That "Age-Old" Debate

Do you ever have those moments where you can’t remember where you left your keys? Or maybe you absent-mindedly put the milk in the pantry instead of the refrigerator? Or you walk into a room and suddenly can’t remember what you were looking for? Then perhaps you start thinking that you are getting old and ‘losing your memory’ and might even go so far to wonder if you are at risk for Alzheimer’s?  I have certainly had days where I can’t find my keys and I am guilty of putting the milk in the pantry instead of the refrigerator, so of course it makes me wonder about my memory and growing old.  Memory loss is one of the biggest concerns of aging and it is a topic that is getting a lot of much needed attention and research.

I recently went to a presentation by the University of California, Irvine’s   MIND (Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders) Institute.  A panel of experts comprised of neurologists, researchers, psychologist and neuroscientists discussed the aspects, findings, questions and research being done on Dementia and Alzheimer’s by their team.  It was an incredibly interesting presentation and since Eat Clean Live Green is focused on improving all aspects of health, I wanted to share a few highlights with you:

• Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia.
• The number one contributing factor to the onset of Alzheimer’s is age (the older you are, the more likely you are to get it).
• At age 65, 1 in 20 people will be diagnosed with dementia. That number doubles with every 5 additional years of age.
• Although it is not known how the disease begins, it is likely that damage starts a decade before problems become evident.
• Memory and thinking difficulties are not always due to dementia and must be thoroughly evaluated to determine the cause.
  • For example, medications, underlying health issues like thyroid problems or B-12 deficiency also affect memory.
• Although there is no current cure for Alzheimer’s, there are things you can do to delay the onset. The MIND institute researchers have discovered that “a healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy diet and physical and cognitive activity reduces the risk of developing dementia. Studies… show that exercise and cognitive stimulation improves memory and improves memory, and helps reduce Alzheimer’s pathology.”
• Cognitive Exercises that strengthen brain plasticity (the brain’s ability to create new neurons and neural connections) can strengthen mental abilities.
• Meditation, Tai Chi and Yoga all help improve cognitive function in those with Alzheimer’s Disease.

You can improve your brain health much in the same way you improve heart health through lifestyle factors such as: getting enough sleep, staying socially active, managing stress and depression, doing physical and brain exercises and through nutrition. These are all in your control, so why not start taking care of your brain the way you do the rest of your body? Follow the clean eating guidelines here on this blog and take time to make the other aspects listed a priority.

I’ll give you a little jump start… here are five foods that are good for the brain, good for your body and easy to incorporate into your day (and interestingly a few them are actually shaped like your brain):

• Walnuts
• Avocados
• Berries: strawberries and blueberries (organic, of course)
• Broccoli and Cauliflower
• Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)

Give your body and your brain the best possible chance of taking you well into the future… the kind of future where aging doesn’t mean getting old.

For more detailed information from the UCI MIND Institute, go to their website  www.mind.uci.edu

Goodness and Joy

One of the things I believe in, and enjoy doing, is serving others.  It brings me great joy to do something for someone else.  One of the ways I volunteer is by bringing breakfast one day a month to a home that offers support and temporary care for pregnant women.  I am one of their nutrition volunteers and I love it!  I get to bring healthy meals to these women and share with them ways to make breakfast healthy and delicious. And on some mornings I even get to hold one of their tiny newborn babies while the moms eat – double joy :)

This month I am trying a new recipe for them, so I tested it out on my family this weekend.  It’s a recipe I ‘doctored up’ (code for made ‘clean’) from another base recipe.  It’s a baked oatmeal casserole. My family loved it – having no leftovers was a sure sign of yummy goodness.  I know I’ve already shared one oatmeal recipe here, but this one is a great addition to the collection and it’s easy to make for a large group just by doubling it. Plus, your kitchen fills with the wonderful aroma of the baking cinnamon and apples… more joy.

Many oatmeal recipes are lacking one of my must-have breakfast elements – protein.  But for this one, I’ve added chia seeds to the already listed walnuts, boosting the protein content.  Serve this with a side of whole milk Greek yogurt and you’ve got a great amount of protein to get you going for the day, and keep you full until lunch.  Leftovers keep well in the fridge to reheat and eat throughout the week.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Casserole        {print here}

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

¼ cup coconut sugar

1 tsp. aluminum free baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

3 TBSP chia seeds

½ tsp. Celtic sea salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup 100% maple syrup

1 ½ cups + 3 tbsp. almond milk

1 ½ TBSP coconut oil (melted) – plus extra to line baking dish

1 tsp. real vanilla extract

4 ounces unsweetened applesauce

½ c. toasted chopped walnuts (coarsely chopped)

2 apples, cored and cut into ¼ inch pieces

• Heat oven to 350F.  Rub coconut oil on bottom and sides of a 7”x11”  baking dish.
• In a large bowl, combine first six ingredients (dry)
• In a separate bowl, whisk next six ingredients (wet)
• Add liquids to oat mixture and stir to combine. 
• Stir in walnuts and apples
• Bake until gently browned, about 35 minutes
• Serve warm with a side of whole milk Greek yogurt.

A Rainbow of Possibilities

©growinwellness.com

Maybe it’s because I welcomed in the New Year in a place known for rainbows, but adding a variety of color to your morning seems like a good idea no matter where you wake up.  And what’s the quickest way to deliver? Make a smoothie.  One of the easiest breakfasts you can make is protein-packed smoothie.  Not only can you blend healthy goodness in minutes, you can easily take it on the go as a portable breakfast (or even as an afternoon snack).

Of all the things I love about morning smoothies, it’s hard to beat how many options there are.  (The irony of that statement, though, is that I have one favorite that I drink most days of the week). Once you have your basic recipe, you can personalize it any way you want. Before I leave you with my absolute favorite morning smoothie recipe, let me give you the framework for making a healthy smoothie and not a sugary dessert.

Start with a good base.  Coconut water is hydrating and has electrolytes, almond milk is a good choice for a little heartier base and if you really want to thicken up your smoothie and add a healthy probiotic boost you can use kefir* (a fermented yogurt-like liquid) as your base. * Kefir makes a thick smoothie, so you may want to add more fresh than frozen fruits.

Next add a high quality protein powder – choose plant based and one with no bad artificial sweeteners. Protein is a key element to breakfast – it stabilizes your blood sugar (reducing sugar cravings), strengthens your immune system and keeps you feeling full (helping with weight control). My favorite brands are SunWarrior Raw protein powder in vanilla, VegaOne all-in-one and Arbonne’s vanilla.

Include at least a cup of greens* (kale, spinach, collards) and a cup or so of fresh and frozen fruit and you have a good basic recipe. *Note: if you do not have a high powered blender, your greens will not pulverize quite as much, so expect to see small leaf pieces in the end result. 

Now, to really boost the power of your smoothie start adding in all kinds of goodness in the form of ”superfoods”:  hemp seeds, ground flax, chia seeds, maca powder, raw cacao, goji berries, nut butter, spirulina powder or even an avocado. Experiment with different combinations of fruits and add-ins until you find a few favorites.

You will notice that I do not list any sweeteners in my recipe. It is not necessary (or advisable) to add more sugar than what is already present in the fruit and protein powder. BUT, if you feel compelled to make your smoothie even sweeter, then I recommend using a teaspoon of raw honey (only raw!) or a few pitted dates.

Create your own weekly rainbow by changing up what you blend in the morning. The photo I posted shows a few variations. Love pink? Try blending strawberries and bananas with goji berry powder, flax and maca. Want to add a burst of sunshine to your morning? Blend mango with peaches and bananas, chia, coconut water and hemp seeds.  If purple is your favorite color, then mix blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and spinach with kefir for a base. And if green is your best color then a combination of banana, kale, cinnamon, chia seeds and flax will give you a green boost. The ones in the above photo do not all have greens, but do contain protein powder.

Which is my favorite ‘go-to’ morning smoothie?  The Green one, of course! Let me know what your favorite combination is!  Happy Blending!

Green Goodness Breakfast Smoothie

1 ½ cups almond milk

protein powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp almond butter

1 tsp ground flax seeds

1 cup of kale leaves (washed and stemmed)

1 banana

3-4 ice cubes

Fill blender with ingredients in order listed and blend until well combined.  Pour into a glass and enjoy! (Or put in a disposable cup and take it with you.)

A New Year, A New You

“New Year’s Resolutions”… does the phrase make you break out in hives? Those three words can cause a lot of grief if the choices that encompass it are not chosen wisely.

I believe that the resolutions that fail the most often are those that are the most unreasonable. In fact, the term “New Year’s Resolutions” reminds me quite a bit of “I’m going on a diet”.  And I find it interesting that both seem to coincide with the start of a new year and both have a high failure rate. I have gone through many a December 31^st making a list of all the things I want to do come January 1^st.  Then I feel the pressure to start them all right away, which leads to overload and eventually failure of any one of the resolutions being met.  So this year a new approach is finding its way into my life.  I call it life improvement, not a resolution. My goal is to improve areas of my life a little at a time and in ways that will lead to lasting changes.

Here are examples of ways you can improve your health and overall wellness for 2014…

• Make water your drink of choice.  Most of us are in need of more hydration. Headaches, hunger pains and fatigue are most often signs that your body needs more water (ice tea, coffee, sports drinks and soda don’t count).
• Work toward eliminating processed and junk foods.  If you eat them every day right now, then cut back by two days a week, then three, etc.… and then eventually they are a rarity.  There are always going to be times when you can’t avoid processed foods, but having them only on occasion is far better then several times a week and most people find that once they break-up with their fast food habit, they don’t miss it.
• Make Green your new favorite color.  See my previous post on all the benefits of dark green veggies.  They are full of nutrients, help alkalize your body and will improve your overall health
• Move your body.  Exercise doesn’t have to mean a membership to 24hour Fitness. You can try Zumba classes, dance with your favorite music on or just go for a walk around the neighborhood to start.  Build up your intensity once you are in the routine of at least three days of exercise a week.
• Sleep.  Make sleep a priority. Getting enough sleep will improve memory function, help prevent illness, will improve your mood and help keep your weight in check (less sleep leads to more weight gain).  Strive for 7 ½ hours, or more, a night.  If you have trouble falling asleep, increase exercise during the day and turn off all technology 30 minutes before bedtime.
• Follow me on Facebook and my blog.  Of course you knew this would be on the list.  These two places will be filled with ways to lead a healthier life based on my philosophy of Eating Cleaner and Living Greener.  I will post links to important information as well as recipes and helpful, healthy tips.

And if you really want to get serious about a healthier new year then here’s a challenge…

• Give up soda! I mean every kind of soda! Regular or Diet, it doesn’t matter.  There is no value in soda, not one drop of either kind gives your body any nutrients. It fills you up and prevents you from taking in foods that are nutritious, they add excessive amounts of processed sugars (or harmful artificial sugars) and cause you to crave more sugar, interfere with cellular function and ultimately lead to weight gain. Yes, even the diet sodas! Here’s how: cut your intake down by half every two weeks and continue the pattern until soda isn’t part of your routine any longer.

In case you are wondering, my resolutions include adding weight training to my workout routine, volunteering more often and providing my readers with lots of great recipes and tips on clean eating and green living.

Most important of all, give yourself a break.  Making any lasting change takes time. Experts say it takes three weeks to build a new habit, so be patient with yourself and keep moving forward. There will be hard days, but don’t let them get the best of you… you get a fresh start starting the moment after the setback. The real goal is to get to December 31, 2014 and be able to smile when you look back and see how far you’ve come… and how your life has improved.

Take a "Me" Moment

Has ‘Christmas Craziness’ moved in to your house? It has settled in at our home even though our kids are college-age. It’s hard to imagine that anyone escapes the chaos of this season, but even when Christmas isn’t days away, taking a ‘me’ moment always has benefits.

When the craziness of a busy day is upon me, I have learned to steal a little moment of ‘me’ time.  No, I’m not talking about finding enough time to have a massage or get a pedicure (which are both really nice, though!). I mean stealing small little moments, seconds in my day, to pause my thinking and breathe… really breathe.

Taking time to breathe deeply and consciously has many health benefits.  It helps increase oxygen in your system, relieve stress, assists with lymphatic system drainage and can aid with digestion.

So while it may only be when you are sitting in traffic, the carpool pick-up line or waiting for your turn to pay at Target that you get a chance to try this exercise, it counts as ‘me time’ in my book. Here’s how it works:

Pause and think of something you are grateful for.  Then do a series of three of these slow count breaths: 

1-    slowly breathe in for the count of 5

2-    hold for a count of 3

3-    then slowly breathe out for a count of 5.

Fill your lungs as full as you can and empty them as much as possible with each breath. While you breathe, focus on gratitude and soak up the stillness of the moment. 

In less than a minute’s time you will have given your body healthy boost and given your inner self a moment of peace. Me? I give thanks to God in that moment, for there is always something to be thankful for, no matter how small it may seem to be.

Wishing you a day filled with some ‘me’ time and moments of peace.

12 Days of Christmas... Health Coach Style

It’s Christmastime and that means Christmas carols are playing in nearly every store I have been to recently.  Some bring a smile to my face and others I can’t get out of my head, like the 12 days of Christmas. It seems to go on and on about gifts I’m not sure I’d appreciate getting. A partridge in a pear tree? Ten lords a leaping? Are those gifts on your wish list this year? 

I gave it some thought and decided that if the tables were turned and I was giving gifts to my clients, the twelve days would have a whole new look.  Here’s my version of the 12 days of Christmas – Health Coach style.  And although I may not be your ‘true love’, your health is important to me. These gifts are much more practical (and good for you) than turtle doves or swimming swans. Here are my lyrics… you know the tune:

On the first day of Christmas my Health Coach gave to me:

A Vitamix for all my blending

On the second day of Christmas my Health Coach gave to me

2 cups of quinoa

On the third day of Christmas my Health Coach gave to me

3 bowls of chia

On the fourth day of Christmas my Health Coach gave to me

4 kinds of salmon

On the fifth day of Christmas my Health Coach gave to me

5 bunches of kale

On the sixth day of Christmas my Health Coach gave to me

6 non-toxic cleaners

On the seventh day of Christmas my Health Coach gave to me

7 coconut waters

On the eighth day of Christmas my Health Coach gave to me

8 yoga lessons

On the ninth day of Christmas my Health Coach gave to me

9 fresh green juices

On the tenth day of Christmas my Health Coach gave to me

10 maca smoothies

On the eleventh day of Christmas my Health Coach gave to me

11goji berries

On the twelfth day of Christmas my Health Coach gave to me

12 recycled bags

… and a great big wish for a Healthy (“Eat Clean Live Green”) New Year!

Cinnamon and Apples... Mouth Watering Goodness

©istockphoto.com

Cinnamon has been one of my favorite spices long before I knew of its health benefits.  It helps stabilize blood sugar, can improve LDL cholesterol and contains properties that help fight against bacterial and fungal infections.  There are even studies being done on how cinnamon can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. 

But while all those attributes are well and good, it’s the scent and taste of cinnamon that melt my heart (and my taste buds). I love it in my morning smoothie and it finds my weakness when I’m served homemade cinnamon rolls.  It seems to be synonymous with the holiday desserts, not many which are waistline friendly.  Since the last few posts have been about healthier options for the dinner table, I thought you needed at least one option for a healthier dessert.  So below you will find my version of Baked Apples.  They are great served alone or with freshly whipped organic cream or maybe even a coffee spiked with a bit of brandy :)   They also make a great snack on a cold and rainy afternoon.  My mouth is already watering…

Baked Apples

4 organic apples (Honey Crisp or Granny Smith hold up well)

¼ cup coconut sugar

¼ rolled oats

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp orange zest

4 teaspoons organic coconut oil

1 cup hot water

Heat oven to 375F and place rack one level up from bottom position.

Remove the apple cores, leaving some apple at the bottom.  Use a melon baller to create a well about ½”-3/4” wide.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest.  Divide the mixture evenly into the middle of the apples.

Place the apples in a baking dish that closely fits them.  Top each one with 1 tsp coconut oil.  Pour the hot water into the bottom of the dish and cover loosely with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes and remove foil.  Cook for an additional 20 minutes or until the apples are cooked through (they will be wrinkly and you can easily insert a paring knife into the side).

Remove from oven and serve with fresh whipped cream.

One More Way to "Healthy Up" Christmas Dinner

Green beans.  That interesting vegetable that shows up on many a holiday table, but usually in the form of a casserole, drowning in canned soup, soggy and nearly tasteless.  That’s the type of green bean side dish I urge you all to skip.  But don’t part ways with green beans completely! They are a great vegetable packed with nutrients and when they are prepared in the right way, they taste delicious!

Green beans, also known as string beans, are a great source of nutrients.  Vitamin K (enhances absorption of calcium, helps prevent bone density loss and osteoporosis), Vitamin C (antioxidant properties, boosts the immune system, cancer fighting), Manganese (helps with osteoarthritis and with absorption of vitamins B, E and magnesium), Vitamin A (another antioxidant that helps fight cancer, heart disease and high cholesterol and reduces signs of skin aging), along with Dietary Fiber, can all be found in fresh, organic green beans.

As you plan for your holiday dinner, consider upgrading that green bean casserole to a nutritious, bright bowl of green beans made with shallots, lemon and walnuts.  Buy organic green beans and be careful not to overcook them. As promised, here’s another way to ‘healthy up’ your Christmas dinner. This recipe has been adapted from Bon Appetit… happy eating!

Green Beans with Lemon & Walnuts

1 lb. organic green beans, trimmed and cut in half

1 Tbsp. chopped shallots

1 Tbsp. organic coconut oil

½ c. coarsely chopped and toasted walnuts 

1 tsp lemon zest

3-4 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp each, sea salt and pepper

In a large sauté pan, heat the coconut oil and add the shallots and green beans.  Cook for 6-8 minutes or until beans begin to soften.  While the beans are cooking, whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, sea salt and pepper in a small bowl or measuring cup.  When the shallots and green beans are done cooking, put them into a bowl, toss with the toasted walnuts and lemon mixture and serve.

Not Your Grandmother's Brussels Sprouts

Last week I promised to post some recipes to help ‘healthy up’ your Christmas Dinner (or any dinner for that matter) and I don’t want you to be disappointed that I am choosing one involving Brussels sprouts as the first contribution. These are not the same Brussels sprouts that your Grandmother used to serve. 

Why bother eating Brussels sprouts at all? They are high in Vitamins K and C, and offer a good source of manganese, folate and fiber.  More importantly, they are part of the cruciferous vegetable group and shine among its peers for having a greater amount of glucosinolate, which in everyday terms means they pack a punch in the cancer prevention department.

If you are thinking, “that sounds great, but I hate Brussels sprouts”, then I understand.  I used to steer clear of the lifeless, waterlogged vegetable, but my first bite of roasted, caramelized Brussels sprouts changed my mind.  For me, there is nothing like roasting vegetables to bring out their sweet, mellow flavor.   Plus, it is kind of fun to buy them still attached to the stalk when they are in season… which is right now.

This recipe is a compilation of several I’ve tried. The sprouts are roasted with shallots, mixed with farro (a nutty, ancient grain) and tossed with fresh Parmesan.  You can add rendered bacon for added depth of flavor.

If you don’t already like Brussels sprouts, maybe this will change your mind.  Enjoy!

Farro and Brussels Sprouts

1 cup farro*

2 ½ cups water

1 pound Brussels sprouts, quartered

1 shallot, chopped

3- 4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1 ½  tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 425F

Put the farro and the water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover and lower heat and simmer approximately 30 minutes*.   Drain excess liquid and set farro aside.

Put Brussels sprouts and chopped shallots in a bowl and toss with 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, sea salt and pepper.  Set bowl aside for use later. Spread on a baking sheet and cook until browned, approximately 25 minutes. Make sure to stir a couple of times during roasting to ensure they brown evenly.  Add the Brussels sprouts/shallot mixture back to the bowl and add the cooked farro.  Squeeze the juice of one lemon over mixture and toss well. Add the parmesan and mix again.

* It’s best if you can soak the farro in water (toss soaking water) for an hour before cooking, which will reduce the cooking time to 20 minutes.

Getting Back on Track

Okay, Thanksgiving is over… how did you do? Did you manage to eat your veggies first? Take smaller portions? Go for a walk before or after dinner (or both)?  If you had a day that resulted in thousands of calories and indulgences, did you not beat yourself up over it and instead, got back on track Friday morning? Not yet? Well, start right now (with a mug of hot lemon water)– it’s never too late.

My Thanksgiving plate was not quite as “Clean” as it could have been had I been the one in the kitchen.  And I have to admit it that it bothered me more than I expected. As I glanced around the kitchen while helping to get the meal to the table I realized how little people understand about buying clean, quality ingredients.  They buy food with GMO’s, additives and preservatives described in words that are mostly unpronounceable, and ingredients that are not found anywhere else but in a chemistry lab.  But our country is not only convinced that saving a buck on a can of broth is better than taking their health serious, they vast majority of people believe that these processed foods aren’t harmful to our health. It’s a sad fact that I am going to dedicate my time to changing.

Here are some examples of what I saw… and I wouldn’t be surprised if these items found their way to your Thanksgiving table, too. Stouffer’s stuffing mix, Cool Whip, King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, green beans in a can and Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup (for the ever famous and not nutritious green bean casserole), “store brand” chicken broth, pre-made mashed potatoes and Wondra flour. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

One thing you will read repeatedly on this blog is that Big Food Companies Do NOT Have Your Best Health in Mind – They Want to Make a Profit, No Matter What it Takes to Do So!  And as a result they make it exceptionally difficult to navigate the grocery store aisles with their flashy packaging, heartwarming commercials and carefully worded product claims. 

Reading the ingredients list on a food’s label is the only line of defense we have until GMO labeling initiatives finally start getting passed.  And yes, that means that sometimes you may need to buy a product labeled organic, but only because there is no other way to be sure your food is “clean” of modified, chemically enhanced, laboratory created unhealthy ingredients. Learn to read the list of ingredients on the foods you buy – they should be items that you recognize and could easily purchase elsewhere in the store should you decide to make the recipe from scratch.

Why am I so obsessed with Clean Eating? The main reason is that processed foods create inflammation in the body and wreak more than just a little havoc. They lead to obesity, increase inflammation in the body (which leads to illness), they are loaded with GMO’s and they cause our health to be compromised! For more on how processed foods affect our health, check out this article on Natural News.

So, now that I’ve ranted a little, I want to end on a more positive note.  You don’t have to settle for crappy, processed foods as part of your diet.  Start with the foods you most frequently eat and swap those out for healthier options. Then choose foods that don’t need labels. Fill your kitchen and your plate with fresh, whole foods – every day! Make green your favorite food color – salads, greens on your sandwiches, as sides, in soups and added to pastas. Drink lots of water; add lemon or sliced fruit for a flavor boost. Buy what’s in season.  If you start today, your grocery basket contents will look a lot healthier by the time it’s time for Christmas dinner.  And to help make the journey a little easier, I’ll be posting recipes over the next few weeks to make your holiday meal a little bit healthier. It’s never too late to start eating clean!