I'd rather be eating chocolate

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Brussels Sprout Chips

By Valérie Grandury, CEO and Founder of Odacité

When I was a kid, I used to "hate" Brussels sprouts; that is, until I tasted roasted Brussels sprouts. This recipe is so delicious I make lots of it when I have kids coming over. It's their "chip" of choice -- and they just LOVE it!

Enjoy Brussels sprouts now while they're at their peak of this season, are the least expensive, and have the best flavor. Why should you add Brussels sprouts to your diet? Brussels sprouts are members of the cruciferous family of vegetables and are closely related to cabbage as well as kale, collard greens and broccoli. Like their cousins, Brussels sprouts contain phytonutrients that help our body to promote the production of enzymes involved in detoxification. Detoxed body = flawless skin.

1 cup of Brussels Sprouts offers a whopping 243% of Vitamin K and 130% of Vitamin C (based on the daily recommended dose). Vitamin K is a fabulous ally in removing dark circles, red capillaries and helping to healing rosacea and inflamed skin. Vitamin C is our collagen builder.

Ingredients

10 brussels sprouts
1 tsp. olive oil (or Misto olive oil sprayer)
¼ tsp. salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To remove outer leaves of Brussels sprouts, use a sharp knife to trim off the very bottom. Outer leaves should fall off easily. Once outer leaves are removed, trim the bottom again, removing more leaves. Continue removing leaves until they become difficult to peel off. Save the center of each brussels sprout for another recipe.
Toss leaves with olive oil and salt. Spread out in a single layer on baking sheets lined with foil or parchment paper.
Roast for 10 minutes, then check leaves. Remove any that are crisp. Place baking sheet back in the oven and check every few minutes until all leaves are crisp. A little browning on the edge of the leaves is fine, but don’t let the entire leaf turn brown or it will become bitter.
Serve immediately.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Top 10 Facts You Need To Know About Water

Clean water is harder to find than you would think. Conflicting studies merely lead you down a confusing research wormhole.

So I decided to do my own investigation into the truth about drinking water. Here are the top ten points that I learned.

1) The 6-8 glasses a day rule may not be right for your needs. The amount you need varies depending on your level of activity, body weight, and even altitude and climate. Find out how much you really need by taking the brief questionnaire.

2) Bottled water may not be any better than tap water. Let's not even "go there" when it comes to companies professing to bottle fresh spring water yet are not living up to their claims. If that isn't "icky" enough, most bottled water rates as highly acidic. That means that instead of neutralizing acid in the body, water may actually be contributing to it. Rick Panson, live blood cell analyst, tested most bottled water brands for alkalinity levels.

Here are the brands that came out on top:

Essentia
Icelandic
Evian
Fiji
Evamor
Vittel
Mt. Valley
Zephyrhills

Oh! And don't think the water filter in your Brita pitcher is any better! It will cause water to be more acidic too.

3)You can easily test your water with these drops to see how acidic/alkaline it is. While you're at it, test your body's pH levels too.
You can add Alkavision Plasma pH drops to make the water alkaline. My family and I are doing this now. We even add the drops to improve the bottled water that the kids take to school, though we are slowly phasing out the disposable bottles (see why in # 8).

4) Our natural pH level is 7.365, so drinking alkaline water all the time may not be necessary. Being overly alkaline or overly acidic brings its own set of illnesses and issues. Balance is key. Dr. Mercola wrote an informative post that drinking highly alkaline water all the time may upset hydrochloric acid in the stomach, an essential acid that aids in digestion. Dr. Andrew Weil agrees that there is no need to do anything to water to change its pH. A healthy body regulates itself.

5) Fluoridated water is one of the biggest gimmicks around for dumping chemical waste. This fact is probably one of the most disturbing ones: Fluoride is a by-product of steel manufacturing, and was also a byproduct of the manufacture of the atomic bomb in the 1940’s. The government needed a way to dispose of it without damaging livestock, crops, and humans. So a major campaign ensued to market fluoride as preventing dental cavities, in order to add small amounts to waterways. Of course, this went along with the promise that it would be beneficial to society.

Not only did many of the original scientists who approved fluoride renege on their original findings later on, but other studies showed an increase in uterine cancer mortality, fractures, and dental fluorosis (fluoride-induced toxicity and tooth mottling), lower fertility rates, and osteogenic sarcoma, a malignancy, among other side effects.

Here is something few people realize: fluoride use has also been linked to premature aging. That means that any anti-aging beauty regimens that you do will be rendered worthless, if you're consuming fluoridated water.

6) Drinking pure water plumps the skin making it the best (and cheapest) anti-aging recipe around. After delivering the bad news about fluoridated water, it seemed right to follow that with the good news that drinking clean water offers the fountain of youth. For ye non-believers, check out these compelling photos of a 42 year old woman who drank three liters of water a day for four weeks. What a transformation!

7) A thirsty body retains water and look bloated. Your very wise body will hold on to water if it isn't getting enough in order to prevent dehydration.
Drink water with lemon juice, a natural diuretic and a gentle laxative, to reduce bloating. Other signs of dehydration include: dry mouth, chapped lips, more sleepy than usual, less active, thirst, dry skin, headaches, constipation, dizziness, and decreased urine that may be very dark.

8) Bottled water hurts the environment. A lot. While it's true that we can recycle bottles today, manufacturing bottles consumes precious natural resources. If that's not enough, even bottles that proudly state that they're BPA-free now show that they're leaching other chemicals into the water. Once again, the water itself isn't even clean.
Worth watching: The Story of Bottled Water (8 minute video)

9) Your best option is a good filtration system + non-disposable bottles made from glass. You can use the Environmental Working Group's online guide to buying a water filter to determine the water filter that is best for your needs. Rick Panson advises a medical-grade system like Kangen water ionizers when supporting a body dealing with illness.
He recommends (and we tested) Aquasana water filters with good results.

We also stocked up on sturdy glass water bottles that are padded. Choose from the colorful and cute Life Factory bottles or the sleek Takeya designs.

10) Drinking lots of water purifies your body and is the best detox. Lately "detox diets" are all the rage, promoting raw food, green juices, and healthy smoothies. While those options are definitely great, water is the ultimate purifier and detox, hands down. Our bodies are 70% water, so if you go by the adage: "You are what you eat," you'd do well to consume enough water throughout the day.

Enough water will eliminate most toxins, move the bowels, and hydrate your system.

Cheers to your good health! [Cue: Clink glasses filled with water here.]

Related Articles

Clean Water's Dirty Secrets (organiclifestyletv.com)
4 Steps To Achieving Beautiful Skin (ediblefacial.com)

References

Photo credits: Stockbyt/photos.com, alexander kirch/photos.com, Sudo2/photos.com, Zirafek/photos.com

Friday, November 15, 2013

How To Start Researching Vaccines

While this is not exactly a healthy recipe, in some ways it is. What is in the cocktail that's injected into your children?

Have you always wondered but were too afraid to ask your doctor or to find out more?

Please watch this seven minute video about how to get started in your research. It has practical tips to guide you including helpful websites, as well as how to ask your child's pediatrician.

Related articles

A Mom's View of Vaccinations (greenmedinfo.com)
Underground Tactics of Guerilla Doctors (ediblefacial.com)
8 Reasons I Haven't Vaccinated My Daughter (mindbodygreen.com)
Is There a Safer Way to Vaccinate (babble.com)

Friday, November 8, 2013

10 Simple Ways To Eat Your Best (Chart)

Make higher food choices whenever you can.
Know your body.
Choose a variety of flavors, textures, and colors according to what you need that day.
Accept that your needs change by season, mood, climate, exercise levels, time of the month, health, and other factors.
Don't follow generic internet advice that claims to be good for everyone.
Don't fall into hype traps or fear-mongering pitfalls.
Become aware of your own inner guidance.
Eat in a tranquil state.
Be conscious of tasting, enjoying, and savoring the food.
Chew well and swallow.

If this seems so obvious, why don't many people do it?
Thanks for the chart Weed 'em and Reap.

XO

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Who Is Feeding Our Kids' Minds? (Video)

Anna Lappé's Food MythBusters appeared while I was hunting for good videos on food to show my kids.

Food MythBusters take on some the biggest myths about food, helping you learn the real story about what you eat.

	Hunger & Food Security: “We need industrial agriculture to feed the world.”
	Marketing & Advertising: ”Is junk food is what we really crave?”
	Cost & Economics: ”Sustainably raised food is always too expensive.”
	The Environment: ”Genetically engineered crops are the best way to deal with pests, weeds, droughts, and floods.”
	Food Safety & Health: ”Factory farming produces the safest, cleanest food.”

- See more at: http://foodmyths.org/whats-the-real-story-about-what-we-eat/#sthash.xLGNaRdZ.dpuf

The site tackles common myths about food in order to reveal the real story behind them.

I like sharing videos like the one below with my kids while they're young and impressionable. For those of us with a priority of nutritious food, our task is to counteract the constant bombardment of media and advertisements.

Unfortunately, the food industry funnels billions of dollars into marketing campaigns that enter our kids' minds, convincing them to want packaged food with little to no nutritional value. In fact, those foods contribute to the rise in illness, obesity, ADD/ADHD, and other issues.

When I share information with my kids, I don't preach. (At least I hope not!) I merely show them what "other people" are saying. Then I trust that eventually they will make healthier choices for themselves too.

Keep the talk short. They will stop paying attention if you stand on the soap box for too long.
Invite a discussion by asking age appropriate questions about the video or by asking them what they noticed in the video. There are no right or wrong answers. Let them make their observations. Take them seriously.
If they don't feel like talking, that's fine too. No need to force it.
Don't make eating exclusively about weight gain or loss. While that's a component of healthy food choices, it is not the entire picture by a long shot. Good health, strong bodies, steady energy levels, and feeling light and happy show a fuller picture of the way dietary habits affect each of us.

- See more at: http://foodmyths.org/whats-the-real-story-about-what-we-eat/#sthash.xLGNaRdZ.dpuf

Food MythBusters take on some the biggest myths about food, helping you learn the real story about what you eat.

	Hunger & Food Security: “We need industrial agriculture to feed the world.”
	Marketing & Advertising: ”Is junk food is what we really crave?”
	Cost & Economics: ”Sustainably raised food is always too expensive.”
	The Environment: ”Genetically engineered crops are the best way to deal with pests, weeds, droughts, and floods.”
	Food Safety & Health: ”Factory farming produces the safest, cleanest food.”

- See more at: http://foodmyths.org/whats-the-real-story-about-what-we-eat/#sthash.xLGNaRdZ.dpuf

Food MythBusters take on some the biggest myths about food, helping you learn the real story about what you eat.

	Hunger & Food Security: “We need industrial agriculture to feed the world.”
	Marketing & Advertising: ”Is junk food is what we really crave?”
	Cost & Economics: ”Sustainably raised food is always too expensive.”
	The Environment: ”Genetically engineered crops are the best way to deal with pests, weeds, droughts, and floods.”
	Food Safety & Health: ”Factory farming produces the safest, cleanest food.”

- See more at: http://foodmyths.org/whats-the-real-story-about-what-we-eat/#sthash.xLGNaRdZ.dpuf

Do you have any educational food videos that you show your kids? If so, please share them in the comments.

Related articles

Tips to get your kids to eat healthier (originally on Hip and Healthy UK)

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

7 Reasons Why My Family Doesn't Drink Soda

If this chart listing the seven side effects of soda isn't alarming enough, there is a lot of well-researched information about how diet soda actually makes people fat.

Watch this informative 2 1/2 minute video here: Is soda really bad for you?

Think this is an easy decision? NO! My kids fight me on this all the time—every time we step into a restaurant and are bombarded by the vast selection of soft drinks.

Is it worth it? In the long term—YES! Absolutely. I tell my kids that if all the parents knew what I know about sodas, they would NEVER give it to their kids either. Why would a parent consciously poison their children?

Want a neat soda replacement that's yummy too?

: This is a healthy homemade cranberry mojito (personally I'd leave out the rum). Recipe here. (Courtesy of We Are Not Martha)

Andrea Beaman, who healed herself from a debilitating illness through dietary changes, taped this awesome video with her nephew. I showed it to my kids and then we had a blast mixing and tasting.
Here's the video: THE SODA POP KID

Simple recipe

1 8 oz. glass carbonated water
1 Tbsp. fruit juice concentrate or elderberry syrup (great for immunity) from health food store
Add sweetener to taste (raw organic maple syrup or raw organic honey work great)
Mix and add ice, if needed

Mix seltzer with any unsweetened fruit juice for a refreshing spritzer.
Add a slice of fruit if you're extra fancy and fabulous.

YUM, YUM!
(In the video, there's a recipe for natural ginger ale with the healing benefits of real ginger which is great for the digestion.)

Was this article helpful to you? What do you do to replace soda in your household?

Diet Soda During Pregnancy | Preterm Births | Diet Soda Linked to Preterm Birth | BabyZone (babyzone.com)
Diet soda as bad for teeth as meth, dentists prove (rt.com)
Big Soda's Secret: How Diet Soda Makes You Fat (organicconnectmag.com)
Five Reasons to Kick Your Diet Soda Habit (YouBeauty.com)

Monday, November 4, 2013

Tips to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthier

Reblogged from my post on Hip and Healthy UK.

Encourage your kids to adopt healthy eating habits with these helpful tips.

Do: Find out what matters to each child the most. One of my children wants to grow taller, so sometimes I use that as incentive to eat better. The goal is to create positive associations with all food groups, not just an elite few that have little to no value.

Gentle reminder: Don’t threaten children with: “You won’t grow unless you eat your brussel sprouts!" This is about helping children make wise choices. No threats are involved at all. Ever.

Don’t: Use food or candy as incentives for good behavior or as special food for holidays. Kids will draw the erroneous conclusion that sweets are a treat. That’s a trick! We already know that sweets lead to obesity, poor health, low attention spans, skin breakouts, and bad teeth. Where is the reward in that?

Don’t: Preach. Kids watch what you’re doing. They will do as you do, not as you say. If you’re lecturing a lot, it won’t work. If you’re not even following your own advice—fuggetaboutit.

Do: Teach. Educate your children about the food that they are consuming, while they’re still young and impressionable. Discuss why their dietary intake makes an impact on their bodies supporting strong bones, muscles, growth, and health. Show them videos about what each food does in the body and about the harmful effect of sodas, too much sugar, or not eating vegetables. Good ones are: “Supersize Me” and “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." A Google search will lead you to more options. Even if kids don’t seem to be listening now, they are assimilating the information. Trust me. Plus, it’s crucial to model good eating behaviors yourself.

Do: Make eating fun. Vegetables and a variety of food choices can be delicious! Offer positive reinforcement when they make nutritious choices. Kids will feel good about themselves when eating healthfully. Make sure every meal includes at least one or two different color groups like orange sweet potatoes, green broccoli, and yellow squash. Point out the different textures too, like soft, crunchy, mushy, tough, tender, etc. Invite them to laugh and talk about what they like or describe what they don’t like about certain foods. Explore ways they can make the food tastier with seasoning. A little experimenting and mixing is in order. Use dips. Decorate plates with funny faces. Make meals look appealing. Whatever works!

Don’t: Withhold food as a way to control eating habits. Kids will find ways to sneak around behind your back to access the snacks.

Do: Encourage a balanced diet that incorporates all five or six flavors, depending on either the Chinese medicine view or the Ayurvedic view. The flavors are: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Use this as a guideline to vary different tastes. A balanced eater often doesn’t crave unhealthy foods. For instance, if a child constantly yearns for sweets, feeding them something from the opposite of the list (that’s pungent) could balance out the craving. For helpful lists and food choices from each category, check out 5 Element Food and The Six Tastes.

Don’t: Feel bad if your kids are not quite there yet. It takes time to unlearn habits and retrain the palette. There is no “perfect” scenario unless you’re eating foods straight from the garden. Kids will pick up on discouragement. Allow things to evolve. My kids could not stand the taste of freshly juiced apples, yet they couldn’t get enough of their sugar-full cocoa cereal. Out of the blue, my eldest son, 14, suddenly decided to eat only healthy foods and forgo all sugar cereals. Go figure! It certainly made me feel like all my efforts were worthwhile.

Do: Remember this tip from Dr. Gina Kim, D.C. She told her children: “If you’re going to eat junk, at least drink lots of water.” I love that advice for the times we parents want to give up! Make sure kids are drinking enough alkalizing water to neutralize the effects of impure foods.

Have you tried anything that works for you in your home?
Tweet @hipandhealthyuk or me @saritacoren

Photo credits: Dejan Ristovsk/photos.com, Thinkstock Images/photos.com, matka_Wariatk/photos.com, gerenme/photos.com, Andrey Kuzmi/photos.com