i'm going here. yay!
Vacation!
Holistic Nutrition Bytes will be on vacation until November 25. Please check back that week and stay tuned for some delicious and healthy Thanksgiving recipes.
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Women’s Health Monthly: The Bitter Pill
Ah, the pill. Liberation for women for almost 50 years now.
Hormonal birth control - including the pill, the patch, the ring, and depo provera - is the most popular form of birth control. On the surface, it seems perfect: conveniently pop, apply, insert, or inject whatever form you choose and then relax. Your chances of pregnancy are less than 1 percent (with some, you apply and forget. with the pill, daily and timely compliance is required).
But concerns about side effects have plagued hormonal birth control, mainly the pill, for the past 30 years. Recently, concerns about the patch and Depo Provera have surfaced, prompting warnings about stroke and blood clots. More studies have been done on the pill than any other medicine in history, according to FDA. And for good reason: there is still disagreement about whether hormonal birth control contributes to breast cancer, high blood pressure, blood clots, and stroke.
Do you struggle with irregular periods, heavy bleeding, cramping, or endometriosis? Your doctor or gyno will probably prescribe the pill to treat these conditions. But hormonal birth control does not address the underlying cause of the imbalance that is leading to the problem! Did you know that the foods you eat, your environment, your stress level, and your lifestyle can all affect your menstrual cycle? Too many pollutants, too many hormones and pesticides in your food, and too much stress can cause your body to have too much estrogen and not enough progesterone. Too little progesterone can actually be the cause of difficult periods and female reproductive problems.
Recommended Reading: Natural Hormonal Balance for Women, by Uzzi Reiss
Although the pill does help lighten and regulate periods and allegedly protect against ovarian cancer, it is a powerful endocrine (hormonal system) disruptor. Because the pill is synthetic estrogen different from what your body produces, the liver is slow to metabolize it, and estrogens build up in your blood, causing estrogen dominance over time. Estrogen dominance has been blamed for PMS, infertility, bloating, fibrocystic breasts, endometriosis, cervical dysplasia, uterine fibroids, dysmennorhea (heavy periods with severe cramping), and even breast cancer. Once you stop taking the pill, it often takes years to correct these imbalances.
Hormonal birth control also has various side effects that may prove disruptive on a physiological or even a psychological level. The hormonal disruption may result in mood swings, lower libido, insufficient vaginal lubrication during intercourse, and possibly weight gain. They may increase the risk of blood clots, stroke and heart attack, and this risk increases with age and lifestyle. (i.e. smoking).
Look, as a woman who is very concerned about reproductive rights in this country, I would never discourage a woman from taking the pill or using any type of hormonal birth control. I took the pill for nearly 10 years and it affected me so dramatically that it’s an important issue to me, and I want to report the facts, because I feel that every woman should be informed and make the best decisions for her body. Hormonal birth control does offer the safest protection from pregnancy, but it comes with a price.
Aside from the previous undesirable side effects, hormonal birth control can deplete the body of certain minerals such as zinc and magnesium, and vitamins such a B vitamins, crucial for mood and stress regulation and heart health. Hormonal birth control also creates increased inflammation in the body and can interfere with liver, pancreas, digestive system, ovaries, immune and vascular systems.
Believe me, I understand the lack of effective alternatives. I worked at Planned Parenthood many many years ago doing birth control, STD, and abortion counseling. Condoms are only something like 87 percent effective; the sponge is no good and nearly obsolete now; the diaphragm works pretty well but is somewhat high maintenance; and the IUD - well, not a bad choice really. Maybe worth looking into the copper IUD? Avoid the ones that release hormones! Then there’s the rhythm method if your cycles are regular, but of course that’s not fool proof.
Oh, and let’s not forget the male birth control pill that has been waiting in the wings for years now. Would you trust your partner with the responsibility of keeping you safe from pregnancy? In studies, many men balked at taking a pill that would cut their fertility and others couldn’t follow through with taking it daily. Something’s just not right with this picture.
Hormonal birth control - including the pill, the patch, the ring, and depo provera - is the most popular form of birth control. On the surface, it seems perfect: conveniently pop, apply, insert, or inject whatever form you choose and then relax. Your chances of pregnancy are less than 1 percent (with some, you apply and forget. with the pill, daily and timely compliance is required).
But concerns about side effects have plagued hormonal birth control, mainly the pill, for the past 30 years. Recently, concerns about the patch and Depo Provera have surfaced, prompting warnings about stroke and blood clots. More studies have been done on the pill than any other medicine in history, according to FDA. And for good reason: there is still disagreement about whether hormonal birth control contributes to breast cancer, high blood pressure, blood clots, and stroke.
Do you struggle with irregular periods, heavy bleeding, cramping, or endometriosis? Your doctor or gyno will probably prescribe the pill to treat these conditions. But hormonal birth control does not address the underlying cause of the imbalance that is leading to the problem! Did you know that the foods you eat, your environment, your stress level, and your lifestyle can all affect your menstrual cycle? Too many pollutants, too many hormones and pesticides in your food, and too much stress can cause your body to have too much estrogen and not enough progesterone. Too little progesterone can actually be the cause of difficult periods and female reproductive problems.
Recommended Reading: Natural Hormonal Balance for Women, by Uzzi Reiss
Although the pill does help lighten and regulate periods and allegedly protect against ovarian cancer, it is a powerful endocrine (hormonal system) disruptor. Because the pill is synthetic estrogen different from what your body produces, the liver is slow to metabolize it, and estrogens build up in your blood, causing estrogen dominance over time. Estrogen dominance has been blamed for PMS, infertility, bloating, fibrocystic breasts, endometriosis, cervical dysplasia, uterine fibroids, dysmennorhea (heavy periods with severe cramping), and even breast cancer. Once you stop taking the pill, it often takes years to correct these imbalances.
Hormonal birth control also has various side effects that may prove disruptive on a physiological or even a psychological level. The hormonal disruption may result in mood swings, lower libido, insufficient vaginal lubrication during intercourse, and possibly weight gain. They may increase the risk of blood clots, stroke and heart attack, and this risk increases with age and lifestyle. (i.e. smoking).
Look, as a woman who is very concerned about reproductive rights in this country, I would never discourage a woman from taking the pill or using any type of hormonal birth control. I took the pill for nearly 10 years and it affected me so dramatically that it’s an important issue to me, and I want to report the facts, because I feel that every woman should be informed and make the best decisions for her body. Hormonal birth control does offer the safest protection from pregnancy, but it comes with a price.
Aside from the previous undesirable side effects, hormonal birth control can deplete the body of certain minerals such as zinc and magnesium, and vitamins such a B vitamins, crucial for mood and stress regulation and heart health. Hormonal birth control also creates increased inflammation in the body and can interfere with liver, pancreas, digestive system, ovaries, immune and vascular systems.
Believe me, I understand the lack of effective alternatives. I worked at Planned Parenthood many many years ago doing birth control, STD, and abortion counseling. Condoms are only something like 87 percent effective; the sponge is no good and nearly obsolete now; the diaphragm works pretty well but is somewhat high maintenance; and the IUD - well, not a bad choice really. Maybe worth looking into the copper IUD? Avoid the ones that release hormones! Then there’s the rhythm method if your cycles are regular, but of course that’s not fool proof.
Oh, and let’s not forget the male birth control pill that has been waiting in the wings for years now. Would you trust your partner with the responsibility of keeping you safe from pregnancy? In studies, many men balked at taking a pill that would cut their fertility and others couldn’t follow through with taking it daily. Something’s just not right with this picture.
Posted in Womens Health Tagged birth control, estrogen dominance, pill, Womens Health Leave a comment
The Latest Pharmaceutical LIE
A new study (click to read) has made headlines and has people buzzing. Apparently, if everyone takes the cholesterol-lowering statin drug CRESTOR, you’ll have a 54% lower risk of a heart attack! It’s a miracle!
Folks, this kind of information is disturbing for many reasons. First off, guess who funded this study? AstraZeneca, maker of Crestor! Secondly, a nasty side effect of taking this drug surfaced: many people in the study taking Crestor (vs those taking a placebo) saw blood sugar levels rise or were newly diagnosed with diabetes. Reduce heart attack; get diabetes!
So, the recommendation is that everyone now begin taking this drug to prevent heart incidents. Do you know what other side effects (besides diabetes) statins carry? How about muscle pain and weakness, most likely due to severe depletion of CoQ10, an important antioxidant that supports muscle function. Wait, isn’t the heart A MUSCLE? There’s also fatigue, neuropathy, dizziness, cognitive failure, oh, and potential heart failure. Must be that if you starve the heart of CoQ10, it stops working?
Here’s the scenario: a busy doctor is working in his/her office when a pharmaceutical rep stops in and presents these results. Too good to be true! Here is the study: give your patients crestor, lipitor, or vytorin (other statins), oh and here’s a golf vacation for prescribing my drug company’s drugs. Well, the doctor agrees with the rep and accepts his/her vacation and puts his/her patients on said statins. And that’s how it happens. Any drug company can fund a study and publish favorable results. And just because it’s FDA approved, does that mean it’s safe? Remember what happened with Vioxx, the drug approved for pain, arthritis, etc? It caused up to 130,000 heart attacks and was eventually pulled off the market. Drug companies don’t want to wait years to run studies before they release new drugs on the market, because they’re losing lots of potential money on that drug. So they release drugs without thorough testing, and bad side effects (death, for example) surface before the drug is pulled off the market.
The pharmaceutical industry is a 643 BILLION dollar industry. They benefit from keeping you on drugs and will gladly give you more drugs to combat the side effects of the ones that are making you feel like shit. They don’t want to empower you to make healthy decisions, they want to keep you sick and on their drugs.
Back to statin drugs, cholesterol-lowering miracles. Cholesterol is synthesized in the liver, and your body needs cholesterol to make hormones and vitamin D. Cholesterol is not bad, but when levels are too high, it can build up and becomes oxidized, causing arterial damage and clogging arteries, leading to heart disease. If you go to your doctor with high cholesterol, does you doctor ask you what you’re eating? Probably not, but maybe you think saturated fat is the culprit, because that’s what you heard. Wrong. The famous Framingham Study found that saturated fat was not responsible for high cholesterol. The dietary culprits are actually too much sugar, eating oxidized fats such as hydrogenated oils and margarine, and a congested liver.
Let’s talk sugar. I’m not just talking cookies and candy, but also white flour and grains and alcohol, all quickly converted to sugar in the body. Sugar has long been linked to increased free radical damage, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Sugar increases triglyceride levels, and high triglycerides are linked to heart disease. Cut down on sugar, processed foods, glutinous grains and white rice.
Let’s talk liver. First off, drugs are hard on your liver! Your HDL (good) cholesterol helps remove excess cholesterol from the body by transporting it to the liver for its breakdown and excretion. A congested, overworked liver therefore cannot remove excessive cholesterol from the blood supply. Try adding a milk thistle and/or oregon grape root liver tonic to your diet, and cut down on the booze and junk foods. See my previous post on how to love your liver.
Know what else can cause high cholesterol? Constipation. When you’re not having a poop every day (at least one, max 3), waste sits in your colon and toxins and cholesterol are reabsorbed into the body. Ever wonder why Quaker Oats claims to lower cholesterol? Because it makes you regular! That fiber sure does get things moving, binds to toxins, and sweeps the colon clean. Better yet, try psyllium or flaxseed.
Cholesterol levels should be somewhere around 200. Big Pharma wants you to gets yours as low as possible, maybe somewhere around 120-150. This is not healthy. Low cholesterol has been linked to depression and increased mortality.
What to do if your levels are too high? Over 250? High LDL (over 130), low HDL (under 50)?
*take care of your liver, as mentioned above. See my “Love Your Liver” post.
*reduce sugar, sodas, processed foods, gluten (white, rye, barley, spelt, teff), white rice, white potatoes, hydrogenated fats, canola, margarine.
*Try CoQ10, garlic, pantothenic acid, or plant sterols.
*Make sure you’re regular - aim for a bowel movement once a day minimum.
*Get moving. Exercise!
Folks, this kind of information is disturbing for many reasons. First off, guess who funded this study? AstraZeneca, maker of Crestor! Secondly, a nasty side effect of taking this drug surfaced: many people in the study taking Crestor (vs those taking a placebo) saw blood sugar levels rise or were newly diagnosed with diabetes. Reduce heart attack; get diabetes!
So, the recommendation is that everyone now begin taking this drug to prevent heart incidents. Do you know what other side effects (besides diabetes) statins carry? How about muscle pain and weakness, most likely due to severe depletion of CoQ10, an important antioxidant that supports muscle function. Wait, isn’t the heart A MUSCLE? There’s also fatigue, neuropathy, dizziness, cognitive failure, oh, and potential heart failure. Must be that if you starve the heart of CoQ10, it stops working?
Here’s the scenario: a busy doctor is working in his/her office when a pharmaceutical rep stops in and presents these results. Too good to be true! Here is the study: give your patients crestor, lipitor, or vytorin (other statins), oh and here’s a golf vacation for prescribing my drug company’s drugs. Well, the doctor agrees with the rep and accepts his/her vacation and puts his/her patients on said statins. And that’s how it happens. Any drug company can fund a study and publish favorable results. And just because it’s FDA approved, does that mean it’s safe? Remember what happened with Vioxx, the drug approved for pain, arthritis, etc? It caused up to 130,000 heart attacks and was eventually pulled off the market. Drug companies don’t want to wait years to run studies before they release new drugs on the market, because they’re losing lots of potential money on that drug. So they release drugs without thorough testing, and bad side effects (death, for example) surface before the drug is pulled off the market.
The pharmaceutical industry is a 643 BILLION dollar industry. They benefit from keeping you on drugs and will gladly give you more drugs to combat the side effects of the ones that are making you feel like shit. They don’t want to empower you to make healthy decisions, they want to keep you sick and on their drugs.
Back to statin drugs, cholesterol-lowering miracles. Cholesterol is synthesized in the liver, and your body needs cholesterol to make hormones and vitamin D. Cholesterol is not bad, but when levels are too high, it can build up and becomes oxidized, causing arterial damage and clogging arteries, leading to heart disease. If you go to your doctor with high cholesterol, does you doctor ask you what you’re eating? Probably not, but maybe you think saturated fat is the culprit, because that’s what you heard. Wrong. The famous Framingham Study found that saturated fat was not responsible for high cholesterol. The dietary culprits are actually too much sugar, eating oxidized fats such as hydrogenated oils and margarine, and a congested liver.
Let’s talk sugar. I’m not just talking cookies and candy, but also white flour and grains and alcohol, all quickly converted to sugar in the body. Sugar has long been linked to increased free radical damage, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Sugar increases triglyceride levels, and high triglycerides are linked to heart disease. Cut down on sugar, processed foods, glutinous grains and white rice.
Let’s talk liver. First off, drugs are hard on your liver! Your HDL (good) cholesterol helps remove excess cholesterol from the body by transporting it to the liver for its breakdown and excretion. A congested, overworked liver therefore cannot remove excessive cholesterol from the blood supply. Try adding a milk thistle and/or oregon grape root liver tonic to your diet, and cut down on the booze and junk foods. See my previous post on how to love your liver.
Know what else can cause high cholesterol? Constipation. When you’re not having a poop every day (at least one, max 3), waste sits in your colon and toxins and cholesterol are reabsorbed into the body. Ever wonder why Quaker Oats claims to lower cholesterol? Because it makes you regular! That fiber sure does get things moving, binds to toxins, and sweeps the colon clean. Better yet, try psyllium or flaxseed.
Cholesterol levels should be somewhere around 200. Big Pharma wants you to gets yours as low as possible, maybe somewhere around 120-150. This is not healthy. Low cholesterol has been linked to depression and increased mortality.
What to do if your levels are too high? Over 250? High LDL (over 130), low HDL (under 50)?
*take care of your liver, as mentioned above. See my “Love Your Liver” post.
*reduce sugar, sodas, processed foods, gluten (white, rye, barley, spelt, teff), white rice, white potatoes, hydrogenated fats, canola, margarine.
*Try CoQ10, garlic, pantothenic acid, or plant sterols.
*Make sure you’re regular - aim for a bowel movement once a day minimum.
*Get moving. Exercise!
A Tribute to my Favorite Tonics
Let food be they medicine, said Hippocrates, the father of medicine. Foods can be wonderful tonics, supporting health through the seasons and also through detoxification and periods of sickness. I grabbed some honey off the shelf the other morning after slightly overindulging in some delicious wine the night before, knowing that the enzymes and minerals and healing power of honey can help a hangover. Here are some of my favorite food and herbal tonics.
*Honey - one of my faves.
Honey has been used for centuries, and it’s been said that Cleopatra bathed in milk and honey to keep her skin soft and youthful. Honey is great because it can be used internally and externally. I’ve used it as a face mask, on burns and cuts (it’s said to be a wonderful antiseptic and skin healer), and as a moisturizer. Taken internally, it’s said to help reduce allergies, boost the immune system, facilitate recovery after athletic activity, help a hangover, suppress a cough better than cough syrup, help relive constipation, and boost overall antioxidant levels if taken daily. ALWAYS choose raw, unheated, unpasteurized honey (not the stuff that comes in the plastic bear). Heating destroys all the benefits and kills the enzymes. Buy local honey if possible, and try to get it with the cappings that contain pollen and propolis, both of which have incredible health benefits and are known to boost immunity and reduce allergies.
Honeybees are in danger. If you stop and think for a moment: life would not be possible without bees. It has been said that if honeybees died off, mankind would follow in 4 years. While this has not been determined, bees are responsible for the continuation of our food supply: No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man. Praise the honeybee!
*Sea Veggies - these gifts from the sea pack a nutritional punch, rich in trace minerals so lacking in an industrialized diet, especially the antioxidants zinc and selenium.
Hijiki, kelp, sea palm fronds, wakame, nori…. all are rich in enzymes, amino acids, and especially iron and iodine (helps boost thyroid function). Sea veggies are truly a superfood. Some have a stronger flavor than others. I buy them from the farmers’ market here in California. They have been wild harvested from the Pacific up in Mendocino. I’ll add them to salads and soups or rehydrate them and all a little sesame oil and sesame seeds for a seaweed salad. Add a chunk to broths or brown rice to infuse dishes with nutrients. Or, you can find them in shakers to sprinkle atop salads, rice bowls, or other dishes.
*Ginger - sea veggies make me think about ginger!
The two complement each other so well. Ginger is one of my favorite herbs - it relieves nausea and is excellent (and safe!) for pregnant women in the first and second trimesters; its warming properties can boost circulation; it’s said to have cholesterol-reducing benefits; it is cleansing, stimulating, and improves digestion by boosting stomach acid before meals, helping your body more efficiently digest and utilize food; and it relives gas and bloating better than most herbs I’ve found. I add grated ginger to asian dishes when I cook, or I’ll grate it into a mug and pour hot water over it and let it steep. Add lemon water for extra cleansing. Lemon water helps stimulate digestion, so used together with ginger first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, this tonic can relieve constipation and “get things moving.”
*Green tea - I’ve written an entire post on the benefits of green tea. Aside from everything else you’ve heard, my recent trip to the dentist (only one cavity my whole life) reminded me that green tea can protect your mouth from overgrowth of plaque and bacteria. I love matcha and the ritual around making this rich, foamy green tea. Its bright color tells you it’s rich in antioxidants. Choose organic, fair trade green teas.
*Miracle Immune Tonic - I have been making this tonic for those about to get sick or who are already sick (works best for colds and flu), and it is nothing short of miraculous, even for non-believers. I combine a spoonful of dried elderberries, yarrow, and peppermint leaves into a pot, cover with water and simmer lightly for about 20 minutes until it’s thick and strong. Add a little honey. Drink first thing before bed and again in the AM. Works like magic. Elderberries are very high in vitamin C, yarrow expels mucous from the lungs, and peppermint soothes coughs. Honey soothes coughing and boosts immune system.
*Broths - “A good broth can resurrect the dead,” they say. Broths are incredibly rejuvenative and an easy way to get minerals and nutrition for those recovering from illness, injury, or surgery. I make a big batch of Mineral Broth to sip at night during a cleanse. A bone broth, made from beef and chicken bones, can be sipped throughout the day to help recovery from illness, or use as a base for soups and stews. The bones and cartilage have amazing healing and strengthening properties. Also add egg shells for calcium. Try this mineral broth, for starters:
1 c winter squash (I use butternut, skin on)
2 medium potatoes (can use yams)
1 c zucchini
1 c purple cabbage
2 c celery
3 carrots
1 c collards or chard
1 c kale
1 c onion
1 c green beans
¼ c parsley
1 beet
Dill weed
3 cloves garlic
½ c flaxseeds
6 slices ginger
Sea veggies
Scrub all veggies and cut into chunks. Place everything in dutch oven and fill with filtered water to level of veggies. Add sea veggies as desired. Bring to boil, simmer lightly 4 hours or more. Add curry for zest if desired.
*Honey - one of my faves.
raw honey looks different than that stuff in the plastic bear.
Honey has been used for centuries, and it’s been said that Cleopatra bathed in milk and honey to keep her skin soft and youthful. Honey is great because it can be used internally and externally. I’ve used it as a face mask, on burns and cuts (it’s said to be a wonderful antiseptic and skin healer), and as a moisturizer. Taken internally, it’s said to help reduce allergies, boost the immune system, facilitate recovery after athletic activity, help a hangover, suppress a cough better than cough syrup, help relive constipation, and boost overall antioxidant levels if taken daily. ALWAYS choose raw, unheated, unpasteurized honey (not the stuff that comes in the plastic bear). Heating destroys all the benefits and kills the enzymes. Buy local honey if possible, and try to get it with the cappings that contain pollen and propolis, both of which have incredible health benefits and are known to boost immunity and reduce allergies.
Honeybees are in danger. If you stop and think for a moment: life would not be possible without bees. It has been said that if honeybees died off, mankind would follow in 4 years. While this has not been determined, bees are responsible for the continuation of our food supply: No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man. Praise the honeybee!
*Sea Veggies - these gifts from the sea pack a nutritional punch, rich in trace minerals so lacking in an industrialized diet, especially the antioxidants zinc and selenium.
sea veggies!
Hijiki, kelp, sea palm fronds, wakame, nori…. all are rich in enzymes, amino acids, and especially iron and iodine (helps boost thyroid function). Sea veggies are truly a superfood. Some have a stronger flavor than others. I buy them from the farmers’ market here in California. They have been wild harvested from the Pacific up in Mendocino. I’ll add them to salads and soups or rehydrate them and all a little sesame oil and sesame seeds for a seaweed salad. Add a chunk to broths or brown rice to infuse dishes with nutrients. Or, you can find them in shakers to sprinkle atop salads, rice bowls, or other dishes.
*Ginger - sea veggies make me think about ginger!
ginger root
The two complement each other so well. Ginger is one of my favorite herbs - it relieves nausea and is excellent (and safe!) for pregnant women in the first and second trimesters; its warming properties can boost circulation; it’s said to have cholesterol-reducing benefits; it is cleansing, stimulating, and improves digestion by boosting stomach acid before meals, helping your body more efficiently digest and utilize food; and it relives gas and bloating better than most herbs I’ve found. I add grated ginger to asian dishes when I cook, or I’ll grate it into a mug and pour hot water over it and let it steep. Add lemon water for extra cleansing. Lemon water helps stimulate digestion, so used together with ginger first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, this tonic can relieve constipation and “get things moving.”
*Green tea - I’ve written an entire post on the benefits of green tea. Aside from everything else you’ve heard, my recent trip to the dentist (only one cavity my whole life) reminded me that green tea can protect your mouth from overgrowth of plaque and bacteria. I love matcha and the ritual around making this rich, foamy green tea. Its bright color tells you it’s rich in antioxidants. Choose organic, fair trade green teas.
*Miracle Immune Tonic - I have been making this tonic for those about to get sick or who are already sick (works best for colds and flu), and it is nothing short of miraculous, even for non-believers. I combine a spoonful of dried elderberries, yarrow, and peppermint leaves into a pot, cover with water and simmer lightly for about 20 minutes until it’s thick and strong. Add a little honey. Drink first thing before bed and again in the AM. Works like magic. Elderberries are very high in vitamin C, yarrow expels mucous from the lungs, and peppermint soothes coughs. Honey soothes coughing and boosts immune system.
*Broths - “A good broth can resurrect the dead,” they say. Broths are incredibly rejuvenative and an easy way to get minerals and nutrition for those recovering from illness, injury, or surgery. I make a big batch of Mineral Broth to sip at night during a cleanse. A bone broth, made from beef and chicken bones, can be sipped throughout the day to help recovery from illness, or use as a base for soups and stews. The bones and cartilage have amazing healing and strengthening properties. Also add egg shells for calcium. Try this mineral broth, for starters:
1 c winter squash (I use butternut, skin on)
2 medium potatoes (can use yams)
1 c zucchini
1 c purple cabbage
2 c celery
3 carrots
1 c collards or chard
1 c kale
1 c onion
1 c green beans
¼ c parsley
1 beet
Dill weed
3 cloves garlic
½ c flaxseeds
6 slices ginger
Sea veggies
Scrub all veggies and cut into chunks. Place everything in dutch oven and fill with filtered water to level of veggies. Add sea veggies as desired. Bring to boil, simmer lightly 4 hours or more. Add curry for zest if desired.
First Class Holistic Nutrition Consultation
Just reminder about the special offer I’m extending to celebrate my arrival at Dr Morgan Camp & Associates’ integrative medical in Mill Valley. Through the end of December, we are offering 3 holistic nutrition consults with me for $150. This is nearly 50% off what you would normally pay for 3 sessions. Dr Camp is a board certified physician practicing integrative medicine. We work together on each client’s case, so you are getting the best of both worlds.
If you have concerns about stress, fatigue, weight loss, digestion, anxiety/depression, food cravings, or hormonal imbalance/PMS, or you just want to learn about the best foods for your physiology, come see me!
The consults include a thorough intake where we’ll review your concerns, your health history, and your goals. I’ll make recommendations about tests to assess your stress level, metabolic function, hormone levels, and digestive function, if needed, and you can do these tests at home. I’ll design an individualized program for you, including a diet plan and any needed supplements and herbs, and you’ll receive lots of coaching along the way. I’ll give you plenty of handouts, recipes, and explanations of your test results to complement your consults.
We’ll be offering classes and workshops in the future, so please visit the website to sign up for our newsletter: www.drcamphealth.com. We are planning an upcoming group detoxification workshop for Spring 2009
Please call Ashley at 415-383-9903 to set up an appointment with me. I see clients on Tuesdays & Thursdays.
If you have concerns about stress, fatigue, weight loss, digestion, anxiety/depression, food cravings, or hormonal imbalance/PMS, or you just want to learn about the best foods for your physiology, come see me!
The consults include a thorough intake where we’ll review your concerns, your health history, and your goals. I’ll make recommendations about tests to assess your stress level, metabolic function, hormone levels, and digestive function, if needed, and you can do these tests at home. I’ll design an individualized program for you, including a diet plan and any needed supplements and herbs, and you’ll receive lots of coaching along the way. I’ll give you plenty of handouts, recipes, and explanations of your test results to complement your consults.
We’ll be offering classes and workshops in the future, so please visit the website to sign up for our newsletter: www.drcamphealth.com. We are planning an upcoming group detoxification workshop for Spring 2009
Please call Ashley at 415-383-9903 to set up an appointment with me. I see clients on Tuesdays & Thursdays.
What Did You Have for Dinner?
Thanks to my brother and his girlfriend, last night I enjoyed the awesome jambalaya recipe that I posted a couple days ago. Boy is it tasty! I whipped up a mixed green salad with some avocado and a quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette: 1/2 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil to 1/2 cup balsamic, add salt and freshly ground pepper and minced garlic (optional) to taste. Shake well in a jar to combine.
Happy weekend, everyone! Now. What to have for breakfast…..
*45 minutes later*
After my green tea, I decided on eggs (organic, free range of course), softly scrambled in coconut oil with a pinch of sea salt, sliced avocado, an organic turkey slice, and some cultured vegetables to round it out. Those cultured veggies are a delicious accompaniment to meals and provide lots of probiotics, good for the gut! A great way to start the day.
Happy weekend, everyone! Now. What to have for breakfast…..
*45 minutes later*
After my green tea, I decided on eggs (organic, free range of course), softly scrambled in coconut oil with a pinch of sea salt, sliced avocado, an organic turkey slice, and some cultured vegetables to round it out. Those cultured veggies are a delicious accompaniment to meals and provide lots of probiotics, good for the gut! A great way to start the day.
Love Your Liver!
Do you have migraines? Bad PMS and periods? Do you feel generally sluggish, or do you carry excess weight around your midsection? Did you know that your liver could be an unhappy contributor to these symptoms?
Let us honor the liver, the hardest working organ in the body. Every single thing you eat, drink, breathe, and apply to your skin must be filtered through your liver. It is the master cleanser, neutralizing toxins and filtering your blood.
Most of us rarely give a second thought to our livers, but when it becomes congested from too many toxins, your detoxification abilities are compromised and these toxins start to build up in your system. When this happens, you may experience fatigue, hormonal imbalance, bloating, constipation, general malaise, skin rashes, waking frequently during the night (especially between 1am and 3am), an increase in allergies, or intolerance to alcohol. Because the liver is charged with metabolizing your hormones, PMS may worsen and your menstrual cycles can become more difficult (an increase in cramping and fatigue, for example). Cholesterol levels can also rise due to an overworked liver.
Take stock of your diet and lifestyle: what is your exposure level to toxins, both in your diet and environment? Do you eat organic, or do you eat conventional produce? Your liver must detoxify that pesticide residue you’re ingesting. What about the hormones and antibiotics (and other chemicals) in your meats? Processed foods? Are you breathing in pollution? Using body lotions, soaps, and cosmetics that contain chemicals? What about cleaning products? If you have “multiple chemical sensitivities,” your liver is probably the culprit. Think of it this way: if your liver is overworked and unable to effectively neutralize toxins, when they build up, they create free radical damage, leading to premature aging (wrinkles!) and even disease.
According to Chinese Medicine, the liver is the seat of emotion. If you are susceptible to anger, or you get “heated,” or anxious or depressed, your liver is unbalanced.
There are many ways you can support a congested liver. One way is a liver cleanse. There are many good kits out there on the market (Garden of Life has a good one), or you can use herbal support products with milk thistle, oregon grape root, burdock, red root, and dandelion. We will also be running a 2-3 week group detox at our integrative clinic in Mill Valley in the spring. Contact me for more details about this!
A liver cleanse is a time to get rid of the junk in your diet - no wheat, dairy, soy, sugar, alcohol, or coffee. It’s a time to eat lots of leafy greens (especially the bitter ones, like dandelion or beet greens), get good quality organic protein and cut out all refined foods. Reach for cruciferous veggies like broccoli or brussels sprouts, also, artichokes, garlic, beets, and plenty of lemon water, which is cleansing and stimulates the liver and gallbladder. Check out The Fast Track Detox Diet by Ann Louise Gittleman for a good quick cleanse. The book has a lot of good information about liver health.
Aside from a cleanse, you can take small daily steps to improve your overall liver health: try incorporating a liver cleansing herbal tonic into your routine (especially useful during the holiday party season), drink plenty of lemon water, and incorporate more leafy greens and cruciferous veggies into your diet on a daily basis. The cruciferous and sulfur veggies (like garlic) and beets especially help your liver detox your body. Try incorporating some of the wonderful herbal teas out there, such as dandelion root.
The result? A clear mind (escape that foggy feeling!), a clean body, fewer menstrual symptoms and headaches, and more energy.
Let us honor the liver, the hardest working organ in the body. Every single thing you eat, drink, breathe, and apply to your skin must be filtered through your liver. It is the master cleanser, neutralizing toxins and filtering your blood.
Liver, your largest organ, and gallbladder.
Most of us rarely give a second thought to our livers, but when it becomes congested from too many toxins, your detoxification abilities are compromised and these toxins start to build up in your system. When this happens, you may experience fatigue, hormonal imbalance, bloating, constipation, general malaise, skin rashes, waking frequently during the night (especially between 1am and 3am), an increase in allergies, or intolerance to alcohol. Because the liver is charged with metabolizing your hormones, PMS may worsen and your menstrual cycles can become more difficult (an increase in cramping and fatigue, for example). Cholesterol levels can also rise due to an overworked liver.
Take stock of your diet and lifestyle: what is your exposure level to toxins, both in your diet and environment? Do you eat organic, or do you eat conventional produce? Your liver must detoxify that pesticide residue you’re ingesting. What about the hormones and antibiotics (and other chemicals) in your meats? Processed foods? Are you breathing in pollution? Using body lotions, soaps, and cosmetics that contain chemicals? What about cleaning products? If you have “multiple chemical sensitivities,” your liver is probably the culprit. Think of it this way: if your liver is overworked and unable to effectively neutralize toxins, when they build up, they create free radical damage, leading to premature aging (wrinkles!) and even disease.
According to Chinese Medicine, the liver is the seat of emotion. If you are susceptible to anger, or you get “heated,” or anxious or depressed, your liver is unbalanced.
There are many ways you can support a congested liver. One way is a liver cleanse. There are many good kits out there on the market (Garden of Life has a good one), or you can use herbal support products with milk thistle, oregon grape root, burdock, red root, and dandelion. We will also be running a 2-3 week group detox at our integrative clinic in Mill Valley in the spring. Contact me for more details about this!
A liver cleanse is a time to get rid of the junk in your diet - no wheat, dairy, soy, sugar, alcohol, or coffee. It’s a time to eat lots of leafy greens (especially the bitter ones, like dandelion or beet greens), get good quality organic protein and cut out all refined foods. Reach for cruciferous veggies like broccoli or brussels sprouts, also, artichokes, garlic, beets, and plenty of lemon water, which is cleansing and stimulates the liver and gallbladder. Check out The Fast Track Detox Diet by Ann Louise Gittleman for a good quick cleanse. The book has a lot of good information about liver health.
Aside from a cleanse, you can take small daily steps to improve your overall liver health: try incorporating a liver cleansing herbal tonic into your routine (especially useful during the holiday party season), drink plenty of lemon water, and incorporate more leafy greens and cruciferous veggies into your diet on a daily basis. The cruciferous and sulfur veggies (like garlic) and beets especially help your liver detox your body. Try incorporating some of the wonderful herbal teas out there, such as dandelion root.
The result? A clear mind (escape that foggy feeling!), a clean body, fewer menstrual symptoms and headaches, and more energy.
Are You Drinking the Whole Foods’ Kool-Aid?
I’m not talking about whole foods (apples, kale, anything unadulterated that comes out of the ground, off the vine or the stalk or the tree), I’m talking about Whole Foods.
After reading public health lawyer Michele Simon’s post on a recent ground beef recall from nationwide Whole Foods’ grocery store chains, I got to thinking. First off, and pun kind of intended, I have major beef with Whole Foods. Sure, they sell, well, whole foods, lots of organics, and they play up the fact that they support local, family farms, but you can still buy asparagus and avocados from Chile in the middle of winter. That’s not seasonal, and you’re paying for the fuel cost and the environmental cost to ship those puppies (along with apples from new zealand) all the way to you. And they still support big agri-business over small farms, even if it is organic. Here’s a funny tid-bit. Earthbound Farms, famous for their organic salad mixes and spinach, is right here in California. So why are the greens picked, shipped to NY to be processed and packaged and then shipped back here to CA on my store shelves, 2 weeks later and near spoiling (not to mention devoid of nutrients by this time)? Read Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma for more on this.
Look, I’m not going to get nit-picky here (too late?), because at least they are making good food available to us. But good lord you’ll pay: there’s a reason it’s called Whole Paycheck. $8 for a pound of organic beef?
My beef is that as a somewhat recent convert over to meat-eating from a 13-some-odd year stint as a vegetarian, I want to be *very* choosy about where my meats come from. I still have a major dilemma consuming animal flesh and by-products because I literally have nightmares about how animals raised for food are treated. It’s horrifying to me. (side note: Here in California, we recently passed Prop 2, which calls for the humane treatment of animals meant for slaughter.)
Whole Foods would like us to believe that its meat comes from happy, frolicking animals that haven’t been force-fed antibiotics or hormones, and while the latter is true, I’m not sure about the former. I don’t really know what goes on behind the scenes, but raising organic cattle is still an industry. Horizon’s organic milk is a perfect example: they are a huge CORPORATION acquired by Dean Foods, the nation’s largest milk producer, who once fought to allow antibiotic use for cows under one year and then still label them organic after their first year. Do you think these cows are roaming happily on their organic farm? Um, not so much.
Anyhow, Simon’s post says that there was a beef recall at Whole Foods’ stores in many states due to e. coli back in August. E. coli is not something that just happens to appear in meat. It comes from shit-contaminated meat, most often from dirty feedlot conditions where cows are crammed together and on quick assembly lines to be slaughtered one after another. This troubles me because I’d like to believe that the beef I buy from Whole Foods comes from farms with a little more care and attention to the herd. I see signs at the meat counter saying that they get lamb from Sonoma county, up North near me, but I’m guessing they don’t always go the same route for the beef. As far as I’m concerned, they should be hand-feeding and massaging those cows for $8/lb.
On a side note, I believe, from personal experience and from studying, that not every physiology is meant for any one diet, and our needs change over time. I felt fine as a veg for many years until I suddenly realized I needed meat. Years of all that soy had created an imbalance - we’re not meant to thrive on soy protein! Don’t send me hate letters. I already went through that when i wrote this infamous article for Terrain. I’m talking processed soy here, the stuff of your Chik-N-Nuggets, Boca Burgers, and Soy Crisps. Edamame, miso, tempeh - fine - but in moderation. The body isn’t meant for soy protein isolate and hydrolyzed soy protein, and even soy milk is processed. That’s right. It’s not a whole food - the fiberous part has been stripped from the bean and separated out and what’s left has been processed with sugar to bring you a product high enough in phyto-estrogens to equal a birth control pill.
Back to the point: even though i cringe slightly, I do shop at Whole Foods. I’m not immune to convenience and it’s a helluva lot better than Safeway. I urge you, as I have before, to investigate meat CSAs and to buy meat straight from the farmer at the farmers’ market, where you know how the animal was raised and slaughtered. It’s 100% grass fed and not “finished on grain.” Cows aren’t meant to eat grain! It makes them sick, calling for antibiotics.
A couple years back, I attended a Whole Cow Picnic sponsored by Slow Food Berkeley (read about it here) where Slow Food USA’s Berkeley chapter bought a cow, had it humanely raised and slaughtered, and sold of its meat and had a big picnic featuring $5 burgers from the leftovers. This is a great idea, and sure, it takes more effort, but it also eases my conscious, and this is one issue that weighs on it.
So. Shop at the farmers’ market. Investigate meat CSAs. Just investigate period. It’s better for your health, the planet, and the animal you’re eating.
organics mega-giant store
After reading public health lawyer Michele Simon’s post on a recent ground beef recall from nationwide Whole Foods’ grocery store chains, I got to thinking. First off, and pun kind of intended, I have major beef with Whole Foods. Sure, they sell, well, whole foods, lots of organics, and they play up the fact that they support local, family farms, but you can still buy asparagus and avocados from Chile in the middle of winter. That’s not seasonal, and you’re paying for the fuel cost and the environmental cost to ship those puppies (along with apples from new zealand) all the way to you. And they still support big agri-business over small farms, even if it is organic. Here’s a funny tid-bit. Earthbound Farms, famous for their organic salad mixes and spinach, is right here in California. So why are the greens picked, shipped to NY to be processed and packaged and then shipped back here to CA on my store shelves, 2 weeks later and near spoiling (not to mention devoid of nutrients by this time)? Read Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma for more on this.
Look, I’m not going to get nit-picky here (too late?), because at least they are making good food available to us. But good lord you’ll pay: there’s a reason it’s called Whole Paycheck. $8 for a pound of organic beef?
My beef is that as a somewhat recent convert over to meat-eating from a 13-some-odd year stint as a vegetarian, I want to be *very* choosy about where my meats come from. I still have a major dilemma consuming animal flesh and by-products because I literally have nightmares about how animals raised for food are treated. It’s horrifying to me. (side note: Here in California, we recently passed Prop 2, which calls for the humane treatment of animals meant for slaughter.)
Whole Foods would like us to believe that its meat comes from happy, frolicking animals that haven’t been force-fed antibiotics or hormones, and while the latter is true, I’m not sure about the former. I don’t really know what goes on behind the scenes, but raising organic cattle is still an industry. Horizon’s organic milk is a perfect example: they are a huge CORPORATION acquired by Dean Foods, the nation’s largest milk producer, who once fought to allow antibiotic use for cows under one year and then still label them organic after their first year. Do you think these cows are roaming happily on their organic farm? Um, not so much.
Anyhow, Simon’s post says that there was a beef recall at Whole Foods’ stores in many states due to e. coli back in August. E. coli is not something that just happens to appear in meat. It comes from shit-contaminated meat, most often from dirty feedlot conditions where cows are crammed together and on quick assembly lines to be slaughtered one after another. This troubles me because I’d like to believe that the beef I buy from Whole Foods comes from farms with a little more care and attention to the herd. I see signs at the meat counter saying that they get lamb from Sonoma county, up North near me, but I’m guessing they don’t always go the same route for the beef. As far as I’m concerned, they should be hand-feeding and massaging those cows for $8/lb.
On a side note, I believe, from personal experience and from studying, that not every physiology is meant for any one diet, and our needs change over time. I felt fine as a veg for many years until I suddenly realized I needed meat. Years of all that soy had created an imbalance - we’re not meant to thrive on soy protein! Don’t send me hate letters. I already went through that when i wrote this infamous article for Terrain. I’m talking processed soy here, the stuff of your Chik-N-Nuggets, Boca Burgers, and Soy Crisps. Edamame, miso, tempeh - fine - but in moderation. The body isn’t meant for soy protein isolate and hydrolyzed soy protein, and even soy milk is processed. That’s right. It’s not a whole food - the fiberous part has been stripped from the bean and separated out and what’s left has been processed with sugar to bring you a product high enough in phyto-estrogens to equal a birth control pill.
Back to the point: even though i cringe slightly, I do shop at Whole Foods. I’m not immune to convenience and it’s a helluva lot better than Safeway. I urge you, as I have before, to investigate meat CSAs and to buy meat straight from the farmer at the farmers’ market, where you know how the animal was raised and slaughtered. It’s 100% grass fed and not “finished on grain.” Cows aren’t meant to eat grain! It makes them sick, calling for antibiotics.
A couple years back, I attended a Whole Cow Picnic sponsored by Slow Food Berkeley (read about it here) where Slow Food USA’s Berkeley chapter bought a cow, had it humanely raised and slaughtered, and sold of its meat and had a big picnic featuring $5 burgers from the leftovers. This is a great idea, and sure, it takes more effort, but it also eases my conscious, and this is one issue that weighs on it.
So. Shop at the farmers’ market. Investigate meat CSAs. Just investigate period. It’s better for your health, the planet, and the animal you’re eating.
Happy cows apparently come from California.
A Celebration Recipe!!
the whole nation watched with bated breath as we made history and voted for CHANGE. in honor of this election day 2008, here is a celebratory recipe, good to feed a crowd. Excellent for dinner parties. So delicious and festive and chock full of healthy, hearty yumminess. I switched out white rice for brown to add more nutrients and added both chicken and chicken andouille sausage (i like adelle’s) instead of pork sausage. Time to celebrate!
Jambalaya
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onion
1 tbsp garlic
2 tbs minced shallots
1 cup chopped red bell peppers
3 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne
1 pound andouille, chorizo, or other chicken sausage cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/2 pounds boneless white and dark chicken meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 bay leaves
3 cups medium-grain brown rice
3 cups chix broth+ 3 cups water (may need more)
1 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup parsley
Creole seasoning to taste
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, 2 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne. Stirring often, brown the vegetables for about 20 minutes, or until they are caramelized and dark brown in color. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pt to loosen any browned particles. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often for 10 to 15 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Add the chicken and the bay leaves to the pot. Brown the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, scrapping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to coat it evenly. Add the water, stir to combine, and cover. Cook over medium heat for 35 minutes, without stirring, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Check after 20 minutes and add more water if needed. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the green onions and serve.
Jambalaya
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onion
1 tbsp garlic
2 tbs minced shallots
1 cup chopped red bell peppers
3 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne
1 pound andouille, chorizo, or other chicken sausage cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/2 pounds boneless white and dark chicken meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 bay leaves
3 cups medium-grain brown rice
3 cups chix broth+ 3 cups water (may need more)
1 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup parsley
Creole seasoning to taste
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, 2 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne. Stirring often, brown the vegetables for about 20 minutes, or until they are caramelized and dark brown in color. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pt to loosen any browned particles. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often for 10 to 15 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Add the chicken and the bay leaves to the pot. Brown the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, scrapping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to coat it evenly. Add the water, stir to combine, and cover. Cook over medium heat for 35 minutes, without stirring, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Check after 20 minutes and add more water if needed. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the green onions and serve.
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How Do I Choose the Right Diet? (Part I)
Truth be told, I hate the word “diet.” In my mind, it’s synonymous with the thousands of books about French women drinking wine and staying skinny and Phase I & II high-protein plans with promises that you’ll look like Heidi Klum or Brad Pitt. You don’t need to “diet” to achieve health or to lose (or gain) weight. Find the foods that are right for your physiology and consume these foods in the right ratios, and you’ve found your eating plan for life. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. Since we all have different physiological needs (biochemical individuality), we require different amounts of proteins, carbs, and fats. When you find your ratio, your body will function in balance, and that means weight normalization, mood stabilization, and more energy!
Do you have a hearty appetite? When you’re finishing one meal, are you already thinking about the next? Do you dream about hamburgers? Prefer dark meat to light? You’re a protein type. You need up to 6 oz of protein at each meal. This is 15%-20% of the population. A protein type eating the wrong foods will be hungry all the time – even if full, they will continue to eat. “What do I need? I want something but I’m not sure what it is.” Protein types can be stuffed and still feel hungry since they are inefficiently using food. Protein types do not do well on a vegetarian or low fat diet and often have problems with sugar cravings if they’re not getting enough protein.
Do you have a light appetite? Can you skip meals with no effect on energy or mood? Do your meals consist mainly of salads and veggies? You’re a carb type. This is 60%-70% of the population. You’re the opposite of a protein type. You typically don’t like meat or salt, and you love salad. Carb types feel great after fresh, organic vegetable juice and have a high tolerance for, well, carbs of all kinds: low card veggies like broccoli or kale, high carb veggies like potatoes or beets, or grains like quinoa, rice, or oatmeal. Beginning meals this way makes you feel great, and carb types can enhance well-being through fasting.
Are you attracted to meat and veggie combos? Do you tend to top your salad with chicken or order mixed vegetables with stir-fried beef? You’re a mixed type. You naturally gravitate towards protein + veggie sources together. This is 15%-20% of the population. Mixed types have very broad nutritional needs and do well with a balanced ratio of vegetables and proteins together.
So how do you know what your type is? If you’re not sure from the above descriptions, try eating the whole protein portion of your meal (4 ounces, or about the size of your fist) alone before every meal for 4 days and see how you feel. Then try eating the vegetables first for 4 days and see how you feel. No discernible difference? You’re a mixed type.
Are you laughing right now because you’re not even eating any veggies? Check back to future posts about how to START!
*Stay tuned for Part II: How Do I Build the Right Meal?
In the meantime, here is what I’m making for dinner tonight, the perfect meal for protein types.
Pot Roast! Courtesy of Simply Recipes.
* 3 lb of organic, grass fed beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast
* 1 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
* Salt, pepper, italian seasoning to taste
* 1 large yellow onion, chopped or sliced
* 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
* 1/2 cup of red wine
* Several carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise
Use a thick-bottomed covered pot, such as a dutch oven, just large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil on medium high heat (hot enough to sear the meat). Sprinkle and rub salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning all over the meat. Brown roast in pot, all over, a few minutes on each side. Don’t move the roast while a side is browning, or it won’t brown well.
When roast is browned, lift up the meat and add garlic and chopped onion to the bottom of the pan. Let the roast sit on top of the onions. Add 1/2 cup of red wine. Cover. Bring to simmer and then adjust the heat down to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer when covered.
**Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until meat is tender. Near the end of the cooking, add carrots, cook until tender, about an additional 10-20 minutes.
**OR transfer meat to crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Add vegetables and cook on high for 30 minutes.
Do you have a hearty appetite? When you’re finishing one meal, are you already thinking about the next? Do you dream about hamburgers? Prefer dark meat to light? You’re a protein type. You need up to 6 oz of protein at each meal. This is 15%-20% of the population. A protein type eating the wrong foods will be hungry all the time – even if full, they will continue to eat. “What do I need? I want something but I’m not sure what it is.” Protein types can be stuffed and still feel hungry since they are inefficiently using food. Protein types do not do well on a vegetarian or low fat diet and often have problems with sugar cravings if they’re not getting enough protein.
Do you have a light appetite? Can you skip meals with no effect on energy or mood? Do your meals consist mainly of salads and veggies? You’re a carb type. This is 60%-70% of the population. You’re the opposite of a protein type. You typically don’t like meat or salt, and you love salad. Carb types feel great after fresh, organic vegetable juice and have a high tolerance for, well, carbs of all kinds: low card veggies like broccoli or kale, high carb veggies like potatoes or beets, or grains like quinoa, rice, or oatmeal. Beginning meals this way makes you feel great, and carb types can enhance well-being through fasting.
Are you attracted to meat and veggie combos? Do you tend to top your salad with chicken or order mixed vegetables with stir-fried beef? You’re a mixed type. You naturally gravitate towards protein + veggie sources together. This is 15%-20% of the population. Mixed types have very broad nutritional needs and do well with a balanced ratio of vegetables and proteins together.
So how do you know what your type is? If you’re not sure from the above descriptions, try eating the whole protein portion of your meal (4 ounces, or about the size of your fist) alone before every meal for 4 days and see how you feel. Then try eating the vegetables first for 4 days and see how you feel. No discernible difference? You’re a mixed type.
Are you laughing right now because you’re not even eating any veggies? Check back to future posts about how to START!
*Stay tuned for Part II: How Do I Build the Right Meal?
In the meantime, here is what I’m making for dinner tonight, the perfect meal for protein types.
cooking long and slow is the way to go!
Pot Roast! Courtesy of Simply Recipes.
* 3 lb of organic, grass fed beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast
* 1 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
* Salt, pepper, italian seasoning to taste
* 1 large yellow onion, chopped or sliced
* 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
* 1/2 cup of red wine
* Several carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise
Use a thick-bottomed covered pot, such as a dutch oven, just large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil on medium high heat (hot enough to sear the meat). Sprinkle and rub salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning all over the meat. Brown roast in pot, all over, a few minutes on each side. Don’t move the roast while a side is browning, or it won’t brown well.
When roast is browned, lift up the meat and add garlic and chopped onion to the bottom of the pan. Let the roast sit on top of the onions. Add 1/2 cup of red wine. Cover. Bring to simmer and then adjust the heat down to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer when covered.
**Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until meat is tender. Near the end of the cooking, add carrots, cook until tender, about an additional 10-20 minutes.
**OR transfer meat to crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Add vegetables and cook on high for 30 minutes.
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