Hydrochloric Acid

Do you have enough of it? Many people don’t.

Hydrochloric acid is produced in the stomach and is critical in the digestion of food, primarily protein and fat. It prepares food for digestive enzymes. Enzymes are needed to break food down into basic nutrients so they can be absorbed into our cells. Stomach acid is also our first line of defense against foreign substances entering our body, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites.

When we are eating too many processed foods, taking a lot of medication, consistently stressed, or aging, the hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes in our stomach experience decreased production (called hypochlorhydria). Food is not broken down properly before being sent to our intestines. This can lead to symptoms such as gas, bloating, or general stomach discomfort after meals. Long-term, it can lead to iron deficiencies from iron malabsorption; osteoporosis from calcium deficiencies; food allergies and sensitivities; gallstones; irritable bowel syndrome; B-vitamin deficiency which can lead to anxiety and depression; chronic fatigue; and an increase of bacteria and yeast within the intestines.

All of these symptoms are representative of a body out of balance and more susceptible to disease. Remember, sickness and disease can only form in a body out of balance.

What can you do about it?

The symptoms of someone with too much hydrochloric acid can be extremely similar to those of someone with not enough. Therefore, doctors will often hear these symptoms and suggest antacids (which neutralize stomach acid). If that person really has a hydrochloric acid deficiency, which is more often than not the case, the antacids will lead to further problems. Some MDs and most natural health doctors can test your hydrochloric acid levels and identify whether or not you are deficient.

A simple home test: Gently push on your lowest rib, about 1 inch out from your midline. If it is sensitive to the touch, you may be low in hydrochloric acid.

If you suspect you may be low in hydrochloric acid, you can increase it in the following ways:

• Maintain a diet of mostly fresh, whole foods and try to avoid processed foods

• Reduce stress level (I will elaborate on this next week…)

• Digestive enzymes can help if you are not breaking down food properly

• Drink warm water with lemon juice 30 minutes before a meal to help stimulate hydrochloric acid production

Thanks for all your great questions and comments this week. They help me come up with ideas for the blog, so keep them coming! Next week I will talk about Fight or Flight and will also show you how to make your own nut butter at home - much healthier and can save you tons of money!!!

Homemade Ketchup

I know some of you have been anxiously awaiting the homemade ketchup recipe… so here it is! The discussion on my Facebook page about high fructose corn syrup led me to try this out, and it turned out great! I served it with Boulder Sausage bratwurst, homemade sweet potato fries (recipe found here) and sautéed kale with ginger and garlic.

Recipe

6 oz can of tomato puree

½ cup carrot puree (wash carrots, cut into chunks, steam for 10 minutes, and puree in blender or food processor – add water if needed to puree)

¼ cup water

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp raw organic honey

½ tsp dry mustard

½ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp cumin

¼ tsp cinnamon

Add all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat slightly and simmer until ketchup is reduced by a third to a half (it took me about 14 minutes).

I doubled the recipe and froze 2/3 of it in individual ziploc bags. It will only keep in your fridge for a few days, so freezing some is a good idea.

This recipe is extremely easy. The carrot puree can be left out if needed – just replace with extra tomato puree. You can use canned tomato puree or make your own with fresh tomatoes. I used canned to save time. If you like your ketchup sweet or are making this for kids, I’d add another 1-2 tbsp of honey.

Give it a try and let me know what you think! Ed is a bigger ketchup fan than I am so he got to be the judge. He and our friend Reid thought it was great! I believe they described it as “a party in my mouth”. I ended up mixing it on my plate with some spicy ground mustard and that was delicious with the brats and sweet potato fries.

Ed had it again this morning on his eggs. It’s really not that much work if you’re willing to make a big pan of it and then freeze in single servings. High fructose corn syrup is in so many foods we eat, so if we can make little changes like this, we are doing ourselves a big favor.

Smoothie Wall!

Growing up, my dad would make smoothies for us as dessert a couple nights a week. We’d get our pajamas on while he made them (he usually did a dance while the blender was running, which we thought was hilarious), and then he’d tell us to sit at the “smoothie wall”, which was up against our fridge. And we’d just sit there and drink our smoothies. Back then, his ingredients were mainly ice cream, fruit, and ice.

Smoothies have evolved. I make them in the mornings for breakfast, or for a quick lunch. I love to experiment with new ingredients. So far, I have tried the following in our smoothies:

-fresh or frozen fruit (peaches, bananas, blueberries, pears, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, cantaloupe, avocado, watermelon, mangos, blackberries, nectarines…)

-fresh or frozen veggies (spinach, collard greens,

kale, cucumber, zucchini, red pepper, yellow pepper, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, green beans)

-nuts (usually raw almonds or walnuts)

-dairy (yogurt, milk)

-tofu

-honey

-juices (orange, apple or pomegranate)

-organic ground flaxseed (whole flax seeds can be tough to digest)

-Acaí berry pureé

If adding veggies to your smoothie makes you a little uncomfortable, just try it once before making up your mind. You may be surprised by how good they taste!

I usually pick 1-2 fruits (almost always a banana for a dose of potassium), 1-2 veggies, and some protein (yogurt, any type of milk, tofu, etc.). Nuts and organic ground flaxseed are staples. The fiber and protein are important for helping you stay full until a mid-morning snack. POM pomegranate juice has also become a staple, because of its powerful antioxidants. And then of course, you need ice.

I recently discovered the acaí berry pureé smoothie blocks – they are frozen blocks of organic acaí berry that add not only antioxidants but also essential omegas (6 & 9) and amino acids. You can get them in the freezer section of most health food stores.

Smoothies are so much better than premade breakfast bars or cereals, because you get all the nutrients without the extra sugars and flavorings. They are made from 100% whole foods, so you know exactly what is going into your body. And they are a perfect way to get two servings of fruits and vegetables before you even leave the house in the morning. Kids will love them too - they love colored drinks and they love using straws. Involve them in the process so they can be amazed by all those good foods turning into a tasty drink. Studies have shown that when kids get to help with food preparation and make some decisions about what they are eating, they are more likely to eat the meal.

One thing we talk about in school is the importance of varying your meals. I realized I was eating almost the same smoothie for breakfast every morning, so I started to integrate the gluten-free grains (posted yesterday) and also some eggs into my breakfast routine. It is good to have a few different healthy options for breakfast, and smoothies are great if you are in a hurry. Just buy some plastic straws and take it to go.

My dad still makes me smoothies when I go home for a visit. But now they are packed with organic blueberries, spinach, nuts and ground flaxseed. I suspect he occasionally sneaks a little vanilla ice cream in there too… but they taste delicious, and I just don’t ask!

Hot Cereal with Gluten-Free Grains

As the weather gets colder, I start to think about hot cereal. I used to love those frozen Minnesota mornings when I came down for breakfast and my mom had a big pot of Cream of Wheat on the stove. She would mix it with just the right amount of fresh milk and sugar… yum. But times have changed! Cream of Wheat isn’t a terrible option, but there are better ones to explore.

I have been experimenting with gluten-free grains lately because we talk about them so often at school. The grains I typically use in my hot cereal are steel-cut oats, amaranth and teff. Occasionally I will add quinoa as well.

Steel-cut oats: Full of beta-glucan,

which is a fiber that can help lower cholesterol and reduce risk of heart disease; also a great source of manganese (helps your

body utilize key nutrients), tryptophan (elevates mood), magnesium (good for muscles, bones and circulation) and protein.

Amaranth: 15-18% protein content due to high amounts of lysine (lysine is an essential amino acid; it cannot be made by the body and must be obtained from food); also high in calcium, fiber, other amino acids, iron and vitamin C.

Teff: 9-15% protein content; good

source of fiber and high in amino acids; great source of minerals such as potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium and iron.

The Recipe

1/3 cup steel-cut oats

1/3 cup amaranth
1/3 cup teff

3 cups water (or milk)

Bring water or milk to a boil. Add grains slowly and stir. Lower heat, cover and cook 20-40 minutes. You may need to add a little extra water about 15-20 minutes in to help grains completely soften. The longer grains cook, the sweeter they taste.

This cereal is warm, satisfying and tastes even better than Cream of Wheat or plain oatmeal. Sometimes I make a big pot and store the extras so we have it throughout the week. Top with things like warm milk, raw organic honey, seeds, nuts, fruit or cinnamon.

Babies and kids will even like this, and it is a good source of protein and other nutrients for them. The gluten-free grains can be gentler on their digestive systems when they are really young.

Enjoy!

High Fructose Corn Syrup

I hope everyone had a great Halloween! The best costume I saw was from Where the Wild Things Are: Max and a Monster. It was homemade and looked just like the characters in the book!

By request, I am writing about high fructose corn syrup today (as everyone is munching on their Halloween treats…). This may be a refresher for you, but it never hurts to remind ourselves why we want to consume foods with HFCS in moderation. Check out the Discussions tab on my Facebook page for a running list of common foods containing HFCS (some may surprise you!) and feel free to examine the food in your cabinets and add to the list. We can all help each other become more aware!

HFCS is used as a sweetener and preservative in many foods. It is cheaper than sugar and extends shelf life of foods, so why wouldn’t people use it? HFCS is sugar derived from corn. HFCS usually has between 42% and 55% fructose, although some contains up to 90% fructose. The rest is made up of glucose. It is important to understand what these two types of sugars do inside of our bodies.

When glucose enters the body, insulin levels are increased, which allows the glucose to be transported to cells where ATP (energy) is needed. Glucose can also be stored in the liver as a carbohydrate, which later is converted to energy. In addition, production of the hormone leptin increases, which helps regulate appetite and food storage.

Fructose, on the other hand, does not stimulate leptin production inside the body, and can lead to overeating. It is rapidly metabolized in the liver, where it chemically changes into a component of triglycerides and also adds to fat storage there. Increased triglyceride levels are associated with obesity, diabetes, gout, hypertension and other diseases. Fructose can also lead to magnesium imbalances, which affects bone density. Fructose from HFCS also changes into body fat more quickly than any type of sugar.

Fructose is not only found in HFCS. It is in healthy, whole foods too such as many fruits and vegetables. However in fruits and veggies, fructose is not modified at all. Plus, fruits and veggies also have fiber, pyhtochemicals (chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants), minerals and vitamins, all things that help with proper digestion.

The problem with HFCS is that it is used in so many products that people sometimes don’t even know they are consuming it in large quantities. Many “kid” foods are full of HFCS, which is one reason we have such a problem with child obesity. It is the overconsumption of HFCS that leads to these diseases. Also, foods made with HFCS tend to be the foods that are lacking in other nutrients. Again, it goes back to the importance of a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods.

Later this week I will show you how to make your own ketchup, free of HFCS. It is much tastier and really easy to make. Many kids are picky eaters and like ketchup with everything they eat. If we give them homemade, natural ketchup, they are not only protected from the long-term dangers of HFCS, but are also getting other nutrients that will help with their digestion, growth and overall health!

The Truth About Agave

For a while, I was using agave nectar to replace sugar in some of my baking recipes. I thought this “natural” sweetener was a gift from heaven! But then I began to question it, because if I have learned only one thing at NTI, it is to do your own research and come up with your own decisions about the foods you put into your body.

Here is what I found:

Most types of agave are actually a starch that is converted into a refined fructose. Depending on the source of the syrup and the amount of heat used to process it, agave can be anywhere from 55% - 90% fructose. This “conversion” sometimes includes high levels of heat and chemical alteration, such that the fructose found in agave nectar is more concentrated than that found in high fructose corn syrup. Refined fructose can eventually turn into triglycerides in the blood or be stored as fat. Fructose is not converted to glucose and therefore does not alter blood glucose levels. This is why claims are made about agave being safe for diabetics. However, it has other detrimental affects to our bodies that go beyond blood sugar levels, such as mineral depletion, cardio-vascular disease, pregnancy complications, and others.

The fructose in most types of agave has no enzymes, vitamins or minerals for digestion, and therefore will attempt to obtain these from other nutrients in your body, leading to nutrient depletion. Agave is not a whole food. It is fractionated and processed and has lost many of the nutrients found in the original plant. Agave nectar and tequila come from the same plant. Natural enzymes in agave are removed to prevent agave from fermenting into tequila.

Finally, there are no strict controls around production of agave, so labels should not be completely trusted. Most agave originally came from the blue agave plant, but a shortage in this plant could be causing use of other agave plants that are lower quality and more toxic.

The core of the agave plant is harvested after 7-10 years and the sap is removed and heated to create agave. Usually you’ll find agave labeled as raw, light or amber. Amber agave is actually just fructose that has been heated at a higher temperature, and therefore burned and darkened. Agave labeled raw has not been heated above 120 degrees, which does help it retain some nutritional elements. Light agave is heated to a level somewhere in between those of amber and raw.

The producers of Madhava brand agave nectar claim they make it in a way that does not destroy nutrients and little to no heat is used. This brand, bought in the raw form, may be a better option than others. It's a Colorado company, so I'd love to be able to support them. They make great honey.

The choice is up to you. Some types of raw organic agave may have similar qualities to raw organic honey. If I use agave I will stick with the raw, organic type. However, I am going to mainly stick to sweeteners like raw organic honey, stevia, organic maple syrup or dates for my baking.

I’ll talk about raw organic honey another day – it’s an amazing food!

Pumpkin Seeds

But first, some things to note:

1. I have officially joined Facebook! I have created a page for Pierce Whole Nutrition and you can follow me by clicking on the pink Facebook icon on the top right. Become a fan and try out the Healthy Pumpkin Bread recipe I posted yesterday. It’s the perfect thing to make with your leftover pumpkin from the pumpkin apple pie in Tuesday’s post.

2. I had a few people ask about nutrition information for the pumpkin apple pie recipe. The reason why I did not include this is because I truly believe we all focus too much on counting calories or fat grams, and not enough on the actual quality of the food we are eating. If we can switch our focus to whole, fresh, unprocessed foods, and create recipes made from these foods, we can begin to change our perspective. We will see food for its nutrients and the benefits we are giving our bodies, rather than for its calorie or fat content. This will lead us to make more balanced choices about what we decide to put into our bodies. I will try to talk about the health benefits of certain foods when I do give you a recipe though.

Now onto pumpkin seeds…

Why do you carve? I do it for the seeds.

It’s fun to have bright, scary pumpkins at your door when trick-or-treaters come knocking. But I have to say that the best part about carving pumpkins each year is the seeds. Ed and I intentionally chose huge pumpkins just so we’d get the most seeds… and when Ted (brother) and his girlfriend Allison came over with their pumpkins, it was clear they had done the same.

Roasting the seeds is simple – just spread a little oil on a cookie sheet (I used grapeseed oil because it maintains its nutrients at higher temperatures than other oils), sprinkle with some sea salt, and roast at 325 degrees. Roasting times will vary, but plan on it taking at least 20 minutes, and try to shuffle them a bit halfway through.

The seeds were delicious, and they taste even better when you know how nutritious they are. Pumpkins and their seeds are in the same family as cantaloupe, cucumbers and squash. They have high amounts of essential fatty acids, zinc, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, copper and protein.

Pumpkin seeds have more magnesium than most other foods. Yesterday I wrote about vitamin D and its importance for calcium absorption. Magnesium is similar in that without it, calcium will not be properly absorbed. However, unlike vitamin D, magnesium cannot be obtained naturally. We must get it from foods such as seeds, lemon, grapefruit, nuts, green vegetables, apples and figs. Magnesium is found mainly in bones and muscles, and can help with muscle relaxation, bone strength and blood circulation.

Pumpkin seeds also are rich in phytosterols, which are plant compounds that can help reduce cholesterol in the blood (you want cholesterol in your cells, but too much can cause overflow to the blood, which can be harmful - more on that later), enhance the immune system, and even decrease risk of certain cancers. Other items containing phytosterols include sunflower seeds, pistachios and sesame seeds – all yummy snacks!

And the seeds weren’t the only thing that turned out great…



Happy carving!

(and yes, those are my slippers that Ed is wearing...)

Vitamin D

I have gotten so many great questions from you guys and they are ALL important and will be addressed here. You’ve asked about which vitamins are best to take during this flu season; the health differences between honey and agave; dealing with toddlers who are picky eaters; benefits of drinking water (and how much to drink); healthy eating on a budget; how to make sure babies are getting enough iron; and even a question about vitamins that are good for men’s health! My male readers may be a small group, but they care about nutrition just as much as the rest of us!

There is so much valuable information to be shared and I am excited to be a part of that for you. Today I am talking about Vitamin D, because it pertains to all of us: women, men and children. It’s a great vitamin because it is one of the only ones that our bodies can produce naturally. But there are too many people with a vitamin D deficiency. I believe that with a little more information and awareness on how to ensure you are obtaining sufficient levels, many health issues can be avoided. This is especially important for your little guys and gals because their bodies are always changing and adapting, and they need the proper vitamins to support that. A recent study revealed that 20% of children 11 and under do not get enough vitamin D.

Basically, you need to obtain vitamin D from natural sunlight. You could try drinking 10 glasses of orange juice and/or milk a day or eating salmon for dinner six days a week, but that’s just not realistic. There are also vitamin D supplements, which work fine for people unable to get daily sunlight, such as the elderly or those in certain climates. However, the easiest, cheapest, and best source is the sun. Great news, right? Just 10-20 minutes per day and you are fully loaded with your vitamin D!

Here’s a quick overview of how it works:

1. You need to expose at least 10% of your body to natural sunlight five days per week.

2. The sunlight is turned into vitamin D in the skin.

3. The vitamin D enters the liver to get modified into 25-hydroxy vitamin D (this is the type that is measurable in your blood by doctors).

4. Vitamin D then moves to your kidneys where it is modified into its active form, 125-dihydroxy vitamin D.

5. 125-dihydroxy vitamin D tells your intestines to absorb calcium efficiently and regulate blood calcium and phosphorous for healthy and strong bones.

Vitamin D is essential for proper calcium absorption. You can eat yogurt and cheese and drink milk all day long, but if you are vitamin D deficient, you will be calcium deficient too. Some common diseases that are directly linked to vitamin D deficiency are osteoporosis, high blood pressure, rickets, cancer, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and some autoimmune diseases. One of my readers did ask if we should all be taking vitamin D supplements during the flu season. In some studies those infected with the flu virus also tested deficient in vitamin D. But bottom line is you need it for overall health, not just now but all the time.

The problem is, people are so concerned about sunscreen these days that they are actually intentionally blocking the vitamin D out. Even an spf 4 sunblock is enough to prevent the rays from hitting your skin and creating vitamin D. I’m not suggesting you go out and fry yourself. Trust me, my mom has red hair and freckles. I know how harmful the sun can be! But don’t be afraid to have your morning tea on your back patio and soak up a few rays before applying your daily moisturizer with spf 45 that you’re so reliant on to keep your skin wrinkle-free and youthful. And it’s okay to send your kids out to play for 10 minutes before turning them into little white ghosts. They NEED the direct sunlight! For those of you at work inside all day, try taking a 10 minute walk over your lunch break or eating outside a few days a week.

If you are concerned you are not getting enough vitamin D, I recommend getting tested and then speaking with your doctor about a quality supplement to take if needed. There is a wide range of supplements, so get informed prior to making a decision.

So take some time today to enjoy the fall sunshine, and you no longer have to think of the sun as a big evil animal in the sky. It’s there to help you stay healthy!

By the way, as I am typing this I am looking out into a snowy backyard here in Denver… guess I have to eat salmon for dinner!

Pumpkin Apple Pie: A Perfect Compromise

First of all, I want to thank all of you who visited my blog yesterday! I was truly overwhelmed! I had more readers for the first day than I ever could have wished for, so thank you. Your posted comments were very encouraging, and the emails I received were full of great questions and topics that I cannot wait to blog about!

Some of you asked about signing up for e-mail subscription to the blog. I have added a space on the sidebar where you can now do that. Hope it helps!

Now onto the recipe...

Whenever pie is offered at Thanksgiving, I am always torn between pumpkin or apple. So I thought I would try one that merged the two flavors and see how it turned out. My guinea pigs were Ed (loves apple pie), my brother Ted (loves pumpkin pie), and Ted’s girlfriend Allison (likes desserts with pumpkin and apple).

Whole Wheat Pie Crust

¾ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup steel cut oats

1 tbsp raw organic honey

½ tsp sea salt

½ cup cold organic butter, cut into small pieces

¼ cup cold water

Combine flour, oats and salt. Blend in butter and honey with mixer until mixture is lumpy. Blend in water slowly by hand, until mixture holds together. Shape dough into a round ball and place on floured piece of wax paper. Top with another piece of wax paper and roll it out to about 1/8-inch thickness. Press dough into pie plate.

Pumpkin Apple Pie Filling

1/3 cup brown sugar

½ cup raw organic honey

1 tbsp arrowroot

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/3 cup water

2 tbsp organic butter

2 apples (I used one Granny Smith and 1 Honeycrisp)

1 egg

¾ cup fresh (or canned) pumpkin

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground ginger

¾ cup lowfat milk

1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Core and thinly slice apples (I used the food processor – easiest way).

Mix brown sugar, arrowroot, 1 tbsp cinnamon, salt, water and butter into a pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When mixture boils, add sliced apples. Toss for 4-5 minutes so that apples are coated in mixture. Remove from heat.

In separate bowl, mix together egg, honey, pumpkin, 1 tbsp cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and milk.

Pour apple mixture into pie crust. Spoon pumpkin mixture over the top.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake until filling is just set in the middle (it took me about 40 minutes). Let cool completely on a wire rack, and enjoy with vanilla gelato!

The verdict: Ed, Ted and Allison all loved the pie! I served it warm, with the gelato of course. I think this pie would be the perfect Thanksgiving dessert to impress your family and friends and satisfy all tastes!

Welcome!

Let me introduce myself.

Name: Ann LaFave Pierce

Age: 27

City: Denver, CO

Husband: Ed

Work: Student at Nutrition Therapy Institute in Denver; part-time work at Metropolis Center for Holistic Health

Play: Skiing, running, golf, Pilates, gardening (with little success), cooking (with moderate success), baking, traveling to visit family in Midwest and East Coast, reading, Operation Frontline Colorado volunteer, hanging out with Ed at home

In August, I left my finance job to pursue a career in nutrition. Now I am a student in the Master Nutrition Therapist program at the Nutrition Therapy Institute. NTI’s focus is on holistic nutrition and wellness.

I hope to graduate in 2011 and start my own nutrition business. In the meantime, this blog will serve as a way for me to share and express what I learn about nutrition, either in one of my classes or as a result of my own curiosity or personal experiences.

Your question: Why would I read a nutrition blog written by someone who is not a “real” nutritionist yet, has a background in finance and is not a great cook or gardener?

My answer: You are either my mother, one of my sisters, or one of my close friends or my sisters’ close friends;

OR…

You want a place where you can read about nutrition from someone who:

Is passionate and mildly obsessed with the subject, learns new things every day that change the way she thinks and acts, is willing to do some nutritional research and culinary experimentation and then write about it here for anyone’s benefit, and - above all else - does not hesitate to occasionally enjoy ice cream after dinner (a LaFave family trademark!), a glass of wine before noon when on vacation, or a Ralphie burger and local brew (and the french fries off of Ed’s plate) from Denver’s oldest bar!

How it will work: I will post something every day. Everything will be related to health and wellness in some way, with an emphasis on a holistic approach to nutrition. Sometimes I will have a guest writer present something in their area of expertise. The links at the top (Recipes and Nutrition 101) will be linked to posts containing either a recipe or basic nutrition information. So right now they don't contain any information because I haven't posted anything yet! But soon they will.

Also, I don't have facebook up and running yet but hope to shortly.

Thanks for reading… stop by tomorrow for a great pumpkin apple pie recipe!