Some of my favorite probiotics

So as I recommend green vegetables to my clients and I eat more of them myself on a daily basis – I find that sometimes I don’t digest them so well. When I can, I try to have them in smoothies. Not everyone can tolerate a green drink. I’m not asking you to take that plunge if you are not ready – but everyone should be able to find some enjoyment from a greens stir fry with ginger and sesame! See my website for a video on how to make them: www.sobelwellness.com/cooking-classesevents.html or www.iholistic.tv. So I’ve been taking acidopholus pearls for a while now. They seem to help. I’ve also discovered a probiotic juice: Ad-Vita brand vegetarian papaya Acidophilus. It tastes wonderful and after a course of anti-biotics, its just a great thing! I have also been taking Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Gel in my smoothies to help restore my intestinal flora to balance and things have been working out quite well. I like la yogurt full fat probiotic formula as well when I can’t get fresh goat yogurt from the union square farmers market or from Weston A. Price delivery.
Probiotics are also wonderful if anyone suffers from candida overgrowth. Symptoms of candida often appear to be those of ADHD – brain fog, tiredness, itchy skin (eczema) and of course the standard women’s issues and jock itch/athlete’s foot. I encourage everyone to take a probiotic as part of a healthy diet and to avoid excess sugars to prevent candida overgrowth.

The future of food

I came across this great website:

http://www.thefutureoffood.com/

There is a revolution happening in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America — a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.

From the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada to the fields of Oaxaca, Mexico, this film gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. The health implications, government policies and push towards globalization are all part of the reason why many people are alarmed by the introduction of genetically altered crops into our food supply.

Shot on location in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, THE FUTURE OF FOOD examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multinational corporations seek to control the world’s food system. The film also explores alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture, placing organic and sustainable agriculture as real solutions to the farm crisis today.

This film does not even begin to address what the consumption of fruit pebbles does to your kids. Note: fruity pebbles are not food. There is nothing natural about them. There is not enough ritalin in the world that will reverse the effect of fruity pebbles in your child if he or she suffers from ADHD. I highly encourage everyone, especially parents to watch this video to learn more about the effects of genetic engineering and of purchasing food that is not locally grown or processed.

Kale Chips

These are much harder to make than one would think, I tried to speed it up by using convection oven – which failed miserably…but they are delicious…give them a try:

Light and crunchy “chips” that are practically guilt free. Found this recipe on radicalhealth.com

by yogi

45 min | 15 min prep | SERVES 8

1	tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2	tablespoons salt (this makes them pretty salty- you may want to reduce the amount, then sprinkle the chips with salt w)
3	tablespoons olive oil
2	bunches kale, rinsed with stems removed

1. Cut kale into 2 to 3 inch pieces.
2. Mix vinegar, oil, and salt in a large bowl then add kale and mix by hand.
3. Try to get all the leaves covered.
4. Place on baking sheets (I like to use parchment paper for easy clean up) and bake at 350 F until they are crispy.
5. After about 20 minutes, if it looks like they are not sizzling a bit or getting a little crispy, turn up the heat to 400°F.
6. Time for baking varies depending on the size of your chips and desired crispness.
7. The outer edges cook quicker than the pieces from near the stem.

oxalic and phytic acid – natural chemicals that need attention

I can’t wait for spring. Oh wait, it is spring. The vernal equinox was this past Friday but somehow even though I have been running for three days in a row – today in booty shorts, I don’t quite feel the wrath of winter is over. Also, I have not yet seen my favorite local greens at the farmers market. In my practice, I instruct on the importance of eatings greens: mustard greens, collard greens and kale. These are wonderful, vitamin rich, nutrient dense foods. Great for me as a runner. My favorite greens – and yours probably too: Spinach, swiss chard and the lesser known beet greens however are high in oxalic acid – a chemical that makes the vegetable selfish – inhibiting the absorption of the very calcium it contains. Yet in moderation and with fat and protein such as tofu/tempeh or for those of you not-sensitive to gluten, seitan, those greens can also be delicious and nutritious. It is troubling to me however that nature does not allow us to absorb the very chemicals we want to in food. It is so interesting to learn that the once all powerful spinach, that made popeye strong just isn’t that great for us nutritionally despite its lovely green color. The kale and the collards are the good stuff.

Another lovely plant chemical that inhibits us from absorbing many vitamins and minerals from foods is phytic acid. Phytic acid coats many nuts and seeds hence the practice of soaking beans, nuts and grains by many raw foodists. This practice of soaking the beans or grains – even my all time favorite grain of quinoa makes a lot of sense and although requires some extra time will benefit the eater in the long run.

So eat your collard and soak your grains! Popeye should have read his nutrition books

powerfoods and super foods

We have all heard these terms, but what are these foods. Almonds, salmon, avocados, maca, berries, acai. Ok, so maca and acai – what the hell are these foods? Maca is a root – native to south america. I’ve heard its on par with the Durian on taste – but they do make it in powder and capsule form which might make it slightly more palatable. It is a potent aphrodisiac and works well for women who need to regulate hormones due to menopause or PCOS. Works very well, I have tried it – femmessence brand. I have acai smoothies daily – buying the fruit pulp in frozen smoothie packets. I eat my share of berries and greens, sometimes even having a green smoothie. Check out this link for more info:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/lf_hl_nutritional_all-stars/0,3100,FOOD_27396,00.html

Help, I’m addicted to sugar – how about some agave nectar to the rescue

For all you sugar addicts out there, there might be some saving grace for your addiction. Try this experiment. Nowadays even starbucks is starting to carry agave nectar, a natural sweetener made from the cactus plant. I am not saying to put the equivalent of 9 splendas in your coffee – but try a little agave the next time you are reaching for sugar and see how it makes you feel. I guarantee you won’t be crashing around 10am or 3pm. Give it a try and let’s see if you can break your addiction. For a free 20 minute session with me to discuss other long term solutions to sugar addiction or to book me for a talk for your organization, please contact me at meredith@sobelwellness.com

The Durian

I write after suffering what I call wrath of the Durian. Three days of food poisioning like symptoms. The apple martini I had last night probably didn’t help things. I don’t know what I was thinking. Perhaps I am allergic to this fruit…or perhaps there is a reason it is banned in several countries. Travel and food writer Richard Sterling says:

“

… its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia. And its taste…something like hot garbage according to Anthony Bourdain and to me it tasted like rotten eggs. I had the grand pleasure of having it in ice cream at this raw restaruant in New York City called Bonobo on east 23rd street. I have to say that I don’t recommend this restaurant. I had some nut pates and salads. The food was bland and uninteresting. It was also extremely expensive for what it was. Maybe the raw food movement is not within my bio-individuality. I did the raw smoothies for a few months and I admire people who can do the raw thing, but it just isn’t for me.

non-intuitive energy for runners

Having just registered for the NYC marathon and struggling to get myself past 5 miles at any one training run, I’ve started to re-examine my own nutrition. As a triathlete I was trained to eat clif bars and suck down gels 1 hour into a race and then every 20 minutes thereafter. This just doesn’t seem to make sense that I would be eating synthetic chemicalized excuses for nutrition when there are real superfoods out there that would maximize my running performance. So I have discovered two new sources of runner’s joy. Greens and quinoa.

After teaching a cooking class last Monday night where I taught a greens stir fry (swiss chard and collard greens) and an orange walnut quinoa dish and waking up the next morning to eggs and the left over greens, I ran eight miles. I first lapped to lower portion of central park – at which point I’d usually just go home…but then I thought I’d just try to make it up cat hill for a challenge. Passing the Met, I thought I’d just cool down with a lap around the reservoir. One lap became two and I did not cool down. I left the reservoir feeling energized and fabulous. A high nearly unmatched.

So a little bit about this quinoa, which I assume most of you are saying – quin-what? Here is something I read on quinoa, written by a friend of mine at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition: quinoa? Hmm…an ancient Incan superfood, right? The Incan empire that stretched for 2500 or more miles…and didn’t the Incan chasquis–the long distance messengers–consume quinoa to improve their agility and endurance? (These are just those little factoids I remember from HS!)

The fact that it grows in the high-altitudes of the Andes kinda makes you think it might be good for improving V02 max.

Quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids necessary for life. It is rich in iron manganese, magnesium, carbohydrates, fats,protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. What more could a runner ask for?!

Pretty cool stuff…and those greens not only contain some of the essential amino acids, they also contain all those lovely essential fatty acids – the omega 3’s that are the new super nutrient. So pretty much if you ate nothing but greens and quinoa you would be nourished with everything you needed to survive and you’d be running marathons. Think about that before unwrapping another clif bar!

Importance of Buying Organic

Something to think about next time you spring for $7 on strawberries. It is important!

Just came across list of most contaminated food products.
Meat: beef, poultry, pork have higher residual levels of pesticides than any plant food. Chemicals accumulate in the animal’s fatty tissue and go straight to the dinner table.
Milk, butter & cheese: Pesticides are concentrated in milk. In addition, growth hormones and antibiotics are also found in NON-organic milk, butter & cheese.
Strawberries, raspberries, cherries. Strawberries receive the most pesticides of any crop grown in America. 36 pesticides are applied to strawberries and 90% of berries have pesticide contamination above levels considered safe. Raspberries and cherries don’t rate much better.
Apples and pears: FDA found 36 chemicals in apples. Half are neurotoxins which cause brain damage.
Tomatoes: tomato’s thin skin allows the more than 30 pesticides used on conventionally grown crops to seep through the entire tomato
Coffee. Pesticides that are so dangerous they’re not allowed to be used in this country are shipped overseas where they’re used on crops and shipped back in our foods. Coffee is one of the worst.
Celery: 94% of celery was found to have dangerous levels of pesticides.
Red/Green bell peppers. Bell peppers, doused with 39 pesticides also have high levels of chemical residues, In addition, peppers are often coated with unhealthy wax.
Grapes: 35 different chemicals sprayed on grapes are shwered on several times during their growth. Found 86% of grapes were contaminated with pesticides. Those from Chile are the worst.
Peaches/Nectarines Pesticides soak deep into the fruit.95% peaches & 97% nectarines tested were contaminated from the 45 pesticides used in conventional orchards.

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