Eating Outside of the Box

The term "thinking outside the box" is used to describe situations in which someone thinks outside of the norm, or is innovative or unique in their thinking. I'd like to suggest we all need to think this way, in more ways than what I'm about to discuss. 

With respect to this food and wellness blog, the "norm" in our society is to go for convenience. We are busy, I get it.  But I believe convenience foods have become one of the major culprits to our nation's declining health. 

Convenience foods are pre-packaged, prepared foods that are usually manufactured in large facilities by machines. In order to be shelf-stable (not decompose), they must contain preservatives. They come dressed in pretty bags, boxes and cans with all sorts of claims - natural, healthy, whole grain, fortified, nutritious are just a few of the clever words printed on them to convince us that they are as good as what you would make in your own kitchen. But turn the package around and read the ingredients. Do you have monosodium glutamate, partially hydrogenated soybean oil or hydrolyzed corn protein in your pantry? Me neither. 

I believe with every fiber of my being that If we were to "eat" outside of the box, we would be a much healthier population. Don't get me wrong - sometimes you need something that is packaged. I stress the word "sometimes." If the bulk of your diet or the diet you feed your children requires a can opener, microwave or recycling, you might be setting yourself (and your kids) up for a higher risk of health problems, not the least of which is obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Why? Packaged foods are generally higher in sodium, sugars, fats (the unhealthy kind), calories, chemicals and food dyes - all of which are contributing factors to diseases. They have also been linked to learning and behavioral disabilities, ADD/ADHD, autism, mood swings, depression and fatigue. 

You'd be hard pressed to find any doctor, nutritionist or health expert that would tell you that you don't need a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean meats. We all know we should be eating more of these food groups, especially the fresh veggies. So why don't we? Convenience. Ugh. There's that word again. How convenient is it to be sick? To be in a doctor's waiting room? To monitor blood sugar? To fill yet another prescription?

As spring is about to push forth an abundance of new veggies and fruits, I urge you to use this time as a springboard to better health. Once you eliminate the packaged foods and dig in to what is growing in your area, you will be amazed at how your tastes change. You will taste the sweetness of a carrot, the bitterness of collard greens, the spiciness of a radish and the creaminess of an avocado. You will poop more and whine less. Yep - diets rich in veggies clean out your intestines and make you feel great. Your skin will glow, your energy will improve and you'll start healing your body from the inside out. I can't think of one boxed food that can promise that - and mean it.

If you don't know where to start, I suggest taking inventory of your kitchen. See where you can substitute fresh, real ingredients for packaged foods. Pick up some new cookbooks or search online for new recipes. Start cooking more and appreciate the blessing of having access to fresh foods. Join a local CSA (community-supported agriculture) to have veggies delivered to you or start frequenting area farmers' markets. See what the land has to offer. I can promise you it will be better for you than what comes from a factory.

If you're wanting recipe ideas or ways to make the switch, comment on this blog and let me know! Don't forget to check out my Recipes page!

Genetically Modified Salmon? Your Chance to Comment

If you've read any of my blogs, you know how I feel about genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The FDA has approved the science of genetically altering plant proteins for years and now 99% of U.S. corn and soybeans are genetically modified. What does that mean? Unless you buy organic corn and soybeans, every corn chip, tortilla chip, corn tortilla, corn, edamame, corn oil, vegetable oil, canola oil (and all foods fried in those oils), tofu, corn flour, soy flour, soy protein, and any food containing these items (such as cereals, cereal bars, protein bars,crackers, chips, breads, dressings & marinades, mayonnaise etc.) are genetically modified. 

The FDA states that GMOs have not been found to be harmful and can therefore sold to the public. Many other industrialized nations have banned the use of GMOs in their food supply until GMOs can be proven safe. It takes decades to see the effects of an ingredient on the general public, so it may be years before we see the correlation between GMOs and our health. Critics believe GMOs may be at the root of our food allergies, other auto-immune diseases, certain cancers, autism, learning disabilities, and other diseases that have been on the rise since the introduction of GMOs. Even if there is a one percent chance that the critics are correct (and I happen to think that percentage is much, much higher), are we willing to take that chance?

Genetically modified foods have had certain proteins that have been "messed with" so the plant can grow with specific characteristics, such as disease and pest resistant, faster growth, larger growth, and drought resistant. The new proteins created in the lab are not naturally found in nature, therefore our bodies do not process them the same way as a protein made by God. Many believe these lab proteins are wreaking havoc on our digestive systems, which house our immune systems. Our immune systems were created to fight off foreign substances and these proteins are recognized in our bodies as a foreign substance. If so much of our food supply is genetically modified and contains these lab proteins, our immune systems are in constant "fight" mode and not functioning as they should, hence disease, illness, etc.

Making things worse, the FDA is about to approve the first genetically modified ANIMAL - the salmon. The Chinook salmon has been altered with a gene from the eel to create a new salmon that grows faster and larger than any other natural salmon. The FDA has yet to require that these salmon be labeled as GMOs because their research shows that if people knew it was genetically modified, they wouldn't buy it. Even the FDA recognizes that GMOs aren't attractive to the consumer, yet they refuse to allow us to even know if our food is genetically modified or not.

If you Google "genetically modified foods" or "genetically modified salmon," you will get a long list of articles to read. I found one on a local news station that tells the story of the salmon with links to the FDA where you can voice your concern in hopes that the FDA will at least require labeling (link HERE). I highly encourage you to take the time to read the article and email the FDA this week before the decision has been made. It takes seconds and could change the course of our food supply. 

What's at stake? Farmers of corn and soybeans say with the persistent droughts, they can't survive and the genetically modified seeds yield drought resistant crops. The salmon fishery that is responsible for the genetically modified salmon believe the growing world population will surpass food supply and this is a way to ensure a robust salmon population. 

What do you think? Comment on this blog to let me know!

Have You Started Yet?

We're now in February and I'm curious to know how many of you have started cutting out the processed foods to move towards a more whole foods diet. It's so easy to say it's a resolution, but when you get down to it, it can be overwhelming. I know. I was where you are once.

It's funny to me that so many people I run into inevitably ask me questions about what they should or shouldn't eat, where they find certain ingredients, how they get their family to jump on board, and why it all matters. I have a sweet friend who knows WAY more than I ever will about food and I've peppered her with hundreds of questions for years. I never thought I'd be the go-to girl for nutrition, but I'm happy to share my knowledge with anyone who wants to listen! All of us have a story to tell and mine for now is about how to use the foods God gave us to nourish and heal our bodies. Are you ready?

If you haven't quite started yet, please take the time to read through my blog archives. There you will find critical information you need to know before you get started. Start at my first blog entry and work your way to the present. I go through everything from dairy to seaweeds to grains to organics and GMOs.

For those of you in my area, I am starting Whole Foods tours for anyone interested. For a small fee, I will meet you and up to two others at Whole Foods and walk the aisles, answering your questions and showing you staples you should consider adding to your supplies. Each session will last 1 to 1 1/2 hours. I hope to familiarize you with ingredients you may not have tried before and educate you on why they are important to your diet. If you are interested, please contact me at joineatingtolivewell@gmail.com.

I know starting anything new is daunting. But it's also exciting to mix things up, learn something new and try something different. Everyone I know who has cut out the processed foods in lieu of fresher ingredients has told me how great they feel. It's your turn. Read the blogs, come to Whole Foods with me, and ask me questions by making a Comment to this blog.

Check out my recipes page and if you have a recipe you'd like me to try, I'd love to hear about it! Send me the recipe in the Comment section and if I like it, I'll post it to the Recipes page.

Here's to a healthier YOU in 2013!

Juicing vs Smoothies - What's the Big Deal?

There's alot of hype these days about juicing or drinking smoothies. There are juice bars popping up left and right and even mainstream commercial brands are offering instant smoothies. What's the deal with them? Is one better than the other and what should they contain? Let's break it down...

The Difference Between Juicing and Smoothies
Juicing is simply extracting the juice from a fruit or vegetable. Most juicers separate the pulp from the juice so you get a smooth, bit-free juice. While the juices can be delicious, when you toss the pulp, you're tossing the fiber, too. What you get are vitamins and sugars. These aren't processed or refined sugars, but they are metabolized in your body as sugar and thus spike your blood sugar (hard on your pancreas). When eaten with fiber, however, these juices are metabolized slower and your blood sugar doesn't take such a hit.The more fruit you juice, the more sugar. The more vegetables you juice, the less sugar. Either way, you're not getting the WHOLE food. And if you've been reading this blog, you know the WHOLE food is always best.

Making smoothies is preferable because they are made in a blender, which retains all of the pulp and fiber - ensuring you are digesting the entire fruit/veggie, not just the juice. The pulverization process makes it much easier on your body to digest because you have done much of the breakdown legwork prior to consuming. Because you have all of the fiber intact, your body can slowly metabolize the sugars, fiber and vitamins together, causing very little blood sugar increase - if you focus on the ingredients. Smoothies are an easy and fast way to get a daily serving or two of veggies into your diet. 

The Ugly Truth about Fruit Smoothies
Whether you are juicing or smoothy-ing, you should aim for a vegetable-to-fruit ratio of 3 to 1 (three parts vegetables to one part fruit). All fruits contain a hefty amount of natural sugars, so these need to be limited and used mainly to slightly sweeten the drink. You can start gradually so you can get used to more vegetables, but if you're making a banana, strawberry and apple smoothie, you've just consumed at least 34 grams of sugar (not including whatever liquid base you choose). That's the equivalent of 8 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. A 12 ounce can of Coke has 39 grams of sugar. Yes, the smoothie is natural sugar, but your body still metabolizes it the same.

Making Smoothies Work for You
My favorite smoothie uses a base of 2 ounces of fresh squeezed orange juice, 2 large leaves of kale, 1/2 a lime, an unpeeled carrot, an M&M-sized piece of ginger, and 1 tsp of spirulina (a seaweed powder found in health food stores) and ice. I drink this almost every morning. It contains 8 grams of natural sugar, or 2 tsp of sugar. Much better than the all fruit smoothie.

Experiment with different vegetables and Google some green smoothie recipes (check out my Recipes page for one). There are hundreds of them - just make sure you are limiting the amount of fruit. And make sure you are using a good blender. You'll know you need a better blender if your smoothies have noticeable chunks and pieces of produce. The smoother your smoothie, the more pleasant the experience. I highly recommend VitaMix blenders. They are pricey, but worth every penny. There's a reason why they are so coveted. They are the best on the market and will give you a completely smooth smoothie every time.

Be sure to see the Recipes page for some newly-added recipes! Eat - or drink - those veggies!

New Year - New You

It's 2013 and if you're like the majority of Americans, somewhere on your list of things to accomplish this year is to either lose weight, eat cleaner or exercise more. While I can't force you to exercise, I can encourage you to eat cleaner (which will inevitably lead to weight loss).

Eating clean means you eat the most BASIC form of a food - what is closest to that which is found in nature. This means you will be buying more ingredients and less prepared foods; you'll be cooking more and using your microwave less; you'll be discovering new vegetables, grains and beans while eating less cow dairy, sugar, caffeine and processed foods. Scared yet? It may seem overwhelming at first, but as with anything, once you start, it gets easier until it becomes the norm. The continued motivation will come from your improved health, vitality, energy, appearance and mood. I promise.

Ready to get started? 

1. Take inventory of your kitchen and toss as many packaged foods as possible, especially those with more than five ingredients, ingredients you can't pronounce, ingredients that contain: 

• high fructose corn syrup
• food dyes (red, blue, yellow, etc)
• non-organic corn or soy (including oils)
• bleached white flour
• refined sugar
• artificial sweeteners 
• nitrates/sulfates
• other preservatives

2. Eliminate sodas from your house. The occasional Izzy or sparkling water is fine, but there is absolutely NOTHING redeemable about Diet Coke. Ever.

3. Go online and search for websites that have CLEAN recipes using fresh ingredients and as many veggies as possible. I have several listed on my blog and my own recipes page, so find some there or in a cookbook to try. Think of it as an adventure or a way to express your creativity.

4. Become friends with the produce section (or better yet, shop at your local farmer's market or order farmer's market produce to be delivered to your neighborhood through a local CSA - go online to find one in your area). Most nutrient-rich veggies to add to your diet are:

• Kale, collard greens, mustard greens
• Bok choy
• Spinach
• Napa cabbage
• Brussels sprouts
• Swiss chard
• Radish
• Mushrooms
• Red peppers
• Carrots

5. Eat more beans, grains and seeds. These little dynamos are packed with protein, minerals, fiber and vitamins. Did you know a serving of quinoa (actually a seed) with lentils is a complete protein with all 9 essential amino acids? Be sure to cook beans and grains with a 1" piece of dried kombu (seaweed that can be found on Asian aisle at Whole Foods or Central Market) to eliminate gas and add micronutrients (see previous blog titled "#1 Thing to Add to Your Diet). Most nutritious beans, grains and seeds are:

• Lentils
• Red kidney beans
• Great Northern beans
• Adzuki beans
• Black beans
• Black-eyed peas
• Sunflower seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Flax seeds
• Pinto beans
• Edamame (organic ONLY)
• Split peas
• Chickpeas (garbanzos)
• Oats
• Pumpkin seeds
• Barley
• Pistachios
• Brown rice
• Pecans
• Almonds

6. Get your family involved and explain why you're doing this. I've said it before, but there is no reason why you shouldn't let your family in on what you're trying to do. Kids as young as 3 can understand the simple concept: "there is food God created for us to eat and then there is food a laboratory creates that they think is okay for us to eat. I'm trusting God on this one." See? Simple. 

The #1 marketing tip I ever learned in my nearly 20 years in the industry was "never sell the product - sell the benefit." That means you don't just put the food on the table and tell them how good it tastes. You explain to them WHY you are changing how your family eats - why eating from nature always trumps eating from a lab. How our bodies were created to eat what was found in nature and when we feed it chemicals, preservatives, mystery food, etc, it doesn't know what to do with it so we feel bad. Eventually, eating this type of food makes us sick - lethargy, mood swings, allergies, intestinal problems, diabetes, heart disease, gout and even cancer. 

Please make a comment on the blog if you have any questions so others can see it. Most of you probably have similar questions, so let's share them. If you're reading this on a smart phone, be sure to check out the blog on your computer so you can see the links in the margin (Recipes, Kitchen Staples, great websites, etc.). 

2013 is YOUR year. It's the year you start healing your body and allowing it to work the way God intended. The saying, "you are what you eat" is 100% accurate. If you put junk in, you'll feel like junk. Make the change. You are worth it!!!

Genetically Modified Foods - The Cause for Our Diseases?

I've written about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in previous blogs but it's recently received some media attention, so I'd like to discuss it again. Please see the bottom of this blog to link to a website where you can get more info and learn what you can do to stop GMOs.

GMOs have flooded our food supply and there is mounting evidence it is the culprit for our allergies, asthma, autism, inflammation and even cancer. What is a GMO product? Big companies like Monsanto and Bayer spend millions of dollars in research to transform natural plant seeds to "super seeds." They tweak the DNA and even add pesticides to the seeds so they become self-resistant to insects, fungus and disease while growing faster and larger plants. It's a way to get more product on the shelves faster - without regard to human health. Published reports say these products are safe, but it's those exact companies that are funding the reports. Those companies also have lobbyists and even top-level executives working at the FDA. 

Almost every other developed nation has banned the use of GMOs on farms -except the U.S. The FDA believes that unless a product is "proved dangerous," it can still be grown, manufactured and sold to the public, usually without any labeling to warn buyers of what they may be purchasing. Other nations' "FDAs" believe that unless a product is "proved safe," it can't be grown, manufactured or sold to the public. The U.S. consumer is the lab rat and what we're proving is that something is making us the sickest nation on the planet, spending the most money on healthcare than any other industrialized nation. Coincidence? 

What's scarier is what these genetically-modified foods do to our bodies. Your immunity is there to fight off foreign matter, whether it be a virus, infection or even a bug bite. It detects anything in the body that isn't supposed to be there and then triggers an immune response to fight it. A GMO product is a foreign protein, developed in a laboratory and not found in nature. So what does your body do when you ingest a GMO product? It develops an immune response to fight it. The response could be an allergy, asthma, inflammation or illness. The more frequently you eat these ingredients, the harder your immune system has to work to fight the foreign protein until you develop a chronic condition that has to be medically treated, if it can be at all. Constant inflammation leads to cancer and deterioration of your intestinal health, which is where your immunity lives.

Since 85% of processed foods are now genetically modified, you have to be a savvy consumer to avoid them. The worst offenders are any corn and soy products. This includes corn oil and soybean oil or anything cooked in/with them, corn on the cob, corn kernels, popcorn, canola oil, cottonseed oil, edamame, tofu, or soy protein (found in protein bars, shakes and cereals to boost protein content). 

You can still have that bag of tortilla chips, though. If you buy these items ORGANIC, they aren't GMO and most will label it "non-GMO." Only buy organic tortilla chips, corn chips, corn tortillas, edamame, tofu and gluten-free products that contain corn or soy. Check ingredients. If you see anything in the label that refers to corn or soy and it isn't labeled organic or non-GMO, DON'T BUY IT! Unfortunately, most restaurants don't spend the extra bucks to buy organic, so there's not much you can do except avoid ordering anything with corn and soy in the ingredients. Some restaurants buy locally-grown, organic produce, but you have to ask to be sure. 

I'm writing this not to scare you but to anger you. Unless we band together and raise hell about this, we will continue to be fed this GARBAGE that is literally killing us and our kids. Here is a great website (STOP GMOs ) that gives you info on where you can start making noise. There is a movement to get rid of these things from our food supply, but the more people that join it, the bigger different we can make. Take the time to educate yourself and get involved! 

What I Want for Christmas

Christmas is a time of year when even moms can ask for a few things without feeling guilty. I'm not asking for much this year but I can tell you what I want most of all:

• for people to be able to get off of medications
• for people to not need doctors so much
• for kids to not have food allergies
• for people to give up their sugar addiction
• for everyone to be able to eat wheat
• for the FDA to do what's best for the consumer instead of the lobbyists
• for Monsanto to stop genetically modifying seeds
• for people to realize that convenience foods are our downfall
• for veggies to take center stage on our plates
• for cows, chickens and pigs to be treated kindly
• for our food to be labeled honestly
• for labs to find a cure for cancer instead of how to make food shelf-stable
• for  produce and eggs to be bought from local farms
• for people to realize their bodies crave whole, un-messed with foods

I started my little blog because I researched so much health information I wanted to share and people were always asking me about things I've learned. It is my way of passing along the information and offering encouragement for those wanting to make a change. It starts one person at a time.

I love hearing stories from my readers about how they've tried something new, how they've succeeded in getting their kids to eat quinoa, how their child is doing better in school since cutting out the processed foods, and how much better they feel since trying this "whole foods" thing out. I don't claim to have all the answers, but I do know what I've learned makes sense and has changed my life and many others for the better.

Each of us have to make a decision for ourselves and our families - will we continue to eat the foods we know aren't great for us and chalk it up as "oh, it's fine...lighten up...it's just McDonalds," or will we finally realize that when we put junk in, we feel like junk? It's easy to tell ourselves we'll try eating better some day, but what about NOW? Isn't it time? Aren't we and our kids worth it? Is it a pain to buy ingredients to cook instead of prepared meals yet not a pain to be in and out of doctors' offices, on medications and feel like crap half the time?

As the new year approaches, I challenge all of you to give yourself two weeks on a whole foods-based diet (no processed foods, no artificial ingredients, lots of veggies, high quality protein, and minimal cow dairy) and see how you feel. If you have any questions, ask me on the blog and I promise to answer. Everyone I talk to who has tried it says they've never felt better. Aren't you ready to feel better? Have more energy? Clean out your system and boost your immune system? It's time. You can do it. No more excuses. It's a Christmas present you give yourself.