Immune Support: What to do?!?

Happy February!!!

As I sit here on this chilly winter day, I'm reminded (not that I could forget) what an important time it is for us all to focus on immune health. This cold and flu season seems to have hit everyone hard this year. Whether you are included in that or are crossing your fingers to avoid the plague that is sweeping friends/family/coworkers/just about everybody, it is of utmost importance to dispel some of the myths around what is good for immune support, and what is actually effective in getting and staying healthy all year round!

First of all, lets take a look at the major players in weakening our immune systems. Basically, our immunity can be compromised by varying sources of stress. Stress can manifest is physical, mental, and emotional ways. Emotionally and mentally, being in that consistent go-go-go or "fight or flight" mode is a stress on the body that can pump extra cortisol and stress hormones at an unhealthy rate, compromising our immune system and other systems, as well. Physically, stress can stem from too much refined sugar, processed foods, caffeine, alcohol, and inflammatory foods in the diet (and/or eating foods we are sensitive to). While attitude and the mental aspect of stress management goes a huge way in keeping our immune systems strong, lets look at some of the things we can also do dietarily and preventatively, before running to the drug store to buy something to simply mask the symptoms!

• The best immune boosting foods include garlic (raw, if possible), ginger, and turmeric. All have strong antibacterial/antimicrobial/antiviral affects. You can make a tea out of fresh ginger, use all three in a curry (turmeric can be freshly bought as the root or purchased dried), or sprinkle raw garlic over a salad or in a dressing. Lots of options here!

• Contrary to popular belief that downing tons of orange juice is the best remedy for vitamin C, stick to the following whole food sources, instead. Orange juice will also provide your body with a sugar spike that can actually work against you in trying to fight a cold. Foods highest in vitamin C include papayas, bell peppers, strawberries, broccoli, pineapple, brussel sprouts, kiwi, oranges, cantaloupe, and kale (in that order).

• Homemade bone broth! Or veggie if you're not a meat eater. See my previous newsletterfor more info on this and why it is so incredibly effective!

• I know we've all heard it but its not to be underestimated, plenty of sleep! Preventatively and even more-so if we are sick, sleep is of utmost importance. 

• Lastly, here is a wellness tonic from my nutrition colleague, Mary Vance, that can be brewed at home. I've purchased the herbs in the bulk section of rainbow, but any health food or herb store that sells bulk herbs will work. Or, buy them online. Drink 1 cup in the morning and 1 at night, and sweeten with a touch of raw honey if desired.

Ingredients:

Dried elderberries (high in vitamin C)

Dried yarrow root (effective for mucous and colds)

Dried or fresh peppermint (also effective for congestion and has many calming effects)

Instructions:

Place 1 tablespoon of each herb (or double/triple the recipe if you'd like more) and cook in a saucepan with about 3 cups of filtered water. Bring to a simmer, then cook on a very low heat for about 20-30 minutes. Strain herbs and drink!

References: whfoods.com, maryvancenc.com

The Beauty of Broth

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season filled with just the right amount of relaxation and fun. And, I hope everyone is recovered from the indulgences and festivities of December, as well :)

Speaking of recovering, I wanted to share with you what I consider to be the most nourishing dish to prepare for yourself and loved ones during this cold season (and always)....BROTH! This January has brought with it cold temperatures (well, cold for California, at least) and with that the cold season has hit many of us harder than usual. Of course, as a preventative measure against illness, we should all be focused on feeding our bodies with nutrient dense diets full of a wide array of colorful veggies, seasonal and anti-oxidant rich fruits, quality protein sources, and good fats. And guess what one dish has almost all of these characteristics...broth!

There are 2 ways to prepare broth, either as a bone or mineral (meat vs veggie) broth, and lets look at the benefits of both.

Broth is an ancient and healing food used in many cultures for centuries. It is valued for its nutritious, calming, and healing properties. It is not only great for immune support, but crucial to those with digestive problems and supportive of weight loss. According to my colleague Mary Vance, "broth made from chicken bones blocks the migration of inflammatory white blood cells, making it an invaluable tool to boost immunity." Aside from their immune supportive properties, minerals are essential for cardiovascular function, metabolism and managing stress hormones. Bone broth is rich in calcium (much more so than commercial dairy), magnesium, potassium, and many other essential minerals and amino acids. Bone broth is also rich in collagen and gelatin, vital to joint, tendon, ligament, skin and bone health and is also great for controlling cravings, therefore aiding in weight loss!

Mineral broth (veggies minus the meat/bones), is beneficial in the sense you are still getting lots of minerals, but are missing out on the healing properties that animal bones provide. However, if you are a non-meat eater, this is a great option!

You can sip on broth throughout the day as you would with herbal tea. If you are experiencing a sugar or carb craving, try sipping on homemade broth. Remember...the stuff you buy in the box/can is NOT in any way shape or form the same. Making your own from good quality, organic bones is the key. You can purchase these cheaply at your local butcher or any store that sells good quality meat, or even better a local farm. For us here in San Francisco, try Prather Ranch Meat Company in the ferry building or Bi-Rite in the Mission District.

Here is a great recipe for Bone Broth! Simmer for as long as you can (8-24 hours) either in a crock pot or just in a big pot on the stove. 

BONE BROTH (or mineral broth if you minus the bones)

• 1 lb bones of pastured animals (you can use a variety of lamb, beef or raw beef marrow bones, and chicken bones/back/neck. Always get organic/grass fed bones. I’ll save them in a container in the freezer until I have about a pound or more. You can also save egg shells and use those.)
• 2 organic celery stalks
• 1 organic onion, chopped
• 6 cloves organic garlic
• water (preferably filtered)
• Sprigs of thyme/rosemary/sage as desired
• Add sea veggies for more trace minerals–kombu and kelp are great for this
• Any other veggies you have on hand can be thrown in, sweet potato, leafy greens, etc
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (important for the extraction of minerals)

Directions:

Put all ingredients in slow cooker or pot, then pour enough filtered water to cover everything. Set to low and let it cook for 8 to 24 hours. Strain broth and store in glass containers (preferably).  You can freeze and defrost, as well. In the fridge you'll notice a later of fat on the bone broth that forms on the top, don't skim it off as this keeps the broth fresh! Simply reheat on the stove.

Carrot Squash Bread Recipe

Given that Halloween fell this year on a Wednesday (and lets be honest, its' likely that I would not have ventured out anyway), I was in the mood to hunker down with some comfort food and a scary movie. I also carved a pumpkin that ended up looking like the proud work of a 4 year old....but thats another story.

This particular evening of nostalgic, fall-like food consisted of butternut squash soup and this new, amazing recipe I discovered for Carrot-Squash Bread....and wanted to share it with you!

Carrots are high in Vitamins A and K, and a recent 10 year study showed that increasing your carrot intake by only 25 grams (less than a 1/4 cup) per day drastically decreased risk of CVD (cardiovascular disease). Carrots are full of antioxidants and health-supporting nutrients.

For this recipe, I used acorn squash (although butternut or another sweet winter squash or pumpkin would work). Various types of winter squash are chalked full of antioxidants, particularly beta and alpha carotene, and are also high in vitamins C and A. Furthermore, winter squash (similar to sweet potatoes or yams) is a great food to incorporate when you are craving something starchy but want to stick to a whole foods, largely plant based diet.

Now that you are inspired....give this recipe a try!!!

CARROT SQUASH BREAD
courtesy of fastpaleo.com

Ingredients:

3/4 coconut flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
5 large eggs
3 tbsp raw honey (or less, depending on taste)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp lemon zest
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, melted
1 cup grated acorn squash (about 1/4 of a squash)
1 cup grated carrot (about 2 large carrots)

Instructions:

Sieve the coconut flour into a mixing bowl, add sea salt and cinnamon. Once the butter or oil is cooled, stir in the vanilla, honey, and lemon zest. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry. When its still runny, add in the carrots and squash and mix until combined. Press into a greased 9 X 11 loaf pan. Bake at 375 for about 30-35 minutes until it is firm but springy to the touch. Let it cool before slicing. Enjoy!

A Quick Review of FATS

While this is a topic I've written on in the past, I think its an essential one to think about and review often, as it is one of the most confusing, AND most important! 

Hopefully by now, we have all abandoned the obsessive fear of fat that our society has fixated on since the low-fat/no-fat craze began, and embraced a diet encompassing healthy fats on a daily basis. However, the subject of fat is a complex and potentially intimidating subject to be truly informed about, especially after (possibly) breaking away from a lifetime of the typical SAD (Standard American Diet) that drills the idea into our heads that dietary fat and cholesterol=heart disease and obesity. After we embrace the newfound knowledge that this is not, in fact, the case, we may still be a bit confused. Read on to get some quick answers…

What are good vs bad fats?

“Bad” fats mean hydrogenated (aka ‘trans’) fats. These types of fats/oils are unsaturated fatty acids that have been chemically hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated (the adding of a hydrogen molecule to form a double bond), in order for the final product to have a longer shelf life. The problem is, our bodies don’t recognize this compound and have no idea how to digest and assimilate it. When eaten, these compounds permeate our cell walls causing malfunction and have been linked to many degenerative diseases rampant in western society.

“Good” fats are not only good, but necessary. Our brains are 60% fat and cannot function without dietary fat. Fats also protect our organs and cells, regulate body temperature, provide satiety, carry fat soluble vitamins and nutrients, and are the most concentrated sources of energy. We need them to survive and thrive. If we are not getting enough, we are missing vital nutrients, not to mention are likely over-eating other, less nutrient dense foods.

Fats To Include:

Saturated (best to cook with/heat as they do not oxidize at high temps)

• ·      Coconut oil (xtra virgin, cold pressed, raw)
• ·      Palm oil
• ·      Butter (grass fed ideally, or organic)
• ·      Ghee
• ·      Lard
• ·      Tarrow
• ·      Grass fed meats (if they are not from grass-fed animals, opt for leaner cuts, as all animals store toxins in their fat cells)

Unsaturated (should not be heated…think salads and dips)

• ·      Olive oil
• ·      Sesame oil
• ·      Walnut oil
• ·      Macadamia nut oil
• ·      Avacado oil
• ·      Nuts and seeds/nut and seed butters (preferably raw/organic)
• ·      Flaxseed oils

FATS TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS:

• ·      Margarine or “buttery spreads”
• ·      Canola, corn, vegetable, soybean, grapeseed, sunflower, safflower oils

Eggs: What To Look For

When standing in front of the egg aisle in your local health food store, co-op, or sometimes even farmers market, you are met with an onslaught of buzz words. Phrases such as pasture raised, organic, cage-free, vegetarian-fed, natural, and more jump out at you. The second thing to jump out is the price difference. You ask yourself, is it really worth spending $8 on a dozen pasture raised eggs versus $4 on organic? Well, lets take a quick look at what these things actually mean, and then you can decide for yourself.



White vs. Brown Eggs: This is an easy one, because there is no difference in nutrient value, it simply depends on the kind of chickens that lay the eggs.

Cage-Free: Cage free means that the eggs come from chickens that are not caged in houses found in commercial chicken farms where the animals generally do not even have room to turn around. However, cage free generally doesn't mean all that much, as the chickens are typically still confined to some sort of cage without access to the outdoors, and fed sub-par diets.

Free-Range: This usually means that the chickens have access to some sort of outdoor space, although it does not specify for how long and still has no relation to what the animals are fed.

Pasture-Raised: Here, the chickens are reared in a way that is basically how chickens are supposed to live in their natural environment, in a pasture with access to shelter. They engage in normal chicken behaviors such as eating foods like worms, insects, fruits, and plants instead of a diet that is largely grain-based (not natural for chickens).

Vegetarian-Fed: This is a tricky one, because we would think this means a plant based diet. But no, this almost always means that chickens are fed a grain-based diet, and also typically means they animals are kept indoors or in cases to keep them from feeding on insects and worms.

Organic Grain-Fed: This simply means that the grains chickens are feeding on have not been sprayed with pesticides or come from GMO (genetically modified) seeds.


SO...WHAT TO CHOOSE???

Still confused after all these definitions? Lets think best, better, worst. Best, I would absolutely say pasture raised. You are getting a much bigger bang for your buck nutritionally speaking, are supporting happy and healthy chickens, making sure you are free from ingesting pesticides and herbicides, and are doing the land a favor in the process. Better, free-range organic. Again, avoiding nasty chemicals and hopefully the chickens are getting a bit of time to forage outdoors. Worst, commercially raised eggs. As mentioned above, here the chickens are kept in tight cages, are under a great deal of stress, produce much lower quality eggs, and they are fed grains that may be laden with pesticides and potentially GMO.

Hope this helps! Try your local farmers market whenever possible, and I highly recommend visiting the great website Eat Wild to search for not only high quality eggs, but meats and other animal products, as well.

Fall Pear Bread

While I find myself back home in the Pacific Northwest in October, I've been so excited to witness the first of the fall colors and that familiar crispness to the air. My favorite season has inspired me to play around with some delicious fall recipes, and the other night I made (if I do say so myself) an amazing pear bread from the abundance of asian pears growing outside my parents house. You can use any type of pears you have (preferably organic, of course), or if pears aren't in season near you, you could probably replace them with bananas or another seasonal fruit. Get creative!

First of all, lets take a quick look at the nutrient value of pears. Similar to many fruits, almost half of the beneficial nutrients in pears are found in the skin, which is chalked full of compounds called phenolic phytonutrients. These compounds contain powerful antioxidants, anti-inflammatory flavanoids, and anti-cancer phytonutrients (whfoods.com). Pears are very high in fiber, along with Vitamins C and K. Pears are one of the highest foods in flavonols, which have been shown to have act as powerful anti-inflammatory agents in the body, therefore protecting against cancer, degenerative disease, and heart disease. Pears are also known as a "hypoallergenic" food, meaning people who tend to be sensitive or allergic to many fruits generally are fine with pears.

Now, on to the recipe!

Fall Pear Bread
adapted from sweettwistoffate.blogspot.com

Coat a bundt cake pan (or a square pan would work too) with coconut oil or butter
Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour (or other nut flour of your choice, try walnut or pecan)
3/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup grade b maple syrup (or less)
2 large eggs plus 2 egg whites
1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup pear puree
3/4 cup dark chocolate (optional)

Instructions:

Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another large bowl or mixer, add all remaining ingredients and mix. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined, Fold in chocolate chips until they are incorporated. Pour into pan and bake for 40-45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for about an hour before removing. Enjoy!!

What Is Good Nutrition?

A friend and colleague of mine posed the question recently, "what is good nutrition?" After giving it some thought, I realized what an important question this is to ask both myself and my clients, in order to really understand where one is coming from. There is a lot of information and misinformation out there when it comes to what good nutrition really means, and its easy for it all to get jumbled up! So, here are some points I would include in my definition:

1. First and foremost, realizing that what good nutrition is for me may not be the same for you. Our bodies are all biochemically different and have slightly (or, in some cases, very) different nutrient needs. This does not mean that some people really just need hostess cupcakes...but it does mean that certain people will do better with varying macronutrient ratios (more carbs, fat, or protein), for example. It is essential to remember that there is no one size fits all approach.
2. Eating the most real, nutrient dense foods available. Good nutrition should mean sticking to whole, non-processed foods that have the most "bang for their buck" in terms of nutrient density. The foods we eat are fueling our body for every task (physical, mental, and emotional) that we carry out each day, and we need all nutrients, all the time. 
3. On that same note, VARIETY. Yes, spinach is a nutrient dense food, but if it is one of the only vegetables we eat, we are depriving ourselves of all of the vitamins and minerals found in other vegetables and leafy greens. Same goes for protein and fat sources. After we understand what good, whole food is, we must strive to get a wide variety of everything so that we are allowing our bodies to take in all of the essential vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, trace minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, and other nutrients that science may not even know exists yet! And, it simply makes eating more fun.
4. Decreasing our stress (especially when eating) and improving our relationship to food.  We must be in our parasympathetic nervous state (aka, the "rest and digest" as opposed to the run-from-the-tiger sympathetic mode) in order for our body to divert energy to proper digestion and nutrient absorption/assimilation. Along with this, I feel that it is of great importance to examine our emotional relationship to food. Do we eat when we are emotional about something? Do we have feelings of guilt or other destructive emotions surrounding food? We have grown up in a society with some very skewed perceptions of body image and food (particularly for women) and this can seriously effect how we digest and assimilate our nutrients. We can eat the best foods, but if our digestion is off for either physical or emotional/mental reasons, we have work to do.
5. Eating for blood sugar stabilization. While there is no exact one size fits all approach, something that everyone can benefit from is eating a diet to regulate our blood sugar and, therefore, our energy levels. We all too often experience unnecessary dips and spikes throughout the day, which is a sign that we may not be fueling our body effectively. A sign of how well we nourished ourselves in the previous meal or snack is gauging how we feel going into the next...are we ravenous? Light headed? Really grumpy? This is not normal!
6. Eating anti-inflammatory foods. Inflammation can manifest in many ways, including brain fogginess, depression, allergies, insomnia, digestive problems, and more serious conditions like cancer and autoimmune disease. Visit my past article on inflammation for more details.
7. Eating a largely plant based diet with at least 5-9 servings of organic vegetables and fruits per day (heavier on the veggies than the fruit). Remember, 1 serving=1 cup cooked or 2 cups raw. This way we are ensuring that we get all of those micronutrients mentioned above that we need to thrive!

Well, here's a start! I think this is an important and interesting question to consider for ourselves...I know I'm always adding to my own definition. So...what is good nutrition to you???