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Your Liver's Role in Weight Loss

Posted on April 6, 2013

Holding on to a few extra pounds you can’t seem to shake off?  Is your body stuck in a weight loss rut despite your increasing exercise?  Maybe your liver has the answer. 

Your liver’s job is to process and eliminate toxins.  Everyday our body encounters toxins through our environment and diet (pesticides, cleaning products, cosmetics, alcohol, etc).  Overexposure of these toxins leads to a clogged liver. When your liver can’t keep pace with the incoming toxins, those toxins, which are fat soluble, get stored in your fat cells where they are prevented from circulating in your blood stream and harming vital organs and your brain.  So, despite all your extra exercise effort, your body continues to hold on to those fat cells until the liver is able to catch up can process the stored toxins. 

Here are a few easy ways you can help your liver catch up, and in turn, help your body release those toxic fat cells it doesn’t want to let go of. 

Why You Should Ditch Your Multivitamin

Posted on November 16, 2012


“It’s ok, I take a multivitamin, I’m covered”.  If I had a nickel! 

For the majority of us, it is nearly impossible to maintain a perfectly healthy diet in covering the spectrum for vitamins and minerals our bodies need on a daily basis.  So what’s the next best thing, get it in a pill form and boom, you’re covered.  Well, not so much.  There are two reasons your multivitamin will never measure up to whole foods, bioavailability and synergy of nature.

Bio-WHAT?  Isolated, man-made synthetic vitamins and supplements are not always able to be absorbed by the body (bioavailable).  Our bodies are only capable of absorbing and using small amounts of a nutrient at a time, not the amounts that are in most vitamin supplements. Take a look at the % of daily values in your vitamin, many are at, or well above, 100%.  That’s too much for your body to take in at once.  So what happens to the rest?  Well, it gets sent through your liver to be processed and then excreted; money literally down the toilet. 

Versatile Curried Coconut Stew

Posted on November 7, 2012

I am so grateful that my BFF loves to cook because I get to be her guinea pig!  Her speciality is tweaking a recipe to enhance the flavor while making it super healthy.  The latest she tried on me was sooooo good, I HAVE to share.  It's super versatile, very warm and comforting, which is perfect this time of year.  Oh, and HEALTHY....score!

The recipe originated from wholeliving.com, and the version I was lucky enough to taste swapped chicken for tofu, and sweet potatoes for pumpkin and was served over jasmine rice.  Another note, she also doubled the onions and garlic (superfoods!) and ginger (super spice). 

Make this recipe YOUR own with your favorite protein, squash and additional seasonings.

Curried Coconut Pumpkin Stew

Curried Coconut-Pumpkin Stew

Serve this stew over brown rice or with whole-grain bread. You can also replace the pumpkin with squash or young carrots. The tofu, which is added to the stew in the last 5 to 10 minutes, absorbs the spicy flavors of the broth.

Spaghetti Squash 101

Posted on October 15, 2012

Spaghetti Squash 101


Did you know....

  • Spaghetti squash, a form of winter squash noted for its noodle-like texture, is widely renowned for its sweet, buttery flavor. Because of its excellent nutrient balance, spaghetti squash could be considered a superfood.
  • Spaghetti squash is a good source of several B vitamins, including thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, choline and vitamin B-6. Like most other members of the squash family, spaghetti squash contains calcium, iron, potassium and manganese.
  • The majority of the calories in spaghetti squash come from carbohydrates. But spaghetti squash has a low glycemic index because its high fiber content slows the absorption of its naturally occurring sugars.
  • Spaghetti squash contains a near-complete spectrum of amino acids, the building blocks of protein. But it lacks the essential amino acid lysine, which is essential for immune function and nitrogen balance.

How to prepare

Recipe of the Month: Roasted Root Vegetables

Posted on October 11, 2012

Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasted Root Veggies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25-35 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato

2 parsnips

2 carrots

2 turnips or 1 large rutabaga

1 daikon radish (or substitute/add in your favorites, like squash)

olive oil

salt and pepper

herbs: rosemary, thyme or sage (fresh if possible)

 

Directions:

1.   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.   Wash and chop all vegetables into large bite-sized pieces.

3.   Place in a large baking dish with sides.

4.   Drizzle with olive oil; mix well to coat each vegetable lightly with oil.

5.   Sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs.

6.   Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes until vegetables are tender and golden brown, checking every 10 minutes to stir and make sure veggies are not sticking.

Note: Any combination of vegetables will work. Roasting only one kind of vegetable also makes a nice side dish.

Pumpkin Hummus

Posted on October 9, 2012

Pumpkin Hummus

This super simple recipe was a hit at our football party this weekend.  If you're so inclined, you may roast and puree your own pumpkin since they are very plentiful this time of year, otherwise, the time saving canned puree works just as well. You can also omit the chick peas, but I add them in to add volume.

Ingredients:

1 (15oz) can pumpkin (NOT the pumpkin pie mix)

1/2 to 1 can chick peas (rinsed well)

1 clove chopped garlic

2 TBS sesame tahini

1 tsp ground cumin

2 TBS fresh lemon (about 1/2 lemon)

2 TBS fresh parsley

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients in a food processor.  Serve with your favorite veggies or pita chips.  Pumpkin Hummus

Bridging the Gap

Posted on September 7, 2012

Bridging the Gap

Did you know the suggested daily servings of fruit and vegetables is 7-13 servings a day!  WOW!  I don't know about you, but most days I find that hard to get even close to the minimum in my kids, and sometimes myself.  Actually, less than 25% of Americans are meeting this requirment.  This gap in servings really scares me because I understand the negative health effects of not getting enough nutrients that my body needs to maintain a strong immune system, to reduce systemic inflammation, to reduce oxidative stress, help with energy, aging, healthy skin and so much more. 

So what is one to do to to meet these needs?  Well, most people think "I'll just take a multi-vitamin, that's enough insurance for me".  Well, do you really know what is in your vitamins?  Did you know the FDA does not regulate vitmains and supplements?  Really, what you are mostly getting is expensive urine, because vitamins are manufactured in a way that is not natural for your body to absorb, and you end up excreting most of what you took in through that "magic" little pill.  YIKES!  

Maple Fruit Compote With Honey-Ginger Toasted nuts

Posted on September 4, 2012

Maple Fruit Compote with Honey-Ginger Toasted Nuts

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

                                                                                                                       

Ingredients:

2-3 apples

2-3 peaches or pears

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup raisins

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup walnuts or nuts of your choice

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

2 tablespoons honey

 

Directions:

1.   Wash, core and chop fruit into slices or chunks.                                          

2.   Place in a large saucepan with 1/3 cup of water. Add the maple syrup and raisins.  

3.   Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

4.   Add lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook for another 10 minutes, until soft.

5.   While fruit is cooking, place chopped nuts in a skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

6.   Drizzle honey over the nuts and add ginger, but keep stirring since the honey can easily burn.

7.   Top warm fruit with toasted nuts and enjoy!

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