Balancing Food Within A Family

I’m really excited about my 2 classes that start September 1^st: Digestion & Detox, and Lifecycles & Healthy Aging. For the Lifecycles class, we go through each stage of life starting with pregnancy and ending in old age, and learn about how nutrition can benefit health every step of the way.

One of the books we will be reading is called Feeding Your Child for Lifelong Health, by S. Roberts, Ph.D. & M. Heyman, M.D. I’ve been browsing through each of my books (I have about 10 books per class, literally) as they arrive from Amazon.com shipping, and this one seemed particularly interesting.

I think something many families struggle with is how to balance “adult” meals and nutrition with the wants and needs of the kids. Most of you know where I stand on this – kids should eat what the adults eat to whatever extent possible, especially as they get old enough to chew and digest most things. (Note: I realize I have no right to even have a stance on this because I don’t have kids, but I am putting it out there anyway).

This book provides some tips for balancing food within the whole family. The authors claim that if you follow their guidelines on most days, you can rest assured that your family is getting the proper nutrients from their diet. The guidelines are as follows:

• Vary the balance of different foods for different family members. For example, kids and adults need about the same levels of calcium, but kids only need about half the fruits and veggies and less than half of the grains that adults do.

• Shop for everyone’s fat and fiber needs. Since kids need more fat, whole milk or 2% is appropriate for them. If you are watching your fat intake, you may prefer skim milk. Some adults need more fiber in their diet to assist with proper health, so they may eat cereals and breads that are extremely high in fiber. Kids, however, generally have lower fiber needs than adults.

• If recipes you like have ingredients that are not suitable for your child, simply leave them out and put them on the table as condiments. The two biggies here are added salt and alcohol, which are found in many recipes. Strong spices would also fall into this category.

• Focus on cooking methods that enhance nutrition for everyone. Maximize the family’s vitamin intake by eating raw salads and/or steaming veggies to retain water-soluble vitamins. Try to use fresh veggies, rather than canned or frozen, whenever possible.

• Unless you have a family medical history that dictates a special diet, you don’t need to avoid red meat entirely. Red meat is high in iron and zinc, which are crucial for growth and development of the child. Eggs are also a great source of iron and zinc.

• Give your child a multivitamin/mineral supplement. This is something your doctor can advise you on.

I thought these were some great tips, and a good reminder of how important it is to focus on nutrition and healthy meals containing REAL food (vs “kid” foods) from an early age. If you start your kid off eating convenience foods, and show them that it’s okay for them to eat a separate meal from mom and dad, they may never want to graduate to the adult table.

State Fairs

It’s Friday. And I don’t know about you, but I've had an extremely long (but good!) week. Anyway, I wanted to keep it light today, and I think I have the perfect post to send you into your weekend with.

It’s state fair season everywhere. My hometown state fair, the Minnesota State Fair, happens to be the greatest one. As kids, my siblings and I used to go to the MN State Fair with my grandfather, Pops. He’d fly out to St. Paul from St. Louis, and take all of us for food, animals and rides. Pops now lives in St. Paul, and last year my dad and I had the pleasure of taking him up in the space needle! It was really cool – he was definitely the only 88-year old in the space needle.

But the real issue I want to talk about is the food at state fairs. I understand they’re not going for “health,” or even “fresh” or “organic,” and that's fine! But at times they get out of hand. My brother sent me an e-mail last night with a link to an article and the words, “The Wisconsin State Fair needs PWN.” The link? It was to the WI State Fair’s newest food: the Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger. I mean, it’s just kind of ridiculous, right? Things like fried Snickers bars and now Krispy Kreme Cheeseburgers don’t even sound tasty to me. If I go to the state fair, I want to get the state’s best French fries, or corn, or a fresh vanilla shake from the dairy barn. But it almost seems like it’s become a novelty to eat the most absurd, unhealthy food possible at the state fair.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that they have bacon on them too...

If you are headed to the fair this weekend, eat foods that you know you’ll truly enjoy, and eat them guilt-free! But I would advise you not to eat something just because “it’s only available once a year” or you really want to tell your brother that you drank a fried Coke (yes, that exists too).

Not that you asked for my advice, but if you had, that’s what I’d say.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Recipe: No-Mayo Coleslaw

Back in July, I blogged about the many benefits of apple cider vinegar. Many of you then told me that you went out and bought some, but now what?

One of the main things I use ACV for is salad dressings, especially when I make coleslaw. My mom always made her coleslaw with a vinegar-based dressing, rather than using mayo. I never thought much of it until I left home and realized that most coleslaw is all thick and mayonnaise-y and not nearly as yummy as my mom’s. The first time Ed met my parents, he even asked my mom for her coleslaw recipe!

I’m not sure what exactly she puts into her slaw, but I’ve been able to come up with my own version that tastes pretty good. So, for those of you that are waiting for some ACV recipes, this one’s for you!

Recipe

For the coleslaw, I just use whatever veggies I have on hand. This time I used 1 head of cabbage, 4 turnips, 1 bunch of green onions, 3 cloves garlic, and ½ cup parsley from the garden. Other veggies you can add include beets, kale, radishes, carrots or cilantro.

Shred all veggies in a food processor and combine.

Dressing

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste

juice from ½ lemon

sea salt

pepper

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar, and shake well. (My dressing looks kind of black because my sea salt is black). Add more olive oil if it’s too strong. Pour lightly over coleslaw, mix, and taste. Add more dressing as needed.

The ACV gives this a nice fresh taste. The dressing can also be used on regular salads! Enjoy.

Non-GMO Shopping Guide

Yesterday I talked about GMOs and why there is some controversy surrounding them. I also provided some tips for avoiding GMOs in the food you purchase and consume. Today, I will go into more detail around which foods are safe, and which ones may contain GMOs.

According to one source, most fruits and vegetables that are grown in the United States are NOT genetically modified. Even products such as seedless watermelon are considered non-GMO. Some zucchini, yellow squash, and sweet corn may be GM, as well as about half of the papaya that comes from Hawaii.

However, I find it difficult to believe that most fruits and veggies are non-GMO. I know at one point tomatoes were often GM and could be altered to stay fresh about 6 weeks from when they were picked, which is about a month longer than regular tomatoes. And sometimes you see fruits or vegetables in the grocery store that just look too enormous to NOT be GM – or at least that’s what I think. But, my source says most fruits and veggies are safe, so let's stick with that!

In the meat, fish and eggs department, it gets kind of complicated. There are no genetically modified meat, fish or eggs that are approved for human consumption, so in theory they are all safe. However, many of the foods we consume come from animals who were raised on genetically modified grains. Therefore, the negative affects of eating GMOs are passed through to the meat, fish or eggs. Some tips for avoiding animal products that were fed GM grains include the following: consume wild – not farmed – fish, because farmed fish are often raised on GM feed; and consume animals and animal products that are 100% grass-fed. Some non-GMO meat and fish brands include Organic Prairie, Tropical Traditions, and Vital Choice. Some non-GMO egg brands include Egg Innovations Organic, Eggland’s Best Organic, Horizon Organic, Land O’Lakes Organic, Nest Fresh Organic and Organic Valley.

Since soy is one of the biggest ingredients to watch out for in terms of GMOs, “alternative” meat products made from soy often contain GMOs. Brands like Boca (owned by Kraft), Gardenburger, and Morningstar Farms (owned by Kellogg) may contain GMO ingredients, unless you purchase the organic line. Non-GMO alternative meat product brands that are safe include Whole Foods’ 365 brand, Amy’s, EcoVegan, Small Planet Tofu, and Vitasoy.

In the dairy department, basically anything that is certified organic is considered safe. Even if the label says that the product was produced without rbGH or rbST, the cows could still have been fed GM feed, so look for that certified organic label.

I think the baby foods and infant formulas are particularly important to watch out for, because we want to be extra careful about what we put into those growing little bodies! Milk or soy protein is the basis of most infant formulas, and some brands even contain GMO-derived corn syrup, corn syrup solids or soy lecithin. Non-GMO baby brands include: Baby’s Only Organic, Bella Baby, Earth’s Best, Gerber, HAPPYBABY, Mom Made Meals, Organic Baby, PediaSmart, Plum Organics, and Tastybaby. The baby brands that may include GMO ingredients include Beech-Nut, Enfamil, Good Start, Nestle, and Similac/Isomil. Stay away from these if possible.

For those of you that have an iphone, there is now an app that helps you shop GMO-free. It’s called ShopNoGMO, and it’s FREE! I just downloaded it and it seems like they have a lot of brands in their database, so it will be helpful. There is also a website you can utilize: www.nongmoshoppingguide.com. Good luck!

Genetically Modified Organisms

Since we’ve all been hearing so much about genetically modified foods recently (also called GMOs), I wanted to give you guys some basic information and tips for avoiding foods made with GMOs.

To genetically modify a food means to artificially insert genes into the DNA of food crops or of animals. Genes used to modify these foods come from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or humans. GMOs are used in biological and medical research, for the production of pharmaceutical drugs, and in agriculture. Certain crops are modified to become resistant to specific herbicides or to enhance nutritional content of the food. The US company Monsanto owns the largest share of GMO crops.

Many people are concerned about the potential dangers of consuming too many modified foods. Therefore, there has been a recent push amongst certain people to buy only non-GMO foods and avoid any unknown consequences of GMOs. Many worry that GMOs will introduce new allergens into our food, or possibly contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance that we are seeing so frequently now.

I recently was sent a “Non-GMO Shopping Guide” and I think it provides some really valuable information. There are 3 tips for avoiding GM crops:

• Buy Organic: Certified organic products are not allowed to contain any GMOs. Anything labeled “100% organic,” “organic,” or “made with organic ingredients” should not contain any GMOs. Foods labeled "made with organic ingredients" are only required to contain 70% organic ingredients, however they are also required to be completely GMO-free.

• Look for “Non-GMO” Labels: Some food companies may decide to label their products this way. When buying dairy products, look for labels such as “no rBGH or rBST” and “artificial hormone-free”.

• Avoid At-Risk Ingredients: Try to minimize or avoid any products that are made with crops that are genetically modified. The most frequently genetically modified crops include corn, soybeans, canola and cottonseed. All of these are highly used in processed foods. Remember, there are certain ingredients that may not appear genetically modified, but they can be. For example, sweeteners such as fructose, dextrose and glucose are all made from GM corn.

Tomorrow I’ll go into more detail on which foods are considered “safe” and free from GMOs.

What's a Turnip?

I am embarrassed to say that this nutritionist has NO CLUE what the difference is between a turnip and a beet. We got both (I think) in our CSA last week, and as I was juicing them Ed asked, “Is that a beet?” to which I replied “I have no idea.” I know what a beet is, and how to identify one, because we eat them a lot at our house. I always thought turnips were similar, but I’ve never cooked with them before so I didn’t really know.

My mom grew and cooked tons of different veggies when we were growing up, so I always felt like I had a good knowledge base of different foods. But for some reason I never picked up on turnips, and in my head they are similar to beets but in reality I don’t know! So, I thought I’d devote this Friday to solving this mystery (well, it’s a mystery to me, anyway, probably not to the rest of you!).

According to Wikipedia (my trusty source), a turnip is a root vegetable that is known for its whitish bulb or root. Most are white with a little red, purple or green on the top of the root, and the interior flesh is entirely white. Baby turnips come in red, yellow and orange and can be eaten raw, like a radish. It also says that turnips are often grown as feed for livestock. Hmmm.

Turnip greens are commonly eaten because they are so nutrient-dense. Just 1 cup contains 650% of your daily vitamin K; 150% of vitamin A; and loads of vitamin C, folate, fiber and calcium. The actual root part of the veggie is full of vitamin C, folate, fiber, calcium, vitamin B6 and copper, and is part of the cruciferous family of vegetables (along with cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and more). So, it has the same cancer-fighting and other health benefits as these other veggies. Learning all of this makes me want to eat more turnips!

So this mystery vegetable I was juicing was completely red on the outside, but mostly white with some red stripes on the inside. I’m guessing it was more turnip than beet, because beets are so vibrant on the inside. But it didn’t look 100% turnip to me… maybe we’ll call it a turbeet.

Well, at least now I know the difference! I am a little embarrassed about my lack of knowledge but I figure I’m allowed some of that since I’m still a student…

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sleep Deficit

I have a book called Smart Medicine for Healthier Living, and one section of the book talks about how to determine if you are suffering from a “sleep deficit”. When I read it, I couldn’t help but think that most of us are suffering from a sleep deficit based on the criteria presented. The book said that quality of sleep is something to pay attention to, and if you are experiencing any of the following, you may have a sleep deficit:

• Healthy sleepers generally take about 20 minutes to fall asleep. If you are not getting enough sleep, you may fall asleep in 5 minutes or less.

• If you wake up repeatedly in the middle of the night or toss and turn, you may have a sleep deficit. If the alarm clock jars you awake, you are not getting enough sleep. You should awaken naturally without an alarm clock, and feel well-rested upon awakening (if any of you actually wake up at the proper time each morning without an alarm clock, please e-mail me your secrets!).

• If you find yourself nodding off during the day, you may have a sleep deficit. People who are getting enough sleep will feel alert, rested, and will find it almost impossible to nap during daylight hours.

Anyone else just self-diagnose a sleep deficit?! I guess the lesson is that we ALL need more sleep, and it should be a constant priority in our lives.

In addition to melatonin and magnesium, valerian root extract can be helpful for those who don’t sleep very well. Valerian root is a mood-balancing herb that acts as a sedative. It calms the nervous system when someone is stressed or anxious, and studies have shown that it can be just as powerful as prescription drugs used for insomnia. A proper dose would be about 300-500mg taken 1 hour before bedtime.

That wraps up sleep week – hope you guys learned something and will make the effort to get a touch more sleep at night! It’s so important for long-term health and overall well-being, and will make you much happier on a day-to-day basis.

Melatonin

Yesterday I talked about the importance of sleep, some common causes of insomnia, and a few nutrients that can benefit those who are having trouble sleeping through the night. Today I want to focus on a hormone that is critical for proper sleep: melatonin.

Melatonin is a hormone that is produced by our pineal gland, located in the brain. Although many don’t think of it as one, melatonin is actually an extremely powerful antioxidant – more so than vitamin C, vitamin E or beta carotene. It has the ability to prevent oxidation reactions, which can eventually lead to health issues such as heart disease, cancer, and more. Melatonin also stimulates the immune system; helps with production of estrogen, testosterone, and other hormones; supports reproductive health; and can even slow the growth of existing cancers.

The most commonly understood role of melatonin, however, is to regulate sleep. It is secreted in response to darkness at the end of each day, and these hormones are what help slow our bodies down before bedtime. When daylight hits our retina as the sun comes up in the morning, neural impulses cause melatonin production to slow and we naturally begin to feel more awake. While lightness and darkness both play extremely important roles in melatonin production, there are other things that influence it as well:

• Eating regular meals helps keep your body in sync with the rhythms of the day. A fairly regular routine, including time of day meals are eaten, will strengthen melatonin production.

• At nighttime, as melatonin production begins, digestion slows. Eating a lighter meal at night and waiting a couple of hours between dinner and bedtime can help with proper melatonin production. If you happen to eat a large meal right before bedtime, melatonin production will actually slow or stop the digestion process, causing digestive discomfort and difficulty sleeping.

• Avoiding stimulants such as coffee, soda, and other energy drinks will help support and protect your melatonin production process.

• Late night exercise or other forms of intense activity can actually delay melatonin production at night. The best time to exercise for those who have insomnia is in the morning light.

Supplementation with melatonin can be very helpful for those who are not producing enough on their own. There are many reasons someone may not be producing enough melatonin, including poor diet, blood sugar issues or hormonal imbalance. Melatonin supplements can be taken by both adults and children who suffer from insomnia, and there are very few side effects. They are also used to ease PMS symptoms, boost immunity, prevent memory loss, and support those who have heart disease, cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. Supplements should be taken within 2 hours of bedtime, and should sustain you throughout the night without making you feel groggy in the morning. If you do feel groggy, you are taking too much and should reduce your dosage.

Note: Although there are not necessarily toxic levels of melatonin, some people should talk to their doctor before taking it. Pregnant or nursing women should avoid taking melatonin, as well as those trying to conceive, as it is known to act as a contraceptive. People with severe allergies, autoimmune disease, lymphoma, or leukemia should also avoid taking melatonin. Finally, melatonin supplements can suppress your natural production of melatonin, so if you do not have difficulty sleeping I don’t recommend taking melatonin supplements or it will throw your natural rhythms off.

The Value of Sleep

Most of us love doing it but don’t get enough of it. Although much about sleep is still a mystery to us, one thing is certain: we need it. Lots of it. And if you don’t look like this girl every night – sleeping peacefully, calmly and effortlessly – then you may benefit from a little nutritional advice when it comes to sleep.

Things like impaired sleep, altered sleep patterns and sleep deprivation can significantly hurt mental and physical function, both in the short-term and the long-term. One statistic I read says that about 1/3 of all Americans experience insomnia on a regular basis, with about 10 million people using prescription drugs to help them fall asleep (Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Murray & Pizzorno). That’s shocking! Or, maybe not...

The most common causes of insomnia are depression, anxiety, grief and tension. However, there are also compounds in certain foods, drinks and prescription drugs that can interfere with sleep. Usually, it’s a combination of psychological factors and something in the person’s diet that cause the insomnia.

A lack of calcium and magnesium can really affect sleep. It may not prevent someone from falling asleep, however it can cause them to wake up after a few hours and have trouble falling back to sleep. Calcium has a calming effect, and magnesium helps relax the muscles. The magnesium helps calcium become absorbed, and when taken together they can improve sleep for some people.

There are some other evening habits that can improve sleep for many. Eating right before bed is not good. As I’ve mentioned before, your body doesn’t love multi-tasking. So, when you eat right before bed you are asking your body to make a decision: digest, or sleep? If it chooses to digest, your sleep will be restless. If it chooses to sleep, you may wake up a few hours later with an upset stomach. So, allow yourself about 2 hours after dinner to digest your food before you jump into bed.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, meaning it cannot be created by our bodies and must be obtained from food. It’s a precursor to serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that converts to melatonin, which helps us sleep. I’ll talk more about melatonin tomorrow, but the point here is that we all need to include foods containing tryptophan in our diet on a regular basis. Foods high in tryptophan include oats, dates, bananas, figs, nut butter, tuna, turkey, whole grains, yogurt, eggs, fish, chickpeas, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Oh, and let’s not forget chocolate! (But, unfortunately, chocolate also contains caffeine, which can impair sleep…).

Over the next couple of days I’ll talk more about the things that can help you obtain better quality sleep. It’s so important, and sometimes really small changes can make a huge difference.

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10, called CoQ10 or ubiquinone, is one of those “new” nutrients that we’ve been hearing a lot about lately. It’s an antioxidant that plays a very important role in energy production for each cell of our body. CoQ10 is found in all of our tissues and helps with circulation, boosts immunity, increases oxygen flow to our tissues, and has strong antiaging effects. Things such as periodontal disease, diabetes and muscular dystrophy are all linked to CoQ10 deficiency.

Although CoQ10 can be synthesized within the body, deficiencies still exist. Certain nutritional deficiencies can cause the body to slow production of CoQ10. Also, if tissues are damaged from injury, poor nutrition, or something else, more CoQ10 is needed and therefore one could become deficient. Since people over the age of 50 tend to have increased CoQ10 requirements (due to normal wear and tear on the body, prolonged nutritional deficiencies, or other health issues), many of them become deficient and therefore experience decreased immunity and other complications.

Since the heart is one of the most metabolically active tissues in the body, it is especially sensitive to CoQ10 levels. About 50-70% of those who have heart disease are also deficient in CoQ10 (Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Murray & Pizzorno). In addition, certain cardiovascular diseases such as angina, hypertension, and congestive heart failure all require an increased level of CoQ10. In a study done at the University of Texas, people who were being treated for congestive heart failure using CoQ10 in addition to conventional treatments had a 75% chance of survival after three years, compared with those who used only conventional treatment and ended up with a 25% chance of survival (Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Balch).

Another use for CoQ10 is to fight histamine. Therefore, those with allergies, asthma or other respiratory issues can benefit from increased CoQ10 as well.

For those who decide to supplement with CoQ10, most dosages are between 50 and 100 mg and can be taken anywhere from 1-3 times per day. Oil-based forms are the most bioavailable to our bodies, and if you can find one that contains a small amount of vitamin E, that is even better. Vitamin E helps to preserve the CoQ10 until it is taken. Since CoQ10 is oil soluble, it is best absorbed when taken with oily or fatty foods.

Some whole food sources of CoQ10 include mackerel, salmon, sardines, beef, peanuts and spinach. However, for people with any of the above issues, supplemental forms are most helpful in addition to getting it from whole foods. As always, consult your doctor before beginning any supplements.

I wanted to do this quick piece on CoQ10 because I think many of us hear about it but possibly do not fully understand when and why it is used. For the remainder of the week, I’d like to focus on something that is very important for each one of us: SLEEP! The nutrition / sleep connection is a strong one, so check back tomorrow for some important information…