KEEPING IT REAL ON VACATION

If my suitcases were searched by TSA agents on my way to Mexico last week, they would have been quite puzzled when they came across my suitcase filled with bags upon bags of Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified Tortilla Chips.  Well, they were either confused or they questioned the sanity of a person who would schlep tortilla chips from the United States into Mexico, the mother ship for tortilla chips.  That's right, I actually brought my own tortilla chips to Mexico.  I will be the first to admit this may have been a little extreme.   I had every intention of making sure my family did not touch a GMO tortilla chip the entire time we were there.  However, when it came to preventing my children, my husband, my sisters, my brother-in-law, and my parents from eating those homemade chips that arrived warm at our table at each and every meal, I realized my intentions were not at all realistic.  Despite being tempted, I personally stuck to my bagged chips and did not touch a homemade chip the whole week, but, when it came to my family I had to take a deep cleansing breath and just let go.  

I share this story to illustrate the point that when you are on vacation sometimes you just have to let go and be a little flexible . . . when in Rome.  Stressing about food and trying to eat healthy while you are supposed to be relaxing and decompressing from the stressors in your life would be completely counterproductive and harmful to your overall wellness.  However, with that said, it does not mean you need to completely throw caution to the wind.  Below I have shared some tips on how to make the best choices when on vacation while still being able to enjoy yourself.  Remember eating should be fun!

(1) Prepare For Your Travel Days
Whether traveling by car, railroad or plane, food and snack options are almost always highly processed, tasteless, fake, and will make you feel terrible.  Have you noticed how awful the food in airports or at the mini marts on the side of the road are?  Pack some easy to carry snack foods with you so you are not caught unprepared and starving.  Nuts, seeds, apples, bananas, popcorn, pure bars, lara bars, cut up vegetables like peppers and carrots, dehydrated fruit, crispy kale, Mary's Gone Crackers,  chia seed bars by Health Warrior, and avocados (bring a plastic knife and spoon, cut open and enjoy) all make great options.

(2) Fuel Up With Veggies
Always fill yourself up on salads and vegetables.  Be sure to start your meal with a salad and order extra veggies with your entree.

(3) Do Your Research
Familiarize yourself with which restaurants are known for fresh, local food.  Also, seek out the local vegan, vegetarian, health food stores and restaurants.  http://www.happycow.net/

(4) Ask For A Refrigerator
If possible, request a refrigerator in your room.  That way you can easily keep some fresh fruit, yogurt, and other items around for breakfast and snacks.  If you have children, fresh cut fruit in the morning or afternoon is a perfect way to keep them happy.  While traveling, breakfast can be one of the most challenging meals of the day.  I always bring some Sun Warrior protein powder with me and then buy some rice milk to leave in my refrigerator.  That makes for a great breakfast or afternoon pick me up.

(5) Take A Walk
If you are like me, you will enjoy your vacation more if you keep up the exercise routine.  At a minimum, you should take a nice walk every day.  It will help you take in the sights and also burn up some of those extra calories you might be ingesting.

(6) Keep Things Moving
Have you ever noticed that your bathroom habits change when you go away?  You have to keep that digestion and elimination working.  Make sure you eat plenty of food with fiber.  Vegetables, flax seeds, and chia seeds are all great options.  I always bring chia seeds with me and drink them in rice milk or water.  Eat plenty of fruit, our body's natural cleansers.  Also, drink a lot of water.   Also, a very helpful tool is "Smoothe Move" tea, a senna based tea that you can buy at Whole Foods and other health food stores like Mrs. Greens.  Another great tip is to bring some magnesium supplements with you, it keeps things soft if you know what I mean.  Magnesium is a great supplement in general because it relaxes your muscles.


(7) Treat Yourself
Deprivation is not my thing, especially on vacation.  Be sure you treat yourself and indulge a little, but go in with a plan that works for you.  Maybe you allow yourself one treat a day or maybe you have a "treat day" where you let go a little more.  I tend to stay fairly controlled until the last day when I reward myself a little knowing I have limited time which can minimize the damage!


(8) Customize Your Meals
When dining out on vacation, or at home for that matter, don't be afraid to ask the chef to reduce or eliminate the use of butter, oil, and salt.  If there is a piece of fish on the menu but it is smothered with a sauce, you can always ask to keep the sauce on the side or hold the sauce altogether and opt for a plain piece of grilled fish instead.  Substitute less healthful options with better ones, for instance, swap out the french fries for rice, baked potato or extra veggies.    

(9) Water, Water and More Water
Make sure you drink plenty of water especially in those hot climates.  Water will keep you hydrated, feeling full, prevent water retention,  and help your movements stay regular.

(10) Have Fun!
Most importantly, enjoy your food and your meal times.  Savor every bite of your food, cherish the people you are with, and take in the scenery!

QUINOA - WHY EVERYONE IS EATING IT

WHAT IS QUINOA
Five years ago, I had never heard of quinoa (pronounced Keenwah), but today I eat quinoa at least once a week.  I would imagine you have all heard of quinoa by now, even if you haven't eaten it quite yet.  While quinoa may be new to our plates, the Incas began eating quinoa as their staple food over 5000 years ago in South America.  The Incas called it "the mother of all grains".  Quinoa is widely considered to be a whole grain, but it is actually a seed from a plant related to the weed, goosefoot.  Quinoa is now called a superfood by many because it is high in antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.    

BENEFITS OF QUINOA
(1) Quinoa is high in vitamins and minerals and blows the competition (corn, potatoes, wheat, and rice) out of the water with nutritional benefits.  Quinoa is chock-full of micro-nutrients.  It is a good source of manganese, copper, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper and zinc.

(2) Quinoa is a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids required by the body to build muscle.  Essential amino acids are those that our body can not produce on our own so we need to get them from our food.

(3)  Quinoa is a great source of fiber to keep that digestion operating and moving well.

(4) Quinoa is gluten free and so it is a great option for anyone with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.  Truth be told, everyone should have less gluten in their diet.

(5) Quinoa is easily digestible.


(6) Quinoa may be an effective way to use food as your medicine when preventing and treating certain diseases such as diabetes, insulin resistance, and some forms of cancer.


HOW TO COOK QUINOA
I hear people say all the time that they don't know how to cook quinoa.  Well, I am here to tell you that if you know how to cook rice, pasta, or cous cous, then you know how to cook quinoa.  The general rule is 1 cup of uncooked quinoa to 2 cups of liquid (either water or vegetable stock).  One way to boost the nutritional value of quinoa and to make it even more digestible is to soak and sprout your quinoa before cooking it.  What I usually do is soak my quinoa overnight in water.  Then, in the morning, I drain the quinoa, rinse and put it back in the bowl and let it sit on the counter in the sun until the evening when I am ready to cook it.  If you let it sit long enough you will actually see little sprouts popping out of the seeds.  Many people don't even cook sprouted quinoa and instead eat it raw.

One of the best parts of quinoa is that it's flavor is very mild, so it will taste good with anything.  My kids' favorite way to eat quinoa is with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese as if it was pasta.  Here are some of my favorite quinoa recipes.  Enjoy!  

CRANBERRY, KALE QUINOA SALAD  

2 cups of quinoa

1 bunch of kale

1 cup of sunflower seeds

1 cup cranberries

Boil 4 cups of water and add the quinoa.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until water is absorbed.  While the quinoa is cooking, remove leaves of kale from stem and rip into tiny pieces.  It is very important that the kale is torn into bite sized pieces and massaged, otherwise the raw kale can be difficult to chew.  Put the kale at the bottom of a bowl and pour the hot quinoa directly onto the kale which will slightly wilt the kale.  Add the cranberries and sunflower seeds and mix together.

Orange Vinagarette

2 oranges

1 lemon

2 tablespoons of honey

1/3 cup of olive oil

1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar

Combine the juice of two oranges, the juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons of honey, the olive oil and the apple cider vinegar.  Mix together and pour over the quinoa.

QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS

6 Red Peppers

3 Cups of uncooked quinoa

1 jar of Tomato Sauce

parmesan cheese (optional)

Pre heat the oven to 350.  Boil 6 cups of water and add the quinoa, reduce to a simmer and cover.  If you have never cooked quinoa, it's similar to cooking rice or cous cous.  It should take approximately 10 minutes for the quinoa to cook.  Once the quinoa is cooked, put 1/3 of the quinoa aside for dinner on Thursday night. While the quinoa is cooking prepare the peppers by slicing the top off and clean out the inside, keep the tops of the peppers.  Combine the quinoa with 1/2 of the jar of sauce.  Fill the peppers with the quinoa and sauce mixture.  Pour the rest of the of the sauce over the peppers, sprinkle with parmesan cheese if you would like, and put the tops of the peppers back on top.    Bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the peppers are tender.

QUINOA PRIMAVERA

2 cups of uncooked quinoa

1 onion

4 garlic cloves

1 bunch of asparagus

1 zucchini

1 red pepper

2 portobello mushrooms

1 bunch of basil 

1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup of olive oil 

Grapeseed oil

Preheat the oven to 425.  Boil 4 cups of water and add the quinoa, reduce to a simmer and cover for ten minutes.  Place the cooked quinoa in a bowl.  Chop up the basil and put it aside.  Chop all the vegetables and place in a baking dish.  Toss lightly with the grapeseed oil and place in the oven until the vegetables are softened but not overcooked, approximately 20 minutes.  Combine quinoa, vegetables, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  Top with chopped basil.  

PESTO QUINOA

2 cups of uncooked quinoa

4 cups spinach

1 bunch basil

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup of roasted red peppers

Boil 4 cups of water and add the quinoa, reduce to a summer and cover for ten minutes.  Place cooked quinoa in a bowl.  Place spinach, basil, sunflower seeds, olive oil, garlic, and parmesan cheese in a cuisinart until you get a smooth consistency.  Toss pesto sauce with quinoa.  Chop the roasted red peppers and pour on top of the quinoa.  This dish is delicious hot or cold and a vert welcome addition to any summer BBQ as a side dish.  

DON'T BE FOOLED BY GMOS!!!

PLEASE JOIN RIGHT TO KNOW CT, THE WESTPORT FARMERS MARKET, THE WAKEMAN TOWN FARM, ANALIESE PAIK, GLEN COLELLO AND MYSELF AS WE DISCUSS GMOS AND WHY GMO LABELING IS SO IMPORTANT.  CT LEGISLATORS TONY HWANG, KIM FAWCETT AND JONATHAN STEINBERG WILL ALSO BE THERE TO TELL YOU WHY THEY SUPPORT GMO LABELING.


APRIL 1ST FROM 5:00 - 6:30
WESTPORT INN
RECOMMENDED DONATION - 5$
NON GMO NIBBLES WILL BE SERVED
RSVP TO DONTBEFOOLEDGMO@GMAIL.COM TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT, CHILDREN WELCOME

Pink Slime is Definitely Not Real Food

PINK SLIME AND GMOS HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON

I am taking a short break from GMOs to address Pink Slime because so many people have been asking me about it.  While pink slime and GMOs may seem totally unrelated, they actually have a lot in common.  There are a couple of recurring themes.  First of all, the government is messing with our food supply without our knowledge or consent and in many instances Americans are becoming ill because of it.  Secondly, pink slime and GMOs are symptoms of a larger problem, Americans are disconnected from their food supply.  Do you know where your food is coming from?  When was the last time we saw the farm where the animals we eat are raised or the slaughter house where they are killed or the meat processing plant?  When was the last time an average American was allowed to stop by a Kraft manufacturing plant to see where their food is being processed and packaged?  Americans are removed from our food supply and so we don't think about where our food comes from, and thus, it follows that we don't really know what is in our food.  This problem is exacerbated because big companies don't want us to know what is in our food because then they know we won't buy it.      

WHAT IS PINK SLIME
For anyone that has missed the pink slime headlines, the definition of pink slime on wikepedia is as follows: "Boneless lean beef trimmings refers to an industrial product created from beef trimmings using particular processes; these products are occasionally referred to using the neologism pink slime. These processes, which include meat trimmings passing through a centrifuge, and (in the most common process) being exposed to ammonia gas, have drawn attention as the subject of possible health and consumer concerns. The term pink slime was coined by Dr. Gerald Zirnstein to refer to the resulting products."  


In essence, pink slime is the leftover crap mixed in with some ammonia to kill bacteria that no one in their right mind would choose to knowingly eat.  More specifically, pink slime is a combination of fat, sinew, and bloody effluvia.  Until ten years ago, these animal waste products were sold primarily for pet food.  Somewhere along the way someone had the brainstorm that they could mix this waste with the beef to produce a cheaper product.  Yet another example of greed and lack of care in our government and big business.    


AVOIDING PINK SLIME
So, of course the next question is, how do I avoid meat that contains pink slime?  Just like GMOs, there is no labeling system in place giving the consumer the right to know what is in their beef or the right to choose whether to buy pink slime infested beef.  Before pink slime became headline news, it would have been quite difficult to avoid it.  A 2012 ABC news report estimated that 70% of ground beef contained pink slime.  If you are a hamburger loving person that buys your chopped meat from the supermarket, or eats hamburgers and other chopped meat products such as chili at a restaurant, then chances are you have ingested pink slime.  


Supermarkets across America are now coming out with statements that they will not sell meat with pink slime.  Please see this website which lists stores and what their position is on pink slime.  http://blog.timesunion.com/hottopics/who-sells-meat-with-pink-slime-heres-the-list/8877/  I can not speak to how accurate or up to date this list is, but wanted to pass it along for you to see.  

The USDA announced that school districts will be able to opt out of buying meat that has pink slime in it.  Isn't that so nice of the USDA?  Seriously, is there a school system in this country that would choose to buy the ammonia treated pink slime meat?  Fairfield Public Schools have already announced that they will not be purchasing the pink slime meat.  Thank you Fairfield!  Why is the USDA even allowing pink slime to be used at all?  Maybe someday school systems will be able to opt out of buying meat with hormones and antibiotics.  


The best way to avoid pink slime is to reconnect with your food and make sure it is real!  Know where your beef is coming from.  When eating at a restaurant or buying your meat ask if it has been mixed with pink slime, and if you can not get a fast, straight forward answer, do NOT eat that meat.  Shop at a place like Double L in Westport where LLoyd, one of the owners, speaks with the farmers that raise and process the meat he sells. http://www.doublelmarket.com/   Buy your meat at local butchers who grind their own meat. That is what our grandparents did.  I know people are already thinking about the cost of buying beef like this.  Meat is NOT supposed to be cheap and it is NOT supposed to be eaten often, if at all.  So, if you are going to eat meat, buy high quality meat and eat it less often and in smaller quantities .  In the alternative, you can buy your cheap meat and pay for your Dr. bills later in life.  Don't forget there is always the option of not eating meat products at all.  


I am truly perplexed and angry at what has happened to our food supply.  If nothing else, hopefully pink slime and GMOs are making us think about what is happening to our food.  We need to wake up and stop accepting the status quo.  Start asking questions about your food, it is your right to know what is in your food.  If you ever get confused about what to eat, just remember, keep it basic and keep it real.  If you are local, please attend the Food For Though Expo on March 31st from 10 AM - 4 PM at Andrew Warde High School in Fairfield.  Food For Thought Expo is sponsored by the Fuel For Learning Partnership, a PTA Council Committee, that through education and advocacy is working to improve the quality of food served to our children in the Fairfield School Lunch Program.  Michelle McCabe has been the talented, strong leader of the Fuel for Learning Partnership for the past three years.  I am honored that in September I will be Michelle's successor.  I have very big shoes to fill!  Thank you Michelle.   

GMOS ON THE RADIO

Tune in tomorrow to FTNS Fitness Radio from 1-2 PM EST where host, Amie Hall, will talk GMOs.  Guests will be myself, Analiese Paik of the Fairfield Green Food Guide, and Glen Colello from Catch a Healthy Habit.  Join the conversation by calling 650-ASK-FTNS.  WWW. FTNS.CO

Move Over Microwave, Here Comes Dehydrator

Microwaves take real food, make it taste terrible, destroy the nutrients in the food, and turn it into fake food.  Dehydrators, on the other hand, take real food, make it taste fantastic, preserve all the nutrients and enzymes in the food, and keep it real!  When you get rid of your microwave it will open up enough counter space for your fabulous new dehydrator.  Read on . . . . 


MOVE OVER MICROWAVE
I had contemplated getting rid of my microwave for over a year.  One afternoon a few months ago, I finally got up the courage to get rid of it.  I warned my husband that the microwave was going to go missing one day.  I think he thought I was just teasing him.  While I am used to eating cold or room temperature food because of my love for raw food, my husband likes his food hot.  So, when I cook dinner at 3:00, and then he doesn't eat until 8:00, he always reheated his food in the microwave, while I happily ate my food cold.  My husband's temperature preferences aside, once I finally felt fully motivated, I ripped the plug out of the outlet and carried the microwave to the basement where it remains today.  I can't bring myself to donate the microwave because I don't really want to pass on this dangerous household appliance to anyone else.  I felt so accomplished.   I stood back, looked at the empty space on my countertop, and smirked, much better!  Now my husband complains about eating cold food or waiting 30 minutes while his food heats up in the oven, but don't feel too badly for him, he is eating home cooked meals practically every night!

Have any of you ever wondered if your microwave is actually safe?  Have you ever moved away from the microwave while it was on because your instincts told you to move?   For all you ladies who were pregnant, weren't you told to stay out of the line of a microwave?  Have you ever eaten food cooked or heated in a microwave and the taste is totally changed?  What does your gut tell you about microwaves?  My gut always told me there was something unsafe and unnatural about them.  Turns out my gut is right.  We all question whether microwaves are safe, but like everything else in this world we always assume someone else is making sure we are safe, so if microwaves are being sold, we rationalize they must be fine.  They are NOT fine and no one is really watching out for us.  

Microwaves change the molecular structure of foods, destroy most of the nutrients in food, and can cause severe immunological problems when used over a prolonged period of time.  Rather than listing all the dangers microwaves present, I suggest you do a little of your own research and you can start by reading this article.  http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/health-hazards-to-know-about/microwave-ovens-the-proven-dangers  In truth, we all know we shouldn't be using microwaves but because of the convenience factor, we dismiss our natural instincts.

When you decide to get rid of your microwave, here are a few real life tips that will help you figure out how to reheat food and do other things that you used to do in your microwave.  These tips are so simple, it's almost embarrassing to list them, but that is exactly the point.   Everything we do in a microwave can easily be done without a microwave.  

(1) Reheating Food - Put the food in an oven safe dish and heat at 350 degrees until food reaches desired temperature.

(2) Steaming Vegetables - Put your vegetables in a steamer basket and place basket over a pot filled half way with water.  Boil the water and allow the vegetables to steam until they reach desired consistency.

(3)  Defrosting Food - Take food out of the freezer a few hours before you plan to cook it.  It will defrost on the countertop, just plan ahead a little bit.

(4) Heating Water - Put the water in a pot and heat.

I think you get the picture!!!


HERE COMES DEHYDRATOR
So now what are YOU going to do with that counter space left vacant by the microwave now sitting in your basement?  My suggestion, get a dehydrator!  Dehydrators take up about the same amount of space as microwaves but rather than destroying food like microwaves do, they allow foods to keep all their vitamins, minerals, and nutrients when dehydrated at a temperature of 115 degrees or lower.

I LOVE my dehydrator and so do my kids.  Dehydrators are fool proof.  Anyone can dehydrate food because you simply place the food on the dehydrator sheets, set the temperature at 115 degrees, plug it in, and leave it there until the food reaches the desired consistency.  I usually put the food in at night and then in the morning the food is done.  What could be easier?

What types of food can you make in a dehydrator?  Our favorites are kale chips, dried fruits, flax crackers, and zucchini crisps.  There are great recipes all over the internet for dehydrated food.  But, truly there is no need to get fancy.  Toss your kale with some olive oil, celtic sea salt, and a little nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor and I promise they will be a hit with adults and children.  I can not keep up with the kale chip consumption in my house.

I have the excalibur dehydrator and I do believe they are the best on the market.  
http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/
Everyone is always asking what to give their kids for snacks.  Kids and adults both love to munch on crunchy things, the problem is that most snacks in the supermarket are overly processed and filled with fake ingredients.  Dehydrating your own food is one way to keep healthful snacks around.

So, don't wait another moment, march downstairs unplug that microwave and throw it in your basement.  Enjoy the empty counter space for a few moments, and then go to your computer and order your very own excalibur dehydrator.  You will not regret this.  For those of you who are local, you can also order your dehydrator through Catch A Healthy Habit Cafe, call them at 203-292-8190. http://catchahealthyhabit.com/



  

REAL SUPPLEMENTS

I am asked all the time by my clients and friends whether they should be taking supplements, and if so, which ones.  A few years ago my answer would have absolutely been, NO.  I used to think everyone should get all their vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from their food and other natural sources.  But, unfortunately, the more I learned, the more I realized just how depleted our food supply actually is in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.  When I think about it, this makes sense.  How can food that is shipped 1/2 way around the world, kept in storage facilities for days on end, and then sits on the supermarket shelf for another few days have the optimum amount of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that my body needs?  How can the soil that we have abused for so many years with herbicides and pesticides still grow vegetables with the same minerals that used to be in our soil?  The answer is, it can not.

Now, I want to make it very clear that the first source to give your body what it needs SHOULD be the food you eat, however, to supplement what your food is lacking, I now recommend turning to carefully selected supplementation.  Knowing which supplements to take can be an overwhelming task.  The best advice I can give you is to find a company that makes supplements you can trust.  There are some great companies out there.  In this blog, I want to highlight one such company that a good friend of mine, Jennifer Kall DelAngelo, works with.   It is called AGELOC by Nu skin.  I will admit, I am one of the most skeptical people when it comes to supplements.  But, what I love about this company is that it actually has a scientific way to prove that your supplements are working.  They use a Biophotonic scanner that tells you if your antioxidant levels are high or low.  For more information on this scanner you can see a clip from the Dr. Oz show by clicking this link.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWCtNz_hEc0

The cost to be scanned is $10 and all the money raised from these scans is donated by Jenn, to an organization called Nourish The Children www.jkhd.millionsofmeals.com.  I did an event a couple of months ago on the importance of juicing and how juicing boosts your antioxidant levels.  I had the scanner at this event and in a room of 25 people, I had the highest antioxidant level, a fact I am quite proud of, but I share this not to brag, but rather to illustrate that the scanner works!  All my friends who live a healthy lifestyle also score high.  In addition, everyone I know who uses the supplements from Nu Skin have high antioxidant levels and I must say, they all look healthy, vibrant, and young!  One such person is Ian Ziering from 90210.  To my excitement, I met him in person about a month ago, and he was looking good!  I had no idea he is almost 50, in all honesty, he looks like he is in his early 30s.  If you are like me and you grew up with 90210, you understand why it was so exciting to meet Ian in person.  There are a few opportunities for you to meet him this week in Fairfield and at the same time have your antioxidant level tested.  See below for all the information.  I strongly encourage everyone to know what their antioxidant level is.  Knowledge is power, and to know your antioxidant level will allow you to adjust your diet accordingly, and also figure out which supplements are best for you.  Nu Skin has a few supplements that they guarantee will raise your antioxidant level in 60 days or they will refund 100% of your money.  Ask my friend Jenn about lifepak, g3 juice and others.  If you mention my blog she will give you a 35% discount on everything you order.      

For more information call Jenn DelAngelo at 203-610-0015 or e-mail at jenndelangelo@me.com.
Meet Ian Ziering and have your antioxidant levels tested . . .

Thursday, March 1st 12:00 - 1:00
Catch A Healthy Habit
39 Unquowa Road, Fairfield

Friday, March 2nd 3:00 - 4:30
Chiropractic & Wellness Center
Dr. Bradley Weinstein
2228 Black Rock Turnpike
Fairfield, CT