The Art of Healthy Eating-Slow Cooker Review

I've been reading Maria Emmerich's blog MariaMindBodyHealth for a couple years now.  She leans more towards the Ketogenic school of thought which I think is great for some people, but not necessary for everyone.  She has written several nutrition information (diet) books and cook books.  They seem to get mixed reviews on Amazon, people complain that all the information/recipes can be found on her website or is already in every other paleo/low carb book.  I can honestly say, there are loads of recipes in this book that are not on her website.  I love that many of the recipes are very simple, and many do not require you to brown meat before adding it to the slow-cooker.

My negative critiques about this book repeats what many other people have said, there are several grammatical errors.  In the beginning of the book, her description of several "healthy" ingredients is written in a choppy manner, I think she was trying to be brief and save room for more recipes.  A few recipes seem to have vague instructions.  For people without much cooking background this could cause a little confusion.

For people with a major dairy sensitivity, this book may not be for them.  Many recipes contain cream cheese, sour cream, or cheese.  Coconut milk could replace them in some places, but in others it simply won't work.

Some people will not agree with, or will be turned off by Maria's judicious use of stevia and xylitol.  I found it interesting that she even uses them in her savory dishes, however when I think about it, many traditional recipes do add a touch of sugar in some form to balance any bitterness or tartness from the vegetables and spices.  I have Pyure baking stevia, and have used it in a couple of the recipe and on my own a few times.  In the savory recipes such as the Chicken mole, you don't get any of the weird stevia licorice aftertaste, but I haven't made any of the desert items which use more of it.  Partially because I don't feel the need to have any desert items in the house right now just after the holidays.

So far Ryan and I have made:

Chicken Mole with cauliflower rice.  It was sooooo good!  And Ryan is now a cauliflower rice convert, mostly because he can eat it and not need to add another vegetable to the meal.

Reuben Chicken.  Another delicious and very easy recipe.  I whipped it together in about 5 minutes.  Of course anything that starts off with a jar of Bubbie's Sauerkraut is probably going to taste pretty good.

Shredded Beef.  I was actually surprised at how good this one was.  The combination of tomato and balsamic vinegar was delicious!  Confession...the recipe calls for red-wine vinegar and we didn't have any so I used balsamic and a little soy sauce.  Instead of serving it over mashed cauliflower we ate ours with baked sweet potatoes and sauteed broccoli.

Turkey (Chicken Tetrazzini).  Ryan doesn't typically like really creamy dishes such as fettucchini or chowders, so I made this one for myself while he was traveling. I'm really trying to avoid/limit dairy right now, so I left out the cream cheese and parm; instead I cubed 1/2 an avocado and threw that on top of my bowl.  It definitely would have been better with the cream cheese, but it was filling.  Drizzling some balsamic vinegar over the top also enhanced the flavor later in the week when I was out of avocados.

If you are looking for a real food slow cooker (crockpot) cookbook, I highly recommend Maria's The Art of Healthy Eating-Slow Cooker.   Even if you are not following a Primal or Low Carb diet, you won't be disappointed.

Hormone Cure Review

I'm finally getting around to writing my review of The Hormone Cure by Dr. Sara Gottfried.  I read and  reviewed Woman Code by Alisa Vitti earlier this spring with some surprising push-back from people saying I was too critical.  But that's the point, to critically review and analyze the book.  If I just said "Yup, it was great...good info... go read it..." that wouldn't be much of a review and would involve no critical thinking skills.  With that said, The Hormone Cure is like the big sister to Woman Code.  Dr. Gottfried goes deeper into the different hormone systems and helps link how one hormone imbalance can lead to another.

After taking her hormone balance questionnaire I was surprised by some of my symptoms.  I expected to have more symptoms of low progesterone, but in actuality the hormones most out of balance for me are High Cortisol, High Estrogen, and Low Thyroid.  The low thyroid I've been wondering about for a while now and will be having that checked in the next month.  While I haven't made huge changes to my diet I have started to switch to either 1/2 caff or decaff coffee in the morning to support adrenal function; as well as to cut back on wine consumption on the weekends.  Not that I was drinking a lot, but instead of two glasses on friday and saturday, I'm limiting my self to 1 or 2 two very small glasses, or none at all.  To address the high estrogen I've started taking Estrofactors, and after only 30 days am noticing improvements in my cycle.

Lets just start with my dislikes so I can end with the positives.

1. Being a nutritionist, I would have liked to see a more diet recommendations.  However, I'm also glad she didn't include much of that, other than telling the reader to go eat real foods (Paleo-ista style), and to increase real fats.  If she had, I think it would have been info overload, and her explanations of the hormones and lifestyle changes would have been lost.

2.  Some people may be turned off or intimidated by Dr. Gottfried's Mind/Body practices to help regulate hormones.  Depending upon the hormone imbalance someone may need to do yoga, practice diaphragmatic breathing, take up HeartMath, practice forgiveness, chant, try acupuncture or get a massage.  Some of these activities (HeartMath/Massage) might be too expensive for certain people.  And others might be intimidated to try a yoga class.  The main message of these recommendations are to RELAX!  This is something I'm trying to work on for myself.  Mostly I'm learning to deep breath when I'm feeling stressed, and working on not sweating the small stuff.  I would love to take a yoga class even 1x week, but at $17 a class, that adds up quickly.  Not to mention that Ryan and I are already paying for a gym membership.  I'm not saying these are bad suggestions; actually they are great suggestions.  I just know some people may find some of them hard to adopt.

3. It's so comprehensive that some people might get overwhelmed.  If that sounds like you, skip any sections (hormone imbalances) that don't apply to you.  Only the sections that apply to you, then follow steps 1, 2, and 3 as prescribed.  Find one or two things in each step that seem do-able and tackle those.  Example: if you have high cortisol, start with step 1. by weaning off caffeine and limiting alcohol (if you drink either).  As you develop new habits, maybe you buy yourself a heart rate monitor (amazon for $35-100) and learn a little HeartMath.  If it's in your budget, get a massage as frequently as possible.

4. I do wish some of these "sub steps" were categorized by importance. Playing off the previous example, is including 40grams of dark chocolate daily as important as me weaning off caffeine or adding a B vitamin complex?  If not, why is it listed first?

What I liked:

1. The Hormone questionnaire.  It's very thorough and can really help direct people to their personal imbalances.  Instead of starting out with expensive hormone testing, which isn't always accurate, take the questionnaire and see if you can address your imbalances that way.  Even if they can't fix it on their own through diet/lifestyle/supplement, it gives them more direction to have a frank conversation with their MD.  And then move on to saliva/blood testing.

2. This book is very comprehensive.  I'm not sure you could get more information out of a grad school textbook.  I never did.

3. I really enjoyed her case studies of patients.  I believe these will help people relate their experiences to those of others and give them hope that yes, their health can improve.  I would have liked a few more examples of younger patients, most of the stories were of middle aged women to post menopause.  I realize that's when most hormone imbalances are occurring, but us younger ladies have issues too.

4. There wasn't an excessive amount of self promotion.  Yes it's a self help book, but Sara did a great job of focussing on the reader, not herself.

5. Sara discusses not only the research behind her supplement recommendations, but also gives recommended doses!  Also, at the end of the book she provides a chart with each hormone imbalance and the recommended supplements.

6. Nothing conflicts.

Ultimately, if you think you have a hormone imbalance, read this book.  If your MD isn't listening to you, or taking your symptoms seriously, read this book then go back to them armed with information.  If you just have a general interest in healthy and physiology, read this book.

Rich Food/Poor Food Book Review

The good thing about being me is my very strong circadian rhythm.  The bad thing, is my VERY strong circadian rhythm.  I would have made a great farmer/farmer's wife back in the day.  I'm ready for bed when it's dark, and up whith the sun is.  Unfortunately this means that when I do stay up late (aka 10pm), I'm currently waking up at the crack of dawn...4:30am.  The birds are chirping, sun is seeping between the curtains, and Samoa is getting restless.  That's been my morning for the past 7 days, this is getting old.  Enough complaining.

A client recently lent me her copy of Rich Food, Poor food: The ultimate Grocery Purchasing System (GPS), by Jayson and Mira Calton.  While I haven't read their first book, 'Naked Calories', but I fully intend to now.  RF/PF isn't like any of the other Paleo books on the market which all seem to cover the same topics of digestion, cholesterol, the evils of gluten, and the benefits of coconut.  Instead, the Caltons teach you how to shop for the foods promoted by the Paleo diet.  Some people feel that paleo is for the elite, but really it's not.  Throughout the book Jayson and Mira specifically name brands that can be found at most national grocery store chains.  Yes, some of them are expensive, but they also give the less expensive brands as well.  Not only that, but the Caltons realize that not everyone needs to cut out dairy, so there is a chapter on picking the best dairy.  They also realize that not everyone needs to cut out beans, so they talk about how to properly prepare/buy beans.

This isn't to say that all they do is list foods to buy and foods to avoid.  I still learned some new tidbits of information.

PG 26: The discussion of MSG lead me down a rabbit hole of my own research.  The Caltons quote Dr. Cate Shanahan, stating that 95% of "natural flavors" found in packaged foods are in fact MSG.  I thought, "How can this be?" So I did a little more research at work and discovered that if protein has been processed to contain 99% free glutamate is must be listed as MSG on a label.  However, if the proteins are processed in such a way to contain less than 99% free glutamate then the label will read hydrolyzed protein or natural flavor(s) or any of the other 30 different names the additive.  This is so unfortunate since natural flavors can also include benign flavorings such as lemon juice.

PG 34: I've known for a while now that it's not "healthy" to microwave foods in plastic or to place hot foods into a plastic container. Why?  The chemicals from the plastic transfer themselves into the food.  The specific chemical in question is BPA.  When looking at the number on the bottom of the plastic container (similar to determining recyclability) avoid plastics with the numbers 3, 6, and 7.  I've already identified a few in our house that need to be thrown out.  But also found a few with the better numbers of 2, 4, and 5.  Here's an article a co-worker sent me on the very popular Tupperware.

PG 36: Have you noticed a lot of products boasting "Nitrate Free" or "No Nitrates Added".  Needless to say I have, and it's partially because I buy them.  I had read a few research articles describing how nitrates can be irritating to the gut lining as well as to the lungs.  However, the celery extract or salt used in more 'natural' products contains naturally occurring nitrates/nitrites which prevent bacterial growth. So do these natural nitrates also cause inflammation?  I haven't figured that one out yet.  What I learned is that manufactured nitrites often come ladened with leftover arsenic and lead.  EeeeK! good enough reason to continue to avoid them.

PG 133: Love the discussion of why choosing color fruits and veggies is important and how each color contributes different nutrients to the body and what those nutrients do for us.

PG 153: I was inspired to finally attempt my own mayonnaise. First attempt on my own since my college foods class that is.  All these Paleo peeps keep advocating the use of olive oil for making mayo... have they tasted it?  Sorry, but when you use a high quality expeller/cold pressed EVOO the resulting mayo tastes nothing like my Hains, let alone Miracle Whip or Hellman's.  The product I got is so strong in olive oil flavor I'm sure no one would want it on their sandwich.  I'm thinking of thinning it down with extra vinegar or purreing it with avocado to make salad dressing.  I will definitely be making my own again, however I think I'll find an expeller pressed sunflower seed, grape seed oil, or use MCT oil instead.  Something less flavorful.

PG 237: Ice cream...need I say more? I love ice cream!  But I can't keep it in the house because I will eat the whole container and it gives me a runny nose.  Thanks to the Calton's though, I now know that the compounds used to make strawberry flavoring (one of my favorites) is from the pus that beavers excrete from the oil glands beneath their tails.  EEWWWW!!!  Knowing that makes me want to make my own ice cream even more than I did before.  Therefore I'm going on the search for an ice cream machine at the thrift stores.  No need to buy one new since I'm sure I'll only use it a few times in the summer.

The Calton's are very focussed on nutrient density, this includes salt.  Processed salt does not contain iodine; the exceptionally important mineral needed for fertility, growth, and yes...thyroid function.  Post table salt has been iodized to prevent deficiency (especially here in the midwest, aka the goiter belt).  However, processed salt does not have any of the other micronutrients added back.  So choose unrefined sea salt.  Iodine is found in the ocean/seas and when you choose un-refined sea salt not only will you get iodine but also magnesium, calcium, and even a little potassium.  So I've refilled our salt grinder with pink Himalayan sea salt and am adding a seaweed snacks for a little extra iodine.

So overall, if you are struggling with knowing which brands of cottage cheese, butter, mustard, eggs, ground beef, and even peanut butter to buy, you should seriously buy this book.  I've been recommending it to clients as a way to help take the decision making out of shopping.

Health-Bent's Primal Cravings

A coworker recommended the blog health-bent.com to me last year, and now I've been recommending it to many of my clients who are gluten and dairy free.  It's great for clients with families who need quick easy meals or "treats" for special occasions.  Even though I'm becoming more and more convinced that cookbooks are becoming obsolete, the Keatley's first cookbook 'Primal Cravings' looked too good to pass up.  I now have my mother-in-law to thank for this past months delicious meals:

Chili Dog Chili- The recipe in the cookbook is a little different than the website version, but it really does taste like a chili dog minus the bun. We topped ours with diced pickles a squirt of mustard and some homemade kimchi. The best part was that it was ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.  To be honest, I actually despise hotdogs; it's an acquired food aversion from working at camp. However, we bought grass fed beef dogs from Whole Foods, and when mixed into the chili, they were quite tasty.  This dish is perfect for Super Bowl Sunday, which is when we are making it again. While it's great even without any beans, I did add 1/2 a can to the leftovers just to stretch it for two more meals during the following week.

Hot and Sour Chicken Soup- I originally made this for myself and froze some of the leftovers.  I didn't feel that the broth had enough flavor, so I added about 2 tsp of miso to each bowl and that really brought the dish together.  Ryan recently came down with the flu while in DC for work.  The night he came home I thawed out the leftovers and he added lots of sirracha to his bowl in hopes of clearing out his sinuses.  For the most part, I'm not a huge chicken and rice soup person, but the Asian flavors in this version are right up my alley.  Ever since it turned cold, all I want to do is eat stir-fry and curry. I couldn't find the shiratake mushroom noodles recommended in the book and had to settle for kelp noodles; neither of which I have used before. The Keatleys are right, the kelp noodles aren't anything to get excited about.  But for someone with a grain allergy, or diabetes they would be a nice alternative.  In the future I may forgo the noodles and use a little white rice instead, or just add extra carrots and perhaps some daikon radish.  Never could leave a recipe alone.  We ate the remaining leftovers last night (I added extra chicken to stretch it...see a pattern here) and topped it with kimchi, super duper delicious.

Thai Chili Chicken Meatballs- No paleo cookbook would be complete without a meatball recipe.  We ate ours with stir-fryed veggies.  The sauce was quite sweet, so we added extra sirracha...what else right?  I let Ryan make the meatballs, which he doesn't make on a regular basis, so ours were more of a Tai Chili Chicken meat-blobs.  I think these would be great for pot-luck or party.  A person could serve the sauce on the side and let guests decide how much they want.

Pumpkin Chili-Again, no paleo cookbook would be complete without at least one or two chili recipes.  I made the website version several months ago, and it was good.  I used cubed butternut squash instead of pumpkin 1.because TJ sells it.  2. because sometimes I'm lazy and want pre-chopped veggies.  I'm not sure I loved the flavor combination, but it's nice to have variety and I do plan on making it the "real" way sometime in the future.

Chunky Monkey Muffins-This was my first time cooking with tapioca flour, and the muffins came out amazing!  The nice thing about tapioca flour is that it doesn't cost a mini-fortune, unlike coconut flour and some almond flours.  For people wanting a low carb option, this is not it.  For people with a sugar addiction, this is not for them.  For someone wanting a Gluten, Dairy, Grain Free uber tasty muffin that isn't crumbly and dry, and that could easily be made nut free, this is for you!  I was licking the spoon and spatula before they even made it into the oven.  Sooooo good.  Ryan is looking forward to the gingerbread muffins and the apple tart.

Cowboy Breakfast Skillet-We have not made this yet, but it contains eggs, avocados, sweet potatoes, and hot sauce...what's not to like?

With so many of the recipes on their website you might be wondering why buy the cookbook?  Ummmm..... I truly don't know.  I guess I just like to have a real cookbook.  Plus it has extra recipes not on the website such as chorizo stuffed pork chops which I have promised to make for Ryan's little brother Chad.  And the biscuit recipe will soon be paired with gravy instead of honey butter for a Saturday morning brunch.  Unfortunately I now feel the need to invest in a mandolin so I can make the butternut squash lasagna and plantain chips that go with the Chili Pie (aka-nachos).

Woman Code De-Coded

I recently finished reading Woman Code by Alisa Vitti.  I was SUPER excited to read this book after listening to her on several interviews with Sean Croxton and a few other places; even Dr. Oz had her on his show.  Unfortunately I was incredibly disappointed.  Like so many self help books, the first 50 pages were spent discussing her life changing story, with some real information thrown in, and lots of stats on just how bad fertility is in the U.S.

Later on when she fianly starts discussing her diet recommendations I was again disappointed that the crux of the nutrition chapter was a measly 3 pages.  3 PAGES!!!  Here and there she throws in a little more, but it's not all in one place or chapter.  At the back of the book she does add another couple pages of nutrition tips for specific concerns such as fatigue, mood swings, or blood sugar problems.  However, they are extremely vague and at times contradictory.  Alisa gives the recommendation to decrease animal protein in one area, while encouraging "healthy proteins" in another.  Yet she never ever discussed what constitutes a healthy protein.  As the reader am I supposed to just guess?

Fatigue: Increase Healthy Protein
Irritability: Reduce Animal Protein (what if I irritable from low blood sugar?, see next line)
Mood Swings and Sugar Lows: Increase Healthy Protein
Low Libido: Increase beans (why, so I can feel bloated and gassy and super sexy?)

Where is she getting her information for these recommendations?

She also encourages consuming soy in the form of tofu for certain issues such as.  Apparently she has never read anything by Dr. Kaayla Daniel to learn that soy is not a food humans should be eating.  And instead of spending so much time on her 4 day detox (which includes almost no protein, and would leave me with major blood sugar issues), I would have like to see an actual discussion on why women need protein and fats to help make and balance all their hormones.  To some extent, I wonder if Alisa was worried about alienating certain sects of society (vegetarians, vegans, fat phobics) by encouraging more animal protein and animal fats specifically.  She recommends using hemp protein in smoothies, but never discusses why she chooses to not recommend whey or egg-white protein.

Alisa briefly discusses eliminating dairy and gluten to test for sensitivities, however the elimination period is a measly 4 days.  For many people, especially those with a delayed immune response (IgG antibody mediated) this is simply not long enough to determine if they do or do not have a sensitivity.  Skin reactions, brain fog, and sinus congestion can take weeks to clear up.  Same with intestinal problems depending upon severity.  Dr. Davis, author of "Wheat Bellies" does an excellent job of describing how some people take several weeks to fully detox gluten out of their system.  When I recommend a gluten free or dairy free diet, the minimum time off these foods should be 4-6 weeks.  This allows enough time for the body to begin detoxing and healing, allowing the person to actually see/feel the difference.

The last half of the book (50 pages) discusses self exploration with some other lifestyle & sex recommendations as well.  This is quite different from many other self-help books.  I had a bit of a hard time following all of it, but that's probably just my type A personality coming through.  Or I was still irritated at how little time was spent on providing good sound nutrition advice.

Areas I did find interesting and informative were:
Pg 64-discusses how different hormones interact with one another and other organ systems.  Makes one realize how no system is separate.  The body works as a whole and everything is cyclical.
Pg 114-overview of the menstrual cycle.  I was a little confused with how she starts the discussion mid follicular phase (day 7-13) instead of starting with day 1 of the menstrual phase.
Pg 116-list of foods to eat for each phase of the menstrual cycle.  This is intriguing, but I tend to eat eggs a lot, not just during my leuteal phase.  I also really really like avocados, and don't plan on limiting them to only one week per month.  It's a little concerning that Alisa does not give any references on why she created this list in this order.  Some of the foods make sense to me, but others I'm baffled by.
Pg 159-Alisa briefly describes carb cycling (eating different amounts of carbohydrate) during different phases of the menstrual cycle.  Women can also couple this with alternating between doing more cardio and yoga during their follicular and ovulation phases, compared to more HIIT during the leuteal phase.  Jade Teta from Metabolic Effect has several good articles on this practice. Molly G. from Girls Gone Strong also discusses carb cycling.  It's something I've considered playing around with, but haven't quite found my groove with.
Pg 181-there are several scenarios that often happen to people that get them off track.  The office Christmas party or a night on the town with the girls.  I liked that Alisa provided advice on how to handle and recover from a night/day of overindulging or poor blood sugar control.  HOWEVER.... her recommendation to bring sweet potatoes or a quinoa salad to your family function seems backwards to me.  Most women eat too many carbs, and are insulin resistant, and most parties focus on eating lots of carbs.  Why recommend bringing more?  Why not encourage women to make deviled eggs or mini meatballs for protein instead?

Overall her message is good and empowers women to take charge of their health.  She writes, "feed and move your body in ways that work with it's natural rhythms."  I just wish she would have spent more time on the diet/nutrition portion rather than spending so much of her book talking about herself.  If you already have a strong nutrition background and know what works for you, don't bother with this book.  If you want to learn more about hormones, particularly how hormones shift during the menstrual cycle then yes, this could be for you.  It's not that I want to be negative, I was just very disappointed in the book as a whole.

I was impressed with the fact that on her website (floliving.com), if you e-mail her/the company they actually answer you back!

Even more recently I also read through Dr. Kalish's book "Your Guide to Healthy Hormones."  While he too does a good job of giving an overview on how hormones affect different aspects of our lives (mostly female lives) he gives almost no information on how to fix hormone imbalances.  That's probably because he wants you to call him up for a consult so he can help you determine your metabolic type.  Towards the end he does encourage people to try going gluten free, and his food recommendations are spot on.  He just doesn't discuss how much of anything to eat.
Again, if you want information on hormones, give this a read.  It's easy to understand and very short (100 pages, but ginormous margins).

Better Baby Book Review

First stop after landing in Anaheim

August was one busy month.  We were gone the first three weekends traveling to Quincy to visit my 93yr old grandma, then to Anaheim to give a presentation at APCO, and then to Chicago so Ryan could hang out with his meatball (Greg, my brother-in-law) at the Midwest Brewers Fest.  While I could write about all the delicious and naughty things I ate during these travels, I'll write instead about the book I read.  

I'm semi-hooked on Dave Asprey's podcast, the bulletproof exec. This past year he and his wife Lana released The Better Baby Book.  No, I'm not planning on getting pregnant anytime soon, but the other NWW nutritionists and myself are seeing an influx of expecting moms with gestational

Breakfast at Early Bird 

diabetes, severe morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum), and other complications.  So I figured it would be good to read a book on pregnancy.  From what I've gathered, this probably isn't like many other pregnancy books that simply tell you to eat healthy, avoid deli meat, and get lots of sleep.  Nope, Dave and Lana tell you WHY.  Their point is to help you create the healthiest, smartest, most bulletproof baby around, so their recommendations can sometimes be more than what a person is willing or able to do. Thankfully, they do say several times to do the best you can, and even if you do  nothing, the chances of having a healthy baby are still pretty high.

First Beer Sample

 Main points:

1. Avoid toxins-particularly micotoxins (mold)

2. Eat lots of healthy fats

3. Eat lots of organic vegetables

4. Get adequate amounts of sleep/rest in a very dark room

5. Be at peace and think happy thoughts.

6. Have the father help with 1-5.

What I didn't like:

1. Information overload!

2. Several times he refers you to the webpage for products and more info, but it seems like there is a lot of missing info on the web page.

3. No references to the over 1000 sources he 'cites' in his book.  Dude, it's called a bibliography.

4. There are parts of the book written in 3rd person when it should be in 1st person. I know the book was a joint venture, but when they all of a sudden say "Lana ate 3 egg yolks every day" the transition is a little weird.  I thought Lana wrote the book.

5. He references 2 smart drugs that have not been approved for use in pregnant women...so why mention them at all then?

Several chapters are dedicated to nutrients/supplements needed by women, and again, they say they have a link on their webpage to all these great brands of supplements, but I found the information and links there, lacking.  Also, it really bothers me when multiple supplements are suggested, but unlike Julia Ross in her books 'The Mood Cure' and 'The Diet Cure,' the Asprey's did not feel it necessary to give concise supplementation protocol. So I did it for you!  I made sure the multi meets the requirements for Folic Acid and other B-vitamins, unfortunately most supplements do not use folate or folinic acid, instead they use folic acid, the less desirable form.  Depending upon the mulit, someone may want to take extra calcium.

Multi Vitamin
NutriKey Twice A Day (Folic Acid not Folinic, high in other B-vitamins, selenium, zinc, iodine)
Vitamin Code Prenatal (Folinic Acid-but lower in other B-vitamins, selenium, zinc, iron, iodine)
Metagenics Fem-Prenatal (Folic Acid, higher in Iron, Iodine, and zinc, and selenium)

Vitamin D
NutriKey 5000IU  (1 per day)

Calcium
Metagenics Cal Apatite  (1 per day)
Ortho Molecular Reacted Calcium  (2-4 per day)

Magnesium
Glycinate (4-8 per day)
Citrate-good for treating constipation (3-4tsp)

DHA (I disagree with his whole Krill oil being better than Fish oil, instead I typically recommend straight DHA during pregnancy)
NutriKey 200mg (3 per day)
Nordic Naturals DHA (3-4 per day)

Cod Liver oil
3 Care Therapeutics-unfermented (1-2 tsp per day)
Green Pasture-Fermented (1-2 tsp or 2-4 capsules per day)

Probiotic
NutriKey Bifido Balance (3-6 capsules per day)

Glutathione
Bulletproof Upgraded (1 pump per day)
Metagenics GlutaClear (2 per day)

Glutamine
Nutrikey Powder (1-1.5 tsp per day)
Nutrikey Capsules (3-6 capsules per day)

Sunflower Lecithin
Love Raw Foods (1-2 Tbs per day)

What I've taken away and am doing, it's never to early to prepare for pregnancy:

1. Eating more raw egg yolks.

2. Clearing out some of my toxic beauty products including hair-spray and leave-in conditioner.

3. Continuing to work on stress management.

4. Detoxing my body using Dynamic Greens, maybe someday I'll buy some activated charcoal. 

5. Attempting to reduce my exposure to EMFs

I'll probably do another post on this book discussing the bulletproof baby diet.

Cooking up a Paleo Storm

In between work and class projects I've some how found the time to read a few paleo books.  While I don't follow the paleo diet 100%, and Ryan certainly doesn't; most of our meals are fairly compliant.  As an NWW dietitian the diet we recommend is relatively close to paleo, but for many clients we still allow them to eat some bread or crackers, whole grains, beans, and dairy  if we feel their body/metabolism can handle it.  This is in contrast to people following a strict paleo diet who forgo all grains (except the occasional rice), beans and lentils, and dairy (except butter and cream).  One thing NWW and paleo have in common 100% is NO SUGAR!  Or at least keeping it very minimal.

Back to what I've read.  First up was It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig.  This was a great book.  They did a fantastic job describing insulin resistance and leaky gut in terms anyone can understand.  Their Whole30 diet challenge is a great way to get people to make changes and feel the difference.  Plus you can log onto their whole9life web page for more support and reading.  The writing style is inspiring, and keeps the reader engaged. But my favorite part are the meal planners.  Instead of several recipes, they provide a basic skill such as browning ground meat, and then give different veggie and spice options to add variety.  I've actually made copies of these for a couple of clients who were overwhelmed with cooking and getting bored with the few things they know how to cook.  While I have not made any of their one skillet meals yet, I was inspired to make picadillo for the first time in a long time.

Next up was Practical Paleo by   This is a big book.  Similar to ISWF, Practical Paleo starts out with an explanation of gut health, and hormone balance, and a few other topics.  What I like about PP over ISWF are the pictures, especially the one about Poop.  Yes, she covers why poop looks the way it does, what is normal and why abnormal poop happens.  Speaking of poop... lets talk about fermentation and how I love to make kraut.  Maybe the connection isn't obvious to you yet, but fermented food introduce good bacteria into our digestive system.  We've been joking at work about setting up a sauerkraut station in the back room, maybe not the best idea.  But one of the opening recipes in the book is for homemade sauerkraut, I couldn't pass it up.  In another week or two, we will have spicy purple kraut!

After flipping through the recipes Ryan really wanted to make the jalapeno burgers with sweet potato buns.  But before that I made a couple of the seasoning blends and ferment some purple cabbage.  I used the cooling blend on chicken legs and threw a little of the chorizo blend in our morning eggs.  The burgers were tasty, a neat combination between the savory meat and the sweet "buns"; which are really just potato pancakes.  I ate mine open face, while Ryan went burger style.  He pulled stumps in the backyard for 3 hours, so he could use the extra carbs.  Next up from this book, Apple Egg Muffins!

Roasted zucchini to go with our burgers topped with avocado and a little cheddar.

That's a tasty burger.

For the novice home cook the recipe section of this book starts out with a how-to guide on cutting and chopping.  This is a very smart move on her part since many people do not even know basic cooking skills such as chopping an onion.

On the side I've also been reading the Civilized Caveman blog.  From his recipes I made the Sweet Potato Ginger brownies, and a couple days later used the leftovers to make french toast for sunday breakfast.  Mmm Mmm Mmm.  However, I'm coming to the realization that I don't really like the texture of bake goods that only use coconut flour.  His banana bread is supposed to be amazing, so when I get a chance (and some ripe bananas) that will definitely be in my oven.

Last but not least, cucumbers.  We picked up a giant bag of pickling cucumbers from the farmers market yesterday, they are super tasty.  I knew I would make a cucumber-dill-tomato salad for the Night to Unite block party, but what else?  Then I thought...duh...make pickles.  I've never made pickles before but I know how it's done.  Of course knowing me I didn't want to make them the quick refrigerator way, nope, I want to ferment mine!  So thanks to Mark Sisson, it was easy to pull p a recipe on making fermented pickles.  I got to try these just this morning.  They are delicious and crunchy, and super salty.

Ok everybody, get out there read, cook, and ferment!

Vegetarian Myth Review

Just finished reading "The Vegetarian Myth" by Lierre Kieth.  Maybe I can't say I finished it...because I didn't actually read it through to the end, kind of skimmed the last section.

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  Kieth tackles the political, environmental, moral, and nutritional beliefs/myths that surround vegetarian and vegan eating.  Her personal experience from carnivore to vegetarian to vegan and back provide a nice story line amidst all the research.

Instead of chapters, the book is broken into sections; each supported by a mountain of research.  These are my favorite points or take home messages of the book.

1. In order for people to survive, someone/something must die.

2. Agriculture is destroying the planet.  Govt. subsidies that support corn, soy, wheat... encourage this destruction.

3. Soy is bad for you.  Don't eat foods made with soy unless they are fermented. (Soy Sauce, Miso)

4. The planet is overpopulated.  We can no longer support it through sustainable farming.  Sorry.

5. You may be "healthy" on a vegetarian diet now, but where will your health be in 20 years?

6. Buy local and sustainable when you can.  This includes produce, but also poultry, pork, beef, eggs.... get to know your farmer and his farming practices.

My biggest criticism is Kieth's feminist views.  I would have preferred if these were left out.  They were strongest at the end when she discusses how to "Save the World."  She likens the destruction of the planet and the CAFOs treatment of animals to that of female oppression.  I don't quite understand her spin on it all, and that is why I chose not to finish the last section.

While I cannot fully relate to Kieth's personal story, I can remember the days and meals when I did not consume animal protein or enough fat; I often felt hungry and unsatisfied.  Our meatless meals of black bean burrito bake, black bean burgers, oatmeal with peanut-butter, cereal with skim milk or soy milk. None of these meals provided enough protein or fat to support a healthy metabolism.  No wonder I was hungry within 1-2 hours.  Many of these recipes I've blogged about; believing them to be healthy.  At the time I did not fully understand how they were sending me on a blood sugar roller coaster.  Suppose I will have to take them down, or find a way to revamp them.  Lets just say life is a journey with lots of learning along the way.

Working with vegetarian clients or even "flexitarian" clients I can see the symptoms of protein deprivation: Anxiety, Depression, Fatigue, Poor hair and nail growth, Insomnia, Osteoporosis, Frequent illness, Cravings.  By increasing their protein intake, these symptoms disappear.  Maybe not in the first few days, but within 1-2 weeks they notice a difference.  This doesn't mean they begin eating steak overnight.  I might have them start with a little organic yogurt, some wild caught fish, eggs, even whey protein powder.  Each person has their own reason for choosing vegetarianism, so it's important to work with their beliefs, educate them properly, and reintroduce foods at the appropriate pace.

For anyone questioning starting or stopping a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle I do highly recommend reading this book.

To Gluten or Not to Gluten

If you haven't noticed, gluten free foods are taking over the shelves of grocery stores as well as restaurant menus.  BUT WHY?  and What IS gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in the grains: Wheat, Rye, Barley, Spelt, Kamut, Farro, Semolina, Bulgur, and Durum.  Oats that have been transported in trucks that carried these grains have been contaminated, and should also be considered as "gluten containing."  Oats also contain a compound similar to gluten, so for some very sensitive people, even gluten free oats are not an appropriate choice.  Gluten is what gives bread and pizza dough it's elasticity.  When a person cooks pasta, the residue left in the pan and colander is starch and gluten.

At one time, people with Celiac Disease (CD) would have had a difficult time navigating the menus at most restaurants thanks to the hidden flour found in many dishes such as sauces, gravies, salad dressing,  pre-packaged foods and cross contamination.  CD is an autoimmune disease where the body views gluten as a threat and attacks the intestinal villi where gluten is absorbed.  This typically leads to GI distress of varying degrees depending upon the person.  For some though, it leads to a rash called Dermatitis Hepetiformis.  The only treatment is a gluten free diet.  While the medical community has known about CD for a long time, the concept of Gluten Sensitivity (GS) is new and upcoming.  GS is where people's bodies react negatively to gluten, but they do not have CD.

The fact of the matter is, humans were never meant to eat the amount of gluten that we do.  Wheat in the US is specifically grown so that it contains at least 50% more gluten than it did 50yrs ago.  This makes for lighter, fluffier baked goods.  Gluten is also used as a food additive and stabilizer in just about every processed food product.  When Julia Child wrote 'The Art of French Cooking' she already knew that American flours contained more Gluten than French flours.  Thus she had to formulate the recipes taking into account these differences.  The increase in gluten consumption has not been benign though.  In her book "The Gluten Connection", Shari Lieberman PhD, CNS, FACN discusses how this increase is wreaking havoc on our health.  Today some nutritionists and doctors recognize this and instead of promoting more medications to cover up symptoms, they are recommending gluten free diets.  People who may benefit from a gluten free lifestyle include those with: Eczema/Psoriasis, Asthma, ADD/ADHD, Autism, IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disease, Osteoporosis, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, and just about any other autoimmune disease.

Unfortunately society has caught the GF craze and people now use it as weight loss/health fad diet. I think a lot of this was sparked when Elizabeth H. from The View wrote her book The G-Free Diet.  If you are in the process of cutting out gluten for health reasons fear not! You are not missing out on food.  As mentioned before you can still have a little toast with peanut butter for breakfast thanks to GF companies like UDI's.  However, filling your cabinet with GF products is not the route to take.  Replacing a regular cookie with a GF cookie, means you are still eating a cookie.  Just like any person trying to improve their health, you should fill your pantry with real food:  Meat, Veggies, Fruit, Rice, Quinoa, Sweet Potatoes, Nuts, Butter, Olive Oil, Spices, coffee, and tea.  Buyer beware though, gluten lurks in unexpected places.  Foods such as soy sauce, BBQ sauce, ice cream, salad dressings, frozen veggies with butter and cheese sauce, and flavored yogurt.  To truly go GF you will have to become a Nutrition Label Detective.  Labels now post allergen information denoting if a product contains wheat, but not gluten.

If you want to go GF for any number of reasons, it's best to meet with a Dietitian or Nutritionist to make sure you do it right.  It's best to try going GF for at least 3 weeks, but 3-6 months is best.  If you do not completely eliminate gluten, you will not be able to feel the difference.

Intuitive Eating-Review

I recently read Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD; and Elyse Resch, MS, RD, FADA.  Since starting this blog, this has to be my favorite nutrition/diet book I have read so far.  The authors wrote the first edition in 1995 after becoming dissatisfied with the typical dietitian mentality: serving sizes, exchange system, calorie counting, and so on.  The book focuses on several areas, but as the name implies, learning to eat intuitively is the main premiss.  The practices in mindful eating are now being used in eating disorder clinics around the country.  However, anyone suffering from a life of chronic dieting or food worry will identify with the example patients the authors use to help present the program.  I should make a huge disclaimer here, much as ET and ER do in their book.  THIS IS NOT A DIET!!!  By following the practices of mindful eating, people who are overweight will probably lose weight, and people who struggle with chronic dieting will come to peace with food.

Factoids: 
1. The weight-loss industry is a $30+ billion a year business.  (Programs, Pills, Shakes, Bars, Surgery)
2.  90-95% of all diets fail.
3. Restricting food slows Metabolism.
4. 45% of adults feel guilty about eating foods they like.
5. The US is the most preoccupied country with regards to weight and health concerns, we are the most overweight, yet we take the least amount of satisfaction and pleasure from eating.

There are 3-4 main types of eating disorders recognized within the medical Community and are considered a mental disorder, not a physical disorder; even-though they wreak havoc on the body:

Anorexia nervosa: Restricting food to lose weight below 85% of what is considered ideal.  Often starts off with the simple quest to lose a little weight, but spirals out of control to where patients may only eat 1 apple or a few carrots each day.

Binge Eating Disorder: Consuming more than what is considered a normal amount within a 2hr time period.  Binges may consist of 2000-4000 calories. Typically follows a time of food restriction.  People are typically of normal weight, but may be overweight.

Bulimia Nervosa:  Similar to Binge Eating, but each binge is followed by purging.  Purging may be done through laxative use, vomiting, or exercise.  Sometimes people begin to purge even after normal size meals.  The act of vomiting after a large binge of say 2000 calories, will only rid the body of approximately 800-1000 calories.  Patients have been know to purge more than 20x per day.  Patients may be of normal weight, underweight, or overweight.  

Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified: When people do not meet all the criteria for one of the other eating disorders.  Ex: A woman with Anorexia Nervosa who still experiences menstruation even though at 5'5" she only weights 100lb = 80%ideal body weight.  This is also where people who are chronic dieters or yo-yo dieters would fall.  People who are preoccupied with thoughts of food, nutrition, and distorted body image.  Again, these patients may be a wide range of body sizes.  Surprisingly, almost 50% of the female population could fall into this category.  Think of how many women have gone on a diet, regained the weight and then some, gone on another diet...only to then regain more weight.  It's a vicious cycle, and one that has a very devastating impact on the psyche and body.

There are ten steps to becoming an Intuitive Eater, and the book does an excellent job of outlining each.

1. Reject the diet mentality.
2. Honor your hunger.
3. Make peace with food.
4. Challenge the food police.
5. Feel your fullness.
6. Discover the satisfaction factor.
7. Cope with emotions without the use of food.
8. Respect your body.
9. Exercise-feel the difference.
10. Honor your health-gentle nutrition.

The authors stress that intuitive eating is a process, unlike diets there is no linear thinking.  It is not starting at one weight with the sole intention of losing a certain amount of weight.  It is a journey.  Some days will be better than others, but each part of the journey should be see as a positive experience.  Almost each step towards becoming an intuitive eater encompasses the need to enjoy food, enjoy life, and love your body.  Think about weight watchers statement that it is not a diet.  Of course it is!  It does not teach a person to listen to their body, it teaches them to focus on points.  And what is a person to do when their points run out at the end of the day, and they are still hungry or at a party with lots of delicious food?  Quite the quandary.  My favorite statement in the book is "If you don't love it, don't eat it, and if you love it, savor it."  

If you or someone you know struggles with chronic dieting or poor body image, I highly recommend reading Intuitive Eating. While you may be able to practice the principles on your own, like any journey it's best to have support from a friend or family member.  It can be scary to let go of the diet mentality and food rules, but being able to sit at a meal knowing you can eat without worry is liberating.  

Vegan Diabetics

I finished reading the book "Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes" a few weeks ago.  Overall I thought it was a decent 'self help' book, in that it didn't just repeat itself over and over, and the average person can read it and gain a lot of knowledge.  It sites some interesting studies and builds a strong case for rethinking the American Diabetes Association diet.  What is his diet?  It's a low-fat vegan meal plan, the same thing Dr. Ornish studied and recommended for patients with heart disease in the 80's and 90's.  Dr. Barnard is the president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).  The organization promotes vegan diets for everyone and are also activists in the promotion for ethical treatment of research animals.  The organization studies how diet and lifestyle affect chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and many others.  I'm not going to go too in-depth, but here is what I liked and didn't like about this book:
Yay:

• Being a vegan = more vegetables and fruits!!!
• Decreases junk food, a box of potato chips might be vegan, but it isn't low fat.
• It promotes weight loss, which is a good thing since most people with Type II diabetes are overweight.  Weightloss alone helps lower blood glucose.
• The program apparently works really really well.
• Excellent explanation and analogies of the disease process and complications of diabetes.
• His studies did not include an exercise component, but he does discuss how exercise is needed for optimal blood glucose control.
• No need to measure portions, encourages people to eat until they are comfortably full.
• It's an alternative to the high fat, low carb diets.
• Not only does the diet address diabetes, but also heart disease and renal failure.  Both are major issues for people with diabetes.

Nay:

• He sites the China Study, which has been reviewed by many people and found to be very unfounded and based on correlation.  My high school psychology teacher used to say "correlation does not equal causation"
• His two studies were very small 13 test subjects in one, 49 in the second.
• He states "there is no reason for anyone to eat animal-derived foods"... let me know if I'm wrong but I think we evolved with canine teeth for a reason.  People must supplement their diets when they cut out meat, and no ancient culture would ever willingly cut out meat or seafood all together.
• He attributes food cravings to a release of opiates from meat, sugar, cheese, and chocolate.  And poor diet to poeple having a lack of dopamine receptors in their brain.  He skips over the fact that both these issues have major social, environmental, and emotional connections too.   
• He promotes the ingestion of a high amount of processed meat substitutes.  According to him, I could have: Scrambled tofu, 'Facon', and a glass of rice milk for breakfast, A tofurkey and soy cheese sandwich at lunch, and a stir-fry with Boca meatless crumbles for supper.  This is a lot of processed soy.  While edemame and small amounts of tofu and tempe are ok, these highly processed products may be linked to....CANCER! Something he also forgets to mention; women with certain types of breast cancer need to avoid soy secondary to it's estrogen mimicking effects.
• He limits nuts because they are high in fat.  He considers a serving of nuts as 3oz, but in actuality it's only 1oz.  Almonds and walnuts have been shown to lower overall cholesterol while simultaneously improving HDL cholesterol levels.  Nuts should be promoted, not limited.

What I found most interesting and controversial was the research on milk.  Much of what he discusses in the book can be found on the PCRM website, and it's worth taking a gander at.  They cited a study finding that drinking more than 1 glass of milk/day increases a woman's chance of ovarian cancer by 73%.  WHOLEY MOLEY that's a lot.  The studies concerning IGF-1 and it's links to prostate and breast cancer may be suspect.  I question it especially after reading this literature review by the  Cornell University Sprecher Institute on Comparative Cancer Research; it appears that the milk consumption and cancer risk are rather unfounded.  There are a few other issues in the research he cites, such as the one finding that children under the age of 1 should not drink dairy milk since it leads to colic and iron deficiency.  Duh...ideally they should be drinking their mothers breast milk; formula is a close second. No dietitian or doctor would ever recommend that children under 12 months drink regular dairy milk.

Ultimately I like the book, it does promote a healthy lifestyle and for people who are tired of counting carbs and limiting their favorite pasta dishes, going vegan might be a good alternative.  I just feel that Dr. Barnard may have taken studies and twisted their results to favor this type of lifestyle.  For the most part the jury is still out on what the best type of "diabetic diet" is.  Low Carb, Vegetarian, Paleo, Low Fat... I encourage people to eat whole foods especially fruits and vegetables, and so far there are no studies to show otherwise.

Sports Nutrition Workshop

This weekend I had the very exciting opportunity to meet Nancy Clark MS, RD, CSSD, FACSM and William (Bill) Evens PhD, FACSM.  For those who do not know, Nancy wrote one of the most widely used books concerning the topic of Sports Nutrition, Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook.  She and Bill have collaborated on other works and research.  Bill is the Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Senior Research Fellow Dept. of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center and has specialized much of his research in the area of aging and has also written several books.  The workshop started Friday afternoon at St Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta, GA and continued Saturday morning.

Much of what Nancy spoke about I already knew from reading her book and just keeping up on the topic of sports nutrition.  However, it did reinforce the fact that I probably need to do a better job of refueling after my own work outs.

Bill presented on Saturday and the information he gave was extremely interesting.  He certainly makes the case for encouraging more physical activity especially in the aging population.  What I found most intriguing was the study he did on the use of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs).  During exercise muscle fibers are damaged causing inflammation which actually helps in the rebuilding process.  He and his colleagues found that both Tylenol and Ibuprofen inhibit the inflammation (which decreases muscle soreness) however, this also blunts the muscles ability to repair itself.  He recommends icing, heat, massage, rest, and proper refueling/rehydrating as ways to decrease muscle soreness caused by exercise.

Chocolate milk seemed to be brought up quite frequently during the weekend as a an excellent food to use for refueling instead of pricy protein supplements.   It go me wondering if patients in hospitals might be more likely to drink a glass of chocolate milk vs the standard Ensure or Boost?  Personally, I think I'd rather have the milk.  Plus it would be more cost effective when the main concern is calories and protein in a patients diet and not their micronutrient intake.

Food Inc.

Last week I finished reading Food Inc.  This of course means I now need to watch the documentary; strange how the movie came before the book.  I really enjoyed reading this one, it was much easier to follow than Fast Food Nation thanks in part to it's organization and shorter chapters.  Here are 6 of the things I learned or liked:

1. The food industry likes to sue people.  Don't get caught saying anything negative about a food company or they will come after you.  It's affectionately called "veggie libel."

2. Biodiesel is dirtier than regular diesel.  I kind of knew this already, but the chapter on it really clarified things for me.  Just the other morning the news was touting how GA is going to start using peanuts to make biodiesel...because it's cleaner burning... I now believe it is wrong to use food as car/truck/tractor fuel.

3.  For every one person who does care about our food industry and it's impact on the world, there are several more who do not.  But change always starts with a minority, and it always starts with little steps.  So I'm going to try and do what I can to be a little greener and little more earth/animal friendly.

4. This book doesn't just spew a lot of information and leave you wondering "what can I do."  There is an entire chapter on how to start a community garden,  as well as stories about what people have done to make changes in their communities and businesses.

5. The chapter on childhood obesity was great.  Most of the information I already knew, but for those parents who want to feed their children well, and maybe even change their school food system this will give them some great ideas on where to start.

6.  Buy grass fed beef and organic/free range chickens.  Happy, healthy animals are better for us and better for the planet.

At the end of the book there are 3 recipes.  I made the cauliflower with red onions, chilies, and garlic the other night along with Giada De Laurentiis' turkey meatloaf.  My sister gave me her newest cookbook as a wedding present.  She even had it signed by Giada, I was pretty excited(See picture below).  Both recipes are FABULOUS!

Cauliflower with Red Onions, Chilies, and Garlic

Created by Preston Maring

Prep: Cut 2-3 small heads of cauliflower or broccoli into 1/2" florets.  Mince 4 large cloves of garlic.  Thinly slice 1/3 of a large red onion.

Heat 3Tbs of olive oil in a large skillet.  Saute' the cauliflower until it starts to soften.  Add the red onion and 2 large pinches of crushed red chili flakes.  Continue to cook until the cauliflower starts to brown a little.  Remove from heat.  Toss with the garlic.  Add a splash of red wine vinegar and the juice of 1/2 a lemon.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Fast Food Nation

I finally finished reading 'Fast Food Nation.' I realize I'm a few years behind the craze, but we all move at our own pace.  Since there are plenty of reviews on this book already I'll just make a few general comments.
1) The beginning was good.  It really drew me in with the descriptions of Colorado.  The middle was dry with so much information I was overwhelmed and don't really remember much other than IBP stands for the Iowa Beef Processors now known as Tyson Fresh Meats.  The end picked back up and recaptured my attention.
2) It made me consider going vegetarian.  Not because of the conditions animals are slaughtered in, but the conditions the people who slaughter them work in and the treatment they receive when they are injured on the job.
3) I plan on buying more locally or organically when purchasing meat.  The practice of feeding animals other animals (cows to chickens and chickens to goats) disgusts me.  Other than the occasional bug, these animals are herbivores and should eat that way.
4) Maybe injected hormones and antibiotics infiltrate our milk and meat, maybe it doesn't...If we have to test products and worry about them causing problems in humans I'm not sure I want to risk it.  No one ever needed to test wild turkey or salmon for carcinogens and added hormones. (Until we started polluting, but that's another story.)

All in all it was good book even if it did get a little overwhelming in the middle.  I highly recommend it for people wanting to know just how big and powerful large companies such as Mc Donalds are when it comes to influencing where our meat comes from and how it is treated both alive and dead.  Other books  on my reading list:  Better Bones Better Body and Food Inc.

Lastly, when Mom was here the other weekend I introduced her to SheerBliss Ice Cream.  If you can get your hands on a can of it I HIGHLY recommend you do. Don't look at the nutrition label, just enjoy the amazing flavor.  The vanilla is so good it doesn't need anything to go with it.  If you think Ben & Jerry's or Haagen-Dazs is good, just wait until you try SheerBliss.  Because that's what it is.  Plus the cans are fun to collect.

Super Foods Rx

A few months ago I started reading Super Foods Rx by Steven Prat, M.D., and Kathy Matthews. I normally do not read "diet" books but I picked it up and happened to flip to page 26 where they write, "The best approach to any health change is one that is positive. I believe that "diets" that forbid foods or make eating satisfying meals a challenge are counterproductive." After reading that I was hooked.

What I really like about this book is that while he has picked out 12 'super foods' he also includes other foods that are similar or part of the same family. Unlike many of the magazine articles and books that give a list of foods to avoid or a short list of specific foods you can eat; this one encourages a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, but also includes whole grains, and some animal protein. While earning my B.S. and then during my dietetic internship I started to take what I was learning and apply it to my own life. As I think back, my love of nutrition started in Jr. High. Somehow I figured out that what the school was serving for lunch was a pretty poor excuse for a meal. On days when, pepperoni pizza, hamburgers, and french fries were my only options I packed a sandwich, apple, fruit snack, carrot sticks, and bought a milk from the Ala' Cart line. This continued into high school, where bringing my own lunch became a daily routine. I still bought the occasional twix, or peanut butter cup from the school, but we all need a treat now and then.

In college I learned that I greatly disliked the flavor of aspartame(splenda), and that cereal high in fiber kept me 'regular' during times of stress. When dining out or making lunch for my boy friend, now fiance I continued to include fruits and vegetables with the meal. Living with three dietitians last year during my internship inspired me to continue my quest to improve my diet. Granted, some of it was spurred on by a tight budget. Ex: plain oatmeal is cheaper than individual packets of the flavored stuff. We had family dinner nights where one of us would cook a favorite meal from home, or try a new recipe on the rest of us. Through the internship I learned to love sun-butter (made from sunflower seeds), beets, dry beans, and tofu. I also discovered that unless it is fried I do not care for eggplant.

Back to the main focus of this entry...even as a dietitian with a pretty healthy diet; by reading this book I have started to increase certain foods in my diet. Seen here is chili con carne made by Ryan, over brown rice, romaine/spinach salad with carrots and mushrooms, and balsamic vinaigrette. The book is filled with information taken from credible research articles and journals describing why each food is considered "super." Instead of focusing on weight loss, the writers aim to help the reader improve their life by decreasing their chances of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease through nutrition. For people who wonder what to do with some of the foods (soy beans or pumpkin), they include recipes and other simple suggestions on how to get more of them into the diet. A person can even take what they learn and apply it when dining out. Instead of ordering the Cesar salad, a person would know to order the spinach salad with blue cheese and walnuts simply because the spinach and nuts have more vitamins/minerals/and antioxidants than ice-burg lettuce ever will.

Unfortunately portion sizes are not a huge focus. A suggestion of servings per day or week are included for each food, however readers will need to remember that just because pomegranite juice contains polyphenols, does not mean they should drink it buy the gallon.