At what expense?

I can’t help but wonder today what the heck is wrong with the world. 

I woke up this morning to the latest oil spill news.  This time, it’s the Gulf of Mexico, and the spill is five times worse than “experts” originally thought… endangering a variety of wildlife during peak mating/ spawning season.  Poor helpless creatures.  When are we going to wake up and realize we need to nurture this Earth that gives us SO MUCH without asking for anything in return?  When???  Aren’t the “natural” disasters  the world has been experiencing enough of a wake-up call?  Is it that people are just too busy to care?  And if the answer is yes, then what can we do to wake up the average working class person to what is happening to their world before it gets by them?  I’ve thought about this often.  I get that people are too busy trying to make ends meet, and trying to cut corners which sometimes makes it difficult (though not impossible) to live eco-consciously.  I think we need to start at the elementary school level.  Children are impressionable, smarter than most adults, and I believe wholeheartedly that implementing some kind of environmental education plan early on will prove to be priceless in the long run.

Now, what do we do about the adults?  I want your ideas.  What do you think will make the average person sit up and pay attention to the seriousness of this topic.  I know it has to take little to no time, but make a huge impression; this much, I know. 

Today, I heard that California is considering approving methyl iodide, a seriously toxic chemical, as a pesticide for strawberry crops.  According to Pesticide Action Network “Methyl iodide is so reliably carcinogenic that it’s used to induce cancer in the lab”.  I mean, at what expense do you really need to have those strawberries?  Before you consider popping those conventional strawberries into your shopping cart, then into your mouth… thinking it’s harmless and you are saving a few pennies, PLEASE consider all the strings attached to what it is you’re consuming.  Know that you are supporting an industry that causes farm workers to die a slow and painful death.  Farm workers who come to this country to better their lives and support their families, many of which are oblivious to the consequences associated with their jobs. 

I want you to consider this. Nature is smarter than anything that could ever be created in a lab.  It is perfect the way it is.  For this reason, a macrobiotic diet emphasizes  eating seasonally. To give an example, winter veggies like butternut squash and sweet potatoes are hearty and perfectly suited to our body’s natural need for denser, more caloric foods when the weather is cold out.   As the weather begins to warm, we naturally crave fresher, cooling foods like berries, nectarines and cucumbers.  Buying seasonal, organic produce not only protects you from harmful chemicals (Lord knows, anyone who lives in the city gets more than their fair share of these), but also protects the health of farm workers, our precious farmland and the voiceless animals for whom we can and SHOULD speak up.  As an added benefit, when you shop seasonally… you save money and your body gets the nutrients you were meant to have WHEN you were meant to have them.  What a novel idea!

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for weighing in with your thoughts and ideas.

RAW CHOCOLATE CHERRY SMOOTHIE

I woke up this AM with a brilliant new recipe... in fact, I'm enjoying it for breakfast this very moment as I write to share it with you!  This makes one serving, so adjust ingredients accordingly as needed.

1 medium frozen strawberry
3-4 frozen bing cherries
1 medium frozen banana cut into bite sized chunks
1 heaping Tablespoon raw unsweetened cacao powder (I like Navitas)
6 oz unsweetened almond milk (I like Pacific Natural) - you can start with less and add more to achieve desired consistency

** I especially like the slight bitterness the unsweetened cacao imparts to this luscious smoothie, reminiscent of a dark chocolate berry bar.  If you find it too bitter for your taste, feel free to add a touch of agave or maple syrup/ maple crystals.

** For those allergic to chocolate, carob powder is a perfectly acceptable substitute (I use Chatfield's brand)

** If you want to try something a little different... try adding a dash of cayenne pepper... trust me, it works!

** With summer on the horizon, try freezing this in an ice cube tray for mini berry fudgesicles...mmm... berrryyy good!!


Blend and voila... breakfast and dessert in a matter of seconds!!  Now that you're properly fueled, get out there and make your dreams happen!   <3

These are a few of my favorite things...

Hi all!

I've often been told that I have a certain knack for discovering really obscure, high quality, unique products (which have a tendency to become discontinued shortly thereafter), and who am I to disagree?  I'm hoping that with this blog, which will certainly grow over time, as it's just a little seedling at the moment... that I can share some of my favorite healthful items with you and that you will use and enjoy them and tell a friend!  Remember those Albertsons commercials?  Wow, 1980's TV marketing must've really done a number on me if I still remember that-- EEK!  

So, my sweet tooth has been coming on STRONG since I completed that 4 week cleanse (gotta find a new excuse already, it's been weeks now!) and I wanted to share with you a list of some of my current favorite things to snack on... snacks that bring me much joy, might I add.   This is only the first installment, and will likely become a regular feature as I've got so many great items to share with you all!

I have listed each item, with the pros, cons and my favorite way(s) to enjoy each.  Note that for many of the items, price was listed as a con.  Nevertheless, like Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame (my new hero!), I must be an absolutist when I say... if you must skimp, do so in other areas of your life... NOT when it comes to your health!  Preventative medicine starts with you and the daily choices you make.  You can find incredible deals online these days, so shop around a little and go for quality and a little less quantity.  You're worth it, and frankly, we can all stand to eat a little less!  

Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal

Pros – Gluten free

            Refined sugar free

            Organic

            Only 3 ingredients

            Snap, crackle and pop just like Kellogg’s

            Brown (not white) rice

Cons – Slightly pricier than other cereal brands, but you’re worth it!

How I like to eat it:  with chopped up maple pecans, almond milk and strawberries

Pacific Natural unsweetened almond milk

Pros – Minimal, all natural ingredients

            No added sweetener

            No added oil

Preserved with carageenan (a  natural preservative derived from red seaweed)

            Low Fat version now available

            Soy and gluten free

            One of the most nutritious non-dairy milk substitutes

            Organic

How I like to drink it: with my Erewhon cereal!  It is also wonderful in fruit smoothies.  It is key that every fruit smoothie have frozen banana chunks blended through it to give it a luscious and creamy mouth-feel.  I usually take bananas that are just about to become over-ripe (but not quite there yet) and cut into bite sized pieces and keep in the freezer in small zip loc bags for up to two weeks!  Also excellent foamed up and perched atop a latte.

  

Didi’s Baking for Health Mac ‘n Cheese –

Pros –  Great protein-packed meal or snack on the go

            Minimal, all natural ingredients

            Lovingly handcrafted in small batches

            Raw

            Gluten free

Cons – Very few stores carry this product (Erewhon in L.A. and Co-Opportunity in Santa Monica, that I   know of, otherwise  must ship from NY direct from maker)

On the pricey side ($5 per 1.7 oz. pouch) if they become a habit  (which they likely will!)

Nuts not organic

How I like to eat them:  A better question would be, how do I NOT like to eat these?!  They’re so delicious that I always intend to snack on just half the bag (2 “cookies”--which are plenty) but end up gobbling up the whole pack of four and call  it a meal.  These are great pre or post workout or if you’re out and about and need a filling and portable meal. 

           

Tierra Farm organic raw nuts and unsweetened dried fruits (ie. Bing cherries)

Pros – A wide selection of dried unsweetened fruits like bing cherries

            Wide selection of raw nuts

Reasonable rates and shipping (especially compared to other organic fruit/  nut stores online)

            Arrive fresh, beautifully packed and in perfect order

Cons – Not local unless you live in NY

How I like to eat them: On top of cereal, on the go snacks, and pre & post workout!  Also great in homemade cookies  and granola sweetened with date sugar, maple sugar and/ or brown rice syrup!

Teeccino Herbal Coffee –

Pros – Tastes SO much like coffee, but you don’t have to love coffee to love it

            Selection of luscious flavors like Hazelnut, Vanilla Almond or simply Java

            75% organic

Made of wholesome ingredients like nuts, dates, chicory that give you a natural energy boost

Inulin from chicory keeps you regular and promotes the growth of good intestinal bacteria.  It also decreases the body’s ability to make bad fats associated with cholesterol and heart disease

20 Calories per serving

            Caffeine free
            Promotes alkaline balance
            Dessert substitute

Cons – A little pricey (about $9 per 11 oz. bag), but Vitacost.com (which, incidentally has the best prices ever on a surprisingly vast array of health food and supplement items) offers it at a great price!

            25% not organic

           

How I like to drink it:  Just under a Tbsp in a french press, steep 3 minutes.  I like it straight with a tsp of organic maple syrup.  Add a couple of Jennies macaroons (not vegan) and I am a VERY HAPPY GIRL!  The slight bitterness of the Teeccino together with a bite of the sticky sweet macaroon is a heavenly combination.  Also, it’s delicious as a latte with foamed almond milk on top and sweetened with maple crystals.   Hazelnut is my favorite flavor thusfar, I recommend that you skip the mint chocolate.

Lakewood Organic Fresh Pressed Papaya Juice–

Pros – I always say, juice yourself if possible.  If not possible, this brand is your next best bet

            Organic

            Not from concentrate

            No added (non juice) sweeteners

            Delicious flavors like papaya, pure carrot and pure pineapple

            Short, pure list of ingredients

            Glass (not plastic!) bottles

Cons –  A bit pricier than other juice brands.  Nevertheless,  a good honest product. 

             Nutrients from fruit and veggies dissipate when exposed to heat and light,

             that’s why it’s always best to juice yourself, and juice just enough so that you

             consume the entire amount in a short time!

How I like it: Chilled with 1/4 water added to dilute the sweetness a touch.  I also love combining with nut butters to make raw vegan salad dressings.

Tonic Scene raw dark chocolate –

Pros – Raw

            High in antioxidants

            Small list of natural ingredients

            Very lightly sweetened with agave

            70% cacao

Cons – (This is becoming a theme, but…) pricey.  About $4.00 for a 1 oz bar

How I like to eat it: In under a minute before I get from the grocery store back to my car.  Be sure to keep these refrigerated!

Food for the Mind, Body and Spirit

About a month ago, the skin on my right index finger and middle finger began to break out with tiny red pimples.  Subsequently, the index finger became swollen to one and a half times its normal size and I started to develop stiffness and warmth in both fingers.  I happened to have a chiropractor appointment around this time, so I showed him when I went in.  He took one look and said “it looks like psoriatic arthritis”.   SAY WHAAATT!?   Combine the fact that I have a great deal of respect for my chiro, my penchant for hypochondria and that I already knew some really scary details about PA because a co-worker was recently diagnosed with a very severe version… and I totally LOST MY SHIT. 

For a few weeks straight, I shut the blinds, dropped out and tuned into the internet to scour every possible bit of information I could find and began mapping out my future gym workouts as a handicapped person.  I’m nothing if not resourceful!  This wasn’t my proudest moment, to be sure… but certainly one of my most humbling.  The more I researched and dwelled, the worse my symptoms  seemed to get.  Pretty soon, I was sure that all my fingers and a couple of toes were involved and I couldn’t seem to grip anything without fumbling for it first.  Every little ache or pain that before I would have simply chalked up to my intense workouts without enough stretching, I was paying miscroscopic attention to.   After awhile, I couldn’t tell which symptoms were real, which were imagined and which were real because I had imagined them.   Yeah people, I was a hot mess. 

I had scheduled a visit with my doctor, God bless her, as she is an angel from above!  She recommended I take some herbal anti-inflammatory capsules, put me on a liver cleansing nutritional program and ordered some blood tests.  So I had another full week of freaking out while waiting on the results.  I had already decided that I wouldn’t be impressed with them anyway, because there is no conclusive test for PA.  I knew this because if there’s one description that sums me up, it would have to be detail-oriented; both a blessing and a curse.  A week later, the tests came back OK; a small relief.  It was now nearly a month later, and my fingers were starting to look normal again and I was set to visit with a rheumatologist at UCLA.  Armed with my camera of hand shots…since most of the remnants of my little episode had cleared… I was off to see a specialist.    The doctor checked all my joints, asking me to flex and stretch.  She concluded that while some of my symptoms sounded like PA, one very important factor was missing… lack of any pain.   She took some detailed notes, told me I’m in great physical shape and that if the condition returns, to visit her. In the meantime, she ordered some tests to check for genetic susceptibility to autoimmune illness.  The results eventually came back fine, save for a major Vitamin D deficiency, which the doctor thinks likely contributed to my joint incident.  Aside from prescribing a high dose supplement, neither doc seemed worried and both told me I was free to return to my regular workouts so long as I wasn’t experiencing any pain.  Anyone who knows me knows what music that must’ve been to my ears!

I wholeheartedly believe that everything happens for a reason.  I know that this was no accident, rather it was a stepping stone along the path of my chosen career as a food therapist.   While I already knew these things, I needed to be (powerfully) reminded of the following … 1- Food IS medicine, 2- The mind is a seriously POWERFUL thing, and can make or break you… so why not let it make you, hm?, 3- Appreciate every little thing you have and every little thing your body does for you on a daily basis.  In the process, I also learned some fascinating things I hadn’t known before.  I became a veritable expert on the intricacies of autoimmune illness…and learned that a majority of them usually boil down to one key element… and that is the AA:EPA ratio… I’ll explain momentarily. 

First, I’d like to talk about the mind/body connection, because it is so incredibly powerful.  I really cannot emphasize this enough.  And frankly, this is a huge piece of the puzzle that Western medicine is lacking; factoring in the WHOLE PERSON—mind, body and spirit.  The fascinating thing to me about autoimmune illness is that flare-ups wax and wane according to a person’s  state of mind at the time.  Usually depressive episodes are associated with flare-ups whereas happier times are associated with a remission of disease. This is a testament to the body’s incredible ability to heal itself given the right combination of circumstances.  Since these autoimmune conditions are so suggestible to mood, hypnotherapy is an extremely effective tool in managing AD and is actually capable of guiding a patient into remission. This is precisely why good bedside manner is key in the patient-doctor relationship.  Many doctors these days are overbooked, overworked and underpaid by insurance companies.  Their hearts just aren’t in it.  Nevertheless, patients deserve to be told about their condition in a kind and compassionate way.  A doctor’s delivery alone can mean the difference between an autoimmune client experiencing a flare-up or heading into remission.  These are the kinds of holistic ideas that I hope our new healthcare system will take into serious account.  I believe this country is moving in that direction.   As a GIRLLLL (okay, a woman, but girl just sounds so much more sing-songey), I also found it especially interesting to learn that there have even been accounts of AD going into remission after a person falls in love…. how romantic!!!  Interestingly, my episode had occurred just after I had lost my job of nearly a decade.  I didn’t think I was stressed about it.  I really had no idea. But when push comes to shove, the body will find a way to move any blocked negative energy/chi to clean them shits out (Tribe Called Quest reference-anyone reckanize?).  Did you know that 99% of your genes were designed to keep you healthy?  Yes, that is 99%, almost 100%!!!  That’s a pretty major head start, so why mess that up by adding nasty foods and stress to your life?!   Eat well, laugh often and go out and fall in love!!!   Then teach your loved one to hypnotize you… tee hee!

Now, a bit about nutrition.   There’s a little-BIG thing researchers have discovered called the AA:EPA ratio.  It’s been highly recognized that an imbalance in AA (arachidonic acid) to EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is the root cause of a huge array of diseases, particularly ones of the American variety.  When the body is exposed to too much saturated fat (usually from animal sources and all kinds of fried & processed-food trans fats) and not enough healthy fat (omega 3’s from olive oil, flax, nuts and seeds), it begins to develop inflammation which may or may not present with immediate symptoms.    Heart disease, cancer, hypertension, AD…are all attributable to a diet high in AA.  Why does AA cause disease?   It’s very simple.  Pro inflammatory molecules called eicosanoids are derived from AA.  These eicosanoids are responsible for many complex bodily functions and for exerting hormone-like effects on cells.   Up until now, it’s been the American way to live BIG (literally and figuratively) and to worry about the consequences later.  In the process, this country  has become fatter, more sedentary and resigned to its ailing health.  What most of our doctors haven’t been telling us is that these conditions which tear apart families, leave children without parent(s) and cut short the lives of young adults are, for the most part, preventable through proper nutrition and lifestyle choices.  Dr. Joel Fuhrman, in his brilliant book, Eat 2 Live, discusses how he has successfully reversed his patients’ Type II diabetes, hypertension, as well as prevented a majority of his patients from undergoing bypass surgery…simply by having them follow a vegan diet.  What many of us don’t understand is that what we choose to feed our bodies is THAT powerful.  This ain’t no hippy dippy Alice in Wonderland mumbo jumbo, people—it’s for real!  As Thomas A. Edison much more eloquently put it “The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”   So, you can continue with your French fries and hamburger diet and wash it down with all kinds of pills to try to counter the damage you’re doing.  Or, you can decide to take control of your health and start eating more nutrient dense foods (click here for a list: http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/article17.aspx ) and throw those pills away!  Your doctor probably won’t tell you all this, but now you know and the decision is yours to make…POWER… feels SO GOOD, doesn’t it?!