One of the most important things you can do for your health and vitality is drink water. Most Americans are chronically dehydrated; if your urine is not pale yellow you are not drinking enough! (the exception to this is for those taking a B complex or multivitamin)

One of the common complaints I hear is that water doens’t “taste good” or it is “boring”. Here are some innovative ways to refresh nature’s perfect beverage:

• Add a squeeze of citrus: lemon, lime, or orange slices add color and zest (pun not intended) to an ordinary glass of water.
• Add fresh cucumber slices to a glass or pitcher of water.
• Go herbal by adding fresh basil or rosemary from the garden to a pitcher of water. I just learned this new trick and it is absolutely fantastic! Other ideas: lavender, oregano, mint and thyme!
• Freeze washed grapes and use them as ice cube to keep water cool. A sweet snack at the bottom of your glass can be incentive to drink up!
• Keep your water chilled longer by freezing a few glasses, or keeping your waterbottle in the freezer with 1/2 inch of water inside. Instant ice cube, long lasting chill!

It’s playtime in the Dream Kitchen!

On April 25th, VIBRANCE Nutrition and Fitness teamed up with Design Kompany to do a educational lunch and work party for solopreneurs. Design Kompany provided the space and I came in and demonstrated how easy it is to make a quick, healthy lunch in under 20 minutes. Here is shortened video footage of the event: (more…)

I had the great honor of being consulted recently for an article in the Seattle PI on smoothies.  To read more about how smoothies are an awesome recovery food and a great carrier for extra nutrition, click here:

Fiber.

Long touted as essential for heart health, and more recently for digestive health, fiber is also an important ally in the battle of the bulge.

Fiber has a wonderful capacity to assist in appetite suppression. Which is more filling — consuming 8 oz. of freshly squeezed apple juice or the 3 apples it took to make that juice? When we juice, we discard the pulp (fiber) and consume the rest. That fiber is key to keeping us full and happy over the long term. It provides bulk, slows absorption and prevents blood sugar from skyrocketing, preventing strong hunger pangs after the inevitable crash.

Within the stomach lies signals that get triggered when the muscles of the stomach wall stretch, creating a cascade of messages that basically tell our body to stop being hungry. The longer something sits in the stomach, the longer time passes before we receive a signal to eat again. Complex foods which take a lot of time to break down last in the stomach longer. This is why whole foods are so important. They give your belly something to work on, where a refined food like Red Vines or white bread need little effort to get into the blood stream.

Want to see it for yourself? Take a piece of white bread and a piece of 100% whole wheat bread. Place each in a separate bowl of water and wait five minutes. The white bread will collapse in your hands. The whole wheat bread, although soggy, will remain more intact. Imagine what would happen if that water was 98.6 degrees and we added some stomach acid to it!

Aside from sustaining fullness, fiber also stops some calories from being absorbed. By decreasing the time food sits in the digestive tract, as well as binding to bits of food particles, fiber reduces the total caloric load absorbed by the body.

Fiber is actually quite easy to find. Current recommendations for fiber are 20 -35 grams per day. Most Americans get about 10-15 grams a day. Research shows that blood sugar management in diabetes is greater when fiber intake reaches 50 grams a day. For purposes of weight loss, I recommend my clients take in between 30 and 50 grams a day.

So, to recap:

• Fiber helps prevent heart disease,
• contributes to healthy digestive tracts,
• keeps you more full on less food,
• and keeps you fuller longer!
• Fiber inhibits a small percentage of calories from being absorbed,
• and minimizes blood sugar spikes, having a beneficial effect on diabetes and insulin levels.

Where is fiber found?

In whole plant foods! Think fruits, vegetables, whole grains such as brown rice, corn, quinoa, kamut berries, wild rice; beans, peas, and lentils, and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and taro root.

Ground flax seed, psyllium husk and various brans (wheat/oat/rice) can be added to oatmeal, smoothies, or other foods to increase fiber intake and fullness.

What are some ways you can sneak more fiber into your day?

Last week, I was interviewed by Bob Condor of the Seattle Post Intelligencer about smoothies as a recovery fuel.

Smoothies are one of the best, easiest ways to receive optimal nutrition after a workout, or as a way to begin your day. Potent in antioxidants (the treasures within fruit), smoothies also act as a ocnvenient carrier for all sorts of supplemental nutrition that may be inconvenient to receive otherwise. You may add extra protein, flax oil, additional antioxidants, green powders (or greens themselves!), liquid calcium or multivitamin complexes, bee pollen, badditional fiber, and more! The possibilities for flavors are endless and they are great hits with the kids.

Please click here to read more in the Seattle PI:
Here’s to summer smoothies!

PS — I would also like to note there is a minor factual misprint in the article. It appears as though I may not have made it clear to the author that while there are many reasons why whey protein is preferable to rice protein in a recovery smoothie, digestibility is not one of them.

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1) Say hello to your vegetables. Invite them over for dinner.
Vegetables are the most critical and most lacking food in the American diet. Plant life carries abundant sources of vitamins and minerals and are chock full of powerful cancer-preventing, heart-protective, inflammation-squelching antioxidants. They offer an abundance of nutrition for few calories, and are loaded with fiber to satisfy appetite for long periods of time. Enjoy them liberally - steamed, raw, stir-fried or roasted. Hold the cheese sauce!

2) Drink your water!
Our cells bathe in a sea of water. More than 65% of the human body is comprised of this element! Most of us walk around in a state of dehydration - especially if we partake in the coffee culture that permeates the Northwest.
Dehydration manifests itself in numerous symptoms other than thirst. Food cravings, hunger, poor concentration, headaches, muscle spasms, bladder issues, poor skin quality, overheating and fatigue during exercise are some of the symptoms that can be attributed to dehydration.
Don’t like the taste of water? Try adding slices of lemon, orange, lime, or cucumber to your water. Mint sprigs can be particularly refreshing in the summer.
Please note - there is no substitute. Calorie-free “flavored water” is not water. Water is water. Drink liberally until urine is clear. Repeat.

3) Eat Breakfast!
Studies show breakfast eaters have lower blood pressure and cholesterol, better concentration and moods, and are more likely to be height-weight proportionate than their fasting counterparts. Not eating breakfast is akin to letting your car idle all night and then trying to drive it from Seattle to Portland without fueling up. If you have no appetite in the morning, try a piece of fruit or 1/2 a yogurt to start. You’ll soon discover fewer cravings, greater energy, smaller evening meals and a rumbling tummy in the morning — all signs of a healthier metabolism!

With the weather cooling considerably and the days shortening, my bones have been aching for some steel cut oats. Not just any steel cut oats, but my tea-soaked steel cut oats (a genius discovery last winter). Steel cut oats have staying power far superior to oatmeal and provide all the benefits of whole grain oats in a thick, warming porridge with more substance than Quaker will ever have.
The problem with steel cut oats (and why most of you have never had them) is cooking time. I certainly don’t have 45 minutes in the morning to stand over a stove and cook fresh oats! I pondered a plausible solution — if my rice cooker can cook and keep rice warm, can it cook and keep oats warm?
Answer: YES! A resounding yes!

Aside from my Vitamix, the kitchen tool that makes me the happiest is the Sanyo ECJ-D100S 10 cup rice cooker. It will cook and keep rice warm until gone. Period. How ever many days it takes, you will have hot rice. It is the modern kitchen maven’s secret to easy, available whole grains.
I’ve made brown rice, wild rice, and oats in mine. I can use the keep warm function to keep quinoa and other quicker cooking grains hot and ready when I want them. I wake up every morning and have hot whole grains in my bowl in less than 45 seconds. It’s the next best thing to being fed by family.

Since I’ve recently had to revamp my diet, I’ve found a few goodies I keep going back to:

• Blueberries! I averaged 3 pounds a week for much of July and August. It was heaven!

• My favorite breakfast right now: toasted rice bread with cashew butter and ginger jam. Tastes as decadent as it sounds!

• My favorite snack: air-popped popcorn spritzed with Napa Valley Toasted Sesame and Garlic oil and tossed in salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast.

• Lara Bars: Gluten, Dairy, and Soy free - they are very handy to have in the car.

Last month I talked about the effects of stress on PMS symptoms, caused by liver
stagnation and consequently, excess estrogen in the body. This month, I’d like to
continue with dietary and herbal remedies to assist the liver in detoxifying and to reduce
the effect of PMS.

Below is a gentle, easy cleanse to allow the liver to clear out excess estrogen in the bloodstream. Depending on how severe your symptoms, you may notice effects in 2 weeks or 2 months. If no reduction of symptoms is evident after strictly following the program for three months, I would recommend seeking additional guidance with your naturopath or health provider.
This cleanse works not so much by cleaning out the liver, but by eliminating foods and stimulants which clog up liver function and replacing them with nourishing, whole foods to support liver and other organ function. The protocol below is an improved way of eating for many individuals. Obviously, one diet is not perfect for everyone, but moving towards the way of eating I will describe can increase health for most individuals.

These foods are to be avoided on the liver cleanse plan:

• alcohol - its connection to liver damage is well known.

• caffeine - especially in coffee and chocolate. Methylxanthines disrupt the estrogen to progesterone ratio and can cause or exacerbate PMS symptoms. I can personally testify to the coffee/PMS connection.

• Glutinous grains - wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and kamut. Gluten sensitivity is a common, often undiagnosed condition that can manifest in many different ways and will be discussed in a future newsletter.

• All Dairy products- most dairy is contaminated with hormones and pesticide residues, and dairy is a common allergen.

• Convenience foods - packaged pastas, soups, “meals” in a box, frozen meals, etc.

• Artificial food additives - partially hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, etc.

• All oils aside form high quality extra-virgin olive oil, or cold-pressed unsaturated oils: sesame, walnut, flax, pumpkin seed, etc. The heat used to process most oils oxidizes and destroys their beneficial properties. Clear, odorless oils in clear, plastic bottles are of extremely low quality and should not be used for anything other than furniture polish.

• Beef, pork, and conventionally raised poultry. Your animal protein sources need to be organic. The hormones and antibiotics given to livestock have a direct impact on our own hormone levels and are a burden to the liver. Beef and pork are more difficult to break down and are best avoided during the cleanse.

At this point, you may be asking me, “What can I eat? Do you expect me to graze on my lawn?”
Fortunately, there is a great abundance of options available to you on this cleanse. Please seek out and emphasize the following foods:

• Gluten-free grains: quinoa, brown rice, teff, amaranth, and corn.

• Vegetables! Vegetables are great cleansers and facilitate detoxification. Unless you are highly active, vegetables should make up 50% of two of your daily cleansing meals. The following vegetables are particularly beneficial to the cleansing process:
  • • • Cruciferous veggies - broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage
      • Beets are incredibly cleansing, and are fabulous juiced with carrots and ginger.
      • Greens are especially cleansing: if it’s leafy and dark green, pile it on!
      • Garlic and onions contain high amounts of sulfuric compounds which are needed for the liver detoxification.
• Fruits - a potent source of antioxidants, fruits can quell sweet cravings and provide much needed antioxidants and nutrients. Below are the most beneficial:
  • • • Lemon - lemon is a classic body cleanser. Use fresh lemons, never already juiced, which contains preservatives.
      • Melons - very rich in antioxidants. Watermelon also contains glutathione, which plays an important role in detox and repair in the body.
      • Papaya - look for organic, and avoid Hawaiian papaya, as it is a genetically modified variety.
      • All richly-colored fresh fruits contain powerful compounds which cleanse and repair the body. Look for vibrant color and listen to which ones your body is calling out for right now.

• Eggs, organic poultry, wild fish, beans, lentils are great, easily assimilated protein sources. Eggs in particular contain compounds which assist in liver detoxification. Beans and lentils are fiber-rich foods which assist in keeping the digestive tract clear and moving smoothly.

• Omega-3 fatty acids - found in flax, walnuts, and cold water fish. Flax seeds are especially beneficial because the lignans in the seed assist in hormone regulation. Always grind your flax seeds so that your body can utilize the nutrients trapped within the seed.

• Drink a lot of water to facilitate the removal of waste products. This can also reduce the likelihood of headaches in the detox process.

• Green tea is a great antioxidant and is a good transition beverage for those of you who drink coffee or black tea. It does contain some caffeine, but far less than you will find in an espresso.
• Eat smaller, lighter meals throughout the day, going no longer than three hours without food. Avoid a large dinner. The liver really kicks in to do it’s job by increasing the amounts of detoxification enzymes between the hours of 10pm and 2am; having a large meal to digest detracts the body from utilizing energy for liver repair by placing the focus on digesting your meal. Your last intake of food should be a light meal by 8pm.
• Reduce external stressors as much as possible. Avoid the nightly news until they have something pleasant to say, turn off your cell phone when you are not expecting a call, and spend some extra time engaged in relaxing, restorative pastimes. Leisurely reading, long baths, slow walks, and saunas are all great ways to slow down, reduce stress hormones, and facilitate healing.

Herbal Remedies:

The following remedies are especially helpful for detoxification:

• Milk thistle - especially important; it has been documented to help the liver regenerate cells.
• Dandelion
• Licorice
• Red Clover

Several liver-specific herbal remedies are readily available and may be helpful. Make sure it has milk thistle and dandelion in the ingredients. Speak with a qualified individual at a reputable herbal remedy store (like the Bastyr Dispensary or The Herbalist) to assist you.

Food which is healthy versus unhealthy is not an entirely black and white issue. Like everything else in the world, there is a spectrum a food can fall along. When determining what a healthy food is, I ask the following questions:

1) Does it resemble (or is made from things which resemble) something I would find on a ranch or garden?

2) Does it contain artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners?

3) Does it contain high amounts of refined products (flours and sugars)?

4) How many ingredients does it have? (Case in point - “healthier” cookies, dressings, etc.)

5) And can I pronounce them? (Butylated hydroxytoluene, anyone?)

6) Would bugs and molds thrive on it? Think about it — if it won’t sustain their lives, what makes you think it will sustain yours?