My Ten Percent

I love eating healthy, nutritious, fresh food. But let's face it - some of the BAD stuff tastes sooo GOOD!!! My mantra is to follow the 90/10 rule, meaning 90% of the time I eat clean and the other 10% I don't. Today's focus is on the 10%, and to that point here is my list of foods that I would eat ALL the time if I could!!!

• #10 - white bread
• #9 - cinnamon toast
• #8 - golden grahams cereal (or most other sugary cereals!)
• #7 - hot tamales
• #6 - chocolate covered raisins
• #5 - miniature reese's
• #4 - salt and vinegar potato chips
• #3 - bagels and cream cheese
• #2 - granola (no - it is not healthy!)

And the #1 crappy food I would eat all the time if I could IS - Pop Tarts: any flavor, any kind, frosted or unfrosted

So what foods are in your 10%? I would love to hear!

Mom's Favorite

I come from a fairly large family. I have four older sisters, and we all happen to live in the same town, along with my mother. Although no REAL competition exists among the siblings we all tend to vie for the "favorite daughter" spot in a joking kind of way. For example, when any one of us opens a card from our mother we read it out loud and interject our own words like,"you have brought more joy into my life than any of my other daughters." Or we might add embellishments such as,"I love you more than all the other girls combined."

But wait ... this is a nutrition blog. What does this have to do with nutrition?

My mother has Celiac Disease, which means she is allergic to gluten. Lately, at family gatherings, one of us has been bringing a gluten-free dessert. This is done, of course, to lay claim to the mythical "favorite daughter" crown. So for Memorial Day I decided to try a recipe from Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint Cookbook. Since all his recipes are gluten free, I was bound to come out on top. The recipe was for walnut meal brownies and they were divine!




Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup walnut meal (purchased or ground in a food processor


• 3/4 cup cocoa powder


• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder


• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda


• 1/2 tsp sea salt


• 2 large eggs


• 1 cup coconut milk (room temperature)


• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup (I used syrup)


• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil (gently melted)
  
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts for topping (optional)


• butter for greasing pan

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13x9x2 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients until well blended. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk eggs for one minute, then add coconut milk, honey or maple syrup and whisk again. Add melted coconut oil and whisk until wet ingredients are completely blended.
4. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and whisk well; be sure to scrape sides and bowl bottom so no pockets of dry ingredients remain. Batter will be thinner consistency than conventional brownies. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. If desired, sprinkle chopped walnuts on top of batter. Bake 35-40 minutes on center rack. Cool completely before cutting.

The verdict? Everyone loved them (even some of the kids). My mom declared these brownies the best dessert she had ever eaten. Well, not really, but don't tell my sisters!!

How Low Can You Go?

Ah, the quest for low cholesterol. It seems like everyone who wants to improve their health thinks lowering their cholesterol will prevent them from getting heart disease or having a heart attack. Never mind the fact that they have excess body fat, eat over 300 carbohydrates from whole grains and sugars everyday, consume massive amounts of trans fats and so-called healthy vegetable oils, and are sedentary.

Now I am not saying it is healthy to have high cholesterol, but it is important to know the vital functions of cholesterol.

Cholesterol is vital to our bodies

• Cholesterol is found in every cell of the human body
  
• Cholesterol is especially abundant in the membranes of the cells, where it helps maintain the integrity of these membranes.
  It plays a role in facilitating cell signaling - meaning the ability of your cells to communicate with each other so you function as a human, rather than a pile of cells
  
• Without cholesterol, cell membranes would be too fluid, not firm enough. In other words, it keeps the membrane from turning to mush
  
• Cholesterol is abundant in the tissue of the brain and nervous system. Myelin, which covers nerve axons to help conduct the electrical impulses that make movement, sensation, thinking, learning, and remembering possible, is over one-fifth cholesterol by weight.
  
• Even though the brain only makes up 2% of the body's weight, it contains 25% of its cholesterol.
  
• One of cholesterol's many functions in the body is to act as a precursor to vitamin D
  
• We need cholesterol to make bile, which we need to digest our fat. If we don’t digest fat properly, we don’t get the nutrients we need from it.
  
• Cholesterol is the precursor to a hormone called pregnenolone, which has important functions itself, but is also the precursor to all other steroid hormones. Pregnenolone is converted to progesterone, a sex hormone, which in turn is converted into cortisol, which regulates inflammation and blood sugar.
  

Low cholesterol may be the cause behind depression, anxiety, violence and even suicide. In the British Medical Journal published in September of 1996, a French study looked at over 6,000 men. The study revealed that men with low cholesterol were three times more likely to commit suicide.
Just one of the many studies linking low cholesterol to deep depression came from Finland's National Public Health Institute, where a study of almost 30,000 people showed men with lower cholesterol readings were the most likely to suffer from crippling depression.

Unfortunately, most of the medical community still wants you to get your cholesterol as low as you can, because they are influenced by the pharmaceutical companies. In my next post I will talk about the research on cholesterol and it's role (or absence of) in heart disease.

Go Green!

No, I am not on a mission to save the earth, although I'm in total support of the cause. Nor do I all of sudden have a deep love for Marshall (but I will cheer them on when they are not playing the Mounties!) I'm talking about the delicious avocado.

Besides their tastiness, avocados are full of monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid.

The best way to tell if an avocado is ready for immediate use is to gently squeeze the fruit in the palm of your hand. Ripe, ready-to-eat fruit will be firm yet will yield to gentle pressure. Add this fruit to salad or slice and eat as a side to most dishes.

One of my favorite foods is guacamole. When most people think of guacamole they only associate it with tortilla chips, but why ruin this nutrition powerhouse with grains and unhealthy oils? Think outside the box. My husband and I enjoy guacamole on hamburgers and turkey burgers (sans bun of course). Take some romaine lettuce leaves, add a generous spread of guacomole, insert burger, wrap and enjoy. Chicken breast or deli meat would also fit nicely in this wrap. Don't have time to make our own guacamole? No problem. The produce section of the grocery store now carries several brands of guacamole made with all fresh ingredients. Wal-mart (yes, you heard me correctly) carries Dancing Iguana Guacamole. The ingredient list consists of avocado, jalapeno puree, dehydrated onion, lime juice, salt, and granulated garlic.

Don't be fooled by the imitation guacamole spreads that are found in the dairy section. You won't even find avocado listed in the ingredients - so beware of the impersonators!

Citrus Garlic Chicken

Simple, flavorful ingredients comprise this easy and delicious chicken recipe. I found the original recipe in the The Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain and modified it to my liking. Don't be scared to veer from recipes and make them your own.

My love for rosemary runs deep so you will find this magnificent herb in a lot of my recipes. I happened to be out of all fresh herbs so I used dry this time. Just check the bottle for the conversion from fresh to dry.

2 T fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
1T fresh orange juice (1/2 orange)
Tsp finely chopped thyme
Tsp finely chopped fresh sage or 1/2tsp dried
Ground black pepper
1 sprig chopped rosemary
2 cloves garlic
1-2T olive oil (for marinade)
2 -3 boneless chicken breasts, halved (or just buy the thin-sliced breasts)
1T olive oil (for sauteing)

Put all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken breasts and marinate for a minimum of 2 hours but preferably overnight. Heat 1T olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add chicken breasts (including marinade) and sauté for approximately 6 minutes per side or until chicken

is no longer pink. Easily consumed by all ages!

Brain-Healthy Nutrition (Part Two)

In my last post I introduced five components of brain-healthy nutrition. I explained the first four. Now, here's the fifth component: heart health.

How is heart health related to brain health?

Numerous studies have shown a direct relationship between coronary heart disease, high cholesterol and cognitive decline. One landmark study in California by Dr. Rachel Whitmer evaluated nearly 9,000 people (age 40-44), examining total cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and hypertension. The study revealed that having one of these cardiovascular risk factors at midlife bumped up the chance of getting Alzheimer's between 20 and 40 percent. People with all four (high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and hypertension) were more than twice as likely to get Alzheimer's as those who had none of the risk factors.

Mainstream Americans associate a high intake of fiber with heart health. But from what foods are they getting their fiber? Mostly from cereals, breads and whole grains. The food marketers of these products do an excellent job of promoting them as "heart-healthy." Unfortunately, we don't see the blueberry growers touting their product as heart healthy. Think about this: a cup of blueberries (or blackberries and raspberries) contains 5g of fiber, 80 calories, along with powerful antioxidants. Compare that to the breakfast cereal you are eating to increase your fiber intake. One serving (3/4 cup) of Honey-Nut Cheerios, which they claim helps lower cholesterol, contains 2g of fiber and 110 calories. And seriously, do most people measure out 3/4 cup? Raisin Bran Extra (one cup) contains 7g fiber... but packs 190 calories and 44 grams of carbohydrates! Couple that with 1/2 cup milk and you'll be getting 56g carbohydrates, 240 calories and about 10g protein.

Try these tasty, nutritious alternatives for a heart-healthy, brain-healthy breakfast:

Two-Egg Omelet - 2 eggs with 1 oz meat (bacon, turkey, ham), and spinach. On the side, serve with 1 cup fresh berries, 1 oz avocado

Brain Shake - in blender combine 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, 1 cup berries, 1 Tablespoon almond butter (just like peanut butter but extra-delicious!), 1 T cocoa powder, 8 oz water and 6 ice cubes. Blend for approx. 1 minute, or until creamy smooth.

Either of the breakfast options above contains all the components of brain-healthy nutrition: constant protein to carbohydrate balance, good fats, antioxidants and fiber.

The nutritional components of brain health all contribute to a healthy heart. So take heart in the fact that as you are keeping your blood sugar regulated and consuming antioxidants and healthy fats, you are also protecting your heart.

Brain-Healthy Nutrition (Part One)

I had the honor this week of being the inaugural guest on a new local TV show called "Women's Perspective," hosted by Jane Marks and Laurel Kirksey of the WV Alzheimer's Association. Local readers can view this program on Tuesday nights during the month of April. (Check your channel guide for specific times.) The focus of this first show is on brain-healthy foods. As one who lost her father to early-onset Alzheimer's Disease (he showed symptoms as early as age 50), this topic is especially important to me. Here are the five areas I discussed:


1. Keep blood sugar stabilized - The brain needs a steady supply of glucose to make ATP, its energy chemical. Without adequate ATP, the brain has an energy drain, and its function decreases. The best way to accomplish this is to control your insulin levels.

Consider how you feel about an hour after eating pasta, bread or sugar. You are sleepy, your thinking is fuzzy and you have difficulty concentrating. Your glucose is driven down so low that brain function is compromised. It searches for glucose to make ATP so it can energize itself and guess what? You seek out more carbohydrates (sugar) because your brain is telling you to bring in more glucose - NOW! You head to the vending machine and grab a candy bar and a coke, get a temporary fix and the cycle starts all over again. Instead of having steady amounts of glucose for your brain, you give it peaks and valleys. So how do you keep glucose stabilized?

Maintain a constant protein to carbohydrate balance every time you eat.

2. Eat plenty of protein. Protein is used to make hemoglobin in our red blood cells so they can carry oxygen to all parts of the body, including the brain. Unlike carbohydrates, protein doesn't give you the insulin "spike". Consequently, when you combine protein with carbohydrates your glucose levels are more constant - think chicken and wild rice.

Protein is broken down into amino acids, which make up our brain's chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. One of the amino acids, tyrosine, prompts our brain to manufacture norepinephrine and dopamine, which promote alertness and activity.

3. Eat good fats. Omega-3 fatty acids are important to the development and maintenance of the brain and spinal cord. Twenty percent of the omega-3 in the brain is docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, which is concentrated in the nerve synapses (connections between brain cells), making it a vital player in brain cell communications. Another omega-3, eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA, is necessary for improved blood flow and decreased inflammation. Where can you obtain these important fats? Eggs, fatty fish (like salmon or mackerel), poultry, and fish oil supplements. Another vital fat in brain function is monounsaturated fat. Its function is to slow the rate at which carbohydrates enter your bloodstream (i.e., it helps to control blood sugar levels). Additionally it causes the release of cholecystokinin, another hormone that tells your brain to stop eating. Enjoy these fats that are found in olive oil, avocados and almonds.

4. Antioxidants. Think of antioxidants as your own personal secret service. These nutritional bodyguards jump in front of free radicals to reduce damage to your cells (also called oxidative stress). Researchers in the Chicago Health and Aging Project found that consuming three servings of vegetables per day had a statistically significant impact on reducing the risk of Alzheimer's Disease. They also concluded that regular and significant consumption (2-4 servings) of leafy green, yellow or crucifereous vegetables had protective benefits on age-related cognitive change. Some of the brain healthy fruits and vegetables include: spinach, broccoli, onions, kale, collard greens, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, red grapes.

That's quite a bit to digest all at once. I'll leave it at that for now. Check back in a couple days and I'll share my advice and tips on Heart Health (the fifth and final topic) in Part Two of this article.

How Important to You is Better Nutrition?

If you had to rate your level of commitment to healthy eating, on a scale of 1 to 100, what would it be?

Sure, we all say we want to eat better... but what are we willing to do? Let's look at an example from my life that occurred this past weekend. My husband, kids, and I traveled to my in-laws for the weekend. Usually when we go, I loosen the nutrition reigns and don't stress about it. For the most part my husband and I stay on course, always work out at a local gym, and will allow ourselves some old favorites like pizza and some snack foods in the car.

On this particular trip, I ate "clean" with the exception of pizza on Saturday night. The ride home on Sunday, however, proved to be a recipe for disaster. In a word, Sunday was a carb-fest. And the problem with the occasional carb-fest is that it sparks that "need" for more sugar and carbohydrates. The cycle ensues: eat crappy carbs, get the high, crash, eat more crappy carbs, get the high.... You get the idea.

By the time we arrived home I was literally sick to my stomach! In the old days I would have vegged on the couch the rest of the evening and not planned my families' nutrition for the week ahead.

This time, instead, I snapped myself back to reality and got moving. I made the grocery list and headed out. I chose not to do the little $40 run to get us through Monday; rather, I bit the bullet and bought all the groceries for the week, making sure we were stocked with loads of protein, fruits and veggies.

The next morning, my work was still not complete. As I got the kids ready for school and preschool and myself ready for work, I fixed a few things for that evening and the following day. Roasted chicken went in the oven, and I cooked turkey burgers for my husband to take to work for lunch. As for me, I opted to fast. When my carb-fest ended Sunday evening at seven o'clock, I decided to give my digestive system a rest. I didn't eat again until Monday night dinner. By that evening I felt much better. All was right in my world again. Ahhh!

The lesson here lies in the fact that I was faced with a choice. We all have to make choices frequently, don't we? I could have taken the easy, lazy way out and not planned for the week ahead. Not only would my body and mind have suffered--so would my wallet. I would have set myself and my family up to be less than optimized for the week. Lacking quality, nutritious foods in the pantry and fridge, we would have needed to eat out. Instead, since my family's nutrition ranks so highly on my importance scale, I chose to take the better path and our kitchen is stocked with nutritious foods to keep our brains and bodies thriving.

What do you do when you fall off the nutrition wagon? Do you continue down that unhealthy path--or do you shake yourself out of it and get right back on track? As Barry Sears, author of The Zone says," You are only one meal away from getting back into the zone."

So back to my question: at what number would you rank your nutrition? On a 1 - 100 scale, post your commitment-level ranking in a comment. I'd love to hear from you!

Nutrition and Healthy Cooking in the Real World

Are you confused about nutrition? Do you have a pretty good idea of what is healthy but don't know how to cook nutrition foods that are tasty? Does healthy food to you mean bland baked chicken and salads?
Let me help you!!!

Join me on Tuesday, February 2 from 6-9pm and learn how to cook delicious, healthy foods that give you the proper balance of protein, good fats, and favorable carbohydrates. As a mother of two who also works 30 hours per week I know how challenging it can be to cook for your family. It is very tiring at the end of a workday to muster up the energy to prepare a meal, let alone a nutritious one! Preparation and planning are the key to being successful.
The food we will prepare will be devoid of wheat, grains, refined sugars, and "bad" fats.

By attending this class you will learn:

Basic nutrition principles
The proper ingredients to have on hand at all times
How to decifer food labels
Time-saving tips
Basic kitchen skills
How to make several healthy dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Each participant will receive a notebook with healthy recipes and nutrition information. I will also award one participant with a copy of "The Primal Blueprint" by Mark Sisson.

The class will take place at Ferguson Enterprises showroom kithcen, 160 Spring Street. The cost per person is $65 and is limited to 15 people. You can register by emailing me at lisalineberg@suddenlink.net.