Archive for Raising Healthy Kids

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

 

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.

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