Diet & Disease

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Diet is whatever you eat, it’s not something that you go on and go off of, it’s not cheating, it’s not depriving, diet is food. The foods you choose to eat can help keep you healthy or make you sick. Not all food causes disease and not all food stops disease. Food choices play a large role in your overall health. Food fuels our cells, it either helps to generate healthy cells to feed the body or degenerate cells to harm the body. The general health of your body depends on the way you choose to eat.

Disease is illness within your body that causes your body to lack ease. Dis-ease can range from a mild cough or cold to a full-blown illness in which your body needs treatment in order to fight off whatever is attacking it. The foods we eat and the environment we live in can greatly increase the negative effects of disease or greatly improve our body’s ability to fight disease.

It’s not that cut and dry but the basics are that if we eat well and live a clean life, we can expect better overall health than if we simply ate and breathed without care and quality.

The foods we choose to eat, when choices are healthy, whole foods, will help regenerate healthy, strong cells which in turn will help us fight off simple cold and flu symptoms and help us stay stronger during major illness. Foods that contain chemical additives and preservatives clog up our cells, gunk up our blood and intestinal tract and weaken our immune system among many other things. When our body is fed a chemical wild-storm, it cannot fight intrusion as easily as it was made to do. We become sluggish, stressed, moody, our sleep is interrupted, our digestion is off, and we have cravings that we can’t seem to satisfy. All this and more is your body begging for nutrition. We are an overfed, under-nourished nation; all because of our food choices.

Eating to nourish isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Eating whole natural foods without the addition of processed, boxed, frozen and canned convenience foods is fast and easy and a whole lot more beneficial. Start slowly by ditching one item a week or a month – replace that item with one (or more) healthy food choices. Baby-step your way to limiting take-out, candy/junk food binges, and unhealthy lunches and over-sized portions.

When you learn how to eat healthy and to fuel your cells properly, you don’t ever have to diet. You don’t have to deprive yourself of self-indulgences, you won’t feel guilty or cheating. Balance is key.

Learn what true whole foods are, learn what works best for your body instead of the latest diet trend and learn why you have cravings and how to combat them.

Here’s to your happy, healthy year ahead! Contact me if you would like help getting yourself on track and into a new healthy relationship with food and good eating and living habits. Dawn@initiatewellness.com

Carb Wars

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Carbohydrates are the enemy–quality and quantity is the enemy. Fast food, donut shops, cupcake bakeries, Frozen, boxed convenience foods found in the freezer aisle of your local grocery store, and boxed/canned dry convenience foods found in the middle aisles of your grocery store and chemicals disguised to look like food that’s the real enemy. We have become a society where more is better and where quality suffers because quantity matters.

I feel my best when I follow a more Mediterranean based diet than I do following the latest health food trend diets where carbs are nixed, where fats are nixed and where sugar is craved but not welcome in the diet. Carbs, fats and sugar has become the evil past love while animal proteins and complicated drinks have become their “bully”. I don’t disagree with a lower fat, low sugar diet, I simply believe that when you eat to fuel and workout regularly, there’s no need to eliminate such things from your diet altogether. When you eat a balanced diet and get regular exercise, many of today’s illness and disease such as Type II diabetes and heart disease, often are not present. A tremendous number of studies have proven that artificial sweeteners are far more hazardous to your health than plain, simple sugar. I’m not suggesting that you start eating all kinds of sugary snacks like you might have done when you were a child, I’m simply suggesting that it’s okay to eat desserts once in a while; homemade desserts is the better option because the ingredients are controlled. Our diet needs to consist of a good balance of all food – unless of course you have allergies to a particular food.

Try several ways of eating and determine which way makes you feel your best. Not every-body can run smoothly on a low-carb, high-protein diet just as not every-body can run on vegetables and fruit alone. We are all individual and what fits one, doesn’t always fit you – and it shouldn’t; you’re unique, embrace it.

When you focus so intently on the types of food you eat more than the quality and proper quantity of food, you miss the whole point of eating. You set yourself up for binges and self-judgement. You sabotage your efforts and the meaning of your meals. You end up missing out on the big and small moments of life; you forget to enjoy it.

Stay Active Despite the Cold of Winter

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Staying active & happy during the cold, dark winter months is a challenge for some of us. If you’re not an outdoor winter sports kind of person, the winter can seem long and depressing. Personally, I’m not and I know I’m not alone so what can we do to help us through the colder, darker days of winter?

Of course we all want to stay in shape and especially in control during the holidays with their parties and food, food, food! So let’s check out a few things you can plan for a happy winter season.

Stay in shape:

Bundle up and walk outside, down your street, at a park, in the city – just be safe on snow lined sidewalks and streets.

Window shop! Drive to your local mall and walk laps. It will lift your spirits just being around other people that are not co-workers or your kids! Everyone needs time to breathe and be.

Dance. Keep your radio playing upbeat music with friendly DJ’s that help you feel a little more connected with the outside world. Get up and dance when your favorite upbeat song is played; at work? Take a bathroom break and dance your way down the hall!

Set Goals. Make a list of projects that you’d like to get done and work on them. Clean closets, organize storage space, organize the garage, organize kid’s toys, declutter your closets from clothes you haven’t worn, your kitchen from tools, pans, dishes etc. that you don’t use, clean out your pantry.

Ward off the blues:

Don’t eat lunch alone, in your office or at home. Invite a friend over once a week and eat with co-worker instead of at your desk at work. Break the feeling of being isolated.

Plan a getaway. Even if you can’t get away for a week, plan an overnight or a full day trip to somewhere you love being or somewhere you’ve wanted to visit. You’ll be amazed at how refreshing a change of pace and scenery can be!

Plan monthly outings with friends. Have a “girl’s day out” or a “guy’s day away”. Stay connected to those who feed your spirit and make you feel alive and well!

 

Root Vegetable Stew

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20151028_1934322-3 carrots
4-5 yellow beets (red will ‘stain’ the whole meal
2-3 yams/sweet potatoes
1-2 white potato
1 small celery root (celeriac)
1 large onion sliced thickly
2-4 large garlic cloves

1” piece of ginger peeled and sliced
handful green beans, peas and or corn if desired.
Any other root vegetable you have on hand.
6-8 cups of water or broth.
2 Tablespoons mixed herb spices such as Italian or other savory mixes. It depends on how you want it to taste each particular time you make it. Freedom to cook!

Cut all veggies into bite sized chunks, but not too small as they will cook down a bit. Add them all except the yams and beans, corn & peas to a large stockpot and simmer for about 40 minutes. Add the yams and rest of ingredients and simmer about 10 minutes more until yams are soft.

Serve over brown rice, quinoa, farro, other whole grain or alone as it is.
I served it over baked spaghetti squash – it was deliciously healthy!

*You can add black beans, Cannellini or kidney beans for added protein, fiber, vitamins and substance.

Enjoy!

Quick Tips on Staying Warm

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20150526_202602With winter months comes the chill factor. Sometimes even layering up doesn’t seem to chase that chill away, so what else can you do to get warm?

Let me first start by admitting that while it might sound like a fun way to warm up, though not very healthy, a shot of whiskey doesn’t actually make you warm; here’s why: “Alcohol may make your skin feel warm, but this apparent heat wave is deceptive. A nip or two actually causes your blood vessels to dilate, moving warm blood closer to the surface of your skin, making you feel warmer temporarily. At the same time, however, those same veins pumping blood closer to the skin’s surface cause you to lose core body heat – the heat you need to survive, especially if you’re stuck in a snow-drift. This effect could lead to fatal hypothermia.” (http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/mythbusters-database/alcohol-warms-up/)

Here are a few quick tips:

  • Layer up, yes, it does help a little bit.
  • Stay well-fed, it stokes the body’s furnace – make sure you eat quality food, fruit, veggies, nuts, lean proteins, etc.
  • Drink water! Staying hydrated even in colder months keeps your body water balanced
  • Acclimate – reduce your ‘set point’ by exposing yourself to cooler temps which in turn increases your body’s calorie consuming “brown fat” which releases energy as heat.
  • Increase humidity in your home or office – humidity increases temperature.
  • Eat hot soups and stews – they warm you from the inside out!
  • Use a bean bag or rice bag heat pack. Warm it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes and keep it close, in a pocket or hold onto it near your stomach to warm you. They are simple to make, fill an old sock and tie it or get more creative and sew together a few attractive pouches for pockets, laps, and even your bed. Make various sizes. Make a few for your kid’s pockets for those cold days of waiting for the school bus.

I have found that fleece sheets are a necessity in my home. They’re warm when you get in and they keep you warm all night!

Stay warm!

Dry Skin, Eczema, Psoriasis Routine

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goathoneyoats

I make my own soap and sell it at a local shop. Being in the hair, skin & nails industry as well as the whole food health industry, I’ve become a fan of natural ingredients rather than chemicals. I was going through some information on making goat’s milk soap and such and I have learned this!

Goat’s milk benefits:
Alpha hydroxy acids-help remove dead skin cells
Vitamin A and more – but A repairs damaged skin tissue, reduces lines, controls acne and offers some psoriasis relief!
Cream – helps boost moisture quality
Minerals – esp. Selenium which helps prevent skin damage

Honey Benefits:
A natural anti-bacterial
Moisturizing, soothing and is a probiotic

Oatmeal benefits:
Anti-inflammatory
reduces itching
exfoliates gently
lipids & proteins that naturally moisturize
anti-oxidants,
helps heal psoriasis

You can buy goat’s milk from someone who has goats, from the grocery store or in dry powder form to make a mixture to use on your hair and skin.

My suggestion for hair alone is:

  • 1 cup goat’s milk (if using dried, mix 1-2 ounces with 8 ounces water)
  • 1/4 cup steel cut oats ground in coffee or spice grinder until powdery
  • 1/4- 1/3 cup honey

Mix well and work onto scalp after hair is washed. Leave on for 30-60 minutes, preferably wrapped in plastic and a towel to keep heat and moisture inside.
Do this at least 2 times a week.

For skin, you can use the same mixture amounts and apply if you’re able to stand it under a robe for at least 30 minutes. Or you can increase the amounts and soak in the tub; if you choose the tub, don’t forget to add some peaceful music and low lighting to make it a calming spa-like treat.

I’m going to experiment and try to make a natural bar of soap with goat’s milk, oatmeal and honey. I will post an update when it’s ready in case you would like to purchase some.

*As always, if in doubt about using or eating something that you’re not sure about, seek advice first. What works for one person doesn’t always work for the next.

Low-fat & Chemical Free Meal Cleansing

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blog post 12-4-17

The holiday season can pack on the pounds if you’re not careful of what and how much you eat. Not only that but being on the go day and night to get everything ready for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwaanza…etc. & New Year’s Eve & Day can cause your body fatigue and exhaustion which is breeding ground for colds and flu. Don’t let the hustle & bustle of the season catch up with you or get you down.

A few small things you can do to help keep your spirit alive and well involve eating whole, natural foods without added sugars, salt, preservatives and other chemicals.

  • When dining out choose main course salad with lots of fresh greens, assorted vegetables and healthy proteins.
  • At parties choose vegetable dishes and appetizers instead of deep fried, cheesy, greasy choices. Keep dessert eating under control; have some but take small portions. Drink water between mixed drinks, beer and wine.
  • Eat slowly and always practice portion control. Don’t attend any event hungry – satiate your appetite beforehand with healthy choices to help you control famished bingeing.

Relax a little and enjoy your quiet time. Take time to breathe throughout the day and though the weather is cooler, stay hydrated with water.

Fat flushing foods – Detox Soup, Detox water, Detox Main Dish

Detox Soup

  • 6 cups vegetable or homemade (or low-fat, low-sodium, organic) Chicken broth
  • 6-8 cups of chunky cut vegetables
  • **Carrots, celery, onion, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, turnip, kale, spinach, chard, arugula, peas, okra, peppers, tomatoes, etc. anything green, red, white, orange, yellow, purple
  • 1 cup beans- rinsed & drained (kidney, cannellini, black, garbanzo, navy, any of your choice)
  • 2 large garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1-2 cups water if needed
  • Parsley, cilantro, basil, mint, oregano, rosemary – use one or several mixed

Heat broth, add heavier veggies such as cabbage, kale, carrots, Brussels sprouts, turnip and cook for about 15 minutes on a gentle simmer. Add any remaining veggies, beans and garlic and simmer another 10 minutes. Add herbs (parsley, basil, etc.) – serve & enjoy.

Detox Water

  • 1-quart warm water,
  • lemon juice about 2 Tablespoons,
  • 1-2 teaspoon ACV (apple cider vinegar)
  • ½ teaspoon honey optional

Drink throughout the day.
Detox Baked-Stuffed Winter Squash

Choose Acorn, pumpkin, butternut or buttercup squash

  • 1 cup Brussels sprouts cleaned and cut into quarters (use frozen if fresh isn’t available)
  • 1 cup mushrooms (optional) sliced
  • 1 small red onion
  • 1 large clove garlic –chopped
  • Olive oil
  • Seeds- sesame, sunflower, poppy, ground flax, pumpkin
  • 1 small apple – diced small
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Cut squash in half, oil cut side, sprinkle with salt and lay cut side down on baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 45 -60 minutes until knife goes in easily. Remove from oven.

While squash is baking, sauté Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, onion & garlic for about 20 minutes.

Place each squash half on dinner plate and spoon sautéed mixture into each half – sprinkle with seeds and apple. Season with salt & pepper and serve.

*Optional: sprinkle with nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.

Weekday Detoxing

Don’t wait for the new year to begin getting your health back. Start today by taking small steps toward better health.

When you enjoy your weekends and holiday parties, take advantage of the weekday back to work schedule to detox your body. By eating detoxifying, clean, whole foods you can expect to clean your blood, your intestines, and flush fat.

Eating healthy is simple when you have the right foods on hand. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated, sauté, bake, steam or raw is fast, easy and healthy. All you need to do is have a few good things on hand to throw together a weeknight meal in no time flat. Remember, we eat to fuel out body. Meals don’t have to be heavy, fatty or fancy to satisfy us.

The following is a quick list of things to keep on hand each week.

  • Leafy greens – help clean our blood and flush fat cells
  • Kale, spinach, arugula, chard, Brussels sprouts, cabbage (red & green), broccoli,
  • Cauliflower, celery, carrots, snap peas, green beans, cherry tomatoes, peppers, (all great for snacking on throughout the day)
  • Mushrooms, onions, garlic
  • Winter squash – orange fleshed and spaghetti squash – can cut each one in half and bake it for simplicity
  • Variety of beans – canned or dried – remember to always rinse canned beans well
  • Herbs – parsley, cilantro, basil
  • Fruit – Apples, bananas, pears, grapes
  • Wild caught fish, lean meat/chicken, turkey, pork, beef (pork & beef should be on occasion)

With a combination of these foods you will be able to build or create a meal in minutes. Use various spices, seeds, nuts, oils and vinegar for flavoring.

Make enough dinner meals to take a small portion of leftovers for lunch the next day.
Drink plenty of water and herbal & green tea throughout each day.

Eat well, feel well, feel alive!

If you don’t like where you are in life, don’t stay there.

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Your life is busy. You go to work, you take care of the home, yard, laundry, shopping, cooking, bills, the car, the kids, extended family, and maybe you take care of yourself on occasion and all of this leaves you feeling empty, unfulfilled.

What will you do?

If you don’t like where you are, don’t stay there. I’m not suggesting that you up and leave it all behind though that might seem like a sweet dream. I’m suggesting that you make changes within your lifestyle. If the same thing keeps happening over and over making you crazy it’s up to you to stop allowing it.

Whether you feel overwhelmed and absent of personal care around diet and exercise or time for doing things you love doing, you can make a shift to get yourself back.

You might not have control of every aspect of life but you do have control of a good part of what happens to you. Decide what needs to change and find ways to make those changes happen.

Take small steps, make small changes. You’re never stuck, you have choices and the opportunity to make changes that suit you, don’t wait for your life to change, make it change.

You can work on it yourself or you can work with a health coach who can work with you to make the transition simpler and long lasting through creating lifestyle changes and new habits.

Salt Cravings: Why You Get Them & How to Satisfy Them Safely

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Whether you eat a lot of salt on a daily basis or you watch your salt intake your body craves salt from time to time largely due to activity level and hot weather. When this happens, you might reach for potato chips or another salty junk food snack, cheese, fast food or countless other convenience foods. When this happens stop yourself from grabbing the closest junk food and balance your sodium levels naturally and safely.

Why You Crave Salt

Your body is low in minerals such as, but not limited to, calcium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, and zinc.

You’re dehydrated-salt keeps water in the body to hydrate the cells, when you’re dehydrated the salt holds onto water, hence fluid retention, and your body craves more salt because it needs to hold on to more water.

Under-active adrenal glands – low blood pressure is a symptom, doctor can test easily through saliva

Poorly functioning taste buds due to age and illness such as cancer (treatments) & bulimia

The Dangers of Too Much Salt

Makes arteries less flexible (stiff arteries) which doesn’t allow them to dilate to let blood flow through easily, causes kidney disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis through calcium loss, thickens the heart muscle that pumps blood making it work harder, and causes dehydration.

How much Salt is Enough and How to Replace It Safely

The amount of salt that is healthiest, given that you’re not on a salt restricted diet, is 2300 mg. per day according to the FDA and if you’re over 51 just 1500 mg. per day. In today’s food society an average of 80% of sodium comes from prepared foods including snacks, sweets, and frozen or canned convenience foods. If you eat out a lot you can be sure you’re getting a whole day’s worth of salt in one meal based on restaurant meals sodium levels averaging 1300-3000 mg. and higher per dish! Read labels and details on menus when available.

Whole foods offer natural sodium as well as minerals so by eating them regularly and when you’re craving salt you can safely balance your sodium levels and hydration. Eat foods such as broccoli, spinach, kale and other green vegetables, potatoes, bananas, citrus and other fruit, cheese, eggs, fish, lean meat, beans (if using canned always rinse well to remove excess sodium), raw nuts and seeds. Whole foods have sodium naturally and eating them regularly is the best way to keep your sodium levels balanced as well as drinking plenty of water every day.

There is so much focus on fat and calorie intake everywhere you look and less of a focus on sodium intake. Take charge of your health and control your salt intake before it takes control of you.

Being Fully Balanced

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20170921_104141Nutrition is an important key to physical and emotional health. When our body is deficient in phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals we become physically and emotionally unbalanced. By eating whole foods including 5-8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, 2-3 servings of whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, bulgur wheat, 8-10 full glasses of water daily , and lean proteins like beans and meats we can begin to heal the body.

Physical activity and exercise every day is also an important part of healing and maintaining a healthy body and mind. Proper nutrition is equally important. Discover the foods that are best for your personal history and body type and begin taking care of you on a deeper level.

“We need to be proactive about how we want our lives to be.” You keep hoping for your life to be different, it’s necessary for you to take the steps needed to make it different; no one else can do that for you, only you can. You can seek guidance so that you will know what direction to head but only you can take the steps into your desired direction.

Happiness, emotional health and personal fulfillment will never find you, you need to find it. You have to want it bad enough to get it and it goes beyond hoping, it takes personal action.

Keep an open, positive mind and remember it’s up to you to take action to change what you don’t like in your life.