Three Nutrition Tips to Avoid a Broken Heart

By Nancy Mehlert, MS

If you have not already read our lead article about Women and Heart Disease, I strongly encourage you to do so because it will explain the reasons for our nutrition recommendations. In our nutrition article today, I am going to get right to the heart of the matter (if you will pardon the expression) regarding nutritional lifestyle changes you can make that your heart will love. Please don’t let this underestimate the value of other lifestyle changes including exercise, the quality of your sleep, how you cope with stress, and the health of your relationships, because all of these things are equally important matters of the heart! We can’t exercise our way out of a bad diet or sleep away our worries. Balance and integration is essential for whole-hearted living and optimal health.

The overall nutrition strategy for the heart is to reduce oxidation, reduce inflammation, and detoxify. It is exactly these strategies we recommend for a healthy diet for life! The human body is wired and designed for a diet rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory foods and plenty of fiber that helps to cleanse and detoxify us. So what are the priorities?

1) A diet rich in vegetables (raw, cooked, juiced or fermented) is mission critical to good health and avoiding heart disease. There is no better food to stamp out oxidation and stop inflammation in its tracks! See if you can get 3-4 cups or more a day. This is the food that should take up most of the space on our plates at every meal.

2) For any matter of ill health or disease, including the heart, it is imperative that all processed and fast foods, especially refined carbohydrates (breads, cereals, wraps, pastries, cakes, cookies etc.), damaged oils/fats (margarine, canola, soybean, corn, cottonseed) and sugar be removed from the diet. When we eat food our body is not naturally wired to eat, we make it mad and confused! It really does not know what the heck it is supposed to do with soybean oil or canola oil-based salad dressing or an FD & C Color dye or nitrate or a load of sugar from any source, including an organic fruit smoothie or a couple of slices of multi grain bread. Foods that have been factory processed, highly milled, heated, treated, colored, preserved, texturized or defatted are no longer food but man-made products. The heart knows it! These products not only cannot be used as nutrition for your cells but they also interrupt processes, rob the body of essential minerals and vitamins, block and clog pathways, get stored as belly fat, increase harmful cholesterols, and elevate triglycerides. An important note about natural sources of sugar including fruit, honey, maple sugar, agave nectar, coconut date or palm tree sugars, turbinado and cane sugar, just to name a few. . sugar is sugar and sugar is an inflammatory, acidic, and destructive food no matter how organic or natural. When we talk about how our body is wired, early man consumed very little sugar in any form. Remember, fruit is seasonal and in some climates non-existent. Bee hives were rare and pretty impenetrable without some pain. Many fruits are very high in fructose which must be processed through the liver, generating a great deal of uric acid which leads to gout and heart disease.[i] Most berries are a safe choice in moderation.

3) Lose the fear of eating healthy, undamaged, natural fats including the incorrectly accused saturated fat! The human body requires the right fats to function optimally. Over the last 60 years, dietary fat intake recommendations have been grossly underestimated at 10% of total daily calories and damaged vegetables oils were recommended as the ideal choice. Simultaneously we were guided to remove all saturated and animal fats. These three errors have played a significant and contributing role to health problems today, including sugar addiction, carbohydrate cravings, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, hormone imbalances and much more. For most people, a healthy range of fat intake is between 40-70% of total caloric intake IF the choices are healthy! Healthy fats are fuel for the heart, resources for production of most of our hormones, enzymes and many neurotransmitters, and an essential component of every cell in the human body. Cholesterol is the building block for hormone production in the body and more than half of the brain is made of cholesterol![ii] Healthy fats also contain potent and powerful antioxidants. Healthy fats must be chosen carefully and examples include:

Avocado
Butter – organic ideally and from pasture raised or grass fed cows, raw if possible
Eggs – from pasture raised chickens fed grass and insects
Coconut meats and expeller pressed, organic coconut oil (a saturated fat)
Unheated, organic nut oils such as macadamia nut or walnut oil
Organic, cold pressed olive oil and olives
Raw nuts especially pecans, macadamia nuts, walnuts, and almonds as well as seeds such as chia, hemp, sesame and pumpkin
Grass fed/pasture raised meats
Small wild caught oily fish such as sardines & anchovies
Wild, Pacific salmon

So when it comes to matters of the heart, grandma was right when she told us to eat our vegetables, mother nature has proven wiser than the food manufacturing industry when it comes to your health, and yes, go ahead and eat a little more (healthy) fat! Still confused? Schedule your nutrition consult today!

[i] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/27/gout-uric-acid.aspx

[ii]http://info.spectracell.com/Portals/81015/docs/Dr%20Sinatra%20newsletter%200808HHN_final.pdf

By Admin|2015-06-03T06:24:48-05:00June 1st, 2015|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Let’s Talk Tea

By Nancy Mehlert, MS

When I was a girl, tea was a beverage reserved for very refined people, often of British origin, to be had late in the afternoon. I hated it when my mom told me we had to go to someone’s house for tea. It was not my idea of fun because it usually meant putting on nicer clothes and good behavior. Today, it has become a very popular drink and it is one of my favorites! While the tea section at the grocery store contains all kinds of herbal infusions and botanicals, by definition, “tea” must come from the Camellia sinensis plant. All tea, whether white, green, oolong, black or pu’erh comes from this same plant.

As we address anxiety in this newsletter, I want to immediately point out that the ideal tea to promote calm and health is Chinese and Japanese Green Teas from the Camellia sinensis plant. Organic varieties are recommended and these teas contain a rich amount of theanine, an amino acid that produces a relaxed, yet alert state of calm when consumed. So if calm is what you want, green tea is your go to option. Several brand names to check out include The Republic of Tea Organic Double Green Matcha Tea, The Tea Spot, Arbor Teas, and Rishi Tea. These companies all offer a wide variety of Chinese and Japanese green teas that are organic, calming, antioxidant rich and very satisfying.

Now for those of you interested in learning a little more about teas, or getting a good dose of caffeine, here’s the rest of the story…..

Once the tender leaf has been plucked from the Camellia sinensis plant, a process of drying, withering, rolling and heat treatment takes place to make the various types of tea.

White Teas are picked as young buds enclosed in very young leaves and are the least processed and also release the least amount of caffeine of all teas (10-15 milligrams per 8 ounce cup). Their flavor is very delicate and sometimes difficult to detect.

Green tea leaves are plucked and ideal for brewing on the same day. Green tea leaves are not allowed to oxidize which helps to retain a very low caffeine content 25-35 milligrams of caffeine per 8 ounce cup), a dark natural green color, theanine, tannins, vitamin C, Chlorophyll and minerals.

Oolong teas are semi-oxidized. The leaves are withered, rolled and then partially oxidized and then fired in a pan to stop oxidation. Sometimes they are smoked to impart flavor to the tea as well. Caffeine on first steeping is 30-50 milligrams per 8 ounce cup but dramatically reduces if the same leaves are steeped a second or third time.

Black teas are fully oxidized and very popular in the western world for the caffeine punch ranging from 40-60 milligrams of caffeine per 8 ounce cup. These leaves are withered, rolled and crushed, which activates the oxidation process. Then they are oven fired to stop oxidation.

Pu’erh teas are first fermented with a semi-fermented green tea, followed by a secondary fermentation for six months where the tea is kept in a warm, humid environment allowing beneficial bacteria and fungal microflora to flourish. It is an ideal health drink and is has been suggested to improve digestion, increase saliva production, dispel the effects of alcohol and refresh the mind. These teas are very dark. It too has a caffeine punch of 60-70 miligrams of caffeine per 8 ounce cup.

All teas from the camellia sinensis plant have essential oils that provide the flavor and aroma of teas. They are rich in antioxidants and also offer small amounts of vitamins, minerals and amino acids including the rare L theanine molecule found in only three foods, two of which are teas listed here. Teas also have enzymes and the methylxanthines which are the alkaloid family that includes caffeine.

So whether you want to kick things up a bit or calm them down, enjoy a cup of tea, and by all means, relax and come as you are.

Sources:

http://www.arborteas.com/pages/tea-health-benefits.html

www.livestrong.com/Foods Rich in Theanine, 8/19/2010

By Admin|2015-04-13T11:44:10-05:00April 13th, 2015|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Chia Seeds

Chia seed is a species of flowering plant in the mint family and is native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. They are usually grown organically, are non-GMO and naturally free of gluten. They have become trendy as of late and have been given the status in the nutrition world of being called a “superfood”. This is one superfood that I truly recommend because the nutritional value, ounce for ounce, is rather astounding. (If you are in a hurry to figure out how to use them, skip to the bottom of the article!)

The Nutrition Profile –Amazing!

2 Tablespoons of Chia Seed contains the following:

Protein – 4.4 grams

Fat – 9 grams

Omega-3 fatty acids – 4915 mg

Omega-6 fatty acids – 1620 mg

Carbohydrates – 12 grams

Fiber – 11 grams (42% of the Recommended Daily Value)

Calcium -18% of RDV

Manganese – 30% of the RDV

Magnesium – 30% of the RDV

Phosphorus – 27% of the RDV

Zinc – 7% of the RDV

Chia also contains essential fatty acids alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid, mucin, strontium, boron, Vitamins A, B, E, and D as well as sulfur, iron, iodine, niacin, and thiamine and they are a rich source of antioxidants.

Good for Everything (almost!)

This impressive nutritional evaluation means that, for just 2 tablespoons a day, you can derive a great deal of potential benefit including:

Chia is a balanced food offering high quality protein, fat and carbohydrates. When you eat them, you get some of every primary building block for life.
A digestive health superstar, the carbohydrates in chia are almost totally from fiber. This helps to provide satiation, balance blood sugar, promote bowel regularity, and have a gel forming action in the soluble fiber that works as a prebiotic supporting the growth of probiotics in the gut. By weight, chia seeds are 40% fiber, making them one of the highest sources of fiber available.
Antioxidant rich, chia can be a reliable and powerful protection against free radical damage in the body, the damage that promotes aging (yes including wrinkles!), inflammation and disease.
One small study [i] in Type 2 Diabetics showed that chia seeds can significantly lower blood pressure and C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation).
Chia has the ability to reverse inflammation, regulate cholesterol and lower blood pressure, all of which support heart health. [ii]
The protein in chia is complete, meaning that it provides all of the essential amino acids that the body requires but cannot make for itself. Since it is a plant protein, it offers a good source of protein for those who do not consume animal protein.
Chia seeds offer an excellent source for calcium as well as most of the other essential nutrients for bone health including phosphorus, magnesium, and boron.
Chia is high in linoleic acid, a fatty acid which helps the body absorb the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

How to use Chia Seed:

Add to organic yogurt or a non-dairy almond or coconut milk yogurt.
Add to organic unsweetened applesauce.
Drink them by soaking seeds (1.5 Tablespoons) in 8 ounces of water for about 30 minutes or more. Chia seeds hold 12 times their weight in water. When soaked, they can offer great hydration to your body. Unsoaked chia can steal hydration from your body so be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your body hydrated.
Make a pudding by putting ¼ cup chia seeds in 8 ounces of nut milk and allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator. Top or blend with pureed mango, blueberries, strawberries, banana, or raspberries.
Pulverize and use chia seed in gluten-free recipes for pancakes, muffins, and breads.
Add to a protein smoothie.
Use in chili or stew to increase nutrition and volume, allowing your shopping dollar to go further without diluting flavors.
Grind and combine with ground pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and coconut flakes. Then add hot water for a wonderful low carb breakfast porridge. Sweeten with stevia or lo han if desired.

[i] http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/30/11/2804.long

[ii] http://www.clevelandclinicwellness.com/Features/Pages/chia-seeds.aspx#

By Admin|2015-03-22T23:02:26-05:00March 22nd, 2015|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

The Vicious Cycle

By Nancy Mehlert, MS

This diagram (click on diagram to enlarge it) depicts the vicious and stressful cycle that causes the vast majority of the chronic lifestyle diseases of our time, including high blood pressure. High blood pressure results for several reasons:

Our Sympathetic Nervous System automatically constricts blood vessels as an alarm response to excess sugar.
The chronic nature of the cycle and constant elevation of blood sugar and insulin in the blood leads to a resistance by cells to “listen” to insulin.
Since insulin is responsible for ushering all kinds of important nutrients into our cells, when the cells will no longer “listen” to insulin, other essential nutrients are also not absorbed into the cell.
Magnesium is of primary concern as it relates to high blood pressure. Magnesium inside our cells is responsible for relaxing and keeping all muscles calm. That includes our cardiovascular system (i.e. blood vessels and heart muscle).
As a result of this cycle, chronically elevated blood sugar and insulin levels lead to magnesium being rejected from our cells and eliminated in our urine while we become magnesium deficient and our muscles remain constricted resulting in high blood pressure.

It is not hard to see why this cycle, chronically lived out, day after day can lead to disease as our cells become more and more unwilling to absorb nutrients at the request of insulin. This also turns on a chronic “fat storage” message and turns off the “burn fat” message preventing weight loss, which is in good part the reason for our nation’s dramatic increase in obesity and diabetes rates over the last few decades.

Nutritionally then, what can you do about it? How can you break this cycle, reduce blood pressure and return to good health?

Here are three essential steps to get fast results:

1. Remove all grain and grain-like seeds from the diet. With high blood pressure, your best course of action is to eliminate until you have stabilized blood pressure, weight, and blood sugar. No wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley, rye, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, kamut, spelt either as “whole grain” or processed into breads, pasta, crackers, cookies or cereals.

2. Be sure all sugars of any kind from items above or found in packaged and processed foods and sugary drinks, fruit juices, natural sweeteners and sweets are totally removed from the diet. Even fruit can be problematic.

3. Fuel the body and provide satiation by consuming about half of your daily caloric intake from undamaged fats, made up mostly of unsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, olives, olive oil and avocado and some from specifically grass fed butter and organic, expeller pressed coconut oil. Grass-fed meats and pasture raised eggs will also help to supply a small amount of healthier fats to the diet.

To learn more about healthy substitutions, wise fruit choices and ways to make your new diet taste great, schedule your nutrition consultation at The Woodlands Institute for Health and Wellness.

Please beware that drastic changes in diet, lifestyle, and weight can have quick and dramatic changes in blood pressure and blood sugar levels. If you are taking a medication for blood sugar or blood pressure, please make the above changes under the supervision of your healthcare provider to ensure medications are weaned properly.

By Admin|2015-03-07T11:28:13-05:00February 23rd, 2015|Articles, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Histamine Intolerance

By Nancy Mehlert

Most of the time when we guide patients toward a whole food, ancestral type of diet, and we work to clean up the digestive tract and repopulate favorable microflora with probiotics and fermented foods, our patients are amazed at how much better they feel. Occasionally though, there are some individuals who do not improve initially, sometimes due to what is called Histamine Intolerance. Because the symptoms can easily be confused with a variety of other conditions and because the response is cumulative, it can be difficult to diagnose.

It is important to understand that the body needs and uses histamine for very important functions. Histamine intolerance occurs when the body’s enzymatic process to break down excess histamine is impaired, or when the body is producing too much of it. When this happens, the symptoms of excess histamine resemble allergic reactions. Common symptoms include:

Hives
Itching, especially of skin, eyes, ears and nose
Drop in blood pressure, dizziness when standing up quickly
Swelling of the face, mouth, and throat
Increased pulse rate or the sensation of heart racing
Some types of headaches
Nasal congestion, runny nose or seasonal allergies
Indigestion, heartburn or reflux
Fatigue, confusion or irritability
In very rare cases, blacking out very briefly

Overproduction of histamine can occur directly as a result of imbalanced gut micro-bacteria (aka dysbiosis). There are certain types of bacteria that produce histamine and if they are overpopulated, excess histamine can result. Another cause of excess histamine is slow clearance from the body, such as with impaired methylation. Impaired methylation can be a result of nutritional deficiencies and/or genetic mutations.

Another aspect of histamine intolerance is that it is cumulative and the spectrum of tolerance levels varies greatly. In other words, some excess histamine may not trigger any response, but every person has a unique tolerance level and once hit, will trigger the response. Because of this, the person experiencing these symptoms searches for a single food that seems to trigger the response when it is more likely a series of foods that add up and accumulate too much histamine. Any one food is not necessarily a trigger. Some people have responses that are triggered by only some of the foods listed below, while the other foods seem to not pose a threat.

As stated above, histamine intolerance appears to be very closely connected to gut imbalances of microflora and, in most cases, restricting consumption of high histamine foods can serve as the first line of treatment for symptom relief. Moreover, restoration of gut health and correction of methylation issues are vital to resolving the problem. Once these things are done, many people are able to add many of their favorite foods back into their diet.

Many people are surprised to learn that the foods which trigger these responses are often included in very healthy diets. While most foods generate some histamine, the most common high histamine foods include:

Fermented foods such as cultured vegetables, yogurts, and mature or ripe cheeses
Seafood
Beans and pulses
Nuts, especially cashews and walnuts
Chocolates and other cocoa based products
Most citrus fruits and berries
Tomatoes
Spinach
Eggs
Vinegar, including ketchup, salad dressings, sauces, BBQ sauce
Certain spices including cinnamon, chili powder, and cloves
Alcohol
Processed and cured meats such as salami, ham, bacon, sausages
Leftover meat (cooked meat increases in histamine as it sits)
Pickled or canned foods including sauerkraut, pickles, relish
Wheat and wheat products such as pasta and couscous
Salty or sweet snacks with preservatives and artificial colorings

Histamine intolerance may be on the rise, especially in light of the increase in gut dysbiosis in our population. It has not yet been established fully as a distinct medical condition in the conventional medical arena, so there are a lot of people who don’t believe this condition exists. Regardless, if you suspect you are, or someone you know is, suffering with this, functional medical practices, such as TWIHW, are the ideal places to get help!

Sources:

http://chriskresser.com/what-you-should-know-about-histamine-intolerance

http://www.histamineintolerance.org.uk

By Admin|2015-02-03T23:05:15-05:00February 3rd, 2015|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Get a Squeaky Clean Start to the New Year- detox

So January has arrived fresh and new, brimming with possibilities for each of us. Moving forward, putting the past behind us and seeking newness are inherently built into our minds as we move into a new year. Nutritionally, though, you may feel like you are lugging a bit of holiday jolly right along with you into the New Year and not feeling all too jolly about it now. For many it is added pounds, for others it is fatigue and poor digestion and for yet others it is a general malaise, or aches and pains. After all, these are often the effects of the extra indulgences of too much sugar, processed foods, food additives, alcohol, and overeating that are common during the holidays. As Dr. McManus focuses our main article this month on anti-depressants, it is worth noting that our food is a very common source of many anti-nutrients that contribute to depression. So what to do about it?

How about letting your partners in wellness at TWIHW help you get back into gear for a great new year? Whether you want to get help re-vamping your diet, implementing a more formal detoxification program, participating in a weight loss program, finding accountability or starting out the year with a health and wellness check up where goals for your improved health can be identified, we can help! With every one of these approaches, we can offer a multitude of steps that you can take to help detoxify the body employing a wide range of practices from 7 to 21 day detoxification programs, juicing, fasting, cleaning up the diet, utilizing supplements, and promoting weight loss. The good news is that there is a personal plan for you. Not everyone can fast, not everyone wants a strict diet and the same protocol is not right for everyone. Cleansing the body can be done through many avenues and in a way that is achievable for you. Schedule your nutrition appointment today to start fresh, get clean, and feel great for the New Year!

By Admin|2021-01-10T08:55:13-05:00January 2nd, 2015|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Acid vs Alkaline Diet

Acid vs Alkaline Diet

We call them symptoms. They are pesky problems that prevent us from feeling our best. They can be almost anything from fatigue, headaches, and body pain to heartburn or constipation. Typically our symptoms are a reflection of congestion and/or inflammation in the body. Just think for a moment about these two words: Congestion and Inflammation.

Consider congestion. It always reminds me of the freeway at rush hour. Even though it says the speed limit is 65 mph, there are just too many of us on the road to allow us to drive at the posted speed. Have you ever thought about your bodily functions occurring at a “posted speed”? If you think about symptoms of congestion, you will see that the body is not functioning at the speed that it should. Constipated? Your bowels are not running at posted speeds. Fatigued? Your energy levels are not running at posted speeds. Brain fog? Your brain is not optimally running at the posted speed. Unable to lose weight despite a healthy diet? Your metabolism may not be running at the speed it should.

Now consider inflammation. All you have to do is Google that definition and you will find the words reddened, swollen, painful, and hot or feverish. Achy joints? Headaches? Heartburn? Diarrhea? Swollen hands, feet, knees, and/or fingers? Skin rashes or other irritations? If you have pain, blood, redness, rawness or swelling anywhere, you can bet there’s inflammation.

Together, inflammation and congestion are the instigators for a good many of our lifestyle diseases today including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, obesity, most digestive disorders such as IBS, acid reflux, and many skin conditions. Most of these conditions were not as common 50 years ago before mass numbers of toxins in our foods and before we began following the FDA Food Pyramid and the Standard American Diet.

The human body is an amazingly balanced organism. For every enzyme or hormone in the human body that increases or speeds something up, there is a counterpart that decreases or slows down an activity. The body is balanced. There is a scale in chemistry, which refers to where a substance falls in terms of its acidity or alkalinity. It is called the pH scale and runs from 1 (very acidic) to over 14 (very basic or alkaline). The Human Body averages and optimally functions around a pH of 7.4. That’s right! Right in the middle. Balanced.

So where does nutrition fit into all of this? All food, when digested, leaves either an acid or alkaline ash in the body. If we eat more acidic foods than alkaline foods, our body becomes burdened with neutralizing the acidity and contributes to inflammation and congestion. If we eat too alkaline a diet, many nutrients cannot be metabolized, our blood would not carry oxygen effectively, and our ability to stay hydrated is impaired. All of this to simply say balance in our food choices really does matter.

Most of our regular readers and patients will not be surprised that balance in our diet comes from consuming plenty of plant food in the form of vegetables, herbs, fruits and water. These are the soothing plant foods that carry the alkalizing side of the equation. They cleanse us, detoxify us and create smooth operations in the human body. To ensure we do not become too alkaline, we also need to eat a selection of meats, eggs, and healthy fats, which tend to be more acidic but bring balance to the diet. Together, this creates a balanced diet, neither too acidic nor too alkaline.

Foods which are highly acidic and have contributed to our inflamed and congested bodies include sugar, grains, grain fed meat, pasteurized dairy products, sugary dairy products, damaged fats, over-the-counter drugs, pharmaceutical drugs, food additives and chemicals. It is not hard to see why we are suffering from symptoms and diseases of inflammation and congestion!

There is no need to over analyze or try to measure all of this. The solution is simple! Eat real, whole unprocessed foods from nature, including plenty of vegetables, drink water, and avoid the acidic foods listed above. Your balanced body will take care of the rest and you may be surprised how many of those pesky symptoms disappear.

By Admin|2014-12-02T03:48:51-05:00December 2nd, 2014|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

by Nancy Mehlert, MS

Here are the most common Genetically Modified foods. Avoid them by purchasing organic and/or certified Non-GMO.

Corn – 90% of the American corn crop is genetically modified from which most corn flour, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, masa, corn meal and corn processed foods are made.

Soybeans – 93% of the American soybean crop is genetically modified from which soy proteins, soybean oil, soy milk, soy flour, soy sauce, tofu, or soy lecithin are made.

Sugar – 55% of the sugar produced in America comes from sugar beets, 95% of which are genetically modified. Unless the ingredient label says “pure cane sugar”, chances are significant the “sugar” in an ingredient label is genetically modified.

Vegetable Oils – it is safe to assume that canola oil, vegetable oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil and corn oil are all from genetically engineered crops.

Other foods that may well be genetically modified include Hawaiian papaya, zucchini, and yellow summer squash..

Foods under consideration for genetic modification include salmon, flax, plums, potato, radicchio, rice, tomato and wheat.

By Admin|2014-11-05T07:26:47-05:00November 5th, 2014|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Foods that Promote Sleep

In every step of my life journey, one message resounds over and over again. What we eat really does matter. The optimal function of the human body is in every way dependent on our daily food choices. There is no question in my mind that when we don’t eat well, we are promoting dysfunction and disease rather than optimal function. Good nutrition applies to getting a good night’s sleep, too! Read on to learn about foods that promote sleep.

There are a number of essential amino acids that the human body needs but cannot produce – the reason for being called “essential” is that we must consume them in our diet. One such amino acid is called tryptophan. Tryptophan is the required building block for the human body to produce serotonin in the gut and central nervous system, which is then delivered to the pineal gland in the brain to produce and release melatonin, our natural regulator of the sleep cycle.

The goal is to promote sleep by promoting the production of serotonin and, therefore, melatonin by ensuring our diet is rich in tryptophan. Here are some tryptophan rich choices to consider, especially as the sun sets and you consume your last meal of the day.

Meats, especially wild game such as elk and venison, quail, duck, and turkey.
Seafood, especially halibut, shrimp, salmon, lobster, crab and crawfish.
Nuts and seeds, especially walnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios, flaxseed, sesame seed, pumpkin seed and roasted sunflower seeds.
Beans and legumes, especially peanuts, kidney beans, lima beans and chickpeas.
Spinach, mustard greens, asparagus and winter squash.
Grains, especially brown rice and oats in very modest portions (1/2 cup or less). We do not recommend grains as your ‘go-to’ source of tryptophan.
Cheese, especially Gruyere and cottage cheese. We do not recommend cheese as your ‘go-to’ source of tryptophan either.

Most of these tryptophan rich food sources fall in line very well with TWIHW’s recommended dietary choices. We do recommend gluten free grain choices in modest portions to avoid excessive elevation of insulin levels as well as non-genetically modified (Non-GMO) foods and organic options wherever possible. Be aware of your food sensitiveness and allergies avoiding those foods to which you have an adverse reaction, which would keep you wide awake anyway to be sure!

It is also worthy of note that alcohol, dark chocolate, coffee, sugary foods, spicy foods and highly processed fatty foods are well known to interrupt a good night of sleep. Sugar is especially disruptive because it causes a dramatic rise in blood sugar which, when it drops later, will cause you to wake up. Additionally, excessive sugar floating in the blood during sleep is damaging in terms of inflammation, congestion, oxidative stress and fat storage.

What we eat will determine just how sweet your dreams can be!

By Admin|2014-09-27T14:17:14-05:00September 27th, 2014|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Using Essential Oils in the Kitchen

Most likely, without really being aware of it, you have experienced essential oils in your food for a long time. Chewing gum is one example. Candy makers have been long time users of essential oils, though the quality and health benefits of these oils is arguable. When you use pure, superior quality essential oils in food preparation, however, you not only add delicious flavor, but also increase the healthful benefits of your food.

Essential oils that come from edible plants are safe and perfectly suited to enhancing the flavor and health benefits of the foods you prepare every day. The essential oils that have been listed as GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) by the FDA include:

Basil, Bergamot, Cassia, Cinnamon Bark, Clary Sage, Clove, Coriander, Frankincense, Geranium, Ginger, Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime Melissa, Melaleuca, Marjoram, Myrrh, Oregano, Patchouli, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sandalwood, Thyme, Vertiver, White Fir, Wild Orange, and Yling Ylang.

The simplest way to begin incorporating essential oils into your everyday food preparation is to substitute the companion essential oil for the dried herb, spice, fruit zest or juice used in your recipe. The most important thing to remember when using high grade, essential oils is that they are undiluted and extremely potent. For example, one drop or less may be enough to flavor a big pot or bowl of your favorite recipe. Only 2 drops of an essential oil is equivalent to a 2-ounce bottle of dried herbs! So remembering the potency is important. A very good “rule of thumb” when working with essential oils to flavor food is to start with only one drop of essential oil and check taste. You can always add another drop if needed. Another good practice if a recipe calls for less than a teaspoon of an herb or spice is to use the “Toothpick Method”. Take a toothpick and dip it into the center of the dripper cap wetting it with essential oil, then stir the recipe with the toothpick to release the essential oil. This is the ideal practice for hot or spicy herbs such as basil, cinnamon bark, clove, ginger, marjoram, oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme, and coriander as one tablespoon of these dried herbs is usually equal to about ½ to 1 drop of the essential oil companion. Essential oils for lemon, lime, orange and tangerine can easily replace the zest of one fruit by using 8-14 drops of companion essential oil. Finally, be aware that high heat can evaporate the essential oils used in the recipe, so if it involves high heat cooking, get that done first and then add in your essential oil right before serving. Because basil, oregano and rosemary are very strong, they work very well with a low temperature simmering for a time to release their fragrant bouquet.

In our wellness journey, we are always seeking opportunities to increase antioxidants, detoxify and cleanse the body, improve digestion, beat fatigue and brain fog, relax and reduce stress, relieve pain and reduce inflammation and irritation. How exciting to know that we can support our wellness journey while also making our food please our sense of taste and smell through the use of high grade essential oils in our culinary endeavors!

Source: http://www.eondreamteam.com/using-doterras-essential-oils-for-cooking

By Admin|2014-08-24T11:47:24-05:00August 24th, 2014|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

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