Recently I listened to the audio version of the book, Nourish by Dr. R. Shah and B. Davis, RD. There are so many awesome resources in this book that I thought I'd share one of the things I came across. I encourage you to get the book and read it, listen to or even just skim it for interesting info. It is packed with science-based info that will help you nourish yourself and your family. Here is a curated list from the book.
Eat a variety of foods from each food groups. The key here is to determine which food groups fit into the eating style you wish to follow. Diversity in our diet is a great strategy to provide nutrients, fiber, phytochemicals, and anti-oxidants. These foods can provide lifetime protection for your growing family.
Make water your beverage of choice. The beverage industry has exploded in recent years..everyone wants in on the profits made from the intriguing items being sold. Making water our choice is the best one for our bodies and our health. To boost flavor and keep it interesting, add lemon or other fruit or cinnamon sticks. Like it sparkling? Choose soda water with no additives.
Skip the highly processed foods…which includes fast foods for the most part. These foods are a major contributor to excess consumption of unhealthy fats, refined sugars and starches, salt and other potentially harmful additives. Prepared frozen foods at the grocery store fall into this category, as well. Most of the nutrients have been stripped and replaced with substances that make the food taste really good (too good) so that you will come back for more after overeating the first purchase. It's a vicious cycle.
Keep sodium intake moderate. If you are doing #3, you are already ahead of the game. Most sodium comes from processed foods and processed meats (same cancer risk as cigarettes). Avoid these and you are probably okay. Pickles and olives are high, as well, so be careful with those types of foods.
Read food labels! This is a biggie…don't just look at the pretty, eye-catching front of the package. Look deeper at the ingredient list. If you don't recognize items on the list, your body won't either and this can lead to problems. Strive for the small ingredient list…or the one that doesn't need a food label (the ones in the produce section).
Be savvy about food marketing. Advertisers want to sell us products. They may not be telling us whole-truths and they use clever marketing to draw us in. A good rule of thumb is that if a food is advertised, it is unlikely to be a healthy food. Head over to the produce section :)
Prepare your meals at home. Many say this is a major step to eating healthier. When we prepare and process our food in our own kitchen with our own hands, it is better for us. You get to control exactly what is in our food and it's not likely that you are adding unnecessary substances to make the food taste so good you can't stop (that's what the food industry does!).
Make foods appealing and enjoyable. It's okay to have fun with your food! Food is supposed to be enjoyed. Play around with shapes and textures to make the food you feed your family interesting and include the kids in this…they will love it and will be more likely to eat when they help plan and prepare it.
Eat with others. Connection is important when it comes to our health. Connecting with family, friends, colleagues can boost the healthiness of our meals. Enjoy your meal at a leisurely pace whenever possible.
Eat mindfully. So often we grab the fastest thing to eat in a rush and we hardly know we ate when we're done. This robs us of the enjoyment of our meals and can reduce absorption of nutrients. Slow down, view your food, smell your food, taste your food and chew more. Being present (paying attention) when we consume our meal increases satiety, too.
Adapted from Nourish by Dr. R Shah and B. David, RD
When it comes to weight loss, a food journal can be our best tool. Most of us cannot remember what we ate yesterday, much less over the last week. A food journal can be documentation of what you ate, what time you ate it, how you were feeling when you ate, how hungry you were and how full you became after eating along with any other pertinent details about your food experience. It can be an extremely powerful tool to learn more about our bodies and how much food we really need and how we respond to the food we are providing to our bodies as fuel.
Writing down all the details about our meal helps us stay on track when in weight loss mode. In the food log I provide to my clients, I include a daily weight so that they can correlate what was eaten and how the scale responded. It's a great accountability tool. And we get to learn so much about how our body responds to salt intake if we eat at a restaurant (it's nearly impossible to get a truly low sodium meal in a restaurant). We can learn what portion sizes are appropriate for our body. It doesn't have to be complicated…no measuring required! A cup is about the size of a fist, a cupped hand is about a half cup and a tablespoon is about the size of our thumbs. All rough estimates but you get the idea.
I once heard Chef AJ doing a presentation about weight loss and she said that people who use a food journal lose up to 50% more weight than those who do not. That's a lot bang for your buck when it comes to weight loss. Keeping a food journal can be done in a notebook, online, on your phone or just about anywhere as long as you can go back and refer to it later as a resource. There is something to be said about the written word that can create a strong connection to our mind and memory.
Your food journal is concrete documentation of your progress! Weight loss can be challenging (to say the least) and we can get discouraged if the scale is not moving at the pace we want it to. Your food journal can show your progress when it feels like you are at a standstill. Look back a month or 3 months…where were you then…compare that to where you are now and you will likely be happily surprised that you actually have made consistent progress! That can be a huge motivator!
We know that mindfulness is helpful in almost all situations. Mindful eating is no exception. A food journal is an extra layer of mindfulness, especially when we add the details like how we are feeling, how our body responds, etc. Writing down these details increases our body awareness and lets us hone in on what is important about our food intake.
So if you, like about 70 million other Americans are wanting to lose weight, get out your notebook and give it a try. Like all habits, it will feel awkward and time-consuming at first but after you do it for a couple weeks, it becomes just something you do after you eat. You may find this weight loss tool as helpful as so many others and success tastes better than any food I know!
Protein Powders - Something You May Not Know
Adding some protein powder to your morning smoothie or other beverage may seem like a harmless thing to do to boost your protein intake. The first question is whether you really need a protein boost. Most Americans get way more protein than we need. There are some, however, who may need extra protein. An elderly person that doesn't eat much or an extreme athlete are a couple of examples. The rest of us regular Joes...not so much. The thing about many protein powders (even some that appear to be healthy and reputable) include ingredients that may not be so healthy. Protein powders fall under the category of dietary supplement so are not regulated and are without oversight. Manufacturers are supposed to self-monitor and this can lead to deception in some cases.
Last year, a nonprofit group called the Clean Label Project released a report about toxins in protein powders. Researchers screened 134 products for 130 types of toxins and found that many protein powders contained heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury), bisphenol-A (BPA, which is used to make plastic), pesticides, or other contaminants with links to cancer and other health conditions. Some toxins were present in significant quantities. For example, one protein powder contained 25 times the allowed limit of BPA. That's not to mention the added sugars (and artificial sweeteners) and excess calories some protein powders can provide. Some powders turn an ordinary glass of milk (almond milk, of course) into a 1200 calorie meal. Most of us do not need a 1200 calorie meal and when you consider the other substances that may be lurking, it may be worth reconsidering using these powders. You can check out the report at www.cleanlabelproject.org.
If you want a protein drink, opt for homemade—you control what you put into it. Try blending up this Chocolate-Strawberry Smoothie that I found on Consumers Report website when researching protein powders. The recipe makes 4 servings; you can make a batch and keep it in the fridge for up to three days.
Blend 2 frozen bananas; 1 cup frozen strawberries; 12 oz. organic soft tofu, drained; 2 cups soy or other plant milk; ¼ cup tahini; and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder on high until smooth. Add ice to thin as necessary.
Per serving: 250 calories, 13 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 24 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 10 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 13 g protein, 75 mg sodium.
Almost 40 percent of people ages 65 and older have chronic kidney disease, and about 90 percent of them don’t even know they have it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Recipe of the Week
The best soup you'll eat this week! So good and so healthy!
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable broth, use water or oil if preferred
1 sweet onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups vegetable broth
2 carrots, grated
2 heads broccoli, broken into small florets
½ cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 4-6 hours or boiled in hot water for 10 minutes
¼ cup nutritional yeast
½ tsp miso paste
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup mashed sweet potato
Instructions
1. In a pot over medium heat, and the 3 tablespoons of vegetable broth, onion, garlic and salt. Saute until the onions are translucent, approximately 3 minutes.
2. Add the flour and stir until a combined with the onions, garlic and broth.
3. Meanwhile, blend the soaked and drained sunflower seeds in a high-speed blender with 3/4 cup of water until a cream is formed. This takes about a minute.
4. Pour in the remaining 4 cups of vegetable broth, stir, and add the grated carrot and broccoli, followed by the sunflower cream. Add the nutritional yeast, paprika, turmeric, miso paste, sweet potato and dijon mustard. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green. If you want the soup more creamy, use an immersion blender or high speed blender to blend 1 cup at a time until a desired consistency is reached. Enjoy immediately.
Recipe from www.plantyou,com
Healthy As F*CK
If risque language bothers you, keep scrolling….This book is fun for those of us who do not mind the potty-mouth (being one myself, I get it). The author, a health and fitness coach, is smart, funny and offers a practice guide to wellness.
Catch my Health Tip Tuesday video on Facebook on Tuesdays to hear my book review!
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
--Helen Keller
Important Disclaimer
The content in this newsletter is intended for educational/informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the advice of your health care professional.
