Referral Incentive Program!!!

Hello everyone!

Thanks for taking the time to read the latest news with Madrona Wellness.

I am in the process of working on growing my private practice for Holistic Nutrition Counseling, and because of this am offering an incentive for referrals. To see more of what I do nutritionally, please visit my website-as many of you have already and I'm grateful: www.madronawellness.org. I work with clients on an array of conditions such as stress, fatigue, insomnia, digestive distress, immune health, blood sugar regulation, weight loss, and more. If anyone you know is in need of such services and you refer them, upon purchasing a nutrition package, you will receive either a 30% discount on nutrition counseling for yourself, or 1 free personal training session.

I work with clients in person in the Bay Area, or via phone or skype.

Please let me know if you'd like more information or have any questions, and also just a friendly reminder that I greatly value not only your business, but feel  fortunate to be a part of your personal path to wellness!

-- 

Rachel Fiske, Holistic Nutrition Educator, CPT-NASM

madronawellness.rachel@gmail.com

503-459-7808. 

madronawellness.org

"The human body heals itself and nutrition provides the resources to accomplish the task." ~Roger Williams Ph.D

Inflammation and Diet

A friend asked me yesterday which foods are important for cooling inflammation, and I thought this would be an excellent topic to address! You've all heard me use the word 'inflammation' many times, so lets take a closer look at what is really going on in our bodies when inflammation occurs, and what this can mean symptomatically. Keep in mind, most conditions/disease have their root cause in systemic inflammation!

Disease (think: dis-ease) is a sign of some sort of unbalance in the body. When our internal homeostasis is disrupted somehow, various symptoms and disease can ensue. This sort of disruption can be caused by a wide variety of both physical and psychological (mental/emotional) factors (remember that stress-disease connection). On the physical end of things, disease is often a result of nutrient deficiencies in the body due to a poor diet, toxic exposure (foods and other environmental toxins), poor nutrient absorption, and therefore poor cell function. Henry Lindlahr, M.D. in his book Philosophy of Natural Therapeutics, states that:

"...if the diet consists of an excess of low-quality proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, tissues will inevitably be clogged with 'morbid matter'...or toxic accumulation...this can interfere with vital cellular functions, thereby becoming pathogenic to many systems in the body. The buildup of toxins in turn supports cellular degeneration, moving the system toward disease, rather than supporting the cellular regeneration needed for healing."

The diseases/symptoms that can follow this type of toxic accumulation can manifest as different things depending on the individual. A few examples would be skin rashes, allergies (food and environmental), asthma, auto-immune conditions, and cancer. Remember that as Dr. Lindlahr points out, our bodies are sending us a clear message that we are not effectively able to rid it of toxins in some capacity.

So Where Does Inflammation Come In?


According to Jessica Black, N.D. in her book The Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Recipe Book, "Inflammation is the first response by the immune system to infection or irritation." Think, if you break a bone or get a cut, we experience swelling, redness, pain, etc, which are all signs to protect this area from further damage. However, when we experience systemic inflammation (internal), it becomes a bit more difficult to make such obvious connections. Ignoring these signs longer term, however, is what creates much disease as discussed above.

Lets take a quick look at prostaglandins, which are fatty acids in the body responsible for controlling inflammation. There are 3 types that serve different functions. The first is PGE1, which helps prevent inflammation, improve immune function, and decrease blood pressure. The 2nd is PGE2, which promotes inflammation and suppresses immunity. PGE3 also prevents inflammation and increases HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol). This inflammatory cascade is much more complex, and I encourage you to do some outside reading! Dr. Jessica Black's above mentioned book is a great resource. Certain foods promote certain prostaglandins, and this is where eating an anti-inflammatory diet comes into play.

Signs and Symptoms of Inflammation can include food and/or environmental allergies, asthma, digestive disorders (IBS, IBD, Chrohns, etc), auto-immune conditions, pain, fatigue, insomnia, brain fog, depression, heart disease, and cancer. These are just some of many!

What Are Anti-Inflammatory Foods?


Considering that we are exposed to a myriad of toxins on a daily basis through both diet and our environment (especially for us city-dwellers), it is of great importance to control the factors that we are able to! Think of all the toxins we ingest with poor quality foods: pesticides, herbicides, hormones, antibiotic residues, and more. Yuck! These foods eaten regularly (think a Standard American Diet/SAD), cause poor cell function, inflammation, and disease. By eating the right foods, we can support our body's ability to eliminate necessary toxins. According to Jessica Black, this is why many times people with common allergies to grass, pollen, etc will see drastic improvements when they cut out allergenic/irritating foods because their body is better able to process grass and pollens.

Foods that contribute to inflammation include processed carbohydrates and sugars, primarily. These are  extremely low in nutrient content, and are actually anti-nutrient foods, meaning in order to process them we are expending more energy than the foods are providing for us. Below I will provide a basic list of some main inflammatory foods:

• Processed carbohydrates (flour, breads, pasta, wheat products, gluten, cereals)
• Processed soy (any soy that is not fermented, which is miso, nato, tamari, and tempeh).
• Grains and Legumes can be very inflammatory for some and should not be the staple of your diet (yes, even whole grains!)
• Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, gogi berries, tobacco). Many people with joint pain and arthritis find that cutting out nightshades which contain inflammatory compounds helps tremendously.
• Sugar!! Pretty much all sugar and artificial sweeteners are inflammatory. Stick to moderate amounts of raw honey or grade B maple syrup. 
• Hydrogenated oils and fats (margarine, anything hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated, any vegetable oils). Cook with more stable, nourishing oils/fats like grass-fed butter and coconut oil.
• Commercial dairy products
• Peanuts/peanut butter
• Soda, most juice (unless fresh squeezed), excess caffeine/coffee, alcohol
• Corn products

Seem overwhelming? Just think of all the foods you CAN enjoy!

• Unlimited vegetables and fruit (preferably organic and seasonal whenever possible)
• Organic meat, poultry, seafood (yes, nitrite/nitrate free bacon is ok!)
• Organic eggs
• Lots of healthy fats! Coconut, butter, ghee, olive oil, flax oil, raw nuts/seeds and their respective butters, avocados). Focus on getting lots of omega 3 fats in your diet (cold water fish, flax oil).
• Herbal teas, fresh squeezed veggie juice (and fruit but in moderation), lots of water for flushing toxins.
• Anti-inflammatory foods like garlic, ginger and turmeric.

Here are some great websites with anti-inflammatory recipe suggestions:

• http://paleodietlifestyle.com/paleo-diet-recipes/
• http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-recipes/

This is only an introduction to the very complex topic of inflammation, but I hope it is helpful! Also important to note that stress and lack of sleep play a huge role in inflammation, but this will be for another article. Please contact me with further questions, or if you suspect signs of inflammation and would like to seek further help. 

Carbohydrates and Weight Loss

Hello! I recently wrote an article to be published in the Body Mechanix monthly newsletter (a great cooperative gym), and wanted to share with all of you! Addressing the epic debate on carbs and weight loss...

The Real Deal on Carbohydrates and Weight Loss

Rachel Fiske, NE, CPT-NASM

Madronawellness.org

There seems to be quite a bit of ongoing confusion surrounding the subject of carbohydrates and weight loss, and understandably so! We hear different opinions and approaches from endless sources, making it difficult to sort out what to believe and how to eat. As a Personal Trainer and Holistic Nutritionist, a big part of my work entails shedding some light on this very issue, so lets take a look at the facts about carbs, weight loss, and (most importantly) overall wellness.

A Quick Look at the Basics

Ok, so lets just make sure we have a general understanding of macronutrient basics. In the foods we eat, we have protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Protein is comprised of amino acids, which are the building blocks of our cells. Adequate dietary protein is necessary in providing us with essential amino acids, which are amino acids that our bodies cannot produce on its’ own. Second, we have fat. Fat is vital (and sadly feared, but more on this later) as an energy source, is the precursor to our hormone production, and enables protection of and communication between our cells (especially brain cells). And lastly we have carbohydrates, also an energy source for the body. They include both simple and complex carbs, and dietary fiber in the form of fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, and then of course the more processed end of the spectrum such as pasta, breads, baked goods, cereals, etc. And this is where we run into trouble!

Does Fat Make us Fat?

I love answering this question, which is (if you haven’t guessed already) a resounding, NO!!! My clients are always thrilled to hear that they can “indulge” in the foods they’ve been wrongly taught to avoid their whole dieting lives. The truth is, good quality sources of fat can assist not only with weight loss, but enzymatic and bodily functions, brain health, hormonal production, and more. Consider this from Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon in their groundbreaking book, Eat Fat Lose Fat:

“If eating saturated fat caused heart disease and weight gain, then eliminating those fats should have resulted in a decline in heart disease and an increase in weight loss. But look around you. That’s not what happened! While we Americans have been dutifully eliminating fat from our diet, eating low-fat foods, and avoiding saturated fats from tropical oils, butter, and red meats, obesity rates and the overall incidence of heart disease have continued to climb.”

Good sources of dietary fat include grass fed butter, ghee, coconut oil (these are the best to heat and cook with), nuts and seeds (organic and raw whenever possible), cold-pressed unrefined oils such as extra virgin olive, sesame, walnut, and flax (these should never be heated), and avocado. For more on fats, visit my website and blog, as this is one of my favorite topics!

The Link Between Carbs and Weight Gain

Not to say carbohydrates are to be avoided at all cost, but if weight loss (or just general health) is our goal, then we need to very conscious of what kind of carbs we are eating. When people steer away from fat in their diet, they tend to steer towards more carbs, particularly of the refined variety. Refined carbs and sugars (think bread, pasta, baked goods, high fructose corn syrup, fruit juices, sodas, and even grains in excess) take a real toll on our blood sugar. When our blood sugar is uncontrolled, we experience energy dips and spikes, cravings, mood swings, and insulin resistance. Insulin is our fat storage hormone, and the more we produce, the more fat we store. Furthermore, according to Michael Murray, N.D. in his book The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, “…carbohydrate excess, especially too many refined carbohydrates, is associated with increased risk for obesity, heart disease, and some forms of cancer.”

The bottom line when it comes to carbohydrates, is while they are an important part of a well balanced diet, if weight loss and blood sugar regulation are our ultimate goals, they need to be consumed in moderation and in the right form. Stick primarily to a wide variety of (preferably organic) vegetables, soaked whole grains and legumes in moderation, and fruit (organic and seasonal whenever possible). For weight loss, don’t go crazy with the fruit, and eat it alongside a fat, like a small handful of raw nuts or 1 tablespoon of almond butter.

Putting It Into Practice: What Should My Plate Look Like?

Keeping in mind that we are all bio-chemically diverse, and therefore our nutritional needs will never be identical, here are some general pointers to consider:

• Focus more on quality protein, fat, and less on carbohydrates. Think 20-25% protein, 20-50% fat, and 25-50% carbs.
• Primary carb sources should be leafy and crunchy vegetables (think kale, chard, arugula, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, just to name a few) and starchy, complex carbs as a secondary source (potatoes, sweet potatoes, whole grains, legumes)
• Strive to avoid simple carbs like breads, pastas, baked goods, fruit juice, sodas, artificial sweeteners, anything that ends with the word “ose” (fructose, sucrose, etc).
• When shopping, stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. If you must buy something packaged, go for as few ingredients as possible. If you can’t pronounce it, probably not the best choice.
• Think about eating the bulk of your starchy carbs in the 3 hour window post exercise. This is when we can best metabolize these foods.
• Add 1-3 tablespoons of coconut oil/day to your diet. This is a medium chain fatty acid which is a very efficient fuel source and aids in weight loss.

Remember, sometimes there are players at work if you are experiencing weight loss resistance, such as toxicity, stress, sleep, and other factors. Feel free to contact me with further questions!

About The Author

Rachel Fiske is a Certified Holistic Nutrition Educator and Personal Trainer, and owner of Madrona Wellness. She lives in San Francisco, CA and attended school for Nutrition at Bauman College. Rachel sees clients one on one, addressing issues such as weight management, blood sugar regulation, liver detox, hormonal imbalances, weak immunity, food allergies/sensitivities, fatigue, insomnia, and digestive distress. To learn more, visit her website at: madronawellness.org. Or contact her directly: madronawellness.rachel@gmail.com, 503-459-7808.

Mashed Cauliflower Recipe

While potatoes are ok once in awhile, due to their starchy nature they can lead to pretty intense blood sugar spikes and crashes. And of course, if weight loss is our goal, they're not a great choice. Cauliflower, on the other hand, is a cruciferous vegetable packed with nutrients, and is especially high in vitamin C, K, folate and other B Vitamins, magnesium, and is full of fiber. Try this recipe instead of mashed potatoes next time, it is absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

1 medium head of cauliflower, organic

3 – 4 large cloves of garlic, peeled (or more depending on taste)

1 cup chicken or veggie stock, or water

sea salt to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast, optional or 1 tbsp miso paste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or organic butter

Wash and trim the head of cauliflower and cut into rough pieces. Heat a pan and pour in the cup of water or stock, toss in the cut cauliflower and cloves of garlic. Bring to a simmer and cover the pan. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is soft. Add pepper. Transfer mixture, including the liquid, into a blender. (You may want to do this in two batches.) Add in the nutritional yeast or miso paste, olive oil. Puree until it resembles the consistency of mashed potatoes. You may need to add in a little more water/stock to facilitate the blending, but be careful NOT to add in too much liquid. (You could also add in some coconut or almond milk for extra richness and flavor.) Taste and add sea salt if necessary.

Confirmed: Sometimes, I Am My Own Worst Client! Recognizing The Effects of Stress and Overtraining

So as you've probably gathered by now, I love conducting experiments on myself. It's fascinating to discover the effects of various foods, nutrient timing, exercise, and combinations of all of the above. After all, achieving our own personal wellness is a matter of trial and error, and finding what works for each of us individually. With that said, of course, a diet of chips and cookies will not work for anyone, so save yourself the trouble of that experiment.

However, recently I unknowingly conducted an experiment on myself that yielded painful results, and it took me a good 3 days to figure out what was going on! Once I did, I channeled my NY Jewish Grandmother (bless her heart) and shook a finger at myself in the mirror, as I had been ignoring some key guidelines I tell my clients to follow every day.

First, the symptoms: I woke up over the weekend after a full, restful nights sleep with extreme fatigue! Every muscle in my body just felt weak. I drank my usual morning cup of coffee (just one), hoping this would help wake me up, which of course it did not, but instead contributed to an overall feeling of dehydration. My generally easy bike commute to work felt endless, and this terrible feeling of 'BLEH' continued to increase as the day progressed. For the next couple of days, more of the same...it even felt like a chore to lift up my water bottle! Plenty of sleep, nutritious and regular meals throughout the day, no more stress than normal, and my usual workout frequency, and BAM! I was baffled.

Then I realized (and of course as with the results of any experiment of this nature, this is all speculation): I had burnt myself out to a point I had never experienced before. Was I overtraining? I didn't think so, but it is important to remember that overtraining is relative to the other things going on in our lives. Given these factors, yes, I absolutely was. I had gone and done a few very important things I tell my clients NOT to do every day, and didn't even realize I was doing (or not doing) it. The combination of moderate to heavy work-related stress, mild dehydration, and not enough rest days in between workouts had left my poor adrenal glands, central nervous system (CNS) and muscles overworked and tired.

What IS overtraining? Overtraining, as mentioned above, can mean something different depending on the individual at different times. With this said, however, is it an accumulation of stressors, combined with inadequate rest between workouts, which leads to varying symptoms to varying degrees. Possible symptoms include fatigue, decreased immunity, decreased performance when doing your usual workout, decreased motivation, irritation, depression, and insomnia.  A big problem with overtraining (that I have been rudely woken up to recently) is that it can be very difficult to recognize in ourselves, as we don't understand why all of a sudden our usual workload which never seemed to cause problems before is now, suddenly, impossible to carry out. When we are overtrained, it can be a combination of the muscles themselves being fatigued, our adrenal glands being unable to produce enough cortisol, and our central nervous system being overtaxed by an increased demand for electrical impulses to the muscles. To ensure the above does not occur, it is absolutely essential to take adequate rest in between workouts. After all, the growth we are aiming for when weight training occurs during recovery, so if we want to see results from our hard work, we must allow recovery time. The amount of recovery depends on the intensity of our workouts, but allow at least a day between working similar muscle groups. And always listen to your body! If you are particularly sore, keep resting, or do some light cardiovascular activity.

Decreased adrenal function had more than likely aided in my exhaustion, as well. While I have helped multiple clients recognize and support their own symptoms of adrenal fatigue, it was remarkably hard for me to recognize these symptoms in myself. Personal Trainers are sometimes the first ones to push their bodies when they should be resting. As I've written about before, adrenal fatigue occurs on a spectrum, and hopefully we catch it before it has progressed to the point of needing months of recovery time and a (possibly) complex supplemental protocol (this point known as adrenal exhaustion). According to Dr. James L. Wilson, N.D., Ph.D. in his book Adrenal Fatigue, 

"often the causes of adrenal fatigue are not obvious because the combined stresses look so different. Our bodies may not even tell us when we are under stress. In one study, hospital workers in a pediatric nursing care unit...were totally unaware of being under stress, but their cortisol levels were elevated by 200-300%...the number of stresses, whether or not you recognize them as stresses, the intensity of each stress and the frequency with which it occurs, plus the length of time it is present, all combine to form your total stress load...it is when the body becomes unable to make the appropriate changes to these stresses that adrenal fatigue begins."


REST!!! Is the most important thing at this point. The good news is, if we listen to our bodies and catch these signs and symptoms early on, usually a few days rest will solve the problem. Depending on the degree of fatigue from all of the above listed factors, we may need more. Again, it is essential that we pay attention, and if our body tells us to rest, listen! This is a lesson I have recently learned the hard way. Keep in mind, if we do not give ourselves adequate rest, this fatigue will worsen, potentially leading to having to take way more time off from our normal workouts and daily activities, illness, injury, and more.

And lastly, PLEASE REMEMBER (because I didn't) to drink tons of water, don't overdo it with the caffeine (1 morning cup of coffee per day is more than enough), and engage in enjoyable, relaxing activities...whatever that means to you. This could be just 10 minutes a day of deep belly breathing, meditation, yoga, walking outdoors, and focusing on exercise that you enjoy, as well. If you hate running, do something else! Trust me, its worth it.

Cauliflower Mash Recipe

While potatoes are ok once in awhile, due to their starchy nature they can lead to pretty intense blood sugar spikes and crashes. And of course, if weight loss is our goal, they're not a great choice. Cauliflower, on the other hand, is a cruciferous vegetable packed with nutrients, and is especially high in vitamin C, K, folate and other B Vitamins, magnesium, and is full of fiber. Try this recipe instead of mashed potatoes next time, it is absolutely delicious!

Mashed Cauliflower

adapted from www.maryvance.com

Ingredients:
1 medium head of cauliflower, organic
3 – 4 large cloves of garlic, peeled (or more depending on taste)
1 cup chicken or veggie stock, or water
sea salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast, optional or 1 tbsp miso paste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or organic butter

Wash and trim the head of cauliflower and cut into rough pieces. Heat a pan and pour in the cup of water or stock, toss in the cut cauliflower and cloves of garlic. Bring to a simmer and cover the pan. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is soft. Add pepper. Transfer mixture, including the liquid, into a blender. (You may want to do this in two batches.) Add in the nutritional yeast or miso paste, olive oil. Puree until it resembles the consistency of mashed potatoes. You may need to add in a little more water/stock to facilitate the blending, but be careful NOT to add in too much liquid. (You could also add in some coconut or almond milk for extra richness and flavor.) Taste and add sea salt if necessary.

Debunking The Myth Of Cholesterol

I've encountered several conversations and had various clients/friends/coworkers ask me recently about cholesterol. I've addressed the topic before, particularly when talking about the importance of good fats in our diet, but I'd like to spend a little bit of time going more in depth on just cholesterol. There are a lot of myths to debunk still milling about out there...

First of all, what is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a substance produced by our bodies from simpler substances within the body, excreted through the liver via bile into the digestive tract. It serves many essential purposes, and is produced by our cells constantly. Many cell membranes within our body consist of half cholesterol, because it is, along with saturated fats, crucial to cell integrity. First and foremost, cholesterol and saturated fats make up the integrity/structure/firmness of our cell membranes. Without them, we would be piles of mush. Also without enough of these substances, our cells would be more susceptible to invasion and unable to withstand the rapid flow of blood swooshing by 24 hours a day. Remember that our bodies are pretty amazing, self-regulating structures. If a cell needs more structure and rigidity due to the above mentioned forces, it will make more cholesterol, and vice versa. This is certainly not a natural process to be messed with by avoiding dietary cholesterol!

Another key function of cholesterol and saturated fats is to deliver messages between cells. These compounds essentially act as carriers, and without them the cells would not be able to deliver many molecules to one another. 25% of our cholesterol is found in the brain, where its most vital roles are carried out. Every brain and nerve cell are coated with a layer of myelin, a fatty substance that provides nourishment and protection (Natasha Campbell-McBride, M.D.). 20% of myelin is made of cholesterol, and without it many problems can ensue. A major example of a degenerating myelin sheath is Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Also according to Campbell-McBride in her great article, "Cholesterol: Friend or Foe?" she notes that cholesterol is the primary tool our body uses to form brain synapses, affecting our functions and memory. This is why cholesterol-lowering medications can cause memory loss.

Below is a list adapted from Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon in their book, Eat Fat Lose Fat on the many benefits of cholesterol:

• Cholesterol is the building block of all of our hormones, and is particularly important in the managing of stress and sex hormones. Infertility? Lack of good fats and cholesterol could be a culprit.
• Vitamin D is made by the body from cholesterol, which is crucial to bones and nervous system function.
• Cholesterol is actually heart protective, it helps ward off heart disease and cancer. It is also an important antioxidant, protecting us from harmful free radicals.
• Cholesterol is vital to babies and children, as it is absolutely necessary for proper brain and nerve development. This is why mothers milk is so rich in cholesterol.
• Aggression, behavioral problems and depression are linked to low cholesterol levels, as it is needed for proper functioning of our serotonin receptors (the "feel good" chemical in our bodies).
• Dietary cholesterol is necessary for gut wall integrity, and without enough we can have impaired digestion and/or leaky gut syndrome (see previous blog post for more info on this).

Uffe Ravnskov, M.D. in his article, "The Benefits of High Cholesterol," states that "People with high cholesterol levels live the longest." I know this statement is hard to believe, but Ravnskov goes on to site many studies that have been done proving there is no link between cholesterol and coronary heart disease, quite the opposite, in fact, that cholesterol (as mentioned above) is heart protective. Atherosclerosis is the plaque build-up found that typically proceeds heart attacks and/or strokes, and cholesterol (LDL, known as the "bad" cholesterol) is often falsely blamed for this, as it is found at the scene of the crime. However, this type of cholesterol is present to carry out its duty of protecting and healing these adhesions in our arterial walls, which were caused by (you guessed it) refined sugar and carbohydrates! Instead of recognizing these two culprits as the main cause of heart disease, the western medical world has invented (and made obscene amounts of money from) statin (cholesterol lowering) drugs. Interestingly enough, the side effects of these drugs include muscle pain and weakness due mainly to a depletion of nutrient Co-Q10, heart failure, dizziness, and cognitive impairment (remember the link between cholesterol and brain function). Hmmmm.....so basically statin drugs end up causing the very symptoms we are seeking to avoid by "high" cholesterol. 

GOOD FOOD SOURCES OF CHOLESTEROL

It kills me when people eat only egg whites to avoid cholesterol. Eggs are an incredibly nutrient dense food (it is of absolute importance to eat organic, free range eggs due to nutrient content) and the main source of these nutrients comes from the yolk. It is best to eat your eggs with a slightly runny yolk. According to Dr. Ed Bauman,


"egg yolk is rich in choline, a precursor to the acetyle choline, the brain neurotransmitter that keeps us alert, intellectually sharp, and with excellent short term memory problem solving abilities. Choline also keeps cholesterol emulsified, elevating beneficial HDL levels, while clearing LDL cholesterol. The cholesterol in eggs actually helps us to manage stress, as it is a precursor for balanced adrenal and reproductive hormones."


Other great sources of cholesterol are butter, ghee, and saturated animal fats (all from good sources, of course!). These should be mixed in the diet with other types of fat sources like olive and flax oils, coconut and avocados.


Remember, the most important thing in managing healthy levels of cholesterol is to eat a real, whole foods diet that excludes processed and refined carbohydrates and sugars. Also, managing stress levels are of great importance in managing cholesterol.


References and Recommended Readings:


"Cholesterol: Friend or Foe?" Natasha Campbell-McBride, M.D. Wise Traditions and Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, 2007


"The Benefits of High Cholesterol," Uffe Ranskov, M.D., PhD, from the Cholesterol Myths


"The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About Popular Cholesterol Lowering Medicines," Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. Wise Traditions and Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, 2004.


Eat Fat Lose Fat, Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon

Baked Sweet Potato with Cinnamon Yogurt Sauce and Almond Butter

This is a great recipe for any time of day! Try in the morning for a warming breakfast. Remember to go for the full fat greek yogurt, or use any other kind of organic yogurt. If sensitive to dairy, try a goat or sheeps milk yogurt.

Servings: 2
By: Laura Rymar

Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes
2 T almond butter
¼ c plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp maple syrup
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp orange zest
2 T chopped pecans
2 tsp ground flax seed, ground

Procedure
1.   Preheat oven to 400F.
2.   Clean sweet potatoes thoroughly, leaving skin on. Wrap in parchment paper and then foil. Place in oven and cook for about 40 minutes or until soft.
3.   Meanwhile, mix yogurt, cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup and orange zest together.
4.   When potatoes are ready, remove from oven and let cool.
5.   Split down the center and spread 1 T of almond butter each. Top each with generous drizzle of cinnamon yogurt sauce.
6.   Sprinkle each evenly with chopped pecans and ground flax seed.