The popular idea today is that omega-3 fats such as fish and flax oils are antidotes for depression. The truth is that there are many healthy, natural fats that work this way. Fats such as organic butter from grass-fed animals, unrefined coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil help stabilize blood sugar while they enhance mental function and improve mood.
Fats are vitally important for neurological function and mood. The low-fat diet craze of recent years has done no favors for our brains or our emotional well-being. Like organic animal protein, fats provide substance and sustenance to deal with daily stress and emotional trauma.
One way to appreciate the vital role that fats play in neurological health is to consider the ketogenic diet, a medical dietary therapy that is sometimes used in hospitals for people with neurological disorders. The diet calls for 80% of calories to come from high-quality fats, such as organic butter, ghee, unrefined coconut oils, extra virgin olive oil, and fish oils. Such quality fats help to protect both the myelin lining of the central nervous system and also the brain, which is mostly fat and cholesterol.
The high-fat ketogenic diet is used especially for children and the elderly. It is a quick remedy for nervous system disorders that may stem from reactions to vaccines. It can also be used for neurological issues such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s Disease. Some scientists believe that a high-fat diet can actually help repair the myelin lining around the nerves that are affected by a variety of chronic neurological diseases.
More evidence for the role of fats in mental health comes from the most recent, Winter 2008 issue of Wise Traditions, published by the Weston Price Foundation. In The Pursuit of Happiness: How Nutrient-dense Animal Fats Promote Mental and Emotional Health, Chris Masterjohn states, “Modern science has now elucidated the role of nutrient-dense animal fats in preventing mental illness and supporting the focused, goal-oriented behavior needed to confront challenges and pursue a happy, satisfying, and successful life.” Source: Health Counselor, Carol Kenney www.pathways4health.com.
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Save Your Brain
The three-pound organ in your head is very special. So if you want to feel happy, alert and focused, start being sensitive to its needs.
1. Ditch the high fructose corn syrup and sugars, transfats, processed and packaged foods (which contain up to 3,500 food additives and chemicals).
2.Choose organic foods and grass-fed animal products to avoid hormones, antibiotics and the gallon of neurotoxic pesticides each of us consume every year.
3. Filter your water.
4. Wear a helmet when doing sports that put your head at risk.
5. Eat foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids.
6. Stop eating food out of boxes and cans.
7. Eat fresh food for each meal.
Read: Mark Hyman, M.D., author of "The Ultramind Solution."
1. Ditch the high fructose corn syrup and sugars, transfats, processed and packaged foods (which contain up to 3,500 food additives and chemicals).
2.Choose organic foods and grass-fed animal products to avoid hormones, antibiotics and the gallon of neurotoxic pesticides each of us consume every year.
3. Filter your water.
4. Wear a helmet when doing sports that put your head at risk.
5. Eat foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids.
6. Stop eating food out of boxes and cans.
7. Eat fresh food for each meal.
Read: Mark Hyman, M.D., author of "The Ultramind Solution."
Monday, December 29, 2008
Breakfast on the go...Recipe
Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Cups
It's often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That's because skipping your morning meal can lead to a dip in blood sugar that may cause cravings for unhealthy, refined foods. This cycle can lead to overeating and, thus, may impede your weight-loss efforts. Instead, start your day with this nutritious, mouthwatering meal. Not only will it keep you satisfied and stabilize your blood sugar, research shows that a morning meal can improve energy as well as work and school performance. This tasty recipe will be sure to get you going in the morning.
Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Cups
Description
These egg "muffins" make a hearty breakfast that can be eaten on the run. Make them ahead and warm them for a fast breakfast treat.
Makes 6 cups
Ingredients
4 ounces turkey sausage or crumbled turkey bacon
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
5 large eggs
1 can (12 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded, reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 6-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray, or line with paper baking cups.
In a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, pepper, and onion for 5 minutes or until the sausage is no longer pink. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and cool slightly. Stir in the eggs and mushrooms. Evenly divide the mixture among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the egg is set.
Recipe reprinted with permission from The South Beach Diet Cookbook.
Source: www.southbeachdiet.com
It's often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That's because skipping your morning meal can lead to a dip in blood sugar that may cause cravings for unhealthy, refined foods. This cycle can lead to overeating and, thus, may impede your weight-loss efforts. Instead, start your day with this nutritious, mouthwatering meal. Not only will it keep you satisfied and stabilize your blood sugar, research shows that a morning meal can improve energy as well as work and school performance. This tasty recipe will be sure to get you going in the morning.
Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Cups
Description
These egg "muffins" make a hearty breakfast that can be eaten on the run. Make them ahead and warm them for a fast breakfast treat.
Makes 6 cups
Ingredients
4 ounces turkey sausage or crumbled turkey bacon
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
5 large eggs
1 can (12 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded, reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 6-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray, or line with paper baking cups.
In a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, pepper, and onion for 5 minutes or until the sausage is no longer pink. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and cool slightly. Stir in the eggs and mushrooms. Evenly divide the mixture among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the egg is set.
Recipe reprinted with permission from The South Beach Diet Cookbook.
Source: www.southbeachdiet.com
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Ideas for Good Health in the New Year with Carol Kenney
Ideas for Good Health in the New Year….See which might resonate with you…by Carol Kenney, respected nutritional coach, www.pathways4health.com.
Strategies to Work With the Natural Energy Rhythms of the Body.
Make time to eat a good breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day. A hearty breakfast following the 40/30/30 concept of 40% complex carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat can help to boost metabolism, stabilize blood sugar, and provide sustained energy for the brain. Studies confirm that people who eat breakfast have the least problem keeping a healthy weight.
Try to eat your main protein-based meal at noon, when digestive fire is at its peak. Avoid eating three hours before you retire at night. Digestive fire dwindles in the evening as the body naturally cools down to welcome sleep.
Allow for enough sleep. We all vary both in how much and when we sleep best around the 24-hour cycle of a day. Some people are Owls and love working into the late-night hours, while others are Larks and thrive on waking up early and retiring early. Whatever your pleasure, recall that a lack of sleep can throw off body chemistry, foster inflammation, and contribute to weight gain. Adequate sleep restores the immune system and is one of the best ways to ward off illness. Check in with yourself. “Enough” sleep varies with the individual, one’s type of work, and level of stress. One useful gauge: If you are craving caffeine and sweets to keep going throughout the day and often come down with colds, you are probably not getting enough sleep.
Try some regular aerobic exercise in the fresh air and sunshine (Yes, sunshine is good for your health!). Among its many benefits, aerobic exercise helps prevent inflammation. A 30-minute walk three times a week may be sufficient. If possible, try to exercise early in the day when the lungs are at their peak energy. If you exercise to lose or maintain weight, choose something you like since studies show that exercise that is not enjoyed creates stress and can be counterproductive, even exacerbating weight gain.
Strategies When Choosing Foods.
Try to buy local, fresh, whole foods…organic when possible. Think variety…rainbow colors, some raw and some cooked, some fermented. Foods are a system, uniquely balanced with nutrients and fiber for assimilation and nourishment. Our body converts foods into energy in a way that defies the explanations of science and the microscope.
Read food labels. Read for trans fats, for genetically modified (GMO) foods, and for the pseudonyms for sugar and artificial additives such as “evaporated cane juice” and MSG. Recent scientific studies suggest ties between GMOs and allergies, immune problems, and infertility; and between MSG (prevalent in processed, packaged, and fast foods) depression and childhood obesity.
Consume healthy fats and oils. Saturated fats such as organic butter from grass-fed animals and organic unrefined coconut oil are top choices for cooking, and quality cod liver oil4 and fish oil are good sources of omega-3 fats. Saturated fats are necessary for cell membranes, which are 50% saturated fat. Omega-3s are important for neurological function. Avoid trans fats, which are found in many processed and fast foods; they confuse the body and can foster chronic disease.
Let the way Nature packages food be a guide. Sugar is a classic example. To make one cup of refined white sugar requires 17 feet of sugar cane!!! In refining, we miss the cane’s natural fiber and micronutrients. How much sugar would we eat if we had to ingest it in this form? Or, how many walnuts might we consume if, instead of pouring from a package, we had to take the time to crack each one?
Think prevention of disease, not suppression of symptoms. Develop strategies to curb inflammation, the root of all chronic disease. From evolution and genetic selection, we as a people are prone to inflammation. The inflammatory response supported our survival before the discovery of modern antibiotics. While good strategies to try to curb our inflammatory nature are tied to lifestyle (getting enough sleep, moderate exercise, laughter, fresh air, sunshine and connection with others), they are also tied to diet. This means limiting sugar, refined flour, clear denatured vegetable oils, and meats from grain-fed animals. It also means bringing into good balance the consumption of omega-6 and omega-3 fats...
Try to limit processed and fast foods, and avoid cooking with clear vegetable oils. This can be a huge step toward creating in your diet a healthy 2:1 balance of omega-6:-3 oils. Omega-6 oils are inflammatory. They are hidden in processed, packaged, and fast foods, which is a major reason the typical American ratio is 20:1, rather than 2:1. The sensible way to bring the “-6:-3 ratio” into better balance and benefit from the omega-3s that you do consume is to limit your intake of omega-6 fats. Since omega-3s and -6s compete for the same digestive enzymes, consuming large amounts of omega-6s through processed and fast foods can negate the potential anti-inflammatory benefits of omega-3 oils, because omega-6s “crowd out” omega-3s.
To preserve the delicate brain, consume good fats and oils while you also try to avoid excitotoxins in foods and the excessive use of mobile phones. The protective lymph system does not extend its strong protective web to the head. Nature in Her design anticipated neither our modern technology nor additives in processed foods.
Eat foods attuned to the season and the season of your life. Tropical fruits, and summer foods like tomatoes, cucumbers, and salad greens are cooling and well-suited to warm climates. But in winter, hearty soups and meals built around warming chicken, turkey, and lamb, leeks, onions, parsnips, and winter squashes can preserve internal heat and support the body’s natural energy without undue strain and overwork. Rotating foods with the seasons supports this energy and can also help prevent allergies. In the later decades of life, foods and quantities that worked in earlier years may no longer. Our body gives such wonderful feedback. We need only to pay attention…
Be “bad” sometimes. It reminds us why it is generally best to be “good.” An 80/20 or 90/10 goal is good enough: if we aim for 80%-90% of our choices in the “healthy” zone (food, sleep, or whatever) we enjoy some “wiggle room.” Then, we just pay attention to how we feel. In all realms, our body will give us feedback. And, as Annemarie Colbin taught me, there is no need to feel guilty when we make a “bad” choice. After all, we have already paid the price by how we feel. In the meantime, what we have gained is valuable information. Happy eating and good health to you in 2009.
Strategies to Work With the Natural Energy Rhythms of the Body.
Make time to eat a good breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day. A hearty breakfast following the 40/30/30 concept of 40% complex carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat can help to boost metabolism, stabilize blood sugar, and provide sustained energy for the brain. Studies confirm that people who eat breakfast have the least problem keeping a healthy weight.
Try to eat your main protein-based meal at noon, when digestive fire is at its peak. Avoid eating three hours before you retire at night. Digestive fire dwindles in the evening as the body naturally cools down to welcome sleep.
Allow for enough sleep. We all vary both in how much and when we sleep best around the 24-hour cycle of a day. Some people are Owls and love working into the late-night hours, while others are Larks and thrive on waking up early and retiring early. Whatever your pleasure, recall that a lack of sleep can throw off body chemistry, foster inflammation, and contribute to weight gain. Adequate sleep restores the immune system and is one of the best ways to ward off illness. Check in with yourself. “Enough” sleep varies with the individual, one’s type of work, and level of stress. One useful gauge: If you are craving caffeine and sweets to keep going throughout the day and often come down with colds, you are probably not getting enough sleep.
Try some regular aerobic exercise in the fresh air and sunshine (Yes, sunshine is good for your health!). Among its many benefits, aerobic exercise helps prevent inflammation. A 30-minute walk three times a week may be sufficient. If possible, try to exercise early in the day when the lungs are at their peak energy. If you exercise to lose or maintain weight, choose something you like since studies show that exercise that is not enjoyed creates stress and can be counterproductive, even exacerbating weight gain.
Strategies When Choosing Foods.
Try to buy local, fresh, whole foods…organic when possible. Think variety…rainbow colors, some raw and some cooked, some fermented. Foods are a system, uniquely balanced with nutrients and fiber for assimilation and nourishment. Our body converts foods into energy in a way that defies the explanations of science and the microscope.
Read food labels. Read for trans fats, for genetically modified (GMO) foods, and for the pseudonyms for sugar and artificial additives such as “evaporated cane juice” and MSG. Recent scientific studies suggest ties between GMOs and allergies, immune problems, and infertility; and between MSG (prevalent in processed, packaged, and fast foods) depression and childhood obesity.
Consume healthy fats and oils. Saturated fats such as organic butter from grass-fed animals and organic unrefined coconut oil are top choices for cooking, and quality cod liver oil4 and fish oil are good sources of omega-3 fats. Saturated fats are necessary for cell membranes, which are 50% saturated fat. Omega-3s are important for neurological function. Avoid trans fats, which are found in many processed and fast foods; they confuse the body and can foster chronic disease.
Let the way Nature packages food be a guide. Sugar is a classic example. To make one cup of refined white sugar requires 17 feet of sugar cane!!! In refining, we miss the cane’s natural fiber and micronutrients. How much sugar would we eat if we had to ingest it in this form? Or, how many walnuts might we consume if, instead of pouring from a package, we had to take the time to crack each one?
Think prevention of disease, not suppression of symptoms. Develop strategies to curb inflammation, the root of all chronic disease. From evolution and genetic selection, we as a people are prone to inflammation. The inflammatory response supported our survival before the discovery of modern antibiotics. While good strategies to try to curb our inflammatory nature are tied to lifestyle (getting enough sleep, moderate exercise, laughter, fresh air, sunshine and connection with others), they are also tied to diet. This means limiting sugar, refined flour, clear denatured vegetable oils, and meats from grain-fed animals. It also means bringing into good balance the consumption of omega-6 and omega-3 fats...
Try to limit processed and fast foods, and avoid cooking with clear vegetable oils. This can be a huge step toward creating in your diet a healthy 2:1 balance of omega-6:-3 oils. Omega-6 oils are inflammatory. They are hidden in processed, packaged, and fast foods, which is a major reason the typical American ratio is 20:1, rather than 2:1. The sensible way to bring the “-6:-3 ratio” into better balance and benefit from the omega-3s that you do consume is to limit your intake of omega-6 fats. Since omega-3s and -6s compete for the same digestive enzymes, consuming large amounts of omega-6s through processed and fast foods can negate the potential anti-inflammatory benefits of omega-3 oils, because omega-6s “crowd out” omega-3s.
To preserve the delicate brain, consume good fats and oils while you also try to avoid excitotoxins in foods and the excessive use of mobile phones. The protective lymph system does not extend its strong protective web to the head. Nature in Her design anticipated neither our modern technology nor additives in processed foods.
Eat foods attuned to the season and the season of your life. Tropical fruits, and summer foods like tomatoes, cucumbers, and salad greens are cooling and well-suited to warm climates. But in winter, hearty soups and meals built around warming chicken, turkey, and lamb, leeks, onions, parsnips, and winter squashes can preserve internal heat and support the body’s natural energy without undue strain and overwork. Rotating foods with the seasons supports this energy and can also help prevent allergies. In the later decades of life, foods and quantities that worked in earlier years may no longer. Our body gives such wonderful feedback. We need only to pay attention…
Be “bad” sometimes. It reminds us why it is generally best to be “good.” An 80/20 or 90/10 goal is good enough: if we aim for 80%-90% of our choices in the “healthy” zone (food, sleep, or whatever) we enjoy some “wiggle room.” Then, we just pay attention to how we feel. In all realms, our body will give us feedback. And, as Annemarie Colbin taught me, there is no need to feel guilty when we make a “bad” choice. After all, we have already paid the price by how we feel. In the meantime, what we have gained is valuable information. Happy eating and good health to you in 2009.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Halloween Health Tips
This Halloween keep your kids on an even keel with these health and nutrition tips:
1. Eat lean proteins such as chicken and complex carbohydrates like brown rice before eating sweets to decrease the associated blood sugar spike. Eating lean protein or complex carbohydrates will help slow down the absorption of the sugar into your blood stream. Did you know that in order for you to lose weight, you must keep your blood sugar level steady to allow your body to burn fat?
2. Offer your children a healthy meal before Trick or Treating. The less hungry they are the less likely they are to overload on candy.
3. During the holiday season keep fresh fruit on the kitchen counter so when your kids grab-n-go they choose fresh fruit over sweets.
4. If candy is a must, offer your children lollipops instead of candy bars. In general, hard candies have fewer calories than chocolate. For example, 2.1 oz of a snickers bar has 280 calories compared to a lollipop with only 22 calories. That means, a snickers bar has over 12x more calories than a piece of a lollipop.
5. Buy your candy at the last minute to avoid eating the candy ahead of time. Consider buying a candy that you don't like to avoid the temptation of eating it
when handing out candy to trick or treaters.
6. After Trick-or-Treating offer to buy the candy your kids gathered for 5 cents a piece, they'll have money to go shopping and you'll have less of a headache from their screaming sugar rush.
7. Donate the candy to a day camp, shelter or school, teachers use one piece at a time for academic reinforcement. One piece at a time is the perfect portion.
Halloween is a time for family and fun. Developing a plan for health ahead of time is the key.
Source: Arnel Ricafranca is the owner of Fitness Boot Camp.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
GEORGIA COOKING IN AN OKLAHOMA KITCHEN
A few of you moms have said, "Lynne we can't do organic and low sugar all the time, we need to break loose sometimes." Agreed!
If you're gonna get loose, do it with Trisha Yearwood's decadent GEORGIA COOKING IN AN OKLAHOMA KITCHEN. She even has his and hers variations! That will do a marriage good.
Here's a sample for the upcoming holiday season.
Green Punch - Serve this punch with Cheese Straws. It’s a Yearwood family tradition - Perfect to serve at Christmas parties because it’s a beautiful bright green and makes a pretty punch bowl.
Ingredients: 2 13-ounce packets unsweetened lemon-lime soft drink mix, such as Kool-Aid, 2 cups sugar, 1 46-ounce can pineapple juice, 12 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate thawed, 32 ounces (1 quart) ginger ale. Put 2 quarts of water in a 1-gallon container. Add the drink mix and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the pineapple juice and lemonade concentrate and stir well. Just before serving, add the ginger ale. www.trishayearwood.com.
If you're gonna get loose, do it with Trisha Yearwood's decadent GEORGIA COOKING IN AN OKLAHOMA KITCHEN. She even has his and hers variations! That will do a marriage good.
Here's a sample for the upcoming holiday season.
Green Punch - Serve this punch with Cheese Straws. It’s a Yearwood family tradition - Perfect to serve at Christmas parties because it’s a beautiful bright green and makes a pretty punch bowl.
Ingredients: 2 13-ounce packets unsweetened lemon-lime soft drink mix, such as Kool-Aid, 2 cups sugar, 1 46-ounce can pineapple juice, 12 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate thawed, 32 ounces (1 quart) ginger ale. Put 2 quarts of water in a 1-gallon container. Add the drink mix and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the pineapple juice and lemonade concentrate and stir well. Just before serving, add the ginger ale. www.trishayearwood.com.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Limiting Sugar in Your Kid's Diets: Eat Dinner For Breakfast
Parents who wish to limit sugar in their children's diets are looking for foods higher in protein and healthy fats for breakfast. If you lose the sugary cereals and pancakes five days a week, what else can you offer?
One morning, you may creatively offer left overs from dinner for breakfast, you might be surprised when chicken teriyaki appeals to your four year old. Here are some refreshing options you might try for breakfast in your home along with two delicious recipes from EatWellBeWell.org.
• Roast turkey and cheese roll-ups
• Chicken Stir-Fry
• Powerhouse Pizza
• Chicken Satay
• Vegetable Quesadilla
• Grilled Chicken Tacos
• Sloppy Chicken Joes
• Tuna salad in “scoops” tortilla chips
• Greek pasta with tomatoes and white beans
• Soft tacos with organic beef
• Pasta with pesto shredded zucchini and carrots
• Tortilla Soup
• Crustless Spinach Quiche
Sloppy Garden Joes
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 pound extra lean ground turkey or chicken
1- 8 ounce can no salt tomato sauce
1 -15 ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed
1-8 ounce can mushrooms
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
pepper to taste
8 whole wheat buns
Directions:
1. Sauté onions, carrot, green pepper, and ground turkey or chicken in a pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, mushrooms, barbecue sauce, and pepper, and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Uncover and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until thick.
5. Serve on toasted or plain buns.
Powerhouse Pizza
Ingredients:
12-inch unbaked pizza crust, homemade or store-bought
3/4 cup pizza sauce
1 cup grated low fat mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise or on the diagonal
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onions
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400» F.
2. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
3. Spread the pizza sauce over the crust.
4. Scatter the mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
5. Top with sliced mushrooms, zucchini, red peppers, and onion.
6. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is nice and brown and the center bubbly.
8. Serve warm.
Research shows that children who eat healthy foods for breakfast concentrate better in school and experience less variability in their daily moods. Here are some sites to help you in your quest.
www.eatwellbewell.org/
www.mypyramid.gov/
www.nutritiondata.com/
www.calorieking.com/
www.allrecipes.com/
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Chef Ann's nutrition report card is a must hang...
Eating well is an important part of family health and wellness. As an innovator in children's health, Chef Ann, has changed the food delivery patterns in schools across America.
Improve your kids habits in a matter of days.
Check this out, print out Chef Ann's report card and hang it on your fridge. Notice how your kids seek out healthier foods, almost immediately.
http://www.lunchlessons.org/html_v2/ChefAnn_ReportCard.pdf
Improve your kids habits in a matter of days.
Check this out, print out Chef Ann's report card and hang it on your fridge. Notice how your kids seek out healthier foods, almost immediately.
http://www.lunchlessons.org/html_v2/ChefAnn_ReportCard.pdf
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