Tips, tidbits, and treats from a holistic nutritionist for a healthier world.

I don’t know where you are, but right now in San Francisco it’s barely 60 degrees and foggy cold. I’m fairly certain most of the U.S. is sweating through a heat wave, but I just walked the dog wearing a down jacket with a (faux) fur hood.

Weather like this makes me crave comfort foods. I’m not talking mac n cheese or mashed potatoes (although I have an awesome cauliflower mash recipe that is to DIE for. and a great root vegetable mash. Both are excellent mashed potato subs). I want healthy comfort foods, like sweet potato fries or my newest creations, sweet potato chips. These are much better than those Terra chips that are fried in unhealthy vegetable oils. These make a great snack or great accompaniment to a meal when you want a healthier version of chips.

1 – 2 large sweet potatoes (there are many varieties, but choose sweet potato over yam. I generally prefer the white fleshed Japanese sweet potatoes, but this one is one of the softer orange varieties)
Extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

Slice the sweet potato very thin. You could even use a microplane grater. This one was so huge that I ended up cutting the slices in half, but whatever works for you. Place in a large bowl, drizzle olive oil over, then toss with sea salt. Cover a cookie sheet in parchment and spread discs over the sheet. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, then flip and bake 15 more minutes. They’re done when they start to curl and crisp on the edges. Delicious!
Dinner! with an organic turkey burger topped with freshly made pesto, side of raw kraut:

In keeping with the trend of my recent post stating that eating fat doesn’t make you fat, I decided to clear up some confusing information about cholesterol too.
1. Eating cholesterol does not raise cholesterol levels
2. High cholesterol does not necessarily give you heart disease
3. Cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) are WAY over-prescribed, do not reduce risk of heart disease, and have detrimental side effects*
4. Man made trans fats, hydrogenated oils, rancid fats (that come in the plastic jug labelled “vegetable oil”), and sugars cause inflammation that contributes to high cholesterol & heart disease

We’ve been told that eating a diet high in saturated fats causes both heart disease, weight gain, and high cholesterol. We’ve been told that saturated fats and cholesterol clog and constrict our arteries, leading to coronary artery disease and heart attack. Saturated fat has been mercilessly demonized.

I explained in my last post that saturated fat is not “bad” when consumed in whole foods. And cholesterol is not the enemy; it’s very necessary for health. Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in all your cells. It’s produced and regulated by the liver and used to produce hormones, cell membranes, and for repair. Most people take in about 200-300mg of cholesterol via food per day, and typical cholesterol synthesis by the body per day is around 1,000mg. Here’s the interesting point: The body compensates for cholesterol intake by reducing the amount synthesized. This means that if you eat, say 500 mg of cholesterol in a particular day, the body will only need to synthesize 500 mg. This means that there is not an overflow of excess cholesterol if you eat a lot of shrimp one day. Repeat after me: Eating actual cholesterol does not result in high levels of cholesterol.

Cholesterol levels above 200mg/dl are flagged as high, and statin drugs are usually recommended. We also look at HDL (typically deemed “good cholesterol”) and LDL (“bad cholesterol”). HDL act as cholesterol scavengers, picking up excess “bad” cholesterol in your blood and taking it back to your liver where it’s broken down. LDLs carry cholesterol and fats throughout your body, delivering it to different organs and tissues. But if your body has more cholesterol than it needs, the excess keeps circulating. Over time, circulating LDL cholesterol can enter your blood vessel walls and start to build up under the vessel lining. Deposits of a certain type of LDL cholesterol particles within the vessel walls are called plaques, and they begin to narrow your blood vessels. More on this in a bit.

Typically, high levels of HDL (above 50) mean you’re good, but high levels of LDL (above 100) mean you’re doomed. These readings are becoming a bit antiquated because it’s a little more involved than HDL & LDL numbers. Now we know that it’s the type of LDL that makes a difference, and there are 2 types: the buoyant bouncy type A LDL are not harmful like the smaller, dense type B LDL. Pattern B is frequently associated with low HDL cholesterol levels, elevated triglyceride levels, and the tendency to develop high blood sugar levels, most likely due to a diet high in refined foods, refined flour and grains, and sugars, corn syrups, or sodas.

Here’s what happens with arterial damage. Your body uses cholesterol for repair, as we established. It sends cholesterol to artery walls to repair nicks or damage, along with collagen, so artery walls don’t spring a leak. The body’s own band-aid! But when there is more type B LDL circulating, it can actually cause arterial damage and begin to build up as plaque. This type of cholesterol is associated with higher risk for coronary artery disease. It is oxidizes more quickly, creating more arterial damage, hardening arteries. This also increases inflammation throughout the body as white blood cells are sent to the area for repair (think what happens when you cut your finger–it swells and turns red). We hear a lot about how inflammation is bad. This is one part of that story. So, long story short here: not *all* LDL is bad. It’s the type that matters.

Some of the type A & B is dictated by genetics, but studies have show that eating more high carb foods (sugar, white flour, processed foods, foods that break down into sugar like a grain-based diet) and man-made trans fats can actually increase the type B LDL. So, basically, let it be learned: eating fat (from natural sources, like meat, dairy, or real fat, NOT the man made hydrogenated oils) does not raise cholesterol. This is an age-old myth that is finally being blown out of the water. Culprits: sugar, processed food, cereal, soda, candy, cookies, cake, baked goods, pasta, bagels, AND too many of the wrong kinds of fat, like canola and vegetable oils. Basically, everything we’ve been told to eat for better health because it’s low fat. Look, if this was true, shouldn’t we all have low cholesterol by now? With our fat free snacks and our low fat meals? I talked about this in my last post.


Look, I know it’s complicated. I know you’re skeptical. When it comes down to it, remember that your body uses cholesterol for repair, and if you have too much damaged/oxidized LDL circulating, your body will use that for repair, which increases arterial damage, causes inflammation, and hardens arteries, leading to disease. Eating processed food increases arterial damage because is made with nutrient-poor, refined, and structurally damaged ingredients like rancid vegetable oils (soybean, corn, cottonseed, canola) that have been heated, damaging the delicate fatty acids. Too many damaged vegetable fats (the lower in saturated fat kind we’ve been told to eat) only contribute to the problem. We have tinkered too much with nature in processed food, trans fats, and a diet unnaturally high in carb based foods. We need saturated fat for structural repair, just not in the form of birthday cake and ice cream. Cut the sugar, ditch your low fat snacks, and stick to whole foods, lots of veggies, EGGS!, organic meats, and the good fats (even saturated!): butter, ghee, coconut & palm oils, olive oil, avocado.

Recommended reading:
Know Your Fats, by Mary Enig
The Cholesterol Myth, by Uffe Ravnskov
More about LDL testing:

http://thehealthyskeptic.org/the-most-important-thing-you-probably-dont-know-about-cholesterol

Learn more about the cholesterol myths:

http://www.naturalnews.com/022960_medical_myths_cholesterol.html#ixzz1RqySo94h

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/the-cholesterol-myth-that_b_676817.html

*A past post on statins:

http://www.maryvancenc.com/2008/11/the-latest-pharmaceutical-lie/

The conventional medical system and the holistic wellness sphere have different barometers for measuring health. For example, when you go to your doctor’s office, you get weighed, get blood taken, and your blood pressure is measured. You are rarely asked about your diet or your habits (other than possibly how much you drink). Maybe if you’re overweight, your doctor will suggest losing weight. Maybe not. If your cholesterol is “high” (usually over 200), you may be put on statins or another cholesterol lowering drug. (That’s certainly a blog post for another time. I’m working on a thorough post about the conventional medical myths about high cholesterol). While weight, blood pressure, and your blood chemistry analysis are indicators of health, the buck doesn’t stop there. In fact, they may not even be the best indicators of day to day health.

Vibrant health goes beyond numbers. It encompasses lifestyle, diet, stress management, healthy habits. So how healthy are you really? Take my little quiz and find out.

How much sleep do you get every night?
Less than 8 hours: 2
8-9 hours: 0

How much coffee do you drink daily?
2 or more 6oz cups: 3
1 cup only: 2
None! Or only once or so weekly: 0

Do you eat breakfast?
No: 2
Yes: 0

Do you skip meals?
Yes: 2
No: 0

Do you eat a serving of deep leafy greens, such as kale or chard, at least 5 times weekly?
Yes: 0
No: 2

Do you use canola oil or other “vegetable” oils like corn or soy?
Yes: 2
No: 0

Do you eat packaged foods with artificial ingredients (that you may not be able to pronounce)? Be honest!
No: 0
Occasionally: 2
Yes: 4

Do you buy conventional meats/dairy from big chain stores (over organic meats)?
Yes: 2
No: 0

Are you happy in your life right now?
Yes: 0
No: 3

Have you experienced a death, birth, divorce, or a move in the past year?
Yes: 3
No: 0

Do you exercise?
No: 3
Yes: 0

Do you have more than 1 mercury filling in your mouth?
No: 0
Yes: 3

Are you more than 10 pounds overweight?
Yes: 3
No: 0
If you are “apple shaped” add 1 point

Do you have a bowel movement every day?
Yes: 0
No: 3

Do you use natural cleaning products?
No: 2
Yes: 0

Do you spend time (about 15 minutes per session) in the sun 5 times weekly, minimum?
Yes: 0
No: 2


Do you consume more than 5 drinks weekly?
Yes: 2
No: 0

Do you smoke?
Yes: 5
No: 0

Do you get sick frequently, six times yearly or more?
Yes: 5
No: 0

Do you take antibiotics once yearly or more?
Yes: 2
No: 0

Do you work more than 40 hours per week?
Yes: 3
No: 0

Scoring:
25 – 58: You have some work to do
24 – 5: Not bad
<5: Great job!

Important to note: sleep, avoiding weight gain around the midsection, not working more than 40 hours weekly (which increases stress levels, and stress really is the first rung in the ladder of imbalanced health), having a daily bowel movement, and eating plenty of leafy greens and veggies and minimal processed foods. If your score was high, start with those items to whittle it down. I think I’m going to write that post on cholesterol now….

I originally posted this back in 2009 but am reposting and updating, because I’ve been talking a lot about coffee lately.

I love coffee. I love the smell and the taste, with a little coconut milk & cinnamon. I would drink it more often, if it didn’t contribute to severe anxiety and blood sugar instability for me. Instead, I’ll have a cup a few times a month if the mood strikes. Sometimes I’ll go months without. But I always notice how nearly everyone I encounter on my way to work has a cup of coffee in their hands. We, as a society, love our coffee.

Coffee is hotly debated in the nutrition world. Like booze, I think that those who want to defend its merits can easily find positive health benefits associated with coffee, and those who are “against” it can find negatives. Let’s examine the great coffee debate.

On the plus side, coffee is very high in antioxidants and contains some minerals, too. In fact, in the Standard American Diet, most people probably get the majority of their antioxidants from their morning coffee. There is also evidence that coffee possesses liver-protective qualities, especially in those who drink alcohol (good news for those of you who reach for a java when you’re heading to work, hungover). We’ve also heard that coffee may prevent Alzheimers and Parkinson’s. And we’re addicted to the buzz: coffee increases blood flow to the brain, jacking productivity and alertness and also helping us “go” in the morning. Many drink it just so they can maintain a regular morning (or whenever) poop. And it sure is tasty and comforting: a warm beverage ritual is a great way to start off the day. And then again at 3pm, when the afternoon crash disrupts your day.

On the minus, coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed crops. It has a very high concentration of pesticides that are also xenoestrogenic and can lead to endocrine disorders and toxic build-up. Coffee, like booze, is a drug, because it contains a lot of caffeine. It’s addicting. If you’re addicted to coffee, you’ll experience headaches – sometimes severe migraines – if you go a day without it, not to mention the fatigue and haze you’ll likely encounter. Caffeine can cause anxiety and sleep disturbances. Caffeine has a long half-life, meaning it takes your body a long time to break it down. Coffee consumed at 10am can still affect your sleep 12 hours later. Also, caffeine affects everyone differently: some can drink coffee after dinner and fall asleep within the hour, whereas others can be wired all day and experience high blood pressure or heart palpitations. Some people just metabolize caffeine more effectively.

Coffee (especially on an empty stomach) can also adversely affect blood sugar and cortisol levels. Many people like the appetite-suppressing effects and use coffee to stave off hunger and skip a meal. It raises blood sugar, temporarily arresting hunger. But about an hour or 2 later, your blood sugar comes crashing down, leaving you starving, irritable, and/or tired and craving more coffee or sugar. That’s right, coffee causes sugar cravings, too. Coffee raises cortisol levels, which can lead to adrenal burn-out and eventually, weight gain. Coffee is not a friend to your adrenals.

Coffee is a diuretic: it causes the body to flush delicate B vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium and potassium. Coffee is acid-forming: it leaches minerals from the body as your system attempts to maintain alkalinity, because it fosters an acidic state in the body. It is also dehydrating (read: bad for your skin!)

So here’s the thing: coffee, like everything else, is probably fine in moderation. And by moderation, I mean once a week or so if you’re otherwise healthy and not physically dependent upon it. But why be a slave to addiction? If you can’t go a day without your coffee, it’s time to examine why. Are you excessively fatigued? Time for adrenal repair. Are you constipated and can’t poop without your coffee? Time for digestive assessment or cleansing. Are you using coffee to kill your appetite so you can avoid breakfast (only to binge later)? Skipping meals is not the way to lose weight. Do you lack focus, or are you foggy without coffee? My philosophy is that you shouldn’t be addicted to anything, so if you use coffee as a crutch, there is an underlying physiological reason why, and you need to get to the bottom of that.

Try a week without (cut down slowly!). Switch to green tea, which is very high in minerals, has less than half the caffeine, and nourishes the adrenals rather than frying them. Green tea promotes good solid, stable energy without the spike and crash, and stokes the body’s fat burning furnace. Break your addiction by switching from half caff/half decaf, then cut down to once a week. Avoid coffee altogether if you have insomnia, high blood pressure/cholesterol, anxiety, if you’re trying to lose weight, or if you’re doing a cleanse. Caffeine affects everyone differently. Use it with care.

1. Don’t skip meals.
Skipping meals wreaks havoc on blood sugar and hormones. Cortisol & insulin are elevated, and this biochemical response, if repeated often, results in poor metabolism & turns on your fat storage mechanism. Ideally, eat 3 good meals per day with no snacking. Until your metabolism is regulated, you may need a snack between lunch & dinner (and maybe between breakfast and lunch). You can skip a snack but try not to miss a meal.

2. Combine a protein, a healthy fat, a non-starchy vegetable and a starchy veggie (or gluten free grains in moderation,) at every meal. A ‘balanced meal’ doesn’t mean equal amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrate. It means using foods you can use to rebuild your body and balance your hormones. The best ratio depends on your individual metabolism.

3. Eat unprocessed food whenever possible. Can you pick, gather, milk, fish or hunt the food you’re eating? Perhaps someone does that for you, but avoiding foods that are processed, damaged or full of toxic chemicals is always your best option.

4. Make protein a ‘building block’ of every meal, and make your plate half veggies. Since protein is the basis of your meal, choose meat, fish, poultry, or eggs that are as fresh as possible and do not contain chemicals, hormones, or preservatives.

5. Add ‘good’ fats to each meal: olive, coconut, sesame, avocado, flaxseed oils, butter, ghee. Good fats are described as saturated fats or mono- or polyunsaturated oils that are cold-pressed, pure-pressed, expeller-pressed. Avoid all damaged fats known as ‘trans-fats’ (“partially hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated”). Olive oil and butter are healthy fats but can be damaged by excessive heat, so use coconut oil or butter for high temp sauteeing. Most margarine and those spreads you get in tubs contain trans-fat or chemicals, so avoid.

6. Eat real carbohydrate to each meal: Can you grow, pick or harvest this food? Fruits and starchy vegetables, gluten free grains (in moderation, if at all), and legumes are the best choices. Organic foods reduce your ingestion of toxic chemicals such as pesticides. Too few or too many carbohydrates in your diet will create hormone imbalances. Learn the correct amount of carbohydrate for your metabolism.

7. Eat non-starchy vegetables freely. Many of the essential nutrients you need to regenerate body tissues such as vitamins, mineral and fiber are found in non-starchy vegetables.

8. Snack if you must. Smaller, frequent meals are better for some folks than fewer larger meals or skipping meals altogether.

9. Take a pharmaceutical-grade multivitamin and mineral supplement. Unless you are eating sufficient quantities of organic foods produced in nutrient-rich soil, it is very possibly you are not getting the required vitamins and minerals your body needs for even ordinary metabolic repair.

10. Drink enough water EVERY day and cut down on the coffee! No coffee after 12pm.

11. Engage in stress relief or regenerative exercise like yoga or pilates to balance out the cardio. (if you don’t do cardio, start taking 20 minute walks)

Helpful Hints to Remember
Choosing Food
1. I prefer that you buy foods that don’t have labels, but if they do, READ THEM. Avoid ingredients you cannot pronounce.

2. Eat raw food every day — veggies & fruits. At each meal, eat a variety of raw vegetables with your cooked foods.

3. Avoid overcooking vegetables. Cook just until tender but crisp.

4. Always plan ahead for the week’s meals (on Sunday, make a list and go shopping) and plan for your snacks too! Don’t hit the vending machine.

The Act of Eating
1. Set your table attractively and pick pleasant subjects to talk or think about.

2. Chew food thoroughly, notice the color and texture of what’s on your plate. Don’t eat when you’re upset or for emotional reasons.

3. Avoid distractions such as TV, radio, reading and driving while eating. Make eating an enjoyable time. Take small portions and pause consciously between helpings.

4. Avoid overeating. Eat until you are “eight parts full.”