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Recent Posts by Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Easy, Delicious Tempeh Recipes!

Easy, Delicious Tempeh Recipes! | The Organic Beauty BlogTempeh is a delicious and healthy food made of fermented whole soy beans.  It’s a great source of protein and fiber, lowers cholesterol, is chock full of awesome nutrients, and is really easy to cook!  Below are some of my favorite tempeh recipes:

Easy Broiled Tempeh
Serves 2
Ingredients:

  • 1 package tempeh, pre steamed for 15 minutes
  • 4 large mushrooms, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 6 tablespoons tamari
  • 4 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

Preheat broiler.  Cut tempeh into small cubes.  Toss with tamari, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger.  Lightly oil an 8×8 baking pan or pie plate.  Pour tempeh mixture into pan and broil 6″ from heat source until liquid is bubbling and tempeh is browned.  Sprinkle with parsley, and serve over brown rice, quinoa or greens.

Cold Soba Noodles with Tempeh
Serves 6
Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons tamari
  • 1 (8 ounce) package tempeh
  • chili powder
  • 8 ounces soba noodles
  • 1/2 cup chunky raw almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons agave
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, to taste
  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • 8 ounces mung bean sprouts, or other sprouts of choice
  • 3 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
  • 1 large carrot, thinly sliced, julienned, or cut into strips with a vegetable peeler.
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or 1/4 cup parsley
  • 2 -3 tablespoons finely chopped almonds (optional)

Directions:

Break or cut tempeh into small cubes and toss with vegetable oil and 1 tbsp tamari.  Let sit.  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add noodles, stirring to prevent sticking.  Cook noodles according to package instructions, until al dente.  Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add tempeh cubes and marinating liquid.  Cook, stirring often, until nicely browned and crisp.  Sprinkle with chili powder and remove from heat.  If you’d like, you can set the tempeh on a paper towel to drain some of the oil.  In a small bowl, whisk together almond butter, lime juice, agave, pepper flakes, 2 tbsp tamari and water.  Set aside.  Drain noodles, rinse under cold water, and drain again.  In a large bowl, combine noodles, sprouts, tempeh, scallions, cilantro and almonds.  Whisk dressing and pour over, tossing to coat.  Serve at room temperature.  The refrigerated leftovers are delicious!

BBQ Tempeh with Greens
This delicious recipe comes from The Chic Life
Serves 2
Ingredients:

For tempeh:

  • 1 8-ounce package of tempeh, sliced to make short strips, 1/4 inch thick
  • 1 cup homemade BBQ sauce (check out The Chic Life’s recipe!) bottled BBQ
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

For greens:

  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/8-1/4 chopped onion
  • 6 cups packed greens, swiss chard and kale work best!
  • 1/4 cup vegetable broth
  • 4 sprays of Braggs liquid amino, optional
  • 1 tablespoon raw organic apple cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine tempeh and BBQ sauce in a bowl. Gently stir to coat all sides of tempeh slices. Marinate for 5-10 minutes.  In the meantime, pre-heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook till translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add greens and water and cook till wilted, about 5-6 minutes.  While greens are cooking, heat oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add tempeh and cook till each side is golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side.  Serve tempeh over greens!

Is Rice Poisoning You?

Is Rice Poisoning You? | The Organic Beauty BlogThere has been tons of alarming news of late about the high arsenic content in rice, which is throwing consumers into a bit of a frenzy.  So what’s the real deal?  Is the arsenic content in rice a reason to cut it out of your diet?

First, a fact that may surprise you.  Arsenic is a naturally occurring element present in soil and water, which means that there are trace amounts of arsenic in almost all fruits and vegetables!  Exposure to low levels of arsenic is an inevitable factor of eating foods grown in the United States, and the effects of these low levels is pretty unclear, but we do know that exposure to higher levels of arsenic has been linked to several different types of cancer, skin conditions, and birth defects.

Because it is grown in water (which has high arsenic levels in the U.S.), rice is susceptible to higher levels of arsenic, which is definitely a concern for people that eat rice every single day.  People that eat rice a few times a week are not exposed to dangerous levels of arsenic.

What can you do to limit your exposure to arsenic?

  • Keep rice consumption to a few times a week, and vary the type of rice you eat.  Jasmine and basmati rice not grown in the U.S. has very little if any arsenic content, whereas American-grown brown rice has the highest.  As long as you are eating a variety of rices, your overall exposure will remain minimal! (For kids, limit consumption of American-grown white or brown rice to about a 1/4 cup of uncooked rice a week).
  • Rinse your rice before cooking it.  This actually applies to most grains, and is a great cooking habit to stick to!
  • Stock up on other grains.  Keep the majority of your grain consumption to other healthy whole grains that have little to no arsenic content.  Quinoa, oatmeal, barley, amaranth, and millet are all great options!
  • Stay away from store-bought juices, particularly apple and grape juices.  Store-bought juices have very little nutritional value anyway (being mostly sugar, with no fiber, and often times a lot of additives), so you may find that omitting them from your diet will actually benefit your waistline!
  • Wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
  • Always drink filtered water.  Invest in a high quality filtration system like ZeroWater to make sure your aren’t ingesting high levels of arsenic and other toxic substances.
  • Eat a varied diet.  Every week there’s a new study about what food is now going to kill you.  Instead of falling prey to all the hype, stick to eating a varied, healthy diet of many different types of organic produce, whole grains, and lean and plant proteins and avoid any diet that goes overboard on any one food or food group (ie: high protein, high carb, powders, shakes or super high fruit-based diets).

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Natasha Uspensky, chhc
Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor
NU Health & Wellness

The Ketogenic Diet: A Do or Don’t?

Reposted from The Daily Zeel:

The Ketogenic Diet: A Do or Don’t? | The Organic Beauty BlogConsidered extreme even among the strictest of dieters, a ketogenic diet is one that is high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates, making it especially difficult to maintain. One Zeel member expressed their concerns recently, writing in, “I have been trying to get my body to a ketogenic state, but I am having trouble.”

Zeel Nutrition Expert Natasha Uspensky responds.

Although a ketogenic diet is recommended for those looking to treat epilepsy, it is generally not a very healthy, long-term diet for most people. Increasing fat and protein, specifically from meat and dairy, is very dangerous for heart health, cholesterol and longevity, and cutting out vegetables and whole grains deprives your body of vital nutrients.

Before taking on an extreme and potentially hazardous diet such as this one, I recommend consulting with a nutritionist to find a healthier alternative for you to achieve maximum weight loss without dangerous effects on your body and overall health. A diet rich in vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins (both animal and plant) will support long-term health and weight loss much better than extreme diets.

Healthier State Fair Food Choices

By Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Healthier State Fair Food Choices | The Organic Beauty BlogI know, it sounds crazy. But it is possible to enjoy the State Fair without doing serious damage to your arteries, your waistline, and your conscience. On a recent trip to the Minnesota State Fair, we managed to stay totally vegetarian AND keep the gut-busting, greasiness to a bare minimum, while still having a great time and indulging a bit! The added bonus was not feeling like a bloated ball of guilty grossness when leaving at the end of the day.

Healthiest State Fair Foods:

Healthier State Fair Food Choices | The Organic Beauty Blog Corn on the cob

• Roasted nuts

• Fresh fruit

• Pickles

• Falafel

• Turkey leg (shared by at least two people!)

• Popcorn (hold the butter!)

• Vegetarian hot dogs or corn dogs

• Local honeycomb (to share with friends!)

If you really need to have some of the junkier State Fair foods, the best rule of thumb is to have just a bite or two and share the rest. A couple cheese curds or slices of fried green tomatoes won’t harm you, but a whole carton will.

Remember to stay hydrated (with WATER! Not slushies and beer) and keep moving. And definitely don’t arrive on an empty stomach… A hungry you will have a lot more trouble making healthier choices!

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An Amazing Day of Yoga

by Nkechi Njaka, MSc

Wow, what difference morning yoga makes! I had the most amazing day last Saturday–I challenged myself to double up on two morning yoga classes, which is something that I have never done before. And it was particularly special since both classes were offered in non-traditional spaces and were sized at over 100 yogis.

The first class was the Flavorpill event the Art of Yoga. My guess is that 300 or more yogis gathered at the SFMOMA for a free class taught by Elise Lorimer. We were greeted by Naked Juice reps (delicious smoothies and coconut water) and DJ J Boogie was awesome at creating a fun practice environment with music.

The class was a pretty advanced beginner Vinyasa class, which makes sense given the large group and the diverse yoga levels. There wasn’t  a whole lot of room to do crazy balances and inversions however I did feel incredibly strong and present in my practice and was able to nail a couple of balances that I have been working on for a couple weeks.

My new yoga friends from lululemon athletica (right) and I rushed from SFMOMA to SF Union Square for another amazing massive yoga class—this one being for cancer research.  Yoga for Hope is amazing event for yoga beginners and experts created from the City of Hope’s efforts to expand awareness of the importance of the mind-body-spirit connection. As an integrated wellness practitioner, I love the way that this facility incorporates complimentary and integrative therapies such as yoga and meditation in the patient treatment programs; it is so needed in the hospitals! I bet there were at least 400 people there! It was such a gorgeous, sunny day and the class was both reflective and restorative.

Last year, Yoga for Hope raised over $30,000! It was so powerful to offer prayer and acknowledgements to those we know whom cancer, diabetes and HIV have affected. I love offering my practice to others, and it was really meaningful to me to think of those in my life who have or have had a chronic illness.  The cool part about this event is that after the yoga class, there were several workshops and demonstrations offered. My favorite was the Whole Foods workshop where we could sample a delicious quinoa breakfast salad as well as organic granola and fresh organic fruit.

Post yoga glow–I was feeling extremily revitalized and amazing and I had so much of the day left! This ArielSimone headband is one of my recent favorite things to wear to class, as it keeps hair and sweat from my eyes. This top is also ArielSimone and can be worn to and from yoga over any yoga tank or sports bra–I love that it nicely converts to a casual outfit after class. It was perfect post-yoga outfit for the errands that I ran in the city before rushing off to meet up with friends.

Powerful words to reflect on….

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.

~ Denis Waitley

Foods for Perfect Hair

Foods for Perfect Hair | The Organic Beauty BlogWhat you eat plays just a big a role in creating smooth, clear skin, and shiny, luscious hair as the products you use.  Check out 5 Foods to Maximize Beauty for the best foods for healthy skin, and read on for the best nutrients and foods to prevent dry, wintery hair, hair loss, and ways to eat your way to lusciously healthy locks…  Luckily, the foods below aren’t just the key to amazing hair, they are a blueprint to ideal health!

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Foods for Perfect Hair | The Organic Beauty BlogFound in sardines, salmon, walnuts, flaxseeds and seaweed

One of the best nutrients for overall beauty, including hair, omega-3s prevent inflammation and keep our systems moisturized and healthy.  Stock up on these foods to keep hair shiny and lush, prevent dry scalp and hair loss, and promote hair growth!

Vitamin B12 & B7 (Biotin)
Foods for Perfect Hair | The Organic Beauty BlogFound in fish, beans and legumes, whole eggs, swiss chard, berries, carrots, nuts and nut butters and oatmeal

These two forms of vitamin B are key for healthy hair, and promote hair growth, strength, elasticity, and prevent breakage!  In conjunction with a good conditioner, a diet rich in these foods will ensure the healthiest hair possible.

Protein
Foods for Perfect Hair | The Organic Beauty BlogFound in eggs, beans, fermented soy like tempeh, quinoa, nuts, fish, and free-range chicken

You need to eat a moderate amount of healthy proteins every day to maintain hair growth and strength.  Protein is a building block of hair, so if you find that your hair is dull, brittle and prone to breakage, increase your consumption of healthy protein to literally build better hair!  But the emphasis here is on healthy — a diet with too much animal protein like red meat and pork increases risk of cancer and other diseases, so stick to the foods above!

Vitamins A & C
Foods for Perfect Hair | The Organic Beauty BlogFound in leafy greens like kale, spinach, and chard; orange foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and bell peppers; cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, brussel sprouts, and broccoli; and fruit like strawberries, citrus, and kiwi.

In combination, these vitamins help your body to produce sebum, which is what gives you beautiful, shiny hair. Load up on these foods, and you’ll need to use less product and synthetic oils to keep your hair from drying out!  Not to mention, these superfoods keep you healthy, energized, and boost your immunity.

Zinc
Foods for Perfect Hair | The Organic Beauty BlogFound in nuts and seeds, seafood like oysters, scallops, lobster and shrimp, and oatmeal

Zinc is a vital nutrient that prevents hair-loss and keeps hair full.  Increase consumption of these foods preemptively if you have a family history of thinning hair or baldness, or just to make sure your hair stays put as you age!

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Natasha Uspensky, chhc
Health & Nutrition Counselor
NU Health & Wellness

 

Sarah Villafranco of Osmia Organics

On my quest for the ultimate in so-natural-you-could-eat-it skincare that actually works, I was super stoked to discover Osmia Organics, and the super knowledgable skincare expert behind it, Sarah Villafranco.  I’ve been using Osmia skincare products for the last few weeks, and am just as impressed with the amazing quality of the organic ingredients as I am the awesome effects it’s had on my skin!

I love the calming Gentle Foaming Cleanser, which leaves my skin super soft, clear and clean.  Ingredients like organic aloe juice and organic chamomile extract help with redness and breakouts, while organic green tea and marshmallow extract have anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating effects on the skin.  Another favorite is the Facial Calibration Serum, which I was a bit nervous about using on my oily skin, but was thrilled that, as promised, it actually soaked into my skin and made it less oily throughout the day, while keeping it super soft and supple.  Organic grapeseed oil and black seed oil have awesome anti-aging effects as an added bonus!  But the product I’m totally addicted to is the is the luscious Body Oil, which comes in a million different delicious scents to match your mood and personality.  I love slathering on the woodsy, herbal smelling Forest scent after every shower to smooth my skin and totally invigorate my senses.

I talked to Sarah about what led her to create Osmia Organics (after nine years as an emergency physician!), and also learned about her amazing remedy for perioral dermatitis (an annoying and mysterious skin affliction I sometime fall prey to in the winter months):

1. Tell us about the philosophy behind Osmia Organics?

Really, it comes down to two concepts.  The first is caring about and wanting to KNOW what you are putting on your body.

Sarah Villafranco of Osmia Organics

There are no secrets with Osmia.  All of our ingredients are listed on the labels, and on the website.  We really, truly don’t have any icky chemicals or fillers to hide.  The second concept is rooted in THIS moment, THIS now.  We hope you will take a few seconds to sense each Osmia product you are using.  We are all insanely busy – this is a fact of life for most of us.  But being able to weave moments of scent or texture into your day is an honor for Osmia.  And we hope it carries forth into the rest of your life.  Because all of life’s precious, tiny moments can either go noticed or unnoticed – we hope to help you notice them.

2. What were you doing before you started Osmia, and what brought on the career change?

I spent nine years as an emergency physician, and I don’t regret a single one of them.  I was privileged to see people in their most trying moments – when they needed to know someone genuinely cared about them and their loved ones.  I never lost sight of the fact that it was a rare opportunity to know people in their least edited form, and I hope I was able to touch some lives meaningfully.  But, I started to get a bit frustrated with the healthcare system in general, and, at times, with Western medicine in particular.  I have always believed that the least invasive treatment is the starting point in medicine.  But our culture no longer embraces that idea, and has become accustomed to narcotics and antibiotics as a way of life.  This, in combination with a timely soap-making class, opened the door to this next phase of my life.  I love what I do now so much that I can’t really call it work, even though the hours I log more than match those I worked in the ER!

3. What sets Osmia apart from other organic beauty products on the market?

Osmia brings together natural ingredients and luxury skin care in a very conscious way.  We want each product you purchase to feel really special to you, as if you had stumbled upon it in a tiny shop while strolling down a secret side street.  The ingredients have been chosen and combined with great intention, resulting in the fewest, least processed, highest quality ingredients we can use for the desired effect of each product.  We are a small company, and maintain complete control of our formulation, manufacturing, and packaging.   And, my scientific background allows me to screen ingredients and the claims made by their suppliers with a fairly critical eye, allowing the discerning consumer to put that burden on me, for once.

4. What is your favorite Osmia product, and why?

That’s a bit like asking which one of my daughters I prefer – impossible to answer.  Juniper Fire holds a special place in my heart as my first perfume, and one that appeals to a great number of customers.  Honey-Myrrh Lip Repair is a favorite – I love the way it is still on your lips in the morning, and I find it to be an extremely effective product.  And the body oils may be my favorite in terms of the sensory experience – the smells are divine, and the feeling of your skin after using the oils is pure velvet – even in Colorado.  How’s that for dodging the question?

5. Many Organic Beauties have sensitive skin. Does Osmia have any products that are recommended for skin with eczema, acne, dry spots or Rosacea?

Certainly.  The Purely Simple Face Cream was developed for a friend with ridiculously sensitive skin and lots of allergies.  She used all natural products on her children, and was still using Cetaphil (the recommendation of most dermatologists) on her own skin, despite the fact that it is a petroleum-based product.  She said everything else made her face react.  That was a perfect challenge for me!  She has been using Purely Simple for over a year now, and loves it.

I, myself, have a condition called perioral dermatitis, which initially fueled a lot of my research and product development.  (There is an article on my site about the condition. In fact, many people suffer from it, and have been misdiagnosed with eczema or acne.)  For true eczematous and psoriatic conditions, I usually steer people to the Organic Tea Bath or the Milk Bath, the Oh So Soap, and the Unscented Body Oil.  For oily or acne-prone skin, I recommend the Gentle Foaming Cleanser or the Black Clay Facial Soap, while dry skin prefers the Rose Clay Facial Soap (don’t be afraid of soap on your face – it won’t dry you out!).   And for pesky blemishes, the Spot Treatment is quite powerful, without leaving the blemish crusty and red while it heals.

6. What is your skincare routine?

I use the Black Clay Facial Soap twice a day.  I follow with the Active Gel Nutrient Serum (perioral dermatitis likes water-based products) and the Purely Simple Face Cream.  I take a less-is-more approach, due to my perioral dermatitis, and I gently exfoliate no more than once a week.  Just as importantly, I exercise daily, eat a crazy healthy diet, drink lots of spring water, and use sunscreen religiously.  And I laugh – A LOT.

 

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Natasha Uspensky, chhc

Shield Those Ovaries!

 

Shield Those Ovaries! | The Organic Beauty BlogAlthough intended for expecting mommies, Belly Armor Belly Blankets are something anybody who spends a lot of time with their laptop on their lap should consider. Owning my own business and working from home half the week, I spend a good bit of time hunkered down on my chaise with my Pomeranian, typing away on my laptop. I’ve known for some time about the risks of radiation, particularly to one’s reproductive organs, when keeping a computer on your lap, but I’m not a big desk person, and have been putting off finding a viable healthy solution to this issue in favor of my own coziness. Bad me!

So you can imagine how happy I was to literally stumble upon the Belly Blanket… The perfect solution to my quandary! Even in summer months, I’m usually under a light blanket while I work, so this type of shield is preferable to a bulkier laptop tray designed to have the same effect.

Is radiation from laptops really that big a deal? Recent research points to yes. Earlier this year, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer declared radiation from laptops and other wi-fi enabled electronic devices a possible human carcinogen due to the effect it has on various parts of the body, including testes and skin. If it can mutate sperm, I’m not going to stick around to find out what it can do to delicate lady-parts, or worse yet, a developing fetus!

A shield such as this is vital for expecting mothers, and I’m starting to think not shielding from electromagnetic radiation just isn’t worth the risk for the rest of us either.

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Natasha Uspensky, chhc

Holistic Health & Nutrition Counselor

NU Health & Wellness

Newsflash: Shorter Workouts More Effective!

Newsflash: Shorter Workouts More Effective! | The Organic Beauty BlogNew research that recently appeared in the American Journal of Physiology shows that 3o minute workouts actually have as good, and often even better, effects on weight loss, calorie burning, and energy levels than 60 minute workouts!

I have long been a big fan of the shorter, more targeted workout..  I always feel drained and just generally blah after longer workouts, while regular shorter workouts leave my body feeling energized and fabulous.  So I’m thrilled that there is now research supporting this much more pleasant method of exercise!

The key is to workout in a smart and targeted manner to make the most of the shorter duration.  Opt for a combination of cardio and strength training for maximum results, and alternate between the parts of your body you work.  Shoot for working out 5 days a week, with 1-2 of the days dedicated to pilates or yoga.

Check out some of these great 30 minute workouts!

30 Minute Fitness Blitz from WebMD

3o Minute Workout, No Gym Required from Health.com

30 Minute Outdoor Playground Workout from Women’s Health Magazine

Total Body Transformation 6 Month Workout Program from Women’s Health Magazine

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Natasha Uspensky, chhc

Holistic Health & Nutrition Counselor

5 Minute Meditation for Stress Relief

Check out this super potent, stress-relieving yoga nidra from Dr. John Douillard.  You can use this exercise anytime you need to relax, unwind, refocus or center yourself.  Since it’s a seated meditation, you can even put in your headphones and do it at your desk at work!

Try it out, and post what positive results you noted!