Season of Sugar

By: Maria

Halloween is here and will be behind us before you know it - which means Thanksgiving and Christmas are looming, which also means we begin the perilous journey through the season of sugar. There are alarming statistics out there that the average American can put on 5-10 pounds during the holiday season! I like to think those of you reading this blog and following the Salus lifestyle are above average and perfectly able to rise above those statistics with a little help from us - you with me here??

Let's not be part of that statistic - deal??.

Realistically, some (or many) of us will be attending holiday gatherings, office parties, family functions where the main focus of the celebration will be food - unfortunately, that food will be the exact source of the 5-10 pound weight gain.

In order to avoid being part of that statistic, here are a few tips to help navigate through the peril:

Halloween: We are doing something different at our house this year - serving hot apple cider and 100% beef hot dogs. For those that refuse to stray from tradition and have purchased candy, throw away any leftover candy so you don't have the tempation sitting on your counters - it WILL be eaten! I would suggest to take it to work to share with others, but if I wouldn't encourage you to eat it, I wouldn't encourage you to share it with fellow friends. Be kind to them also.

If you haven't purchased your candy yet - hooray!  You have avoided the temptation of candy bags sitting around waiting to be eaten.  Alternatively, if there is such a thing, purchase candy that you do NOT like - this way, the temptation will not be an issue.  .

Thanksgiving Meal: Load up on your protein source first with a healthy dose of green salad and veggies that are not loaded with sugars, processed creams, etc. If you're hosting the meal, make every delicious dish only with real food and make some gluten-free rolls/dessert - you will NOT regret that. If you will be eating the meal elsewhere, why not bring one or two dishes that you have prepared and load up on the turkey and your own dish, that way, when dessert is being served, you can have a small piece without having had sabotaged yourself completely. Better yet, make a gluten-free dessert to bring (and there are PLENTY of delicious ones)!

Christmas Meal: Same rules apply here. Whether attending or hosting your Christmas dinner, make a commitment to prepare healthy alternatives to the traditional menu items. You would be surprised how delicious those meals can be and everyone will be happy to know they are eating clean, real food!

Parties: Eating a full meal before heading to the party will alleviate much of the temptation to overindulge in unfavorable foods. If you drink alcohol, have a glass of water prior to the alcoholic beverage. If you are going to eat, choose good foods like shrimp cocktail and raw veggies. Or, it's easy to bring a plate of appetizers for everyone to share - that way, you control ingredients.

If you make a commitment to yourself (challenge your spouse/friend to do this with you - it helps!) and adhere to eating real foods the majority of the time through the Season of Sugar, you will still be able to enjoy those cheats without having to dig yourself out of a deep nutritional grave. Don't make choices that will put you in the weight-gaining statistics!

 

Keep checking back for upcoming recipes that will make holiday meal planning healthy, nutritious and delectable!



Insulin Resistance and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

By: Maria

Autism and ASD are neurological disorders that have a strong but poorly understood genetic basis. It surfaces in the first 3 years of life and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.

Although a very active area of research, the precise cause is still unknown, but there seems to be a common suggestion that there are more than likely a combination of factors.

One area of interest has been diet - specifically the effects of gluten (wheat, rye and barley) and casein (milk, cheese and other dairy products).

A recent theory comes from Michael Stern, a Rice University biochemist, who believes the same processed foods that causes diabetes may also cause autism. Stern also suggests that glucose tolerance in pregnant women may be a subject of more earnest interest in light of his findings.

Dr. Stern found a compelling connection between diabetes and autism's impaired glucose tolerance and hyperinsulinemia and states; "It will be very easy for clinicians to test my hypothesis...they could do this by putting autistic children on low-carbohydrate diets that minimize insulin secretion and see if their symptoms improve."

The same could be said for the gluten and casein theory.

Read more here.

This real-life testimonial is certainly remarkable as is this one.

 

 

Sources:

Pubmed

Science Daily/ Rice University (2011, October 19).

NCBI

nih.gov

Bacon-Wrapped Apricots

By:  Maria



Mediterranean dried apricots are plump, pitted, whole, dried apricots that are delicious.  These make great appetizers or an easy snack for kiddos after school (yes, they'll eat them....it's bacon after all!).

Ingredients

28 Mediterranean dried apricots (7oz. package)

1 package nitrate/nitrite free bacon

course pepper

Cut bacon slices into thirds and wrap each apricot with the bacon slices, securing with toothpick.  Place on a baking sheet lined with foil, leaving a small amount of room between each piece. Place sheet in oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes per side.   Flip halfway through and sprinkle them with pepper. They’re finished cooking when the bacon is thoroughly cooked and slightly dark in spots.

**I've also made these with water chestnuts, which add a different texture, but equally as delicious. Cut water chestnuts in half crosswise, fold apricot around chestnut, wrap bacon slice around apricot; secure with toothpick and bake as directed.

Vitamin D

By:  Maria

Technically not a "vitamin"; vitamin D is in a class by itself. Its metabolic product, calcitriol, is actually a hormone that targets over 2000 genes (about 10% of the human genome) in the human body. Vitamin D is essential for promoting calcium absorption in the gut.

85-90% of people are deficient to severely deficient in Vitamin D. This is because we get very little from our diets except for fish and in fortified dairy. Much of this is heightened by the fact that many of our jobs are indoors and when we do venture outdoors, we use sunscreen which blocks UVB radiation that allows Vitamin D production to occur in our skin. Getting our Vitamin D from the sun becomes difficult during winter season, when we spend the majority of our time indoors.

Deficiency in Vitamin D is associated with diseases such as rickets, thyroid issues, numerous autoimmune disorders, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer. Most common, however, are higher risk of the common cold, upper respiratory infections, influenza,childhood asthma and pneumonia.

The health benefits of Vitamin D are numerous, but include bone health, cardiovascular and cholesterol health (there are studies showing a decrease in cholesterol during summer months, when we are more apt to get outdoors in the sunshine).  An unknown benefit from Vitamin D, is that it regulates insulin secretion and sensitivity and balances blood sugar.  Read here for further information.

As we all know, modern diets in the US are pro-inflammatory due to the large amounts of unfavorable carbohydrates that we eat. Vitamin D can reverse those effects and improve inflammatory response.

There is a large amount of evidence from studies implicating optimal Vitamin D levels and athletic performance - something we all strive for.

Food sources:

International Units(IU)/per serving
Pure Cod liver oil, 1 Tablespoon /1,360 IU
Salmon, cooked, 3½ ounces /360 IU
Mackerel, cooked, 3½ ounces /345 IU
Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 1¾ ounces /250 IU
Tuna fish, canned in oil, 3 ounces /200 IU
Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D fortified, 1 cup /98 IU
Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is found in egg yolk) /20 IU

Supplementation:

If you are deficient from never going out in the sun and never consuming foods rich in Vitamin D, it seems the common recommendation is to have an approximate supplementation of 5,000 IU/day during low-sun exposure season in order to bring Vitamin D levels back to an optimal range. In Utah, this seems to be most definite during the winter months, but even in the summer, it's quite possible and even common, to have a Vitamin D deficiency. A simple blood test will inform you of your Vitamin D levels.  Optimal levels of Vitamin D are 35 ng/mL-60 ng/mL.

Watch this video for more on Vitamin D.


Sources:
Weston A. Price Foundation
Chris Masterjohn
PubMed
Chris Kresser L.Ac

Chicken & Roasted Bell Pepper Avocado Cups

Avocado cups have been a favorite of mine lately.  I can mix up any leftover meat and veggie that's in my fridge and dump it into an avocado cup for a quick and easy lunch.  This recipe, however, produced such a great flavor, it was worth spending the effort with the added ingredients.  Pair it with some fruit or roasted veggie and you leave the table satisfied.

Ingredients

4 skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)

4 bay leaves

1 quart organic low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth 

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup unsalted, roasted nut of choice, finely chopped (I used hazelnuts)

1/2 large red onion, diced

1/2 a bunch asparagus, roasted and diced into small pieces**

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

2 roasted bell peppers (red or yellow peppers), skin removed and diced (recipe below or you can purchase roasted peppers in a jar)*

salt and pepper to taste

Mustard Herb Dressing:

1/3 cup fresh parsley, tightly packed

1/3 cup fresh basil, tightly packed

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon gluten-free Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

fresh ground pepper to taste

To Roast Bell Peppers:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut the peppers in half and clean out the seeds and innards. Place them on a baking sheet skin side up. Bake peppers for 15 to 20 minutes. Once the skins are brownish-black, remove from the oven and immediately place the peppers in a large ziploc bag. Close and let sit for 20 minutes or so (or until the peppers have time to cool and "sweat").

  Once they have cooled you will be able to peel the skins right off. In my opinion, I prefer to do this method rather than purchasing the roasted peppers in a jar.  If you're trying to save time, however, it's an option.

**To roast asparagus, toss asparagus in a little olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Roast in the 450 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, depending on size of asparagus, while bell peppers roast. Remove and allow to cool before cutting into small pieces. I made extra asparagus to eat!

For Chicken Salad:

Put the bay leaves and the chicken broth in a large pot with a lid and bring stock to a simmer. Add the chicken breasts to the pot. Return the broth to a simmer. Cover the pot. Turn off the heat. Let the chicken steep in the stock for 30 minutes to an hour. (you can also just use leftover chicken, which I always have on hand)

While the chicken is cooking, chop the other ingredients - garlic, almonds, onion, asparagus, basil, parsley, roasted bell peppers - and add to a large bowl. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

When the chicken breasts are cooked, remove them from the broth and let them cool. When they are cool enough to handle, shred the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces by hand. Mix the chicken pieces in with the rest of the ingredients.

To Make Dressing:

In the bowl of a food processor combine parsley, basil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, and salt. While food processor is running slowly add olive oil in a small drizzle. You may have to stop the food processor to scrape the sides. You want the mixture to come to a liquid consistency. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.

Add dressing to chicken salad and toss to combine.

At this point you can either chill it or serve at room temperature.  Take an avocado, remove pit, and place chicken salad in the inside. 

 Eat.

Smile.

Soy - Good or Bad?

By:  Maria



Soy has been touted as the miracle health food for decades and once found only at health food stores, can now be found even at convenience stores!  Soy is a common topic of inquiry when discussing nutrition and many ask the same question; "Is soy good or bad?".

Originally used for plastics in the early 1900's, soy wasn't considered a food product until World War II shortages, when it became necessary to find a way to create cheap protein.

Since then, the soy industry invested a lot of time and money to advertise soy as a health food and the marketing was quite successful; leading to the following statistics:

• 37% of Americans eat or drink soy products
• 85% believe soy food is healthy
• 70% believe soybean oil is good for them.  

Following, are some known, albeit not advertised facts about soy that might make one think twice about reaching for this health food:

• Soy is the second-most genetically modified crop in the U.S. (corn being #1) - that's 91% of soy grown!
• Soy is difficult for most people to digest due to the anti-nutrient properties (lectins, sapopins, protease inhibitors, phytates) that cannot be removed by soaking, sprouting, or slow cooking like other legumes.
• Soy contains phytoestrogens; which are known to interrupt endocrine function and has been linked to fertility problems, breast and thyroid cancer.
• Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D and B12.
• Soy contains substances that interfere with thyroid function.

But wait....what about all the soy consumed in Asia??

Great question!  We are talking UNfermented soy products and this is the type of soy that is so pervasive in this country.

  In the Asian culture, fermented, non-GMO soy products (natto, tempeh) have been enjoyed for centuries and people have reaped the health benefits without wreaking havoc in their bodies, unlike the unfermented and processed soy products we consume in this country.

Processed and unfermented products like soy milk, soy cheese, soy burgers, soy ice cream have crept into our kitchens, making us believe that it's all health food.

The health claims that have been touted about soy, seem to have been based on half-truths and meager facts by lumping the fermented soy with unfermented soy; when in reality, we're talking two entirely different foods with entirely different outcomes.

Next time you are grocery shopping, take a look at the ingredient list of dressings, baked goods, imitation foods, diet beverages, fast foods, and meal replacements.  Any place that uses industrial-developed foods like schools, senior citizen centers and larger corporate cafeterias, will undoubtedly contain soy products in their food. 

Do all soy products carry the negative health effects?

No!

As mentioned earlier, soy CAN have great health benefits, as long as the soy is organic AND fermented.  After a long fermentation process, the anti-nutrients that are predominant will be reduced, hence, the beneficial health properties become available to your digestion process.

Fermented soy includes:

Tempeh: fermented soybean cake that is firm and has a nutty, mushroom-like flavor.

Miso:  fermented soybean paste that has a salty, buttery flavor (commonly used in Miso soup)

Natto:  fermented soybean that has a strong, cheese-like flavor

(note: Tofu is not fermented)

Still believe soy is the miracle health food that has been marketed over the years?

Be kind to your health and the health of your family by educating yourself on what you eat - even if everyone around you believes it to be "good".  Dig in and do some research. 

You and your health are certainly worth it!

Sources:

Dr. Mercola

Weston A. Price Foundation

Natural Health Strategies

Dr. Meade



Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

By:  Maria

When the temperatures begin to drop, my instinct is to prepare warm-your-soul soup dishes.  During the week, however, when the schedules tend to be busy, I don't always have time to slave over the stove.  No worries here.  If you don't have a crockpot yet - what are you waiting for?? 

Get. One. Today.

Ingredients: 

4 free range/organic boneless, skinless chicken thighs (breasts will work as well, but thighs are tender)
1/2 c green chile's diced
2-4 cloves garlic
1 onion chopped
coconut oil
2 parsnips cubed
2 turnips cubed
1 sweet potato cubed
1 small bag of baby carrots
4-5 diced tomatoes (or a couple of canned tomatoes - read label for unfavorable ingredients)

2 cans chiptole chile's in adobo sauce, finely chopped (read label)

Juice of 2 limes
2 c organic low-sodium chicken broth
cumin
marjoram
bay leaves
basil
thyme
oregano
pepper
cilantro
avocado

Saute onion and garlic in coconut oil until nicely browned. Place chile's, parsnips, turnips, carrots and onion mixture into crockpot.

Cut up chicken into large bite-size pieces and place into crockpot, on top of veggies.

Combine all seasonings into a small bowl and mix until combined and pour over ingredients in crockpot.

 

Pour tomatoes, chile's, lime juice and broth over all ingredients in crockpot and mix thoroughly.

Cook on high for 4 hours. Adjust seasoning and add more chicken broth if necessary. Top with cubed avocado and serve

Cereal and Yogurt Not A Breakfast of Champions

By: Maria

By now, we’ve all heard the statement “Breakfast is the most important meal” and we would all agree that it is important to make sure that breakfast is healthy…right?  If you are eating a bowl of granola or muesli with skim milk (or 2%, 1%) with some orange juice or even a yogurt with some other brand of cereal, you are most likely not providing your body with the proper fuel to maximize fat loss and lean muscle gains and the reason might surprise you.

The breakfast foods mentioned above are grain and dairy-based carbohydrates that your gut and brain will only treat as sugar. Most of the packaged cereals are grain-based carbohydrates and none are considered sources of quality protein and fat (something our bodies need  for optimal fat loss/lean muscle gain after a night of fasting).  What about the “whole grain” variety, you may ask?  The same applies, since they have been overly processed and require re-fortification of synthetic vitamins and minerals in order to be able to advertise the health claims on their boxes.  Take a look at some of the nutrition labels:  Raisin Bran vs Froot Loops – which do you think has a higher sugar content?  If you said Froot Loops, you chose the wrong cereal. 

If you are in the low-fat/non-fat yogurt group, know that although some may not have “added” sugar, the yogurt is essentially sugar to our body.  Milk sugar is still a carbohydrate food that elicits the same response as if we were consuming sugar, and non-fat yogurts contain no fat to blunt the effects of the sugar response in the body – you are essentially just getting sugar.  If you are going to eat yogurt, pick one that is organic, without the additives, preservatives, thickeners, flavorings and it absolutely should contain its natural milk fat.

Perhaps you prefer oatmeal in the morning.  The best choice in the oatmeal variety would be the one that has the least amount of processing (all oatmeal's go through processing) and the one that requires no re-fortification of vitamins/minerals.  Steel cut oats fall under that category.

Minimizing grain cereal in the mornings will do 2 things:  

Our guts have a difficult time digesting those grains, so you will allow that gut to heal and become healthy, and, if you’re trying to lose weight, you will notice a pleasant side effect in terms of fat loss.

So what’s left for breakfast??

This one is easy if you open your options to more than only the breakfast foods mentioned above.  When I eat breakfast, I know I am fueling my body for not only the day ahead, but also the workout I will be doing.  I want to make sure I get proper fuel that will not only sustain my energy levels, but will not be stored as fat and will not give me an insulin surge.

I look for three things:  1.) a quality protein source, 2.) a vegetable and 3.) a good source of fat.

1.)    This typically involves eggs and prepared any way, but I also have had leftover chicken or beef from dinner.  I also make any of these frequently on the weekends so I have an easy breakfast throughout the week that only needs re-heating.

2.)    I want to make sure I get plenty of servings of vegetables in my day and if I only allow myself to have vegetables at lunch or dinner, I am shortchanging the amount of nutrients I get for my overall health (vegetables contain MORE fiber than cereal with none of the health issues!).  Adding whatever vegetables I have in my fridge (I always stock up on veggies) to my eggs is an easy way.  Or maybe I’ll munch on some roasted broccoli that was leftover from dinner as I prepare my breakfast, or open up the bag of mini carrots.  Easy.

3.)    We have to have fat (healthy source, of course!)!  Fat does not make us fat and our body burns fat more efficiently if we provide it with a healthy source of fat each time we eat!  Olive oil or coconut oil when we are scrambling our eggs or a side of avocado, a handful of nuts or seeds – all good!

Sometimes, feeding our bodies to be fat burning machines requires some work or some preparation, but the pay offs are HUGE! 

I challenge you to take just ONE week and eat something outside of the “breakfast cereal” box.  I’m willing to bet your body will thank you and you might even notice some nice changes.



Grass-fed Beef & Vegetable Lettuce Cups

By:  Maria

If you're like me, you enjoy spending time in the kitchen with your family, creating different recipes that do not require measuring spoons or cups - throwing in fistful's of fresh ingredients or eyeballing amounts are my preferred method.

If you're on the opposite side of the spectrum and hardly step foot in the kitchen, turn it into a family activity and you will do three crucial things: teach your children that cooking can be fun, impart a vanishing yet very important lifelong skill and show them how delicious healthy cooking actually is.

Although I'm not afraid to spend a ridiculous amount of time in the kitchen preparing delicious meals for my family, I love recipes that take minimum effort but produce maximum flavor. This one was easy enough to throw together as-is, but there are many different ways you can change the ingredients to suit your tastes. I used grass-fed ground, but you can use chicken or turkey instead. If you're not a pepper fan, use tomatoes or spinach and basil. You can even throw in some finely chopped tubers (parsnips, rhutabaga, sweet potato).

4 tablespoons coconut oil

½ cup yellow onions, diced

½ cup green onions, chopped

½ cup red bell pepper, diced

½ cup yellow bell pepper, diced

½ cup carrots, shredded

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound grass-fed beef

2 teaspoons chili powder (optional)

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro

Salt and Pepper to taste

Lettuce leaves (such as Bibb), washed and dried

Additional toppings of choice: Avocado, Guacamole, Salsa, etc

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the onions, green onions, bell pepper, and carrots and cook until all are softened, about 2-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional
minute.

While the vegetables are cooking heat another large skillet on medium heat and add one to two tablespoons of oil to coat the bottom of the pan (or, wait until the veggies are done and use the same pan). Dump ground beef into the pan and sprinkle with chili powder (if desired - my young'uns do not like that kind of heat, so I omit). Cook the beef thoroughly and crumble into pieces. Once the beef is cooked, stir in vegetables and sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste (and more chili powder if desired). Remove from heat and stir in parsley or cilantro (we like the flavor of cilantro).
To serve, place the beef vegetable mixture into lettuce cups and serve with toppings of choice. I used avocado or guacamole and some pico de gallo that I have one hand.

Enjoy!