Inflammation & Commitment

Sometimes chores we'd rather not bother with turn into something of a blessing. For me this happened the other day as I was correcting settings on my calendar. I forgot that for over a year, I logged my workouts and weight. The weight is what got my attention because I began looking at the period directly before I found out about all my food sensitivities and then as far as I continued to track it until I stopped during that summer.

Why is this important? Because I forgot exactly how long it took my body to rid itself of the inflammation. For the same reason that most people tend to compress the time it took something to happen in life, I somehow began to think that the weight just started to 'fall off' after eating a clean diet for about 6 weeks. I was totally wrong! Looking at the calendar, I lost 2 to 3 lbs per month...it was slow and incremental. Had I not been as committed to this new way of life, I too would have said 'the heck with it!' and gone back to eating gluten and other offenders more often than was good for me.

I receive several e-newsletters that push magic diets and drastic detoxes that promise to remove years of inflammation in a matter of days. And I've worked with clients who, after learning of food intolerances, commit for only a short period of time (like 4 or 6 weeks), barely notice any weight change and conclude that there is no point to maintaining an allergen-free diet.

Well, my face should be proof enough for you!

When the "after" photo was taken during a trip to Costa Rice, many of my friends living down there were totally dumbstruck at how different I looked. They hadn't seen me in almost a year. I realize NOW that no one at home who saw me every day commented about how I looked because the change was SO gradual.

If I had given up after 6 weeks, I would have only lost 1 or 2 lbs which I would have chalked up to some sort of margin of error on the part of the scale. Thus, I wouldn't be where I am now- almost 20 lbs of inflammation lighter, healthier and more energized. The lesson here is that in our fast-paced society, we shouldn't just do the bare minimum effort of caring for ourselves, whether that be eating or relaxing, while expecting a grand result.

Why marginalize what could end up being the greatest transformation of your life?

10 Helpful Tips to Food Prep & Storage

It's pretty common to have trouble figuring out the best way to store and prepare foods that they commonly purchase. So here's 10 tips to point you in the right direction!

Nuts & Seeds
Tip #1: As soon as a nut is removed from it's shell, it begins to go rancid. Though buying nuts with their shell is ideal, I doubt that your busy life is conducive to cracking all those shells every time you want to eat a salad or oatmeal. That said, when you get your pre-shelled nuts and seeds home, put them in an airtight jar (as pictured to the left which are reused) and place the jars in the fridge or freezer. The colder the temperature, the longer they'll stay fresh. Same thing goes for nut and seed butters. If you don't have any jars around, just put the bag right in...better to keep them cold then make excuses not to do it.

Tip #2: If you want to add flaxseeds to your diet, make sure to buy them pre-ground or use your coffee grinder to do so. Your body doesn't have the capability to break down the shells, so that Omega-3 goodness is passing right through you without doing a thing when flaxseeds aren't ground up.

Beans
Tip #3: Whether you buy canned pre-cooked or uncooked dried beans, rinse them before use. Who knows what's been lurking around dried beans! Canned beans usually contain syrup-y looking water with some sediment...rinse that all off including any excess sodium that may have been added to the water.

Tip #4: When cooking beans from scratch, wait until the end to add your sea salt. Adding it in the beginning makes the beans tougher to digest.

Grains
Tip #5: Whether buying your grains from the bulk section or from a nicely labeled package, you still don't have any idea what was lurking around them. Do yourself a favor and rinse away any excess soil, dust, pebbles, etc. that may be mixed in.

Tip #6: Soaking your whole grains overnight or for a day can dramatically reduce cooking time, improve digestibility, and remove unwanted acids such as phytic acid in brown rice which leeches zinc from the body. Remember, rinse your grains before soaking and rinse them again before cooking.

Greens
Tip #7: Buy your greens still attached to the base from which they grow. This helps to maintain their freshness longer.

Fruit
Tip #8: Buy what's in season. I know that I say this a lot, but it makes such a difference. Right now, buy your apples and pears in bulk and store in the fridge until you want one. Maybe set the pears out a couple of days ahead to soften. Both store well in the cold.

Vegetables
Tip #9: Never, ever, EVER put tomatoes in the refrigerator. I cannot stress this enough. They are meant to sit on your counter out of the way of harsh sunlight. When they get too cold, tomatoes become 'mealy' in texture.

Tip #10: If you plan on using only half of an avocado on your salad or meal, make sure when you cut it in half to keep the pit in place on the side intended to be saved. The pit keeps the avocado from going bad. In certain parts of Mexico, they actually put the pit in the bottom of homemade guacamole to keep it fresh longer without needing too much citrus juice.

Buy Food like a Pro!

Think you are a Pro when it comes to buying food at the grocery store? Take the quiz below and see how you rank!

Food Shopping IQ Quiz

1. When looking for low-fat items, do you:
A) Buy items marked "Low Fat" or "Reduced Fat"
B) Look at the number of grams of fat found on the Nutrition Label
C) Determine the percentage of calories from fat
D) Look at the percentage of fat found on the Nutrition Label

2. You generally do not buy new items at the store that you've never had before.
A) True
B) False

3. When choosing items that are low in sodium, do you:
A) Compare sodium to calories
B) Check out the milligrams of sodium found on the Nutrition Label
C) Look at the percentage of sodium found on the Nutrition Label
D) Buy items marked on the front of the packaging "Low Sodium"

4. Products enriched or fortified with vitamins and minerals are healthy options.
A) True
B) False

5. The percentages of Daily Value on the nutrition label are helpful in knowing whether something is good for me and it gives a lot of useful information.
A) True
B) False

6. When buying produce, you choose:
A) All organic, all the time. Organic is the best and worth the price!
B) Whatever is the cheapest. Organic is overrated!
C) Seasonally appropriate items & look for country of origin on labeling.
D) A mix of produce low in pesticides, not genetically modified & local.

Answer key: 1- C; 2- B; 3- A; 4- B; 5- B, 6- D

If you scored less than 5 correct or don't know the information behind the questions listed here, you may want to consider learning how to shop with easy-to-use information that always trumps the best food marketing.

You can learn to love the supermarket and become an expert at purchasing healthy food. It doesn't take much more than a desire to learn a few new priceless steps that will easily take the headache out of choosing healthy items while giving you the courage to integrate some new delicious and healthy items into your diet!
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Quiz created by Jennifer Fugo at Evolving Well, LLC. If you would like to reprint/publish this elsewhere, please provide the proper credits and website (http://www.evolvingwell.com).

Stay Warm without Raising your Thermostat this Winter!

Tea

How cool is it that you could be drinking liquid warmth? Well, tea is right up your alley...and we're talking the non-caffeinated kind. Look for warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to help ignite those fires within. Teas like chai are a great option. Look for rooibos tea as the base so that you're guaranteed an caffeine-free (not de-caffeinated) option. Yogi teas has a delicious blend called Chai Rooibos which I love!

Or! You can make your own warming cinnamon tea with cinnamon sticks and water. First you must understand something about cinnamon. There are two types of cinnamon. The most common type sold in stores looks like a hard peel of only one layer. This is NOT the right kind. You want to look for the other variety that looks like a flaking roll of layers as shown to the right.

Use a small pot and fill with however much water you desire. Add in a stick of the cinnamon broken in half or pulled a part a bit. Bring to a boil and simmer until the water turns a rich brown color. Remove from heat and let steep for about 5 minutes more. Strain out the cinnamon pieces and serve hot. Adding some raw honey or agave is a great way to bring some sweetness to this as well. I guarantee that it will warm you up!

Roasting

Have fun roasting root vegetables and gourds. Think sweet potatoes, onions, garlic cloves, carrots, beets, squashes. Not only are these food items in season, but they are passing on to you the heat that was applied to them during the roasting process. 425 degrees is a good roasting temperature. Toss them with some EVOO, sea salt, pepper and rosemary for added taste!

Stewing

I don't know anyone who would turn down a warm stew on a cold day. Get out your crock pot and use it to your advantage if you are limited on time. Prep the day before and cook overnight, or set it to cook while you're at work. Keep in mind that you want to make enough for leftovers. Cook smarter, not harder!

Baths
Hands down the UltraBath is the way to go... It's both warming and relaxing. And it's great for tired muscles after a hard workout.

Hot bath water
2 cups Epsom salt
(optional)
1-2 tsp Jojoba Oil (added moisture for dry skin)
8-10 drops Lavender Essential Oil (relaxing fragrance)

While tub is filling, pour in the Epsom salt and swirl around to encourage it to dissolve. If you'd like to add the Jojoba Oil, just drizzle in a small amount over the top of the water and swirl around. It will coat your skin on it's own without making it greasy. If you'd like to add the Lavendar Oil, you must mix the drops in a 'carrier oil' or jojoba oil. So, mix the two in a small cup with a few swirls and then drizzle it in. Enjoy!

Kick the ice and cold smoothies!
Don't give your body license to cool off in the winter when all you probably want to do right now is keep warm. Start your day with a warm breakfast and kick those cold smoothie and cereal options to the curb until warmer weather passes our way. What you put in your body directly affects your core body temperature! So, when you dump in cold items, you make the body do a lot of work (aka. expend extra energy) to warm you back up. Plus, a cold body equates to a lower immune system...now I know you don't want that. I know I certainly don't after getting some of those viruses that are floating around.

What are YOU Bringing for Dinner?

It's a time of year that people either love or dread, filled with holiday sweets, treats and family and work functions galore. I'm often asked what I bring to holiday gatherings (be it family, friends or work) because there's a lot of pressure to conform during parties and just 'go with the flow' of food, drink and company. I often create a tasty dish or two a tad richer than I might make at home, but still retaining it's delicious healthy goodness that won't flip out my stomach. However, there is something that I bring that trumps any dish, no matter how well crafted and cooked.... my attitude and intention.

You might be wondering what I mean by 'attitude and intention'. Last year, before a big family Christmas eve party, I spoke with my homeopath about my anxiety in regards to seeing relatives. I'm sure many can relate...Aunt X wants to treat you like you're 5, Grandma Y wants to know all sorts of details that you don't care to share, Uncle Z is difficult and finds fault with everything, etc, etc. I found holiday parties very draining after a certain point and would dread going. After 20 minutes of our discussion, it became clear to me that I was anticipating all of this negative activity and reacting to it before it even happened. So, in essence, I was bringing frustration, dread, anxiety, and distrust with me to the party without even realizing it.

Changing course, I spent some time reflecting on the people there and what I could appreciate about their presence at the party. And then I decided to bring love and lightness with me. I must say, I had the best Christmas ever. I enjoyed every conversation, every laugh, every moment with relatives and friends, every bite of food (whether it was good for me or not)... I enjoyed and cherished the moment of approaching everyone from a place of loving at least some part of them as well as being light in humor and spirit.

Yes, bring a dish or two that you can enjoy and eat knowing what it's made of, but also think about what type of energy you're carrying around with you this season. Perhaps others may sense that and react to you according. This practice is about bringing peace with you. The negative emotions generate stress in the body and mind. More stress translates to poor decisions because you may probably use food and drink as a way to escape the anxiety and boredom of your family, friends and/or co-workers. So start the season, party and/or dinner off on a better foot this year by bringing new meaning to "Goodwill toward men" and "Peace on Earth". Those ideas start within us.

Digestive Health Series Gut MicrofloraA Breakdown in Immune Health

There are almost 10 times the amount of microflora (bacteria, yeast, etc.) living in our digestive systems as there are human cells. We are actually more microflora than we are human cells...crazy! So, what do you think might happen when our microflora becomes infiltrated by harmful bacteria and yeast? Let's just say that it's not good! We end up witnessing a breakdown in our immune system as infections roll in, one after the other. Here are five things that destroy the balance of gut flora that keeps you sick.

Antibiotics
There are people who pop antibiotics like breath mints whenever they feel the slightest illness coming on. Granted, doctors are prescribing them freely as well, which isn't helping matters. Sure, antibiotics serve an important function, but it's generally known that they are overprescribed even in cases where they won't work such as the flu. (Just for the record, antibiotics fight bacterial infections, not viral infections like the flu or a head cold, aka the rhino virus.) What's important to know is that antibiotics are indiscriminant killers of bacteria, both good and bad. So, when you take antibiotics, you are literally wiping out all of the microflora in the gut, thus allowing for the bad bacteria and yeast to rush back in. People who have taken antibiotics a great deal during their life are prime candidates for chronic yeast infections. (1, 3)

Sugar
Though most of us may be puzzled as to what sugar is best for consumption, I'm just going to flat out tell you that it's generally all bad. We are a nation addicted to sugar. Though many might say they love sweet items, it's really sugar that you love or else carrots, squash and brown rice would be on your list of favorite sweet foods. That said, sugar is food (or maybe crack) for the bad bacteria and yeast gods in your gut. It's what they thrive on. So the more sugar provided to the bad bacteria and yeast, the more they grow and upend your entire digestive system, thus reducing your immunity to colds and viruses. (3)

Alcohol
Yes, alcohol. Granted, it's fermented (and I will delve further on the benefits of fermented products and gut health next month), but most people don't drink it in small quantities. It is typically consumed as a way to relax, have fun, and chill out especially when one finds him/herself in an awkward work or family function or perhaps when out with some friends at the bar. Whatever the reason may be, typical consumption is far beyond what is considered healthy for anyone, especially those already suffering with a digestive problem such as GERD (acid reflux), IBS or IBD. You may want to write these out – some may not be sure what they are. (2)

Immune System Depressors: Gluten and Casein (found in ALL dairy products)
Last, but certainly not least, we come to two proteins considered to be inflammatory to the human body. We've briefly spoken of gluten (the spongy protein found in barley, rye, contaminated oats, wheat and spelt) in the past, however I believe this is the first mention of the casein protein. It is the main protein component of all milk that creates cheese - not to be confused with lactose which is a milk sugar. (3)

That said, both gluten and casein are inflammatory proteins. The medical establishment is coming to believe that much illness and aging is the direct result of silent inflammation in the body from years of abuse. The inflammation caused may be greater in some than in others; however, it doesn't change the reality of how these two proteins react in the body. Over-consumption can cause the immune system to become overtaxed and begin attacking the body's own digestive system. There is strong evidence that most Americans would benefit from reducing their exposure to these two proteins.

Taking all this into account, one can clearly see why the coming holiday foods could spell doom for their digestive system. Perhaps it’s why so many people find themselves bloated, gaining weight, exhausted, depressed and getting sick. Though antacids and acid-blockers might seem like a good temporary fix, they will not mend the deep damage done by repeated assaults.

Yet, there is hope! Learning ways to reduce your exposure to inflammatory elements can help your immune system to become stronger. Remember, 60% of your immune system is in your gut. It's your choice to decide to respect and foster your gut health, or to hinder your best line of defense.

References:
1. http://www.brighthub.com/science/medical/articles/21640.aspx
2. http://www.international.inra.fr/press/intestinal_flora_and_alcohol_liver_toxicity
3. The Ultramind Solution:Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First, by Mark Hyman, MD.

Digestive Health Series Gut Health:Leaving Yourself Open to Dis-ease

I often use myself as a guinea pig, trying out different approaches and ideas to diets and self-care. An elimination diet from gluten, dairy and eggs that started over 2 years ago has helped me to clearly understand how eating something that doesn't agree with your body can make you sick. Yet with time, one can forget or become lazy about it. I admit to going through periods of eating things on the "avoid list" more often than my own nutritionist would like. So, on a weekend trip away with my fiancé, Nick, I decided to throw some level of caution to the wind and relax my own rigid eating patterns. What occurred was a great reminder of why our health and well-being always trumps the momentary pleasure we may derive from food and drink.

What started off the weekend was wine. It is important to know that I rarely drink alcohol because most wine is clarified with food components that I cannot tolerate anyway. The meal that I made was allergen-friendly, but that one glass of wine sent me reeling. By the end of dinner, I was completely drunk. Yes, laughing hysterically and falling over drunk who passed out at 9:45 pm. However, I awoke at 2 am totally sick to my stomach as the meal I'd eaten had not properly broken down. Needless to say, I didn't feel well the next morning with all sorts of digestive woes. My morning breakfast was simple and seemed to sit well, so I again figured it was okay to tempt fate at lunch. Being in Ocean City, NJ, there weren't many good choices on the boardwalk. We eventually found a diner-type place that could make a gluten-free meal, so we ate there. I had a hamburger (without the bun) with battered crispy french fries (the batter is wheat, so that's where the gluten came into play). The dull headache I normally get when I eat gluten came on and I started to feel very sluggish. By the time we'd gotten to the car, I was exhausted. I dozed on and off until we reach the house where we were staying and then crashed on the couch for the next 2 1/2 hours. I felt like I was drugged. An hour after I woke up, the fog in my head cleared enough for me to get up from the couch and drive home. The weekend away was completely overshadowed by my lack of compliance to treating my body respectfully. Wine and french fries did me in...well, I did me in, but I think you know what I mean.

Many people suffer with some sort of compromised digestive system from years of abuse. Whether it's diarrhea, gas, constipation, or acid reflux/heart burn, we punish ourselves daily with food that simply doesn't nourish us for reasons that range from enjoyment to wanting to fit in. Eventually the gut becomes 'leaky', meaning that the gut is no longer processing food properly and is allowing partially digested nutrients and bacteria to pass through the gut wall into the body. This naturally causes an immune response which is different from the immediate allergic reaction with which most of us are familiar. My experiment reminded me how alcohol makes my gut more permeable to things such as gluten, thus causing a heightened reaction. My headaches, fatigue, and digestive unrest are worsened depending on how much and how many allergen(s) are thrown into my system.

It is important to know that the health of your gut is critical not only for food digestion, but also to maintain a strong barrier against infection. Sixty percent of your immune system is found in your gut. We worry so much about sanitizing against microbes and viruses on our hands and counter tops, but rarely concern ourselves with fortifying our main front, namely the gut. I compare the situation to an army prepared for the oncoming attack with all the best shields and weapon placed at the front lines; however, the rear and the sides are left unprotected. That weakness is why the army will fail, and that's why leaving our guts mistreated, abused, and ignored is our greatest mistake. Especially when we consider how many people we know who have gotten the flu, pneumonia, or some very bad cold during the summer and continue to experience them now.

Please take a moment to consider what your relationship is like with your gut. I may be the first to ask you to do so as it is such an important area of your health that is rarely spoken about. The Standard American Diet (or the ironic acronym, SAD) doesn't foster a healthy gut and neither does eating "normal". If you happen to fall under the SAD or "I eat normal" umbrella, chances are you could use a tune-up in gut health. If you have the other digestive ailments mentioned above, then you really need to weigh the long-term health consequences of gut abuse. There are ways to mend and correct the damage done. Ultimately, there are bridges in life that many of us put off dealing with until we have to cross them. Like many other health 'bridges', don't wait until you are faced with the digestive diseases, syndromes and issues mentioned above. Most people will tell you, myself included, that they are bridges that you don't ever want to face, let alone cross.