Archive for Anti-Inflammatory Life

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 Dried Fruits
(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 Almonds Whole Natural, 16-Ounce Bags (Pack of 3)
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.

Thai Cilantro Burgers

March 11, 2013 Anti-Inflammatory Life, Eat Your Veggies!, Fertility Foods, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes, Super Snacks, Workout Fuel No comments

IMG_4704We had these chicken burgers two weekends in a row because Dan demanded them! This weekend, Dan had a great idea to make extra and freeze them for lunches this week; these burgers will be an excellent back-up dinner or lunch.

Since we take dinner leftovers for lunch the next day, it’s a good idea for us to have a back-up lunch option so that if dinner is not necessarily his favorite, he’s not stuck eating it two days in a row. Of course, I’m such a fantastic cook, this rarely happens (wink). But, on occasion, when there are just a few too many bean, fish or leafy green veggie dishes in a row, Dan starts to rebel. And that’s where these Thai Cilantro Burgers will save the day!

Make these your own-I used ground chicken, but ground skinless turkey, white beans, edamame, black beans or grass-fed (or organic) ground beef would work too. I’ve never made burgers with tofu…have you? Let me know.

Thai Cilantro Burgers with Avocado and Lime Slaw

  • 2 handfuls cilantro
  • 2 handfuls parsley
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons green curry paste
  • 1 tablespoon non-GMO or organic canola oil mayo
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free tamari sauce)
  • 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 4 green onions
  • Juice of one 1 lime
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs (gluten-free panko)
  • 1 pound skinless chicken breast

Place all ingredients except chicken into Cuisenart. Process for about 30 seconds.

Cut chicken breast into peices. Place chicken into Cuisenart. Pulse for 2 seconds 8-10 times until you have ground the chicken and mixed all the ingredients together.

Make burgers. Let the burgers sit for about 15 minutes.

Cook in a skillet. I did these on the stove and they held their shape. I didn’t grill them though; if you do, please let me know how they hold up. The onions and herbs make the burger a bit soft before it’s cooked, and super juicy once it’s cooked through.

Serve with canola mayo and avocado slices. Appreciate the color on your plate! Those are powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatories in these burgers and salad. Fresh herbs, ginger and green onions are some of nature’s gifts to us-they make food taste amazing AND they help support optimal physical and mental function.

Avocado Lime Slaw

  • 1/4 head green cabbage
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro
  • 2 green onions
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • Juice of one lime
  • Salt, to season
  • 1 avocado

Shred cabbage. Chop cilantro and onions. Season with sesame oil, lime juice and salt. Dice and mix in avocado.

Nutrition Details

Gluten-free, dairy-free, can be made vegetarian if you’d like to experiment!

Makes 10 burgers; Per burger:

114 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 1.2 grams saturated fat, 242 mg sodium, 3.1 grams carbohydrate, 14.3 grams protein

 

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?

 

Mmm, Warm Delicious Chili

December 14, 2012 Anti-Inflammatory Life, Beans and Lentils, Raising Healthy Kids, Recipes, Recipes & Articles, Workout Fuel No comments
Leftover chili is perfect for lunch the next day!

Leftover chili is perfect for lunch the next day!

Last week a client mentioned she was trying to make a healthier version of chili. Then this morning a good friend asked for my White Chili Recipe. And last night I made chili in the slow cooker and my husband said, “Yah, this is pretty good!” So all signs point to warm delicious chili!

My White Turkey Chili uses turkey breast, white beans and green chilis. It is always a favorite, and friends and family frequently ask for the recipe.

The Chipolte Chili that we had last night was made pretty much on a whim. I threw it in the Crock Pot in about 5 minutes yesterday morning and viola! Delicious and ridiculously easy to make from staple pantry items.

Chipolte Chili (Crock-Pot)

  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1/4 tablespoon dried chipolte chilis (it is worth the effort to get chipolte chili; I LOVE its smokey flavor)chipolte chili
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans
  • 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, organic
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons flour (I used GF brown rice flour)
  1. Chop onion and mince garlic. I use pre-minced garlic that is stored in the refrigerator for occasions like this. It’s a super fast way to add a punch of flavor.
  2. Place onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, chilis, black beans, pinto beans and diced tomatoes in the Crock Pot (or large saucepan). Don’t drain the beans.
  3. Measure 1 cup broth in a 2 cup measuring cup. Whisk 2 tablespoons flour into the broth.
  4. Pour broth into the Crockpot. Mix it all up. Cook on low heat for 6 hours. If cooking on the stove, bring chili to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

I added some leftover shredded chicken and 2 gluten-free nitrate-free chicken sausages to the chili after it was done cooking. If I didn’t have these precooked options, I could have added diced chicken before cooking. Add any type of protein you like-grass-fed ground beef, chicken, turkey, tempeh or keep it a bean chili.

Your Mood and Your Supplements

December 12, 2012 A New You, Anti-Inflammatory Life, Fertility Foods, Holiday Recipes, Nutrition Notes, Recipes & Articles No comments

stressDid you know that certain vitamins, minerals and fatty acids help regulate your mood? And when you aren’t getting enough you may experience changes in your mood? And to top it all off, antidepressants actually deplete your body of folic acid, which is a key player in mood regulation!

During this hectic and stressful time of year  many of us forget to take our multivitamin, fish oil and probitiocs. These are the basic supplements that I recommend for most people. They strengthen your immune, nervous and digestive systems, and help you handle the extra load that we all carry during the Holiday Season.

Depression and anxiety have a significant impact on the quality of your life; these conditions should be taken seriously and treated. Dietary supplements can help, along with a counselor, exercise, good diet and healthy coping skills. Nervousness, have difficulty focusing, obsessing or having ruminating thoughts, are also commonly associated with sub-clinical nutrient deficiencies, but may not be considered depression or anxiety, yet still benefit from good nutrition and other healthy lifestyle habits.

It’s amazing how much of a positive impact nutrition can have on manage your mood. Supplements are not the replacement for healthy food and exercise. And they definitely cannot replace a good counselor, psychologist or and/or psychiatrist. Nonetheless, when taken appropriately, at the proper dose and not in excess, dietary supplements definitely will help mood regulation and improve the efficacy of antidepressant medications.faces_of_depression

Seems like this time of year many of my nutrition sessions  center around getting through the Holiday Season and successfully managing stress and depression. Fortunately, specific nutrients have been shown to be helpful. Remember, these are not replacements for counseling or medications, nor can they take the place of a good diet and regular exercise.

  • Activated folic acid and vitamin B12, and vitamin B6
  • Zinc
  • Magnesium
  • Iron
  • Vitamin D
  • Omega 3 fatty acids

Your genes have a lot to do with how important these nutrients are for you. Polymorphisms (or changes) in certain genes affect the way that your body handles b-vitamins and vitamin D. These interactions are fascinating!

Also keep in mind that celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome both impact mental health and should be considered if you are experiencing chronic depression, anxiety, irritability, or poor concentration or have experienced changes in your behaviors or mood.

Enjoy the Holiday Season and take good care of yourself!

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