Grow your roots for everyday living.

Posts from the ‘Popular Diets’ category

Shake it UP

on December 15, 2015

Blue Bird Rising
almond milk, blueberries, raisins, almonds, walnuts & honey

Splendid
almond milk, strawberries, dates, chia seeds & vanilla extract

Whole Hearted
almond milk, cantaloupe, banana, coconut butter, coconut, dates, cinnamon, almond butter & vanilla extract

Energize
almond Milk, coconut water, kale, banana, nut butter, dates & walnuts

Grazer
almond milk, banana, dates, nut butter, coconut, flax seeds & granola

San Diego Happiness
coconut milk, Greek yogurt, banana, nut butter, dates & coconut

Musculos
coconut milk, banana, blueberries, almond butter, protein blend

West Coast
coconut, water, kale, apple, lemon & ginger

Start Strong
coconut water, kale, spinach, celery, apple, chia seeds, flax seeds, dates, honey & spirulina

Sweetness
coconut milk, banana, orange, pineapple, nut butter & almonds

Screen Shot 2015-12-14 at 5.23.46 PM

<- Immune, Inflammation, Infection ->
For Extra Boost Add:

– Bone broth
– Apple cider vinegar
– Collagen powder
– Carlson’s cod liver oil
– “Green Food”
– Bee products (local)
– Protein powder

*Use “unsweetened” milks and other products to keep sugars down.

Rooted in liquid nutrients.

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B Sexy Today.

on May 29, 2013

Being a woman can have its advantages, and one of them is that ‘sex appeal’ only women have.  It doesn’t matter if you have a significant other or not, this can feel just as rewarding with someone as without.  The idea is to make yourself feel sexy.

If you haven’t been feeling particularly sexy or womanly as of late, try putting on something sexy.  If you don’t have clothes that make you feel sexy, then buy yourself something.  Splurge, I dare you.  It doesn’t have to be lingerie, but something that makes you feel amazing.  Just like your mindset can change with a certain song, it can also change with what you have on.  That may sound crazy, but just as I feel less productive when I wear gym clothes, I also feel just the opposite wearing a blazer.  A lot of women I talk to complain about their bodies and their lack of feeling ‘sexy.’  But if you put something sexy on, you just might feel like a million bucks.
Every woman lives in a different body and is beautiful in their own way, having every right to look, feel and BE sexy.  Give it a try.

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The Power of PALEO

on May 8, 2013

“Paleo,” short for paleolithic, also called “primal,” “real food,” or a number of other names is a way of eating that I actually strongly support.  There are few ‘diet trends’ that I agree with, but this is one that I highly regard and that’s because it’s actually quite simple: mimic our ancestors, who suffered from fewer chronic diseases than in modern times.  There is something to be said for eating actual butter, preparing dinner from scratch and eating real sugar when baking.  Of course times are different now than 100 years ago, but we can still incorporate old practices into our modern day lives.

This is what it comes down to: eating whole foods, knowing where your food comes from when possible, and avoiding processed, refined, nutrient-poor foods.  This also means avoiding grains, legumes, refined sugars, and pasteurized dairy.  When you take time to think about this, you are simply eliminating foods that really don’t promote health in your body.

Although there are foods “to eat” and foods “not to eat” when following this way of eating; paleo still supports individuality and allows room for adjusting based on who you are.  Some of us may need more fruits, while others may require more fish.  This is a framework for which to build solid nutrition, promoting ultimate health.

Basic Principles:

1.  Eat whole foods.

When you eat food as provided by nature, it actually promotes health, healing, and immunity against future illness and ailments.

2.  Avoid modern, processed and refined foods.

This list includes grains, pasteurized dairy, industrial seed oils (corn, cottonseed, soybean, canola, or rapeseed), and artificial or refined sugar and sweeteners (high fructose corn syrup).  Not only do refined, processed foods not offer us the health benefits of whole foods, but instead feed our bodies with bioengineered substances that create an array of problems for our bodies.  These problems may not effect us immediately, but they rear their ugly heads in some form or another at some point in our lives: ranging from weight gain, diabetes, digestive issues, skin issues, hormone imbalance, etc.  I love this saying:  “If its from a plant eat it, and if its made in a plant don’t.”

3.  Eat to maintain proper digestive function.

Everyones digestive function varies, but the importance of proper functioning does not.  Some people can tolerate dairy, or grain-based foods, others cannot, and its up to us to determine what works.  The ability to fight chronic, and even acute, disease states begin in the gut.  60-80% of the immune system is in the gut!  There is immune tissue that follows the entire length of your small intestine.  If your body suffers from digestive irritation, you set the stage for a suppressed immune system in other areas.  This may result in seasonal allergies or something like diverticulitis, psoriasis, or any number of inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.

4.  Eat to maintain proper blood sugar regulation.

Another key component to health!  The amount of time it takes before your hunger strikes in again after a meal and how you feel entering into your next meal are critical signs of how well your blood sugar levels are managed.  If you’re hungry every two hours and feeling shaky, weak, or starving entering into each meal/snack, you are probably not consuming a balanced diet for you.  Figuring out how much protein, fat and ‘good’ carbohydrate you should eat will help you immensely in maintaining well-balanced blood sugar throughout the day.

5.  Follow a plan tailored to YOU and YOUR Goals.

Paleo is about eating healthy – whole foods, and avoiding unhealthy – processed, refined, junk food.  That being said, we are all unique in what we need to be as healthy and happy as possible.  What did your ancestors eat?  What did you grow up eating?  What foods do you gravitate toward?  What is your blood type?  What is your health history?  Who you are, where you live, what your lifestyle is constituted by all contributes to what foods may work best for you.

Before I tackle the list of foods incorporated in the paleo lifestyle I will say this, all grains don’t have to be “bad, disease-promoting” grains.  If you make your grains from scratch so all the nutrients are preserved, then by all means eat them!  As I always encourage: individuality is imperative and there is always room for tweaking.  No one way for everyone.  Maybe cheese is your thing, so consume high-quality cheese – organic, perhaps unpasteurized and local.  Know your sources.  If you crave chocolate, eat some phenomenal, mouth-watering, irresistible dark chocolate.  Most importantly pay attention to what feels good for you and enjoy your food.

EAT WHOLE FOODS:
– Meat, seafood and eggs
Ideally from grass-fed, pasture-raised, organic-fed animals or wild-caught, sustainable seafood sources.
– Vegetables and fruits
Go to town on veggies (except for potato, corn and squash which are very starchy)!  Eat most all fruits, those these can be harsh on blood sugar so limit fruit intake.
– Nuts and seeds
Great snack item, but these can be overdone.
– Fats and oils
Choose the best quality fats and use for cooking or simply to add healthy fats into a meal.

ELIMINATE REFINED FOODS:
– Refined grains
This includes, but is not limited to: cereals, oatmeal, toast, muffins, scones, croissants, sandwich bread, tortillas, pancakes, waffles, pasta, rice, pita, bagels etc.
– Whole grains
This includes, but is not limited to: wheat, barley, rye, spelt, corn, rice, quinoa, millet, bulgar wheat, buckwheat, and amaranth.
– Packaged snacks
Granola bars, breakfast bars, protein bars, toaster pastries, crackers, cookies, chips, baked goods, and this list goes on and on.
– Dairy Products
Eliminate processed and pasteurized milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, frozen yogurt, etc. Raw dairy is debatable, I”m okay with it.
– Certain beverages
Drink water.  Do not drink anything sweetened, especially with artificial sweeteners.  This includes juices, soda, diet soda, energy drinks, sweetened tea, shakes or smoothies.  *Juicing with pure veggies/ some fruit can certainly be beneficial, depending on quantity and quality.  Minimize coffee, tea and alcohol intake.

Paleo Sources –
Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo, BS, NC
Paleo for Women by Stephanie Ruper
The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf

“We live in a time when up is down and black is white.  We have been taught to believe that foods coming out of factories are safer and healthier than foods your great-grandmother ate.”  – Diane Sanfilippo

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SUGAR Substitutes?

on April 11, 2013

As people are constantly trying to cut down on sugar and calorie intake, they often turn to sugar substitutes.  Although the FDA claims many of these to be safe, lots of people worry about the safety of these products.  Truth be told sugar substitutes are hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar (sucrose), so much less goes a long way.  Most are calorie free or close to it and they don’t affect blood sugar.  HOWEVER, there’s no truly long-term research proving they are safe.  Sugar substitutes are not a fix for obesity; a better alternative is to simply cut down on sweets and make other changes little by little.  Putting chemically engineered, highly processed foods in your body is a toss up.  The structure of these products resembles a toxin more so than a molecule of real sugar.  My advice is that if you are craving ‘sweet’, go for the real thing.

Here’s How They Differ:

Sucralose (Splenda) — This is a sugar molecule altered so that it passes through your body undigested and therefore has no calories.  It can be used anywhere you would normally put sugar, as it has become very popular.  It is a synthetic compound made through a complex chemical process.

Stevia extracts (Truvia and PureVia) — Stevia comes from the shrub Stevia rebaudiana, which has been used for many years as a sweetener in South America.  Because of concerns brought about by early animal studies, stevia was banned as a sweetener in the U.S.  Most recent research however has failed to find adverse effects.  So, in 2008 the FDA granted GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status to rebiana, a purified extract of rebaudioside A, one of the plant’s main sweet components.  Marketers boast the stevia extracts (rebiana) are “natural”, though the leaves must be highly processed to isolate the compounds.  Whole-leaf stevia herb, in liquid or powder form, can be sold solely as a dietary supplement, not explicitly as a sweetener.

Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal) — Created from two amino acids, naturally occurring building blocks of protein, this has been around for 30 years.  This is not safe for people with a rare genetic condition called phenylketoneuria (PKU), who lack the ability to process one of the amino acids.  According to the FDA this is safe for everyone else.  Nonetheless, many have linked aspartame to: headaches, brain tumors, dizziness, migraines, depression, insomnia, memory loss, and a number of other conditions.

Neotame — Chemically related to aspartame, though not much sweeter.  People with PKU can consume this.  This is found in many food products, but not available directly to consumers.

Saccharin (Sweet’N Low) — This was linked to bladder cancer in the 1970’s in animal studies; yet other research claimed it was safe for human consumption.

Acesulfame-K (Sunett, Sweet One) — Also called acesulfame potassium.  Often combined with aspartame in soft drinks, this compound passes through the body unchanged, and contains a very small amount of potassium.  Once again, FDA has claimed its safe, but many consumers worry this could be linked to cancer among other conditions.

Sorbitol and Xylitol — These and other sweeteners with the “-ol” are sugar alcohols, which have approximately half the calories of sugar and are absorbed more slowly by the body.  They are often found in chewing gum and sweets because they have a more favorable taste than other noncaloric sweeteners, and may help reduce tooth decay.  They can cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea.

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Did You Get Fooled?

on April 4, 2013

How do we end up consuming so much?

–>  BIG SERVINGS.  People who are given larger buckets or packages of popcorn, ice cream, candy, etc consume more than those given a smaller bucket or package.  According to Brian Wansink up to 34% more!  This adds up fast!

–>  FANCY NAMES.  Cafeteria and restaurant sales increase when foods are given descriptive names such as “Belgian Black Forest Cake” instead of “Chocolate Cake”.  Furthermore, people are apt to order more food — 2 entrees instead of 1, or get dessert when they may not have in the first place.

–>  PLATEWARE.  People rate the taste of food higher when its served on larger plate or using nicer ware such as fine china, than on a smaller dish or a paper napkin.  If people aren’t satisfied they tend to eat more.  Also, people consume more when served on larger dishes.  Someone may only consume half of their food on a large 14″ plate thinking they are consuming a very small amount; but when this is compared to consuming half of their food on a smaller 9″ plate, they are quickly mistaken!

–>  FAMILY STYLE.  When serving dishes are left on the table during a meal, as opposed to the kitchen counter, both men and women tend to consume more.

–>  PACE MATTERS.  People generally eat more if they are enjoying a meal with quick eaters, as opposed to eating with people that are slower eaters.

–>  EVIDENCE.  People eat less when they can see how much they have eaten.  In other words, people eat less chicken wings, pizza, etc. if they can see the bones or crusts from what they have already eaten than if the bones/crusts were whisked away.

–>  MARKETING IS MEAN.  People eat more of a product, such as trail mix, snack mix, chips, when they are labeled as “low-fat”, than if the label did not say that.

–>  HEALTHY EATING YES OR NO?  People underestimate the amount of calories consumed if they believe that the establishment they are eating in is healthy.  For instance, people who think Subway is healthy underestimate the calories more than they underestimate the calories when eating at Burger King.

–>  EXERCISE REWARDS.  Some “worker outers” feel that they can consume a lot more dinner or more dessert, if they workout.  This is especially common in those newer to working out, or those that are “yo yo exercisers”.  People ate more dinner/dessert after they went on a “scenic walk”, than after they went on a “exercise run”.  These extra calories can negate the benefits of the workout, so be careful with what it is you’re eating more of!

–>  IF YOUR EYES COULD EAT.  Just because something looks delicious doesn’t mean it needs to be eaten.  Covering up a clear refrigerator door, or cabinets can decrease the amount of eating.  Be aware — does something look appealing or are you truly hungry?

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