The Importance of Sun and Non-Toxic Sunscreen

Hello! I hope you have all been enjoying the longer days filled with sunshine, I know that here in San Francisco it feels like summer is just around the corner.

On that note, I'd like to talk about skin health and sunscreen. I'd imagine that most of us (myself included) were raised slathered in sunscreen and inundated with the notion that sun exposure is dangerous and will give us cancer. Now, thats not to say that continuous, extended overexposure to the sun will not cause damage, but getting the right amount in a safe way is necessary to our meet our bodies nutrient requirements! Particularly, that of Vitamin D, which plays a crucial role in our overall health. 

Benefits of Vitamin D

• Increases cardiovascular function
• Promotes optimal cholesterol and blood pressure levels
• Increases muscle strength
• Essential for a healthy immune system, strong bones and teeth, and kidney function

2 Types of Sun Rays

• UVB: This type of sun ray is the "good" kind. It helps your skin produce Vitamin D, and is most prevalent mid-day.
• UBA: This type of sun ray is the "bad" kind. It penetrates the skin on a deeper level and can cause free radical damage, which is damaging to our cells. This type of ray is most prevalent during the morning and late afternoon hours. These are also the rays that can more easily penetrate through clouds, giving you those burns you didn't see coming.

So, how do I get the effects of Vitamin D without the sun damage???

While Vitamin D supplementation has been all the rage recently, getting natural sunlight is hands down the best way to absorb sunlight, as it allows our bodies to naturally produce the most beneficial form of the vitamin, vitamin D3, essential for proper cell and organ function. Safe, limited sunlight exposure without sunscreen is not only beneficial, but important. This means about 20 minutes per day with skin exposed. According to Dr. Mercola, here are a few reasons why:

"Safe sunlight exposure has also been shown to protect against as many as sixteen different types of cancer, including breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, ovarian, bladder, gallbladder, gastric, pancreatic, prostate, rectal, and renal cancers, as well as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma."

It is a good idea to think about covering up with sunscreen and protective clothing if you find yourself in a situation with unavoidable extended sun exposure. However, keep in mind that out of all body care/hygiene products, sunscreen is the most toxic, with a myriad of scary cancer causing chemicals. Below is a list of chemicals to avoid, and some great alternative brands, also courtesy of Dr. Mercola (www.mercola.com).

Book Review: How the Internet Affects our Brains

I will begin this post, which is of a slightly different genre than usual, with pointing out the stark irony of sitting at my computer on a beautiful Saturday morning blogging about how the overuse of computers and internet affects our brain chemistry. So with that stated and understood, here goes! And I will be going to the beach later, sans computer! Maybe I'll be crazy and leave my phone at home, too...

Over the last month, I have been reading a fantastic (yet scary) book entitled What The Internet is Doing to Our Brains: The Shallows, by Nicholas Carr. While it may seem strange that I am talking about this subject on my nutrition and fitness blog, remember that life is all about balance, and even if we eat well and train hard (hard=smart), without exercising our brains by creating space and fostering true reflection and deep thought, but instead hopping from one website to the next all day every day, we do not have balance. I am often guilty of not striking a healthy balance between these worlds, so reflecting on the subject is as beneficial for myself as it (hopefully) will be for you!

We live in a modern, urban world filled with endless stimuli and demands. I, for one, work in the financial district of San Francisco, and buzz around daily from one client to the next, constantly texting and emailing over scheduling and other logistical matters. I am very 'on' all day. Although I love what I do, when I get home my head is often buzzing and scattered. Progressively over the last year or two, I have noticed small and steady changes in my ability to calm this scattered-ness. Whereas I used to be an avid journaler, reader, and thinker (and I still like to think of myself as all of those things), I've had to admit recently that it has become harder to sit down and truly focus on these linear, deep-thinking, and reflective sorts of activities.

In speaking of the impact constant internet browsing has on our brain, Carr notes that it has allowed "thoughtful people to slip comfortably into the permanent state of distractedness that defines the online life." He later goes on to discuss how search engines (mainly Google, now both a common household noun and verb), have strong financial incentives to ensure the above mentioned mental state holds true. "The last thing the company wants is to encourage leisurely reading or slow, concentrated thought. Google is, quite literally, in the business of distraction."


I am not going to delve into much more of a book review (you can read it and decide for yourself!), or attempt to defend both side of the arguments for and against extended internet browsing (of which there are many valid points). I would never discount the many benefits of widespread access to information via the web, it is absolutely incredible and beneficial, and many studies show greatly increases our ability to multi-task. However, with this increased ability to do many things at once (which can benefit us in our fast paced jobs and lives), we may also be decreasing our ability to focus, reflect, and calm down. 


As mentioned above, I am not preaching anything or making a call to action that we all immediately abandon our computers and head for the woods (although that kind of sounds nice!!). I am simply suggesting that we all (myself very much included) evaluate the ways our use of the internet and computers is affecting our thought patterns and daily lives, and, if necessary, consider what changes may be beneficial to ourselves, our relationships, and our overall quality of life.

And while you're thinking about that, sip some Tulsi Tea for adrenal support, because this stuff can be stressful :)

Heartburn is NOT a Tums Deficiency!!!

Heartburn is a common condition many have experienced, and unfortunately comes up (quite literally) all too often. Whether your symptoms are minor or major (and I will list symptoms more in detail momentarily) they are typically stemming from one root cause which is ironically and detrimentally the opposite of our commonly held conception that we have too much stomach acid. In actuality, heart burn and related symptoms are most commonly caused by too little stomach acid (Hydrochloric Acid, HCL for short), not too much! Allow me to explain...

HCL is a potent acid necessary for crucial functions like breaking down proteins into amino acids (a process called proteolysis), the assimilation of B vitamins, signaling the pancreas to release digestive enzymes, and killing off microscopic pathogens to prevent us from getting food poisoning. Our stomach environment is acidic, and should/needs to be that way in order to effectively carry out these tasks. Unless we have a gastric ulcer, the stomach is equipped with a mucosal lining meant for containing stomach acid, and we should not "feel" this natural and desirable state of acidity. So the question remains, what is happening when we do?? 


From the moment food enters our mouth and we start chewing it (which I hope you are all doing WELL, as this in and of itself can lead to the symptoms we are discussing), our digestive process is signaled to begin. Once chewed food enters the stomach, HCL and other digestive enzymes are waiting to begin breaking everything down and denaturing proteins, producing an end product called chyme (a delightful mixture of HCL and broken down food). Now, the problem lies in the situation where our stomach environment lacks the necessary acid to break down this food. When this happens, the following symptoms may occur:

• Burning sensation (heart burn)
• Frequent gas and belching after meals
• Feeling that food is just "sitting" in our stomach/not being digested
• Constipation and/or diarrhea
• Undigested food in stool
• Frequent food poisoning, bacterial infections, parasites
• Candida overgrowth
• Constantly cracking fingernails
• Receding gums (periodontisis)
• Multiple food sensitivities (due to undigested proteins)

Fun!!! So again, why do these things occur? Well, lets be clear that heart burn is not a Tums deficiency! All too commonly, people use antacids to relieve their symptoms on a very regular basis, suppressing our already low HCL levels. HCL is responsible for signaling opening and closing of the lower esophageal sphincter (the valve allowing food to pass from our esophagus to our stomach) and also the opening/closing of the pyloric sphincter (valve allowing chyme to pass from the stomach to the small intestines). When we do not have enough HCL to carry out these tasks, particularly controlling the lower esophageal sphincter, stomach acid is therefore able to pass into the esophagus, which is an alkaline (non-acidic) environment. We then feel that burning sensation, and try to calm it with antacids.

SO HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE LOW HCL, AND WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT???

• First of all, you can self-administer this simple and harmless at home test with beet juice to get an idea if you are low in HCL. See below for more details.
• Use natural digestive aids like 1-2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar in room temperature water OR 1-2 tbsp organic, fresh lemon juice in water 20 minutes before a meal. Another option is the use of digestive bitters.
• High carbohydrate diets (particularly refined carbs like white flour, sugar, processed breads, pastries, grains) can worsen symptoms. Stick primarily to a whole foods diet of quality protein, lots of organic vegetables and fruits, and lots of high quality saturated and unsaturated fats.
• CHEW YOUR FOOD!!!
• Relax (all the time, but especially when you eat). When our nervous system is in its' sympathetic state (aka, fight or flight mode) we physically cannot digest foods. It is essential to be in a parasympathetic state, which does allow digestion to occur. Take 10 deep belly breaths before eating, and try your best to be sitting down, no distractions.
• If the above doesn't work, consult a professional about supplementing for a time with HCL tablets, but not if you have or suspect having an ulcer.

AT HOME BEET JUICE TEST

This test is not 100% accurate, but can definitely give us an idea of our HCL levels. For a few consecutive days, drink about 4 ounces of fresh, pure, organic beet juice with a bit of protein. You may be able to find this at your local juice bar, or steam beets on your own, chop, and put in a blender with some water. Record what color your urine is over these days. If we have enough HCL, the red pigment (betalaine) of the beets should be neutralized and your urine will not appear pink or red. 

Raw Avocado Chocolate Mousse

If you find yourself with a sweet tooth, or just want to seriously impress your friends at a dinner party and have them leave convinced that alternative, healthy desserts can be absolutely as delicious (if not more so) than processed sweets filled with refined sugar and grains, then I strongly suggest trying out this recipe!

This whole foods recipe takes only a few ingredients and a blender. The main ingredient is avocado, which is an incredibly versatile food! Lets take a look at some of the health benefits from one of my favorite website, whfoods.com:

• High in essential nutrients such as folate, vitamins K, C, B6 and B5, and potassium and fiber
• Proven to improve hearth health, primarily because it contains oleic acid essential to the cardiovascular system.
• Avocados contain many anti-inflammatory properties
• Full of healthy monounsaturated fats
• Promotes/supports blood sugar regulation

These are just a few of the many wonderful benefits of avocados, not to mention they are just delicious. Try out this great recipe for another way to incorporate this nutrient dense food into your diet!

RAW AVOCADO CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Ingredients:

1 avocado

1 banana

2 tbsp full fat coconut milk (or almond as a 2nd choice)

3-4 tbsp raw cocoa (or cacao) powder

1/2 tsp vanilla (more or less to taste)

cinnamon and sea salt to taste

Instructions:

Couldn't be easier! Cut open and scoop out the avocado. Throw everything into a blender (or use a hand blender), and mix until creamy. Taste and adjust spices if need be. I served mine with raw cacao nips sprinkled on top, I bet sprinkling a little bit of orange zest could be delicious, too. Be creative!

Wellness and Loving Ourselves

"I celebrate myself, I sing myself," ~Walt Whitman




After reading the above quote, you may be asking yourself, "what does this have to do with nutrition?" I've been thinking a lot lately about the importance (and difficulties, at times) of truly respecting and loving ourselves, and the impact this has on our overall state of wellness. We can nourish our bodies with the best of foods, or physically sculpt them through exercise in a way that is aesthetically pleasing, but if we lack genuine love for ourselves (bodies, emotions, and minds), much of this hard work in other realms of life (nutrition and exercise, for example) is largely undermined. Now, this is not an excuse to eat a package of twinkies if you're having a bad day because it "doesn't matter" (if only it were that simple, right!?). Remember, life is all about balance. So, lets explore one key component to this balance (that I, right along with you, am ever-cultivating), self-love.


We've talked a lot about stress and its' impacts on our mental and physical well-being. Susan Albers, PsyD. in her book Eating Mindfully (see, it does tie into nutrition!), notes that "your mind is in a permanent state of 'go.' Thinking, dreaming, scheming, calculating, processing, contemplating are just a few examples...there is a lot of content or 'stuff' on your mind, but rarely do you slow down and observe what you do with it." For myself, I find that all too often, when my mind is scattered and constantly one step ahead of the present task, a large reason for this occurrence is because it is looking to fill some sort of void. Perhaps it is seeking to fill this void with food, external love or admiration from others, or material possessions. Of course no one can argue that all of those things are important, we all need food, love, and a certain amount of things in our lives. But it is not these things that should create our happiness and sense of worth, this is a state that must be achieved through genuine love and respect for ourselves. This is where emotional eating comes into play, which we'll discuss in a moment. Going back to Albers idea above, when our minds are so constantly on-the-go (and living in a big city makes this hard to avoid) it becomes much easier to focus on our to-do list, relationships with other people, and sometimes even easier to think about what's not going well (or how want it to go) instead of what is. 

Now lets take a quick look at how this relates to eating and health. Albers also makes the astute observation that:

"When you are stressed and emotionally in pain, your body's natural immunity decreases. If you are stressed out about your weight or your out-of-control eating, you may spend more of your time reacting to and dwelling on the painfulness of your problem rather than dealing with it directly. However, resisting all traces of suffering will further limit your ability to overcome stress...there is wisdom to be learned in suffering."


Again, while some of us may "treat" emotional pain (trying to fill a void) with food, others may take this same approach through seeking affirmation from others, accumulation of wealth, emotional detachment, or even obsessively controlling diet and exercise (which could manifest as an eating disorder on one end of the spectrum) I imagine we do this because it's much simpler to control these factors in our lives...wouldn't it be great if we could achieve ultimate joy, happiness and fulfillment by just exercising and eating right? Don't get me wrong, this (for many reasons both mental and physical) can help, but it is absolutely necessary to couple this with a cultivation of gratitude and love for ourselves.

Ok Rachel, this is vague and a little hippy-dippy (get over it, I'm from Portland, what do you expect?). And I by no means claim to be an expert in the field. As I said right off the bat, I am very much on my own path of cultivating these important skills. So what are some tools we can use??

• Create a list of things you are grateful for.
• Consider (and write down) all of the reasons you are amazing, including skills, talents, accomplishments, and mental, emotional, and physical qualities.
• Reflect on your patterns of negative self talk, and ask yourself why you have these thoughts and where they are coming from. Don't judge yourself for having them, but simply observe. Realize that these thoughts are largely untrue.
• Look at your relationships with others and ask yourself if they are mutually healthy and serving both parties. If not, consider why and what you can do to change them. Of course it's not always so simple, but perhaps some of these connections are being held onto only out of self-doubt.
• Consider that, like meditation, cultivating self-love and compassion is a practice that we need to actively work on every day. The first step is recognizing on an intellectual level that some sort of void may exist, but the next (and harder) step is change.

These are just a few ideas that I thought of, and I'm sure you can think of many more! I challenge you (and myself) to really take some time to think about this stuff, as we cannot achieve optimal wellness without knowing we are awesome. As Mae West so eloquently states:

"I don't like myself, I'm crazy about myself!"

Eating For Brain Health!

We commonly associate the foods we eat with our digestion. It is an easy connection to make when we eat something and soon after experience bloating, discomfort, pain, etc. We may even (hopefully) have progressed to be able to make the connection between the foods we eat and energy levels throughout the day, for example when we eat a pastry or anything with refined carbs and sugar and then get that mid afternoon slump when we simply need coffee. Sound familiar?

However, many people do not necessarily make the connection between brain health/function and the foods we eat. How many of you sometimes experience the following, and perhaps chalk it up to "just getting old," "being forgetful," etc....

• Minor memory loss, for example, walking into a room and having no idea what you came for
• "Brain fog," feeling like sentences and thoughts just aren't coming together smoothly, feeling in a sort of daze/fog. Maybe it makes you want to drink coffee or soda to get a boost of energy and clarity.
• Depression, anxiety, mood/behavior issues/disorders
• Anger, irritability, focus on negative thoughts/behavior
• Inability to concentrate and/or very shortened attention span
• Low libido

The good news is, many (if not all) of these things can be improved, relieved, or prevented by eating a nutrient dense diet!!! Quickly, lets take a look at why certain foods affect our brain function and which are the culprits.

Brain Anatomy 101:

This is going to be a very short summary of basic brain function, but a great resource to learn more is Dr. Daniel Amen's book, Making a Good Brain Great. The brain is a soft organ weighing about 3 lbs, protected by the skull and tissue membranes called meninges. Our brain is involved in everything we do each day, and functions by providing communication between neurons in the brain with cells in other parts of the body via neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that relay various commands and messages to different parts of the body. The protective myelin sheath of our cells is responsible for making sure these messages are efficiently related, and bodily function can occur. Aside from diet (which we'll get to momentarily), this process can be disturbed by trauma (major or minor, bumping your head, following off your bike, concussions from sports, etc), and also exposure to chemicals such as household cleaning products, aspartame and MSG (excitotoxins that overstimulate parts of our brain).

Why Foods Can Hurt Our Brain and Which to AVOID:

When we have weak cell membranes and mitochondria (the make-up of our cells which converts food to energy, without them our cells cannot function), poor nutrient and anti-oxidant levels through lack of good food, thick blood, poor vascular integrity, unregulated blood sugar, hormone imbalances, high stress and poor adrenal function, our brain pathways and functions are compromised (Dixie Raile, Protecting Brain Function). 

Here are a list of foods to avoid for brain health:

• Trans-fats (anything hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated like fake butter products)
• Vegetable oils like canola, safflower, corn, sunflower, soy
• Refined sugar and flour (commercial baked goods, breads, pasta)
• Soda and diet soda
• Aspartame and MSG
• Commercially raised meats 
• Non organic fruits and veggies (pesticides/herbicides)
• Avoid as many chemicals in your daily life as possible, including household and cosmetic products

Here are a list of foods to include for brain health:

• Lots of healthy fats! Our brain is largely comprised of fat (approximately 60%) and needs good sources of dietary fat to function. This includes abundant Omega 3 fatty acids from wild caught fish such as salmon, halibut, and sardines. Other important fats are those found in coconut oil, olive oil, grass fed butter and ghee, avocados and raw nuts/seeds.
• B Vitamins found in nutritional yeast, grass fed meats, organ meats, raw nuts/seeds, avocados, organic eggs.
• Magnesium rich foods (essential for stress and relaxation) such as dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds.
• Include a large variety of fresh, organic fruits (especially berries) and vegetables (strive for a minimum of 5 cups/day), think "all colors of the rainbow," particularly dark, bright colors which are rich in anti-oxidants.
• Make sure you are getting enough quality protein (ideally from grass fed meats, organic poultry, organic eggs, raw nuts and seeds). Think of 20-30% of your daily calories coming from these sources.

Between eating a diet rich in these foods and staying as active as possible, we can help to make sure our brain is functioning at its' best, and therefore live our lives to the fullest! Don't let bad food slow you down!

Grain Free Burger "Buns"

The other night I made some delicious cilantro turkey burgers, and while I usually go sans bun, I was having guests over who I thought might miss out on the bread part of the burger (this, admittedly, can take some getting used to!). So I experimented with making a gluten/grain-free bun, and it turned out delicious! This is also a wonderful "bread" to spread with some raw almond butter for a snack, or replace in many other situations in place of conventional and inflammatory bread.

If you've been following my blog for some time now, you've read all about the inflammatory nature of gluten-containing foods, as well as know that for many, even whole grains can be inflammatory as well and lead to a host of issues, many of which relate to leaky gut syndrome (aka, increased intestinal permeability). With that in mind, try out this fantastic alternative!

Grain-Free Burger Buns
Adapted from paleoplan.com


Makes about 4 (tops and bottoms)

INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs
4 tbsp coconut flour
4 tbsp almond flour
4 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (both flours, baking powder and sea salt) and mix thoroughly with a fork. Next, combine eggs and coconut oil separately. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and mix. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease it lightly with coconut oil or grass fed butter or ghee. Spread mixture evenly over baking sheet and bake for 10  minutes. You can either shape them into buns before baking, or make more of a flat bread and cut after they have cooled.