“I Know What To Do, I Just Don’t Do It”

We talk about prevention and lifestyle change, but what does it actually entail?

Prevention means eating healthfully, exercising, getting quality sleep, decreasing stress, enjoying meaningful relationships and managing finances. These all deserve a slice of the wellness pie and are known to be cost-effective strategies for reducing our chances of getting chronic disease or the progression of these burdensome conditions. We know this much.

Our healthcare system can’t support the sickcare model any longer. It’s time to stop talking about prevention. We need to do something. Something large scale, innovative and sustainable. And, we need to do it right now. (more…)

Transitions

It’s been a hectic stretch. I recently moved my life to New York City after calling Boston home for the past 19 years. I also co-authored a cookbook called Real Fit Kitchen that hit bookstores in the beginning of October. None of this was part of my plan about a year ago. When it rains, it really pours and often it’s not predictable. You have no choice but to go with it. Get wet. Right now, I’m soaked.

Transition is equal parts exhilarating and challenging. You forget how much you take for granted at times like these. Simple things such as knowing how to get around town without glancing at a map every 3 minutes or asking a surly-looking stranger for help.

Transition begs for mindfulness. I notice the things that I probably won’t notice after a few more months. The colorful subway tiles. The hustle of fashion-forward energetic teenagers and well-heeled business people as they rush off to school and work. The independence and resolve of elderly as they navigate the NYC streets with confidence at their own pace. The security guards at the new office. The bounty of fruits, figs, kebabs, fried chicken feet (yes), handbags, pipes and old books at the hands of street vendors. I have a set of fresh eyes. (more…)

Don’t Fear the Tempeh! Vegan or Not, Put Plant-Based Proteins on Your Radar

Protein. We need it. It’s builds cells and helps repair muscle tissue. Our bones, blood, organs, muscles and skin all need protein to function properly. It’s the building block of neurotransmitters, the messaging cells in our bodies that allow all of our systems to communicate with each other. It’s pretty important stuff.

A google-image search of ‘protein’ brings up glossy images of steak, seafood, eggs and designer whey protein powders. Only a few images include beans and nuts. It’s pretty clear. In the world of protein, many people think of animal sources or supplements.

I recommend plant-based protein sources to both herbivores and omnivores alike. No matter how you classify yourself on the eating spectrum, it’s becoming clear that eating more plant-based foods is a good idea for all of us. From hardcore vegan to hardcore meat lover, plant-based proteins can be beneficial to include daily as they are naturally cholesterol-free, low in saturated fats and also contain healthful antioxidants and fiber. (more…)

Yoga, Wellness & Fantastic Food on Martha’s Vineyard? YES!

What are you doing in exactly a month? How about joining me in Martha’s Vineyard (before it gets too crowded) with two fantastic yoga teachers for a 4-day yoga and wellness retreat! Yes, that’s right. Just sign up.

I’m joining Amy Leydon and Emily Phillips from June 7th-10th for Reboot Camp Wellness Retreat at the Vineyard Arts Project in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard.

• Luxurious accommodations with private bathrooms
• Power Yoga, Barre, Meditation and Restorative Yoga classes throughout the day (all levels welcome)
• Daily outdoor fitness excursions, including guided bike rides and beach workouts
• Nutrition workshop with yours truly and private nutrition consultations also available
• Local, organic, delicious cuisine prepared with love by head cheese maker Jacqueline Foster of Grey Barn Farm–ALL MEALS included

For more information and to register, visit www.amyleydonyoga.com

Who are you getting your nutrition information from?

Load Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or any web site. Search for the nutrition topic of your choice. What will you find? Pages upon pages of information, meaning your simple nutrition question just became a million times more confusing.

So, how do you know what information to trust? One way is to look at the credentials of the writer.

Here is what some of the credentials of nutrition writers mean: (more…)

Stay on Trend in 2014: Five Foods to Add to Your Grocery List

Check out the 5 popular foods of 2014 that will add something extra to your food repertoire while keeping it healthful and delicious.

Tea

Move over coffee, tea (in a hot or cold preparation) is front and center this year. In 2014, tea bars are opening that exclusively serve tea. But don’t limit yourself to just a tea beverage. Tea can be added to many dishes—try it on proteins—for an herbaceous flavoring similar to traditional seasonings. Along with its great taste and many varieties, tea is an excellent source of polyphenols: a type of antioxidant associated with lowering your risk for multiple chronic diseases. So toast the New Year with a delectable, hot cup of tea.

Asparagus

Roasted asparagus is a thing of the past; this year asparagus ribbons are in. Asparagus ribbons are the new base to the traditional leafy green salad. With a knife or mandolin, asparagus can be thinly sliced lengthwise to make ribbons. If high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems are a concern, the potassium in asparagus should help to reduce your risk. Try asparagus in its new or old form—it will always be delicious. (more…)

Playoff Eating

Playoff baseball is in full swing here in Boston. The Red Sox are filling the city with hope, fear, excitement, sleepless nights and thankfully, a few deep exhales. Our beloved team is one big hard fought win away from winning a World Series title.

The stress of being a playoff fan can take a toll on the body and mind but in this case, the good outweighs the bad. Normal life is right around the corner. Enjoy the chaos while it lasts!

I decided to take an informal poll of my friends, family and co-workers about the influence of playoff baseball on their eating habits.

Here are the various types of playoff eaters. Can you relate? Feel free to add yours to the list.

Comfort food only: The game isn’t delivering fast enough relief. Bring on the chips, nuts, mac & cheese, nachos and beer. Your instant gratification comes in the form of food and drink.

Cereal for dinner: There’s no time to make a proper dinner and get in game-ready position on the couch. Your dinner preparation goes out the window. Cereal is foolproof.

Stress overeater: Your food-filled hand reaches your mouth over and over and the eyes stay firmly on the TV.

Steady stream of caffeine: You’re double-fisting Dunkin’ Donuts. All. Day. Long.

Too stressed-out to eat: Food, what food? The energy of the game provides you with ample nourishment.

Baseball food cravings: Your food choice is limited to hotdogs, popcorn, Cracker Jacks, pretzels, ice cream, beer and other highly nutritious food items found at ballparks.

Dial a dinner: Everything you eat is prepared and delivered by somebody else. Pizza is on speed dial.

Superstitious eater: The heck with variety. Stick with the food that you ate the night of the very first playoff win and DO NOT vary it. You might just be the reason why the team is winning. Oh, and your special socks. And your special chair. You’re clearly a big part of the reason for the winning season.

Status quo: You don’t do anything different from your normal routine. You’re asking how long this baseball stuff will go on. You could care less about sports and pretty much live under a rock to not understand what’s going on in Boston right now.

Go ahead; eat what you want and when you want. This is playoff baseball and it doesn’t happen all the time.

One more win. LET’S DO THIS!

To cleanse or not to cleanse

Hyped as a means to remove harmful pollutants from the body and lose weight, cleanse and detox diets are all the rage. But despite their popularity, research has revealed that cleansing – especially via restricting intake and fasting – brings about unwanted side effects and weight re-gain after restoring a normal diet. These cleanses can be relatively healthy if approached cautiously, such as simply incorporating more fruits and vegetables into the diet. On the other hand, they can be darn right dangerous. Always bear in mind that most cleanses are dreamed up by individuals lacking nutrition credentials – and therefore should be reviewed carefully before trying.

Here are a few things to think about with cleansing:

• Excess energy intake – juice is a high caloric drink often incorporating much more fruit and vegetables than one could consume in whole form.
• Liquid meals cause lazy guts. Our gastrointestinal tract needs solid foods including those with fiber and protein to stay healthy and maintain integrity.
• Decreased satiety, liquid meals take longer for you to feel full causing cravings earlier, not to mention irritability from blood sugar spikes and falls.
• Our bodies remove toxins; it’s how we’ve survived for thousands of years. So there’s really not much of an incentive to detox via dieting.

The bottom line: There is no evidence that any of these “cleanse” diets enhance the bodies own detox mechanisms. Concentrate on fueling your body right, hydrating appropriately with low-sugar drinks, getting good sleep, and staying active. Take a moment to appreciate the remarkable way the body protects and cleanses itself safely and naturally, without any help from the outside.

By Liz Schneider, guest blogger and nutritionist

Would you eat a lab-grown hamburger?

I would. As a clean-eater I enjoy the occasional grass-fed beef dish, but inevitably I find myself at a barbecue or restaurant that serves factory-farmed beef. And as to not be a pain in the butt, I eat it. One day in the future we may have they choice of ordering a hamburger made from either conventional beef or lab-grown beef, I’d choose the latter hands down every time and here’s why.

Benefits and possibilities of lab-grown beef:

• Hormone free and antibiotic free
• No pesticides, tranquilizers, or de-wormers needed
• Cruelty free
• Decreased factory farms = less environmental impact
• Competition with conventional beef may make room for more sustainable livestock farms
• and more land for sustainable fruit and vegetable farms!
• Safer in terms of food borne illness
• Less water used…
• less energy required…
• and more ethical compared to conventional beef production
• Healthier in terms of fats

So how does this cultured meat grow? It’s actually quite simple really. Using stem cell technology, a muscle cell originating from a real cow is programmed to divide over and over again in vitro ultimately producing a meat patty. This cutting edge technology has the opportunity not only to succeed but also to transform the way we feed the world. Did you know what ~70% of antibiotics used in the US are for cattle? How about ~20% of greenhouse gasses coming from cattle farms? It’s time to quit ignoring these issues and start solving the environmental and societal problem of factory farming – lab-grown beef could do just that.

Until cultured beef becomes mainstream – which could take decades – it’s important to weight the potential benefits. There’s a lot of people to feed on this earth and the population is only getting larger.

By Liz Schneider, guest blogger

Eating for beauty

The best compliment I’ve received is that I have great skin. I was actually taken a back given that I have freckles and a long clash with acne. But I’ll take what I can get. After years of trying every cream, lotion, pill on the market I stopped focusing on the things I put on top of my skin and instead focused on what I was putting into my body. Maybe I just grew out of the acne, but I’m eating healthier than ever before and my skin has never looked better. My tip is to try and eat antioxidant and anti-inflammatory rich foods every day, simply put: eat your fruits and veggies.

Antioxidant rich foods are those that contain:

• Vitamin A aka beta-carotene, the orange/red pigment that gives carrots and squash their color, can also give your skin a healthy glow as the pigments accumulate under the skin’s surface.
• Vitamin C and E are often paired together as they help protect against cellular damage in our bodies including skin. In fact a vitamin c deficiency usually manifests with dry, scaly skin and bleeding gums – a testament of vitamin c’s influence of tissue health.
• Selenium is a mineral found in the earth, and thus many foods contain it including seafood, meat, and plants. Depending on soil conditions, the same food grown in different soils can contain varying amounts of selenium. One Brazil nut is usually all you need for a days worth of this antioxidant.
• Zinc – although not really considered an antioxidant, zinc is essential for the proper functioning of the antioxidant pathways in the body.

Anti-inflammatory rich foods are those that contain:

• Healthy fats like those found in ground flax and fatty fish. A soft fluid-like membrane (made up of the fat you eat) protects all of your trillion cells, so you can imagine they are extremely important for skin structure. In the omega-6-fat laden society we live in, it is hard to obtain omega-3 fats, which research has shown to decrease inflammation in the body. A great goal is to incorporate fish into your meals twice a week.

Tips for eating clean

• Go slow. Especially if you are not use to regularly eating whole foods. Try adding one fruit or veggie at a time. Pay close attention to your body. There is such a thing as too much fiber!
• Drink more water. Fiber requires lots of hydration to pass through your gut comfortably and efficiently. Extra water is good for your skin too. Everyone’s hydration needs vary, but generally 6-12 glasses per day will do the trick.

I hope this inspired you to eat your fruits and veggies if not for anything else, for a glowing complexion!

Did you know? Acne is a disease of western civilization. It does not exist in certain countries like Paraguay and New Guinea. As expected, these cultures eat very clean diets excluding processed and refined foods…

Need help finding healthy foods containing antioxidants? Check out this website at www.WHFoods.org

PS – you don’t need to take supplements for great skin. Eat the food, the whole food, and nothing but the food! It’s how nature intending us to get our vitamins and minerals.

By: Liz Schneider, guest blogger