Stunting is dangerous work.

Do not try this at home.

In preparing for a big show, I’ve been learning all sorts of new acrobatic moves, many of which involve highly ballistic moves that my tendons and ligaments aren’t quite accustomed to doing.

I poorly executed a stunt in practice the other night (see right) and strained some of the ligaments in my lower leg upon landing, resulting in more acute injury on top of the accumulating chronic stress of practice. With a big stage performance 5 days away, it was time to pull out all the stops and get a little crazy in the kitchen.

In homeopathy, there is a concept called the law of similar. It essentially means “like cures like”. For the purposes of nutrition, we see this in a cut carrot, which looks like an eye, complete with iris – and is good for eyesight. A tomato, is red and contains four chambers – just like our hearts. Tomatoes are packed with vitamins and lycopene, which has been shown to reduce heart disease risk. Walnuts look like little brains (with right and left hemispheres!) and contain omega-3s and other nutrients which facilitate the creation of neurotransmitters and overall health in the brain. These examples are all around us and have been used as signs in the food as medicine model for thousands of years.

For the purposes of building up my tendons and ligaments, I went straight to the source. I went to my local organic butcher and brought home about 3 pounds of lamb knuckle and marrow bones.  Nothing will give my body the building blocks for collagen and bone like collagen and bone! I boiled them into a stock for several hours with herbs, salt and pepper, then removed them, folded them in a kitchen towel, and proceeded to pummel them with a hammer.

Lesson one: Knuckle bones are tougher than I am.

I can take this! I'm tough enough!

Bones: 3pts. Aimee: 1pt.

Despite an overall failure, I was able to chip some of the firm tissue off the knuckles, and broke a leftover turkey leg bone to pull out the marrow inside. I wrapped the bones in cheesecloth and set them back inside the broth to stew with the veggies I was going to add. (Note – if you try this, make sure it is not on tile or easily damaged surfaces! Also – try a sledgehammer and wear goggles. That may work better. While your Vitamix may make some headway on the bones, it isn’t worth the risk of damage to the container)

Tendons and ligaments need several nutrients to maintain their integrity. Sulfur, vitamin C, Vitamin K, and many others. I added seaweed to the broth to increase the mineral content, and chose cruciferous veggies for the bulk of the stew. Cruciferous veggies such as cabbage, cauliflower, and bok choy contain sulfurophanes, which break further down into sulfur when eaten. Sulfur plays a key role in creating connective tissue. Bok choy also contains large amounts of calcium – and the calcium present is better absorbed than the calcium in dairy products.

To season the stew, I added turmeric, cumin, and ginger. All these herbs are powerful anti-inflammatories and contain wonderful compounds that facilitate overall health. Your spice cabinet is a veritable medicine chest!

The result – pretty good! Admittedly, I’ve never sat down to eat something like this before, but I do prefer to eat my nutrition whenever possible. I am not stopping there, though.  My arsenal for anti-inflammatory, connective tissue healing includes the following, daily:

3-6 packets of Emergen-C per day (or divided doses of Vitamin C to 6,000mg)

1 tbsp fish oil

1500 mg. bromelain, divided into 3 doses, taken on an empty stomach (when taken with food, it acts as an enzyme. When taken alone, it gets into the GI tract and acts as an anti-inflammatory)

6 oz. Zrii – an Ayurvedic blend which has a high antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effect on the body and helps reduce the stress response physically and mentally

Now, if crushing bones on the back porch isn’t your style, you can purchase collagen as a supplement to add to this regimen, or make aspics – those popular jello molds from the 60’s and 70’s that graced many a potluck. Aspics are made with gelatin, which is derived from the bones and tendons of animals (how’s that for a new take on Jell-o?)

I’ve also gotten acupuncture, received reiki, and had my ankles braced most of the time for the last 4 days with alternating heat and ice applications. All this commotion in the kitchen doesn’t take away from the basic principles of Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (RICE)!

So far so good! The test comes on show day (tomorrow) … I will be taped for extra support and will continue this regimen for the following 6 weeks or so (about the time it takes for ligaments and tendons to heal).

I am a strong advocate of supplements. While I am not alone in this idea, there is a strong contingency of holistic nutritionists who are very opposed to the idea of supplementals. So I will share with you the reasons why I feel strongly about this, so that you have the ability to make a more informed choice for yourself:

1) Our food quality has gone to hell – Agribusiness has cut down forests and depleted praires, allowing nutrient dense topsoil to dry out and blow away in the wind, ending up at the bottom of the ocean. This is of great ecological concern as one inch of topsoil can take 500 years to form naturally.(1) An apple today contains almost 15-40% less nutrition than it did in 1950!!! (2) The nature of how we grow food – maximum yield in minimum time – is blamed for this. Also to note – conventional produce uses fertilizer which contains 3 minerals – Carbon, Phoshorus, and Potassium. There are FAR MORE nutrients essential to good plant and human health!

2) And – you’re not absorbing as much as you think you are! Antibiotics (via prescription or polluted water/animal products), stress, lack of mindfulness, adequate chewing and low nutrition all prevent our bodies from properly absorbing nutrients, so even if your diet was perfect, your ability to ABSORB your nutrition may not be. Certain supplements can facilitate nutrient absorption by boosting the effectiveness of the digestive system.

3) Pollution taxes the system and creates additional nutrient needs - agribusiness is also a huge contributor to pollution, in addition to industry in general. Our waterways are polluted, our soil is polluted, and our air is polluted. This has been very noticeable to me, as I was raised in Alaska, which has the  cleanest air and water in the country. If you live in the city and do not travel much, you may not realize how poor the environment you live in is. Pollution is poison, and it takes our cells and organs extra energy and nourishment to be able to detoxify unhealthy compounds that we are continuously exposed to. Antioxidants, phytochemicals, and key vitamins and minerals for cell, liver and lung health are key to keeping your system operating optimally!

4) You are under more stress than you think – and that means you need more nutrients! Even if you do not feel stressed, you are likely working too hard, sleeping too little, are nutrient depleted  and overstimulated by lights, media, and the hullabaloo of modern living. We have ancient bodies that are coping marvelously well given the copious stimulation of modern society! Stress – be it physical, mental or emotional; conscious or unconscious – taxes the adrenals, which then need additional vitamins and minerals to produce hormones for normal functioning. Just being nutrient depleted puts stress on the body because it is trying to cope without tools it needs! You can see how this can be a powerful negative feedback loop that leads to chronic disease ten, twenty, or thirty years from now?

5) The RDAs were made to prevent gross deficiency, not achieve optimal human health - Nutrition is a very young science – we did not even know vitamins existed until about 100 years ago! The RDA’s were made to prevent extensive diseases that were becoming common at the time – rickets, beriberi, scurvy and the like. The RDA’s were created looking at DISEASE, not looking for OPTIMAL HEALTH. Since they were first created, many revisions have been made and we are discovering that most of them are likely far too low. Vitamin D is a common nutrient we are deficient in – the NEW RDA is set to 600- 800 IU, (3) but clinical treatment of low D stores is upwards of 50,000 IU. Given that over 90% of the country is low on Vitamin D, what we are getting supplementally clearly is not enough. Low Vitamin D is linked with autoimmune disorders and cancer … conditions we were not looking for in 1905.

6) Even if RDA’s were enough – you still aren’t meeting them! All that said, we are still not even meeting the RDA’s! Less than 15% of Americans are getting enough of at least one nutrient (Vitamin E). Chances are, every single one of us is consistently lacking in at least one nutrient. Supplementation is an inexpensive way to give your body an extra boost considering your health and energy is the most valuable gift you have!

Sources:

(1) http://earthleaders.org/publications/stress_topsoil

(2) http://www.nowfoods.com/?action=itemdetail&item_id=43732

(3) http://www.vitamind3-cholecalciferol.com/vitamin-d-rda.htm

More Info:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/ofgu/vegies121205.cfm

http://www.xylzw.com/nutrient-bombardment/

There is a common theme in my weight loss clients; they tend to be very demanding of themselves. In their eagerness and their determination to achieve an ideal physique and greater health, they often run into great pains when specific goals are not met during a specific time frame, or when a plan that was set up in a session did not go over well.
Take W., a client who was on a weight loss journey of about 35 pounds. When we first began, we created a realistic goal of 6-8 pounds of weight loss per month – based on her efforts and her past experiences with weight loss.  Towards the end of her second month, a parent fell ill and she had to take on additional family needs.  Her weight loss slowed and she expressed her anger at herself in a session, chastising her inability to get in workouts despite the added stress, sleep deprivation, and hours of adult care that were taking place.

She took this a failing to her commitment to herself.

But all ‘failure’ needs to be is an opportunity to assess our expectations. Are they realistic? Are they achievable? Have circumstances changed that now make it unreasonable? If a client is unable or unwilling to follow through with an agreed upon goal for the week or month, all it tells me is that we have created an unreasonable goal.

• Sometimes we take off more than we can chew.

• Sometimes we don’t see obstacles before they show up and get in the way!

• Sometimes we discover that a goal doesn’t work for us only when we begin to test it out.

Whatever the cause – that lack of completion tells me we need to re-assess and find something more suitable. There is no reason why the road to your ideal body cannot be lined with stones of success all along the way.

Successful weight loss, or success in any endeavor, entails finding appropriate mini-goals en route to the larger, over-arching aspiration. These mini-goals determine each person’s unique path to success, and are intended to be adjusted and altered along the way. Life, and our body, is never static – why would we expect our dietary protocol or exercise regimen to be this way?

The clients that experience the greatest success capitalize on their determination and use it to work hard and stay committed, but they also have the self-reflection and inquisitiveness necessary to explore what it happening within their body, what their cravings mean and what their triggers are. We work together to discover their unique physiology and blueprint for success by uncovering the language and wisdom of their bellies and memories and cravings. When something goes wrong – it becomes an opportunity to learn more about what works best … each ‘failure’ is really a closer step to success.

Wild Pacific Salmon is rich in omega 3 fats and free-radical fighting carotenoids, making this dish one of the healthiest protein sources available. When choosing salmon, always go wild caught – preferably Alaska, as it is swimming in the cleanest waters. Farmed salmon is fed pesticide laden, food dyed pellets and is not an environmentally friendly or healthy choice. Due to their diet, they lack fewer omega-3 fats then their wild counterparts, and their pale pink color comes from the food dye in their fish chow. (MmMMmm, tasty!)

This recipe is an excellent meal during spring and fall – when it’s cool enough that you want a heartier meal but warm enough you don’t want something too heavy. Serve with steamed bok choy or salad in springtime and bamboo rice or Asian style root veggies in the fall.

Serves 4

4 Wild Salmon fillets (8 oz each)
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp powdered wasabi
Furikake or Osaka Sea Salt to taste (a Japanese seasoning found in Asian markets – look for one without MSG)*
4 sheets nori seaweed

Preheat oven to 450. Mix mustard and wasabi powder together and spread on nori. Sprinkle the salmon with salt, pepper, and furikake or Osaka sea salt. Place salmon face down in the middle of the nori sheet and wrap like a package so that fish is fully covered. The nori will stick to itself and the fish. Place wrapped fish in a slightly oiled baking dish. The general rule for fish is to cook it 10 minutes for each inch of thickness. The nori will lightly flavor the fish and seal in the juices. 

*Hey, Seattleites! Try Osaka Sea Salt available at World Spice Market near Pike St. Market – It’s excellent!

FINALLY! It appears that the calorie counting method of weight loss is gasping its last shallow breaths. With such a weight loss icon as Weight Watchers – nearly 50 years old – changing their tune, the country will soon be looking at food in a newer, healthier way.

Click here to read more from the Time magazine article:

My thoughts – definitely an improvement, I’d like to learn more and I disagree that fruit should be free (yes if health is the objective, no if fat loss is). I think Jennifer Andrus’ comment about a calorie is a calorie is factually correct, but for purposes of health and fat loss, absurdly inappropriate to come from the mouth of a nutrition professional. Fat loss is far more complex than the units of heat we ingest (calories). Consuming sugar causes hormonal releases in the body that promote fat storage, while consuming protein does not. Yes, you can gain weight by consuming too many calories of any food, but to lose fat effectively, one must be discriminating in determining where one’s calories come from.

This inspirational article from the Ballard Farmers Market blog tells the story of how local, sustainably raised and humanely handled meats came to be in Seattle Farmers Markets. This method of production and distribution is a beautiful model that will hopefully be produced across the nation!

Congratulations to King County for leading the way in the local foods movement!

Wet stuff has been falling out of the sky! That means exercising outside is going to look a little different! VIBRANCE is an all-terrain, 4-wheel drive, four season experience, so if you willing and able to be in the rain, we will be right there with you!!

That said, exercising in the rain is a little different than the normal San Diego experience, so there are some things to consider:

1) It’s Wet AND Slippery!
If you have old shoes, these end up posing an even greater safety hazard in the rain due to worn treads. Just like your vehicle hydroplanes, your toes or heels can hydroplane on wet roads or grass and cause you to slip and injure yourself. Wear shoes with a good, chunky tread. Light hikers can make a huge difference in your ability to grip the ground.

2) Temperature fluctuations
You will get cold easier in the rain. Dress like we do in the Pacific Northwest to stay warm and dry, even if the streets are flooding:

* Layers Are Your Friend – Moisture wicking clothing is always the best option for exercise. If you are unsure of how warm to dress, layer with moisture wicking clothing as it prevents sweat and rain from being trapped next to your skin as you exercise. It is important to keep your skin dry during exercise because when you are wet, from sweat or rain, you become colder much faster. Avoid cotton at all costs. As it gets wet, it becomes a sweaty, water-logged wrap that adds extra weight and causes chills.

* Protect Yer Noggin! – If you need to keep warm, remember to wear a thin hat or cap to keep heat in. Covering your head will also keep your ears safe from cold wind which can cause unnecessary discomfort and lead to upper respiratory illness, especially for Vata dominant doshas. You may need to take that cap off after 10 minutes, but you’ll be glad you have it until then!

* Warm de Hands and de Feets – Remember to wear gloves and thicker socks when exercising in the cold or wetness, as these areas get coldest fastest. Make sure your shoes have vents in them to let any water that soaks in drain back out.

* Get Slick! – If it is raining outside, a good option is to wear a rain jacket. You can choose between light weight to thicker jacket options, depending on how warm you get and your activity. Generally, unless there are heavy winds, a very light water repellent layer is enough.

While exercising in the rain may seem like torture upon torture, you’ll find it has many benefits. You are far less likely to overheat, you have very little traffic from other runners or cyclists, and neither sunscreen nor sweat sting your eyes. The best part for me is the increased reward of the hot shower afterward!

This recipe is an adaptation of my apple gorgonzola fettuccine recipe. Now that I live in San Diego, the local produce is a little different than the pacific northwest. The result of playing with what we could find at the farmer’s market was delicioso!

10 oz. brown rice (fusilli, elbows, or fettuccine)
1 small bunch lacinato kale, veined and chopped
3 persimmons, peeled and chopped
1.5 tsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. goat butter
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 pomegranate, seeded
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Place chopped kale in cooking water before draining pasta, and drain pasta when kale is bright green and lightly blanched.

2. Melt one Tbsp of butter in a pan, and sauté the minced garlic until soft.

3. Add the rest of the butter to the pan, then the hazelnuts and persimmons and sauté until the persimmons are just heated through – make certain the fruit does not become soggy!

4. Add the cooked fruit and nuts to the drained pasta and kale. Toss well. Crumble in Gorgonzola and cracked black pepper and toss again. Serve immediately, and sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top.

Holy cow, yummy!

This rice pudding recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, AND vegan, so you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who won’t enjoy it! Made from coconut milk, this warming winter treat provides ample medium-chain triglycerides which are believed to provide energy for athletes and be a fat source that is less likely to be stashed away by the body for future use. Coconut is popular in Ayurvedic medicine and cooking, and is well known for its antimicrobial properties and its ability to balance fats in the bloodstream. I created this recipe in response to having a delicious coconut-ginger tapioca pudding at my local health food store earlier this week.

• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• water
• 2 cups coconut milk (or 1 can + 2 oz. water or non-dairy milk alternative)
• 1-2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup date sugar (or sucanat)
• 1/4 cup candied ginger bits

Place rice in a small saucepan with the cinnamon stick and add water until just covered. Bring rice to a boil and turn heat down to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick.

Add coconut milk, vanilla, and date sugar and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add candied ginger and simmer 15-20 minutes longer, until most of liquid is absorbed. Be sure to turn heat off when some liquid remains, as it will thicken upon cooling.

Serve warm or cold, and garnish with shredded coconut if desired.

This dressing is wonderful in salads with salmon, chicken or beef as well as tossed in a cold or warm noodles (peanut noodles are a great hit with kids!). I enjoy it for a  fall salad dressing – it’s heavier and pairs well with robust greens such as romaine, radicchio, and will even mellow out chard, kale and the more bitter winter greens. Enjoy!

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup rice wine or champagne vinegar

2 tbsp. coconut oil

2 tbsp. tamari

2 cloves (1 tsp) garlic, peeled

1 tsp. grated ginger

1 tsp. hot sauce (optional)

Place all ingredients in the Vitamix and blend until emulsified. Thin with water, coconut milk, or rice milk if desired. If you do not have a Vitamix, I recommend dicing the garlic before blending.