Organic? To Buy or Not to Buy

I just had lunch at "Yeah! Burger," a gourmet burger shop run by one of Atlanta's top chef's, Shaun Doty.  Richard Blais, of actual Top Chef fame, has a similar place, Flip, on the other side of town.  Both of these chefs, renowned for their talent in the kitchen, have given up their fine-dining restaurants to run burger joints, because, I presume, that's where money can be made in the restaurant industry in this economy.  For the record, my cobb salad with "all-natural, free-range" chicken was fantastic as were the hand-cut fries I nipped off my son's plate.  When I go some day for dinner I plan to try to either the "all-natural" turkey or bison burger. To me this restaurant embodied the two trends going on around food right now - wanting to eat high quality food but needing to eat affordable food during a tough economy.

I have been thinking a lot lately about how the positive trend of increased awareness around proper nutrition (and the dangers of our industrial food supply) can co-exist with the other trend on every one's mind - our unstable global economy.  Just as we finally see a willingness in politicians of both parties to tackle the childhood obesity crisis, we also see an uptick in advertising from fast food chains like Pizza Hut promising to feed a family of 4 a nutritionally empty meal (large pizza, a liter of Pepsi and cinnamon sticks) for something like $10, which is no doubt appealing to a struggling family.  The standard argument against higher taxes on sodas and other nutritionally empty foods is that it is a "regressive tax" that will hurt those that can least afford it the most. While most people reading this blog are probably fortunate enough not to have to choose between putting cheap food or no food on the table, some of us probably still ask ourselves how important it is to eat high-priced organic and fresh food during a bad economy.  I won't claim to be an expert on the topic of organic food, but I will share with you what I believe to be the real reason to eat organic food and my list of the foods I believe you should buy organic or not buy at all.

The main reason to buy "USDA certified organic" food is because the growth, production and distribution processes for these foods are inspected and have to meet rigorous standards to get stamped with the organic seal.  No other foods, including those labeled "all-natural" or "hormone free" or "humanely raised" have to meet any standards other than those of the farmer or producer if they are not labeled "certified organic."  Most farmers and food producers are not inspected at all. For the most part, if a brand claims to be "all-natural" or "free-range" it is probably a little better than something that doesn't claim to be that but there is no guarantee. Now, does "organic" always mean healthy? No. Ask any of the overweight people I see at the Whole Foods hot bar piling up their plates with organic mac and cheese, fried chicken and pizza.  If I am craving something like that, I do feel better if I eat it somewhere like Whole Foods rather than out of a frozen box from the supermarket because it is fresher, taste better and free of unnecessary additives, preservatives and fillers.  I believe that organic and natural food is greeted with more kindness and efficiency by our digestive systems and less likely to make us feel crappy, but I think too much organic mac and cheese will make you fat just like too much processed mac and cheese will.

So, if organic foods are raised and produced with higher standards, it makes sense that the foods you would most want to buy organic are those that are otherwise grown and produced under very poor or questionable circumstances.  For this reason, I ALWAYS BUY organic eggs, dairy products and meat.  The animals raised under conventional methods are treated in a detestable fashion (stuffed into spaces they can't move in and given large quantities of food that is not natural to their systems -- remember, cows are herbivores but the ones raised in factory farms are fed grain) and they often become sick because of it and are treated with multiple courses of antibiotics.  Eating meat with antibiotics is now thought to be part of the reason for the recent increase in antibiotic resistant bacterial infections in animals and humans.  Also, industrial farmers trying to get the most meat from their animals for profit reasons often give their animals growth hormones. The amount of growth hormones people consume by eating animal products is thought to be a reason why girls menstruate so much earlier than they used to, as well as a possible reason for the increased likelihood of developing certain types of cancer when one consumes a diet high in red meat.  For these reasons, I always buy organic eggs, meat and dairy.  When dining out, I occasionally eat meat that is not organic or humanely raised (if it doesn't say it is, it's not) and I am not proud of that, but I find it hard to live up to even my own high standards all the time.  The more I learn, the less likely I am to eat things of unknown origin, but it still happens from time to time because I am human, occasionally hormonal and have cravings.

After doing a fair amount of research on organic foods, I have come to the conclusion that it is not necessary to eat organic fruits and vegetables IF you take the time to wash them and peel them. Research has shown that washing produce removes the majority of potentially dangerous microbes found on it.  I buy organic apples because my son will just grab one and eat it with the peel on and I know that the peel is where most of the residue from the pesticides would linger in a conventionally grown apple.  While I think organic bananas taste better than regular (some may dispute that), I would not hesitate to eat a non-organic banana because I would peel it first - same with an orange or an avocado.  I don't eat many raw vegetables, but if you like to eat raw carrots multiple times a week, you should buy organic because of the quantity you are consuming (any risk posed from pesticides certainly adds up if you are eating something frequently).  If you are cooking your vegetables, you are most likely killing off any dangerous microbes anyway.  I typically spend the extra money on organic fruits and vegetables because I think they taste better and I am willing to sacrifice some material things like new shoes or jeans for better tasting food. There is also some evidence that organic fruits and vegetables contain slightly more nutrients (likely because they are grown in richer soil), but if you are on a budget, the difference is not significant enough to worry about in my opinion.

It is also helpful to know about "The Dirty Dozen" and "The Clean Fifteen" a list put together by EWG (the Environmental Working Group) of the most and least contaminated fruit and vegetables.  This shopping guide (also available as an iphone app) is great to have in your wallet so you know what fruits and vegetables to buy organic, or wash extra carefully or not buy at all if you cannot afford to buy organic. Also, if you are pregnant or nursing you might want to be more vigilant about not allowing any chemicals into your body and the easiest way to do this is to buy certified organic if you can afford it.

So, if you are feeling the squeeze financially but still want to eat a healthy diet, the advice is similar for anyone who wants to be healthy and cut their risk of preventable disease - eat less animal products and processed foods and more plant foods, just wash them first!

Just a reminder this holiday season that 37 million people in the United States do not have enough to eat right now.  To help, consider volunteering at your local food bank or giving a holiday donation to an organization like Feeding America. While we can debate the politics and benefits of organics, some families are just trying to figure out how to put food on the table so if you can, help those less fortunate this holiday season.

For more information on how to eat, feel and live better, consider hiring a health coach.  Visit my website for more information on my programs.

Cheers to your health!

5 "Scary" Foods Not To Fear this Halloween (or any other time)

Think of this piece as a companion piece to my September post on Not So healthy Health Foods. Just as there are plenty of foods out there that undeservingly get labeled health foods by misguided (and possibly unprincipled) marketing executives, there are also many foods that for some reason or another get a bum rap as being "bad" or "unhealthy" when really, as long as they are consumed in moderation, are healthy or at least health neutral in my book. The fear of several of these foods is lingering around from the fat-phobic 80s and early 90s, while a few of them are feared for their high carb content as a result of the more recent low carb-craze.  While I see positive signs that people are finally starting to realize that being healthy is more about eating fresh, whole foods from the earth than about counting out fat and carbohydrate grams, there are still some foods I hear people despair about that I think can be a part of a healthy diet as long as you don't overdo it.

1.  Eggs, especially the yolk.  While we all hear of egg white omelets as being the breakfast of choice for celebrities and fitness fanatics, those of us who are more concerned with proper nutrition than our body fat percentage should know that a) most of the nutrients in the egg are located in the yolk and b) an entire egg still only has 70 calories which means you could scramble 2 eggs and eat them on a piece of lightly buttered toast for less calories than you find in most bowls of milk and cereal (and way less sugar).  Because eggs are an animal product they do contain cholesterol; however, few people know (and this is a fact) that eating cholesterol does not actually raise your bad cholesterol levels, but eating saturated fat does.   Eggs contain some saturated fat but not enough to worry about and the nutrients in eggs, including selenium, B12 and Vitamin D (which are necessary nutrients not found in many foods) more than make up for the amount of fat.  Many people (including me) find that starting their day with a couple of eggs instead of cereal helps keep their blood sugar levels stable and cuts cravings for sugar and carbs later in the day.  Given the recent salmonella scare, choose organic eggs from the supermarket or fresh eggs from a local provider you trust.  I think the extra money is worth it regardless because few animals are treated more poorly than the chickens kept in battery cages to produce cheap supermarket eggs. So, choose wisely and eat up!  Veggie omelets and frittatas make great brunch and dinner meals as well.  Once a week my husband and I enjoy a veggie frittata and salad for dinner.  It's a great way to get rid of unused veggies and get your protein too.

2. Butter. Ever notice how packages of butter never tell you they are healthy but packages of margarine always do? Well, the truth is that neither of them are health foods, but my choice: real butter in moderation every time before any type of margarine.  While most margarine no longer contains high amounts of trans fat (warning: due to ridiculous FDA laws in America, food companies can call their product "trans-fat free" if it contains 1 g or less of trans-fat so many still contain trace amounts), it is still a highly processed food made in a factory.  The very thing about margarine that makes in convenient - it's spreadability - is also what makes it suspicious.  To keep the fats from becoming solid at cool temperatures, they undergo chemical processes such as partial hydrogenation, that render them unrecognizable and useless to the body, therefore causing the body to store them purely as fat.  However, butter is a natural product that has been consumed for hundreds of years.  Yes, it is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, but let's not forget that these are things your body actually needs, just in small amounts.  A few teaspoons of butter (about 50 cal) can go a long way for flavoring steamed veggies, and because veggies contain fat soluble vitamins, butter can actually help you absorb the nutrients in the veggies better.  Where people go wrong is cooking something already high in sat fat like a steak in loads of butter and then placing another pat of butter on top and eating it with a baked potato loaded with butter and sour cream. Yes, that's overkill. But a little butter on whole grain toast or broccoli? Go for it!

3. White potatoes. I will never understand how white potatoes got lumped in with white foods like white bread, flour and sugar in the low carb craze, but they did and have been sworn off by many well meaning people as a result.  First a personal anecdote: I have never been thinner in my adult life than when I lived off white potatoes for dinner every night.  I was so broke in NYC for a time that I literally ate a microwaved baked potato (with light sour cream and fake butter - GROSS) and steamed broccoli every night for dinner.  I also ate plain bagels at breakfast during that time but I just didn't eat very much in  general so I was Mrs. Poor Quality Control for sure. Now for the more scientific explanation of why they are not evil: white potatoes come from the earth.  They contain loads of vitamins and minerals (especially in the skin) and are low in calories as long as you don't load up on the toppings.  A medium size baked potato has 130 calories.  Yes, they have a higher "glycemic load" than most vegetables but that doesn't make them bad for you as long as you are not living off french fries or "scattered, smothered and covered" hash browns at the Waffle House.  So, find a medium size potato, brush the skin with olive oil, sea salt and pepper, bake it at 400 for about an hour, add a touch of real butter or sour cream and experience heaven for about 250 calories.  Eat this with a small piece of salmon and some steamed veggies and you have a perfectly balanced meal.  Another delicious treat that's healthier than it sounds: oven-baked french fries.  Use a  mandolin to slice the potatoes (keep the skin on), toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed garlic and roast on a large baking sheet at 400.  Be sure to spread the "fries" out so they crisp and brown on all sides.

4. White Rice.  As I mentioned in my Not So Healthy Health Foods post, many nutrition experts are now coming forward and claiming white rice to be healthier than whole wheat bread.  Why? It's less processed.  It's just brown rice with the outer shell removed but it's still a fairly in tact whole grain, unlike the pulverized flour used to make breads.  This doesn't mean you need to have your turkey sandwich on white rice patties, rather that you shouldn't fear one and consider the other a health food.  While brown rice is better for you, white rice just works better for some dishes and you should feel free to cook with it in moderation.  Stick to 1/2-3/4 cup per person.  The trick is to measure out the dry rice before you cook it and know that 1/4 cup dry=1/2 cup cooked.  Top it with lean protein and/or veggies and for a balanced meal.  In England, they serve chili over white rice, which is not something I have had here but is really delicious.  A bean and grain combo makes for an excellent vegetarian meal choice as a grain+ a bean forms a complete protein.

5. Nuts.  While I think most people of my generation and younger understand that nuts are good for you, there are still a lot of older people (yes, I'm talking to you mom) avoiding them for fear of the fat content. Nuts are high in good fat and full of minerals.  They are high in protein and low in carbohydrates.  I can't find it at the moment, but a few weeks ago I read a study in which they gave two different groups of people about 1500 extra calories a day for a few weeks but one group got it all in candy and the other all in peanuts. The peanut group gained very little or no weight, while the candy group gained what you would expect. The candy group had an increase in insulin levels but no increase in metabolism, while the peanut group had an increase in resting metabolism and no increase in blood sugar levels. The point of the study was to prove that a calorie is not just a calorie and, it's just one study, but it did. The problem with nuts is that most store-bought nuts are overly salted and people eat them in too large of portions.  A proper portion of nuts is 1/4 cup (about a handful).  If you can't handle the unsalted variety, do what I do: buy one bag salted and one bag unsalted and throw them all into a big ziploc and shake it. The less salt on them, the less addictive they are and you may find you can actually stick to the portion size. Of course some nuts are healthier than others, but any can be used as a garnish on a salad, stir-fry or oatmeal without guilt. Personally, if I'm going to take in the fat and calories found in a 1/4 cup of nuts (about 170 cal, 16 g fat), I prefer it to be from the most nutrient dense nuts like walnuts (highest in omega 3s - brain food!) and almonds (highest in calcium and fiber).

One caveat about the above: when I am discussing a food that is high in animal fat like butter, keep in mind that if you are overweight or have a history of heart disease in your family, this is still a food that should only figure into your diet on special occasions.  Likewise, a food with a higher carbohydrate content like white rice is still a food someone who is overweight or has high insulin levels may want to be wary of.  However, if you are healthy and do not need to lose a lot of weight, enjoy these foods in moderation without guilt.

For more information on how to eat a balanced diet and other health concerns, consider hiring a health coach.  Visit my website www.inhabithealth.com for more information on my programs.

Quality and Quantity: Why Both Matter

When I talk to people who are unhappy with their weight or their energy level (or both), they tend to be either sacrificing quantity control or sacrificing quality control.  Once of these will lead to being overweight; one will lead to being low on energy and generally unhealthy. In order to both feel and look good, we must pay attention to both the quality of the foods we eat and the quantity of food we eat. Let me offer you an example of each problem:

Ms. Poor Quality Control:  
Breakfast: Venti skim latte, a chocolate-peanut flavored Slim-fast snack bar eaten in the car
Snack: Another venti skim latte
Lunch: One slice of pizza and a diet coke
Afternoon snack: pretzels or chips from the vending machine at work
Dinner: 2 glasses of wine, a Lean Cuisine pasta entree and a Skinny Cow ice cream bar

Total Calories: About 1500
This calorie count is on the lower end for a woman but would be healthy for a smaller, only moderately active woman so this person is exerting good quantity control. She only had one piece of pizza and one real snack and her portions of everything were reasonable.
Nutrient Value:  ????????????  I hate to say it but the antioxidants in the wine might make alcohol the healthiest thing this person had all day. This woman would probably look very thin and wear a size 2 or 4, but she could still be at high risk for certain health issues like hypoglycemia, insomnia or chronic fatigue, infertility and even cancer because of the poor quality of her diet. She would also likely not feel very good and may appear tired and pale from the lack of nutrition or jittery from all the caffeine.

Ms. Poor Quantity Control:
Breakfast: Large bowl of all-natural granola with organic soy milk and a banana
Snack: half a 12 oz bag of roasted almonds (3/4 cup)
Lunch: Baked brie and roasted veggie sandwich on crusty 9-grain bread from a gourmet vegetarian sandwich shop; Greek Yogurt, honey and blueberry parfait from the same shop
Snack: Lara Bar
Dinner: 1 glass of red wine, 8 oz piece of salmon, 2 heaping helpings of brown rice, spinach salad with a a generous splash of a bottled "all natural" balsamic vinaigrette and 6 squares of dark chocolate

Total Calories: Almost 3000
Although this person ate only healthy foods, she consumed way too many calories for anyone not training for a marathon. Granola is very calorically dense and is better as a garnish on yogurt than eaten as a cereal. A serving size of almonds is 1/4 cup; she had 3 x that. Sandwich shops tend to use thick cuts of bread and overdo the cheese. An appropriate serving size of brown rice is about 1/2 to 3/4 cup and 5-6 oz of salmon should be enough. A Lara Bar is a high calorie snack if it is eaten between large meals and one or two squares of dark chocolate is a great sweet treat, but she overdid it. Bottled salad dressings are very high in calories and she probably used more than the average serving size of 2 Tbsp.
Nutrient Value: Very high.  She has ample servings of fruit, veggies and whole grains as well as excellent protein sources and a good amount of healthy fat. This could in fact be an ideal diet if she trimmed about 1000 calories from it.  This person has excellent quality control but poor quantity control.  This woman would likely be quite healthy by medical testing standards and have very low risk factors for disease yet still be on the heavy side and unhappy with her appearance.

The comparison: If these women were the same height, the woman with the poor quality diet would be significantly thinner because she takes in considerably less calories; however she would likely have much less energy than the woman with the quantity control issue.  She would also be likely to have pale or sallow skin and more cellulite, both of which can be caused by eating a diet high in processed foods and low in nutrients. The thin woman could actually have higher total cholesterol because she eats bad fat but no good fat, and she could also have unstable blood sugar levels because too many of her calories come from nutritionally empty foods that are high in sugar and low in fiber.

The Compromise: So ideally, in order to maintain a healthy weight and healthy energy levels and to have that healthy glow, we need to control the quality and quantity of what goes into our body. The ideal diet would actually be a calorie-controlled version of the second diet.  Something like this:

Breakfast: Greek Yogurt with 1/4 cup granola and a 1/2 cup of blueberries

Snack: 1/4 cup of roasted or raw almonds

Lunch: Open-face veggie sandwich on one piece of whole grain bread with one slice of cheese, an apple

Snack: Lara Bar 

Dinner: 1 glass of red wine, 5 oz piece of salmon, 1 scoop of brown rice, 2 cups steamed spinach with fresh lemon juice and 1-2 squares of dark chocolate

Calories: Approximately 1800-2000
Nutrient Value: Very high

Some people still do better when they allow themselves to eat what they want (within reason) but control the portions and some people do better when they cut out certain poor quality foods but still allow themselves generous portions.  However, if you let either your quantity or quality get out of control, you will sacrifice either your waistline or your health. A good rule of thumb: when eating a poor quality food, eat a very small quantity of it; when eating a high quality food, allow yourself more of it but still don't exceed a reasonable portion size.

To find out more about how to add high quality foods to your diet or what an appropriate portion size of every food is, consider signing up for one of my health and nutrition coaching programs. You can find out more on my website www.inhabithealth.com.

Not so healthy "Health Foods"

A post like this has been writing itself in my brain for some time now, but reading Marion Nestle's fantastic book, "What to Eat" has finally spurred me to get it in writing.  Since I started studying nutrition in depth, it  has become quite a challenge not to say "you know that isn't really that good for you" every time a friend or family member eats one of the following foods, or even worse claims to have eaten a "very healthy breakfast" that consists of 2 or more of these foods at the same meal.  So rather than insulting your choices while you are trying to enjoy them (because there is nothing more annoying - except perhaps when you order something at a restaurant and a shockingly large portion arrives and everyone says "Whoa!!!" Hungry???" as if you knew they were going to serve 3 meals worth of pasta), I am going to list my top 5 unhealthy "health foods" here.  In my opinion, the following foods get WAY more attention and credit as health foods than they deserve. It doesn't mean these foods have have no nutritional value, just that for some reason (i.e. good marketing) these foods have the guise of health when, in fact, they present as many or more problems than they solve, especially for anyone trying to lose weight or increase energy.

1) Whole Wheat Bread (especially commercially prepared and sold): I hate to tell all of you who feel smug when you order your sub on whole wheat every day at lunch, but the effect it has on your blood sugar is only marginally better than that of white bread. It is better for you than white bread because it contains more fiber and protein and is therefore more nutrient-dense, but it is still a processed product made from flour, and when grains are pulverized into flour, they form a starch that is quickly converted into sugar in your bloodstream.   You don't need to stop eating whole wheat bread, but if your daily diet (like many Americans) is whole wheat toast or bagel for breakfast, a sandwich on whole wheat at lunch, whole wheat crackers and cheese for snack, etc. you are stalk consuming too much flour (and gluten) and therefore introducing too much sugar into your bloodstream. My guess is that you also feel hungry and lightheaded within 2-3 hours after these meals from the sugar crash. You might feel better than you would if you had all that on white bread, but you would be amazed at how much more energy you would have if you switched to steel cut oats for breakfast, ate a salad with lean protein at lunch and snacked on raw veggies with guacamole.

2) "Whole Grain," "High Fiber" and Other "Healthy" boxed cereals: These are the pet peeve of nutrition coaches like myself who stress the importance of eating whole, fresh foods.  Processed cereals come in big boxes and are made by big companies like Kellog's who use all that box space to make myriad and highly suspicious health claims about their products. As Michael Pollan says, if your food tells you it's healthy, it probably isn't (your kale isn't bragging about its iron content is it?). When cereal is made in a factory, they can add all the stuff to it they want... and they do - including not just fiber, anti-oxidants, omega-3s or whatever the new buzz word is, but also sugar, sugar and more sugar.  Considering most people eat about twice the portion size listed on a box of cereal, they are often taking in between 4 (the least offensive ones) and 40 (!!!) grams of sugar just at breakfast (not to mention the huge glass of OJ and our next food), which often leads to a day-long pursuit of chasing the sugar high you had at 8 am.  Did you know that Special K, All Bran and Corn Flakes all contain high fructose corn syrup? Gross. See this chart for more information. Even Kashi products, which are better than most, have on average 6 g of sugar per serving and like I said, most people eat more than a serving. Try steel-cut oats or eggs and a piece of whole grain toast (preferably made by a local bakery) instead.

3) Flavored Yogurt: "What to Eat" has a great chapter about yogurt called "Yogurt: Health Food or Dessert." Here is the gist: People don't drink as much milk as they used to so dairy producers have had to find other ways to sell the heck out of cow's milk, and they have thanks to Dannon, Yoplait and other makers of this concoction of sweetened, cultured cow's milk presented in all manner and sizes of cartons, tubes (Go-gurt - gross!) and bottles.  In all truth, unless you are eating PLAIN yogurt (preferably the thicker, higher protein Greek yogurts), you are eating the equivalent of ice cream under the guise of a health food. Yes, there are great tasting nonfat yogurts, but you'd be hard-pressed to find any supermarket variety with less than 14 grams of sugar, whereas many have as much as 17 to 22 g of sugar.  Considering 4 g = 1 tsp of sugar, that's scary!  And before you yell, "but it comes from fruit," look closely, most fruit flavored varieties are sweetened with fruit juice concentrates or unnatural sweeteners.

Think of how many well-meaning people eat or feed their kids breakfasts like yogurt, cereal and a banana -- a meal containing as much as 50 g of sugar before 9 am (and that's not including the sugar you put in your coffee or in your kid's juice). If you still crave yogurt, get plain low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt, add a tsp of honey and throw some almonds and berries on top for a much healthier breakfast (with natural forms of probiotics, omega-3 fats and anti-oxidants) or eat it for dessert because that's what most commercially sold yogurt is.  If you use flavored yogurt to satisfy sweet cravings thinking it's better than ice cream or cake, you'd be better off with a few squares of dark chocolate.

4) Energy Bars and Protein Bars: Sure they give you energy -- from sugar! With the exception of Lara Bars, which on average contain less than 5 ingredients (all of which are natural), I cannot really recommend any power bars, energy bars or whatever you might call them (i.e. lunch on the go).  Most also contain loads of preservatives and artificial ingredients, and even the "organic" ones just contain too many ingredients period. You wouldn't believe how many clever names sugar can fall under in an organic energy bar.  Unless you are biking with Lance Armstrong, you really have no business inhaling 20 g of sugar and 17 grams of protein in 5 bites anyway.  If you are consuming these for jolts of energy on a really long workout, that's one thing, but as a snack during the work day, they are a very poor choice as you are just filling your body with more sugar, processed forms of protein and other crap than it needs.  Have an apple and some almonds instead.

5) Pretzels: A holdover from the "fat-free"craze of the 80s and early 90s, pretzels still have a rep as healthy snacks.  This is very puzzling to me because pretzels are the exact nutritional equivalent of white bread with salt on it.  Does anyone think that's healthy?  Sure, some fancy ones are made with whole wheat flour but for some reason when big food companies make something with whole wheat instead of white flour, they often assume people won't like the healthier taste and add more sugar, salt or even high fructose corn syrup to make up the difference so if you are shopping for a healthier version, read the labels very carefully. I'm not saying kids shouldn't eat pretzels (most are active enough to burn off the sugar that quickly rushes into their bloodstream) but please, for the love of mother nature, stop calling them "really healthy snacks." They are made of flour, salt and sugar: the American healthcare crisis trifecta!  A really healthy snack: an apple with natural almond butter, raw veggies with hummus or a generous handful of walnuts.

Thanks for letting me wax non-poetically on my soapbox. It felt good! I am taking clients now so to find out more about private or group nutrition coaching, visit www.inhabithealth.com.

Recipes: Legume Time!

Beans have been called "nature's perfect food" by many a nutrition expert because they are high in complex carbohydrates, protein and fiber and low in fat.  Because they are a plant protein, they are naturally cholesterol free (unlike animal protein sources), and a great main course option for vegetarians.  They are also high in iron and folic acid, two essential nutrients than can be hard to come by in the Standard American Diet or, as I like to call it, SAD.  And, in tough economic times, I must add that they are CHEAP.  I really can't think of any other food that can fill you up and deliver proper nutrition for so little money.


Of course what makes beans so filling is the high fiber content and that is also what can make beans a nemesis for some sensitive digestive systems.  As for that little "issue" some people have with beans, there are a few ways to work around this: 1) eat smaller portions and introduce them slowly to the system; 2) add digestion-easing spices and condiments to bean dishes; 3) cook your own beans from scratch so that you can ensure longer soaking and cooking times, both of which will make them more digestible.


Here are a couple ideas for adding legumes to your daily diet as well as two recipes for excellent bean dishes that work well as a side dish or main dish.
Add beans to your salad or substitute beans for the meat.  Here are a few of my favorite "salad hold the lettuce" combos:
1) Chick peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow peppers (think about veggies that go well with hummus), sunflower seeds, a sprinkle of good grated parmesan cheese.
2) Black beans, yellow peppers, avocado, grape tomatoes, grilled chicken (optional).
3) Edamame, shrimp, steamed asparagus and/or broccoli, cherry tomatoes.
Tip: throw all the ingredients into a tupperware container. Drizzle the juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1tsp apple cider vinegar and 2 tsp of olive or flax oil onto the contents.  Cover and shake. Add a little pepper and sea salt if you wish. Eat out of container if you are on the go or dump into a nicer dish if eating at home. This "shaking" method allows you to cover all of the contents with about half the amount of dressing you might normally use.


Recipe: Curried Lentils:  I have been obsessed with these ever since my brother-in-law made them for me almost two years ago. My husband started making them and I have finally mastered it on my own. This recipe serves 2-4 depending on whether you are eating it as a main or side dish. One of my favorite meals is pan roasted salmon or seared tuna over sauteed spinach and curried lentils.


Lentils don't have to be soaked but I still recommend it to cut down on cooking time.  Soak 1 cup of green or brown lentils for about an hour.  Drain and set aside. Sautee chopped onion and minced garlic in olive oil over medium heat (always put onions on a few minutes before garlic).  Add a healthy amount of cumin and/or curry powder (just cumin is also fine). Add a bay leaf or two (optional).  Add the lentils.  Add 2-3 cups water or vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until the lentils are tender, which can take 10-20 minutes depending on soak time.


This is a great dish because cumin and bay leaf are digestion-promoting spices and should ease the digestion of the lentils.  According to cooks.com you can also just throw all this in a pot and simmer for 40 minutes but I haven't tried it that way.


Recipe: Chickpea Croquettes
I had absolutely nothing to do with the conception of this recipe so I cannot take any credit, but they are to-die-for. This recipe from the gorgeous vegetarian recipes blog Fresh 365 is adapted from Vegetarian Times.  I am pasting it for ease, but I recommend visiting the site because the blogger is also a photographer and just looking at this site will make you crave vegetables.

Chickpea Croquettes
1 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c hot water
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t salt
15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 habanero or jalapeno, minced (optional)
3 garlic cloves , minced
2 T chopped cilantro leaves
3 T olive oil
In a large bowl, add flour, water, lemon juice, cumin and salt. Stir until well combined. Add in chickpeas, scallions, pepper, habanero, garlic and cilantro. Stir well.
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil, over medium heat. With your hands, form the chickpea mixture into 8 patties, about 1/2“ thick (the patties may be quite wet, but will stay together when cooked). Place 4 patties in the pan, and cook 4-5 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. With a spatula, flip patties, and cook 4-5 minutes on the other side, until that side begins to brown. Transfer to a plate, or cook for an additional minute on each side, until desired doneness. Repeat with the remaining 4 patties. Serve with sour cream, salsa, or chopped avocado.

These are terrific as a main dish served with a chopped romaine or spinach salad.  Try making your salad dressing with lemon juice, herbs, a touch of olive oil, garlic and non-fat Greek yogurt for a really healthy meal option.  
I hope you enjoy these ideas for adding beans to your daily diet. By the way, I am now officially certified as a Holistic Health Coach so please visit my website if you are interested in private nutrition and health coaching by phone or in-person.  As always, thanks for reading!

Be Prepared!

Preparation is to healthy living what location is to real estate: EVERYTHING!  With a little prep, you can avoid these common health-sabatoging behaviors:

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?

* You are working a 40 + hour week and can't find the energy to cook (much less exercise) after a long day so you just grab something quick like a bottle of red wine, a box of crackers and a hunk of cheese and head to the couch to unwind.  A few hours later you notice that the box and the bottle are empty and you just consumed 8 servings of cheese, all while watching mindless reality television.

* You are so busy during the day that you call a Lara Bar eaten on the way to the gym "lunch." When you get home from the gym you are so hungry you throw a frozen (organic, natch) burrito in the microwave and call that "dinner." But around 9 pm you realize you are starving (because the body needs more than 600 calories in a day) and the next thing you know you've devoured a pint of Ben & Jerry's and all the frozen girl scout cookies.

* You are a busy stay at home mom who finds herself eating her kids's snacks and leftovers and whatever else isn't nailed down once the kids are in bed because as far as you are concerned, when you only have a little free time, why would you spend it cooking?  Then again, you are not happy about still carrying around your "baby" weight now that your kids are 5 and 7...

Well the good news is that by shopping smart and devoting just a few hours on Sunday afternoon to prepping, you can overcome common health-sabatoging behaviors such as eating junk on the run, not eating enough during the day and compensating at night; and grazing all day on snack foods instead of enjoying fresh, healthy meals.  All you have to do is learn to be prepared. If a 9 year old boy scout can do it, so can you!

Shopping:  Go in with a game plan for your evening meals.  Say you decide you want fish two nights, red meat one night and something vegetarian two nights. Make sure you buy fish that is fresh enough to last up to 3 days. If you like seafood or meat on your salads at lunch, buy 3-4 oz  extra of each and save it each night for your salad the next day. Buy vegetables that make sense with each meal (perhaps you want heavier, starchier veggies with the fish but just greens with the meat) and buy a few different grains (make sure you know if you need to soak them ahead of time as this can be done before you leave for work) so you can mix it up a little each night. I find whole wheat pasta and cous cous, quinoa, farro, and brown rice are all good things to have in the pantry for either a veggie meal (the grain salads on this blog or reserve lasagna are great options!) or to add a little fiber and heft to an otherwise light meal.

Also, don't be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to what you eat at which meal. Most of us think of eggs as being for breakfast and lunch involving a salad or sandwich but there is no reason why you can't have grilled salmon and veggies at lunch and a veggie omelette for dinner.  Perhaps you have more free time in the mornings than at night - make breakfast your healthiest and largest meal (perhaps an omelet, whole-grain toast and a green salad) and then have a quick-to-fix bowl of  yogurt, nuts and fruit at night when you are exhausted.

Stock your kitchen with all or most of the following:  cheap white wine (for cooking), vegetable or chicken broth, garlic, olive oil, mustard, honey, light soy sauce, ginger (fresh, ground or paste), lemons, fresh or dried herbs and worcestershire sauce.  When you get home, google each of your ingredients with one or more of your spices or condiments and find simple recipes that sound good and print them ahead of time.  You can never go wrong with a lemon-herb roasted chicken or salmon marinated in soy sauce and ginger.  If you know you are roasting your fish or veggies, turn on the oven the minute you walk in so you don't have to stand around (and munch on nuts or cheese) waiting for it to heat once your prep is complete.

Buy tons of fresh and preferably seasonal fruit and veggies so that you can never make the excuse that you had nothing healthy in the house to eat so you had to eat a bag of pita chips.

Sunday Prep for the week : Wash all veggies and fruit so they are ready to be eaten.  Rinse the blueberries, cut melon into chunks, take the tops of strawberries, etc. so that fruit is just as easy to grab as a cookie for a snack. Chop up veggies that you like with stir-frys, on salads or in omelets; go ahead and lightly steam ones that need to be cooked if you don't like raw veggies.  You  basically want to have the makings of a salad and omelet bar in your fridge.  Empty and rinse a can of black beans or chick peas and put them in tupperware so they can be quickly added to a salad to make it more filling.  Wash and rinse your lettuces and store them in large ziploc bags or just leave them in the salad spinner and refrigerate.


If you can control yourself around nuts (buying unsalted ones really helps), have a jar of nuts - preferably unsalted roasted or raw almonds and/or raw walnuts - in the pantry so you can grab a handful of these instead of junk if you get hungry between meals. Although cashews are my favorite, I don't buy them because I am incapable of sticking to a handful, but this is not problem for me with walnuts.  Even generally healthy foods can trip up some people when they are trying to eat well so be conscious of which foods are good for you to have in the house in the first place. It's easier to exercise control once a week at the grocery store than it is every second you are home.

For those of you tempted by soda or sugary drinks, have a healthy drink option other than water in the fridge - something like a cranberry spritzer (made with pure cranberry, sparkling water and fresh lime) or a pitcher of healthy lemonade (water, fresh lemons, a touch of agave or honey and fresh mint) so that when you are thirsty but tired of water, you will drink that instead of drinking a sugary soda or toxic diet beverage.

Pack your purse (or man bag) with healthy snacks: raw almonds, an apple, a Lara Bar, etc. Have something in your purse that you can grab on the go if you know you will be running around a lot that day.  Finding yourself starving and near a fast-food drive through is the shortest road to health sabotage.

As far as prepping when you go out, most restaurants have their menus online so if friends ask where you want to eat, study menus online and choose restaurants that offer healthy options like grilled fish and veggies or a whole wheat pasta (sans cream sauce).

Prepping is key for me. I love food and I do not claim to be the kind of person that can say "no thanks" to sweets when they are put in front of me.  But with a little forethought and a little prep, I find it's fairly  easy to stay on track and make healthy eating a habit.

I am taking clients now so please visit my website to learn more about my programs if you want private coaching on inhabiting health for life!

Pre or Post Vacation De-tox

I don't know if it's the wine at the play-dates (it's 97 degrees here...surely I read somewhere that white wine is a cure for heat stroke?), the entertaining kick we've been on, the birthday celebrations or simply swelling from the aforementioned ridiculous heat, but I have put on a few pounds this summer.  Given that I don't think a double chin would be especially encouraging in my marketing photos and that we are headed to the UK for a beach holiday in mid-August, I have decided to detox for a few weeks in hopes of getting back to my normal weight before we leave.  I am a big believer in nipping things in the bud when it comes to weight gain so whenever I feel the clothes getting a little tight, I try to lose the 3-5 lbs before it becomes 10-15.  If you don't think you could gain 10 lbs in two weeks in the UK, you haven't had a sandwich there.  They have never met a condiment they don't like - a grilled chicken sandwich comes with (seriously!) butter, mayonnaise and cheese - and it's considered gauche (i.e. American) to ask for anything special at a restaurant.  Anyway ... it's best I lose it now before I hit the pubs on the Cornwall coast. Because if there is a cure for jet leg and traveling with a toddler, it's a nice cold pint!

Many of you are probably traveling this summer and may need guidance on how to drop those post-vacation pounds, so I thought I would share with you what works best for me; but you may have a plan that works much better for you.  I have a big appetite and am fairly active so it's easier for me to change what I eat than to simply eat less. Also, since this is a pre-vacation "flush" (can you tell I hate the word diet?), I am not completely restricting alcohol or sweets like I might after a vacation when I have really over-indulged.

Whenever I need to lose weight or just that general "bloat" feeling that comes after a hedonistic spell, I cut out pretty much all carbohydrates except vegetables and fruit for at least a few days -- but no more than 2 weeks at which point this can become unhealthy especially if you are active.

Let me be clear: There are many many carbohydrates I consider to be very healthy (like steel-cut oats, quinoa, brown rice, etc.) that are an integral part of my normal diet, but to drop weight quickly, I find it behooves me to cut the non fruit and veg carbs as much as possible for 2-5 days.  If I find myself low on energy, I will add beans to a salad or have a sweet potato with my protein and veggies at dinner.

I also cut dairy -- not only does it bloat me and mess with my digestion, but it also adds a lot of fat (or sugar in yogurt) and calories without much fiber so you don't get much bang for your buck so to speak.

I limit sugar other than fruit, except I will allow myself 1-2 squares of very dark chocolate (70% cocoa) after a healthy dinner because the slight sweetness signals to me that I am done eating and satisfies me without adding too much sugar.

I also tend to eat more lean protein than usual. Animal protein is not only very filling but it can have a diuretic effect and I find the flat stomach that happens just a day or so after eating this way motivates me to carry on until the goal is achieved.  On my detox, I enjoy 2 eggs a day and up to 10 oz of lean, organic protein although I do not normally eat this much protein.

For those things I need to feel content (and functional) - ample healthy fat in the diet, small amounts of coffee and red wine - I just keep to a sensible minimum.  So enough olive oil and salt to cook with and season my food with, one cup of coffee, and a small glass of wine in the evenings.  You might be laughing at me for drinking on a "detox" but as many moms I know agree - once you have been pregnant and nursed a child, it seems insane to restrict alcohol completely just to cut a few calories! However, if it's really hard for you to have just one, best to avoid completely while on any health kick.

Here is a typical day on my detox:

Breakfast: Hot water with lemon, 1 cup of coffee and 2 free-range eggs scrambled with a cup or more of veggies sauteed in 1 tsp of olive oil. I often add fresh tomatoes once it's cooked.
Snack: Smoothie made with a fresh peach and frozen berries, water, a scoop of a good protein powder and 1/2-1 tbsp of flax oil (which adds healthy fat and helps regulates insulin so I don't feel hungry or crave carbs).  Using some frozen fruit gives it an ice-cream like quality which satisfies my craving for anything creamy.
Lunch:  5 oz salmon over a salad of arugula, beets and orange slices or "salad hold the lettuce" from this blog.  Dressing is a simple olive oil and lemon juice vinaigrette.
Snack: A large apple or a plate of fresh sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with a little olive oil and sea salt; spritzer of sparkling water, pure cranberry juice and fresh lime.
Dinner: Small glass of red wine, roasted chicken breast and a load of veggies!
Treat: 1-2 squares of extra dark chocolate

If I really needed to truly detox, I would cut the wine and the coffee and I have done this in the past, but this is more of "lose a few lbs and reset" plan.  I will do this for 2 weeks, but the weekends will be a little looser to accommodate social plans because who wants to be the person ordering steamed fish with no sauce at a restaurant?  Once I feel my clothes loosening, I will add the missed foods back in progressing from least to most offensive to my waistline, i.e. beans, nuts and seeds, then quinoa or brown rice then maybe some greek yogurt and sweeter fruits until eventually I am eating a wider array of foods but still sticking to my usual healthy diet which tends to be lots of organic fruits, veggies and fish; some organic animal protein; plenty of nuts, seeds and beans; some whole grains, a glass of red wine most nights (often more on weekends) and the occasional slice of cheese or sweet treat.

Everybody is different though.  If you find it easy to eat less food, but you still want satisfying tastes like peanut butter, I can recommend this detox from Gwyneth Paltrow's blog (I used to find it annoying but it's actually gotten much better and has some good tips on it). This is pretty restrictive though and should only be done if you truly need to lose weight or are "forced" to walk a red carpet once a week.

Just to reiterate: My plan is a weight-loss "detox" meant to be done for a short period of time. I hope I don't hear from any of you size-2s that you are loving the plan and close to your dream of being a zero. This is also not for anyone who is pregnant or nursing. Although I'll admit to watching my figure and wanting to look decent in a swimsuit like the next girl, Inhabit Health is foremost about being healthy, not skinny! And healthy can mean a size 10 for some, a size 2 for others.  So, use this or something similar as needed but be sensible and know when enough is enough.  If you really need to lose weight and need support doing it, I am taking clients now and you can visit my website for more information on my programs.

Cheers to your Health!

Recipe: Reverse Lasagna

Lasagna has always been one of my favorite foods.  What's not to like? Traditional lasagna involves layers of pasta, meat and cheese (often several different types of meat and cheese).  Then there are the "veggie" lasagnas from places like Whole Foods that replace the missing meat with several times the normal amount of cheese and sinfully scrumptious things like pine nut pesto or béchamel sauce.  Delicious no doubt, but hardly a food that belongs on a healthy eating plan, much less a weight loss regime. Well, thanks to an inspiration from my friend Sarah, a bonafide gourmet home chef, I have come up with a tasty but healthy lasagna recipe.  I call it "reverse lasagna" because it has a fraction of the pasta and cheese and about 5 x the vegetables of a traditional lasagna. You may recognize the reverse concept from past posts of mine.  In my Breakfast of Champions post I talked about my favorite healthy breakfast which is basically a reverse omelet (2 eggs scrambled and topped with a cup of sauteed veggies and a sprinkle of parm cheese) and in this post I talked about losing weight by reversing your plate and eating veggies as a main dish and meat or pasta as a side dish.  This lasagna recipe is a great way to embrace that tip in a main course.

Reverse Lasagna
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Boil between 6 and 10 whole wheat lasagna noodles (I use the drum semolina noodles Bionature) depending on the size of your baking dish and the number of people you are serving. You need enough to make two single layers of noodles.  Rinse with cold water.
Slice an eggplant thin and lay the slices on a paper towel. Douse both sides with salt. Once they have sweated for about 20 min (this takes the bitterness out), transfer to a baking sheet covered with foil and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Toss chopped zucchini and tomatoes (cherry, grape or roma) with olive oil, pepper, sea salt and any Italian herbs you have on hand.  Stick in the oven.  After about 15-20 min, stick the eggplant on a lower rack.
Begin preparing your rich tomato sauce or any tomato sauce you like (you can just heat a can of diced tomatoes with Italian herbs in a pinch).
Once the tomato sauce is done and the roasted veggies look about 90% done (lightly brown and crispy), brush a baking dish with olive oil and line with one layer of noodles. It doesn't matter if there is some empty space.  Top with roasted veggies.  Top veggies with a light layer of crumbled goat cheese.  Top with another layer of noodles.  Top 2nd layer with eggplant and sauce.  If you have any noodles left, break into pieces and put on top (do not completely cover).  Sprinkle grated or shredded parmesan cheese on top. Cover with tinfoil and put it in the oven for 10 minutes. Uncover and heat for another 5 minutes or until cheese looks crispy.  Cool and serve.

You can of course add lean ground turkey or beef to your sauce or substitute the eggplant with spinach or add any other veggies you like to the roasting pan.  You could also use just parmesan or sub mozzarella for the goat cheese.  The point is to get maximum flavor from a minimum amount of fat and carbohydrates compared to normal lasagna. My husband LOVES this dish and although he does not eat meat, he is a big eater.  We usually eat this by itself in a generous portion with just a glass of red wine on the side.  This is a great way to get your veggies and feel a little decadent at the same time.

Enjoy!

There Are No "Bad" Foods...As Long As You Define "Food" correctly!

Food is not bad for you.  In moderation, absolutely no actual whole food is likely to make you fat, sick, or tired (unless you're allergic to it of course).  However, when I peak into people's grocery carts, I am left to believe that most Americans have no clue what "food" is.  Hint # 1: if it comes from a plant, it might be food.  If it was made in a plant, it probably isn't. Hint # 2 - if it says it's food, it probably isn't. If it doesn't say anything, it probably is.  If you are confused, it's not entirely your fault. A lot of money goes into making it hard for you to define food. Example: Today at the pool, I walked by the concession stand and saw a bag that said "Swedish Fish: A Fat Free Food."  But last week when I was at the farmers market, nothing in the produce section claimed to be anything other than what it was: an organic carrot, a gala apple, a navel orange.  In case you aren't clear, Swedish fish are edible fish-shaped rubbery things; they are not by any means "food."

But wait! The cereal I saw in aisle #5 said it was "cholesterol free" so it must be healthier for me than the raw almonds I saw in that weird unmarked bin that required me to pull a lever and get my own bag, right? Actually, you can thank the food company that made the cereal for insulting your intelligence because only animal products contain cholesterol so neither cereal nor almonds contain cholesterol, but only the major food manufacturer profited from telling you that (because "no cholesterol" sounded better than "processed, fortified and laden with sugar to mask the lack of any natural nutrients or flavor").  Next thing you know, they will be selling you "gluten-free" string cheese and "diary-free" rice cakes (if they don't already).  For another blogger's take on the lies food manufacturers tell, check out this excellent post by Fooducate.

The question I get most often from people is "Is _____ bad for me?" As long as the word in the blank is an actual food, my answer is one of the following: "Not in moderation" or "Only if it is a 'trigger food' for you."  We all have those foods that we can't eat in moderation - for some it's nuts, for others it's cheese or dark chocolate -- and my advice is this: if you are trying to lose weight, it makes sense to completely avoid those foods that trigger you to overeat.  This doesn't mean it's a bad food, it just might be a bad food for you.

I also like to draw a distinction between "weight-loss foods" and "maintenance foods," meaning that if you are trying to lose weight, some foods that may not be "bad" in my book still do not belong on a sensible weight-loss plan.  Some of these include fresh French baguettes, huge baked potatoes, nice hunks of brie, fruit smoothies, dark beers, etc. These are all foods you can eat in moderation if you are maintaining a healthy weight, but if you are trying to drop weight, stick with foods that are higher in nutrients and lower in sugar, calories and saturated fat.

When deciding if a food is bad or not, it's also helpful to ask yourself "Is it worth it?"For example, I do not consider there to be anything bad about a gorgeous blackberry cobbler made with seasonal fruit, natural sugar and real butter.  Do I think you can eat half the pie and not feel and look the worse for it? No, but do I think you should have a piece if your neighbor brings you one fresh out of the oven? Absolutely.  Even if you are on a diet? Maybe, if you are willing to make a concession the following day or two. It just might be worth it.  However, I would not say the same about that box of Oreos at a kid's birthday party. Even if edible food-like substances like Swedish fish or Twinkies appeal to you, there is no reason to justify inflicting them on your poor digestive track which is not designed to deal with them even if your modern mind thinks it's a good idea. There is not enough good to outweigh the bad. Not enough pleasure (beyond 3 seconds) to mask the potential pain non-food inflicts on your health over the long-term. To put it simply, our bodies have not evolved to handle the junk most of us are putting into it. If they had, we wouldn't have a serious obesity crisis on our hands.

Finally, when asked if certain foods are bad, I like to reference my "when in Rome" eating philosophy.  It goes like this: if you routinely order takeout from a pizza chain, you are compromising your health because it's full of preservatives and unnatural flavors and fillers as most fast food is.  But if you go on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Naples and you don't sample the world's most famous pizza, you are a CRAZY person.  So even if it's full of fat and high in calories, if it's something you might get to eat once in your life and it's famously good - eat it! But if it's something you can get at any convenience store or any town with a strip mall, skip it.

To sum up:  if you do need to lose weight, think about your history with that food and whether it's worth it before deciding if it's a "bad" food. If you don't need to lose weight, just eat actual food that comes from the earth in reasonable sized portions, and you can't go wrong.  For more clarification on what's food and what isn't, check out "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan or "Feeding the Whole Family: Cooking With Whole Foods" by Cynthia Lair.

Recipe: Veggies 4 Ways

I keep telling you all to eat more veggies, but I haven't given you many ideas for preparing them.  I'm hoping this post will solve that.  My husband actually taught me how to prepare veggies in appetizing and satisfying ways.  The key is to eat multiple vegetables together, chop them in similar sized pieces to ensure proper cooking and to NOT overcook them.  Some of us who grew up in the South have no idea what a green bean actually tastes like when not cooked to a pulp and flavored with bacon fat. Some may not know that squash can be eaten in non-casserole form, that broccoli doesn't come topped with Velveta or that sweet potatoes actually taste just fine without marshmallows!  My parents are actually great cooks, but I wasn't paying much attention when I was still living at home (dinner was just that thing between homework and talking on the phone for 3 hours) so I am not referring to them, but anyone who grew up south of the Mason-Dixon line knows what I am talking about, and I find that even most restaurants overcook veggies. In addition to overcooked veggies, another pet peeve of mine is when the media insinuates that healthy food doesn't taste good. I beg to differ. When prepared correctly, few things taste better than a fresh vegetable eaten in season. The slight sweetness of roasted carrots and parsnips, the delightful crunch of roasted brussels sprouts, the earthy flavor of a beet ... I could go on.  For a list of what's seasonal in your area right now, check out this great resource on one of my favorite sites www.sustainable.org.

Here are a few ideas for filling up on vegetables (all of these options make a great meal with a nice piece of wild salmon, grilled grass-fed steak or an herb-roasted free-range chicken breast...OR eat them as your meal and treat yourself to a little something sweet afterwards). I recommend skipping additional carbohydrates if you are eating the starchier vegetables like potatoes or corn.

Grilled: This is a great summer treat.  Chop carrots, zucchini, red and/or yellow peppers and onions (sweet Vidalia onions taste best) into similar size pieces (although carrots must be smaller to ensure they cook through) and break a few cobs of sweet corn in halves or thirds. Toss in a large Ziploc bag and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and worcestershire sauce. Zip and shake until all are lightly coated. Marinate for 1-6 hours. Before or after you throw them on the grill, add salt and pepper to taste.  This works better when you use larger sized pieces (think long flat slices of zucchini - about 5 per vegetable - and about 6-8 vertical slices per pepper and onion).

Braised:  Chop fingerling potatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts and parsnips into similar size pieces. In a large pot, bring several cups of water to a boil and then add some vegetable broth paste (we like "Better than Bouillon") to create a rich broth. Throw the potatoes and carrots in first. Cook until you can just about poke with a fork (they should be about 50% done), add the sprouts and cook a few more minutes (everything should be about 75% done at this point), then add the parsnips. Throw in some white wine for more flavor.  The alcohol will cook off but the flavor will remain.  Let everything boil in the broth for a minute or so more. Make sure things do not overcook. Take out when it seems everything is about 90% cooked (tender but NOT mushy).  Drain and set aside.  Put your oil of choice in a wok, wait until the oil is smoking and throw all the vegetables in. If you are a wok master like my husband, you can shake and toss, but I usually just move them around a lot with a wooden spoon. They should brown and crisp off.  Add sesame seeds if you wish. Remove from the heat. Flavor with balsamic vinegar or take any sauce you like on your meat or fish - like a nice grainy mustard sauce - and throw it over the protein and vegetables.

Steamed and buttered: Steam carrots, broccoli or brussels sprouts and asparagus (you can do it together but put carrots in first, then add broccoli or sprouts, then asparagus for the last few minutes). Set aside.  Boil fresh or frozen peas until tender.  Drain peas.  In the now empty pot the peas were boiled in, place all the veggies and add one Tbsp of good butter and 1 oz of grated parmesan cheese per person and stir until the veggies are lightly coated. Flavor with salt and pepper and serve.  FYI - the vitamins found in most vegetables (A, D, E & K) are fat-soluble, meaning you will absorb more of the nutrients if you eat them with a little fat, so this is why you see me recommending veggies with moderate amounts of butter and olive oil. 

Roasted: Preheat oven to 400. Chop veggies (carrots, white or sweet potatoes, parsnips, zucchini, squash, sprouts, onions, Roma tomatoes and broccoli all work well) into similar sized pieces, making sure the ones that take the longest to cook are either cut into smaller pieces or go in the oven first.  Toss with olive oil, fresh or dried herbs (rosemary and thyme are particularly nice) and salt and pepper.  Place in a large roasting pan and roast at 400 degrees until everything is crispy.

Enjoy! And as always let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!

Follow Your Own Health Code

Gluten-Free! Meat-Free! Dairy-Free! Vegan!

These code words are all over the place, inducing panic into omnivores everywhere.  Before you freak out and rid your diet of everything except the plate, do a little self-inventory and figure out if you really need to buy into any of this (of course - BUY into it is exactly what the food marketers want you to do).  Like the people who have stopped spending during the recession even though their income hasn't changed a bit (therefore making the economy worse), you could actually compromise your health by cutting out supposedly "bad" foods that actually aren't bad for YOU (even if they are bad for someone else).

If there is anything the disastrous fat-free craze taught us, it's that most people do not replace the new "bad" thing with fruits and vegetables, they replace it with a different good-but-turns-out-to-be-worse thing like margarine or refined sugars.  I could generate hundreds of blog posts on the dangers of refined carbohydrates and sugar but I think most people get it. If not, here is a quick resource.

Here is one example of why you should question those code words: If you are not a vegetarian or vegan, vegetarian or vegan options are not necessarily a healthier choice for you.  In fact, soy-based products are now under fire as much as hormone-laden animal products for causing various health issues. Like most subjects in nutrition, the jury is still out on soy, but in various studies it has been linked to thyroid disease, infertility and breast cancer (this is because soy is loaded with plant compounds that mimic estrogen and therefore can disrupt the endocrine system). For more information on possible dangers of soy, check out The Whole Soy Story by Kayla Daniel.  If you don't want to read that much, just follow this simple advice: eat natural forms of soy (edamame, tempeh, natto, organic soy milk) in moderation, avoid processed soy "meats" and genetically modified soy as much as possible. A lot of vegan products also replace the eggs and butter with loads of vegetable oil -- unless you are allergic to eggs or a vegan, this is probably not the better choice. For more information on the dangers of processed vegetable oils, read this. In short, unless you are allergic to the natural food (or have a moral opposition to consuming it), the natural food always trumps the processed replacement.

As for diary, far more of the population is probably lactose intolerant than we realize (an estimated 30-50% among Caucasians and nearly 100% among African-American and Asians) BUT if you are not sensitive to dairy, you might not want to replace it with soy or leave it out of your diet completely, especially if it is your key source of calcium.  The best way to figure out if you are sensitive to diary is to eliminate it for a few weeks and see if you feel better. Many people notice a decrease in congestion and digestive issues, but you might not.  Because so many people have decreased their dairy consumption and replaced it with soy, soy is becoming a common allergen as well so rather than just replacing your dairy with soy versions, try to get your calcium from leafy green vegetables instead. Your body actually absorbs the calcium from those better than it does from milk or cheese!

As for the gluten-free craze, I definitely think this country is wheat obsessed and that most people could benefit from eating less of it, but rather than jumping on the bandwagon and buying more processed products like gluten-free pasta or bread, just try to cut out the processed foods in your diet overall and eat more fruits and vegetables. About 1 in 133 of the population has Celiac's disease (more may be wheat-sensitive but this is different) so before you cut out gluten and go crazy on crackers made with who-knows-what flour and fillers, either get tested if you are really concerned or just replace the gluten-containing products in your diet with more unprocessed foods like veggies and beans and nuts. This is a win-win diet change.

Now you may feel like all I've done here is induce panic about different foods, but my point is that nutrition is a young and fledgling science and that if we pay attention to history, we see that a lot of what we have been told is healthy is not, especially if it is made by industry and not by nature. I have said this before but when in doubt, follow the Michael Pollan rule of "If it comes from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't."

And, as always, take everything you read (including this blog) and hear with a grain of salt ... unless you think that's bad for you too. ;-)

No "Skinny Bitch" here!

I'll admit it: every time I post a blog about what to eat or not eat, a little voice inside my head says "Who are you to post nutrition tips, you are not skinny!" Of course I know I am not overweight either, but my body bears little resemblance to the size-0 fat-free types you see on TV and in magazines offering diet and fitness tips. Luckily for me (and I hope for you the reader) the louder voice in my subconscious says "You are healthy and you feel good and you have knowledge to share." That voice always wins the day because I really think that what I am learning at IIN can change lives.

I truly believe that WE ARE WHAT WE EAT and I don't mean this in a "moment on the lips, lifetime on the hips" way.  I believe (and research supports this to a degree although the field is still young) that food is the most powerful drug on the planet and is capable of both contributing to or preventing cancer, balancing or destroying moods, causing or curing disorders ranging from depression to autism to ADHD, making us more or less fertile, increasing or easing the symptoms of diseases like arthritis, fibromyalgia and diabetes; adding or subtracting years from our lives, making our skin glow or wrinkle, completely sapping us of energy or totally invigorating us. Yep, I think food can do all that.  If you don't believe me, check out works by renowned wellness expert, Dr. Mark Hyman, an M.D. who has not prescribed a drug in 12 years because he believes food is the answer to most health problems.

So while wanting to be thin may have been my starting point on this journey to better health, it has opened the door to a complex and exciting world of possibility and intrigue.  Can the right foods cure mental illness? Can a food allergy cause autism? Can you slow the aging process by eating the right nutrients? Some people think so. I am still learning, but this is what keeps me going.  Not fitting into skinny jeans or seeing the right number on the scale. Not anymore at least.

Interestingly, when I ate right for my weight, it always felt like an effort or even a battle at times. Now that I eat right for my health, it comes naturally. When you know the right choice might not just shrink your waist but extend your life, it's a lot easier to reach for the veggies instead of the fries. Once you eat to live better and learn to love the foods that love you back, you actually will end up looking and feeling better than you ever have.

If some of you are thinking "what's the difference?" because you think thin=healthy, think about the book "Skinny Bitch" which immediately became a best-seller due to the title and the fact that Victoria Beckham and other toothpick celebrities were photographed carrying it around like it was a bible (although it was actually a full-length diatribe by two former models on eating animal products).  I found it disturbing that so many women seemed drawn to this idea of being "skinny" and therefore better than other women. That being said, I did think it was a great title because if you stopped eating everything the authors tell you not to eat, you probably will be bitchy b/c it's hard to be nice when you are starving!

While I can't prove this, something tells me that the real skinny bitches out there probably aren't that healthy mentally or physically.  In fact, studies have shown that people who are overweight can even be healthier than thin people. When you aren't eating much at all, it's just as hard to get the nutrients you need as it is when you are living off junk.  For more information on how both overeating and under-eating can affect your moods and destroy your health see books by Julia Ross like "The Mood Cure" or Geneen Roth like "Women, Food and God." 

In short, my point is that if you are only watching what you eat because of a desire to be celebrity-skinny, you have a slim chance (pun intended) of seeing the real benefits of a healthy diet, which are more powerful and far-reaching than anything you can find out from a scale.

Recipes: Sweet and Savory Grain Salads

Here are two simple and tasty recipes that work with a variety of whole grains: The first is typically made with orzo pasta, but I have found it works just as well with a healthier grain like farro, barley or wheatberries.  If you read my post about multi-tasking whole grains, you know that all of these grains contain considerably more fiber and protein than a refined carbohydrate masking as a grain like orzo pasta. Of course this salad would also work with whole wheat orzo, but I encourage you to try it with barley or farro, both of which contain more protein and have a nuttier, more satisfying flavor than orzo. Another option is to cook some orzo and an additional cup of a new grain and mix the two. I do this sometimes with whole wheat orzo and wheatberries. They taste great together. You can play a lot with this recipe and still get great results.


Servings should be based on 1/4 cup grain per person.  I typically work with 1 cup and this makes enough for my husband and I to eat it as a main course and have some left over for lunch. The recipe below is for 2 cups of grain so it makes about 8 servings.


This is adapted from "Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, and Green Onions" by Giada De Laurentiis featured in Bon Appétit, April 2006 (and shared with me by my friend Lauren Scott who is known for always showing up with a meal for a friend in need -- thanks girl, I'll miss you when you move!)


2 cups of grain to 6 cups of water or vegetable/chicken broth (some grains should be soaked up to 6 hours ahead of time, be sure to read instructions before cooking)
12 oz of diced chicken, shrimp, tuna and/OR chick peas if you prefer a vegetarian dish
2 cups red and yellow teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
I typically add some of whatever veggies are around; frozen or fresh peas work really well as do broccoli florets, spinach and artichokes
Remember to halve everything if you are just making this for 4 or less people!
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For the second salad, a sweeter salad better eaten as a side dish, cook the desired amount of grain in boiling water (1 to 3 ratio of grain to water).  This salad works well with the grains above or finer grains like quinoa and millet, whereas the first salad needs a denser grain.
Drain and cool grains then add olive oil, white wine or champagne vinegar and lemon juice to taste.  Start with no more than a Tbsp of each and then add according to your taste and texture buds. Add a generous amount of sweetened dried cranberries or currants (and/or dried apricots) and slivered almonds.  If you want something slightly more savory, add chopped scallions as well.  Simple but delicious!

First, Add the Good

"But I love my junk!" People keep saying this to me as if it's the last line in their personal health story. Well, even a love of junk food doesn't have to stop you from improving your health. After all, if junk food alone really killed people, the average life-span of most Americans would be like 7, right? In my opinion, the main problem with eating empty calories is that they replace the nutrient-dense foods our bodies so desperately need. There are overweight people actually suffering from malnutrition for this reason. In fact, some experts even theorize that modern "epidemics" like anxiety, depression, poor sleep and stress are results of chronic malnutrition because of the prevalence of empty calories in the American diet.  When you consume so much junk, you have no room left on your plate or in your stomach for the foods that actually contain the essential vitamins and minerals you need for good physical and mental health.

At IIN we have a theory called "crowding out." The idea is that rather than trying to reset your health by avoiding the bad foods you love, you first incorporate good foods you need -- like water and greens. It's simple: make yourself drink 8 oz of water upon waking and see if you still need both cups of coffee.  Have a large serving of spinach or another colorful vegetable with your steak and fries.  Eat the vegetables on your plate first and you might notice that not all the fries disappear or that now 4 oz of steak seems like plenty.  Even if you still clean the plate, you have done something positive for your health by making it more colorful.  Interestingly, a lot of people do lose weight fairly quickly when they practice crowding out despite the main rule being to "eat more of something." Most of us have a set range of calories our body can consume in a day and if you fill up on healthy, fiber-rich veggies and fruit and drink lots of water you just won't have as much room for the junk, even if you allow yourself to sample it.

Basic psychology explains why crowding out works better than a strict diet that forbids certain foods. Like the bad boy in high school, foods become so much more appealing when we are told they are off limits. A friend told me that on her first few weeks of South Beach when fruit was not allowed, all she could think about was fruit despite not eating enough of it before going on the diet. We all know this syndrome, apparently it even affects the maybe-human Gwyneth Paltrow who says just the word diet makes her want to eat more. It makes sense.  So, if you want to do something positive for your health, first ADD the good stuff.  You might just notice you subtract the bad without even missing it.

Is Atkins Just Misunderstood?

If this heart attack waiting to happen is your idea of a perfect Atkins Diet meal, you are not only very confused but should steer clear of this popular diet. As part of my IIN studies, I recently listened to a lecture by a VP at Atkins Nutritionals, and was surprised to discover that in the mind of the people who work for the company, the Atkins diet is nothing like the bacon, egg and cheese fest we all imagine it to be. While many people in my program remain very skeptical of this diet and any potential benefits, I believe that done correctly and for a short period of time, it could be beneficial to someone who really needs to lose weight.
The key benefit of a low carbohydrate diet in layman's terms is that when you eat tons of high-carb, high-sugar foods, your body is so busy trying to burn off the excess energy created by the rise in glucose in your blood (which triggers your body to release insulin) that it has no time to do its real job, which is burn fat. When you eat lots of bread and cookies and boxed cereals, your body is like an office employee that is so buried in meaningless paperwork that she can't actually do her real job. In addition, any energy produced by the rise in your blood sugar that cannot be used by the cells quickly will be stored as fat.  So unless you are training with Lance, you cannot have a lot of bread and pasta in your diet without putting on excess weight.  I don't have the time or space to delve into too much detail, but here are a few important points from The Heimowitz lecture (more info on the Atkins website):
1) Atkins, especially the strict "induction" phase, is not for athletes or people who only need to lose a few pounds.  The diet is intended for people who have developed insulin resistance from overeating sugar and carbs, not housewives or gym rats who want to lose 5 lbs!
2) The diet has four phases and you add more carbs (starting with the healthiest) in each one.
3) The ideal Atkins meal would be something like 4-8 ounces of grass-fed beef or wild salmon and a few cups of greens sauteed in olive oil or butter along with a green salad topped with raw veggies, a little cheese, avocado and olives (or my personal "breakfast of champions" from the last post) NOT a fatty 16 oz steak covered in butter and smothered with cheese with nothing green in sight.

As a health coach would I encourage someone to go on Atkins?  Probably not, although I think a modified version that discouraged some of the unhealthier fats but allowed starchier vegetables, fruit, beans and unprocessed grains in very small portions then increased these slowly could be very beneficial for breaking the carb/sugar craving cycle and losing weight. There is no doubt that a diet high in healthy carbs - vegetables, fruit and legumes - and low in refined carbs, along with moderate intake of protein (preferably lean and wild or "pastured") and healthy fat (think olive oil, nuts and seeds) is a very healthy diet. This is the way I strive to eat all the time but sometimes life gets in the way (especially on the weekends!).

As a final note, if you decide to start any diet, read about it thoroughly before embarking on it. Just as one size does not fit all, one diet does not fit all either!

Breakfast of Champions

I believe we each have a breakfast that works best for our individual metabolism, and I am willing to bet that a box of Wheaties (or any other processed cereal) is not it for most people.  I credit about 80% of my weight loss this past Fall to changing what I eat for breakfast. The change from a big bowl of Kashi Go Lean cereal with soy milk and fruit to scrambled eggs and sauteed veggies (my personal breakfast of champions) started out as a part of The Fat Flush Plan I was on but has continued to be a part of my life since the weight loss.  I no longer eat it every morning but I always eat it to "reset" after a big weekend or just anytime I feel those carb cravings creeping back in. Even though Kashi cereal with soy milk and fruit sounds healthy, I was eating too large of a portion (have you ever poured the actual portion size of a boxed cereal into a bowl? It looks like a toddler's snack cup!) and it was too much sugar along with the sweetened soy milk and fruit for my metabolism. I thought I was a carb addict and had to eat every 3 hours or else be a threat to everyone around me, but it turned out I was just eating the wrong breakfast! A large plate of sauteed veggies and two scrambled eggs, while less calories, actually keeps me full considerably longer.  I don't have a drop in blood sugar a few hours later because it has a low glycemic load compared to the cereal, and I can last a good 5 hours until lunch after this breakfast without getting shaky or irritable. However, this doesn't mean this is your breakfast of champions.
Here's an experiment: try a different breakfast each day next week and record how you feel afterwards and your level of hunger a few hours later. Make note of any digestive issues or headache or mood changes as well. This could alert you to a latent food allergy or sensitivity.  If you normally have coffee, continue to do so. This is a guide; you don't have to follow this exactly but the point is to alter the relative amounts and types of carbs, proteins and fats each day:

Day 1: 1 cup boxed high-fiber cereal with milk (regular or soy) and a banana (carb/light protein/fruit)
Day 2: Two eggs (fried, poached or scrambled) and wheat toast with 1-2 tsp butter (protein/healthy carb/fat)
Day 3: 1 cup berries, 6 oz of Greek Yogurt and 1/4 cup walnuts or almonds OR smoothie with cup berries, Greek yogurt and 1 T flax oil (fruit/dairy protein/healthy fat)
Day 4: 2 scrambled eggs with 1 cup chopped veggies sauteed in 2tsp olive oil (protein/veggies/healthy fat) and sprinkle of parmesan cheese if desired (protein/veggies/fat)
Day 5: Ezekial English muffin with 1 T almond butter (healthy carb/fat)
Day 6: 1 cup steel cut oats (1/2 cup dry)  (McCann's now makes a great 5 min version) with fruit and 1/4 cup walnuts or slivered almonds  (unrefined carbs/fruit/fat)
Day 7: 1 large bakery scone or blueberry muffin (carbohydrate/sugar/unhealthy fat)

Pay special attention to the difference between healthy and unhealthy carbs and the difference when you do or don't eat dairy. I find that less carbs and sugar at breakfast means less carbs and sugar all day for me. You may do better on something else, just make sure you do what's right for you! If you find one that works well, play around with it (add or subtract fruit or nuts or dairy, etc.) until it feels like your breakfast of champions!