Foodie Friday 3: Protein in the Morning

Last week I reviewed some gluten-free cereal options, but I started the cereal ranking by saying that of all the cereals, hot cereal (oatmeal, quinoa porridge, rice porridge, etc) are the best. Why? Because they are the cleanest (no added anything), they are full of fiber, and they have protein. 

It is very important to eat protein in the morning.  It keeps you full for longer and helps set the tone of your appetite for the rest of the day. 

However, most people don't eat enough protein in the morning. Take cereal, the most popular breakfast food: as reviewed last week, most cereals available at grocery stores do not contain near enough protein. They are mainly made of carbohydrates; most of which are simple, refined carbs that don't contribute to satiety (fullness and meal satisfaction) and throw blood sugar out of whack. Even when paired with a glass of cow or goat milk*, the cereal plus milk meal will still likely fall short on the protein and will contain too many carbohydrates. *If you use almond mylk in your cereal, then the protein content will be even lower!

Nothing says good morning like (buckwheat) pancakes

Ten higher protein alternatives to milk & cereal for breakfast:

(in no particular order)

1) Hot cereals, like oatmeal, quinoa, or amaranth porridge

2) Hearty grain* toast with nut butter

3) A smoothie with fruit, greens, and protein powder 

4) Scrambled eggs (or tofu) with veggies 

5) Poached or boiled eggs (if you eat eggs)

6) Cottage cheese, greek yogurt, or hard cheeses (if you eat dairy)

7) Leftovers (rice dishes, bean dishes, stir-fry, chili, stew, etc)

8) Protein bars (opt for lower sugar ones)

9) Hearty grain* waffles, pancakes, crepes, or muffins

10) Nuts, trail mix, museli, or granola with milk of choice

*Whole wheat, multi-grain, kamut, spelt, buckwheat, amaranth, teff, sorghum, almond flour, etc

Foodie Friday 2: Gluten Free Cereal Guide

There are SO many gluten free cereals on the market, I had a hard time deciding where to even begin with this post... but here goes. My first attempt at summarizing the g-free cereal brands on the market. In order of BEST to WORST, in my opinion. 

1. Hot Cereal I really don't advocate cereal because, as you'll see from this summary, MOST g-free cereals are empty calories. They are made of corn or rice (practically void of protein and fiber) and contain way too much sugar. I'd rather eat a bowl of plain oatmeal where I get to choose my own toppings, fillers, and sweeteners. Alternatively, homemade granola is an amazing 'cereal' option. 

An old picture of oatmeal with almond butter swirl and strawberry jam.

2. Enjoy Life Enjoy Life is a company that focuses on allergen-free foods. Their flax crunch cereal (pictured below) is stellar. The ingredients? Sorghum flour, flax, honey, raisin juice (for sweetener), and salt. No junk, no refined sugar, no corn or rice. The nutritional stats are great too (7 grams of protein per serving! That is very high for a g-free cereal). If it is too 'plain' for your liking, try dressing it up with berries, a vanilla nut mylk, chopped banana, or a sprinkle of cinnamon. If you find it super bland, you could eat it with a sweetened nut or soy mylk to add some more sweetness. 

3. Barbara's Similar to Enjoy Life's products, Barbara's uses some alternatives to refined sugars, like molasses. Their products are mostly made of oat flour, but beware because others are mainly corn-based. Overall, I still like Barbara's because their ingredients lists are pretty straight forward. Just be mindful of the corn based varieties and that some of their cereals do contain gluten. 

4. Nature's Path Nature's Path is the gluten-free cereal king! They have TONS of varieties. They have g-free granola, puffed cereal, flake cereal, etc. However, they are mostly made of corn and rice and I find them to be very, very sweet. Mesa Sunrise is probably the most nutritious because it contains ground flax... but it's still corn based. *Sigh*.

5. Glutino Not a fan of these cereals. While Nature's Path is corn and rice based, and is sugary, they at least have flax, hemp, and other healthy ingredients added. Glutino cereals are pretty plain and pretty nutritionally void. 

6. General Mills/Kellogg's/Post Oh, boy. The big cereal brands are now making gluten free versions of their classic cereals! You can get g-free Rice Krispies, Chex, Cocoa Puffs, Trix, Fruit Pebbles, and more. Don't be tricked into thinking that these are healthy cereals now that they have been dubbed gluten-free... they are still the same old candy cereals that they've always been. 

More to come! Next week I'll be featuring a homemade cereal recipe...

The best (in my opinion)! Image source here.

Just Dance

Hello May! Why aren't you beautiful?

Took this picture near my school. Isn't it the most perfect daffodil?!

I don't know about the rest of Canada, but Toronto's weather has been a beaut these last couple of days. May flowers? Check! (See above). May sunshine? Check! (Today it was 22*C). May sunburn? Check! (Doh! That was my bad. I got caught up in today's glorious weather, spending too much time outside without protection or shade. Lesson learned).

Now that the weather is nice, the side-walks and parks have been bustling with people getting in some exercise. But apparently the exercise doesn't have to shop once the sun goes down. Now, according to this article, it has become trendy in New York City to party while exercising. That's right: rather than going to a bar on a Saturday night, you go to a "workout" club, complete with a DJ and fancy disco lights. You can read the article about this cool new workout option here.

While this idea sounds super fun, and is a great alternative to spending your Saturday night binge drinking, I must chime in with some of potential health concerns that may arise when following this trendy new workout regime:

First, what about sleep? After engaging in that much physical activity and excitement late into the night, it may be hard to "wind down" and fall asleep. Don't be alarmed if you can't get those catchy club beats out of your head! Exercising at night may throw of your circadian rhythm/normal sleep cycle.

Second, what about refueling? After physical activity, it is very important to refuel your muscles with protein and carbohydrates. Oh, and lots of water to replenish the fluid you lost through sweat. But these dancers may not want to have a meal at 1 AM. My suggestion would be to have a smoothie (the liquid will be easier to digest that meal or solid snack), complete with protein powder, berries, banana, and coconut water for ultimate replenishment and hydration.

Third, what about those who are still drinking after exercising? I wonder how many of these late-night exercisers will still go out and have a "night on the town" after their workout; a night full of alcohol and late-night pub food. An intense workout (which dehydrates) plus alcohol (also dehydrates) plus salty food (resulting in more dehydration) could equal one killer hangover the next day! These dancers should be careful when combining heavy exercising with heavy partying.

10 (Everyday) SuperFoods

These days, "superfoods" are all the rage. In every health food store, you'll see all kinds of fancy (and often very expensive) superfoods that are supposed to restore health, vitality, and have you living to 105 years old (they don't actually make those specific claims, but claims pretty close to these). Some recent and popular superfoods to hit the market include chia seeds, irish moss, goji berries, acai berries/powder, spirulina, maca... plus many, many more.

But what about everyday "superfoods"? Can I eat like a superhuman without breaking the bank? Why, yes, yes you can! Here are some of my top "everyday" superfoods (in no particular order):

Superfood loving: let's see, we have some sweet potatoes, onions, and broccoli! Three everyday all-stars. 

1. Oats - known for their soluble fiber, which keeps you full, your blood sugar regulated, and lower cholesterol by binding to excess cholesterol. I also love their versatility in cooking and baking. Gluten-free too, if you buy certified g-free oats. 
2. Spinach (and other greens) - greens are important for fiber (roughage), tons of vitamins, and loads of minerals. The healthiest vegetables are the greens. 
3. Grapefruits - we all love citrus for the vitamin C, but grapefruit is said to boost metabolism. 
4. Blueberries (and other berries) - high in antioxidants like vitamin C, fiber, and generally a "dark" fruit. Similar to the greens, the darker the fruit or vegetable, the more concentrated the nutrition. 
5. Almonds (and other nuts) - healthy fats and protein. An easy snack to have on hand. Almonds in particular are a source of calcium. 
6. Salmon - good old healthy fatty acids are found in salmon. These essential fats are good for our brain, skin, and mood. 
7. Seeds - flax, sesame, pumpkin, and sunflower are all awesome. Phytoestrogens are found in seeds, which help regulate our hormones and help our body deal with the synthetic hormones lingering due to all the plastics that are abundant in our modern world. 
8. Onions - anti-microbial (awesome to eat when sick), lower blood pressure, and have anti-cancer proprieties. 
9. Sweet Potatoes - lots of vitamin A. You can even eat the (cleaned) skin for extra fiber. A good source of complex carbohydrates. 
10. Broccoli (and other cruciferous vegetables) - high in calcium, vitamin C, and anti-cancer. Aside from greens, I'd say the cruciferous veggies are the best for your overall well-being. 

Semi-Salty

Those who are mindful of their sodium intake also have to watch out for "hidden" sources. Ketchup and bread are both high in sodium and are often forgotten about. This cute "dip or squeeze" ketchup packet was seen in a restaurant; the package is cute, but the product still sucks.  :P

In my last Integrative Therapeutics lecture on Monday, we wrapped up our discussion of treatment options for cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure, and hyperlipidemia. We also chatted about hypertension (though we had already completed a model on treating hypertension, aka high blood pressure, earlier in the semester).

We broached the topic of salt when we were covering the dietary modifications portion of the lecture. Those with hypertension should be extremely mindful of their salt (aka sodium chloride) intake as too much salt can raise blood pressure. My professor mentioned the product "No Salt" (the product Nu-Salt also exists, as do many other salt imitation products). Instead of being a jar of sodium chloride (NaCl), this product is made of potassium chloride (KCl). Therefore, it is sodium-free ...yet apparently still tastes "salty". I haven't tried this product and thus can't vouch for it's salty taste, but I am intrigued by the idea of a salt-less salt. According to Amazon, the reviews are mixed.

I know I will treat many salt-addicts as a doctor, so I am definitely interested in salty alternatives beyond products like Mrs. Dash and Herbamare (though I LOVE Herbamare and highly recommend it; it is made of salt plus herbs and seasonings) ...and of course I will recommend that patients use herbs and spices to season food instead of salt when possible.

DIY Jams and Fruit Spreads

Homemade Raspberry "Jam"

Tony and I got into a bad habit a couple of months ago: we started needing to put something sweet on our normally sugar-free oatmeal. Commercial jams chocolate chips, honey, and maple syrup were being added to our daily bowl of oats. But excessive sugar intake is not healthy especially, when eaten in the morning. So, in attempt to break our breakfast sweet tooth, I've started making homemade jams and fruit spreads to give us some sweetness without any added sugar. The chia seeds are key in fresh fruit spreads as they give the jam thickness like pectin does in commercial/regular jams.

Here are four varieties I have recently made.  They are awesome on top of oats when paired with some nut butter like almond, peanut, sunflower or pumpkin seed butter. Other add ins: sea salt, flaxseeds, vanilla, cinnamon, or a touch of honey. All recipes make about 1 cup. Store in a jar in the fridge. Use within 1 week.

Date paste: blend 1 cup dried dates with half of a cup of water.

Fig paste: blend 1 cup dried figs with half of a cup of water.

Raspberry lime jam: blend 1 cup raspberries with half a lime, juiced, 4 dates, and 1 teaspoon chia seeds.

Blueberry jam: blend 1 cup blueberries with 1 teaspoon chia seeds, 2 tablespoons water, and 4 dates.

10 Tricks to Eat More Vegetables

Fruit and Vegetable Heart. Source unknown; found this image on Pinterest months ago.

1. Sneaky, Soups and Stews: When vegetables are in chili, soups, and stews, they get really soft and usually undetectable. Think about a pot of chicken noodle soup: there are loads of vegetables in this soup, yet is very loved, even among so called veggie haters. Same goes for chili; very popular, yet is full of tomatoes, onions, peppers, sometimes sweet potatoes, etc. Butternut squash soup is a very yummy (and even a bit sweet) soup that masks several veggies (squash, onions, celery, etc). 

2. Availability: Make sure the veggies are on hand and available. When you're hungry and open the fridge to get a snack and all you see are baby carrots, celery sticks, left over baked root veggies, salsa and guacamole, and salad ingredients, you'll be more tempted to eat veggies for your snack! 

3. Super Sneaky Smoothies: Hide vegetables in smoothies. I promise you that you won't be able to taste a handful of spinach in your smoothie if it is paired with some protein powder, berries, bananas, mylk, etc. I've added all kinds of greens to my smoothies and never taste them. I've also added zucchinis and carrots without any detection. 

4. Crunch, Crunch! Dehydrate or bake veggies so that they are crunchy and chip or french fry-like. Kale chips are awesome, but you also make homemade sweet potato fries, cauliflower "crack", plantain chips, and even green bean fries. 

5. Sauces and Dips Galore: If you don't like the vegetables plain, consider them instead as a vehicle for awesome dips and sauces. Hummus is delish, but rather than eat it with pita or crackers, try baby carrots or red bell peppers. If salads aren't your thing, maybe you need to explore some new salad dressings to jazz up the greens. Same goes with the dinner time vegetables on your plate: before you toss your peas or asparagus, try dousing them in some awesome sauce! 

6. Weekly New Veggie Challenge: Commit to one new vegetable a week. Baby steps, right? One veggie at a time might be a good way to ease yourself into a more vegetable-rich diet. Make this week cauliflower, for example, and commit to giving this vegetable a fair chance all week, aiming to eat it daily. They say that kids need to be exposed to a new food ten times before they really know if they like it or not (and most of the time after ten tries they end up liking it); maybe adults who don't like cauliflower just haven't tried it ten times yet! Well a week of cauliflower can help with that. And after cauliflower week, how about a week of eggplant? 

7. Pureed Power: Kraft came out with a vegetable Kraft Dinner a few years back. It was normal KD with purred vegetables added. When a vegetable is pureed, you can easily "sneak it" into dishes you normally like. Pureed veggies obviously can be added to soups and stews, but also pasta sauces, gravies, salad dressings, casseroles, and even used in baking. Here is a recipe for a chocolate beet torte, sweet potato brownies, and of course, pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin is great. 

8. Creative Cooking: If you claim to not like broccoli, for instance, maybe you just haven't prepared it the right way! You could try it raw, steamed, boiled, baked, roasted, stir-fried, or pureed (maybe make a Cream of Broccoli soup). Personally, I don't really like broccoli that is raw or steamed, but roasted or stir-fried broccoli is awesome! I also know people who love fresh green peas, but absolutely despise canned peas. So try prepping your hated vegetable in other ways and see how it differs in taste. 

9. Up the Ante: If you really, really hate most vegetables and you've tried all of my suggestions, then focus on which vegetables you actually do like and increase your consumption of these veggies. Even if your veggie diet isn't varied, you can still benefit from having more vegetables on a regular basis. 

10. Focus on Fruits: And my last suggestion, is that if you can't tolerate vegetables but love fruits, then focus on eating a wide-variety of fruits. Fruits are slightly less healthy than vegetables because of their high sugar content (even though it is 'natural' sugar, sugar is still sugar and acts similarly in the body, wrecking havoc when in excess). But, fruits are still loaded in vitamins, water, and fiber, so if you can't do a lot of vegetables, try to regularly get fruit in your diet.

The Twelve Hour Eating Rule

Good morning! Time for your bagel (but only if it's been 12 hours since your last meal :P). 

The Twelve Hour Eating Rule is when you wait twelve hours between your last evening meal or snack and breakfast. I've talked about this before on the blog, but decided to re-visit the topic now that it is Spring and Liver time (and it is also detox time for some). Fasting for 12 (up to 16 hours) overnight is one of the easiest and gentlest ways to detox the body. It is important to wait for twelve hours between your last dinner meal and breakfast the next day to let the migrating motor complex (MMC) to be activated. The MMC is activated when the gut is done digesting. It is a series of waves throughout the digestive tract to clean-up remaining food, bacteria, toxins, excess hormones, etc. Imagine a broom and it gently sweeping the gut lining; that's what the MMC is like. 

So try remember when you finished dinner and try to don't have breakfast until at least twelve hours has passed. By remembering this rule, you may be less likely to engage in night time snacking because you won't want to break the (detoxing) fast! For those trying to lose weight, my weight-loss expert professor told my class that following this simple rule can be helpful. 

*Obviously take this advice/rule with a grain of salt. Breast feeding mothers, pregnant women, diabetics, the elderly, children, those who exercise in the morning, etc, should eat when no matter when; eat when hungry and as needed. Also ignore this rule if you wake up starving! This is a sign that the tummy needs to eat, not detox! This post is not meant to be medical advice. 

**The photo above is a New York style bagel that I consumed while in New York city! Gluten-overload, but a delicious treat :)

Goodbye Food Boutiques

A famous vegan shop closed shop closed late last year. This shop was located in Montreal, Quebec. They only sold vegan foods, but mostly treats like veggie "beef" jerky, a variety egg substitutes, dairy free "milk" chocolate, cheese-less cheese, and other goodies.

When I became vegan in 2007, I really longed for some sort of cheese substitution. After reading about this product called Daiya on food blogs over and over again and hearing about its "amazingness", I really, really wanted to try it. I searched online and came across the recently closed vegan shop who not only sold it in Canada, but shipped it to anywhere in the country. I ordered 5 lbs of the stuff (luckily it can be frozen) and had it shipped with ice packs to Nova Scotia (where I was living at the time); the total delivery cost somewhere between $60 and $80. Yikes.

I now find this story hilarious. That "brand new" cheese-product that I died to try, Daiya, is now sold at my local convenience store. No joke. For about $5. I can't believe I once had to have it shipped from across the country and pay an exorbitant price in order to taste it. And now, even though it is super accessible, I don't even eat it anymore. Funny that.

Now, I was never a vegan "veteran", but apparently I still started my vegan journey at a time when it wasn't all that well-known or popular. I can't imagine how vegans functioned in the eighties or nineties  A time when the only way you could get tofu was to find an Asian grocery store I'm sure. I bet these vegans were a heck of a lot healthier though; they didn't fill up on all the junky "fake" foods that now exist.

While some vegans cried out at the closure of this shop, I think it was a positive development. Does the closure of a large vegan food vendor mean that the diet is fading away? That fewer people are vegan? Not necessarily.

I think that the shop's closing is positive because it means that vegans (and those who can't eat eggs, dairy, certain forms of meat, Celiacs, follow restricted diets, etc) no longer have to order fake foods from thousands of miles away and pay ridiculous fees for said foods. They don't have to search online for special treats because they are now offered at Starbucks, Second Cup, Loblaws, Metro, on airplanes, and in convenience stores.

With the rise of food intolerances and allergies, big box stores and large food chains are taking notice and making non-allergenic foods available to their customers (obviously they are doing it for profit reasons as allergen-friendly food is a growing market, but whatever).

The three-aisle convenience store by my house sells almond milk, tofu dogs, and gluten-free flour (to name only a few special-diet foods, they sell many other awesome products). And this isn't so just because I live in the big city of Toronto. When I visited relatives over Xmas, who live in a very rural town, I still managed to find Daiya, coconut milk yogurt, and even a whole shelf devoted to Udi's gluten-free breads in the bakery section of their small grocery store.

A whole shelf devoted to Udi's gluten-free breads, muffins, and more.

While I am very sad for the owners of the vegan shop and worried for small business owners everywhere who have to compete with big corporations, I still like to think that the closure of niche food boutiques like this vegan one is positive. I think it is a sign that it is becoming easier to be vegan and easier to follow a diet that is dairy-free, egg-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, etc).

Goodbye niche food boutiques, hello more accommodating grocery stores!

I Dream of Chickens

Chicken Coop Image from Wikipedia

I'm jealous of my friend J who is installing a chicken coop this Summer.

In the future, I definitely want chickens and a coop. I'd take great care of them and would love their company. I suppose you treat them like you would any other pets? Harvesting their eggs would be so much fun too!

The little chicken coop above is absolutely adorable, but I'd need to read more about my county's bylaws regarding chicken housing. Obviously, I have lots of questions before I build my coop: Is the above structure too small? How far from property lines must the chickens be? How much grazing room do they need?

I'd also love to be able to sell my fresh eggs to my patients. Is this even allowed? My parents' neighbor sells eggs on the side of the road... wonder if he ever looked into the legality of it? If I can't sell them, hopefully I can at least give them away!

Flavor Your Own Honey

Below is a picture of some honey infused with lemon! 

That's right: you can flavor your own honey. Simply take honey and place it in a clean jar that seals well. Add your "seasoning" of choice, let it sit for at least 24 hours, and then voila, flavored honey. Store honey in the fridge for two weeks. Give the honey a good stir before using. 

Flavoring Options: 

Lemon slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, lavender buds (edible), other edible flowers (chamomile), chai tea spices, herbs (rosemary, mint), etc. 

There are lemon wedges in this honey. Look closely!

Also on the topic of honey and doing it yourself, here is a picture of my homemade onion syrup. I had a sore throat a couple of weeks and this did the trick! Even though it is meant for coughs, it also works for sore throats. Surprisingly, it didn't taste very onion-y either. 

Mmm, honey onion syrup...

The Human Hippy

Pictured above are two lattes... but not-at-all in the traditional sense. They are homemade almond milk, dandelion root coffee, and local, raw honey infused lattes. I know, I know: I'm a hippy.

Nevertheless, even though I present mostly uber healthy recipes on my blog and talk about healthy living and eating all.the.time., please understand that I am also human. My diet isn't perfect and sometimes eat food that isn't good for me. Enter my nemesis:

Ah, mini eggs. I never, ever crave candy. But when the Spring season rolls around and these bad boys hit the shelves, I have to buy a pack. Gah they're so good! Thank goodness they leave stores after Easter. Thank goodness they are a once a year treat.

So there you have it. Even naturopaths have junk food cravings. Most of the time we are regarded as hippies, but we're also humans with weaknesses just like everyone else.
.

Happy Long Weekend!

"You Put the Lime in the Coconut"

It's that time of year: the time when the snowbirds arriving home from a Winter down south (by snowbirds I mean the people, though a flock of Canadian geese has also returned to Toronto). I'd like to image that they bring some tropicalness back with them. So in celebration of the tropics and the rise in temperatures, I made some coconutty Key Lime Pie inspired date balls. These treats were also heavily inspired by the jingle You Put the Lime in the Coconut which has been stuck in my head for weeks now...

3/4 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup walnuts*

1/2 a lime, juiced

1/2 a lime, zested

1/4 cup shredded or flaked coconut

Plus you'll need about 1/2 cup (?) of extra coconut to roll the completed balls in. *You can simply use more cashews if you don't have walnuts on hand.

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process just enough to form a dough. Don't overprocess and turn everything into a paste. You want it a tad chunky. This recipe makes 20 tiny balls (using a lime for comparison, you can see the size of the balls above); feel free to make them larger if you'd like.

Life Updates

- I have roughly one month left of classes until I enter clinic! It's going to be the last month I set foot in a classroom in my life... after twenty years of classes. Crazy.
- I start learning vitamin B12 injections tomorrow.
- I've made this pizza twice now. Awesome!
- I have my official clinic schedule for next year! I'm super happy with the shifts I have AND the supervisors who I'll be working under. I'll talk more about my shifts, satellites, and supervisors in a later post.
- I had my OSCE 3 on Friday. Here is how it runs: enter clinic room, greet patient, take their history (i.e. ask them a ton of questions about their health complaint), rule out emergent conditions and red flags, perform physical exams, diagnose the patient, recommend further testing/labs, and recommend a treatment for their condition ...all in 18 minutes ...all the while being marked/evaluated by a clinic supervisor who is sitting in the corner of the room ...then repeat this whole process two more times with two new patients. It was an adrenalin-packed hour that's for sure!
- I celebrated completed OSCE 3 by checking out this place with friends. Fun times.
- I think my OSCE 3 went very well. I was proud of performance(s). I have to pass OSCE 3 in order to enter clinic. Here's hoping the evaluators thought I was competent!

Caramel Apple Timbits

- I made these donuts yesterday (but since I didn't have a donut pan, I made "timbits" using a mini muffin tin).  They are pictured above.
- Anyone have nice Spring weather yet? While it's sunny out here, it is still cold.
- I walked into Bulk Barn this weekend: holy Easter candy overload! I forgot how sugar-laden this holiday is. However, seeing them all (an entire row of Eater candy only, by the way) brought make nostalgic memories. Malt chocolate eggs, foil wrapped chocolate eggs, jelly beans, gummy bunnies, mini eggs, caramel filled chocolate eggs... Om nom nom!
- I selected my clinic office for next year. I'm going to be sharing a room with two of my CCNM best buds. 

Mercury in Fish, Explained

Why we should avoid eating tuna (and other big fish):

This awesome graphic is by Bretwood Higman, of Ground Truth Trekking, found on this site.
It explains mercury concentration in fish so well, don't you think? 

...because they concentrate toxins like mercury in their tissues!

Spring Dietary Transition

I've been saying all Fall and Winter that cooked foods are best. We crave warming, hearty foods during cold months, and prefer lighter and cooler foods during hot months of the year. These foods are easier on the Spleen according to Chinese Medicine.

Mmm, stir-fry and lemon water: two Spring and Liver-friendly foods!

Since it is almost Spring (yippee!), we can now transition out of soup, stews, and heavy casseroles. However, don't get ahead of your body too, too fast: we're not quite ready for crisp salads, watermelon, and popsicles. Now that it slightly warmer, it's time for transition foods to more lighter, cooler Summer-food fare, by eating semi-cooked, semi-raw foods. For instance, rather than roasting or baking your veggies, try lightly lightly stir-frying or sauteing your food, which warms the outside, but leave the inside a bit crisp. Stir-fries are not much more than warmed salads anyways. Feel free to eat more fruit and add more salads to your diet too. And since it is still March, continue to focus on all things green!

Also according to TCM dietary principles, Spring is the Liver time of the year. Therefore, try to increase your Liver-friendly foods for optimal health. Liver-friendly foods are bitter and sour foods, like lemons, vinegar, greens, artichokes, coffee and coffee-like substances (like dandelion tea or roasted chicory root), etc.

Silly Shamrock Shake

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

McDonald's has been serving its famous "Shamrock Shake" all month-long. If you take a peek at the ingredients, which are presented in this article, you'll see that it has 30+ ingredients and most are complete junk. So silly. Instead of indulging in this toxic treat, I've chosenhi to drink my healthier and cleaner shamrock shake, which happens to be made with only 5 ingredients!

(My Super-Healthy Version of the) Shamrock Shake

1 ripe banana, chopped and frozen

1 cup almond mylk

1/2 cup packed mint leaves

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons raw honey

Blend all ingredients until smooth.  Serve immediately or the mint will oxidize and turn the smoothie brown. Serves 2. Alternatively you can use spinach instead of mint.

May the Luck of the Irish Be With You Today!

Sensitivity vs Intolerance vs Allergy

Some foods we love, others we hate. Image source here. 

The difference between a food sensitivity, food intolerance, and a food allergy: 

Food Sensitivity

1) Timing: delayed reaction occurs most often

2) Symptoms:
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Bloating, gas, flatulence, cramps
- Acid reflux (GERD)
- Headaches
- Fatigue, sleepiness
- Mental disturbances
- Brain fog or hyperactivity
- Skin reactions
3) Types of sensitivities: you can be sensitive to anything! But the most common ones are gluten, wheat, dairy, nightshades, soy, and corn.
4) Immune response: IgA or IgG (meaning delayed immune reactions)
5) Tested: with blood work against 96 common foods or an Elimination Diet. Not identifiable using a skin prick test!
6) Other notes: some food sensitivities can resolve if avoided for a consistent period of time, can develop at any time and at any age

Food Intolerance

1) Timing: slow onset. Eat the food, feel fine, hours later feel yuck.
2) Symptoms:
- Diarrhea
- Bloating, gas, flatulence, cramping
- Nausea, vomiting
3) Types of intolerance: lactose intolerance against lactose (in dairy), food additives (food dyes, sulphites, additives, etc), food poisoning (intolerance to the bacteria or toxin), etc
4) Immune response: body lacks the enzyme to break down this food/substance.
5) Tested: breath test for lactose intolerance, trial-and-error (symptoms improve with the offending agent is removed or avoided)
6) Other notes: some people can take the enzyme that they are lacking in order to eat the offending food, e.g. Lactaid, but I don't recommend this, especially not long-term.

Food Allergy

1) Timing: immediate onset of symptoms. Only a tiny bit of the allergen is needed to set-off the immune system. Often a medical emergency. Sometimes carry Epi-pens.
2) Symptoms:
- Skin reactions
- Eye itchy and redness
- Chest pain and shortness of breath
- Lose consciousness, go into shock
- Swelling
3) Types of allergies: this can be anything! But common ones are peanuts, other nuts, eggs, and dairy.
4) Immune response: IgE reactions (meaning an immediate immune response to the allergen)
5) Tested: this type of allergy is often determined using the skin prick test
6) Other notes: often have food allergies for life, often diagnosed/determined in childhood

Others Food Reactions

Celiac Disease - an autoimmune disease in which the body reacts to its own enzyme that digests gluten (gliadin), causing a inflammatory, cross-reaction with the gut lining.

Diabetes - no, diabetics are not allergic to sugar! They just don't have insulin (or don't respond to insulin in type 2) to get the glucose into their cells; therefore they have to monitor their glucose/sugar levels carefully to not consume more than the level of insulin they have or can handle. 

Epic Salad Dressing

Continuing with my Epic Salad post from earlier in the week... here are some of my favorite recipes for epic salad dressings. Remember that greens don't have to taste only like greens. 

Honey Mustard: 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, water to thin as needed

Lemon Tahini: 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon tahini, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, sea salt to taste, water to thin as needed

Balsamic Vinaigrette: mix 1 tablespoon olive oil with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Spicy Peanut: 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1 tablespoon oil of choice (sesame is awesome), 1 teaspoon hot sauce or chili powder, sea salt to taste, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 tablespoon lime juice

Asian Flare: Equal parts soy sauce, maple syrup, and sesame oil

Caesar Salad Dressing: my recipe here. 

Other salad dressing recipes from around the web:

Mmm Sauce

Avocado Lime Dressing

Champagne Vinaigrette

Vegetable Based Salad Dressings

Cranberry Basil Dressing

Chili Lime Dressing
Dairy-free Ranch Dressing

How to Make an Epic Salad

Keeping up with our eat-more-greens theme this month, here's a step-by-step guide to creating epic salads at home!

Step 1 Start with a green: romaine lettuce, mixed baby greens, arugula, kale, iceberg lettuce, baby spinach, chard, collards, or cabbage.

Step 2 Pick a protein: tofu, salmon, sardines, chickpeas, beans, lentils, hard boiled eggs, seeds, nuts, quinoa, feta cheese, cubed hard cheese, feta or goat cheese, edamame, chicken, or whole grain croutons.

Step 3 Add some fruit: strawberries, blueberries, dried fruit, fresh figs, diced mango, apple slices, orange segments, chopped dates.

Step 4 Add some vegetables: carrots, avocado, olives, sun-dried or fresh tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, corn, celery, beets, radishes, baked sweet potatoes or squash, cauliflower, broccoli, bean sprouts, red onion, red/yellow/green peppers, endive, cilantro, or parsley.

Step 5 Finish with dressing: olive oil, flax oil, coconut oil, balsamic vinegar, bottled dressing, sesame oil mixed with soy sauce and maple syrup, spicy peanut, miso-tahini, honey mustard, or a lemon juice-based vinaigrette.