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Nutribullet — A Healthy Kitchen Must-Have!

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

I was home with a terrible virus for over a week not too long ago, which led to a lot of regrettable television choices.  As I was making the rounds of afternoon infomercials, one in particular caught my eye, and honestly, revolutionized my kitchen!  David Wolfe, raw food guru (and one of my instructors at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition) was speaking on behalf of Nutribullet — which, at first glance, seemed like a souped up MagicBullet (a tool I knew I didn’t need).  I really respect David Wolfe’s take on food, and count him among my favorite nutrition experts, so I thought I would see what he had to say.

Mechanically, the Nutribullet isn’t that different from the MagicBullet.  It’s a compact single or double serving blender that can smooth, chop, blend, or liquify pretty much anything.  But that’s the key!  It has a super powerful 600 watt motor that literally liquified fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds into an incredibly potent, concoction that is neither juice nor smoothie, but some magical hybrid.  It’s basically a mini-Vitamix — which is pretty much my dream come true.  (Though the Vitamix is a phenomenal kitchen tool, its bulk and generally unfashionable design–not to mention its hefty price tag–have been keeping me from investing in one)

Though I am an enormous fan of juicing (and base a lot of my cleanses on it), the amount of wasted food and fiber has always been a big issue for me.  Plus, a juicer doesn’t allow me to add nuts and seeds, which are key to created a superfood, detoxifying health cocktail.

Smoothies have been my standby for a long time.  I love making delicious morning creations out of fruit, greens, nuts, and almond milk, but am always annoyed when my smoothie comes out mealy, overly thick, or not completely blended.  Especially when blending fibrous greens like kale or swiss chard, having those stringy pieces still in the smoothie really makes it less palatable even for me (who LIVES for greens!).  And I never hear the end of it from some of my pickier clients, for whom eating greens is already a huge challenge.  I end up adding cups and cups of liquid to my smoothies to get them even close to smooth enough, and still, I find whole, unmilled flax seeds and food particles at the bottom of my glass.  Not ideal.

So you can imagine how pumped I was when I opened my Nutribullet, and made a delicious, super-potent, completely liquified drink, chock full of tons of greens, fruit, nuts and seeds… in under a minute.  I knew mornings would never be the same!  The benefit of a super powerful motor combined with a specialized extractor blade is that it completely breaks down the food for you, pulverizing stems, seeds, and skins of foods to maximize the amount of nutrients you can derive from it and make the whole process that much easier on your digestive system.  We definitely don’t want to liquify all our meals — making our system break down fibers is a good thing! — but being able to efficiently deliver so much nutritious goodness into our bodies for one or two meals a day is amazing.

Everyday for the past two weeks, I have started each morning with a powerful, mega-nutrient drink that leaves me feeling full (but not weighed down after I do after a thick smoothie), energized, and just plain awesome.  Since the blades are so powerful, I can throw whole fruit and veggies into my Nutribullet without having to chop anything up, which saves me tons of time, and with the super fast motor, the perfect consistency takes just a few seconds to achieve.  My favorite part is coming up with new, delicious fruit and veggie combos to try… My new favorites are watermelon/cucumber/apple/lemon/flaxseed and pineapple/kiwi/spinach/sunflower seed.  The recommended proportion is 50% fruit and 50% greens, with a good solid handful of nuts or seeds to top it all off.  Though I’ve always rocked smoothies blended with almond milk, I use spring water with my Nutribullet, which gives the concoctions a consistency more like juice, and less like a heavy smoothie.  Check out my favorite Nutribullet smoothie recipes!

This little gadget will also make doing my seasonal detox/cleanse that much easier!  I’m going to recommend it to all my cleansing clients.  Bottom line… I’m in love!

Benefits of drinking just one full size concoction made up of organic fruit and veggies a day include:

  • Decreased risk of cancer and other diseases (provided you use organic fruit and veggies!)
  • Weight loss (replace breakfast and/or dinner with an amazing Nutriblast, and you’ll reach your target weight in no time!)
  • Increased energy
  • Better skin and hair
  • Increased longevity
  • Lower blood pressure and cholesterol
  • Relief from joint and muscle pain
  • Balanced blood sugar
  • Increased immunity
  • Relief from chronic inflammation
  • Improved mood and concentration

You can get your Nutribullet from nutribullet.com for about $120, or you can purchase it from BrandsMart for $99.98, complete with all the bells and whistles!

Check out our delicious and healthy Nutribullet Superfood Smoothie recipes, and please share your favorite recipes and amazing results below!

What’s All The Buzz About Gluten?

By: Cindy Moustafa

Cindy Moustafa, B.S., A.F.A.A is finishing her Master’s degree in Nutrition. After working in marketing, she decided to pursue her passion for nutrition. Cindy has experience helping others to lose weight and get healthy, including children. She helped build an after-school weight loss program for children and also taught the classes. Cindy uses her knowledge and passion to drive others. For nutrition consultations or additional questions, please contact her at CinnM@hotmail.com.

Recently, while in JFK airport, I noticed that there was an entire section in the food terminal dedicated to gluten-free products. I was both surprised and excited, being that I have just started eating a gluten-free diet. Some of the food choices were great and included Kind bars and hummus. Other foods were just junk food with the attractive “Gluten-Free” label on the front, giving the impression that a gluten-free cookie is somehow healthier than a regular cookie. Gluten has been getting a lot of buzz lately, and the public seems to be overwhelmed with misleading facts about the protein. Read on to get the real facts about gluten and if you should really be on a gluten-free diet.


What the heck is Gluten? People will buy a product stamped “Gluten-Free” without having an idea as to what gluten even is. But they know they heard it on the Dr. Oz show and someone, somewhere said to stay away from it. Gluten is simply the protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Oats are debated by some to contain gluten as well. So foods such as breads and pasta that are made with wheat flour (white, whole-wheat or multigrain) contain gluten. Also, many companies use gluten in their processed foods to help bind the ingredients together, so less obvious products such as Ketchup or tomato sauce may contain gluten as well.

Still a Cookie!

Why is Gluten bad for you? This is a controversial question because going gluten-free isn’t right for everyone. Many people today experience gluten sensitivities, which is akin to lactose intolerance. It’s believed by experts that this sensitivity has arisen from the overexposure to gluten from processed foods and a heavy carbohydrate dependency. In cases of intolerance, the body cannot digest gluten completely, so the person eating it can suffer from bloating, diarrhea, constipation, cramping and an array of symptoms (over 250 listed). Many people are misdiagnosed with IBS, when the real culprit is a food sensitivity. This is not to be confused Celiac Disease,an autoimmune disorder, in which the body attacks gluten and damages the intestine lining. As a result these individuals suffer from malnutrition and can experience life-threatening consequences if they eat something slightly contaminated with gluten. Gluten-free diets are also being associated with thyroid disease, autism and other disorders. It’s believed that those suffering from these ailments should avoid gluten because their body attacks it and makes their condition worse, so if you fall under this category it’s worth trying to go gluten-free. A last point, is that gluten-free foods are typically whole, natural foods so anyone can benefit from going gluten-free a few times a week.

How do I know if I have a sensitivity to Gluten? You can see a holistic health professional, as they are more experienced and exposed to food sensitivities, to get an allergy test through blood or stool samples. An alternative (and cheaper) way to test is to COMPLETELY take gluten out of your diet for 2 weeks. Then, slowly add the food into your diet and listen to your body! If you feel symptoms after having a pasta then gluten is most likely the culprit. Try a piece of bread the next day, if you get the same results then you’ve found the problem. Be warned that this takes discipline, but is completely worth it to relieve you of all your digestive problems. I went gluten-free after being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and while it was challenging, I did feel better. I also noticed that my stomach wasn’t upside down after breakfast, where I always has whole-wheat toast. I had grown so custom to feeling like crap that I didn’t even realize something was wrong until it felt right.



I’m Gluten-free…now what? The best way to tackle a gluten-free diet is to follow the advice give by nutritionists. Make all your foods whole, natural foods and avoid processed junk. A gluten-free cookie, as mentioned earlier, is still a cookie. Just keep a clean diet and you’ll find that being gluten-free isn’t as difficult as it seems. It gives you a chance to be creative in the kitchen! Below is a list of foods to focus on when going gluten-free:


Healthy Gluten-Free Foods

  • Sweet Potatoes (any potato is GF)
  • Brown Rice
  • Gluten-Free Pastas and Breads
  • Quinoa
  • Farro
  • Buckwheat
  • Vegetables for adequate fiber and vitamins
  • Fruits
  • Protein powders
  • Legumes/Beans including hummus
  • Amaranth flour
  • Arrowroot starch
  • Coconut flour
  • Corn (anything corn-based)
  • Sorghum flour
  • Soy flour
  • Tapioca starch
  • Teff flour
  • Xantham gum (serves as a binder in absence of gluten)


With the growing awareness of gluten sensitivities, there are many options today that there weren’t a few years ago. Breads and pastas taste just like the original. Try different brands to see what you like, or of course, bake it yourself!

Cindy Moustafa

Personal Trainer & Nutritionist

4 Breakfast Foods to Avoid

4 Breakfast Foods to Avoid | The Organic Beauty BlogWe’ve all heard over and over again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  While I’m not necessarily in agreement with that (Team Lunch!), I think we call agree that a healthy breakfast is pretty damn important.  Not only does it set the tone for your mood and energy levels for the rest of the day, but it also sets you up for ultimate fat metabolizing, regulated blood sugar, and a whole lot more.

But what you may not know is that all breakfasts are not created equal.  If you are regularly consuming any of the foods below for breakfast, you’d be better off skipping the meal entirely!  (Not that I’m advocating that).  Read on for the biggest culprits of belly fat, mid-morning crashes, headaches, and crankiness:


1.  Doughnuts, Muffins, Bagels and Croissants

4 Breakfast Foods to Avoid | The Organic Beauty BlogYes, I know that’s four foods, but they all fall pretty solidly in the same category of terrible, refined, and processed carbs that are typically loaded with sugars, trans-fats, and empty calories as well.  These are the biggest barriers to weight loss, and will typically cause a midday energy crash as well.  Not to mention leaving your blood sugar depleted by lunch time, which can lead to some not-so-great, hysterical food choices.  If you’re craving carbs for breakfast, opt for a piece of whole grain toast with almond butter, apple butter, or some natural (no added sugar) preserves.


2. Sugary Cereal and Granola

4 Breakfast Foods to Avoid | The Organic Beauty Blog99% of conventional supermarket cereals and granolas are also loaded with tons of added refined sugar, refined and processed carbs, and useless, chemical “supplements.”  As with all foods, read your ingredients!  There are plenty of healthier, whole grain cereals out there (check out Nature’s Path, Barbara’s and Ezekiel) that are sweetened with light amounts of organic cane sugar or honey, and feature super potent grains like flax, hemp seed, millet, amaranth and brown rice.  Better yet, go for a completely unsweetened cereal or oatmeal, and sweeten it yourself with a sprinkle of stevia or a drizzle of agave.  Add some nuts and berries for some added excitement and flavor!  And skim the milk in favor of some greek yogurt, soy milk or almond — all of which are much healthier and easier on your digestive tract!


3. Breakfast Sandwiches

4 Breakfast Foods to Avoid 3 | The Organic Beauty BlogThis “all-American” combination of eggs, fried bacon or sausage, processed cheese and refined breads add up to a fatty, greasy, high-calorie, high-sodium junk food binge. Not only will this only serve to pack on the pounds, but you’re also clogging your arteries, increasing risk of heart disease and cancer, and negatively impacting your skin.  If you just can’t live without the occasional breakfast sandwich, make your own at home, with a two egg omelet, tempeh bacon, and avocado or high quality cheese on a whole grain toasted english muffin.


4. Meal Replacement Shakes

4 Breakfast Foods to Avoid | The Organic Beauty BlogPopular brands like Ensure, Slim Fast, Atkins, or any other store-bought prepared shake is not a meal!  It’s not even a snack.  It’s a mess of processed garbage and chemicals that neither satisfies your hunger nor provides your body with any real nutrition.  And it certainly isn’t a healthy or effective way to permanently lose weight.  If you like shakes in the morning, make your own with hemp or rice protein powder, fresh or frozen berries, and some almond milk.  Delicious, nutritious, and real food!


BONUS!!!!
You know what else isn’t a breakfast?  A cup of coffee.  You heard me!  Starting your day off with a shot of false energy, adrenal imbalance, and a potential blast of sugar and unnecessary fat and dairy (depending on your particular coffee drinking style) is certainly not a healthy way to start your day.  If anything, this will lead to midday moodiness, depleted energy, and long term adrenal issues.  If you like your morning coffee, have it every other day (to avoid dependency), with some stevia and soy or almond milk.  And for the love of god, skip the Fraps and whipped creams and flavored syrups and crap! 


—–
Natasha Uspensky, chhc, aadp
NU Health & Wellness

10 Reasons to Eat Your Veggies

10 Reasons to Eat Your Veggies | The Organic Beauty BlogMy absolute favorite guru of nutrition and holistic health, John Douillard, posted last week on the importance of drastically increasing our intake of vegetables. Though I stress their importance every day in my work (just ask my clients!), I think his list is a beautiful encapsulation of what all my veggie-pushing is about:

“You know you should be eating your vegetables, but do you know why?

Did you know, for instance, that eating more vegetables can help you reduce stress, increase attentiveness, reduce cravings, and lose weight?

The truth is, while most of us know we should be eating plenty of vegetables, few of us actually eat enough. The US Food Guide Pyramid recommends that we eat 3-5 servings of veggies a day, yet studies show that only 22% of Americans do.

Here are 10 reasons you may not have known for piling on those greens. Once you read these top ten unsung reasons for eating veggies, I hope you will have all the motivation you need.

Number One: A Reason to Chew
Have you ever eaten a bowl of fresh, either lightly steamed or raw veggies? If you have, you may have noticed one simple fact – it takes time to chew.

Unlike a sandwich, which you can eat quickly, eating veggies demands more dedication to chewing.

…Here is a list of amazing benefits to be reaped from chewing:

  • Chewing stimulates the production of salivary digestive enzymes like amylase in saliva, which lubricate the esophagus and the chewed food in the digestive tract.
  • Chewing relaxes the end of the stomach – called the pylorus – allowing food to be released into the small intestine more easily.
  • Chewing stimulates taste receptors in the mouth, which in turn triggers the release of hydrochloric acid, or HCL, in the stomach. HCL is responsible for processing hard-to-digest proteins, like casein in dairy and gluten in wheat.
  • Inadequate chewing has been linked to digestive issues such as gas, bloating, and other forms of indigestion.
  • Chewing also forces us to relax and take time to eat, rather than race through every meal.

In other words: The more you chew, the better you digest. So sit down to a meal of veggies and chew your way to better digestion.

Number Two: Take it From the Gorillas

Gorillas, whose digestive system most resembles that of humans, eat more than half their body weight in ounces of vegetables a day. They literally spend all day munching on veggies. While it may be unrealistic to match their consumption, experts agree we should be eating up to one, or even two, pounds of veggies each day.

Gorillas also eat fruits, grains (in their natural unprocessed form), and a small amount of meat.

Number Three: Release those Toxins
Vegetables are loaded with fibrous cellulose, which scrubs the intestinal villi, provides bulk for the stool, and binds toxins for escort out of the body. Without enough cellulose in the digestive tract, bowel movements – and the consequent elimination of toxins – are dramatically compromised.

Cholesterol, along with other toxins, is attached to bile in the liver. Vegetable cellulose attaches to the bile and escorts it, with toxins in tow, out of the body through the stool. Without enough vegetable cellulose in the diet, up to 94% of the bile (with cholesterol and toxins attached) is re-absorbed by the liver and the blood, which raises cholesterol and increases risk of cardiovascular disease.

Number Four: Your Armor Against Heart Disease
Most Americans gets their cholesterol tested regularly to screen for heart disease, the number one killer of Americans. The cholesterol that is connected with heart disease is called low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, and is often referred to simply as, “the bad cholesterol”.

Cholesterol becomes “bad” through the process of oxidation.

Vegetables are the number one source of antioxidants in the diet, neutralizing the process of oxidation. When vegetable intake is low, antioxidant levels crash, allowing the fats in the blood to oxidize. Low vegetable consumption is directly linked to the oxidation of LDL and, ultimately, high cholesterol and heart disease.

Major protective phytonutrients found in vegetables, including flavonoids and carotenoids, have been shown to reduce heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and some cancers.

Number Five: The Ultimate Low-Calorie, Blood-Sugar Stabilizing Food Group
Vegetables are extremely low in calories. A cup of vegetables averages about 50 calories. By contrast, nuts and seeds can have as many as 750 calories per cup. Moreover, the body uses almost the same amount of energy to chew and digest vegetables as it receives from them, thus, they are called a “free food,” or a food with a very small caloric load.

Breaking down the cellulose fibers in vegetables takes time, which allows the carbohydrates to be released slowly. This helps keep the blood sugar stable. You can see why vegetables are the ultimate low calorie, blood-sugar stabilizing food group.

Vegetables are also low in fat and have zero cholesterol. In fact, 95% of all vegetables have less than one gram of fat per serving. Eating plenty of vegetables stimulates the breakdown of fat already stored in the body, and helps the body burn this fat for energy.

Number Six: Alkalize!
Most experts agree that the diet for optimal health should be 1/3 acidic and 2/3 alkaline. In nature, the winter harvest is a mostly acidic one, high in grains and meats. In the spring and summertime, nature’s bounty of alkalizing fruits and vegetables helps the body naturally detoxify the heavy stores of winter.

Alkalizing the body helps keep the blood healthy and the lymphatic system moving, maintaining a constant natural detox.

Challenge yourself this spring to make two-thirds of your diet alkaline – it is more challenging than you might think!

Number Seven: Balance the Six Tastes
Vegetables provide the body with the oft-overlooked tastes of bitter, astringent, and pungent. In a society largely addicted to the sweet, sour, and salty tastes, large amounts of vegetables have been replaced with a diet rich in grains and bread, meats, dairy, and eggs.

According to Ayurveda, the six tastes are to be included with each meal. This balances not only the body, but the mind and emotions as well. In Ayurveda, the word for “taste” – rasa – is the same as the word for “emotion,” echoing that food is fuel for the body, mind, and spirit.

A diet high in the sweet and salty tastes can overly-satisfy the senses and, in time, create a dependency on those sweet and salty foods. Studies show that these foods activate dopamine receptors in the brain.

Dopamine is the “I’ve gotta have it hormone,” and it plays a part in any addiction. It is a “diminishing” hormone, meaning that the more you stimulate it, the more of a substance it takes to stimulate it to the same degree. Soon, the natural sweet taste of vegetables (think of them as complex sugars wrapped in fiber) gets replaced with the more potent, quick-acting sweet taste found in breads, dairy, and sweeteners.

To balance this major cultural addiction to the sweet and salty tastes, we must significantly reduce those tastes and add generous, nearly gorilla, amounts of veggies back into the diet!

Number Eight: Spring Cleaning
In the spring, when the snow begins to melt and the ground softens, deer dig up rhizomes to eat. Rhizomes, or surface roots, are loaded with astringent and bitter constituents that scrub the intestinal villi of old and hardened mucus congestion. It is like a spring cleaning of the gut. These early spring roots also stimulate liver function and blood purification. So don’t forget the root vegetables like beets, burdock, carrots, ginger, radish, onions, garlic, dandelion, turmeric and most spices.

Number Nine: Nature’s Pro-Biotics
Green vegetables, especially the spring greens, are loaded with chlorophyll. Chlorophyll fertilizes the intestinal villi and aids in the proliferation of the good intestinal bacteria, which are essential for digestion, assimilation, detoxification, and intestinal waste removal. This is a natural way to get the pro-biotic result, without a supplement. In contrast, most pro-biotic supplements do not encourage the growth of your own flora. They work well only while you take them, but the benefits stop when you discontinue taking them.

The production of intestinal flora may be one of the most important factors linked to optimal health. When we take nature’s cue and load our diet with alkalizing veggies in the spring, we naturally restore healthy intestinal flora.

Number Ten: Vitamins and Minerals (That Your Body Doesn’t Make)

Vegetables deliver vitamins that the body does not make, including the water-soluble B-complex vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, biotin, and choline, as well as Vitamin C. The water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body, so they must be ingested daily. Without adequate amounts of veggies in the diet, many of these vitamins may become deficient.

Vegetables are also a rich source of the fat-soluble vitamins A and K, and some Vitamin E.

Vegetables are also the primary source of minerals in the diet. For instance, the main source of calcium for humans should not be dairy, but green leafy veggies. As far back as 1936, in a well-publicized report entitled, “Document 264 from the Department of Agriculture”, the 74th Congress stated that, “99% of the American people are deficient in minerals, and a marked deficiency in any one of the more important minerals actually results in disease.”

That same report from 1936 stated that, “virtually all soils in the United States are mineral deficient.” In 2001, The Journal of Complimentary Medicine pointed out that US and UK Government statistics showed a decline in trace minerals of up to 76% in fruit and vegetables from 1940 to 1991.

Perhaps this makes a case for mineral supplementation, but first and foremost, we must focus on getting as many veggies in our diet as we can!

* Always eat organic when possible.

Top Tip for Getting More Veggies:

Try veggies for breakfast! Start the day off right by adding steamed greens to your am fare. It might seem unusual at first, but you’ll quickly get used to how good you feel.”

Check out some delicious veggie recipes on our Healthy Recipes page!

———
Natasha Uspensky, chhc, aadp
NU Health & Wellness

Healthy Chicks Eat Salad

By: Cindy Moustafa, B.S., AFAA

Healthy Chicks Eat Salad | The Organic Beauty BlogSalads have somehow become the food associated with girls that don’t eat or are dieting. Books such as “Skinny Chicks Don’t eat Salad” have become best-sellers encouraging people that salads aren’t filling enough and will cause you to overeat later. Sure, if you’re eating a bowl that looks like one you used to feed your class rabbit, then it’s probably not full of sustainable energy. But salads are a great, quick way to get an array of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, fiber and protein-if they’re done right. Also, salads can actually help you maintain your weight, especially if you find yourself at a restaurant with no healthy options. Follow these steps to ensure you’re never hungry after the salad bar again.

  • Kick the iceberg to the curb. Use the base of your salad as an opportunity to your dark leafy greens in for the day. For example, arugula, baby spinach or bibb are loaded with vitamins A, C, K, cancer-fighting properties and give a nice taste. Iceberg lettuce, however, has very little taste or nutritional value. Save it for lettuce wraps(or rabbits) instead.
  • Pump up the Protein! This is what most salads are lacking. Protein will help you keep you satiated and give you sustained energy for the day. Choose lean protein sources, such as fish, chicken breast or hard-boiled eggs. With fish or eggs, you’ll get the added benefit of omega-3’s, which can help combat a range of disorders such as obesity, Alzheimer’s and inflammation. You can have up to 7 oz. of fish for minimal calories and maximum satisfaction! As an alternative, you can also add beans such as chickpeas, that are full of protein and healthy carbs.
  • Embrace the Colors of the Rainbow. As a child, you probably associated this with Skittles, but as an adult you really do need to “taste the rainbow.” Firstly, it makes your salad look so pretty you can’t wait to dive in. Secondly, different colors give you different vitamins and health-boosting effects. For example, red peppers are packed with more vitamin C than an orange and more than 40% of your Vitamin A recommendations. Beets are rich in Potassium which can help regulate blood pressure. Load up on different veggies with different colors to get the most out of your salad.
  • Add more Flavor. Another issue with salads is that the can be very bland. By adding some depth of flavor into it, however, your body will feel more satisfied. For example, if you like some sweetness, add 1/2 an orange to your salad, which also goes great with fennel. For something fresh and zesty add cilantro or basil or for something spicy add crushed red pepper. Be creative!
  • Get Fat! Yep, you read that right. Too many people are scared that fats will make them fat, but this is absolutely not true. Before you throw caution to the wind and inhale 3 donuts, understand that there is a big difference between GOOD fats and BAD, artery-clogging, Paula-Deen-loving fats. Good fats can actually help combat belly fat and keep you fuller longer. They include foods like Olive Oil, Avocado, and nuts. Add these to your salad to get a good balance or protein and fat.
  • Crunch Time! Lastly, add some crunch to your salad as your topping. Nuts are the best way to do this, but you can certainly use homemade pita chips or tortilla chips(gluten-free) to get your crunch on. Just exercise portion control. For example , if you break up 2 chips or half a pita into your salad it’s a lot of crunch for almost no added calories.

The take away message here is that salads can provide real benefits and it’s a shame to stop eating them because of marketing tactics to sell you on other foods. Salad eaters are more likely to get their daily dose of Vitamins C and A, minus the bloated feeling after eating a burger or alleged “healthy wraps” from the deli . I don’t know about skinny chicks, but healthy ones certain eat their salad.

 

Eating Healthy On a Budget

By: Cindy Moustafa

Eating Healthy On a Budget 2 | The Organic Beauty BlogIf you’re like most people, the idea of starting to eat healthier comes with the fear that your wallet is going to get as thin as your waist. While it’s true that certain health foods are pricey, due to items like chips and soda being subsidized by the government but not fruits and vegetables, there are ways to not break the bank.

To help I’ve put together 3 easy-to-follow steps. Just remember the 3 P’s : Plan, Purchase, Prepare. If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to living a healthier lifestyle on any budget.

Step 1: PLAN!

Like everything in life, planning ahead is the key to success.  The first step is to compile a shopping list before going to the supermarket. Assess the fridge and food pantry (hopefully by now you’ve thrown out anything that contains ingredients you can’t pronounce). The list should include foods that you know you need to make healthy meals throughout the week. For example, eggs, peppers, onions, ground turkey, apples, etc. 

You can take this a step further and actually make your own menu. This is helpful to anyone from a college student to a mom of 3. So for example your list may look something like this:

Monday: Baked Salmon, baked sweet potato “fries”,sauteed spinach.
Tuesday: Spaghetti Squash with homemade pesto and large arugula salad.

So you would know for Monday and Tuesday you need to buy (wild atlantic) salmon, sweet potatoes, spinach, spaghetti squash, basil, pine nuts and arugula. You just need to adjust for how many people you’re cooking for. When you’re set up for the week you’re less likely to spend needless money in the supermarket or reach for something unhealthy. We like to call this a win-win situation!

Don’t forget to include good foods for snacks on your list. After you complete this, go online and try to find coupons for some of the foods on your list. The days of having to wear a disguise to avoid the embarrassment of using coupons are over. It’s actually becoming trendy-thank you recession! So take advantage and go to the supermarket’s web site or some of the more popular coupon sites and save, baby, save!

Step 2: PURCHASE!

Now that you’ve got the planning down, it’s time to actually go to the store and purchase the foods you need. Make sure not to go to the store when you’re hungry. You’re more likely to throw caution to the wind and a bag of Oreo cookies in your cart. Also, make sure that you stick to your list. Don’t stray!

Once you’re in the store and sticking to the “plan”, there’s ways to save even more. Don’t look at the price of food items, but rather the unit price. The unit price is the price of food per pound, so you will actually save in the long run if one food is cheaper in unit price. For example, if you’re buying brown rice and the larger bag has a $.33 unit price, and the smaller one has a $.55 unit price, go for the larger bag! It’s cheaper and will last longer.

With shelf items such as rice, go with the cheaper brand. However, there are some items you must get used to paying a little extra for. These include items like organic eggs and grass-fed meats. You are only as good as what you put in your body so make sure you’re only putting good stuff in there! Think of this in the same way you shop for clothes. There’s just some pieces that you splurge on because they’re worth it-such as a good quality handbag or the perfect little black dress. Well, people, something like cage-free eggs are your little black dress.  Another place to spend a little more is organic berries, since they have the highest amount of pesticides.

Even though certain items are more costly, the money should even out if you’re doing a lot less waste spending with the 3 P’s plan.

Step 3: PREPARE!

It’s time to put theory into practice and actually take the time to prepare the food. Items like quinoa and rice can be prepared for the whole week on Sunday, which is a time saver. Also, another place to save it by taking these foods for lunch. A good way to extend shelf life is to marinate or cook fish/meats/chicken/turkey. This will help the food stay fresher longer. You can also chop all your vegetables so that you don’t waste time prepping before cooking during the week.  Items like fresh herbs can be put in a Ziploc and can stay in the freezer for months.

Use the preparation phase to help make bringing lunch with you to school/work easier. This is another great way to save money. The average person can spend up to$20 a day on food. That’s $100 for a 5 day week! Put that money in a savings account and buy yourself something pretty instead of a fattening sandwich at your local deli.

Cooking instead of eating out is
the easiest way to save and keep healthy!

What’s So Super About Super-Foods?

People today are always looking for quick fixes. Promises such as: “Look young fast!” or “Lose weight fast!” are too good to pass up. Unfortunately, these are usually just marketing ploys to get you to buy a product that either doesn’t work or has a list of unpleasant side effect, such as anal leakage for weight-loss drugs. I don’t know about you but I’m not ready for Depends Diapers.
So what can you do that’s quick, easy, delicious and really will improve your health? Eat Super-foods! There are no gimmicks here, only natural foods that you more than likely eat already. A super food simply has a high concentration of essential nutrients with clinically proven health benefits.  Incorporating these foods into your diet can improve your overall health, energy, skin, weight and even fight off cancer.  Best of all, there are never any side effects and you don’t need to visit your doctor first.
 
The following list is has examples of popular and easy super-foods, but there are many more. This list is intended to put you in the right direction to jump-start your health.What’s So Super About Super-Foods? | The Organic Beauty Blog




  • Eggs:  Eggs are having their Britney Spears comeback moment right now. They got a bad rep because they were thought to increase cholesterol, which has been dis-proven. Most blood cholesterol is made by too much dietary fat, not dietary cholesterol. You can have up to 7 yolks (unlimited whites) a week and be just fine. Eggs have the highest biological value of protein. It will keep you full, help build muscle and is packed with essential vitamins necessary to maintain a healthy weight such as biotin and B12. Aim for cage-free, vegetarian feed to get that essential Omega-3 fat, which is a great anti-inflammatory agent.
  • Almonds/Nuts:  Sigh. This is yet another super-food with a bad rep, due to their high fat content. However, eating HEALTHY fat will not make you fat! Have you ever met an obese person whose downfall was their consumption of almonds? Almonds can help you maintain a healthy weight because they keep you satisfied and make a great snack. Just go for raw, unsalted brands. All nuts are also often packed with minerals and vitamins such as Folate, Omega-3(walnuts) Niacin (peanuts), Fiber, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Folate and more. Try getting that from a bag of chips! A recent study showed that people who consumed about 24 nuts daily kept at a healthy weight than those that didn’t.

 

  • Blueberries:  Blueberries have been long known for their antioxidants properties. All berries are also high in Vitamin C, Potassium and Fiber . A serving of raspberries can actually pack more fiber than a bowl of oatmeal. Because of this, berries can help keep you fuller longer and prevent colon cancer. They can also lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, since they have anti-inflammatory agents. Inflammation is the gateway to all chronic disease, which is why you want to consume as many anti-inflammatory foods as possible. Typically darker berries contain more anti-oxidants, but all berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries) have been linked to reduced cancer risk, and are super lower in calories. Eat a guilt-free cup a day!
  • Flaxseed:  Flaxseed is packed with some of the benefits we’ve already spoken about suchasfiber, minerals, and essential fatty acids that help to reduce inflammation.  The key here is that it’s super easy to use. Put a tablespoon in your oatmeal, smoothies, salad or even baking (use about ¾ cup). That’s about as quick and easy as it gets!
  •  Sweet Potatoes:  When you’re debating what carbs are better for you, always go with sweet potatoes! These should be eaten often, not just on Thanksgiving! They are packed with Vitamin A, C, B6, Calcium, Potassium, Fiber, Magnesium and anti-oxidants (thanks to their orange hue). It doesn’t hurt that their delicious too! Try them roasted with cinnamon and honey.
  • Red Lentils:  These protein-rich legumes are packed with fiber – 1 cup provides about ¾ of your daily recommendation! Both protein and fiber have satiating properties that help you stay fuller, so they should be a part of any diet. Fiber is essential for colon-cancer prevention and decreased cholesterol. The only thing to keep in mind, if you are watching your weight, is that lentils are mainly a carbohydrate even though their also packed with protein. So just watch your serving size and be aware of pairing them with other carbs. Red lentils cook faster than regular lentils, but you can certainly get the benefits from lentils or other legumes such as chickpeas and black beans.
  • Tomatoes/Pink Grapefruit:  These 2 go together because they share the benefits of Lycopene, a powerful anti-oxidant. To get the Lycopene in tomatoes, they should be cooked, but grapefruit can provide it quickly and easily. Grapefruit has also long been known to help in maintaining a healthy weight and is fairly lower in calories. About ½ a medium grapefruit is considered a serving size. Have tomatoes in your omelet, along with ½ a grapefruit and you’re starting off your day great already.

  • Spinach/Leafy Greens:  The last food group we’ll focus on are some of the most powerful. Spinach became popular for its Iron after a certain sailor by the name of Popeye ate his can to be big and strong. While Popeye is great for making this veggie popular, he went about it all wrong. Firstly, please don’t ever eat vegetables out of the can. Secondly, spinach is actually not a good source of iron because it contains iron-binding properties, so your body will not absorb the iron well. But don’t discard your spinach just yet, because its real benefits lie in its high Vitamin A,C, Calcium, Folate, Magnesium and Fiber. It has been associated with decreased cancer, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and obesity. More so than spinach, Kale and Collard Greens are also loaded with antioxidant properties. The healthiest populations in the world have high dark green vegetable intake-so they are doing something right! Due to the high Vitamin A content, these foods are also great for the skin. Dark leafy greens also cook very quickly so it’s easy to incorporate them daily. You can also eat them raw, or saute them with garlic and onion for a real health benefit powerhouse. Broccoli Rabe has also been associated with decreased cancer risk, so there’s a real chance to mix it up and be creative.
Again, there are many more super foods but these are the easiest and most available. Try to include as many of these foods as possible into each meal and snack and you’ll be well on your way to a healthier weight, better skin and increased energy. Try to focus on eating as many colors of fruits and vegetables as possible to really get the most out of your diet. You are guaranteed to feel better when you incorporate these foods into your meals and you’ll be reducing your risk of disease and obesity. 

3 Diet Myths to Toss

Originally posted on The Daily Zeel! 
3 Diet Myths to Toss | The Organic Beauty Blog
The field of nutrition is a relatively new one, which means there is tons of seemingly contradictory information floating around, much of it with science to back it up! This can be incredibly confusing and frustrating to someone just looking to get healthy and eat well. Though there are several different approaches to eating that can be equally beneficial to different people with varying body types, activity levels and needs, there are definitely some major diet myths and trends that everyone can stand to cut out in spring 2012, along with last year’s harem pants and formaldehyde-ridden keratin treatments.

DIET MYTH #1: All calories are created equal

The biggest problem with most calorie-counting diets is that they are based on the premise that a calorie is a calorie – and less calories equals greater health. There is so much wrong with this principle. Eating a 2,000 calorie diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and clean proteins is not the same as eating the same number of calories in “low-cal” snack foods, refined carbs like pizza and pasta, and saturated fats from meat.
Yes, lowering your overall caloric intake will help you lose weight, but it is your intake of powerful micro and macronutrients that will help you lower cholesterol, blood pressure and cancer risk while staying slim and healthy long-term!
Low calorie snack packs and other diet foods that allow you to eat smaller portions of unhealthy foods do absolutely nothing for your health, and may even thwart your efforts at losing weight by feeding your body empty calories (i.e. calories without any nutritional benefit) that don’t really satisfy your hunger.

DIET MYTH #2: Carbs are the enemy

Carbohydrates are finally starting to come back after their widespread blacklisting through the dark times of high-protein diets, but there are still so many people out there who avoid carbs like the plague. The problem with this approach is that it holds healthy whole grains like brown rice, quinoa and buckwheat to the same negative standard as refined, bleached flours and starchy foods. While processed carbs like cookies, pastries and other white flour foods are definite diet busters, whole grains are loaded with fiber, protein and minerals, and are actually a major ally in weight loss!
Eliminating all carbs and grains from your diet often times leads to serious cravings, nutritional deficiencies and digestive problems – that is totally not the answer. Try to cut the white carbs, but feel free to adopt a more balanced diet with some whole grain breads, brown rice and even quinoa pasta!

DIET MYTH #3: Fats cause weight gain

Fats are another food group that have gotten a terrible rap over the last few decades. The truth is, America’s obsession with low-fat food has had no small part in the obesity epidemic and distorted relationship with food that grows more and more serious each year.
Fats are a vital part of a healthy diet, and are super important for energy, brain and heart health, weight management, and even healthy skin and hair! But as with carbs, not all fats are the same. Saturated fats found in meat and dairy need to be eaten in moderation, and trans fats found in processed and fried foods are terrible for your health, leading to more than just ballooning waist lines. Healthy, mono- and polyunsaturated fats found in nuts, avocadoes, fish and olive oil, on the other hand, are wonderful foods that keep you fuller longer, and help you live a longer, healthier life.
The bottom line is that a restrictive, unsatisfying diet is not the answer for long-term, sustained weight loss. As with all things in life, the key with healthy eating is balance. Although every body is different, with different needs regarding caloric intake and protein (not to mention varying levels of sensitivities to foods containing dairy and gluten), a safe bet across the board is to opt for a balanced, whole foods diet full of brightly colored vegetables and fruits, whole grains and healthy fats. Restricting your diet or eliminating an entire food group may shock your system into losing weight initially, but it also deprives it of vital nutrients, satisfaction and long-term stability.
Forget these diet myths, and make 2012 your healthiest year yet!

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Let’s Talk About Poop, Baby

Let's Talk About Poop, Baby | The Organic Beauty BlogAre you blushing already?  But secretly fascinated?  Good.  Poop is a topic that doesn’t get nearly enough attention in the world of health, which is really a shame, because our poops can tell us a lot about our bodies and our overall health.  So, for a hot second, let’s grow up and talk about POOP (baby).

A healthy body eliminates waste on a regular schedule, several times a day.  Ideally, we should poop within 15 minutes of waking up every morning, with at least two more bowel movements throughout the day.  If you’re not pooping 2-3 times a day, every day, something is wrong!

Why are healthy poops so important?

If you’re thinking “I’ve always pooped like a bunny, and I’m just fine!” think again.  Healthy elimination is vital to our health for a variety of reasons.  Not only is it the best way to eliminate toxins from our body, but it also promotes healthy weight, healthy skin, and emotional balance!  Improper elimination can be responsible for symptoms ranging from depression and moodiness, to breakouts, headaches, bloating, gas and stomach pain.

There are several factors that contribute to healthy elimination, intestinal health and regularity.  The most important of these are:

  • DIET
  • HYDRATION
  • EXERCISE
Let's Talk About Poop, Baby | The Organic Beauty BlogA diet rich in whole grains, fresh vegetables (particularly the dark green, leafy kind), and plenty of water is the basis for good digestive health.  If you are not pooping 2-3 times a day, every day, the first step is to address your diet.  Increase consumption of healthy, fibrous foods and you’ll see a marked improvement in the frequency of your poops!  Constipation and irregularity can also be a sign of chronic dehydration.  If you’re not drinking 6-8 tall glasses of water every day, the effects will definitely show up in the poop department.  Lastly, you need to get moving to get moving.  If you are not getting regular exercise (at least 3 times a week), this can definitely serve to bind you up, especially in combination with poor diet and not enough water.
When you eat is also a factor in the frequency and quality of your poops.  If you are a “grazer” who never sits down to an actual meal, relying instead on small meals and snacks throughout the day, your body never builds up enough bulk to create good, healthy poops.
So what does a healthy poop look like?
 
You may not like it, but taking a look at what comes out of you is really important to gauging the health of your body and digestive system.  Healthy poops are:
  • Soft but well formed, like logs.
  • Easy to pass — there should be no discomfort.
  • Medium brown in color, with consistent color throughout
  • Anywhere from 4″-6″ inches in length, depending on how often you go.  You should eliminate about 12″ of poop a day.
  • Not terribly rancid smelling.  A healthy poop should smell earthy, not like spoiled food.
Some examples of unhealthy poops are:
  • Small, like rabbit pellets
  • Hard and/or painful to pass
  • Loose and unformed
  • Very light or very dark in color
  • Full of undigested food particles that you can see
  • Thin and skinny
  • Noxious smelling
  • Infrequent — even just one poop a day (unless it’s a massive 12-incher) is not enough to properly detoxify and remove waste from your body!
In addition to dehydration, poor diet, and not enough exercise, the unhealthy poops listed above can also be attributed to other issues.  Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s, lactose intolerance, gluten sensitivity (or other food allergies), candida overgrowth, chronic stress and anxiety, or a variety of other concerns can also contribute to unhealthy poops.  But more often than not, fixing the big three factors above will have you on your way to healthy poops in just a few days!
So let’s review.  Barring any larger issues, the steps below will turn you into a pooping all-star!

10 Steps for Happy, Healthy Poops

  1. Eat a diet rich in whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, sprouted wheat {provided you don’t have a sensitivity}, buckwheat, spelt, etc. etc.)
  2. Eat lots and lots of green veggies, particularly kale, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, and chard.
  3. Drink lots of fresh, filtered water throughout the day.  Shoot for half your body weight in ounces.
  4. Do some sort of exercise at least 3 times a week— even just 20 minutes will have a great effect on your poops!
  5. Manage your stress.  If you’re an anxious pooper (you know who you are), take steps to stop and mellow out, so that your poor bowels don’t pay the price!  (Read:  Less Stress and More Energy Through Breath)
  6. Add a good probiotic to your supplement regiment.
  7. Increase consumption of fermented foods (kimchi, lacto-fermented pickles, kombucha), which promote healthy bacterial balance in the gut.
  8. Try to eat three satisfying meals a day, as opposed to constant grazing and snacking.  (For more info on this, read my article To Snack or Not to Snack: That is the question)
  9. Chew your food.  This will help kickstart the digestive process so your body doesn’t have to work so hard!
  10. Avoid refined and processed foods, super salty foods, and sweets, which can all damage intestinal flora and bind you up!
If you’ve tried all of the above and your poops are still not ideal, definitely see a holistic nutritionist to help you get to the bottom of it… (I’m killing myself trying to think of a great “bottom” pun here, but I’m stuck… Sorry guys!)

Seasonal Eating: Healthy Fats

Seasonal Eating Healthy Fats | The Organic Beauty Blog

Our bodies naturally need different foods at different times of the year, and it is remarkably beneficial for your body, skin, and overall health to be sensitive to these seasonal variations.  In the cold weather months, we naturally need more fat in our diets to insulate us against the heat, give us energy, and keep our system lubricated.  Year round, healthy fats keep our minds sharp, our hearts healthy, our hair shiny, our skin clear, and our waistlines smaller!  Amazing, right?

But obviously, not all fats are good fats!  When consuming fats, steer clear of saturated fats and opt for mono- or polyunsaturated fats instead.  Check out the handy charts for help choosing the right kinds of fat, and keep them to about 20% of your total diet.

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Are you finding it difficult to substitute saturated fat for healthier options?  Get some ideas below!

*Be mindful of your soy consumption, and try to eat mostly fermented soy, like tempeh, to avoid any dangerous hormonal effects.