Purple Protective Power Punch! Or something...

Happy Easter!! A wonderful time of miracles and renewal!

I hope it's been a relaxing, blessed weekend for you all :)

I had an amazing weekend of stress-relieving fun - starting with a brisk walk to a cross-training class at Body Boutique, where my instructor kicked encouraged me through several rounds of push-ups, walking lunges, jumping rope, and trying to lift my toes to my hands as I hung from a bar! (My toes never made it anywhere near my hands, just to let you know!) ;-)

Then I did a quick half mile jog to my weekly free yoga class at LuluLemon Athletica! What a great class it was! The first half was some good leg strengthening poses (no more!! I was so tired after the cross training!) but thankfully the second half was just a lot of deep stretching, deep breathing, and calming.

Ahhhh, peaceful :)

After that, I made a few shopping stops to get some last minute food items, then home to my dear Dave to spend a chunk of time in the kitchen! We popped in some Artemis Fowl audio books, and whipped up a health storm!

I tried my first GREEN JUICE! Wow, what a shock to the system! Instead of blending a bunch of greens with fruit, I basically just put the greens through my juicer, sans fruit. An entire head of red-leaf lettuce, handful of spinach, one whole cucumber, two stalks of celery, and half a lemon. Talk about a power kick! While I normally love the health benefits of fiber from the whole food, now and then, juice is great! This fiber-free juice goes quickly through your digestive system, the minerals and nutrients being easily absorbed into your blood stream. A quick kick of tons of nutrition! The flavor took some getting used to, but I was on such a health-high from the morning workout, that I was loving replenishing my system with minerals and health!

We are also trying our hand at making home-made sauerkraut! Rich in beautifying minerals and digestive probiotics, it's a great food to have on hand - if you can find it without being pasteurized. So, I have NO idea how our batch will turn out, but I'll let you know Friday when it's done!!

We also made up some salads, sprouted some sunflower seeds and quinoa grains, and Dave made raw vegan chili all on his own!! I was so proud :) He had enjoyed it so much when I made it last time, that he wanted to learn the recipe so he could make it on his own!

And another success? I made vegan burgers - that he liked!!! Amaranth, millet, onions, carrot, celery, spinach and seasoning... they didn't taste like burgers, but they were good! And once we loaded them up with tomato, onion rings, a dab of ketchup, and he used some A1 sauce... we wrapped it in a collard leaf rather than a bun, and went to town! We were both shocked at how much we liked them! It was an easy recipe from a book, and it's another one he hopes to learn!

So that was my Saturday. What a day! We relaxed in the evening, just basking in the glow of nutritious food.

And tonight, I had fun playing with a new food: açaí berry!

Probably many of you have heard of this new "superfood" berry - the media loves to promote the latest "cure all." And I won't go that far! But it's yet another tool for your belt of beauty, your weapons of wonder! Like most berries, açaí berries are rich in age-fighting antioxidants, and carry a lot of health benefits. So, this weekend, I bought some frozen açaí puree, and tonight I tried my first smoothie with it!

I should play with the recipe some more, and come up with some clever name... but for tonight, I just went with Purple Protective Power Punch, or Protective Purple Paradise! (Protective to your health and beauty because of the antioxidants, fibers, and healthy fats!)

2 scoops chia seeds (about 2 Tbs)

2 cups Coconut milk (I used So Delicious Original flavor)

1- 3.5oz packet Açaí berry puree

2 Tbs organic cacao powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbs local honey (or sweetener of your choice, to taste)

Soak the chia in the milk for about 10 minutes, so they can plump up. Then add all to your blender, and blend away to smoothness!

This lovely smoothie packs over 10 grams of fiber, healthy omega fats from the chia, healthy medium-chain fats from the coconut milk, and great antioxidants from the cacao and the acai! Happy health and happy skin, here we come!

Alright, and happy studying - here I come! Time to continue reading my current nutrition book: What to Eat by Marion Nestle. Awesome book about the politics behind food labels and recommendations. Things aren't always what they seem ;-)

Have a good night, and for my Polish friends and family: "Wesołego Alleluja!!!"

"Hallelujah, He is Risen!"

Peace and Prosperity <3

~Katie

HAPPY NATURAL NEW YEAR!!

It's time for a fresh new start! (pic)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!


Welcome to 2011, my friends!! And what a wild ride 2010 has been! (And my New Years Eve was spent, among other things, making sock puppets... but that's it's own story! Haha!)

ADDN is now 1 year old (awww, happy birthday, little blog!) It was a great chance for me to work on some of my new years goals last year - to be healthier, to get back into writing, and to get more research done on food and nutrition. (Though, admittedly, I did slack more as the year progressed and work got busier.)

But what did 2010 have for you? What good things did you do that you want to build on? (Isn't that a more positive spin on the whole "I've been bad, and NOW I'll be good for the new year"?) Hopefully we've all made strides towards growth of one kind or another. Taken time to learn ourselves, to focus our lives, and hopefully love ourselves and those around us.

I know I have many non-food related goals for this upcoming year, but in the spirit of this blog, we'll still be sticking with natural health related topics, and aiming for a more natural, plant-based diet.

Rev those engines, it's time to GO! (pic)

So what's your reason for wanting to continue a wild ride on the health roller-coaster?

To age gracefully: be healthy enough to stick around for grandchildren, decrease risk of any numerous diseases or painful conditions, maybe even turn gray hairs back to their natural color?? (More about that in a future post!)

To be healthier now: to not be huffing and puffing after a simple flight of stairs? (Hey! I used to have that problem!), run a 5K, fit into a new pair of pants, have more mental and physical energy?

To help take care of the earth: promote agricultural animal care, support local farmers, cut out processed poisons, cut down on your pesticide intake, fight for a cause you believe in?)

To have more self confidence: improve the health of your hair and skin, drop some burdensome fat, smooth cellulite, be able to say "I DID IT!"?


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And what are the things that make that difficult to stick to your goal? Time? Convenience? Taste? Not knowing how to make new recipes? Lack of family support? Share your struggles - here or wherever you can! You have my constant support! (And understanding - In this fast-paced, Food Toxic society, it can be difficult to make the effort to change your eating and exercise habits. BUT IT'S WORTH IT!!)


What direction are your first steps taking you?

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Make a plan:
What do you want and by when?
What are the first three steps you can take on your journey?
What are the three biggest barriers to you meeting your goal?
What can you do to overcome those hurdles?
And if you trip, what are three ways to pull yourself back up quickly without getting completely trounced before so?

Think about it, write it down - maybe it's a s simple "First Step" goal such as walking daily, adding a green smoothie to your morning ritual; or more general (to be tweaked later) such as losing weight, running a 5K, deepening your self understanding - and share it! With us or whomever you are comfortable. Sharing your goals makes them more real to you (instead of a passing thought to be tossed aside at the first cookie!) PLUS, hopefully you'll start to gain support from your friends, and maybe someone who can help pull you up when you fall!

What future do you hold?

Make it happen! (pic)

And well, hey, if you're indecisive about a resolution, jump over to
http://moninavelarde.com/newyears/ and have fun playing with their pre-made resolutions ;-)

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Blessed renewals, and joyous journeys!

Sending love and prayers to everyone reading this :)

~Katie


P.S: all pics have a "pic" link to the original site where I found them

Stretch It Out!

Happy Monday! Hope the weekend went well for you! Get to try any Tabata or other High Intensity Interval Training over the break? ;-)

Either way, here's a quick task for you (after you check Friday's post and re-read the disclaimer about exercising!) - reach your arms WAY over your head and streeeetch it up! Feel your spine lengthen, your arms press up, and your rib cage expand! Ahhhh!! (Hey! I told you in the last post that it'd be good for you to stretch, so I'm just trying to remind and motivate you!)

Stretching regularly should be a part of a healthy life. So stretch it out! Any activity you do - walking, running, lifting groceries, pulling weeds... your muscles are going to be contracting and flexing. And stretching has its role, too! Of course, if you have any condition, you should check with a doctor or physical therapist about proper care in stretching - it is possible to damage something if you're not supposed to be stretching it in certain ways.

The Mayo Clinic gives 4 reasons why stretching is important. So reach both arms to your right and try to rotate your spine to reach back even farther on your right as though you're trying to look behind you, then look back here! You can use the chair to help deeped the stretch.

#1 Stretching increases flexibility: Big deal, right? If you're not trying to be a yoga guru or contortionist, who cares, right!? Wrong. There may be more importance to flexibility than that. As you age, you'll naturally begin to lose the flex and muscle performance - this can be needed for even menial tasks like lifting your laundry baskets, bending to tie shoes, or bending your knees to walk up a set of stairs. And if you have better flexibility, it can make these and other tasks easier and less tiring.

So rotate that spine the other way, and twist your arms out to the left, and keep yourself loose and limber!

#2: Stretching improves range of motion in your joints: Range of motion helps with better balance and fewer injuries from daily tasks. This is especially important as you age - elderly people have more of a tendency to lose their balance, and due to usually weaker bones, risk more damage! Even if your not at a wizened age, begin implementing preventative care.

Stand up, and reach for your toes! (Or, if you're refusing to get out of your chair, straighten your legs in front of you, and reach that way!!) You may be like my older sister who can practically fold herself in half; or like my younger sister who can barely touch her knees. Either way is fine! Just listen to your body about what is comfortable yet still gives a slight challenge - don't damage yourself!! Find your own edge, breathe smoothly, and know that your range of motion will improve with practice!

#3: Stretching improves circulation: get that blood flowing! Blood is precious in your body - you need to to get to your heart, to your muscles, and to the joints! And if you're trying to recover after a good workout and you have those sore muscles, stretching can help speed that recovery!

Lean your head forward as though you're trying to rest your chin on your chest. Sit up straight, keep the spine aligned, and gently stretch those neck muscles!

#4: Stretching can relieve stress: it helps relax tight muscles - whether they are tight from exercise, or tight from stress. Let it go, my dear. Stretch it out!

Aaaand take a big, calming breath :) Take another. And a third, final slow breath.

Hopefully you'll start to make stretching a standard part of your week (or even a daily activity!) Here are some pointers from the Mayo Clinic about good stretching and safe stretching:

-Focus on major muscle groups, such as calves, thighs, hips, lower back, neck, and shoulders. Also focus on muscles and joints that you use routinely.

-Warm up first, or exercise first. It's good to have a little blood flow going already - walk a few minutes, swing your arms or legs... or just stretch after exercise.

-Pace yourself. Reach slowly - don't thrust too fast or too roughly into a position; hold about 30 seconds, relax, repeat. Do 3-4 times.

-Don't bounce! This can actually cause small tears in your muscle (not the good kind used to build muscle), which can leave scar tissue, thereby tightening the muscle more as it tries to heal. This can lead to less flexibility and make you more prone to pain.

-It shouldn't hurt. Expect tension, but not pain. If it hurts, you've gone too far, so back off a little and hold on that edge.

-Relax and breathe - don't hold your breath.

-Ultimately, it's up to you how often you stretch. But it's good to try to stretch after exercising, or at least 3 times a week. You may want to do it more if you have tight joints or muscles.

-Know when to exercise caution. Don't damage anything! Learn what feels right, and listen to your body.

I hope that about sums it all up for you! Have a great week!
~Katie

Natural Sun Protection?

(pic courtesy of David Besa)

As the sun starts a'beating down, many of us dream of some good, relaxing sun-filled afternoons! And the media pelts us with two sides of the issue: sunscreen.

One side proclaims that we need to let the sun come! Many people are deficient in Vitamin D, and the sun is a way to naturally trigger your body's production.

On the other side, too much sun may put you at risk for skin cancer.

What, oh what, is a person to do?

Eat tomatoes, of course!

*Huh? *

Several studies have been done looking at protecting the skin via diet, and what components may offer protection. Antioxidants are, of course, an important component in health, maintaining skin integrity and cell health - keeping you healthy and younger looking. But some studies are looking more specifically than that.

One study had participants eat tomato paste daily for 4 or 10 weeks, and saw less erythema, or reddening of the skin when exposed to UV light in BOTH groups. Yup, less propensity towards burning by 35%! Nice!

You probably don’t need to be slurping paste – they were using that in their study, but they noticed higher levels of serum lycopene and total carotenoids in the skin – things that you can raise through any form of tomato intake (the deeper the red, the better), and pushing some of your other orange foods too – like carrots and squash! If you go with ketchup – a staple during the wonderful grilling season! – see if you can find Organic. It has been found to far surpass conventional ketchup for lycopene content.

Whichever form, DO try to combine it with a little bit of healthy fat as this will help you absorb more of the fat-soluble carotenoids. In fact! Selenium, a mineral found in Brazil nuts, has ALSO been shown to have sun-protective effects!

At the University of Dundee in Scotland, another study was done looking at phytochemicals as protectors. They were looking at phytochemicals with fun ‘n’ fancy names like alkaloids, flavonoids, carotnoids, and isothiocyanates. “These phytochemicals have been consumed by humans for many centuries as part of plant-rich diets and are presumed to be of low toxicity, an essential requirement for a chemoprotective agent. Mechanistically, they affect multiple signalling pathways and protect against UV radiation-inflicted damage by their ability to act as direct and indirect antioxidants, as well as anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agents.” So some of their excitement is in the fact these are all plant-based components – which means more natural and pretty darn hard to overdose on! (Now don’t any of you run off and drink 5 straight gallons of tomato juice just to prove I’m wrong! BALANCED EATING, my dear! You CAN overdose on water too – just so ya’ll know that NOTHING should be over consumed!)

So in the study, they turn to produce for these phytochemicals. Cool bonus? Unlike sunscreen, which – in blocking your skin from the UV light – blocks your body’s ability to synthesize much-needed vitamin D, protection from foods “is comprehensive, long-lasting, and unlikely to cause pro-oxidant effects or interfere with the synthesis of vitamin D.”

There are a slew of other foods that can also offer you protection from the potential damage caused by UV sunlight: raspberries and blueberries, cherries, and citrus all contain various health properties. Green tea and its epigallocatechins block damage. So keep up with your fresh food – you never know when another study will come out showing other benefits to produce!

So, rather than slathering yourself with chemical-packed sunscreens (and your skin - your largest organ - just loooves to absorb things that are rubbed on it!) make sure you're keeping a good, steady supply of lycopene- and carotenoid-rich foods in your daily consumption even before beach-season!

Well, ok, not too rich - if your skin starts getting slightly red-orange even before hitting the beach, you may have had more than ya need! But don't worry – “lycopenodermia,” when your skin takes on a deep orange discoloration, is a harmless, reversible coloring that lessens if you cut back on your lycopene intake.

Of course, always remember - YOU know YOU best! If you have fair skin, weight the cost/benefits of diet and sunscreen. Perhaps with some precautions, you can just use less or lower powered sunscreen, for example – and less chemically-hazardous ones. Burnt-dead skin is not a pleasant feeling!

So later, I’ll post a little bit about picking a sunblock should you choose one. Just in time for Memorial weekend!

Have an amazing evening and wonderful Memorial Day!

~Katie

This morning I made a smoothie that has some great benefits for your skin!

Skin So Smoothie
3 c. grapes (organic red grapes with seeds are best)
½ lemon
2 collard green leaves
1 c. spinach
1 Tbs flax oil

Throw it all in a blender, and blend it all! I added ice to chill mine.

Grapes: So many benefits in that red skin! And I could probably do an entire post about the health properties. But for today, I’m looking at the grape seeds. The oil in grape seeds is commonly found in facial products because of its beautifying benefits. I talked with a woman who makes her own soaps, trained by her Cherokee grandmother who was a medicine woman for her tribe. She says “You are right about the grapeseed oil. It is VERY good for your skin, hair, nails. It is one of the 11 oils that go into my lotions for its healing properties.” So can you get these benefits by ingesting rather than applying topically? Sure! Beauty really does start from the inside, and can be compounded by the products you use on the outside. Grape seeds and skins also are anti-microbial, helping you’re your pores and cells stay healthy! Additionally, grapes are rich in antioxidants which will help protect your skin from aging oxidative damage to the cells (fine lines, wrinkles, and less firmly toned skin). They are also rich in manganese, which helps regulate blood sugar levels and promotes optimal functioning of your thyroid gland.

Lemons: rich in enzymes, also help stimulate your liver function; and your liver is one of your main organs to rid your body of waste and toxins, and burns fat. They are also packed with the powerful antioxidant Vitamin C. And the Mayo Clinic states that research now suggests a diet rich in vitamin C may promote younger looking skin.

Collard Greens and Spinach: These are rich in vitamin A, which is very important to skin health. It helps with tissue repair, and the formation of skin-tightening collagen and elastin, fibers that help support skin structure. And collards, being from the same family as kale, have strong properties that help your liver detoxify your body.

Flax Oil: Rich in omega-3s and omeg-6s in a healthy balance, these essential fatty acids (EFAs) are beneficial for many parts of your body! One of those benefits being healthy skin. EFAs help with healthy cell membranes, which helps the cells no only work as a barrier for harmful things, but to allow nutrients to cross, and let waste out of the cells. It also will help hold the healthy waters in, keeping cells hydrated and firm.

And of course, the whole beverage is water-rich produce, so that adds extra hydration to your body, keeping joints, eyes, cell, and everything supple and lubricated! The healthier you are inside, the more it will show outside! But it does take time. You won’t notice huge changes overnight, as your body is going to be more concerned with healing your inner cells first. But over time, you will notice your outward appearance picking up the healthy glow!

Drink up :) And keep that hydration going here in these cold, dry days!

~Katie

Fire Ants on a Log

Here's a little recipe modification that I like... (and no, it's not actually flambéed, heated, or spicy. Bait and switch! Ha ha! Oh, and no real ants or logs either, just in case you were wondering about that, too...)

Many of us are familiar with the "ants on a log" snack: celery stick with peanut butter and raisins.

I prefer to use other nuts (See Not So Nuts About Peanuts post): almond and cashew are my favorites. If you don't make your own, try to find brands that are organic and definitely make sure they don't have added salts, sugars, or other additives! The ingredient list should just consist of the nut used. And instead of just raisins, I like to use soaked goji berries! (They're red, hence "fire ants.")

I take a little container and fill it with goji berries and water, let it sit for a while - it'd probably be okay with only about 10 minutes, but I just stick them in the fridge the night before so they're all pretty and plump in the morning when I pack my lunch! Spread a thin layer of nut butter on the celery, and top with goji (and maybe some organic raisins.) The raisins can add some sweetness, as I don't think the goji has a whole lot of strong flavors; or, cashew butter has some natural sweetness to it, so sometimes that's enough and I don't need the raisins at all!

This snack is great:

The water-rich celery is packed with Vitamins C and K, as well as phthalides (no, I did not misspell that!), which may help lower cholesterol, and coumarins, that may be useful in cancer prevention!

Goji berries (also called wolfberries), like most other berries, are rich in antioxidants to help prevent diseases and cell damage; and the polysaccharides in gojis may help with prevention and treatment of cancer. They are usually sold in health food stores dried. If you are interested in trying these, you may want to experiment with various brands, as companies often have varying dehydration times leading to differing hardness levels.

Almonds are full of Vitamin E, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, and even tryptophan - a compound that helps make the happy-chemical serotonin! Good moods, here we come! ;-) They're also a good source of monounsaturated fats (healthy!) And if that wasn't enough - almonds are also good for helping decrease your blood-sugar after eating to help prevent that pesky spike-and-crash.

Or if you went with the cashew butter, then you're getting a great dose of copper (yep, your body needs that! It's not just for pennies!) Copper helps with elimination of free radicals (damaging to your cells and skin – which shows as signs of aging), development of bone and connective tissue, and the production of the skin and hair pigment, melanin. Cashews are also rich in monounsaturated fats - specifically oleic acid, which is good for your cardiovascular health.

And, as always – have fun experimenting in the kitchen! Perhaps you like to drizzle some honey over it; or sprinkle on some cloves; or use dehydrated cherries or apricots… play! And enjoy your wholesome treat!

Have a great evening!

~Katie

Wednesday Words

I realized that I have been throwing a lot of terms around, so I thought I'd delve into them now and then.

So, today: Free Radicals and Antioxidants

They go hand-in-hand. Quick and dirty (and extremely simplified): in overabundance, free radicals damage you; antioxidants prevent it.

Free radicals are unstable molecules. They can be formed from pollutants, cigarette smoke, stresses on you and your body, and other unhealthy lifestyle factors. They will go and "steal" electrons from other molecules (oxidize them) to try to stabilize themselves - which essentially begins a large chain-reaction of weakening or damaging your cells. Your body can handle a lot of this and repair itself (the body is an amazing thing! But you do need to treat it well.) If the damage adds up over time, this can lead to cancer, heart disease, early aging signs, and other health problems.

Antioxidants include some vitamins (vitamins C, E), carotenoids, chemicals like resveratol (from grapes) and EGCG (in green and white teas), phytochemicals (other compounds found in whole foods), and many more. They can go in and help stabilize that shaky free radical and even undo some of the damage!

So make sure every day to disrupt the balance in your favor! Different color foods have different antioxidant properties, that's why it's recommended to "eat a rainbow" of produce (no, not Taste the Rainbow of Skittles! Nice try!) Dump in natural foods rich in antioxidants, and cut back how you can on unhealthy lifestyles that promote damage.

Here's the your pot o' gold o' health at the end of your rainbow!

xoxox
~Kaite