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Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
12.27.2013
The Truth About Dairy: Everything You've Always & Never Wanted To Know
When I was a wee little one, I remember I couldn’t wait to get home from school, catch some Zoobilee Zoo action and satisfy my addiction to Chips Ahoy cookies and a big fat glass of whole milk (with the cookies mashed into a milky chocolate chipy soup, of course). This is around the same time when celebrities started walking around with milk mustaches and the National Dairy Council made sure that every parent in America knew that they were practically committing child abuse if they didn’t feed their offspring the stuff. Talk about pressure.
Interestingly enough... this is also around the same time when I was diagnosed with asthma. And allergies. And then came the acne. And when I was a little older, the bad pms. And acid reflux. And that gross cough that never seemed to go away. And.... sigh. You get the picture.
Something was not right. And it took me YEARS to piece it all together.
The biggest culprit... Dairy.
The Chips Ahoy didn’t do a body good either. Cleaning up my diet and focusing on real whole foods was nothing short of a Christmas miracle for my body... but I’m telling you friends, my life changed when I cut out the white stuff. All those ailments GONE! {Ok, so I still get some acne when I'm out of balance. I am human after all.}
Today, I am 97% dairy free - exceptions include occasionally using grassfed ghee, really good quality organic whey protein and raw goat cheese as a treat (I'm no purist!). But tell me why no one in my string of doctors, nurses, specialists, childhood mentors (I'm looking at you, Mr. Rogers) ever suggested anything about the possibility of dairy being a problem for me?
It’s either because they couldn’t imagine the darling of the food world being bad for anyone OR they feared the Agent Smiths of the NDC would come after them (with good reason...I've heard stories).
If you haven’t noticed, dairy tends to spark some controversy. Some claim that pasteurized, low-fat dairy is healthy, while others say that raw, full-fat dairy is a health food. Some, however, insist on no dairy at all.
If you’re trying to deciding whether or not dairy is right for you, here are the facts you need to know:
You don't have to eat dairy to make sure your diet is complete.
Here are the pros and cons when it comes to dairy and your health...
Bone Health
Pro
- milk and other dairy products are high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, protein and vitamin D, which are essential for bone health
Con
- high levels of retinol (vitamin A) can weaken bones
- dairy is not the best or only source of calcium or potassium
Calcium-rich foods include dark green, leafy veggies (spinach, kale, bok choy, collards, mustard greens, broccoli); almonds; beans (edamame, kidney beans); sardines; and canned salmon, particularly with the bones mashed into the meat.
For potassium, great options are coconut water, bananas, avocados, potatoes, tomatoes, oranges, kiwis, papayas and mangoes.
Vitamin D
Pro
- processed dairy in the US is fortified with 100 IU vitamin D per glass
Con
- processed US milk is fortified with vitamin D2, a form that the body does not utilize as well as D3
- dairy alone is not enough to meet daily vitamin D requirements
- dairy is not the best or only source of vitamin D
A 3.5 oz serving of wild salmon contains 360 IU vitamin D; canned tuna and sardines are also good food sources; supplements are great sources as well but the best is exposure to the beautiful SUN of course :)
Chronic Disease
Pro
- dairy is high in protein and is therefore very satiating, which may help those trying to control their appetite for weight loss
- yogurt and kefir are excellent sources of “good” bacteria that have been shown to promote a healthy gut
Con
- consuming animal protein and dairy may promote prostate and ovarian cancer
- reducing animal products can reverse other chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes
- increasing research finding that milk in western countries like US are higher in natural growth hormone due to the earlier timeframe in which lactating cows are milked
- dairy found to spike insulin levels due to sugar content, cottage cheese demonstrating the worst spikes
- 30 to 50 million American adults are lactose intolerant (that we know of); 95% of Asians, up to 80% of African Americans, Hispanics, and Ashkenazi Jews, and nearly 100% of American Indians are lactose intolerant. Continued consumption of lactose in those who are intolerant and have symptoms of diarrhea or loose stools may suffer vitamin and mineral deficiencies or other long term health implications.
- There are many more people that have a food sensitivity to dairy due to other health issues such as leaky gut, autoimmune disorders, etc. causing dairy to wreak havoc in their systems as well
Joseph Keon, nutritionist and author of Whitewash: The Disturbing Truth About Cow's Milk and Your Health has said this about dairy:
"I believe that for optimal health and maximum reduction of risk for chronic illness, all dairy should be eliminated from the diet... Some of the conditions I have seen improved or resolved with the elimination of all dairy (are) stomach cramps, bloating, intestinal gas, diarrhea, joint pain, migraine headaches, runny nose, chronic congestion, excess weight and menstrual cramps. I've also seen extensive eczema resolved in two weeks after elimination of all dairy."
Ok... so now what the heck do I do with all that information??
If you suspect you have a problem with dairy, try a 2 week elimination of all dairy products and see if any symptoms go away or you start feeling better overall. It’s only 2 weeks of your life and sooo worth it.
If you feel better in any way - give D the boot.
If you are apart of the small population that can consume dairy with no problem and opt to drink it, please also consider the following (cuz I keep it real up in here):
Milk is a meal - it’s meant to make a newborn calf grow rapidly in only a few weeks, people. Think about it. Take it easy on the portions.
Dairy is the leading source of our dietary estrogen intake, since we milk cows through late-stage pregnancy when hormone levels are highest. Hello PMS symptoms and estrogen dominance - a growing phenomenon among women of all ages! Not good stuff.
Consider the treatment of animals - Some small farmers treat their cows humanely and allow a more natural relationship between mother cow and calf while still being able to collect milk for human consumption. However, large industrial milk factories often subject their cows to filthy living conditions. Animal mistreatment at factory farms is well documented. Some also question the ethics of impregnating a cow for milk production and taking away her calf shortly after birth (often for slaughter to sell veal) in order to maximize economic profits.
Sustainability: Healthy Planet, Healthy People - Animal agriculture is a major contributor to global warming and the pollution of our water and air. In addition, vast amounts of land, water and fuel are used for cattle feed, grazing and processing. By researching companies, buying from small, local farms and choosing your suppliers carefully, you can help support the farms that are producing dairy more responsibly.
SOURCES (FOR ALL YOU RESEARCHERS I LOVE :)
- FAQ – Dairy. The Weston A. Price Foundation.
- The New Four Food Groups. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Available at: http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/4foodgroups.pdf.
- 4 Release No. 0059.10. United States Department of Agriculture. February 10, 2010.
- The Dangers of Raw Milk: Unpasteurized Milk Can Pose a Serious Health Risk US Food and Drug Administration. May 5, 2011.
- Why Does Organic Milk Last So Much Longer Than Regular Milk? Scientific American. June 6, 2008.
- Calcium and Milk – Wha’s Best for Your Bones and Health? The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health. Available at: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-full-story/index.html.
- Dhiman, T. R., G. R. Anand, et al. Conjugated Linoleic Acid Content of Milk from Cows Fed Different Diets. 1999. J Dairy Sci 82(10): 2146-56. Available at: http://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302%2899%2975458-5/abstract.
- Vitamin D and Chronic Disease – Your Nutrition Questions Answered. The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health. Available at: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/questions/vitamin-d-and-chronic-disease/
- Lactose Intolerance: Information for Health Care Providers. National Institutes of Health. January 2006. Available at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/upload/NICHD_MM_Lactose_FS.pdf.
- Mitigating the Greenhouse Gas Balance of Ruminant Production Systems Through Carbon Sequestration in Grasslands. Food and Agriculture Organization. Vol 11-2010; p 121.
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Dairy Sector: A Life Cycle Assessment. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2010.
5.16.2013
Alleriges suck. 5 easy ways to put out that fire...
You
know it’s coming... the red itchy eyes. The stuffy nose. The constant
sneezing and wheezing. The headaches... oh the headaches! Seasonal
Allergies.
1 in 4 people suffer from allergies of some kind - seasonal, food, skin,
etc. You are not alone! It doesn’t help that this year is supposed to be
a rough one for those with allergies, at least in Chicago.
I'm
here to tell you there are other things to help you out besides downing
a handful of Claritin and passing out for 4 hours (well, at least you avoided
symptoms during those 4 hours...).
Allergies
are your body's reaction to specific foreign bodies, and can vary for
different people. Having bad allergies is a sign that your immune system has tagged certain things as "bad" and is working overtime to fight them. It's your body's immune response that's to blame for those symptoms we all hate.
The next time you find yourself reaching for the medicine cabinet, why not try these easy remedies first.
Here are my top 5 ways of quelling that allergic fire...
1. Neti that nizzle!
I love me some pot... NETI POT that is.
Nasal
irrigation has been used since ancient times, with the earliest records
found in the Ayurvedic tradition. The old school way of doing it was to
just cup salt water in your hands, sniff it up your nose and blow it right
out. Pleasant visual there.
I find that tools like the neti pot make this experience much more
pleasant, and even fun (if you’re a weirdo like me). There’s something
about seeing gross stuff being flushed out of my nose that sends a
feeling of accomplishment over me...
Neti
at the first sign of congestion. It would also be a good idea to neti
on a regular basis for maintenance. One thing that I found super helpful
- which is also apart of the nasal irrigation tradition but got lost
somewhere along the road - is to oil the inside of your nostrils with
sesame oil after you neti. This re-lubricates the nasal passage so that
the dryness doesn’t provoke an overproduction of mucus.
2. Choose nettles + feverfew for relief (this is a two-for-one!)
Nettles
are another old school remedy - Native Americans used stinging nettle
for thousands of years to treat allergies and other ailments. Stinging
nettle leaf is a major antihistamine that aids in the prevention of hay
fever symptoms... without the side effects of typical allergy
medications. That means no danger of passing out from drowsiness and
missing those lovely spring days! You can get nettles in the dried form
for making tea, liquid tinctures to take as drops, or freeze dried in
capsule form.
Feverfew
is a great anti-inflammatory medicinal herb and works synergistically
with stinging nettle leaf! You can take Stinging Nettle Leaf (must be
freeze dried to retain active compounds) along with Feverfew so they can
tag team your allergy woes.
3. Ditch dairy
...and
gluten! Oh yes I did. You might be saying “Oh brother, here we go again
with the dairy/gluten-free thing.” But here’s the truth: both
dairy and gluten are inflammatory foods. Which means they provoke your
immune system by causing extra inflammation and can make symptoms worse!
Besides feeding the inflammatory fire, many people are actually
sensitive or allergic to these foods and don’t even realize it. This
creates an immune system that’s working overtime and over active. Not to
mention damaging your gut - where 70-80% of your immune system exists!
Word of advice... try eliminating these foods from your diet for a period
of one week and see if you feel a better.
4. Put on that tankini and get some sunny D!
Git
yer butt in some sunshine stat. Asthma sufferers... I’m looking at
you. Of course, everyone needs appropriate amounts of vitamin D and fact
is, most of us are deficient. But if you have asthma, optimizing your
vitamin D levels is paramount according to this study linking asthma with lower vitamin D levels.
Ideally,
you'll want to get your vitamin D from safe sun exposure. You could
also do a safe tanning bed or an oral vitamin D3 supplement. Worried
about vitamin D toxicity? Most Americans are very deficient and
therefore can use higher doses, but always ask your doctor to check your
D levels when doing blood work. And if you’re sourcing your vitamin D
from basking in the sun, your body makes the exact amount you need with
no risk of ODing on D!
5. Drink Green Tea
As
you may know, green tea has some pretty powerful antioxidant phytonutrients. EGCG
(epigallocatechin gallate) is one of them - it actively blocks histamine
and immunoglobulin E (IgE - one of our antibodies) production which
means it reduces allergy symptoms. Thanks again, green tea. Drink it
daily or add matcha powder to smoothies. My favorite kinds are
gunpowder and genmaicha (green tea + roasted brown rice).
Remember that addressing the root of allergy problems and the severity of the symptoms takes more than just a cover up job with meds. It’s important to know that there is a whole lot more we can be doing to make allergy season less doomsday-like and more "bring it on, allergies ain't got nuthin' on me"-like. If you're interested in finding out more about how you can make real changes, holla at me by clicking here to schedule a breakthru session.
3.12.2013
Be cool and tap that app.
That's right. Cheetos, that perfectly constructed lab "food" that took thousands of dollars and hours to get juuuuuust right... got a big fat D and a handful of warnings to go along with it. The picture is from an app I use called Fooducate, and it's one among the MANY new health and eco- conscious apps available to the masses (of smartphone users).
It can be a confusing and daunting food world out there. Wild Wild West. Smoking gun at every turn of the grocery aisle. BAM! Victims of a corrupt food nation and we didn't even see it coming. Just the other day, I skipped out on reading the label of a seemingly innocent goji berry snack I purchased (hey - even health coaches let their guard down at times). Apparently the manufacturers thought it would be awesome if they doused the perfectly wonderful raw goji berries with tons of additives and added sugar - turning the pure and delicious gojis into poison, and making me out to be a fool.
"GOTCHA SUCKA!" - that's what I imagined them saying as I bought the overpriced bag without a second thought.
Overly dramatic of me you say? Hardly. If you look at what this kind of behavior and lack of transparency by food corporations has done to the state of health in America and beyond, then it's hard to disagree. That's why it's KEY to take advantage of awesome new tools available to us now.
It's time to arm yourself like the 21st century smartphone-carrier you are... this means no more excuses. Transparency can be right at our fingertips - if we choose it. Make the right move and download these 9 cool apps that will help empower you when confronted with confusing and sometimes overwhelming food choices:
1. As a kid, I had this weird fascination with the scanner at the grocery store... and apparently it hasn’t entirely gone away because I can’t stop scanning my food with the Fooducate app! This free app lets you scan the barcode of any product (or just shake it for a random item), and proceeds to give you a letter grade, the number of calories per serving, and other health-related information. I likey a lot.
2. Similar to Fooducate, The GoodGuide mobile app makes it fast and easy to find safe, healthy, green, and ethical products, instantly delivering the information you’re looking for when you need it.
3. Say it ain’t Sole... avoid overfished and PCB-ridden seafood with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch app. It’s easy to navigate and contains the Monterey Bay Aquarium extensive research and expertise regarding mercury, toxins, and sustainability of seafood choices. This app gives you quick lists of fish as the "best choice," a "good alternative" or one to "avoid." Super informative and detailed, this will help you choose in a jiffy at the fish counter.
4. Did you know that there’s a really good chance the seemingly healthy conventional celery stick you ate as a snack was highly contaminated, since conventional celery tested positive for 57 different pesticides. Eek. The Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen app will help you discern the dirties from the Clean Fifteen with their easy to use shopper’s guide to pesticides.
The following are for iPhones only.
{sigh}... to my dismay - Android user :(
5. What’s on my food? If you really want to know, then this app is for you. From the Pesticide Action Network, the most recent data (ranging from 1999 to 2007) is used to give you super specific info that you most definitely want to know, showing possible carcinogens, hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, and more.
6. I love me some Mark Bittman. And now you can have him in your little pocket with his very own How to Cook Everything app, which has 2,000 recipes - there’s also a vegetarian version (2,000 meatless dishes). The best-selling author and NY Times columnist also gives us shopping lists, kitchen timers, and illustrations for cooking techniques such as chopping and peeling, all in his no-nonsense style. And if you don’t read his Op-Ed column in the Times, start now.
7. Say Hell No to GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) with Non-GMO’s shopping guide app called ShopNoGMO. Those suckers are very sneaky and are in pretty much anything packaged, so make sure you let this little ole app help you avoid GMOs in the foods you buy at your grocery store.
8. Seasons app is all about foods that are in... you guessed it - season! From fruits, veggies, lettuces, herbs, mushrooms, and nuts - it lets you search by “local” and “imported” season. It also includes an international Farmers’ Market finder, you know, for all you lucky jetsetters who are not in Chicago right now (whose local food list items can most likely be counted on one hand during these colder months...).
9. Have an allergy or 2 (or 3...)? Or just want to avoid certain foods? Then check out Cook IT Allergy Free. This app has over 200 recipes that can all be customized to be made allergy free. Tell the app everything you’re allergic to, and it’ll automatically adjust the recipe to include a substitution. You can save your adjusted recipes, keep notes on your “trial & error,” create a shopping list, and more.
Do you have a favorite app that's not listed here? Let me know by writing a comment below! Share the wealth y'all.
2.04.2013
Q&A: Is This lil' G causing Big Trouble?
Hey Player Players!
Now whether you were rooting for the 49ers or Ravens - or you were just partaking in Super Bowl madness for the beer, pizza and mini taquitos - you might be hurting from post-game stomach pains. There's a good chance that a lil' g-thang might be causing that rumbling in your tummy... which brings me to today's post:It's Q-to-the-A Time!
This week's question comes from Irma! She aks:
What’s with gluten? I know what it is, but is it
something that’s worth eliminating from my diet or can I just consume in
moderation?
Ah yes. Gluten. Lots of buzz and confusion
surrounding this little protein. To eat or not to eat it - that seems to be the
question on lots of people’s minds. Lemme try to shed some light on this sticky
topic...
Gluten (Latin for “glue”) is a protein that’s found
in wheat products as well as foods processed from other grains like barley,
rye, spelt, kamut, oat, triticale, semolina, pumpernickel and farro. Some people may be sensitive to gluten while
others can be severely allergic or intolerant. And some people have no problem
with it at all. But for those that do, symptoms can be
wide-ranging and varied.
For people who can’t properly digest gluten and
yet have been eating these grains for years, there’s a good chance that their
digestive system is damaged. Gluten can cause tears in the intestinal lining,
which then leads to malabsorption of nutrients like carbohydrates, fat,
protein, vitamins and minerals (er... das not good). This condition is called
Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disease that can manifest in different ways for
different people. Symptoms may range from diarrhea and constipation to chronic
fatigue and depression. You can test for Celiac disease through blood tests and
biopsy.
Keep in mind that while Celiac Disease is a
serious condition and should be not be taken lightly, it’s a fairly small
percentage of the population. There is, however, a large population of people
that are sensitive to gluten but aren’t full blown celiacs. These people
would also benefit greatly from a gluten-free diet.
If you’re reading this suspecting you have a
sensitivity or Celiac Disease and are all like
“GREAT. MY SYSTEM’S ALL JACKED
UP AND I’M DOOMED A LIFE OF MALABSORPTION AND NO PIZZA!?!”
... I’m here to tell
you that there IS life after gluten. Here are some tips to get you on track!
1. First of all, our bodies are awesome
self-healing machines - but they need the right support and environment to do
what they gotta do. That’s where a gluten free diet can help significantly.
When you take out the gluten from your diet, you’re giving your digestive
system a huge break to finally start healing and absorbing the nutrients that
you need!
2. Check out Gluten Free Diet by
Shelley Case and Wheat Belly by William
Davis to get the lowdown on
all things wheat ‘n gluten. They provide a wealth of info and insight, and will
def be great resources if you’re looking to cut the stuff out.
3. YOU HAVE OPTIONS. Lots of them. Besides foods
like vegetables, fruits, and meat (um, that covers a lot right there!), there’s
also rice, buckwheat, teff, amaranth, quinoa, and corn that you can put on your
safe list.
For a person who’s gluten intolerant, going
gluten free can be life changing.
Here are some awesome gluten free resources and
options to check out:
websites/blogs
www.celiac.com
www.glutenfreediet.ca
Gluten Intolerance Group
www.glutenfreepassport.com
Celiac Chicks
Whole Life Nutrition
products
Breads:
Food for Life
Whole Foods (the store) gluten free bakery
Organic corn tortillas
products
Breads:
Food for Life
Whole Foods (the store) gluten free bakery
Organic corn tortillas
Flours/mixes:
Bob’s Red Mill
Pasta:
Tinkyada (rice pasta - LOVE this brand)
Ancient Harvest
In my humble opinion, we could all use a little
less gluten in our diets. But remember, life is NOT about deprivation - so get
out there, explore and experiment! You just might find that a life sans gluten
is just the thing you’ve been needing.
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