The secret to soft, summer skin... Hydration

You’ve heard it before, drink more water! The importance of drinking enough water cannot be emphasized enough. Getting our daily dose of water:

• keeps our skin clear, hydrated and youthful
• helps our cells and organs perform their functions
• and allows our gastrointestinal tract to flow smoothly (if you get my drift ;)
  

Despite this information, most people have a hard time getting enough water into their daily routine. In the summer, when it's nice out and we're taking advantage of the weather to exercise and play outside, we're also sweating more and prolonging out sun exposure. It's critical we up our water consumption to meet this demand.


In case you need more motivation, the downside of not drinking enough H2O: poor digestion, sluggish thinking, skin breakouts, dry scaly skin, headaches, bad breath and general fatigue.  

Thirsty yet?

So you know you need to drink more, how about some tips on how to incorporate more water into your day:

I love my filtered bottle

1. Start your day right, set a large glass of water by your bed each night and drink it when you wake up. Drinking water first thing in the morning pulls out toxins from the previous day and freshens your system for the day ahead.
3. Keep a bottle of water accessible throughout the day, whether you are on the go or at a desk. Invest in a filtered bottle so you have a clean, economical source available all the time (see below.)
4. Take sip or two even if you’re not thirsty. Sometimes that sip might help you realize how thirsty you actually are- especially when you're not used to drinking much water.
5. Try to drink as much of your water before the evening. This way you won't wake up in the middle of the night rushing to the bathroom- and disturbing a perfectly good dream.
6. Add flavor to your water with lemon, orange, mint, cucumber or other fruit. Who needs artificial flavor when you can add the real stuff and some extra phytonutrients along with it.
7. Drinking (decaffeinated) tea or juice (fresh if possible- definitely avoid the sugary processed stuff) and eating raw fruits and veggies totally counts towards your daily water goal.

What about quality?Bottled water vs  filtered water?

Honestly, you gotta drink what you like AND what fits into your budget. Although plastic containers are not perfect, they could seep toxins into your drinking water, sometimes they're your only option.

One solution could be portable filtered water bottles. They can be found with less toxic BPA free material, and come with a reusable filter. Refilled from the sink or water fountain and you're all set with fresh, filtered water.

Do you have any tricks that you use to get and stay hydrated?

True or False: If you’re overweight, you’re eating too many calories?

Here’s another confusing diet mantra: If you’re overweight, you’re eating too many calories. 

begin reading why I'm SO sick diet food....

Actually, most of the clients I talk to who are having trouble losing weight are actually not eating enough! Shoot I’ve been there- counting every calorie (or points for those on Weight Watchers) working out diligently and still hitting a brick wall. 

What was the problem? I was eating “fiber” cereals, protein bars, frozen meals, popcorn, pretzels, sliced turkey on ”low carb” bread and yes, low-fat cheese and yogurt. I wasn’t eating real food. In an attempt to eat “healthy” I was eating so much processed food, I had no room for real, whole food. I was eating fortified food, but no actual nutrients and worse of all, almost no phytonutrients.

In hind sight, it’s pretty obvious why I was having cravings and never felt satisfied: I was still hungry! My body was starving for real food, real nutrients, fruits fresh veggies and yeah, sometimes a burger! 

Food isn’t supposed to be a punishment. It’s supposed to be enjoyable, a reward for our hard work and efforts in gathering and preparing it (or in some cases paying someone else do so.) Two hundred years ago the leading cause of death was infection; our ancestors didn’t die because they ate eggs. Now we have children (children who, indecently, don’t eat eggs,) with high cholesterol, diabetes, fatty liver and heart problems!There's something very wrong here. It's like we invented penicillin and forgot how to eat. 

I hate counting calories!

So, you want to lose weight?

• Eat fresh veggies and fruits whenever possible- this should be the main component of your diet.
• Eat whole eggs (not egg whites)
• If you eat dairy, and dairy agrees with you, don't waste your money on the fat-free/low-fat versions. Do monitor your servings. Look for the rBGH-free on the label.
• Indulge in meat, if you like, but keep the serving size to 4 oz, and only splurge on hormone and antibiotic free. Yes it’s more expensive, that’s OK. You really don’t need to eat it as frequently anyway.
• Eat more fish, wild not farm raised.
• Eat even more veggies- you probably aren’t eating enough to begin with. You’re full? Try juicing them.
• Minimize processed grains made from flour- replace them with whole grains like brown rice, oat meal and quinoa
• Drink more water, stop drinking soda, ice tea, energy drinks or any of that other crap with “health claims” and no diet anything.
• Stop or minimize eating processed food and sugar. As Michael Pollen, author of Omnivor’s Delima and In Defense of Food says, “If it came from a plant, eat it. If it’s made in a plant, don’t.”

Notice most of this list tells you to eat more. After some time, when your body has flushed out all the preservatives, toxins, food coloring and additives and filled up on vitamins, minerals and phytonutients you’ll notice a difference. You’ll reject fake food, despite the ads, you’ll lose weight and not feel deprived, and you’ll have more energy and clearer skin. Combine with strength bearing exercise and you’ll see results even faster. Don’t get me started on doing too much cardio to “burn fat” and not enough muscle strengthening…

The question is, do you have the motivation to make these changes? Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a health coach (like me!), because your health and the quality of your life are important. And it’s not just about looking good in a bathing suit, either.

By the way, Mr. Pollen also says, “Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.” Pretty spot on summary, I think.

I'm SO sick of diet food...

...Low calorie options, sugar substitutes, fat-free and this general fear of food! I’m sick of people assuming that the way to lose weight is to cut calories, fat and “carbs”. And most of all I’ve had enough of hearing my friends talk about eating healthy and saying how tasteless it is- of course it’s tasteless! You’ve cut out all the fat, and fat carries flavor. Any self-respecting foodie can tell you that. 

No, this doesn’t mean that it’s OK to go to your local fast food joint and get a double burger with an extra giant side of fries and a milk shake. That’s not where I’m going with this. And yes, if you eat fast food for 90% of food intake and “Super Size” everything you probably will become overweight. I’m talking about healthy fat as part of real whole food: olive oil, avocados, whole milk, full-fat cheese or butter. 

Here’s an example, the difference between regular, plain yogurt and the fat free version:

Plain, whole milk yogurt (average for 245g serving size)     Plain, Skim (non-fat 245g serving)

Calories 150                                                                           Calories 137

Fat          8g                                                                           Fat          0g

Sugar     11g                                                                          Sugar     19g

OK, so I saved 8 grams of fat and 13 calories (um yeah, 13!), but at what cost? First, I’m still friggen hungry! Without that fat to help send signals to my brain that it’s done eating, chances are I’ll be looking for another snack pretty soon. Also, who snuck in the 8 grams of sugar? And this is nothing- check out the fruit flavored varieties if you really want to see the grams of sugar go up (it’s up around 50g for some brands). With all that sugar, no fat or fiber, there’s nothing to blunt your blood sugar from spiking, then plummeting shortly after. From a cellular standpoint, good sources of fat are essential for healthy brain and nerve conduction among other functions.

If we’re really going to pull this apart, how about those hormones we so lovingly inject cattle with that produce our dairy supply? Think maybe that might have an effect on our obesity epidemic? I think the cartoon below summarizes it better than I ever can:

Again, I’m not saying that you should go gorge yourself on thousands of empty calories. What I’m trying to argue is the basic (false) notion that “a calorie is a calorie.”  Who is the person responsible for allowing us to believe that a 100 calories of carrots are the same as a 100 calories from a chocolate chip cookie “100 calorie snack” are the same thing? 

It doesn’t even make any sense- they’re cookies! Sure the caloric value is the same, but what about the nutritional value? The fiber? The digestibility? Surely our highly intricate body knows the difference between a carrot and a cookie! I don’t know who that person was, but I have a feeling he/she knows the guys that make the cookies. Unfortunately, there’s no carrot lobby to protect those poor little guys’ reputation.  

Here’s another confusing diet mantra:

If you’re overweight, you’re eating too many calories... continue reading!

Granola that Doesn't Suck

Check out the recipe for these scones below

With summer right around the corner, it conjures up images of picnics, long days at the beach, hikes and getting lost in the park. With that you’ll want light healthy food that’s packed with energy and portable…  what you need is granola. 

Commercially available in every processed and sugar packed was possible, granola has long been labeled as a health food. Done right, it can be very healthy. Packed with healthy Omega 3 fats, fiber, protein and lots of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Done wrong, processed, it can be full of sugar and stripped of all its natural goodness.

Best way to ensure you’re getting the best, is to make it yourself. It’s pretty simple and you can get creative with the ingredients to make it your own. 

Here’s a basic recipe (it’s gluten-free too ;):

• 3 cups oats
• ¼ cup chopped cashews
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup rice flour
• ¼ cup dried cranberries (look for no sugar added brands)
  
• ¼ cup dried apricots, cut into ¼-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/3  – ½  cup honey (or try it with maple syrup instead)
• ½ cup apple juice, unsweetened. Fresh squeezed is best. 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 250. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and/or coat the sheet with coconut oil.

Flour mixture: Combine the oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, dried berries and rice flour. Toss until the flours coats everything. When it looks well coated, add the spices and mix again.

Honey/Maple Mixture: In a large measuring cup (or bowl), combine the honey, juice, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Whisk them together until they have stick evenly.

 

Combine the flour mixture with the honey mixture by pouring the honey mixture into the flour mix. Stir it all together until it’s thoroughly intermingled. Put the combined mixture onto the baking sheet flatten it out into even layer.

Bake for fifteen minutes. Take it out, and turn over to allow both sides to bake evenly. Let it get messy and broken up. Even it back out and put back into the oven to bake for another 15 min. Once browned, flip it again and allow it to bake for another hour and half (or until it cooks thoroughly to a crisp!) Keep flipping periodically to avoid one side form burning.

When done, (it should no longer be sticky) let it cool for about 20-30 minutes. Spoon into storage containers- will stay good for up to 10 days.

Gluten Free Muesli Scones

While scouring the web for some ideas.. I ran into this little gem and I had to share. For my gluten-free friends that thought they had to give up this yummy little baked good, fear no more!

From Elena’s Pantry http://www.elanaspantry.com/muesli-scones/

• 2 cups blanched almond flour (I’ve found this at Trader Joe’s)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ cup dried cranberries (look for no sugar added brands)
• ¼ cup dried apricots, cut into ¼-inch pieces
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• ¼ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
• 1 large egg (size does matter as dough will not hold together with a small or medium egg)
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar (Maple syrup would work too)

Enjoy with coffee or tea!

1. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt and soda
2. Stir in dried fruit, seeds and nuts
3. In a small bowl combine egg and agave
4. Stir wet ingredients into dry
5. Use your hands to form dough
6. Shape dough into a 6 ½ x 6 ½ square that is about ¾" thick
7. Cut dough into 16 squares
8. Bake at 350° on a parchment paper lined baking sheet` for 10-12 minutes
9. Serve