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???

Cauliflower "Oatmeal"....Delicious!!!

I discovered this recipe from a fellow blogger a healthylivinghowto.com, and have been a bit obsessed with it ever since! I made a few tweaks and wanted to share!

My favorite meal of the day is, and always has been, breakfast. No matter how early I have to wake up in the morning, I always leave extra time to sit down and enjoy a meal in the morning. Growing up on a Standard American Diet (SAD), I would wake up feigning immediately for sugar cereal, if I recall correctly my favorite was Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Really healthy and blood sugar regulating way to start the day, right???

Once I became more educated about nutrition and simply more in touch with how foods effected how my body feels, I shifted to a "healthy" breakfast, which consisted of a giant bowl of oatmeal. Granted, this was a big step from the refined, chemically derived bowl of white flour and sugar, but it still felt like a sugar bomb in my stomach and left me on the rollercoaster of blood-sugar dips and spikes where I would crave starch and sugar throughout the day. This, in turn, effected my energy levels.

Now that I eat in a way focused on whole, nutrient dense foods, and lots of vegetables, my standard breakfast is generally pastured eggs, veggies, sauerkraut, and sometimes I'll throw some leftover ground meat or nitrite/nitrate free bacon in. But I admit, sometimes I miss a sweeter, more grain-based start to the day, which is why I was so excited to find this recipe!

Cauliflower is one of those amazing foods that has a fairly neutral taste, and you can make it into so many different things, both sweet and savory. It is in the cruciferous family of vegetable, and is extremely high in Vitamins C and K. Cauliflower has been linked in numerous studies to provide outstanding cancer prevention benefits, particularly within the bodies' detox, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory systems. It has also been linked with cardiovascular and digestive support.

So, in conclusion, its a fantastic vegetable to include in your diet on a regular basis! See recipe below, and enjoy!

Cauliflower Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1 cup "riced" cauliflower (see instructions below)
1/3 cup organic, whole coconut milk (if you don't have this you can use raw or organic whole milk, or almond milk)
2/3 cup filtered water (or less, depending on desired consistency)
2 large organic egs
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
Cinnamon to taste
Sea salt to taste
Other optional spices: cardamom, ginger, orange zest, vanilla...be creative!
Choice of optional sweeteners: powdered stevia, grade b maple syrup, raw honey
Choice of toppings: berries, nuts, fresh fruit, shredded unsweetened coconut

Preparation:

First of all, this is how you make cauliflower into a rice-like consistency: I use my Vitamix, but you can use also a hand grater or food processor. Cut off the stems (unless using a vitamix, and then use the whole thing), and break into pieces. Mix with just a bit of water and process or grate until chunky/rice-like.

In a saucepan, add riced cauliflower, coconut milk, and a bit of water (if desired). Over medium heat, cook until cauliflower is tender, anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Add whisked eggs, flax, cinnamon and other spices. Also, at this point you can add sweetener to taste, then simply serve in a bowl with desired toppings!

Enjoy :)

Lets Talk About Supplements

As you have likely gathered from my history of articles, I’m definitely not a big pusher of supplements. I strongly believe that it is essential to take in the bulk of our nutrients via food, and this is for several reasons. The first being that when we obtain a particular nutrient from food, it comes encased with a multitude of other vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and trace minerals that allow our body to effectively absorb and assimilate that nutrient, therefore reaping the benefit far more than if we were to take an isolated supplement.

It is also of utmost important that we remember two key facts:

1. All Supplements are NOT created equal!
2. More is NOT necessarily better!

           One amazing thing about the body is that it self-regulates, meaning if we are taking in vitamins and minerals via food, we have the ability to use what we need, and discard what we don’t. Studies have actually suggested that taking too many (particularly synthetic…think drug-store brands, centrum, etc) supplements have been linked to higher rates of cancer! See this link for more info.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/13/could-too-many-antioxidants-be-as-bad-as-too-few.aspx

Synthetic brand supplements are often chalked full of preservatives, colorings, and other chemicals. Holistic Nutritionist Mary Vance offers a fun experiment to place your multi-vitamin in a glass of water or lemon water. If it doesn’t dissolve, its probably not dissolving in your body, either.

With that said, lets be realistic! In an ideal world, we would all eat 5-9 servings of organic, fresh, antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables daily, and would therefore be getting all of our nutrient needs met. However, due to our busy lives, nutrient depletion in soil from commercial farming, pesticides and herbicides used on crops, and other factors as well, many of us are not taking in the amount of nutrients that our body requires for optimal function and disease prevention. Below are a list of particular supplements many people can benefit from, and rules as to what to look for when choosing a brand:

1.     Magnesium: an important nutrient essential for relaxation of nerves and muscles, building strong bones, and keeping blood circulating smoothly. We use up our magnesium stores at a much faster rate when under stress. The best source of supplementation is via Epsom Salt baths, as our skin is our largest organ and will best absorb the nutrient. Or, try a powder or capsule form supplement. Easy clue as to whether you’ve overdone the dosage: if you experience runny stool, simply back off! Start with recommended dosage.

2.     Fish Oil: Omega 3 fatty acids are crucial for reducing inflammation, maintaining cell membrane integrity, lowering lipids circulating in the bloodstream, helping prevent cancer cell growth, and SO much more. If we cook with vegetable oils like canola (see past articles for why NEVER to do this!), we are likely out of balance in terms of our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio. Unless we eat cold water, wild caught fish 3-4 times/week, a good quality fish oil is a great idea. I recommend Green Pastures brand, which can be purchased online at greenpastures.org, particularly their non-gelatin fermented cod liver oil capsules.

3.     Multi-Vitamin: While a good multi-vitamin shouldn’t be used as a crutch (aka, don’t assume your multi will make up for poor quality foods), a high quality multi won’t hurt to attempt at filling some gaps. Opt for a food based supplement, as this will be more effectively assimilated by the body.

4.     Probiotics: Most of us have some sort of impaired digestion, and probiotics won’t hurt. If we have any history of antibiotic use, NSAID (advil, ibprofin, Tylenol, etc) use, candida, food sensitivities, a history of a SAD (standard american diet) high in processed and refined foods, digestive symptoms such as bloating, gas, or even fatigue, insomnia, headaches (the list could go on and on), this could be a sign of insufficient good gut bacteria. Taking a probiotic and/or eating naturally fermented foods like raw sauerkraut on a regular basis can have numerous benefits. I like the brand Dr. Ohirras probiotics. Working with a health care professional can get you access to a professional grade probiotic.

5.    READ THE LABELS! As we’ve discussed before being a detective when deciphering food labels, the same goes for supplements. Opt for the list with the least amount of added ingredients, and if you don’t know what something is, look it up! Working with a professional can help you determine which supplements may be right for you, and in what dosage. Self-diagnosis can be a slippery slope!

As always, contact me with further questions, and here’s to a happy and healthy fall season!

Resources: maryvancenc.com, whfoods.com

Nutrition Consulting at Syntropy Wellness Center!

Hello everyone!

I know that I've been a bit MIA on the blogging front over these last couple of months, but some exciting changes have been happening career-wise that have been requiring much attention. The good news is, I'm back!

I wanted to share with you an exciting new venture I'm embarking on at a beautiful wellness center called Syntropy. Here, I will be working with clients one on one for nutrition and will have the pleasure of working alongside a handful of very talented wellness professionals ranging from chiropractic care, massage, rolfing, physical therapy, and more. This type of center is, in my mind, really the ideal vision of wellness. It is the chance for you to work not only with one practitioner, but multiple individuals with a unique specialty and insight into what your body, mind, and soul need to support current conditions or prevent future ones.

I will be running various upcoming workshops so stay tuned, along with various deals on nutrition consulting packages. Please visit the Syntropy Nutrition Consultations page for more information on current special offers. Also, see below for my bio!

Thank you everyone for your support, and please spread the word!!

RACHEL FISKE | NUTRITION | PERSONAL TRAINING

Rachel is a Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant educated at Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition. She has a passion for holistic health and illness prevention, which she accomplishes through a whole foods diet and active lifestyle training.

She works with clients one-on-one to find underlying causes for conditions like:

• digestive issues + weight loss
• food allergies + sensitivities
• blood sugar regulation + stress
• detox
• fatigue + insomnia
• hormonal imbalances
• depression
• auto-immune disorders

Rachel is also a Certified Personal Trainer and has deep knowledge and experience in combining exercise and fitness with her nutritional consults.  Find out what others have said about Rachel’s services.

Rachel works closely with clients and their care team to create programs that fit an individual’s unique needs.

Your Skin is Your Biggest Organ!

I wanted to share this picture with you...a reminder to always think about what we put on our skin! Remember, it is the biggest organ in our body and therefore has the most potential to absorb toxins. Think about this: strive not to put anything on your skin that you couldn't eat!!!