Of course, not all snacks are created equal and dare I say that anything you would categorize as “snack food” is probably a poor choice. Instead of relying on sweets, caffeine or processed munchies to get you through the day, opt for nutrient-dense foods to fuel your body and mind. When you feel your energy begin to sink and your hunger begin to stir, reach for fresh whole foods such as these…

Prepare your snacks ahead of time, either the night before or in the morning, and grab them as you leave the house. Most things will taste better if you keep them in a small cooler bag with an ice pack.

Smart snacking is a key factor in maintaining stable energy throughout the day, keeping the metabolism kicking, avoiding major blood sugar (and insulin) fluctuations, and eating healthier smaller meals. You will likely notice a greater sense of control over your appetite, an overall boost in your general outlook, and loosening of your pants

Read more about the benefits of healthy snacking in <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/The-Snack-Factor-Diet-Weight–/dp/0307351769/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1336598460&amp;sr=8-1″>The Snack Factor Diet book, by Keri Glassman, M.S., R.D.</a>

Dr. Mark Hyman, author of Ultra-Metabolism, advocates “a period of cleansing and renewal through detoxification” as a means to improve energy, relieve many chronic health problems, and lose weight. Both Dr. Hyman and Julia Ross, M.A (author of The Diet Cure) identify sugar, wheat, and dairy as the three most menacing foods in the American diet. These foods are all recognized as pro-inflammatory and have been linked to a number of maladies including weight gain, inability to lose weight, heartburn, joint pain, headache, fatigue, sleep problems, eczema, poor complexion, postnasal drip, bloating, and digestive disorders.

Do not view this as an opportunity to raid the grocery store for wheat-free cookies, crackers, bread, soy cheese and other highly processed substitutes. The purpose is to cut back on processed foods and nourish your body with antioxidant-rich, phytonutrient-dense fresh whole foods. Here are some suggestions for healthy substitutes. Instead of eating toast with your eggs, consider a side of brown rice, oatmeal, or quinoa. For lunch, go for soups or salads. Just be sure to pass on the croutons and avoid soups with dairy. If you are craving something crunchy, munch on a whole grain Ryvita rye cracker. For dinner, enjoy a large serving of steamed, sautéed, roasted, or grilled veggies, with a side of whole grains or root vegetables, and your choice of meat, fish, or vegetarian based protein.

I invite you to join me on this journey to experience a higher level of health. If you choose to do so, here is what you should expect. For the first 3-5 days you may experience strong food cravings and might feel tired due to the initial mobilization and elimination of stored toxins. Drink plenty of water to help ease these symptoms. By day 7 you should begin to notice some positive changes. My clients have experienced benefits ranging from relief of chronic health issues, to better quality sleep, improved energy levels, improved digestion and regularity, and weight loss.

Once you’ve completed the 4 weeks, you may reintroduce one food group every 3-4 days. Pay close attention to how your body reacts as you do this. If you find that you react badly to any of these foods, it may indicate a food sensitivity, and you should think about whether the food in question is worth eating at all. I strongly recommend that if you decide to reincorporate these foods into your diet, do so in moderation, so that you can continue to enjoy optimal energy, health, and body weight.

Dairy: milk, half and half, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, frozen yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, goat milk and cheese, creamy soups or sauces, and anything containing whey protein or casein.

Wheat: bread, crackers, cereals, pasta, pastries, cookies, bread crumbs, wheat tortillas, cake, anything fried, and most processed snack foods.

Drinks: All beverages containing alcohol: beer, wine, spirits, etc. Sugary and artificially sweetened drinks such as soda, diet soda, Snapple, Arizona Ice Tea, Gatorade, juice, etc.

I am a bit of a late bloomer in the realm of cooking, so I was more than a little excited when I began learning about roasting. I’ve found this cooking method to be healthy, diverse (it can be used for meat, fish, vegetables, and even fruit), and as easy as grilling. Roasting warms your house with eminent heat from the oven, fills the house with seductive aromas, yields minimal dishes to clean after your meal, and is great for parties because you can socialize while the oven does the work.

Roasting is generally done in a preheated 400-degree oven, but temperatures may vary from 325 to 500 depending on what you’re cooking. Unless you are slow roasting a large cut of meat, many meals can be prepared in less than one hour- and once the food is in the oven, you are free to do other things. Just don’t forget to set the timer! While there are infinite ways to flavor your foods with herbs and spices, most things can be prepared by simply coating evenly with olive oil, sprinkling with salt and pepper and throwing them into a roasting pan, cookie sheet, or pyrex dish (use a rack for meat),

My favorite food to roast is vegetables. All of the following are in season and can be found at your local farmer’s market: Brussels sprouts, broccolini, romanesco (beautiful!), cauliflower, broccoli, winter squash (I particularly like kobocha & butternut squash), sweet potato, fingerling potatoes, parsnips, turnips, leeks, eggplant, beets, fennel, mushrooms, and onion. Because roasting achieves rich caramelized flavor, children often find they actually like vegetables that they’d turned down in the past. I have found myself pleasantly stunned while watching my kids happily chow down roasted Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, asparagus, and kabocha.

My good friend, Brian Keane, graduate of the California Academy and private chef with over 13 years experience, roasts food for his clients on a daily basis. Whether, roasting meat, fish, root vegetables, spicy peppers, or garlic, he favors this cooking method because it ensures that “you are able to retain the nutrients, vitamins, and flavors of many different foods.” He notes that whereas “grilling can char the fat on meat, changing the chemical composition and turning it carcinogenic, roasting cooks meat slower preserving the integrity of the fats and making the meat more tender.”

Brian always roasts meat fatty side up so the fats seep into the meat as it cooks keeping it moist and flavorful. He strongly advises using a meat thermometer (you can get a good one for $6) to check for desired doneness and allowing the meat to rest out of the oven for 10-15 min before cutting/serving to enhance flavor and moisture. As for vegetables, Brian confirms that roasting wins over steaming, sautéing, or boiling in the way of retaining nutrients.

“For a cooking technique that yields so many satisfying and complex flavors, roasting is a surprisingly simple way to prepare food, making it ideal for both entertaining and family dinners,” states Kathy Gunst, author of the cookbook Roasting.

Treat yourself to a copy of this or any number of other cookbooks for more tips and recipes to keep you and your family nourished through the winter months.

I am not a proponent of mass-produced conventional eggs from corn-fed chickens who are raised in inhumane conditions, live in their own filth (sorry to be grim, but it’s true), and never see the light of day. It is really no surprise that eggs from these chickens are inferior in both nutrition and taste. Conventional eggs typically have a pale yellow yolk, watery white, and contain around 20 times more omega-6 than pastured eggs. Excessive amounts of omega-6 have been shown to promote inflammation (a precursor to heart disease), bog down the metabolism (leading to weight gain), and decrease insulin sensitivity (which can eventually lead to insulin resistance, and diabetes). By contrast, omega-3 fatty acids (found in optimal proportions in pastured eggs) “communicate with your DNA to turn on special genes that help you increase fast burning, improve your blood sugar control, correct insulin resistance, and reduce inflammation… a very important part of weight loss and health,” (Ultra-Metabolism, Mark Hyman, pg 91).

If you can not find pastured eggs, the next best thing is free range omega-3 enriched eggs. How do they get those extra omega-3s in there? Farmers supplement the chicken’s diet with flax seed, which boosts the omega-3 content in the eggs they lay.

What others have to say about eggs…

According to Gary Taubes, author of Good Calories Bad Calories, “Dietary cholesterol… has an insignificant effect on blood cholesterol. It might elevate cholesterol levels in a small percentage of highly sensitive individuals, but for most of us, it’s clinically meaningless.” (19)

Julia Ross, author of The Mood Cure, describes eggs as “…perfectly nutritious: loaded with protein, vitamins, minerals, and the lecithin that helps us digest fat easily. The yolks contain as much protein as the whites and much more additional nutrition.” She adds that unless you are genetically predisposed to high-cholesterol, you do not need to limit egg consumption. (145)

“Natural Defense”, an article featured in Runner’s World (Sept. 2011) magazine, identifies egg yolks as a “leading source of lutein and zeaxanthin, a dynamic antioxidant duo that accumulate in the retina, where they protect eye health… Yolks also provide selenium, vitamin E, high-quality protein, and choline, a nutrient that can help improve heart health…”

Rebecca Katz, culinary goddess and author of one of my favorite cook books “The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen”, points out a “huge study of 121,000 women [which] suggested that eating three eggs a week during adolescence dropped the risk of breast cancer by 18 percent. Other components of eggs, such as choline and Lecithin, improve brain and gallbladder function.” (35)

Health Magazine’s (Nov. 2009) article titled “Your A-to-Z Guide to a Flat Belly” had this to say… “Dieters who had two eggs with breakfast whittled their waists more than those who ate the same number of calories but had a bagel instead.”

Susan Allport, author of The Queen of Fats, brings our attention to “…the work of William Connor at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland and [other] studies that have found no association between egg consumption and either heart disease or serum cholesterol levels.”  (141)

Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions, informs us that “Many cultures recognize that eggs are a brain food and encourage pregnant and nursing mothers to eat as many as possible.” She also emphasizes the importance of buying eggs from farms that allow their chickens “to eat bugs and graze on green pasture” as well as the benefits of these nutrient-rich eggs for the development of brain, nervous system, and visual function in babies and children. (605)

Fruit should be heavy for it’s size.

Weight indicates how much water is in the fruit, or how juicy it is. When choosing apples, oranges, peaches, and the like gently toss and catch it in one hand. As for melons, use two hands to feel for weight.

Vegetables should be firm.

Always check that your broccoli, carrots, snap peas, snow peas, and green beans are rigid and not bendy. If they flex easily, they are not fresh and you should select something else to put in your basket. Likewise, chard, collards, and kale should be springy not droopy or limp.

Fruit should be fragrant.

Fragrance is a very good indicator of flavor when choosing melons, tomatoes, peaches, and pineapple. Close your eyes, put your nose right up to the fruit, and inhale. It should emit an aroma consistent with how you would expect it to taste. If you can’t smell it, chances are the fruit will be lacking flavor.

Gently press to test for ripeness.

Gently apply pressure near the stem of avocados and melons or on the side of peaches and figs. When the fruit gives slightly under the pressure of your thumb, it is ripe and ready to enjoy. If it is too soft, it may be over-ripe. If it is too firm, let the fruit sit out on your counter and test it again tomorrow or the next day.

Listen to the melons.

Hold a watermelon in one arm and thump it with the pads of your fingers (like a drum) to listen for crispness. The sound you are seeking is a higher pitched, clear “bap!”, not a dull thud or hollow sound. Melons such as honeydew, with seeds in the middle, will sometimes reveal a sloshing sound when you shake it near your ear. This indicates a very juicy melon that is ready eat.

Eat with the seasons.

Buying fruits and vegetables that are in season and locally grown will almost always lead you to the least expensive and freshest produce in the market.

Next time you are at the supermarket or farmer’s market, make it a complete sensory experience. With a little practice, you will become an expert at choosing the tastiest, freshest produce. Fruits and vegetables are an essential part of any diet which successfully promotes weight loss, health, and longevity so fine tune your skills and learn to choose the best.

When faced with a plethora of sweets day in and day out, the best tactic is to indulge selectively. Allow yourself to enjoy the things you truly love (in moderation, of course) and pass on everything else. This strategy will keep your overall sugar intake low, while still allowing you to take pleasure in the occasional treat. Over consumption of sugar is a predominant cause of the unwanted jiggle because every time you eat sweets it creates a domino effect of calorie storage, energy spikes and crashes, and intensified sugar cravings. It is helpful to stock up on healthy delicacies of the season such as pomegranates, persimmons, and pears. You will feel a lot less deprived passing on the cookie plate when you know you have a juicy, sweet Satsuma tangerine waiting for you in your purse. If you are a chocolate lover, satisfy your cravings with antioxidant rich, low sugar, dark (70%) chocolate. When it comes to parties, plan ahead. Pick the two best parties to go all out, no restrictions. For all other gatherings follow these guidelines: Eat regular meals and snacks throughout the day, so you don’t show up “starved”. Drink a glass of water between alcoholic drinks and limit alcohol consumption to 2 servings. Eat large portions of vegetables, medium portions of protein foods, and small portions of everything else.

Squeezing in your workouts during the holiday madness may require some creativity and flexibility, but it can be done. Plan to meet up with a friend or personal trainer to reinforce accountability and ensure that you don’t bail out on your workouts. When time is tight, exercise for 20 min instead of 60, something is always better than nothing. Walking or running from your house is an excellent way to fit in a short workout (give it a power-boost by adding in a few hills or speed intervals). If you have guests staying in your home, take them to a local park for a group hike. This is a great opportunity to show off the natural treasures in our area as well as escape the confines of an overcrowded house. Chances are, your guests will be craving the open air just as much as you. Staying active through the holiday season can be challenging, but it is worth the effort as it may very well save both your waistline and your sanity.

Here’s to a happy and healthy holiday season!

Drink more water.

I recommend drinking 64 ounces of water per day. The easiest way I’ve found to do this is fill up a 32oz water bottle first thing in the morning and then again after lunch. Staying well hydrated throughout the day promotes weight loss by displacing calorie-dense beverages like juice, soda, and other sugary drinks, which often spike blood sugar and provide little or no sense of satiety. Additionally, thirst can often be mistaken for hunger; drink 8 ounces of water 10-20min before meals to naturally curb the appetite. According to Dr. F Batmanghelidj, M.D. (author of Your Body’s Many Cries for Water), keeping well hydrated can improve ailments such as headaches, fatigue, back pain, heartburn, joint pain, and even high blood pressure. If you get bored with plain water, try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon, crushed mint, sliced cucumber, or mix it up with an occasional glass of mineral water.

Eat more vegetables.

I advise eating at least 3 (or more!) servings of fresh vegetables every day. Vegetables are nutrient dense, low-calorie, low-sugar, high-fiber, and packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients (plant nutrients). The high fiber content in vegetables fills you up and keeps you satisfied longer after meals, consequently displacing calorie-dense, nutrient deficient foods. In other words, the more vegetables you eat, the less “other stuff” you’ll eat. Fiber is also well known for its cleansing and detoxification benefits. Antioxidants and phytonutrients in vegetables keep the body healthy and prevent age-related degenerative disease. There are many easy ways to cook vegetables including sauteeing, roasting, grilling, and steaming.  Raw, chopped veggies are a simple, satisfying on-the-go snack as well.

Next time you are at your local farmers market or grocery store go wild! Approach the arugula, bow to the broccoli, caress the carrots, and sweet talk the spinach. Let the mood take you and try a few new things. Just don’t forget to bring your water bottle.

Phytonutrient-rich foods make portion control easy.

Have you ever gone on a midnight broccoli binge or pigged out on kale?  When we eat plant based whole foods we don’t have to think about counting calories or measuring portions; it is intrinsic. Unrefined plant foods give you the most amount of nutrients for the least amount of calories. Phytonutrient dense foods are also high-fiber, low-glycemic, low in saturated fats, trans-fat free, HFCS free, and notably high in antioxidants. They are everything processed food makers aspire to achieve but never will. These packaged foods, such as chips, cookies, crackers, candy, sugar cereal, and thousands of other processed food products are totally void of phytonutrients and (not coincidentally) the most difficult to control portion size.

Eat organic to give your diet a phytonutrient super boost.

Organic farming standards require that farmers use natural means such as crop rotation, as opposed to chemical fertilizers and pesticides, to maintain nutrient rich soil for their plants to grow healthy and strong. When the soil contains more nutrients, so do the plants which grown in it.

Apply this rule to the diets of the animals you eat.

Grass fed beef, free range chicken, and wild fish eat foods richer in phytonutrients than their conventional or farmed counterparts. When these animals are given the opportunity to thrive on a phytonutrient-rich diet, they are healthier and leaner. Additionally, meat from naturally grazing and wild animals contains more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

Phytonutrients slow the aging process and promote cardiovascular health.

These powerful antioxidants decrease oxidative stress and inflammation, two well known causes of premature aging, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. You can spend hundreds of dollars on supplements, vitamin drinks, skin serums, and pharmaceuticals to slow the aging process and improve heart health, or you can get it all, and more, with a phytonutrient-rich diet.

“New” phytonutrients are being discovered every day; lignans in flaxseeds, catechins in green tea, polyphenols in cocoa, and carnosol in rosemary. Clearly, there is still much to be discovered about the unique benefits plant based foods provide for us which is why we can not depend on man-made elixirs to compensate for a nutrient deficient diet. Give your body what it needs to promote health and weight loss by consuming a phytonutrient-dense diet, consisting primarily of fresh whole, ideally organic, plant foods along with meat from wild or naturally grazing animals.

How to Pick an Energy Bar

Most energy bars are a far cry from the healthy snack they claim to be, however you can outsmart deceptive marketing jargon by following these three steps.

1. Ignore all health claims on the front side of the packaging.
2. Turn to the backside of the packaging and read the list of ingredients.  I look for bars that contain very few minimally processed ingredients. The first ingredient should not be a sweetener and the bar should not contain any high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils.
3. Look at the nutrition breakdown and see if it meets this criteria: 220 calories or less, under 19 grams of sugar, and at least 7 grams of protein. Since around 75% of adults do not digest dairy properly, I often look for bars that are free of whey protein.

Remember, even the best quality bars are still processed and by no means a replacement for fresh whole foods.

When You Should Eat an Energy Bar

An energy bar can be the perfect fix when you are out and about, your blood sugar is dropping, and food is nowhere in sight, as a pre-workout energy boost, or when you need to subdue a hungry, cranky child. I always keep one in my car and my purse for such occasions. Bars are also handy as a quick, easy to digest fuel during long endurance training sessions (ex: 3+ hour bike ride). For the most part, however, energy bars should be thought of as an emergency fall back and limited to about 2 per week.

Energy Bars That Make the Cut

• Hammer Bar- almond raisin: 220 calories, 15g sugar, 10g protein
• Hammer Bar- chocolate chip: 220 calories, 17g sugar, 9g protein
• Raw Organic Food Bar- chocolaty chocolate chip: 200 calories, 18g sugar, 10g protein
• Think Organic- chocolate coconut: 160 calories, 13g sugar, 4g protein
• Organic Food Bar- original (these numbers are for ½ bar): 150 calories, 10g sugar, 7g protein
• Heart Thrive Oat Cakes by Suncakes (these numbers are for 1 heart): 178 calories, 8g sugar, 7g protein

Do you or your children experience any of these symptoms?
Bloating and gas
Constipation, diarrhea, IBS
Inability to lose weight
Acne or Eczema
Back or stomach pain
Inflammation
Suppressed immune system or chronic ear infections
ADHD
Fatigue
Bed wetting

If you answered “yes” to one or more of the above, you should consider testing yourself and/or your child for dairy sensitivity. You can do this very simply by eliminating all dairy products (see list below) for 2-3 weeks. Then, if your body hasn’t already given you a clear answer, reintroduce it by drinking a full glass of milk in the morning and see what happens. Depending on how your body does or doesn’t react, you will learn if you can properly digest dairy. If you do not experience any reaction, feel free to keep dairy in your diet. Yet, I strongly recommend that you buy only organic milk (free of hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides).

Calcium
The most absorbable calcium supplement will contain a blend of calcium citrate, magnesium, and vitamin D. Eat calcium-rich foods such as leafy greens, broccoli, hazelnuts, amaranth, and almonds and avoid drinking high-phosphorus containing sodas which leach calcium from your bones.

My favorite milk substitutes include: unsweetened almond milk for kids, soy milk for coffee, coconut milk for cooking, coconut oil for baking, and coconut ice cream for a delicious dessert.

Dairy Foods List
Milk
Cream (even a little in coffee)
Cheese
Yogurt
Sour cream
Cottage cheese
Cream cheese
Goat milk & cheese
Ice cream
Frozen yogurt
Anything containing Whey or Casein.
Hidden sources may include pasta sauce, energy bars, sports drinks, “non-diary” cheese, and other processed foods.