Fevers: Let them do their job!

A fever is an elevated body temperature. 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is considered normal, but actual body temperature tends to fluctuate one or two degrees Fahrenheit depending on time of year, level of activity, emotional stress, time of day, and other factors.

Most fevers are the body’s reaction to an infection, either viral or bacterial. Body temperature is regulated by our hypothalamus, which is located in our brain. When a viral or bacterial infection is detected, our body heats up. High temperatures inhibit the release of iron and zinc from our liver and spleen, which are needed to “feed” the bacteria. Viruses and bacteria do not survive for long in a body with a high temperature. The elevated temperature also increases white blood cell production. White blood cells are infection-fighting agents and when we produce more of them, we have a better chance of fighting the bacteria. In this way, a fever actually helps us kill off the bacteria by preventing its growth inside the body.

Another benefit of a fever is tissue repair. Since fevers increase the body’s overall metabolic rate, tissue repair occurs more quickly. This can be beneficial for someone with injuries or wounds that may be infected.

Despite all of these benefits of fevers, most people try to suppress them as soon as they occur. I don’t have children, but I imagine there is little worse than seeing your child suffer from an illness. Of course the first thing you think of is how to make it go away! However, if fevers are allowed to run their course, the bacteria and viruses will be killed off uninterrupted, and healing can take place more quickly. Sometimes it may even be a good idea to induce a fever by using a sauna or a hot bath, so that the fighting process can begin more quickly. If fevers are consistently suppressed with aspirin, Tylenol, ibuprofen, or other meds, some bacteria may remain and the child could have a hard time really fighting off the sickness.

There is a point where medical intervention is necessary. One source I have says that for fevers up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, medicines are not needed. This is obviously a judgment call on the parents’ part, and sick children and people should be monitored closely.

Some nutritional approaches to fighting fever and bacteria include vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc. Vitamin A deficiency reduces the body’s ability to fight off infection, so taking supplemental vitamin A for one week during a sickness can help. Vitamin C has anti-inflammatory properties and can help gently lower a fever after it has done its job. Zinc improves immune function by acting as a supportive nutrient for white blood cell production. Echinacea and goldenseal are two herbs that are also immune-boosters. They contain infection-fighting properties that can be useful during a sickness.

The most important thing to remember during a fever is to stay hydrated. Since your metabolic rate increases so much, you lose a lot of fluids during a fever. Drinking lots of water is necessary for replenishing these fluids and allowing the fever to run its course.

Nutrients for the Nervous System

There are several nutrients that are particularly important for a healthy nervous system. The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, retina, sensory neurons, and nerves. It is responsible for transmitting information throughout the entire body, and without it our cells would have no means of communication and our bodies would stop functioning. So, as you can see, it’s imperative we keep our nervous system healthy! Below are some key nutrients for a healthy nervous system.

B-vitamins: These help the brain transmit information by assisting with production of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. Best food sources: calf's liver, spinach, leafy greens, chicken, lentils, halibut, eggs.

Vitamin E: Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and therefore helps prevent nerve cells from becoming damaged. It also can slow the process of cognitive decline. Best food sources: raw sunflower seeds, almonds, olives, spinach, leafy greens.

Ginkgo Biloba: This comes from a tree, and is known to increase blood flow through the brain’s blood vessels, as well as stimulate brain activity. Many people use ginkgo biloba as a way to help reduce brain fogginess or forgetfulness. Sources: can be purchased as a health supplement (liquid or capsules).

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Since the brain is composed of mostly fat, omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for preventing brain degeneration and keeping the brain healthy. Best food sources: flaxseeds, walnuts, salmon, sardines, halibut, shrimp, scallops.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine: This is a supplement that is derived from plants and may help slow the aging of the brain. It also is known to increase memory and clarity of thought. Sources: high quality meats and dairy; also can be taken as a supplement.

Antioxidants: These powerful nutrients help to protect cells in the nervous tissue and keep them functioning properly. Best food sources: blueberries, blackberries, walnuts, pomegranate juice, fresh vegetables and fruits.

Magnesium & Potassium: These two nutrients work together to help keep our nerves healthy and under control. They relax nerves and muscles, which allows for proper circulation and blood flow. Best food sources of magnesium: raw pumpkin seeds, spinach, salmon, raw sunflower seeds, halibut, sesame seeds, black beans. Best food sources of potassium: swiss chard, lima beans, yams, winter squash, soybeans, avocado, spinach, lentils.

Prickly Pear Cactus

A couple of weeks ago, a PWN reader told me that she had gone on a guided tour of Sedona, Arizona, and learned a little about the flat prickly pear cactus. Apparently there is quite a bit of nutrition packed into this particular cactus, and she asked if I could provide some more insight into this.

Let me begin by saying I have never learned about or eaten a prickly pear cactus (let’s call this a PPC from this point on). But, I love learning about new health foods so I was excited to do some research! PPCs are native to Mexico but can be found throughout most of the Americas and parts of Europe. They typically are large, flat, rounded plants with big and small spines covering the surface. They can be a very dense plant, especially when they begin to get their fruit.

The edible part of the PPC is the fruit, or cactus fig. This is found attached to the skin of the plant. All of the skin and small spines must be removed from the fig before eating. They come in shades of red, orange and yellow, and are apparently very juicy and sweet when eaten fresh. Cactus figs are also used for candies, jellies, and in special drinks.

The young stem of the PPC, called nopales, is also edible, but is used more as a plant than a fruit. It is common to see nopales used in Mexican cuisine. There are even certain parts of the PPC that can be used to make alcohol.

However, some of the most interesting things I discovered were the many medicinal uses of the PPC. Certain parts of the plant can be used to help regulate blood sugar; as an antioxidant; for its anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties; in weight regulation; and in the treatment of asthma, fatigue, livery injury from too much alcohol, diarrhea, gastrointestinal disorders, snakebites, sore throat, and other disorders. The pulp of the plant is also used by many cultures on burns, cuts, wounds and fractures because it eases pain and promotes healing.

If you’re anything like me, right now you’re wondering, “where can I get this stuff?!”

I found one place in Arizona where you can mail order prickly pear nectar and jams. Go here to learn more. And if anyone tries it or has experience with the PPC, please share. Next time I see one of these plants outside, I may try to get to the fruit myself!

Recipe: Veggie Pancakes

Ed and I unexpectedly threw together a delicious dinner last night, and I wanted to share. Like many of you, we’ve been overwhelmed with fresh vegetables each week from our Grant Family Farms CSA. We pick our box up on Monday afternoons, and last night we got two types of lettuce, red and golden beets, garlic scapes, summer squash, zucchini, green onions, English peas, and mushrooms. Not to mention the fresh whole grain bread, eggs from pastured chickens, and a huge bag of apricots!

I told Ed I would handle the vegetable if he picked up some sort of fish or meat from Whole Foods on his way home from work. I suggested a bag of frozen shrimp, because it’s easy, cheaper than fresh fish, and one bag lasts us at least two meals. Meanwhile, I pulled up the weekly e-mail we receive from the farm with suggested recipes. They had one for “Vegetable Fritters” (compliments of Simply in Season cookbook) that sounded pretty good, so I adapted it a bit and gave it a try.

*I apologize for my fuzzy iPhone photos, I was too lazy to run upstairs and get our real camera!

I am calling these veggie pancakes because they look exactly like pancakes and I don’t really like calling my food “fritters.” But either way, they turned out much better than expected and I think they’re a great way to use a lot of vegetables at one time. I’ve changed some of the proportions because when I made it, it had too much flour/egg mixture compared to the amount of veggies. But, feel free to adjust as needed.

Recipe (adapted from Vegetable Fritter recipe from Simply in Season)

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

2 fresh eggs

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp ground pepper

3-4 cups of diced, minced, chopped or shredded veggies: zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, garlic, peas, carrots, beets, green beans, onions, etc.

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Beat eggs and combine with flour, baking powder, sea salt and pepper. Fold the 3-4 cups of prepared vegetables into the egg & flour mixture. Heat frying pan with oil (I used coconut oil) and spoon batter onto hot pan as if you were making pancakes. Make these as large or small as you want. Heat on both sides until crispy, then serve.

We served these over a bed of lettuce with some shrimp and homemade salad dressing. It was really a great dinner – full of vegetables, not too filling, but very satisfying. I even ate the leftovers for breakfast today with a hard-boiled egg (topped with gray sea salt). I think these would be delicious if you made them into tiny little patties to put on top of salads, and kids may even like them too. It’s worth a try! Enjoy!

The Egg Dilemma: Cost or Quality?

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that I get pretty excited about farm-fresh eggs from pastured chickens. These are eggs that come from chickens who live outside, eat green grass, and are not injected with any hormones, stimulants or antibiotics. They soak up sunshine daily, get exercise as they roam around the grass, and are happy (as happy as a chicken can be, at least). The eggs from pastured chickens are higher in essential fatty acids, lower in cholesterol, and contain more nutrients than regular eggs. Eggs from factory-farmed chickens are of a lower quality when it comes to nutrients, and on top of that they contain more bacteria because of the poor living conditions of the chickens. To get a refresher on eggs, go here.

A few days ago, one PWN reader commented on how expensive eggs from grass-fed chickens are compared to regular eggs. This is definitely true! My pastured chicken eggs cost $4.25 per dozen, and I know you can get regular eggs for as low as $0.99 per dozen in some places. This reader was wondering if the quality of the pastured chicken eggs and regular eggs are similar once you hard-boil the egg. In other words, does cooking an egg kill off any bad bacteria associated with factory farming, to the point that it doesn’t matter where the egg comes from?

Chicken meat and eggs are the most common source of food bacteria. Factory farmed chickens are kept in sheds of up to 100,000 chickens, and they are manipulated with light, food and injections to lay extra eggs each day. Cooking an egg can kill off the bacteria that can lead to food poisoning, but only if the egg is cooked thoroughly. Sunny-side up, soft-boiled, or any type of runny yolk is not considered an egg that is cooked through. Therefore, there is still a chance that some bacteria will remain. An egg that is hard-boiled with a hardened yolk will likely have no harmful bacteria.

However, the nutrients are still lower in a factory-farmed egg than in an egg from a pastured chicken. So while you may be avoiding salmonella or E. coli, you are still consuming an egg that is higher in cholesterol and lower in essential fats and vitamins. Some suggestions for getting the most out of your eggs while still staying within your grocery budget include saving the inexpensive factory-farmed eggs for hard-boiling; using pastured chicken eggs for other types of cooking; and doing some research to find a local farm that can supply you high quality eggs at a competitive price.

Adrenal Fatigue: Part 2

Yesterday I talked about adrenal fatigue: what it is, what the symptoms are, and why it happens. Today, let’s look at some of the solutions.

The best way to approach this is to look at the stressors in our lives. Stress can include having a demanding job that soaks up too much of our time; feeling financially burdened because we have a family to support; emotional stress from our family life or personal issues; stress on our bodies due to poor diet or lack of adequate sleep; physical stress from training for races or other activities; and more. We all experience some level of stress. The difference is in how we approach this stress. I believe some level of stress is actually good – it helps motivation levels and keeps someone going. However, when we overreact to stress our body takes a toll, and we can start to show signs of adrenal fatigue.

Some stress is beyond our control, so let’s focus on the thing we can control: our diet. Diet is a great way to balance your adrenals and get your body in the best shape it can be to deal with the other stressors in life.

Since cortisol helps us to regulate our blood sugar, keeping blood sugar in balance will in turn keep cortisol levels more balanced. I’ve talked before about blood sugar and insulin resistance. Eating more protein at breakfast is the first step in balancing blood sugar. For someone whose blood sugar is out of whack, a fruit and yogurt parfait will just not cut it in the morning. Instead, they should be eating things like eggs, vegetables, nuts, and even a little meat or fish. In addition, mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks are important. If someone with adrenal fatigue gets too hungry, more stress is put on the adrenals and they’ll experience increased symptoms. Snacks should be composed of whole foods and should include a fruit or vegetable as well as some protein and a little healthy fat. Examples: apples with almond butter; veggies with hummus; whole grain crackers topped with pesto; or berries and nuts with plain yogurt.

Since eating will give your cortisol levels a boost, it’s best to eat your biggest meal in the morning and a smaller meal in the evening. This will not only get you going in the morning, but will prevent unwanted energy bursts late at night that keep you from falling asleep when you get into bed. I often tell people not to be afraid to make breakfast their biggest meal of the day. It really sets the tone for your day and can be a powerful tool in weight loss, balancing hormones, increasing energy levels, and more.

Finally, someone who is experiencing some level of adrenal fatigue will find it very helpful to eliminate or reduce nutritional stressors such as caffeine, alcohol, refined or processed sugars and fats, and other processed foods. People with adrenal fatigue often have food sensitivities, especially to dairy or gluten, so eliminating these for a few weeks to see if there is a difference is often recommended. I know these things are difficult, so taking it slowly is a good idea. Focusing on whole foods, especially fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean protein, can really make a difference for people!

I know this is just a brief overview, but hopefully it gives you some idea of the direction you need to take and (more importantly) why you need to make the changes. I think it’s empowering to understand what is going on inside your body and make a conscious decision to make changes, rather than just follow a doctor’s or nutritionist’s orders without really understanding the “why”. The more people can educate themselves, the easier it will be for them to make decisions that are supportive of health and balance. I have seen the above nutritional recommendations make amazing changes for individuals, so I know that they work!

Have a great weekend!

Adrenal Fatigue

We talked briefly about adrenal fatigue in class this week. I’ve been learning bits and pieces about adrenal fatigue throughout the past year, and it’s something that, in my opinion, many people experience. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail here, but I want to give you an overview of what adrenal fatigue is and what some of the symptoms are. I believe that if you have it, you should know how to recognize it and how to go about dealing with it.

Adrenal fatigue occurs when we experience chronic stress. Under stress, our adrenals increase production of the hormone cortisol. When the hormone is released, certain receptors on our cells need to process the cortisol. However, when we have prolonged periods of stress, our receptors experience “burnout” and fail to respond to the cortisol. This leads to fatigue and exhaustion. Besides chronic stress, other items that can lead to adrenal fatigue include too much caffeine, sleep deprivation, severe trauma, some prescription medications, and prolonged physical exercise.

Some symptoms of adrenal fatigue include the following: difficulty waking up and becoming alert and energized in the morning; afternoon “crash” between 2:00 and 4:00 pm; energy burst in the early evening, and possibly again later at night (some people refer to this as their “second wind”); cravings for foods high in salts, sugar, or fats; sensitivity to cold or always feeling chilled; mild depression; mood swings; feeling rundown; lack of ability to deal with stress; prolonged sickness or inability to kick a cold or cough; decreased sex drive; increased food allergies or sensitivities. Obviously there are different degrees of adrenal fatigue, and if you are experiencing one or two of the above symptoms that does not necessarily mean you have adrenal fatigue. However, if you are experiencing a few of them, you may want to find out how you can better support your adrenals.

When left untreated, adrenal fatigue can lead to many different health problems. It is something that will drain your energy and weaken your bodily systems, to the point that they are not functioning properly and are more susceptible to disease.

Someone with health adrenals will have a daily energy curve that is something like this: medium energy in the morning that slowly rises to its peak level; a slight dip around lunchtime but then an increase right after lunch; a gradual decrease in early evening until bedtime. This person will wake up easily and fall asleep easily, because their body is balanced.

Someone with adrenal fatigue will have a daily energy curve that looks more like this: very low energy in the morning; huge energy spike after morning coffee and breakfast, but then huge dip right before lunch; slight spike after lunch but then another huge dip; gradual decrease until bedtime; possible spikes right before bed or while that person is trying to sleep. This person has a hard time getting going in the morning and tends to be more of a night owl or sleep more restlessly.

Does this sound like you in any way? If so, check back tomorrow for some tips on how to deal with adrenal fatigue.

Recipe: Sweet Beets

Just a quick recipe today for those who grow beets in their gardens; have gotten beets in their CSA box; or just want to eat more beets!

We got mini beets in our CSA box on Monday – only about 6 of them. Ed isn’t crazy about beets, so I figured I’d just eat them myself for lunch or dinner one day. But when I prepared them last night, I decided to serve them for dinner to see what he thought. The sauce I used is something I made up myself, and I added the green onions because they also were in our CSA box. I apologize for not having any photos of the final product – in all honesty, I didn’t think they’d turn out to be anything special, and certainly not anything blogworthy. But when Ed (who, let me remind you, hates beets) said he liked the beet salad and cleaned his plate, I decided I should blog it! Unfortunately, at this point, all the beets were eaten so photos were not a possibility.

It’s fast, easy, and kids may even like this.

Sweet Beets

Beets (I used 6 mini beets because that’s all I had, but when I do it again I’ll probably use 2-3 regular beets)

Raw honey

Butter

Ginger (fresh or ground - fresh will be tastier)

Soy sauce

Green onions

Steam (or roast) and peel beets. Cube into bite-size pieces, or smaller if you’re using the mini beets.

In a small saucepan, heat butter and raw honey until melted. I used about 1 tsp of each because I didn’t have many beets, but I’d use more if I had bigger beets. Add ginger and soy sauce (to taste) until well combined, then pour over cubed beets. Top with chopped green onions. Serve hot or cold.

Again, sorry for not having photos but I swear this is yummy! Oh, and don't forget to sautee the beet greens with eggs for breakfast the next morning!

Salad Dressing in a Jar

It’s definitely salad season – at least for those of us who are getting loads of lettuce in our CSA box each week. We’ve been resourceful and made things like spinach garbanzo bean dip and vegetable soup, but the best use of all of that farm-fresh lettuce is simply a fresh salad. Salads for breakfast have even become normal at our house in the past few weeks!

I usually keep it simple – fresh lettuce, possibly a chopped heirloom tomato or shaved carrot, and some homemade salad dressing. Today, I just want to gently remind you how easy and delicious homemade salad dressing can be. I know that buying salad dressing at the grocery store seems much more convenient, but salad dressings made at home have fewer ingredients, including fewer preservatives and artificial flavors. Plus, you get to use your own fresh ingredients and don’t have to worry about rancid oils or altered fats.

The recipe for a homemade salad dressing is fairly simple. Just remember: fat, acid, flavor. Olive oil is most often used as the fat, but any good oil will work. As an acid, I like balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or freshly-squeezed lemon juice. The “flavor” category is sort of a catch-all – sea salt & pepper; dried or fresh herbs; raw honey; crushed blueberries; dijon mustard; an egg yolk; crushed garlic; mashed avocado; and more! The great thing about homemade dressing is that you can experiment with whatever ingredients you have at home, and come up with something that is delicious. I’m not going to spend any more time on the recipe, because there is no right or wrong way to do it. As long as you are using fresh, whole foods, the dressing will work.

Above: A salad dressing I made recently in an old dijon mustard jar.

Now comes the easy part – pour everything into a jar, tightly close the jar, and shake. As I’ve mentioned here before, I’m the opposite of a pack rat. Throwing things away is very therapeutic for me, and I cannot stand it when things accumulate in my house. However, I rarely throw away jars! I find them extremely useful in the kitchen, whether it be for storing grains, dried beans, nuts or seeds, packing a lunch (they make great “tupperware”), or making a salad dressing. You can have the fanciest food processor around, and I’d still recommend using a simple jar for salad dressing. That way you can make the dressing, use what you need, and store it in the jar in the fridge for the next salad.

So, treat yourself to some really good olive oil (we bought some meyer lemon olive oil last weekend in Steamboat that I’m very excited about) and start saving your jars. Homemade salad dressing is one of the easiest ways to be healthy!

Fro-Yo!

Last week in the Denver Post, there was an article about the increasing popularity of frozen yogurt (also called frogurt or fro-yo). Denver went from having one fro-yo place to about eight fro-yo places practically overnight! They have become social gathering places for teenagers; after-dinner destinations for families or couples; and snack stops for moms and kids during the day. People love fro-yo because it’s not ice cream, but rather something they consider lighter, healthier, and guilt-free.

Frozen yogurt originally gained popularity in the 70s and 80s, first being introduced as just the original, tart frozen plain yogurt, and then later with added flavors, sugars and toppings galore. Now it has turned into not just a treat, but an “experience.” Most shops have exotic flavors such as cake batter or pomegranate, and as many toppings as you’d find at a salad bar.

Let’s do a nutritional comparison of frozen yogurt and ice cream. The typical ingredients in frozen yogurt are actually quite similar to the ingredients in most ice creams: milk, sweetener, colorings, and flavorings. The biggest difference is that fro-yo includes yogurt cultures, whereas ice cream includes cream. Both, however, are known to contain things like corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial flavors and colors. They actually end up being very similar in calories because of all the sugars and sweeteners. Ice cream is higher in fat than fro-yo, but fro-yo can have just as much or even more sugars. From a digestion standpoint, those who are lactose-intolerant or have a dairy allergy may find that fro-yo is easier to digest, because of the active cultures found in the yogurt.

Some places offer the plain fro-yo flavor and claim that there are no added sugars, and any sweetness you taste is simply from the lactose sugars in the milk. From a nutritional standpoint, this is the preferred choice. The flavored fro-yo will often contain such high amounts of sugars and artificial colors and flavors, that you’d be better off eating real ice cream. I’d be especially wary of those labeled “sugar-free,” because they definitely use fake sugars that can disrupt metabolism and cause unwanted side effects such as headaches or increased sugar cravings.

Then we move onto toppings. Most places have a variety, including anything from fresh kiwi to Captain Crunch cereal. I don’t think I need to spend too much energy here – you guys know that the fruit is the way to go! Adding things like gummy bears or Fruity Pebbles to your fro-yo can instantly double (or more) the sugars, carbs, and calories of your “healthy” treat.

The last thing I want to touch on is the process. Most places now let you self-serve, which is genius on their part. When it comes to dessert, peoples’ eyes tend to be bigger than their stomachs. The shop will typically provide either one or two sizes of containers, let you fill up with your choice of ice cream and toppings, and then charge you by the ounce (I’ve seen anywhere from $0.32 to $0.54 per ounce). Some people may have the self-control to order a small dish of fro-yo or ice cream if the person behind the counter is waiting on them, but when they get to prepare it themselves, they may go overboard.

So, to sum it up, here is my recipe for a healthy fro-yo experience:

1 small serving of plain frozen yogurt

Generous serving of the freshest-looking fruit toppings

One last thing: if you enjoy ice cream more than frozen yogurt, I recommend having a small serving of ice cream every once in a while and skipping the fro-yo altogether. With cravings, people tend to do better if they satisfy them rather than attempt to fake themselves out by choosing a “healthier” version. Both frozen yogurt and ice cream are fairly high in empty calories, so choose the one you prefer and enjoy it in moderation.