Archive for A New You

Get Yourself Tested.

May 9, 2013 A New You, Fertility Foods, Gluten Free Living, Nutrition Notes, Raising Healthy Kids No comments

may_slide_001May is Celiac Disease Awareness month. Celebrate by getting yourself tested for celiac. Although some people with celiac have no symptoms, you are at greater risk for celiac if you have:

  • Fatigue
  • Anemia
  • Irregular menses
  • Infertility
  • Recurrent canker sores in your mouth
  • Dental enamel defects, recurrent cavities
  • Osteopenia or osteoporosis
  • Abnormal liver chemistry
  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Autoimmune thyroid disease (hypothyroid or hyperthyroid)
  • Autoimmune liver disease
  • Lactose intolerance
  • Dermatitis herpetiformis, an itchy rash
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Sjogren’s disease
  • Schizophrenia
  • Down Syndrome
  • Depression, anxiety
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Tingling in hands and feet
  • Gas
  • Bloating
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • A first- or second-degree relative with celiac disease

That’s a long list of people who should be screened for celiac disease. You might be wondering, why hasn’t my doctor already tested me for celiac? Unfortunately many doctors inaccurately regard celiac disease as rare and characterized by diarrhea. The reality is that celiac disease is common, particularly in people who have the conditions listed above.

What is your risk?

Based on your health and genetics, your risk will vary.

  • Infertility of unknown cause, 1 in 16 have celiac
  • First-degree relative of person with celiac, 1 in 22 have celiac
  • Type 1 diabetes, 1 in 23 have celiac
  • Anemia, 1 in 24 have celiac
  • Joint pain, 1 in 31 have celiac
  • Osteoporosis, 1 in 39 have celiac
  • No symptoms or associated conditions? 1 in 133 have celiac

Silent but significant

If you think there’s no way you could have this condition because you don’t feel terrible, consider this: a well-done large US trial found that 41% of people diagnosed with celiac disease through a mass screening were asymptomatic.

It’s true that celiac disease can be fairly silent in many people. A bit of gas and bloating may not be cause for alarm. You may simply accept your low energy level and low mood as “normal”. Gas, bloating, fatigue, or depression are not normal. If you have celiac disease, there is a guaranteed dietary solution to improve your overall well-being and quality of life, in addition to preventing other diseases, including cancer, and early death.

Those of you who feel that it’s not worth knowing if you have celiac or not, be aware that if you have undiagnosed (or untreated) celiac disease you are at greater risk for osteoporosis, infertility, autoimmune diseases, intestinal cancers and early death. Once celiac disease is managed with a strict, gluten-free diet, these risks normalize.

It’s genetic

Celiac disease is genetic and it is not uncommon for one family member to be diagnosed with celiac and others to follow.

Due to the genetic nature of celiac, all first- and second-degree relatives of individuals with celiac disease should be routinely screened for celiac disease regardless of symptoms.

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has a wealth of information this month regarding helping “our family members get diagnosed so they can restore their health and reclaim their lives”.

CeliacDiseaseRibbonjpgFormatDo it for your family

There are three tests to screen for celiac disease:

  • Total IgA
  • tTg IgA
  • EMA

Ask your doctor for these three tests. If you aren’t working with a knowledgable physician, work with me and I can help you get these tests done. If you get tested, be sure to work with a celiac expert to evaluate your risks and the test results. Sometimes further testing beyond the blood tests is warranted.

NOTE: you must be eating gluten (found in wheat, barley and rye) multiple times daily for these blood tests to be accurate.

More on celiac:

Banana Pecan Breakfast “Cupcakes”

April 25, 2013 A New You, Fertility Foods, Gluten Free Living, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes, Super Snacks 2 comments
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Breakfast Cupcakes and watermelon, fast and easy breakfast

I like to keep a batch of these filling, hearty muffins in our freezer for a quick breakfast when we sleep in and don’t have time for making breakfast. Make a batch and two and then freeze.

Last weekend when I made these, my 4-year old insisted on making cupcakes. So that is what these muffins will now be known as!

Make these grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free muffins your own by mixing up the nuts and dried fruit you use.

Ingredients with an asterisk must be gluten-free for those with celiac or gluten sensitivity.

Banana Pecan Breakfast Cupcakes

  • 2 cups blanched almond flour*
  • 1 cup organic raisins*
  • 1 cup pecans*, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon iodized sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 eggs, preferably omega-3 enriched and/or organic
  • 3 ripe bananas, optional

    • 1/2 cup coconut oil or non-GMO canola oil

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix all ingredients together in a mixer.
  3. Lightly grease a muffin pan or use cupcake papers.
  4. Fill muffins to the brim with batter; these don’t rise much.
  5. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Nutrition Details:

Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian

Makes about 12 muffins/cupcakes; per muffin:

330 calories, 26 grams fat, 9 grams saturated fat, 120 mg sodium, 22 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams fiber, 11 grams natural sugar, 7 grams protein

 

Better Brand Name List

March 21, 2013 A New You, Anti-Inflammatory Life, Fertility Foods, Gluten Free Living, Nutrition Notes, Weight Loss One comment

People always want to know: “what should I buy” or “what should I look for at the store”? You will find the answers here!

Better Brands

Here is your grocery list. These are foods and brand names to look for. I will add to this list with more and more recommendations for everything from food to books. I will also include personal care and household cleaning products because these products often contain chemicals that put stress on our bodies and/or contribute to endocrine (hormonal) disruption and/or have negative neurological affects.

Please bookmark this page and refer to it when you are thinking about buying healthy foods and products. http://nourishingresults.com/buy-better-brands/

Got Celiac? Choose “GFF”.

If you have celiac or gluten sensitivity, purchase food that comes from a dedicated gluten-free facility. I will identify products that to my knowledge are produced in a dedicated Gluten-Free Facility (GFF).

Gluten-free (GF) grains such as, quinoa, rice, oats, GF flours, and GF breads, crackers and pastas, along with dried fruit, nuts, and seeds are often processed on equipment with wheat or in facilities with wheat and this trace amount of gluten exposure will keep the digestive tract inflamed. For foods on this list, if you have celiac or gluten sensitivity, do not eat foods that are not from dedicated gluten free facilities.

Happy Shopping!

Keep this list handy and enjoy the ease of knowing exactly what to buy.

Dried Fruit

Choose dried fruit that is unsweetened, does not have food dye and preferably without sulfites. Also prioritize organic for fruit that is highly contaminated with pesticides, which includes: apples, blueberries, raisins, peaches, prunes and strawberries.

Made in Nature Organic raisins and other dried fruit (GFF)

Newman’s Own Organic raisins and other dried fruit (GFF)

Sunmaid plain raisins (organic is available) and Zante Currants (GFF)

Trader Joe’s Organic Raisins (GFF)

Trader Joe’s dried fruit, variety of options, including many organic and unsulfured

Nuts

I recommend that you eat at least 1 small handful of nuts or seeds every day. Choose raw or natural without added oil or sugar. A little salt is okay, but often the salt is “stuck” to the nut with unhealthy oils. Look for lightly roasted without oils if you don’t like raw.

Buy nuts and seeds in bulk and store in the freezer.

Mariani Almonds and Walnut Halves (GFF)

Mariani slivered almonds

Blue Diamond Raw Almonds (GFF)

Green Valley Pecans (GFF)

www.Nuts.com (Certified GF is available)

Kirkland pistachios (GFF)

Kirkland walnuts, almonds, pecans and pine nuts

Trader Joe’s Roasted Slivered Almonds (GFF)

Trader Joe’s nuts, variety of organic and unsalted options, also in individually wrapped packets

Which is the best type of nut?

Seeds

Bob’s Red Mill Chia Seed

Bob’s Red Mill Ground Flaxseed Meal (GFF), buy in small packages rather than large

Enjoy Life Seed and Fruit Mix (GFF)

Go Raw Organic Sprouted Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds and Spicy Seed Mix (GFF)

Nut & Seed Butters

Read the ingredient list. Better natural nut butters are simply nuts or seeds and salt. That’s it.

Look for natural nut butters that do not contain added oils or sugar, particularly not high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. Palm oil and evaporated cane juice are alternative types of fat and sugar that are added to nut butters, and should also be avoided.

Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter

MaraNatha Almond Butter, Peanut Butter, Tahini (GFF)

Santa Cruz Organic Peanut Butter

Don’t see your favorite products? Wondering about their gluten free status or if they are good for you? Please post a comment!

Runner’s World provides a nice grocery guide too! Check it out: Runner’s World Grocery Run.

How Food Politics Led to Nourishing Results

January 28, 2013 A New You, Nutrition Notes, Recipes & Articles, Weight Loss No comments

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Please listen to my recent interview on Mrs. Greens World with Marion Nestle.

When I was in graduate school I read Marion Nestle’s book, Food Politics. Reading this book was a pivotal turning point in my nutrition career and her work has continued to inform my perspective on food and nutrition. Among many, many things, I have learned from Nestle’s work that:

  • Food politics have a significant impact on the availability of healthy foods in grocery stores and on restaurant menus;
  • Unconscious food choices are made based on intentional food marketing;
  • Lobbing by the food industry significantly influences government health guidelines, and often changes public health nutrition messages.

After reading Food Politics I realized how much our food is controlled by the food industry; personal choice is actually only one small part of the health of our nation. Food politics has a much more significant role in our health. Without addressing the politics of food and fixing our broken food system, we as individuals are faced with a pretty steep hill to climb to find truly healthy foods to eat.

When Gina Murphy-Darling, Mrs. Green, of Mrs. Green’s World asked me to be on her show with Marion Nestle, I emphatically agreed! I am honored to share the podcast with you and encourage you to learn more about food politics and how it affects you.

Listen now! Click this link and then the green “Listen Now” bar on the left side of the screen.

During the interview Gina asked me what I believe the biggest threats to our health are. I believe that our broken food system, which subsidizes unhealthy foods and heavily promotes these foods to us, creates an unhealthy food environment. This food environment then collides  with our current culture of stress, inadequate sleep and poor coping skills and complicated by our false belief that you must be thin to be happy and healthy, results in a great amount of confusion and difficulty maintaining healthy lifestyle changes.

My mission in life is to help you sort all this out! That’s what I do! Whether it’s talking to you one-on-one or doing a grocery tour or discussing meal planning strategies, I help you figure out how to eat in our current food environment to best meet your nutritional needs.

What am I doing to change our world of food? I let my voice be heard that we need a change. For example, I speak up in the Dietitian world against things like junk food sponsorship of Continuing Education for Dietitians. This blog is also one of the ways I feel like I can contribute to changing our food system.

And don’t forget that we ALL Vote With Our Forks!

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Every food purchase you make sends a message regarding your food philosophy. Your choices speak volumes regarding your beliefs about food. You have a voice  with every food choice you make. What messages do you send to the food industry with your food choices?

 

Check out the podcast of the interviews with Marion Nestle and myself. Nestle covers the first 30 minutes and I wrap up the second half hour.

 

Photo credits:

Nestle/Hana-Mrs. Green’s World

Vote with your Fork-Plenticulture

What’s Your 2013 Workout Goal?

January 3, 2013 A New You, Anti-Inflammatory Life, Exercise, Nutrition Notes, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes & Articles, Weight Loss, Workout Fuel No comments

 

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In the kitchen hangs our Runner’s World calendar with a pen tied on for easy access to track workouts.

My 2013 Workout Goal is to run 1000 miles. What’s your goal? Everyone should have one.

My Dad observed that there were a lot of people out at the park on New Year’s Day. He said every year he sees lots of people running, walking, and playing tennis on Jan 1, but as the year progresses the people stop showing up. If you are a regular exerciser, you’ve probably seen the same thing happen at your gym or running path. Whether you are the committed one or the one trying to stick with your workout routine, you need a goal.

Ideas for Your 2013 Workout Goal

While I was running yesterday, I thought of some cool ideas for your workout goal. Modify one of these to make it your own or come up with your own inspired goal.

  • 50 different trails (walk, run, mountain bike, whatever-but 50 different trails!)
  • 150 total workouts
  • 3,500,000 steps
  • Do a pull up unassisted or do 5 standing single leg squats or do 50 push ups without stopping
  • Identify a specific number of birds or plants while hiking
  • Swim 100 miles
  • Become proficient at tennis
  • Get a wall map, track your miles, put a pin for each run and run to India…I’m don’t know how many miles that is, but I think this would be a cool way of tracking mileage

Be Realistic

I had the goal to run 1000 miles a few years ago and accomplished it, so I know I can do it. Why am I not increasing my target? Well, now I have two kids and two jobs, so running MORE than 1000 miles this year is not all attainable! Also when I did it before, I had run a marathon and probably a half marathon too. With no plans for a full marathon in 2013, I know I’ll have to run consistently more than I currently am. 3 mile runs will now need to become 4-5 mile runs and I’ll have to be sure to do a longer 6+ mile run every week. Perfect! I can do that! This is just what I need to take it up a notch from where I currently am without setting myself up for disappointment.

Think your goal through and contemplate what it will take to reach your goal. Challenge yourself without setting your goal too high. You want to reach just enough to be inspired, but not so far that you fall.

If you are new to exercise, set a goal for the next 3 months rather than for the entire year, and evaluate your goal quarterly. Your goal could be related to mileage, minutes of exercise, or days that you exercised. I recommend that new exercisers work out every other day, so your goal could be 45 workouts before March 30.

Track It

Monitoring is essential. Track your progress in a very visible place so that you see your progression toward your goal on a daily basis. I like to write my miles on my wall calendar. My husband uses Strava. Whatever you do, make it accessible and easy to use.

If you begin to realize that your goal is not achievable, modify it, don’t abandon it! Review your progress every three months and adjust or revise your target if you need to.

Get Inspired!

What should your goal be? You could conquer your first half or full marathon. You could try a triathlon. You could learn to dance the tango. Indulge your passions and start birding! Whatever you do, make it something you enjoy. Don’t stop looking for a physical activity until you find one that you like.

I remember running the last 6 miles of my 1000 mile goal on a hotel treadmill. We were in Idaho for my cousin’s wedding and it was super snowy outside, so my sister and I ran in the hotel mini-gym. 6 miles is a decent run for me, and on a crummy hotel treadmill, and while on vacation? It took passion and dedication to to make me run those last miles. Plus my Sissy was with me and that makes everything easier. Which brings up another important point, my family knew about and supported my goal. The hour that I needed to reach my goal wasn’t looked down upon or complained about.

Be Flexible

Because I enjoy cycling, swimming and lifting weights in addition to running, I need to make my goal flexible. The last time I ran 1000 miles I literally didn’t do much else for exercise other than run. I don’t want this goal to detract from riding my bike or lifting weights to protect my bones. So, I will have to make my method of counting miles flexible. I am not willing to let go of the idea of 1000 miles, so I want to convert my other activities into miles. There is not a “right way” of doing this, I’m just making it up; the only person it has to make sense to is me. Here’s how I’ll do it:

  • 1 mile run = 1 mile
  • 4 miles on bike = 1 mile (I’ll adjust if I need to when I get back on the bike)
  • Full body strength workout = 3 miles
  • Shorter strength workout = 1 mile
  • 10 minutes any other activity = 1 mile

You can count just about anything. What counts to you?

 

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