rap CD is on special at AirTunes.

And, out of necessity, I’ve also learned where to find actual food in airports.

Truth be told, this article isn’t just for people stranded in airports on a quest for decent food. This article is actually for anyone who travels, orders take-out, goes out to dinner or has a social life. So let’s get started!

In today’s world, few folks have the luxury of eating all their meals at an actual table, let alone at home. If you live in a big city, the sight of folks rushing through the streets, chomping furiously on anything they can hold in one hand, signaling for a taxi with the other, is old hat to you. You’ve got kids to chauffeur around, schedules to meet, meetings to go to, games to cheer at, ballet class, the gym, board meetings that last all afternoon, committees to chair and families to spend time with. You’re constantly in motion. The days of Esther dropping by Lucy’s for coffee to break up the morning monotony are long over. Morning monotony? Are you kidding? For better or worse, we live a Tasmanian devil of an existence that’s exciting, maddening and frustrating all at the same time, and for those of us trying to eat well, a veritable minefield of potential disaster.

I know. I’m the one who lives in airports.

To make matters as bad as they could be, there seems to be an unwritten law which I call “Bowden’s law of inverse quality”. It states that the quality of food goes down as portability and accessibility go up. There ain’t no organic fruits and vegetables at the food court, folks. The airports are filled with crummy, sugar-laden “pick me up” treats, the take-out counters filled with bad, processed meat and deli food, and business travelers are well aware that even the best hotel restaurants are a cornucopia of temptation, made all the worse by the fact that by the time we sit down to dinner we’re starving and not even the basket that the bread comes in is safe from us.

So what to do? Unless you’ve got access to a time machine, eating on the run- or at least on the move- is likely to remain a fact of life. The opportunity here is to become a master of your circumstances rather than a victim of them.

Here are my top ten tips for how to do just that:

1) Think “proactive”. Most of the trouble we get into with food comes from waiting to eat until an emergency hunger situation arises. (Example: being without food all afternoon and coming face to face with a convenient snack machine). If this is you, I have one word of advice: planning. If you know you’re gonna be stuck in a meeting, take along something you can eat quickly and discreetly that will keep your blood sugar from plummeting and your cravings at bay. Best choices: Celery sticks and a small container of peanut butter for dipping. String cheese and an apple. Nuts--(but watch the quantity). And the best health food in the world: A can of sardines!

2) Use lettuce instead of bread. You can wrap some leftover chicken in a lettuce leaf and eat it in the car or anywhere else a sandwich would work. Throw on some tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil and you’ve got a decent mini-meal. Some fast food restaurants are now offering their burgers made exactly this way.

3) Find healthy food that travels well. Top tips: Cottage cheese, yogurt, celery, peppers, carrots, and apples. Throw some berries into a Tupperware with some cottage cheese and nuts and take it with you. In a pinch, high-protein low-carb snack bars beat the pants of standard machine food.

4) Prepare the food before. (This is the corollary of “think proactively”). Bake a week’s worth of sweet potatoes on a Sunday, cut ‘em in half and take them with you as snacks during the week. They’re as portable as you can get, they taste great cold, and they are loaded with vitamins.

5) Think nuts. Here’s what they do: provide good fats, fiber, minerals and a little protein. They also fill you up. The key is to not buy the big bags and nibble all day. Make your own little sandwich bags with a dozen or so nuts in each, and combine them with an apple or some string cheese. Best choices: walnuts, pecans and almonds.

6) Think unusual foods: Paleolithic man carried around the original energy bar called Pemmican. It’s made with pressed grass fed meat sweetened with dried cherries. You can find high-quality pemmican bars made from grass-fed meat through US Wellness Meats (I have a link to them under “healthy foods” on my website, www.jonnybowden.com, or you can find them online.) Pemmican tastes way better than it sounds, and it’s healthy as can be!

7) Find the chicken Caesar.. At long last this has become a staple of take-out restaurants in airports. Trust me, I know. Buy them!

8) Know how to order in a restaurant. When eating out, choose fish, meat or chicken, and a ton of vegetables. Tell them to hold the potatoes or rice and double the veggies. Send the bread back, and skip dessert (or order fresh berries, even if they’re not on the menu).

With a little thinking ahead, meals on the road don’t have to be a disaster. And the challenge of eating well can actually be fun.

Just ask me. I’m the one snacking on nuts in the Jet Blue Terminal.

In Season: Tomatoes

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Okay, so September isn't truly the high season for tomatoes in New England, but early in the month in the temperate zones they are still coming in, and these hardier, late-season tomatoes, in my opinion, make the world's best tomato paste. Tomatoes are a seasonal veggie (though botanically they are actually a fruit) that tastes and performs much better in-season than year-round. Though you can get several tomato varieties every day of the year in every grocery store, they don't taste like tomatoes should unless they have been ripened on the vine.

Off-season and mass-produced tomatoes (most of the ones in the supermarket) are nearly always picked green and artificially ripened with ethylene gas to get them the right size and color. These poor quality tomatoes are typically mealy in texture and lack any real flavor. They are also far inferior nutritionally to those that have ripened naturally, containing only about half the vitamin C content. For the best flavor and nutrient density, go local if you can, with vine-ripened as your back up.

1 medium, raw: 22 calories, 0 grams fat, 5 grams carbohydrate (1 g fiber), 1 gram protein

Good source:' Vitamins C, A, K, B6, folate, manganese, and potassium

Look for:' a firm tomato with smooth, unblemished, tender skin and deep color.

Try them: 'Sliced, raw, with a drizzle of good olive oil and sea salt; hollowed out and used as an edible bowl for a protein-based salad (like tuna salad) or as a bun replacement (for sloppy Joe or chili); or peeled, seeded and slow-cooked into pasta sauce or tomato paste.

One more interesting nutritional fact about tomatoes: Cooked tomatoes contain much higher concentrations of lycopene than raw: The high water content of fresh tomatoes “waters down” the lycopene content as well. Lycopene is a carotenoid that has some powerful protective and preventive benefits with certain types of cancer, especially prostate. You can further power up the effectiveness of lycopene by combining your tomato paste with a fatty food to increase absorption, such as the olive oil in the recipe. Tomato paste contains nearly 10 times the lycopene of raw tomatoes.

Cooking also intensifies the tomato's flavor, and slow cooking all of the moisture off leaves you with a sweet and tangy paste that can turn plain proteins and vegetables into something special with just a dab. Try a schmear on cooked chicken, white fish, salmon, or roasted green veggies. I love it rolled into lettuce leaves with shredded chicken breast and chopped kalamata olives – piquant and satisfying.

Chicken Tahini Salad

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

· 1 clove garlic, minced

· ¼ cup tahini

· Juice and zest of ½ lemon, optional

· 1 tablespoon cider vinegar (or 2 if you have no lemon juice)

· 1 teaspoon low sodium wheat-free tamari

· 2-3 tablespoons water

· About 2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken

· 2 cups raw veggies (whatever you have on hand, frozen, thawed is okay: chopped green beans, mini broccoli florets, chopped sugar snap peas, diced bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, etc)

· ¼ cup sliced almonds

· ¼ cup pitted black olives

· 8 large lettuce leaves

Combine the tahini, lemon juice and zest, if using, cider vinegar, tamari and 2 tablespoons of the water in a medium bowl and whisk hard until smooth and well combined, adding an additional tablespoon of water, if necessary.

Add the chicken, green veggies, tomatoes, almonds and olives and toss gently to coat well. Serve over lettuce leaves.

Yield: 4 servings

Black Bean Salad

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

Dressing
•    Juice and zest of 1-2 limes
•    1 tablespoon olive oil
•    1 teaspoon mustard seeds (optional)
•    ¾ teaspoon chili powder
•    ½ teaspoon cumin
•    Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Salad
•    2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
•    1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
•    1 sweet bell pepper, diced
•    1 cup frozen corn, thawed
•    1 hass avocado, sliced
•    ¼ cup roasted pepitas
•    4 veggie “boats” (such as hollowed out tomatoes, bell peppers, or cucumber halves), optional.

Directions

To make the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients from lime juice through pepper in a small bowl and whisk well to combine. Set aside.

To make the salad, combine the beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, and corn in a large bowl and add the dressing. Toss gently to coat.

Stuff equal portions into the veggie boats, if using, and top with avocado slices and pepitas to serve.

Yield: 4 generous servings

Hurricane Paleo: No Power? No Problem!

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Having lived in coastal New England for most of my life, I know the prep drill for hurricanes and nor’easters pretty well. Boat in? Check. Extra water? Check. Mandatory evacuation? Um… (Well if you had 2 hulking teens, 4 animals and were well above the water line, what would you do?) Usually I also do a strategic food shop for meals my family can eat when the power goes. But this time I had to travel unexpectedly right before the storm began and the wind blew me home, so there was no time for storm shopping.

Fortunately, though, I keep a well stocked whole-foods larder at all times so we were able to make it work. We turned the fridge and freezers down to their lowest temperatures, and when the power went we loaded the foods we would need for the day into a cooler lined with ice packs, (if you don’t have any ice packs on hand you can make your own by filling plastic bottles with water and freezing). Packing a day’s worth of food into the cooler allows you to keep the doors of the refrigerators closed to preserve the cold air for as long as possible.

With the prepared sauces, condiments, and canned foods I always have at the ready we were able to enjoy clean and delicious meals with no stove to cook on. I had a whole cooked chicken (you could easily buy a rotisserie chicken in a pinch) and a bunch of hard-boiled eggs (definitely boil your eggs the night before a storm like that – they will last longer without refrigeration and can be eaten with no additional cooking).

Here was our menu (built around those 2 prepared animal proteins) for 48 hours without power:

Day 1

Breakfast:

Sliced boiled eggs tucked into red bell pepper halves with a smidgeon of mayonnaise

Lunch:

Drained canned tuna with mayonnaise, fermented dill relish (from a jar, we love Bubbies brand), and sliced almonds. If you have any, chopped celery and apple would be great, too.
Orange slices with cinnamon

Dinner: Chicken Tahini Salad

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup tahini

Juice and zest of ½ lemon, optional

1 tablespoon cider vinegar (or 2 if you have no lemon juice)

1 teaspoon low sodium wheat-free tamari

2-3 tablespoons water

About 2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken

2 cups raw veggies (whatever you have on hand, frozen, thawed is okay: chopped green beans, mini broccoli florets, chopped sugar snap peas, diced bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, etc)

¼ cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup pitted black olives

8 large lettuce leaves

1. Combine the tahini, lemon juice and zest, if using, cider vinegar, tamari and 2 tablespoons of the water in a medium bowl and whisk hard until smooth and well combined, adding an additional tablespoon of water, if necessary.

2. Add the chicken, green veggies, tomatoes, almonds and olives and toss gently to coat well.

3. Serve over lettuce leaves.

Yield: 4 servings

Day 2

Breakfast:

Leftover Chicken Tahini Salad with chopped boiled eggs

Lunch:

Last of the chicken, shredded, to stretch it, mixed with sundried tomato paste (in a tube), kalamata olives (from a jar) and chopped roasted red peppers (from a jar) in lettuce wraps. (I make my own tomato paste in the summer from overripe garden tomatoes. It tastes like manna and I promise to write a how-to article on the site in case you want to make it, too.)
Baby carrots

Dinner: Black Bean Salad

Dressing

Juice and zest of 1-2 limes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds (optional)

3/4 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cumin

Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Salad

2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 sweet bell pepper, diced

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 hass avocado, sliced

¼ cup roasted pepitas

4 veggie “boats” (such as hollowed out tomatoes, bell peppers, or cucumber halves), optional.

1. To make the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients from lime juice through pepper in a small bowl and whisk well to combine. Set aside.

2. To make the salad, combine the beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, and corn in a large bowl and add the dressing. Toss gently to coat.

3. Stuff equal portions into the veggie boats, if using, and top with avocado slices and pepitas to serve.

Yield: 4 generous servings

We snacked on nuts and nut butters with whatever fruit and veg crudités we had left. This "hurricane fare" was delicious and nutrient-packed. Contrary to popular opinion, you do not need to resort to cheese wiz and pop tarts to keep your family from starving when the lights go out.

*Note: If you buy a lot of meats in bulk and freeze fresh staples, it makes sense to invest in a small generator if you live in an area that loses power frequently. Once the worst of the actual storm has ended, you can crank up your generator and run it until power returns – in our case it was nearly a week. If you don’t have a generator and do lose all your food, however, your insurance may well cover the fiscal loss. Give them a call when your phone is back on and ask them about it. Keep the receipts of larger frozen purchases in a file to make this easier.

Buns and Wraps Revisited

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Swap out the sandwich starch for veggies.

There’s really no good nutritional reason for anyone to eat a lot of starchy food “wrappers” like burger buns or grain flour-based breads, especially in the summertime. In the hot weather your appetite will naturally diminish somewhat and you’ll feel better if you lighten up your starch load, in particular. But we love sandwiches of all kinds and having a wrapper makes them fun, tasty, convenient, and hardy. There’s not a whole lot of “oomph” to a turkey and cheese rollup sans wrapper. And what on earth are you supposed to do with bunless Sloppy Joe? Enter the summer superstars. Summer veggies provide the perfect answer to taste, convenience and satiety with triple, quadruple and even quintuple the cumulative nutrient impact. Try one of the three options below as a way to upgrade a nutrient-light summer sandwich.

Greens Wraps (raw or steamed)
Use any large leaf of a tender green as a sandwich or filling (like for chili or Sloppy Joe) substitute. Most large-leaf lettuces work really well for this, as do young collard or kale leaves. Choose your size, place your filling in the center, and roll it up to eat. You can also use stiff endive leaves as an edible “scoop” for meaty fillings.

Vegetable “Stuffies”
To work with mature collard or kale leaves or cabbage leaves, simply submerge the leaves in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until they reach desired tenderness, drain and use. If there is a tough spine, you can remove it by stacking the leaves and cutting down either side of the spine with a sharp knife. Use the leaves whole with a missing “V” where the stem/spine was, or slice them in half for smaller wraps.In place of buns, taco shells, or just for fun, hollow out raw vegetables such as large heirloom tomatoes (slice the tops off first) or peeled cucumbers (peel and halve them lengthwise first) with a melon baller. Or slice the tops off of bell peppers and remove the seeds and veins. Then stuff with any type of raw mayonnaise salad, cooked meat sauce, or any stuffing you enjoy. One of my favorite easy snacks or pre-workout breakfasts is to slice a raw sweet bell pepper in half, spread it with a little natural mayo, and stuff each half with half a hard-boiled egg. Crunchy and sweet with a touch of fat – it really hits the spot!

You can also soften bell peppers or poblano peppers by submerging in boiling water for 5 minutes and then draining well.

Looking for more protein?

Try an egg wrap.
There are several ways to make egg-based “wraps” or “crepes” that you can use as a container for anything, enchiladas, burritos, sandwich wraps, etc. One way is to thoroughly whisk together 3 whole eggs and ¾ teaspoon kudzu dissolved into 1½ teaspoons water, and then strain the mixture through a mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Oil a small nonstick skillet (something safe, like anodized aluminum – no Teflon!) and heat it over medium low. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of the strained mixture into the pan and swirl immediately to coat the bottom. The egg will cook up quickly, within about a minute to a minute and half. When it sets, gently release it by sliding under the edges and center with a spatula and slide or flip it onto a plate. Re-oil the pan before making the next wrap. This makes about 8 7-inch egg wraps.

Another method is to whisk together 4 egg whites with 3 tablespoons unsweetened plain almond milk or organic half and half. No need to strain this version – follow the rest of the directions above to get about 8 wraps.

These high-protein wraps will keep in your refrigerator for up to 48 hours. A delicious idea for a light summer meal is to spread a couple of these wraps with a light layer of mashed avocado or pesto sauce and stuff with shredded cold chicken and chopped salad greens – yum!

Get Raw with Naked Summer Veggie "Pasta"

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

It's early July and my garden is lousy with summer squash. I have a few different varieties, mostly heirloom. My favorite is the zephyr, a hybrid with firm flesh and beautiful half yellow, half striated green skin, but they are all delicious. Most of us recognize the classic varieties like the straightneck zucchini, yellow zuchini and yellow squash, but have you tried any others? It’s high season for squash right now and many farmers’ markets carry several choices in all their bright and bumpy glory. I love the firm flesh of the squat and stumpy “patty pans” or sunburst squash with their scalloped edges, deep yellow or pale green skins and green tips. They require a longer cooking time than the straightnecks and provide a creamy finished dish.

But it's hot out and I can't get all that excited about turning the oven on lately. Quick solution? Go raw. Hot summer weather is the perfect time to serve ultra-fresh veggies in their naked state. Summer vegetables are at the peak of their nutrients and flavor, and our bodies are best able to digest and assimilate raw foods in the hot months. Eating raw has a cooling effect on the body –not ideal in the colder months, but perfect for deep summer.

Raw veggies are also generally very low carb. And the ones with a high water content, such as summer squash, are considered “high volume” (lots of food – not so many calories), so can also be helpful for weight loss, especially when prepared simply with no heavy oils or butter.

As you may know, I eat about 90% paleo, and summer squash has become my favorite go-to “pasta”. In the summer you can run any variety through the grating attachment on your food processor and sauté it in a little bit of olive oil for a few minutes (drain any excess liquids before serving). Or you can go raw. This works best with the straightnecks (zucchini, yellow zucchini, summer squash): Wash them well and slice off the ends. Using a mandoline or a good vegetable peeler, slice the squash into long, thin noodles like pappardelle. With young and tender squash, you can go right through the skin and seeds and use the whole thing. If the squash is older and larger, slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds before slicing.

That’s it – you’re done! Pile up the raw “noodles” on your plate and top with absolutely any pasta sauce you love. The heat of the sauce will slightly tenderize the delicate slices. Want a purely raw dish? Try the utterly delicious recipe below made from more summer produce for a classic red sauce with a surprisingly rich flavor (sauce recipe inspired by Jennifer Cornbleet’s phenomenal concept).

Naked Summer Paleo Pasta

3 medium zucchini or yellow squash, unpeeled 2 ripe heirloom tomatoes, halved 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and quartered 1/2 cup sundried tomato strips in oil, well drained Small handful of fresh basil leaves 1 large clove garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon each salt and fresh ground pepper 3 tablespoons fruity extra virgin olive oil

Cut off the ends of the squash and slice them into long, thin, flat “noodles” with a vegetable peeler or mandoline. Set aside. Combine the tomatoes, pepper, sundried tomato strips, basil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a food processor. Drizzle the oil over all. Pulse a few times to break up the larger pieces, then process steadily, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the mixture forms a sauce that is mostly smooth. If the mixture is too thick, drizzle in a little more oil one teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings if necessary. Make a bed of the summer squash “noodles” and spoon the sauce over all. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

In Season: Blueberry Bonanza

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

You need a little patience to pick your own blueberries, but it’s worth it for the additional flavor and nutrient blast if you have a farm nearby. If not, supermarket -fresh are also terrific, but go organic if possible to avoid a heavy dose of pesticides. Frozen blueberries are able to hold much of their nutrient content, so that makes them an option for everyone. When the fresh berries are in season and at their lowest prices, as they are now, I buy double on each shopping trip, use half, and pop the other half in the freezer as is: unwashed and in their plastic containers. They freeze like a dream, without clumping, and you can enjoy their fresh flavors for a couple of months past their peak growing season.

In addition to being a high-fiber, low-sugar fruit, blueberries are also loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. In fact, blueberries have one of the highest ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) values of any food – the rating system for overall antioxidant impact - and they are number one among all fruits crowning them the antioxidant king.

1 cup: 84 calories, 0 grams fat, 21 grams carbohydrate (4 g fiber / 15 g sugar), 1 gram protein

Good source: Vitamins C, K, manganese and fiber

Look for: firm, plump, heavy berries with a deep purple or dark blue hue with a light silvery film on the outside.

Try them: raw, as is, as a dessert, in your smoothies, to top hot cooked breakfast grains, tossed into salads or pureed into a simple sauce for high-protein pancakes.

Blueberries have a low glycemic load of about 6, but wild blueberries are rock bottom at 1! Wild blueberries are also, unsurprisingly, higher in fiber. They have a very high concentration of anthocyanins, plus a group of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories which are helpful for eye health, improving night vision and actually reducing eye strain. But they are lower in total vitamin C levels.

It took me a little while to find the perfect balance for this recipe, but it is the best blueberry pie I’ve ever tasted. The trick is to keep the sweetener light (and low-glycemic load!) and use a bit of kudzu as the thickener so you get a clean, lightly gelled filling that provides the perfect vehicle to showcase the fabulous taste of the fresh raw berries. The crust is not low-cal, but it is low-carb, and it has a rich, full flavor and satisfying texture – great for all kinds of sweet pies. Though this is pretty much a paleo pie, it will get raves from the unbelievers in your clan, too.

Check out the Best Blueberry Pie Filling and Pie Crust recipes!

The Benefits of Seasonal Eating: Sultry Summer

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

To eat “seasonally” sounds exotic, but all it really means is to eat the foods that grow naturally in your local environment in each season. To not eat seasonally only became an option in the last hundred years or so. Prior to the turn of the century, people had no choice but to eat whatever was the local harvest at the time they were hungry.

With the advent of electric refrigeration, commercial food preservation and mass agricultural transport came liberation from our climate: people could keep food for longer periods and have access to foods that were grown in other areas. But with unlimited access to world produce came a dissociation from the local environment: the land, the climate, and the food it produces.

Why should we care about this? Because, despite the fact that we never acknowledge this simple truth, we are, in fact, animals. And there is an organic synchronicity between the plants that grow in the ground and the animals that eat them. The human body must adapt in a variety of ways to the challenges presented by each season.And here’s one of nature’s secrets: The foods from a particular season can help the body meet those challenges (such as colds, allergies, weight gain, etc.). Being separated from this system and eating out-of-season foods from elsewhere in the world can actually lead to a variety of bothersome health complaints.

By incorporating lots of local and seasonal foodsinto your regular diet, your family will be better able to tolerate the changes of each season. You will become more resilient to the onslaught of things like winter infections and spring allergies, and your digestion will gradually strengthen and improve.In short, you will be paddling downstream, with the current of physiological changes that occur in nature and in your animal body each season, not fighting against them.

The seasons vary according to where you live. Each season generates certain conditions, like extra heat or moisture, and those conditions have an effect on your body. In turn, eating certain foods can generate similar or complementary “conditions” inside the body itself, like cooling or drying. By understanding the specific qualities of each season, you can choose certain foods to help balance out that season’s impact on your body.

In the United States right now it's summertime. In this season the temperature heats up, so your body will want to cool down. You might experience cravings for cold, sweet or raw foods. You might feel lighter and more energetic than in the colder months, gravitating toward the outdoors. Your children will benefit from cooling water play on the hottest days, at the beach or under a sprinkler.

If you were able to burn off the extra winter fat in the spring, your body will be in balance, ready to receive the higher sugar levels of the summer fruits. If, on the other hand, your fat metabolism didn’t get triggered in the spring and your internal balance restored, your system will still be carbohydrate- and fat-overloaded and, when you eat summer sweets like fruits and cooling treats like ice creams, you'll be even more susceptible "bouncy" blood sugar.

Summer is the best time to eat raw foods because they are generally cooling in nature. Lunch or dinner salads make excellent summer meals. Cooking techniques that work well in the summer are grilling, simmering, steaming and fast sautéing. In the summer, it is natural to eat a little more lightly than in the colder months: this has a balancing effect after months of heavier winter meals. You may also find that you or your children are simply less hungry when it’s hot outside.

Top Three Reasons to Eat More Seasonal Produce

1.    It’s fresher. Food growing in season often has a shorter transit time from farm to table: the quicker a food is eaten after harvesting, the more nutrients and vital energy it packs. Visit your local farmer’s market to get the absolute freshest choices.

2.    It’s succulent and richest in flavor. Fresh seasonal foods taste great. Because they are so flavorful, you can prepare them simply, without a lot of “dressing up”, and you can use the extra time to linger over your delicious meals.

3.    It’s plentiful. With high availability, the cost goes down in supermarkets and unusual seasonal foods are easier to find. Choose organic when you can and enjoy the reduced prices.

The California Roll Makeover

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

The California Roll is probably the first American sushi. It is also the most popular in the U.S., though many purists struggle to call it true sushi as the classic form is made with a cooked imitation crab stick. Sources vary about when it was first developed, but it was sometime in the late ‘60’s or early 70’s when a progressive Japanese sushi chef from a California restaurant called Tokyo Kaikan started combining the crab stick with avocado, cucumber, and caviar (tobiko) inside a thick roll of sweet and salty rice rolled up in a sheet of nori (nakamaki style).

Because of the high sugar, salt and white rice content, most sushi isn’t a great fit for a lower-carb lifestyle. Sashimi, sushi’s naked cousin, is a terrific fit as it is generally only an exquisitely cut piece of high quality raw fish over a delicate veggie garnish, such as daikon radish threads, with a simple soy sauce dip – no carbs anywhere on the plate. But many of us long for the addictive tangy-sweet-fishy taste combination of the beloved California roll.

I took a stab at recreating the essential flavors of the California roll while increasing the nutrient punch and decreasing the carb content. The result? The California Roll Salad. It’s a bit labor intensive, but not as much as sushi and it goes quickly. I replaced the fake crab with shrimp, but you are welcome to use the crab stick (chopped) instead if you like. I love the pickled ginger condiment served with sushi so decided to make a ginger-based dressing to bring that in. Carrot, shallot and red miso fill the dressing with richness, body and a nice array of nutrients, including antioxidants, sulfur, flavonoids, and probiotics. It’s lightly sweetened with a touch of rice syrup or coconut nectar, both low glycemic sweeteners, and I included a scant cup of brown rice for the mouth feel, but you can leave that out if you want to keep it super low carb.

The California Roll Salad

Filling and Garnish

¼ cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon low-sodium, gluten-free tamari,

1 tablespoon rice syrup or coconut nectar

1 pound medium cooked shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 cup cooked brown rice, optional (room temperature)

2 sheets nori

Dressing

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

¼ cup chopped shallot

3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

¼ cup red miso

¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons rice syrup or coconut nectar

Water, if necessary, to thin

Salad

6 cups chopped Romaine hearts

1 cucumber seeded and julienned (or chopped, to save time)

1 carrot, peeled and julienned (or grated, to save time)

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

Combine the vinegar, tamari and rice syrup in a large nonreactive bowl and whisk until well mixed. Add the shrimp and rice and toss to coat. Set aside.

Heat a large burner to medium (if gas) or medium high (if electric) and drag each nori sheet directly across the flame or burner several times on each side until lightly toasted. Stack the sheets and fold them twice over to get a rectangle. Using a very sharp knife, slice the sheets into thin strips and set aside.

Combine the carrots, shallot, ginger, miso, vinegar, oil, and rice syrup in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. The dressing should be thick, but pourable. Add a tablespoon or two of water if you need to thin it out.

In a large salad bowl combine the lettuce, cucumber, carrot and avocado. Drain the rice and shrimp in a colander or double mesh sieve and add them to the salad. Toss to combine. Cover the salad liberally with dressing and top with the nori strips just before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

Zesty Pesto

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ingredients

•    1 ½ packed cups fresh cilantro (I also made it with lemon basil from my garden – out of this world!)
•    Juice of 1 small lime
•    1 tablespoon mellow white miso
•    ¼ cup pignoli nuts
•    Drizzle of olive oil, optional

Directions

In a food processor, combine the cilantro, lime juice, miso and nuts and process until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as necessary. If you didn’t get much lime juice and your mixture is a little dry, drizzle in a few teaspoons of olive oil until pesto reaches desired consistency.

Yield: about 1 cup pesto

Pesto Deconstructed

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

There's nothing in the world like fresh pesto – it's a garden party of bright fresh herbs in your mouth. It's also remarkably easy to make, endlessly versatile, and batches very well. Pesto is one of the secret weapons for fast, clean-food cooking. You will save a lot of time at the 5pm witching hour if you cook a few plain staples on the weekend and just take a few minutes to flavor them up at mealtime when everyone is starving.

It's a good idea to roast one or two whole chickens or grill a few pounds of chicken breasts, steaks, or hardy fish fillets when you have some time on Sunday. Then, when they have cooled in the fridge, take a moment to slice them thinly and store them in easy access (glass) containers. Voila- protein at the ready. But no one is into plain meat meal after meal, so you need to have a few plans for quickie dress ups for lunches and dinners. You can do super-fast soups or protein-based salads during the week, and/or keep some terrific sauces on hand for the simplest tasty meals.

Enter the pesto… It lasts all week in the fridge and needs no cooking. A flavorful pesto turns both cold and hot meat or seafood into instant gourmet. It's also spectacular on simple steamed or raw veggies, and I even drop a dollop into bowls of soup now and again. With its concentrated fresh herbs, healthy oils, and nuts or seeds, pesto is not only a flavor party, but also a nutrient powerhouse. She can dance and sing!

Starting sometime in mid-summer I start “putting up” different pestos to have on hand all winter. During the hot months the herbs and delicate greens that provide the foundation for all pesto's are ultra-fresh, at their peak nutrient density, plentifully available and cheap! This is a bonus because prepared pesto, though convenient, is an expensive commodity at the supermarket.

The primary base for a single batch of simple pesto is 1-2 packed cups of leafy, relatively mild herbs or delicate lettuce greens, such as basil (any type), cilantro, mint, baby spinach, or arugula. You can also toss in small amounts of delicate greens that have a more intense flavor to punch up a plainer pesto. Some of my favorites are mustard greens, thyme, rosemary, and lemon balm.

To turn the herb base into a pesto you need to add some form of light binder, usually around ¼ cup of juice and/or oil. The sky is the limit here, but some of my favorite binders include lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit juice, and olive, almond, mustard seed or macadamia nut oils. You can also include a few tablespoons of Parmesan, cottage cheese, feta or a light miso paste (for dairy-free) to give it a little depth, but those are optional additions.

Finally, it's wonderful to give your pesto creation a bit of body and toothiness by adding ¼-1/3 cup of nuts or seeds, such as pine nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, or walnuts.

To make your pesto, combine 1-2 packed cups of delicate greens, about ¼ cup of juice and or oil, and ¼-1/3 cups nuts or seeds in a food processor and process to desired consistency, scraping down the sides as necessary. If it's too dry, add a little more oil. If it's too wet, add more greens. Taste it and adjust the seasonings to your liking. You'll usually want to add a few sprinkles of salt and fresh ground pepper, at least. I will also sometimes add a dash or two of tasty vinegar, some chopped shallot or garlic, or even a few soaked sundried tomatoes if it needs a little zing.

To batch it, simply double or triple the recipe and pack the extra into an ice cube tray (for single servings) or small freezer-safe zip closure bags (for family-sized portions). Chill the packaged pesto to refrigerator temperature (4 hours to overnight in the fridge), then simply place in the freezer. The baggies are fine as is. Once the “cubes” have frozen, pop them out and store them in a larger freezer bag to grab anytime. It works best to thaw frozen pesto in the fridge overnight, but in a pinch you can also thaw it in its plastic in a warm water bath.

Following are a few flavor combinations I love: 1 1/2 packed cups mint leaves + zest of 1 orange + 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice (or 1 of OJ and 1 of apple cider vinegar) + 3 tablespoons olive oil + ¼ cup roasted cashews + sprinkles of sea salt. This is divine over lamb or grilled shellfish. Or try 1 packed cup basil leaves + ½ packed cup arugula + juice and zest of 1 lemon + ¼ cup olive oil + ¼ cup fresh-grated Parmesan + ¼ cup toasted walnuts + 2 roasted cloves garlic + sprinkles salt and fresh ground pepper. This is a classic and loves to dress up chicken, steak, fish, steamed vegetables or hot grains.

My current August favorite is this Zesty Pesto below – I can't get enough of it! It's amazing over grilled fish. I've even been enjoying it spread thinly on the meat part of my meat and nuts breakfast.

Check out the Zesty Pesto recipe!

California Roll Salad

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Filling and Garnish

¼ cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon low-sodium, gluten-free tamari,

1 tablespoon rice syrup or coconut nectar

1 pound medium cooked shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 cup cooked brown rice, optional (room temperature)

2 sheets nori

Dressing

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

¼ cup chopped shallot

3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

¼ cup red miso

¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons rice syrup or coconut nectar

Water, if necessary, to thin

Salad

6 cups chopped Romaine hearts

1 cucumber seeded and julienned (or chopped, to save time)

1 carrot, peeled and julienned (or grated, to save time)

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

Combine the vinegar, tamari and rice syrup in a large nonreactive bowl and whisk until well mixed. Add the shrimp and rice and toss to coat. Set aside.

Yield: 4 servings

Brighten Up Your Diet: Eat a Color You Haven't Eaten Lately

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Nutrition has to be simple, as I learned from one of my top mentors Robert Crayhon. Depending on the study, most Americans center their diet around 12 to 17 foods. With French fries being the most commonly eaten vegetable. Ketchup being often the only fruit product they consume. A trick I use when working with new clients is to give them this homework: “next time you go grocery shopping, put three new colors in your shopping cart”.

Why?

Phytonutrients are associated with colors. What are phytonutrients? Phytonutrients are plant-based compounds that offer multiple health benefits through their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory or other properties. Many of the bright colors, flavors and aromas in fruits and vegetables are attributed to phytonutrients.

Here are the associations you can make for three specific colors:

• Beta-carotene can be associated to the color orange: mangoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, apricot, cantaloupe, carrots. Beta-carotene is most beneficial to the eyes and skin.

• Lycopene is associated with pink/red: tomato, pink grapefruit, guava, watermelon. The greater the content of lycopene in your diet, the lower your risk of cancer.

• Anthocyanins are associated to the colors reds and purple. Anthocyanins protect the brain, heart and eyes. You will find anthocyanins in cabbage, purple or red grapes, raspberries, red apples, Acai berries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries (or sauce), red wine, eggplant, plums, prunes, red pear, red pepper and strawberries.

Of course there are more colors in nature such as green and yellow, and hence more phytonutrients. The point being very simply, that if you vary your colors, you broaden the source of phytonutrients. For those who find eating vegetables and fruits challenging, we have three types of powdered concentrated phytonutrients:

• Primal Greens
• Primal Reds
• Phyto Px

For example, 5 teaspoons a day of Primal Greens is the equivalent of 4 large green vegetables. Rugby and American Football teams are particularly fond of these products, as they are a convenient way to ingest large quantities of phytonutrients, and alkalize the body. Most athletes from these sports are not likely to consume many vegetables unless you make it very convenient for them with a concentrated powder.

Risks and Benefits of Soy

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Some say its health food and should be consumed regularly, even supplemented, others say its dangerous - hide the children, lock the doors and protect yourself from the soy!!!!

Lets look at the recent literature about soy. Soy contains phyto-estrogens, which are the plants hormones that are molecularly very similar to human hormones. They can bind weakly to estrogen receptors in the body. For people with estrogen-sensitive tumors (e.g. some breast cancers of prostate cancer) its not such a good idea to have these receptor sites over-stimulated.

Menopausal women who have ovaries, which no longer produce the estrogen they once did, may benefit from this hormonal boost.

It's all a matter of moderation and suitability. Excess intake of soy can have adverse hormonal effects involving the reproductive organs and the thyroid. Soy decreases testosterone so men may experience low libido and decreased sperm count. Women may experience an array of symptoms since the thyroid gland will also be affected. When there is too much soy in the system, a woman may complain of fatigue, low libido, heavy menstrual flow, cramping, infertility, depression, hair loss, dry skin and weight gain. It is the genistein that has been blamed for the "irreversible damage" to the enzyme that synthesizes thyroid hormone.

The processing of soy also makes it a less than desirable food item since the process involves chemicals, such as aluminum, high heat and pressure, robbing it of nutrients it may have had. The high temperature denatures the protein so that it is virtually useless as a protein source. Some people even refer to soy as an anti-nutrient since it contains protease inhibitors, phytates, saponins, isoflavones which interfere with nutrient digestion, mineral absorption, and the immune system.

Phytic acid, from the hull, is the part that blocks mineral absorption especially calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Unfortunately, cooking soy does not deactivate the phytates like it does for other foods that are high in phytic acid. Other vitamins actually increase their requirements when soy is consumed, such as Vitamins E, K, D and B12.

Trypsin is an enzyme that is responsible for the breakdown of proteins and this action is blocked by soy. When proteins are not completely broken down they tend to putrefy in the gut leading to a host of GI symptoms. Research has also shown that when trypsin is continuously inhibited that the pancreas is prone to pathologies, including cancer.

Soy also contains a substance that promotes red blood cells to clot and together with trypsin, this dynamic duo has been shown to inhibit growth. Fermenting soy products inactivates these harmful effects.

It is also important to note that there are many hidden sources of soy including margarine, ice cream, pastas, bread, chips, cereals, canned tuna, fast-food burgers and vegetable oil.

For more information about the deception of the soy industry, read the book, The Whole Soy Story, By Kaayla Daniel. She claims that a safe level of soy is less than 36 g a day, which is similar to what is eaten in Japan, the country with the highest soy consumption. (As a comparison, a cup of tofu weighs 252 g.)

OK, so let's finish with saying something positive about soy. Did you know that soy has the potential to be a plant-based renewable resource that could replace petroleum-based plastics and fuels? Now that's good news for our children!

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Low Carb Nutrition

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

What are some advantages and disadvantages of a low carb nutrition approach?

There are many advantages to low carb nutrition, which is why I tend to use this dietary method with about 75 percent of my clients. But, low carb nutrition is not for everybody. There are some genotypes that do very poorly on a low carb diet.

If you are interested in a low carb diet to lose fat, be aware of what the best-selling author and dietitian Jonny Bowden would say, “You need to approach your fat loss system like you would approach relationships: with daily attention, nurturing, support, crisis management, intervention, focus, attention, consciousness, and mindfulness. It requires good negotiation skills. All the things we don't tend to have when it comes to food”!

The Advantages of Low Carb Eating

It promotes muscle gains while reducing fat stores
I am not a believer in the bulk-up/get lean approach of hypertrophy training. For 75 percent of the population, I strongly believe that if you want to gain lean body mass while losing fat, the low carb approach is most effective, especially if you are takings supplements that enhance insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity tends to improve on low carb diets, making the fat loss that you achieve more sustainable.

It is very valuable in treating dyslipidemia or high cholesterol
Low carb diets are particularly effective at reducing high cholesterol and elevated triglycerides. The effect of a low carb diet on raising the good form of cholesterol is not as drastic. but overall, low carb eating will improve the HDL:LDL ratio in a manner that significantly reduces cardiovascular health risk.

It reduces inflammation
Many patients will report reduced joint pain while following a low carb diet. High insulin levels that come from high carb eating are linked with inflammation markers, and more inflammation in the body leads to joint pain. In addition, another cardiovascular health risk marker called C-reactive protein will go down very rapidly when a low carb diet is followed.

It improves blood sugar and insulin levels
Blood sugar management is probably one of the biggest benefits of low carb diets. Almost 68 percent of Americans are pre-diabetic. Insulin, which is a hormone that is secreted by the pancreas in response to eating carbs, increases aging and inflammation when it is consistently elevated. Managing insulin is one of the best ways to promote a healthy long life. An added benefit of improving blood sugar is reduced mood swings and less likelihood of binging on food because you won’t feel hungry or crave high sugar foods.

It lowers blood pressure
Low carb diets reduce inflammation, which lowers blood pressure.

It increases energy
Greater energy levels is a very common report of low carb dieters. In studies that test the effect of mood and low carb diets, psychological test results always indicate greater well being from low carb eating, likely due to better management of blood sugar. As nutrition expert Robert Crayhon says, “if you want more energy, take care of your mitochondria.” Lower insulin levels help manage the energy producing capacities of mitochondria.

Disadvantages of Low Carb Eating

It tends to be bland
Low carb eating is thought to be bland, but this is not a reality. There are plenty of resources such as cook books like Living the Low Carb Life by Jonny Bowden that provide you with a wealth of recipes (www.jonnybowden.com).

Food prep time is greater
The meat content is typically greater with low carb eating making more time necessary to prepare food. Cooking a steak takes more time than making a sandwich. But again, there are solutions. If you use salad instead of the pita, you can do low carb wraps in a flash.

Constipation is often an issue
That can be off-set by taking in a mixture of ground flax seed hulls and ground fenugreek seeds first thing in the morning. Besides providing the body with many forms of fibers, it helps detoxify the body daily and improves insulin sensitivity.

Possible nutrients deficiencies
Anytime you eat a specific diet and abstain from certain foods, you can become deficient in certain nutrients. I recommend that everyone take a high-quality, broad nutrient multi-vitamin supplement.

This goes along with a varied plan of antioxidant supplementation that changes every week. To make it simple, I change the color of the antioxidants I take. For example, the first product may have 5 to 6 flavonoids like limonene (so the base color is yellow), and the next week, I switch to purple so that I use a formula that has grape seed extract, bilberry, and others.

Hey, It’s All About the Calories, Right? Not!

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Gather round, folks, cause I’m gonna tell you a story.

Once upon a time- around 1890 actually- a scientist named Wilbur Atwater got the bright idea of putting food into a special machine, burning it and measuring the amount of heat it produced. The machine was called a calorimeter, and old Wilbur decided to call the energy produced by burning the food into ash “calories”. Thus he was able to figure how many calories were contained in just about any food you could think of.

Shortly afterwards, scientists applied the same concept to exercise. Using a few calculations, they soon figured out how many calories were “burned” doing everything from sleeping to cross-country skiing.

Within no time, an idea was born: weight gain happened when a person took in more calories than he burned up. The body, it was reasoned, behaves like a calorimeter. Put in calories (from food) use up calories (from living, exercising, digesting, etc) and look at your balance sheet. If more is coming in than going out, you gain weight. If more goes out than came in, you lose. Simple. Especially if the body behaved like a calorimeter.

But it doesn’t.

The people who sell empty, useless, nutritionally dead calories- sugar anyone? - love the calorie theory. According to them, since weight loss is only a matter of eating less calories, sugar is perfectly acceptable. Just don’t eat so many darn calories and you won’t get fat. If you do, says the sugar industry, don’t blame us. Sugar doesn’t cause weight gain, as long as you don’t eat more calories than you “burn”.

‘Course that ignores all the other things that sugar does besides provide (empty) calories: like raise blood sugar, depress the immune system, rob the body of calcium and use up mineral stores. But that’s another story.

Then there’s one other itty bitty problem: the body doesn’t behave like a calorimeter. It behaves like a chemistry lab.

Here’s an example: Eat a bar that’s 100 calories of sugar. Your blood sugar jumps up. The pancreas responds with a big shot of insulin, whose job it is to bring blood sugar down. In some people it doesn’t do such a great job, leaving them with high blood sugar and high insulin, both risk factors for heart disease. In others it does the job OK, but the sugar winds up in the fat cells. Either way, you lose. And we’re not talking about losing fat!

On the other hand, let’s say you eat a bar that’s 100 calories of protein, fat and fiber. The protein provides nutrients necessary for the building of the body’s architecture- bones, muscles, enzymes, neurotransmitters. It also makes you feel full so you’re less likely to overeat. The fiber slows the entrance of sugar into the bloodstream and also helps protect against cancer. The fat provides important building blocks for cell membranes and hormones. Protein has only a mild effect on blood sugar and insulin, and neither fiber nor fat have any effect at all. While both bars are equal from a calorie point of view, they are anything but equal from the point of view of hormones, fat storage and health.

The effect of different sources of calories on blood sugar and hormones like insulin is one of the most important concepts in nutrition, and one which dieticians still haven’t figured out

The bottom line: Eat foods that have the least impact on blood sugar- fiber, for example, and fat, along with green leafy vegetables, low sugar fruit and plenty of protein, all of which provide nutrients, building blocks and health benefits. Sugar on the other hand provides none of those, and will instead keep you on the blood sugar roller coaster that inevitably leads to health problems such as obesity.

So if you’re looking only at calories, you’re missing the fine print. Take two typical “low carb bars. While both have about 200 calories, Bar One has only 1 measly gram of fiber, 14 grams of protein, and 20 grams of sugar alcohols. Bar Two, on the other hand, has a whopping 10 grams of fiber, 19 grams of protein and a mere 4 grams of sugar alcohols, a sweetener which usually does not have a significant impact on blood sugar or insulin.

That’s the fine print that’s missing if you only pay attention to calories. Calories do matter- but they’re very far from the whole story.

Remember, God is in the details- or in this case, in the fine print.

Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS is the author of the Poliquin Manual for Nutrition. He's a board certified nutritionist, a nationally known expert on weight loss, health and nutrition, and the best-selling author of 8 books including “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth”. Visit him at www.jonnybowden.com

What The Heck Are Net Carbs Anyway?

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Adapted from Living the Low Carb Life Carb Counter

Let’s go back for a minute and think about the reason behind the low-carb approach. Remember? It’s to control blood sugar and insulin. After all, why try to limit carbohydrates to a reasonably low level in the first place? Because you’re trying to get off the blood sugar roller coaster. By limiting huge spikes in blood sugar, and the unhealthy sustained levels of insulin that follow for many people, you’re helping to both control weight and turn off the constant signal to the body to “store that fat”! And of course, in addition to weight loss, you’re also getting all the dramatic health benefits of lower triglycerides in the bargain.

OK then. So the reason we’re interested in controlling carbs is because high carb intake for most people raises blood sugar way higher than we want it to be. But here’s the deal: because of the weird way that the government measures carbs, a lot of stuff gets mixed together under the heading “carbohydrate” on the nutrition facts label. But not all carbohydrates listed on the label are created equal.

Here’s why: The measurement of carbs on a label is done through something called “the difference method”. The difference method works like this: If I’m talking to a roomful of 100 people, and I want to know how many men are in the room, I can simply count up the total number of people (100), count up the number of women (let’s say 40) and subtract the number of women from the total (100-40 =60). What’s left is 60 people, which can reasonably assumed to be men, (assuming of course that no aliens have taken residence in the lecture hall)

Well that’s how carbs are measured. They take the total number of calories, add up the protein and the fat, and figure what’s left is the carbs.

That’s perfectly fine. Except that under that “carb” label are some things we really don’t care about from a blood sugar point of view. For example: fiber. If you pricked your finger and did a glucose (blood sugar) reading, and then downed a glass of pure psyillium husks or even unsweetened Metamucil (I know, disgusting, but stay with me here), and then you re-measured your blood afterwards, it wouldn’t move at all. Fiber simply has no effect on blood sugar because it’s basically not digested. But because of the “difference method” fiber is “counted” on the nutrition facts label as a carbohydrate. Yet low-carbers don’t need to worry about the grams of fiber when counting carbs.

So we subtract them. At the most basic level, net (or effective) carbs are simply the total number of carbs in the label minus the fiber. So, for example, if you have a serving of raspberries and it contains 14 grams of carbohydrate but 8 of them are fiber, your net carbs are 6. These are the ones you “count”. These are the ones that affect your blood sugar.

Of course, when it comes to processed foods like bars, packaged mixes, ready to drink shakes and the like, it gets just a bit more complicated, but the same principle applies. The manufacturers of these products subtract fiber from the total carb content, but they also subtract sugar alcohols and glycerine. The basic idea is that these compounds don’t appreciably impact blood sugar either (at least for the majority of non-diabetic people, and even for many diabetics) so we don’t need to “count” them as part of the total carb content.

On any nutrition facts label the manufacturer is required to give you the total carbs and the fiber grams, so you can do that part of the calculation yourself. Sugar alcohols and their relatives (for example glycerine) are not necessarily listed on the facts label, so you really have no way of knowing how to account for them. But in products marketed to the carb conscious consumer they’ll tell you, often giving you the net carb count right on the label. Not all manufacturers are as conscientious and scrupulous as, for example, Atkins, so it’s kind of a crapshoot with many of the products as to whether or not their net carb counts are accurate (Atkins’ are, and so are a few other companies).

Remember though, that not everyone has an insignificant blood sugar response to sugar alcohols (though virtually everyone does to fiber). And some sugar alcohols- maltitol for example, have turned out to raise blood sugar after all, though not as much as sugar itself. Be careful. Lots of sugar alcohols can definitely upset the applecart and just might screw up your weight loss efforts.

As always, respect your individual differences, experiment, and see how it works in your life.

The take home point: you’re interested in the impact the food you’re eating has on your blood sugar and your hormones, and that’s what the net carb count tells you.

The Top Ten Ways to Cut Back on Sugar

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Ever tried to cut back- or even eliminate- sugar? It’s not so easy.

Nature gave us a sweet tooth for a reason- and it wasn’t just to frustrate our diet efforts!

We humans – unlike other animals- don’t make our own vitamin C. Vitamin C is most abundant in fruits. So nature gave us taste buds that would make these relatively sweet tasting foods desirable.

Unfortunately the whole system has become deregulated since just about everything you buy now has sugar in it, and there’s a huge disconnect between the purpose of our original wiring- to make sure we got enough vitamin C- and the way that wiring is used today (to make sure we get enough Krispy Kreme donuts!)

Giving up- or cutting back- on sugar is no picnic. But the rewards are tremendous. Eliminating (or even reducing) sugar can benefit your health in more ways than you can imagine.

Here’s a list of my Top Ten Ways to Start Reducing Sugar, taken directly from my “Diet Boot Camp” program.

1. Don’t add it to foods. This is the easiest and most basic way to immediately reduce the amount of sugar you’re eating. Biggest targets: cereal, coffee and tea.

2. Don’t be fooled by “healthy sugar” disguises. Brown sugar, turbinado sugar, raw sugar, agave nectar … it’s all pretty much the same thing as far as your body is concerned.

3. Make a real effort to reduce or eliminate processed carbohydrates. Most processed carbs — breads, bagels, most pastas and snacks — are loaded with flour and other ingredients that convert to sugar in the body almost as fast as pure glucose. That sugar gets stored as triglycerides, which is a fancy way of saying fat.

4. Watch out for “fat-free” snacks. One of the biggest myths is that if a food is fat-free it doesn’t make you fat. Fat-free doesn’t mean calorie-free, and most fat-free snacks are loaded with sugar.

5. Shop for color. The more your grocery basket looks like a cornucopia of color, the better. It usually means you’re getting more fresh vegetables and low-glycemic fruits such as berries and cherries.?

6. Become a food detective. This tip is from author and nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, who adds, “To reduce sugar, you have to know where it is first.” Start reading labels.

7. Beware of artificial sweeteners. Unfortunately, they can increase cravings for sugar and carbohydrates. They can also deplete the body’s stores of chromium, a nutrient crucial for blood-sugar metabolism.

8. Do the math. Look at the label where it says “total sugars” and divide the number of grams by four. That’s the number of teaspoons of sugar you are ingesting. This exercise alone should scare the pants off you.

9. Limit fruit. (Notice I didn’t say “eliminate.”) Fruit has sugar, but it also has fiber and good nutrients. Just don’t overdo it. For weight-loss purposes, keep it to two servings a day and try to make most of them low-glycemic (grapefruit, apples, berries)

10. Eliminate fruit juice. It’s a pure sugar hit with none of the fiber and less of the nutrients that are found in the fruit itself. Possible exceptions: “Pure” pomegranate juice or any of the other “Just Juices”- but only if you’re not “sugar sensitive”

Given that there’s added sugar in almost everything you buy commercially- from French Fries to yogurt- you may not be able to totally eliminate sugar from your diet. But to the extent that you can, your body- and your brain- will thank you! You’ll be giving your health a tremendous boost!

Debunking the Blue Agave Myth

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Agave syrup (nectar) is basically high-fructose corn syrup masquerading as a health food.

Sorry. Don't kill the messenger.

It's easy to understand how agave syrup got its great reputation. Even the word "Agave" has a fine pedigree, coming from the Greek word for noble. The blue agave species- considered the best for the making agave nectar -- flourishes in rich volcanic soil. (It's also the only variety permitted to be used for the making of tequila.) And extracts from the agave plant have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Unfortunately there's zero evidence that any of those compounds are present in the commercially made syrup.

Agave nectar is an amber-colored liquid that pours more easily than honey and is considerably sweeter than sugar. The health-food crowd loves it because it is gluten-free and suitable for vegan diets, and, most especially, because it's low-glycemic (we'll get to that in a moment). Largely because of its very low glycemic impact, agave nectar is marketed as "diabetic friendly". What's not to like?

As it turns out, quite a lot.

Agave nectar has a low-glycemic index for one reason only: it's largely made of fructose, which although it has a low-glycemic index, is probably the single most damaging form of sugar when used as a sweetener. With the exception of pure liquid fructose, agave nectar has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener.

All sugar -- from table sugar to HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup) to honey -- contains some mixture of fructose and glucose. Table sugar is 50/50, HFCS is 55/45. Agave nectar is a whopping 90 percent fructose, almost -- but not quite -- twice as high as HFCS.

Fructose -- the sugar found naturally in fruit -- is perfectly fine when you get it from whole foods like apples (about 7 percent fructose) -- it comes with a host of vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. But when it's commercially extracted from fruit, concentrated and made into a sweetener, it exacts a considerable metabolic price.

Research shows that it's the fructose part of sweeteners that's the most dangerous. Fructose causes insulin resistance and significantly raises triglycerides (a risk factor for heart disease). It also increases fat around the middle which in turn puts you at greater risk for diabetes, heart disease and Metabolic Syndrome (AKA pre-diabetes) .

And fructose has been linked to non-alcoholic, fatty-liver disease. Rats that were given high fructose diets developed a number of undesirable metabolic abnormalities including elevated triglycerides, weight gain and extra abdominal fat.

In the agave plant, most of the sweetness comes from a particular kind of fructose called inulin, which actually has some health benefits -- it's considered a fiber. But there's not much inulin left in the actual syrup. In the manufacturing process, enzymes are added to the inulin to break it down into digestible sugar (fructose), resulting in a syrup that has a fructose content that is, at best, 57 percent and -- much more commonly -- as high as 90 percent.

"Agave syrup is almost all fructose, highly processed sugar with great marketing," said Dr. Ingrid Kohlstadt, a fellow of the American College of Nutrition and an associate faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. "Fructose interferes with healthy metabolism when (consumed) at higher doses", she told me. "Many people have fructose intolerance like lactose intolerance. They get acne or worse diabetes symptoms even though their blood [sugar] is OK".

Agave nectar syrup is a triumph of marketing over science. True, it has a low-glycemic index, but so does gasoline -- that doesn't mean it's good for you.

If you simply must have some sweets, a small amount of agave nectar every once in a while isn't going to kill you. Just don't buy into the idea that it's any better for you than plain old sugar or HFCS.

In some ways, it may even be slightly worse.

Sugar—The food that kills!

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

The evidence against sugar continues to mount-- now there’s good evidence that sugar in the diet may contribute to heart disease risk.

Researchers looked at the diets of over 6,000 people over the course of 7 years (from 1999-2006) and put each person in one of 5 groups depending on the percentage of added sugars in their diets.

Those who consumed less than 5% of total calories as added sugars were the reference group; the second group consumed between 5-10% of total calories as added sugars, the third group 10%-17.5%, the fourth group 17.5% to just under 25%, and the fifth group consumed a whopping 25% or more of total calories as added sugars.

Next the researchers looked at measures in the blood known to be associated with heart disease. Among other things they looked at HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels, triglycerides and ratio of triglycerides to HDL (a low ratio means very low risk for heart disease).

Here’s what they found.

If you were in the groups that consumed higher levels of added sugar, you were 50% to 300% (!) more likely to have low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

You were also far more likely to have high triglyceride levels (which I consider far more serious than high cholesterol), and a high ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol.

We already know that sugar raises levels of insulin, the fat-storage hormone, and in that way can contribute to diabetes and obesity.

This research shows that added sugars can contribute to heart disease risk as well.

The Raw Truth about Meal Replacements

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

“I’m in a hurry to get things done,
Oh, I rush and rush until life’s no fun,
All I really gotta do is live and die,
But I’m in a hurry and don’t know why.”

These lyrics from the hit country song “I’m in a Hurry” by Alabama represent the way many of us look at meal preparation. There’s no time. In America, the business community reacted to the problem by developing fast-food restaurants with popular finger foods such as chicken nuggets, hamburgers, fries, apple pies and even a few salads with nutritional labels placed right on the package!

One nutritional solution for those who have overscheduled their life is the usual meal replacement shakes – and no, this doesn’t mean replacing McDonalds with Taco Bell. It refers to using quality food ingredients in various combinations of the three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fats. And despite its name, meal replacements should only replace some meals – not all of them.

There are many reasons to use meal replacements, and there is legitimate scientific research to support their use. Two frequently cited studies looked at weight loss with meal replacements.

The March 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association published the results of a year-long study of 64 overweight women, ages 18 to 55, who expressed an interest in losing between 20 and 40 pounds. One of the unique characteristics of the women involved in this study is that all claimed they had been unsuccessful in changing their eating habits. The women were divided into two groups and were placed on 1,200-calorie diets. The control group was given a standard diet, while the other group consumed three milk-based, 220-calorie meal replacement drinks totaling 680 calories (meaning that the remaining 520 calories consumed were from whole foods, primarily fruits and vegetables). The result is that after three months, both groups lost 3-6 pounds, but at the end of 52 weeks the group that used the meal replacement product kept the weight off while the whole-food group regained the weight loss. Discipline in a can!

Published in October 2004 in the International Journal of Obesity were the results of a six-month study with 63 overweight subjects, 50 female and 12 male, with an average age of about 49 years. Their daily nutrition consisted of one whole-food meal per day and two milk-based meal replacement drinks, with a total daily calorie intake of 800 to 1,800 calories. The subjects were instructed to walk three times a week for 30 minutes. Six months into the nutrition program, there was a mean decrease of seven percent body weight.

The meal replacements used in these studies were very commercial, with a high amount of sugar (220 calories and 34 grams of sugar); the ingredients in one brand consisted primarily of milk, cocoa and two types of sugar. But before getting into what constitutes a good meal replacement, let’s look at the origins of this type of product – which, incidentally, falls into the category of infant formulas.

A Brief History of Infant Formulas
The first infant formula was developed in 1867, consisting of cow’s milk, wheat flour, malt flour and potassium bicarbonate, and the first soy formula was introduced in 1929. The most famous developer was Henri Nestlé, whose company Nestlé employs about 265,000 individuals; in 2007 Nestlé reported a profit of $9.7 billion.

Born in Frankfort, Germany, Nestlé came from a family of 14 children, half of whom died before reaching adulthood. In the mid-1860s, Nestle used his training in pharmacy to address the issue of infant mortality due to malnutrition by developing a healthy, economical alternative for mothers who could not breastfeed. With the help of Jean Balthasar Schnetzler, a scientist in nutrition, Nestlé made the formula easier to digest by removing the acid and the starch in wheat flour. Nestlé called the new product Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé.

The early days of infant formula eventually involved into meal replacement powders for athletes, primarily bodybuilders. One of the most popular formulas among bodybuilders in the ’70s was called Blair’s Protein, developed by Irvin Johnson (who changed his name to Rheo H. Blair on the advice of an astrologer). It was a delicious mixture – described as having the taste of soft ice cream – and was reportedly the favorite of six Mr. Olympias. However, because it contained approximately 25 percent lactose, it often caused gastrointestinal distress.

The two major types of meal replacement formulas manufactured today use whey or soy as their primary protein source. One reason that soy was introduced to infant formulas was to deal with infants who are allergic to cow’s milk; however, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that infants who are allergic to cow’s milk should not be given soy milk because 50 percent of those allergic to cow’s milk are also allergic to soy milk. Soy can be bad news, especially for men due to its effect in decreasing serum testosterone. To learn why soy is such a poor choice for a meal replacement, pick up a copy of Dr. Kaayla Daniel’s book The Whole Soy Story.

Beyond Baby Food – Superior Meal Replacements
The concept behind using meal replacement powders is a good one, as they can be quickly and easily prepared and can provide precisely the nutrients you want. When you use nutrition/lifestyle protocols that involve several “feedings” a day, adequate food preparation becomes very difficult and time-consuming.

In the past I was not a fan of most meal replacement powders, as they were often improperly formulated with additional vitamins and minerals so that they became neuro-toxic due to excessive manganese levels, or pro-oxidant because of unnecessarily high copper/iron content.

Because of the added vitamin-minerals, they often need to be sweetened, which defeats the purpose by raising the glycemic index of the meal replacement powder. Most of them have plenty of malto-dextrin to mask the taste of the vitamins, the drawback being that it raises the glycemic load of the product. Because I am not keen on the meal replacement packets I saw on the market, I decided to develop my own: Fit Meal and Dairy Free Primal Meal.

Fit Meal. Fit meal is a bioactive whey protein product made from dairy manufactured in New Zealand. Each serving (60 grams) contains 21 grams of protein that has not been exposed to a high heat process, ensuring a pure, undenatured protein product. It is guaranteed to be free of hormones, pesticides and antibiotics that are prevalent in domestic whey protein products. Here are a few other features:

Contains 2.1 grams of immunoglobulins to support protein absorption and immune function
Contains 5.4 grams of branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) per serving for optimal skeletal muscle fuel
Contains two grams of medium chain triglycerides for quick energy.
Contains 2,736 mg of glutamine per serving for muscle recovery and intestinal support
Contains six grams of fiber for cholesterol management and gut health, and for stimulating growth of good bacteria in the gut
Has a low glycemic load

Dairy-Free Primal Meal. For those who have difficulty with whey, I offer a vegan protein that has zero grams of sugar. It is made from peas and rice and is free of casein, lactose, gluten, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs – and, of course, it has no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. DF Primal Meal has a great taste and texture and is easy to mix. Each serving (40 grams) contains 17 grams of protein.

Pea protein has excellent digestibility (98 percent) and has an excellent array of amino acids, including high levels of BCAAs. It is particularly high in leucine, lysine, arginine, phenylalanine and tyrosine. And it has many benefits besides muscle building.

Because pea protein has ACE inhibitory activity, it may have a positive effect on the maintenance of normal blood pressure levels. It has also been shown, in rat studies, to have a positive impact on total cholesterol and very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) by stimulating bile acid formation and excretion.

I recommend that the majority of your calories come from whole foods, but this is a fast-paced world and meal replacements have a place as a convenient way to ensure you receive highest-quality nutrition. To keep up the pace, get some today!

What Nutritional Labels Really Mean

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Nutritional labels- often confusing for even the most sophisticated consumers- contain a lot of information. Some of it is useful. A good deal of it is not.

Let me explain.

Let’s start with the stuff that’s helpful to know. How much protein is in a serving size, for example? How many grams of carbs? How much sugar? And, of course, how many calories? Assuming you know what these numbers mean, this can be good info to have.

For example, I recently got hold of a nice little package of berries, imported from another country where the rules governing nutritional labeling are different from what they are in the US. Here’s what was on the label:

Nutritional Facts
Portion:	6 oz
Calories	83
Protein	1.7 g
Fat	1.2 g
Carb	17g
Calcium	46 mg
Potassium	245 mg
Vitamin A	288 IU
Vitamin C	30 mg

Now as labels go, that’s pretty useful. I would have preferred to see fiber listed (the berries are very high in fiber, which you wouldn’t know from this label). I think the choice of “calcium, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C” is fairly arbitrary (what happened to magnesium? Iron? Vitamin B12?) but different countries have different regulations about what must be listed on the label. (In the USA, for example, food manufacturers are required to list only calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. Go figure.)

So all things considered, the imported berry label’s not bad.

In the US, a typical label looks like this:

The first thing I have a problem with is the “Calories from Fat” part in the upper right hand corner.

This implies that calories from fat are somehow a bad thing, worse for you than calories from any other source. It’s literally screaming out at you “Warning! Watch out for this stuff!” (The “Calories from Fat” listing on a tablespoon of fish oil would be 100% of the total calories, since fish oil is pure fat. So what?) And calling out of saturated fat for special attention perpetuates the myth that saturated fat is always bad (it’s not).

On the plus side, the labeling laws do mandate that manufacturers list the number of grams of trans-fats. Trans-fats are almost always bad (unlike saturated fat) and you should strive to keep your dietary intake of them as close to zero as possible. If something has trans-fats in it, I want to know about it. Even one gram is too much*.

*The exception to the rule is CLA, a natural trans-fat found in the meat and milk of grass-fed cows

Sodium is another thing to pay attention to. While not everyone is “salt-sensitive” (meaning their blood sugar goes up in response to sodium) enough of us are that it’s worth knowing about. Current dietary recommendations are to consume no more than 2300-2400 mg of sodium per day (about the amount in a teaspoon of salt)—the problem is that most of our sodium doesn’t come from the saltshaker. It comes from processed foods. If a portion of soup contains 800 mg of sodium, I want to know about it.

The really useless- and confusing- part of the nutrition facts label is that column on the right where it lists “Percent Daily Value”.

There are many things to dislike about this “Percent Daily Value” - for example, everything.

As the label implies, “Percent Daily Value” is based on another number (the “Daily Value”). The Daily Value is the amount of a given nutrient that the Food and Drug Administration thinks you need each day. (The “Percent Daily Value” is the percentage of that amount found in the food whose label you’re reading.)

For example, let’s take the vitamin C in this generic serving of mac and cheese (listed on the label above). The FDA’s recommended daily intake for vitamin C is 60 mg ( an amount no nutritionist I’ve ever met thinks is optimal or even adequate). Now let’s do some math: The label says a serving of mac and cheese contains “2% of the Daily Value for Vitamin C”. Two percent of 60 mg is….1.2 mg of vitamin C. (That’s 1 point 2 mg.) You can tell from the label that 2% is awfully low, and you’d be right in thinking this food has virtually no vitamin C.

So far, so good. But then it can get tricky.

Let’s suppose that mac and cheese had 30 mg of vitamin C. Then the label would say 50%. You’d be thinking “wow, I’m getting a lot of vitamin C in this dish” but in fact you’d be getting a ridiculously low amount (30 mg) that only has a high “percent daily value” cause the Daily Value itself is so low.

(If you’re confused, think about money. If someone tells you he’s going to give you 50% of all the money he has in the world, you might think, “WOW—50%!!”- until you learn that all the money he has in the world is ten bucks.)

It gets even trickier when you’re talking about percentages as they relate to carbs, fat and protein. Again, the FDA makes a ridiculous assumption, which is that the average diet is either 2000 calories a day or 2500. Then it makes other assumptions about the ideal amount of protein, fat and carbs that you should be consuming daily for that amount of calories, assumptions that are well,, highly questionable. (Many researchers believe that 50 grams a day of protein is pathetically low, especially for weight loss purposes, yet that’s the amount of the recommended “Daily Value”. And many health professionals get apoplectic at the “Daily Value” for carbohydrates- 300 grams a day!)

So if the label tells you you’re getting 30% of the daily value of protein, you might think that’s a lot, but it’s 30% of a very low amount. (Think back to that guy who’s giving you 50% of his fortune!) And a food with a whopping 150 grams of carbs (like an average restaurant portion of pasta) is “only” half the recommended daily amount for carbohydrates. Give me a break!

My advice: Ignore the Percent Daily Value on the Nutrition Facts Label. They’re confusing, misleading and add almost nothing to your knowledge.

Pay attention, however to the numbers for calories, protein, carbs, fat and fiber. And of course to sugar, which is way more important than fat as a health hazard.

SIDEBAR

For those who’d like to know, here are the current “Daily Values” (recommended amounts) of nutrients (like vitamins) and macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs). They’re not all bad- but many are out of date (selenium, vitamin D) and some (300 grams of carbs, 50 grams of protein) are simply ridiculous (carbs are way too high, protein is too low). In our opinion, these values are compromises based on statistical models that have little relevance to the “average” person. The “percent daily value” on your nutrition facts label is based entirely on these numbers, and if the numbers are wrong, the “percent daily value” is next to useless.

Nutrient	Daily Value
Total fat	65 grams (g)
Saturated fat	20 g
Cholesterol	300 milligrams (mg)
Sodium	2,400 mg
Potassium	3,500 mg
Total carbohydrate	300 g
Dietary fiber	25 g
Protein	50 g
Vitamin A	5,000 international units (IU)
Vitamin C	60 mg
Calcium	1,000 mg
Iron	18 mg
Vitamin D	400 IU
Vitamin E	30 IU
Vitamin K	80 micrograms (mcg)
Thiamin	1.5 mg
Riboflavin	1.7 mg
Niacin	20 mg
Vitamin B-6	2 mg
Folate	400 mcg
Vitamin B-12	6 mcg
Biotin	300 mcg
Pantothenic acid	10 mg
Phosphorus	1,000 mg
Iodine	150 mcg
Magnesium	400 mg
Zinc	15 mg
Selenium	70 mcg
Copper	2 mg
Manganese	2 mg
Chromium	120 mcg
Molybdenum	75 mcg
Chloride	3,400 mg

Low-Carb Diets and PCOS

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

One in ten women has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common reproductive abnormality in premenopausal women, putting them at higher risk for both cardiovascular disease and diabetes. PCOS is also the most common cause of infertility.

One of the major biochemical features of PCOS is the combination of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia (elevated insulin levels). The ability of obese women with PCOS to use glucose (sugar) is significantly impaired, and they have a marked reduction in insulin sensitivity.

A new study from the Center for Androgen-Related Research and Discovery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has shed even more light on the hormonal irregularities of PCOS. Seems that fat tissue in women with PCOS behaves somewhat differently from fat tissue in women without the syndrome.

Here’s why that matters: Fat tissue is actually a kind of endocrine gland. In fact, it’s the body’s largest hormone-producing organ. Far from sitting passively on your hips and thighs, fat cells actually produce a wide range of hormones and other chemicals which affect metabolism and health, impacting appetite, bowel function, brain function and the metabolism of both sugar and fat.

According to the study, the fat tissue in women with PCOS produces an inadequate amount of an important hormone known as adiponectin. Adiponectin helps the body to make use of insulin, helping to metabolize fats and sugars and also- not incidentally- reducing inflammation. Women with PCOS produce less adiponectin than women without PCOS. Higher levels of adiponectin also reduce the risk of type ll Diabetes, which makes total sense since adiponectin makes your cells more insulin sensitive (which is exactly what you want). Diabetics, on the other hand, tend to be insulin resistant.

PCOS gets a lot of attention in the low-carb community because a low-carb diet is the diet of choice for women with PCOS. One major reason is that low-carb diets lower circulating insulin.

The insulin connection may also account for why women with PCOS have sex-hormone related issues like excess hair growth and polycystic ovaries. Here’s why: When your body is insulin resistant, the muscle cells tend to not accept insulin (and sugar), leaving you with elevated levels of both. Eventually even the fat cells can become resistant. But the cells of the ovaries tend to remain insulin-sensitive. So now your body’s producing all this insulin, which is bathing the poor ovaries in the stuff.

One of the responses to all that insulin hitting the ovaries is that they over-produce testosterone and androstene, which leads to acne, “male” hair issues (like hair loss on the head and hair growth where you don’t want it!), and the other familiar symptoms of PCOS.

I discuss the use of low-carb diets for PCOS in my new book, “Living Low Carb: Controlled Carbohydrate Eating for Long-Term Weight Loss”.

The Freshman 15 and What to Do About It

5/25/2013 6:30:52 AM

Every year around American Thanksgiving, I get the same question from college coaches, which goes something like this: “How come female students gain 15 pounds in the first 4 months of college life?” And the next question I get goes something like this: “My daughter is home for 3 weeks for the holidays, is there a quick fix to get her back in decent shape?”

When I was in college a few decades ago, varsity male athletes would call it the skirt/sweatpants flip over. It referred to the fact that female students would wear their best attire the first week of school, which at that time was often a leather skirt, but by Christmas exams, they all dressed like they had raided the clothing warehouse of the football team’s offensive line.

Why the Freshman 15?
It is caused by many factors:

Radical changes in dietary habits
Students, because they are too lazy/busy or because of dorm life, start reducing their meat consumption and switching to what I call the 7/11 diet- meaning that they eat what they can find at a convenience store. When they were in high school they had meat and veggies at Mom’s and Dad’s for dinner, now they have microwaved noodles and ice cream.

Beer and pizza are the staples of many students’ Friday and Saturday evening dinners, and in some cases is the dinner of choice more than two nights a week.

Carbohydrate self-medication
College life can be stressful. As cortisol levels go through the roof, the body tries to deal with it by using insulin to bring the cortisol down, so the student reaches for carbohydrates to raise insulin. So if you were to do the Biosignature profile of students in September vs. December, you would see dramatic increases in the supra-illiac and sub scapular skin folds (insulin mismanagement), mid-axillary skin fold (ramping down of thyroid due to elevated cortisol), and umbilical skin fold (elevated cortisol).

Depression
Many students enter bouts of depression when leaving home, family, and friends. In order to raise their serotonin levels to feel happy, they reach for more carbohydrates. Depression is associated with lower androgen and thyroid levels which makes it harder to burn body fat and keep lean tissue on. Taking Uber Inositol, 4 to 10g before bed, cuts carbohydrate cravings, and eliminates depressive bouts.

Use of oral contraceptives
Having your own apartment or living in a dorm creates more opportunity for intimacy than living with Mom and Dad. College doctors will confirm that most of the female students that visit the first week of school are there for prescriptions for oral contraceptives. Oral contraceptives, except a selected few, are associated with weight gain particularly in the hip and thigh areas. If you are taking oral contraceptives, make sure to take Multi Intense Iron Free to compensate for drug-induced nutrient deficiencies.

The quick way to deal with it goes like this:

Restore insulin sensitivity:
Insulin sensitivity is your best friend. The best supplements to get you there are:

EPA/DHA 720, 3-5 capsules, 3 times a day.

Fenuplex, 2 capsules, 3 times a day. Besides restoring insulin sensitivity, this will heal the pancreas and cut down on carbohydrate cravings.

Insulinomics, 1 tablet, 3 times a day.

Yang-R-ALA, 3-5 capsules, at breakfast and lunch. This will also combat early morning fatigue.

Yin-R-ALA, 3-5 capsules, at last two meals of the day. Besides helping with insulin sensitivity, it will help your child get a deeper sleep.

ÜberMag, 3-5 capsules, at last two meals of the day. While it aids in restoring sleep patterns, this also helps students as they deplete their magnesium levels during those high carbohydrate intake/stressful times.

Green Tea Excellence 2.0, 2 capsules at breakfast lunch and dinner. This will boost metabolism, help repair damage done to the DNA, and is essential for restoring proper intestinal flora.

Often when my body fat creeps up because of too many meals on airlines and in European restaurants, I follow the aforementioned plan. I use the protocol when I need to drop body fat from 9.8% to 6% in less than 10 days. I have actually won many bets on physique transformation using this same plan.

Here are two bonus tips to lose fat even faster:

Stir one to two tablespoons of coconut oil in a cup of hot water, and drink 20 minutes before meals. This will rev up your thyroid, boost your immunity, and kill all sorts of food pathogens that you got from the college cafeteria.

Take Carn-Enhanced, a high concentrate form of liquid carnitine, 1 teaspoon every meal if you have low energy. Lack of carnitine can be a limiting factor for making full use of the fat burning properties of the fish oil. That is particularly true of students who did not eat significant amounts of meat for an extended period of time.
Following the tips given above, your daughter should be able to lose the freshman 15 in less than a month.

Happy Holidays,
Charles Poliquin