Another Reason to Turkey Trot!

A new research study (pubmed, NYTimes) provides evidence that, when you over eat, exercising can counteract some of the negative effects of over consumption.  At least in the short-term.

I love that this study was E-published, ahead of print, three days before America's day of purposeful overindulgence: Thanksgiving.  Just another reason why running in your local Turkey Trot 5K is a great idea.

The details
The study enrolled 26 healthy men and asked them to over eat for a week.  Half of the men were made to run for 45 minutes, every day, at 70% VO2 max (i.e. "vigorous intensity").  The other half were told to not exercise.  At the end of the week, the non-exercise group had elevated fasting blood sugar and other indicators of metabolic syndrome were present in their fat cells.  This did not occur in the exercise group.

Because I am such a geek, I looked up each gene on NCBI to elucidate it's role in metabolism.

In the non-exercise group who overate, expression of these "unhealthy" genes were up-regulated:
SREBP1c - induces the insulin signal; is considered a "thrify gene"; may participate in "fatty liver"
FAS - cell surface death receptor; has been implicated in various cancers
GLUT4 - insulin-regulated glucose transporter; helps glucose enter all cells of the body (Note: exercise allows glucose to enter the cell without insulin!)

And expression of these "healthy" genes were down-regulated:

PDK4 - contributes to glucose regulation

IRS2 - mediates the effects of insulin
HSL - a key enzyme in fatty acid mobilization and lipolysis (i.e. helps you burn fat)
VISFATIN - helps in regulation of glucose homeostasis (i.e. helps your blood sugar stay at a healthy level)

Overeating and physical inactivity can both result in unhealthy metabolic changes (e.g. weight gain, elevated blood sugar, etc).  This study indicates that exercise can help prevent these metabolic changes from occurring, at least in the short-term.  Let us remember that the exercise group was still over eating, probably still gaining weight.  It was the 45 minutes of daily vigorous activity that counteracted the unhealthy metabolic effects.

Moral of the story: if you know you know you are going to over eat, be active!

Strawberries in November?!

I just picked a red strawberry from my container garden!  This is crazy because strawberries are very much a spring fruit and yet it is halfway through November!  The leaves of the plant are in the correct season - turning red, like all the trees around my apartment complex - yet the plant is bearing fruit 6 months too late.  Amazing.

Please note that this is the same strawberry plant that kept getting nibbled to the nubbins by rabbits in my backyard garden in Falls Church.  Remember how I transplanted it into a pot and brought it with me when I moved to Alexandria?  Well, I guess it was super excited to finally grow.  So excited that it produced several little white flowers in October.  And one of those little white flowers turned into a tiny, green strawberry.

November 1

Sorry this is blurry...

Over the last 17 days, that tiny, green strawberry ripened into an inedible morsel that was so fragile it fell off when I touched it earlier today....

November 18 - tiny strawberry in my fingers

Ah nature, how you always want to survive and procreate.  It never ceases to amaze me.

Wheat Belly: My thoughts on the book

Give up wheat and all your health problems will resolve!  At least that is what Dr. William Davis would lead us to believe in his book Wheat Belly (Rodale, 2011).  And he is fairly convincing.  I almost decided to go "gluten free" again on the off chance that it might improve my fickle IBS symptoms.  At one point, he actually had me wondering if my occasional inability to speak clearly was the result of the wheat glutens attacking my brain.  Maybe?  Probably not.

Perhaps I was convinced for the first chapter.  But after reading chapter after chapter of "evidence" that elimination of wheat improves or, in some cases, "cures" diseases (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc), I realized that Dr. Davis truly believes that elimination of wheat is the silver bullet solution to all America’s health problems.  Which is unsettling.

In chapter six (page 89) he jokes that all wheat products should have a warning on the label, similar to cigarettes, which reads "SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Wheat consumption in all forms poses potentially serious threats to health.”

In chapter seven (page 111), he writes “Virtual elimination of carbohydrates, including the “dominant” carbohydrate of “healthy” diets, wheat, not only improves blood sugar control, but can erase the need for insulin and diabetes medication in adult (type 2) diabetics – otherwise known as a cure.”

A cure?  Are you kidding me.  That is like saying that a person with Celiac disease is "cured" if they just eliminate gluten from their diet....which Dr. Davis clearly does NOT believe, as evidenced in chapter six (page 94) when he writes “Celiac disease is a permanent condition.  Even if gluten is eliminated for many years, celiac disease or other forms of immune-mediating gluten intolerance come rushing back on reexposure.”

Sure, Davis provides many examples (aka "case reports") of patients losing weight and improving medical conditions by eliminating wheat, but I proposition that it is not the removal of wheat so much as the addition of REAL FOOD - vegetables, fruit, nuts - into the diet that improves quality of life for these patients.

Think about it.  Processed food, made predominantly with enriched wheat flour, is largely devoid of natural nutrients.  Nutrients are inherently lost through processing, hence the need to "fortify" and "enrich" the flour. No wonder his patients, whose diets were undoubtedly based on processed food, were struggling with their weight and other chronic conditions - they just weren't feeding their bodies the nutrients they needed!  In contrast, vegetables, fruits, and nuts are FULL of health-promoting phytonutrients (phyto = plant).  When the body is nourished with healthy and healing whole foods, of course it is going to function better!

I am not saying that Dr. Davis should be ignored.  In truth, his book very much worth reading.  I thoroughly enjoyed learning the history of modern wheat (from Ancient Eikorn with 14 chromosomes, through polyploidy and genetic modification, into modern Triticum aestivum with 42 chromosomes - pages 19-20) and the review of several human disease processes (did you know that your elevated triglycerides are actually caused by eating too many simple carbohydrates, not fat?! - page 151).  However, I urge the reader to be a filter, not a sponge.  Please, don't just take his word for face value, but use critical thinking to determine if a "wheat-ectomy" is really the right thing for you.

Eggs are not created equal

Last week I traveled to NYC for work.  On the plane, I ate two free-range, omega-3-rich eggs that I had purchased at Whole Foods and hard boiled the night before.  They were delicious.  The yolks were bright yellow and savory and the whites were firm yet tender.

This morning, on the flight to Boston, I ate two hard boiled eggs, purchased at an airport kiosk.  I knew that I had made a mistake as soon as I took the first bite.  The whites were rubbery and the yolks were pale and flavorless.  I imagine that the chicken who laid the airport eggs lived its whole life in a metal cage, stacked in columns with other chickens, eating antibiotic-laced GMO-cornmeal.  I did not feel well-nourished after eating them.

The difference between these eggs was amazing.  Even more amazing is how the appearance and flavor of eggs is largely, if not entirely, dependent on the diet and lifestyle of the chicken (sound familiar?).  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to infer that eggs with more flavorful and colorful yolks have a higher nutrient profile than eggs with pale, flavorless yolks.  

I encourage you to try this experiment at home to see (and taste) the difference for yourself!

Finding a healthy balance while traveling

I travel 3-4 days a week for work. Typically, I fly out early Tuesday morning and return Thursday night. I stay in hotels and eat at restaurants for a majority of my meals.  Trying to optimize my time on the road, exercise is a rare treat.

I've been following this lifestyle since March.

Not surprisingly, my metabolism has slowed down.  Noticeably.  I can tell that my metabolism is slower because I feel, comparably, less hungry.  For example, I used to need snacks (apples, bars, etc) with me wherever I went to keep my blood sugar on an even keel (I tend to be more irritable and head-achy when I don't eat regularly).  Now I can go for hours without eating and not even notice!  This is bad.

Nothing is worse than seeing numbers creeping up on the scale

Some might point out that my metabolism may be slowing down because I turn 30 this year (what?!).  But I refuse to believe that I have no control.  Recognizing the problem as something I could change, the following is a list of what I've been doing the last month to help boost my metabolism.

1. Bring along the running shoes.  It is challenging to fit in a 2-hour rock climbing session or a 60-minute yoga class while traveling, but I find that a short jog in the morning is very doable.  I never used to be a morning exerciser.  However, now that I spend 90% of my time in a car or a store, I look forward to a 10-30 minute run in the fresh air.  Especially now that it is autumn and the air is crisp and cool!  But it must be FIRST thing in the morning.  If I don't get out the door in the first 10 minutes, chances are I will get sucked into emails on my laptop and never leave the hotel room.

   

   My current running shoes

2. Say NO to sweet treats. It is so easy to treat myself while traveling.  (A) The company pays for my meals (I rarely waste money on sweets at home because they provide very low nutrient density per dollar).  And (B) there are many days that I feel like I "deserve" dessert as a reward for a hard day's work.  As incredible as this might seem, I just tell myself "no, you cannot have dessert."  If I don't buy it, I can't eat it.  Simple as that.  If I am still hungry later (and I usually am), I eat an apple or protein bar.
3. Say YES to protein.  I make a point to eat protein at every meal and snack.  First of all, protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates, so it helps me feel full longer.  It is also thermogenic, which means burning calories to produce heat.  I tend to run cold (anyone who's ever shaken my hand knows this), so more thermogenic foods are a 1-2 punch to boost my metabolism and help me feel warmer as the seasons change.
4. Say YES to leafy greens.  Whichever entree I choose, I try to pair it with a pile of leafy green vegetables.  Whole Foods makes this easy by offering many delicious salads (Garlicky Kale is my favorite!).  Romaine salads (from conventional restaurants) are also acceptable.  Leafy greens, especially dark leafy greens, are SUPER nutrient-dense and help fuel the travel-stressed body.  In general, I try to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, as many colors as possible.  Each color represents a different array of vitamins and minerals contained within the edible plant.

   

   Garlicky Kale Salad = yum!

5. Laugh and relax. Stress is a huge factor in weight loss. When I get stressed, I tend to get stuck in the "fight or flight" response.  The opposite of "rest and digest," this means that, when I do eat, I am not able to absorb or assimilate nutrients as well.  The calories I do absorb are more likely to be stored as fat.  Not good.  No matter how long my day, I always take time to relax and do something for myself.  Sometimes this means taking an extra long shower.  Sometimes this means watching an episode of Suits (my guilty pleasure TV show).  Sometimes this means crossing items off my personal growth "to do" list so I can go to bed feeling accomplished.  For example, tonight my goal was to start blogging again (I haven't written since July!)
6. Schedule "down time".  As much as possible, I try to stop working at the end of the 8-hour work day and not even open my work computer on the weekends.  Additionally, I also try to be AT HOME every other week.  While I enjoy camping / climbing trips with friends (I was at the New River Gorge last weekend!), I do not enjoy returning from a work trip only to immediately pack and go on a 5 to 9 hour road trip.  This is exhausting.  I find that having a weekend at home, without a schedule, really helps me recharge my batteries.  Even if I am cleaning my house, cooking food, and performing maintenance on my car, the lack of structure helps me relax and "go with the flow."

"T" belaying "A" at "Zero Buttress"

I moved!

I moved from a house in Falls Church to an apartment in Alexandria.  I purposely planted my garden in containers this year, to make it easy to move.  Here they are, lined up on the concrete slab that is my porch.

from front to back: chard, chives, strawberry, basil, rosemary

I am especially impressed by the rosemary.  I actually dug this up from the ground at the old house (June 28), transported it in a broken container (June 29), and then just re-potted it this weekend (July 12).  It seems to be doing just fine.

Grande Rosemary!

Harvesting My Container Garden

Today I harvested my new red potatoes!  They've been growing since late April, so a little over 2 months old.  They are super cute and round.  Awe...

I also learned two things: (1) potatoes do not like damp soil - all the potatoes at the bottom of the container were rotten!  (2) potatoes exposed to sunlight (i.e. poking out of the soil) turn green and are not good to eat!

Yield from 1 seed potato: 3 rotten, 3 good, 1 green

I also harvested my Swiss chard! The left-behind plants look so naked.  But I know they will grow back new leaves for me to harvest later.

Harvested chard

How quickly they grow

My container garden is taking off like wild fire!  Now that the weather is sunny and warm during both day and night, my leafy greens are growing quickly.

Bright Lights rainbow chard after rainstorm

spinach, chard, and garlic chives

This potato plant used to have leaves - darn rabbits!

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the vegetables I planted in the ground.  The zucchini is just barely out of the soil and the chard and potatoes are being nibbled by what I suspect are hungry bunnies.

Potted potato plants - too high for bunnies to munch

Last year, the strawberry plant was nibbled on so much that it never had a chance to bear fruit.  This afternoon, I found it growing among the weeds and was thrilled for the opportunity to try again!  I gently pulled up the weeds around it and then put up a barrier of sticks.  Check it out below!

Defense against rabbits - a fence of sticks and twigs!

the strawberry plant is back!

Another observation of interest: composting worms do not eat seeds.  The "soil" I took from my compost started growing a wild and mysterious blend of curcubits!  It seems as though all the seeds thrown carelessly into the compost bin last fall survived the winter and readily germinated in the warm spring weather.  At first there was one; now there are five or six!  Eventually I will need to thin them - squash plants take up a LOT of space, but for now it is a fun experiment in overcrowding.

Soil from my compost - naturally growing mystery seeds

The saddest story is probably my basil.  It was so healthy when I picked it out at Norman's Farm Market in Bethesda (thank you Irene Jillson!), but begin wilting as soon as I transplanted it.  Two weeks later, it is still looking unhappy.  Does anyone know what is wrong and/or what I might do to remedy the problem?

My poor basil plant has holes and dry patches - what is going on?

The Spinach Is Growing!

sea of spinach sprouts

After 5 days of waiting and below-average air temp, the spinach is growing! Much celebration - So glad I didn't fail as a gardener this spring!

baby potato plant

I'm also impressed by the seed potatoes - they took right off once I put them into nutrient-dense soil.

Motherly Worries

This is something that every new gardener experiences: the fear that my seeds will not sprout!

I optimistically planted my seeds this past weekend, assuming the weather would continue to be sunny and temperatures continue to rise.  Incorrect assumption.  The last four days have been both cold and rainy.  Not the kind of weather that entices seeds to germinate.  I'm concerned that the seeds will either wash away in the rain or succumb to mold...

On a positive note, the Swiss chard sprouts survived transplanting - so at least I will have something to harvest this year!

Worm Babies!

My worms are having babies!  I am so excited!

Three worm eggs - the future of my compost bin!

I dug into my compost bin today to "fluff up" the dense, compacted material at the bottom of the bin.  As I aerated the dark, black soil, I found several of these little, oval-shaped capsules.  Suspecting they might be worm eggs, I ran inside and watched Uncle Jim's youtube video about composting worms (see min 8:12).  According to Uncle Jim, who confirmed my suspicions, these little eggs can hold as many as 20 baby red worms!

Spring is here! Time for planting!

I returned from my topical vacation to Maui to find spring in full-force.  Everything is in bloom around my house.  So many colors! I can't go outside without feeling inspired.  And hoping to inspired others, too.

As part of the Northern District Virginia Dietetic Association (NDVDA), I am helping Franconia Elementary School start a school yard garden.  I met with the Student Council Association (SCA), recently, to get them rev'd up about the garden and jump-start their service learning project: creating shade maps!  The student representatives from each grade (~30 students, ages 8 - 13) will determine the best location to build raised beds next spring.

On my way home from the meeting, I visited the local garden center, Nalls Produce, and met Sue Brinner, a former high school teacher from Illinois who has helped other schools implement gardens.  We chatted for about 20 minutes and she has agreed to help with the project!  She also talked me into some beautiful rainbow chard sprouts and I added a Yukon Gold seed potato, to try out something new.

When I got home, I opened my my compost bin, expecting to find decaying, freeze-dried worms.  Instead, I found healthy, live worms and sprouting seeds!  Not sure how things grow in there without direct sunlight.  Nature always finds a way.

The VA Cooperative Extension recommends planting after April 20 in this region, but I waited until today (May 4) to plant because it's been getting cold at night the past couple weeks and I want to give my little seeds and seedlings the best chance at survival.

I am trying out something new this year: containers!  I have garlic chives, spinach, chard and potatoes in pots (portable, in case I move this summer).  The extra chard and potatoes, I planted in the ground.  It will be an experiment to see what grows best, where.

"Bright Lights" rainbow chard

Since the zucchini did so well last year, I planted another round of that, too.  It's in the same location as last year, so I expect it to do well.  Unfortunately, I cannot plant zucchini in a container to take with me because it spreads out and takes up so much room.  Same story for pumpkins.

Genesis Today Discolsure

In the spirit of full disclosure, I want to share with you you that I started working for Genesis Today this month.  My new job may influence the types of topics I write about from now on, but I promise to maintain my integrity.

While trying to decide whether or not to take the position, I contacted an RD who used to work for a supplement company.  She told me "Lots of companies will offer to pay you to help them promote their products – you just need to decide if you want to lend them your name and reputation."

I was worried, at first.  Without knowing anything about the products, I was concerned that I would have to lie to do my job.  "Buy this supplement, it's the best!"  I reconciled this by deciding to research each product extensively and share only the information supported by fact.  Put things in a positive light.  Lies of omission are OK, right?

It's not like I had a lot of time to think about it.  My new employment.  It happened so fast.  I wasn't looking for a new job.  They found me on LinkedIn on January 25th and, two weeks later, after a 45-minute phone conversation and 90-minute interview, I was offered the Regional Educator and Trainer position!  Crazy?  Serendipitous!

I was beginning to get complacent at my old job.  I reached a peak, my nutrition lessons for preschoolers as creative and integrative as possible, then started to run out of ideas.  I was disappointed in myself, my newest lessons less engaging than the previous lessons.  I was ready to leave, move on, and learn something new.  

I also do not miss the unsanitary and inhospitable working conditions - office temperature ranging from 60 to 80 degrees, rats chewing through my nutrition supplies in the evenings...

The most exciting thing about working for a private company is the efficiency.  I was paid 15 days after I started working for them.  Amazing!  Compare that to the two months I waited for UDC to pay me after I started working.  Not to mention the mileage reimbursement checks.  I still haven't received reimbursement for miles driving in February, January or December 2012.  But let's not dwell on the past.

Looking forward!  Here I am, 12 days into a new and demanding job.  I've already trained 8 stores and visited 14 store others - traveling from Alexandria, VA to Annapolis, MD to Erie, PA.  This Wednesday, I will be presenting a webinar on Antioxidants!

The other good news is that, since headquarters is located in Austin, TX, my office is my "home" - or anywhere with internet.  Lately, I've been choosing to work predominantly from my office at Pinecrest Wellness Center.  Already my private practice has picked back up!  How lucky am I for this wonderful, career-enhancing opportunity.

A Natural Detox Protocol

Ever since I finished The Cleanse, I've had people come up to me and ask for advice.  They say that they want to do a cleanse but don't want to purchase all the expensive supplements.  I tell them, "No problem! You can encourage healthy elimination and  increase detoxification with food!"

Reduce toxic load
The first step of cleansing is to reduce your exposure to toxins in your diet. These include processed foods, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, additives, dyes, caffeine, and alcohol.  Conventionally grown produce contains higher levels or pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and larvicides, so it is best to choose organic fruits and vegetables while cleansing.  If this isn't possible for your financially, I strongly suggest you at least purchase organic those foods listed on the Environmental Working Group's dirty dozen list.

If you think your symptoms might be linked to food allergies, it can also be helpful to eliminate the common allergenic foods wheat (gluten), dairy, eggs, and peanuts.  If you have joint pain, I also recommend avoiding nightshade plants (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers).

Increase detoxification
The body has several organs of detoxification, including the liver, kidneys, digestive tract, lungs, and skin.  The following foods and activities help these detoxification organs do their job better.

• Water. Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.  In addition to helping your kidneys to produce more urine, which helps eliminate water-soluble toxins from the body, sufficient water also prevents constipation.

• Brassica vegetables.  Vegetables in the mustard family (Brassica oleracae) are very high in glucosinolates.  Glucosinolates are broken down, or metabolized, into isothiocyanates and indoles.  Indoles and isothiocyanates increase phase I and phase II liver enzymes, respectively, which help convert oil-based chemicals (which is most chemicals) into water-soluble compounds so they can be eliminated.

• Colorful, flavorful plants. The body creates some free radicals as a side effect of essential oxidation processes (like digestion).  While the body naturally produces some antioxidants to stop, or quench, the free radicals, you can help your body fight against additional, external free radicals (i.e. environmental toxins) by eating a diet rich in antioxidants.  Choose foods that are high on the ORAC scale (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), such as acai, wild blueberries, raw cranberries, English walnuts, plums, blackberries, raw garlic, raspberries, and herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, ginger, cinnamon, and tumeric.

• Fiber. Dietary fiber from whole grains, fruits and raw vegetables encourages a soft stool and aids in elimination.  Once toxins are mobilized from fat stores, it is very important to get them out of the body!  Don't allow them to sit in your colon for 3 days.  Certain pre-biotic fibers, like inulin and FOS, feed healthy gut bacteria, which improves intestinal flora and elimination in general.

• Lean protein. The organs of detoxification need amino acids to make new enzymes and other protein-based tissues.  Choose cold-water fish, free-range chicken, beans or tofu.

• Sweat it all out!  Whether you are exercising vigorously or siting in a 180 degree sauna for 10-15 minutes, sweating is a great way to open up the pores in your skin and rid the body of toxins.

• Relax. The organs of detoxification work best when the body is well rested and relaxed.  Too much stress weakens all the body systems.  During your time of detoxification, treat yourself to a full body massage.  Maybe take a relaxing bath, adding a few drops of relaxing essential oils like lavender, chamomile, or sandalwood to the bathwater.  It is normal to feel a little tired while detoxing.  So be sure to allow yourself least 8 hours of sleep each night.

A snack to tide you over

I've been wanting to write about ways to detoxify without using expensive supplements, but I haven't had the time.  The article I want to write - on that is that perfect balance of humor and information - requires a small, but significant, amount of research that my crazy life has not allowed.

In the last week, I was offered a new job, drove to Ithaca (6 hours, each way) to see a long-lost friend, participated in a three-day online bulletin board, and helped nurse a sick boyfriend back to health.  I've had such little sleep, that I feel like God must be training me to be a new parent.

So please forgive me for not writing.  I promise to get back to a regular schedule soon.

Day 21: The Cleanse Is Over!

As I write this blog entry, I am sucking down my last smoothie and day dreaming about what I will eat tomorrow.  Yes, friends, today is my last day on the cleanse.  Hallelujah!

Earlier this evening, I weighted myself at the gym.  Sadly, I did not achieve the goal to maintain my weight.  I believe the only reason I ended up losing 2 pounds is because I got tired of forcing myself to eat all the time.  Seriously, there is a reason Weight Watchers awards fresh fruits and vegetables a PointsPlus^TM value of ZERO!  Another possible reason for the weight loss was because I tried to keep a normal schedule while on the cleanse.  This included rock climbing 1-3 times a week, running 1-2 times a week, and going out with friends on the weekends.  Although I tried my best to plan and bring enough food to sustain my long days - you should have seen the pile of to-go containers in my sink every night! - I sometimes ended up going hungry.

Friends have asked me if I feel any different, or any healthier, since beginning this journey.  I wish I could say that I feel ten times better and that all my previous bodily dysfunction has disappeared, but it hasn't.

Overall, I feel pretty much the same.  I have about the same amount of energy.  I still get tired at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, especially if I've been sitting all day.  I still get a headache when I don't eat enough food, or if I go too long without eating.  I still have chronic phlegm in the back of my throat (probably due to black mold in my rental house).  I still get blemishes on my skin.  Brassica vegetables still give me gas (more on this later).  The only noticeable change has been in the quality of my digestion.

My intestinal flora has definitely changed as a result of eating mostly fruits and vegetables.  At the beginning of the cleanse, it was very clear that my body had a difficult time digesting raw vegetables.  Now that I've reached the end, my digestive tract is doing a much better job at breaking down every last morsel of food and fiber.  I attribute this to an increased number of good bacteria helping my endogenous enzymes break down the food I eat.  We are not what we eat, we are what we digest, absorb and assimilate!

Over 33,000 species of bacteria live in the human digestive tract.  If we foster the growth healthy gut flora, these microbes help us digest our food and absorb nutrients.  They also help us ward off infections by training our immune system to fight against pathogenic invaders.

If you get a chance, check out the The Secret World of Microbes (National Geographic, Jan 2013 )

The Standard American Diet, high in sugar, white flour and processed foods, promotes the growth of pathogenic microbes like the bacteria E. Coli and the yeast candida albicans (candida overgrowth can result in vaginal yeast infections).  On the other hand, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and whole grains promotes the growth of good bacteria such as Lactobacillus (acidophilus) and Bifidobacteria.

Day 15: Find a Routine

Today begins the final week of the three week cleanse.  Counting today (day 15), I am 71% done. Woohoo!  Throughout the past 14 days, I've developed a routine for shopping, cooking, and eating to help me save time and make life (and digestion) more predictable.  I buy the same things at the grocery store every time I go, cook a ton of lentils at the beginning of the week, and eat the same basic foods all week long.  Below is a typical day.

Before Breakfast
16 oz warm water with lemon

Breakfast
Smoothie made with 1 c. frozen fruit, 1 c. spinach, 3/4 c. carrot juice, 1 tsp. omega-3, 1/2 tsp. probiotic
16 oz herbal tea (usually ginger, Throat Coat, or other warming beverage - to help melt icy smoothie)

Morning snack (sometimes I eat "morning snack" at home and smoothie at work)
3-5 oz chicken breast or salmon
1-2 c. vegetable saute - mushroom, onion, garlic, zucchini, paprika and other spices

Lunch
Smoothie (I make a double batch at breakfast and save the second half for lunch)
Salad: 4-6 c. spring mix lettuce, 1 c. kale, 1 T. chia seeds, 1 c. red lentils (heated, to wilt salad)
Dressing:: 2-4 T. olive oil + balsamic vinegar, as dressing
8 oz water

Snack
2 c. raw cabbage (red or green)
1 c. butternut squash, if I'm still hungry or planning to exercise after work
8 oz water

Dinner
Smoothie made with 1 c. frozen fruit, 1 c. spinach, 3/4 c. carrot juice, 1 tsp. omega-3, 1/2 tsp. probiotic
3-5 oz chicken breast or salmon
2 c. steamed broccoli or cauliflower
Sweet potato, baked or made into sweet potato fries, seasoned with fresh rosemary from my garden
Apple or pear for dessert, if I'm still hungry
8 oz water

Before bed
8 oz water

Misc - whenever I feel like I need more calories
Baba ganoush
Celery
Carrot sticks
Sauteed eggplant
Tomato slices
Fruit juice + 10-20 g protein powder (on hard exercise days)
1/2 c. brown rice - but I rarely eat rice because the lentils are much more filling (and I have to choose one or the other, can't have both)

I haven't checked my weight since last week, when the gym scale's batteries died, but I will make an effort to re-measure soon!  Just a reminder, my goal on this cleanse is to gain weight!  Or, at least, not lose weight.

Day 12: "real" protein is wonderful

Choose wild-caught (not farmed) salmon 

Yesterday I ate chicken for breakfast.  Along with 2 cups of sauteed vegetables.  But let's focus on the meat for a moment.

On day 11 of The Cleanse (which I am currently in the middle of), you are allowed to add 2-4 servings of lean meat (chicken or fish), with 1-2 servings being fish.  Since one serving of protein is 3-5 ounces, I automatically interpreted the recommendation to mean "eat up to 20 oz of animal protein per day!"

As you can tell, I was super excited to implement my new-found plan...until I realized just how much protein that is!  For perspective, I rarely eat more than 10 oz of "meat" in my "normal" diet - an egg (1 oz) for breakfast, tuna (5 oz) for lunch, and chicken (3 oz) with dinner.  Therefore, I will probably never eat then full 20 oz of animal protein.  But, on the bright side, I am very much enjoying the addition of new flavors and meal options to the very limited diet that is The Cleanse!  It is SO much better than the whey protein isolate ("fake" protein, i.e. not whole food) I had been eating to maintain my lean body mass.

Day 8: Never eat "fat free" dressing

Yesterday was my last day of using the intestine scouring SP Cleanse supplement.  Hooray!  I promised my friend Ali that I wouldn't talk about the end products of digestion, but I think it is OK if I share how excited I am to get back to a "regular schedule."

Actually, things have been getting better in that department for a while.  Perhaps I am not consuming "half total vegetable amount raw," as recommended.  Or maybe I've figured out how to survive the cleanse by adding enough oil to my raw food to slow down its transit time.  Yes, fat slows down, and enhances, the digestion of raw vegetables, especially leafy greens like lettuce and spinach.

The longer a food is in the stomach and small intestines, the more time the digestive enzymes have to digest it and extract nutrients from the mess of fibers in which they are entangled.  Eating fat with raw vegetables also aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as D, E, and beta-carotene (the precursor to vitamin A).  It is not what you eat, but what you absorb!  So all you people who like to eat your healthy salad with "fat free" dressing, think twice!

Lunch: mix spring greens, topped with kale & chia seeds.
Dressing: balsamic vinegar olive oil (no added sugar)

I am still struggling to get enough calories because I get full so quickly on this diet.  To compensate, I find myself eating every 1-2 hours.  Yesterday I ate at 8am, 9:30am, 10am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 5pm, 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm.  That is ten separate meals!  I feel like a whale, eating tiny amounts of calories, continuously throughout the day.

Science Lesson: Did you know that blue whales (80 ft long) can eat up to 8000 pounds of krill (2.4 inches) per day.  That is 4% of their body weight!  The whales swim along, hunting for areas with high concentration of krill.  When they find such an area, they open their mouth and ingest the krill, along with copious amounts of seawater.  Then, whale spits out the water, but the unfortunate krill remain, stuck in the whale's baleen plates, and are subsequently swallowed.

Yep, I have become a baleen whale.  I spend my whole day hunting low-calorie fruits and vegetables and drinking copious amounts of water.  Except that, unlike the whale, I do not spit out my water.

Day 6: The cravings begin!

I really wish I could eat Chipotle, or drink hot chocolate, or have toast with butter.  But I can't because I am doing The Cleanse.  Instead, I just ate a teaspoon of unrefined coconut oil.  It went down easy.  Then I added 10 grams of protein powder to grape juice.  It almost tasted like sorbet.  Almost.

This is the first day I've had serious emotional cravings.  I think it is because my day was so long, boring, and disappointing.  I will spare you the details.  But I'll say this: I hope the next 15 days are not like today!

Let's focus on the positive.  I am glad to be eating 1 cup lentils instead of 1/2 cup brown rice (way more flavor and calories).  I have used my new cast iron pan almost every day (yay for residual beef fat from pre-cleanse steak).  And I am very much looking forward to adding chicken and fish on Day 11.

Ok, I don't feel so bad anymore.

Day 5: Health care professional required

I think I finally ate enough calories!

And I strongly encourage everyone who does The Cleanse do so under the supervision of a health care professional.  Preferably under the supervision of registered dietitian, like myself.  Without expert support and direction, how else will the cleanser know if they are getting enough to eat?  Some people feel awful on The Cleanse because they are mobilizing toxins within their bodies but are too constipated to eliminate them.  Others feel awful because they are only eating 50% of the calories they need.  Heck, I'm a registered dietitian and it's taken me five days to figure out how to get enough calories while eating only fruits and vegetables!

I didn't waste any of this apple

As a side note, I really wish I could eat nuts and seeds on The Cleanse.  It would make my snack of raw fruit much more balanced and satisfying.  Fact: the protein and fat in nuts and seeds help to slow digestion and lead to increased satiety.

Fact: The Cleanse does not support vigorous exercise.  While hiking for 2 hours today, I first prepared with a BIG breakfast (461 kcal, 19.5 g protein) and then ate a pear and an apple during the hike.  Unfortunately, the apple and pear digested quickly without protein and fat to slow down the acid and enzymes in my stomach and I was soon hungry again  And I didn't waste any of the fruit, either.  Most people leaving a lot of the flesh on the core when they eat fruit.  But I ate the WHOLE thing, except for the seeds, which are poisonous (see picture on right).

When I returned home from my hike, I ate a large and satisfying late lunch of 650 kcal and 42.5 g protein.  It felt so good to be full!  And I stayed full all the way until dinner.

Day 4: Sweat it all out

Today I signed up for a free 3-day pass to my local gym for the sole reason of utilizing their sauna and steam room.  Best. Idea. Ever!  I'm naturally a cold person.  My fingers and toes have a tendency to feel like ice cubes, especially in the winter. All the frozen fruit smoothies and raw vegetables (which have a cooling effect) that I have been eating exacerbate the situation.  So it felt extra nice to sit in the 185 degree sauna for 15 minutes and let the sweat bead up on my skin.

Having a sauna or steam room is not just warming, it is also therapeutic.  Sweating is a great way to open up pores and rid the body of toxins.  Or at least the water-soluble ones.

As a side note, my sweat smells like curry.  Which is curious because I have not eaten any curry.  It must be an ingredient in all those supplements I've been taking for The Cleanse.

Thank you, http://www.mccoysauna.com/, for the picture!

Day 3: Tired (and cranky)

The Cleanse is exhausting.  Food preparation takes so much more time and energy when eating only fresh food - the shopping, the chopping, the assembling or cooking.  It makes me realize how much I rely on convenience foods and grains for energy.  Eating fresh foods takes longer, too.  It took me 15 minutes to eat a head of raw broccoli today.  Yeesh, that is half of my lunch break!  Did you know that eating celery actually burns calories because it takes more energy to chew and digest than there are calories to be digested?  No wonder our ancestors struggled to get enough to eat - by the time they cooked and ate their fiber-rich whole food, it was time to go hunt and gather again.

(added on Day 5: can you tell this was my worst day on the cleanse?)

Day 2: Old Tricks, New Dog

It is nearing the end of my second day on The Cleanse and I finally figured out some tricks to help keep my calories up.  The funny thing is, I knew these tricks all along.  Only I had been using them in opposite.

Usually, I prescribe and follow the "get fit, stay slim" diet - lots of watery soups and vegetables to fill you up and keep you full.  And that is how I have been feeling for the last two days - always very full of fiber and water, yet frustratingly undernourished because I can't get in enough calories!  Which is good for weight loss, but not so good if one is trying to maintain lean body mass as I am.

Trick #1: No more soups!  I plan to lightly saute my vegetables in oil instead of simmering them in liquid for 30 minutes.  This will increase nutrient density (heat x length = destroys vitamins), increase calorie density (oil has 40 calories per teaspoon) and decrease water volume in my tummy, which will allow me to eat more at one sitting (yay, more calories!)

Trick #2: Modify the oil rule.  Since my goal is not weight loss, I am going to break the rules in the rule book (page 15) and eat more than 7 teaspoons of oil each day.  7 tsp x 40 calories/tsp = 280 calories from fat.  For a 2000 calorie diet, that is only 14% fat.  The acceptable range for total fat intake for adults, as establish by the Institute of Medicine, is 20–35%.  Using the low end, I can eat at least 10 teaspoons of fat per day (that's 120 more calories).

Trick #3: The perfect smoothie.  One cup frozen fruit + 3/4 cup carrot juice + 20 g protein powder = the perfect consistency and about 300 calories of deliciousness (depending on the type of fruit used).  I thought the carrot juice would make the smoothie taste bad, but it actually complements the fruit flavor.  Also, using carrot juice increases raw vegetable intake for the day :)

Fruit combinations I've tried and highly recommend:

• 1/2 c. strawberries + 1/2 c. blueberries
• 1/2 c. mango + 1/2 c. pineapple
• 1/2 c. strawberries + 1/2 c. mango

The Cleanse: Day 1

Today was my first day on The Cleanse and a very busy day at work.  I didn't eat enough for breakfast because I had gorged myself the night before and, therefore, was not very hungry.  When lunch time came around, I was too busy with work to eat all the food I had so carefully and painstakingly packed for lunch.  Big mistake!  By the time I got home I was barely functional.  I felt tired, unfocused and unmotivated....and was seriously craving chocolate and bagels!  But I decided to be "good" and eat foods of The List instead.

The Standard Process Purification Program tells me that I can eat an unlimited amount of vegetables from The List (page 12), but they recommend I consume half of my vegetables raw and that my vegetable intake should be twice that of my fruit intake.  In other words, I should be eating in a 1:1:1 ratio.  For each cup of raw vegetables, I can eat a cup of cooked vegetables and one cup of fruit.  Let's see how I did.

This is what I ate today:

Breakfast

• 16 fl oz water w/ lemon
• 2 scoops SP Complete (90 calories, 10 g protein)
• 7 capsules SP Cleanse
• 3 capsules Gastro-Fiber
• 1/2 c. blueberries
• 3/4 c. strawberries
• 1/2 c. carrot-orange-pineapple juice (estimate 1/4 c. raw vegetable, 1/4 c. fruit)
• 16 fl oz ginger tea

Lunch

• 2 scoops SP Complete (90 calories, 10 g protein)
• 7 capsules SP Cleanse
• 3 capsules Gastro-Fiber
• 8 fl oz water
• 1/2 c. blueberries
• 1/2 c. strawberries
• 1/2 c. beets
• 1/2 c. carrot-orange-pineapple juice (estimate 1/4 c. raw vegetable, 1/4 c. fruit)
• 2 c. vegetable soup (olive oil, onion, garlic, celery, carrot, mushroom, zucchini, vegetable broth)
• 0.5 c. brown rice

Dinner

• 4 c. mixed salad greens
• 0.25 c. homemade dressing (olive oil + balsamic vinegar + garlic + maple syrup)
• 1 sweet potato (estimate 2 c.)
• 1 c. raw purple cabbage
• 1 c. grape juice + 20 g whey protein isolate 
• 1 apple (estimate 1 c.)

Supper

• 2 scoops SP Complete (90 calories, 10 g protein)
• 7 capsules SP Cleanse
• 3 capsules Gastro-Fiber
• 1/2 c. blueberries
• 1/2 c. strawberries
• 1/2 c. fresh-frozen zucchini
• 1/2 c. carrot-orange-pineapple juice (estimate 1/4 c. raw vegetable, 1/4 c. fruit)
• 1 teaspoon fish oil
• 1 1/2 c. cauliflower + olive oil + salt & pepper
• 16 fl oz water

DAILY TOTALS
Vegetable, raw: 6.25 cups
Vegetable, cooked: 6 cups
Fruit: 6 cups
Water: 7 cups (56 fl oz)
Protein: 63 g  (1.08 g/kg = OK for non-exercise day)
Calories: ~1800 (not enough!)

Ok, I admit it, I just ate 1.5 cups of cauliflower to make my vegetable to fruit ratio look better.  It is such a curious feeling - even though my stomach is so full of vegetable fiber that I can't possibly muscle down another bite, I am still hungry!  My poor stomach cells are working double time to breakdown and extract  calories from the mass of fiber going through my GI tract.

My goal for tomorrow is to eat more food, earlier in the day and continuously throughout the day.  This will help accommodate for the high fiber load and, with continuous calorie intake, allow me to sustain a higher energy level.

New Years Cleanse

I am starting a cleanse in two days.  I've always wanted to do one.  And by "always" I mean ever since I learned about detoxification in coursework at Bastyr University.  I was on the "starving student" diet back then so buying the required supplements was not really an option.  Instead, I did the Elimination Diet and eliminated common the food allergens (wheat, dairy, corn, soy, citrus, peanuts and tree nuts) from my diet for 2-8 weeks to determine food sensitivities.

Thank you Teeccino (herbal coffee) for the picture

Needless to say, I know how to survive on a limited diet of rice and beans/meats and vegetables.  But this cleanse is ever more restrictive.  I am only allowed to eat fruits and vegetables* for 21 days!  (*plus 1/2 cup brown rice + 7 teaspoons oil + supplement regimen)  I do get to add up to 20 oz of lean protein (organic chicken or deep-sea fish) starting day 11.  Oh, but the the list of vegetables is restricted to non-starchy, calorie-lacking vegetables (i.e. no white potatoes, no avocado, etc).

My biggest worry is that I won't get enough calories and I will lose weight and muscle mass.  I am worried that it will negatively affect my ability to work and limit how hard I can exercise.  To prevent this, I plan to document my daily intake and count calories.  I will report this here, in subsequent blog posts.  I will also report how I feel, any physical effects, and any other related things worth mentioning.

I will be following the Standard Process Purification Program.  This program is designed to stimulate my organs of detoxification - the liver, kidneys and intestines - to help me remove toxins from my body, which can build up over time and by constant exposure to synthetic chemicals in my urban environment.  I have no allegiance to Standard Process other than the Wellness Center where I work stocks their products and promotes The Cleanse every January to help clients "start their wellness resolution off right."  I hope this cleanse will help me start off on the right foot, too!

Turkey Vegetable Soup

I would like to share my dad's recipe for this delicious soup, but there is one problem.  He never makes the same soup twice.  I could tell you the basic ingredients, if you like, but there will be no amounts - which would drive my Bastyr culinary instructors crazy.  Instead, I will list the foods you might include.  It is very much a "everything but the kitchen sink" kind of soup.

• Leftover turkey
• Broth
• Gravey
• Onion
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Carrots
• Corn
• Wild rice
• Green beans
• Salt
• Pepper

Turkey Enchiladas!

After the prized white breast meat is cut away from a whole, roasted turkey there is actually quite a bit of edible protein left.  Cleaning the bird requires meticulous determination - especially if you have picky eaters who blanch at the presence of cartilage or bone fragments in their mouth - but the extra time it takes to remove the dark meat is worth the effort.  The darker meat from the wings, ribs, legs and thighs tend to have a slightly higher nutrient profile - more iron, calcium and zinc. 

Darker meat indicates that the turkey used the muscle tissue more during its lifetime.  

More exercise equals more blood flow.  

Where there is more blood flow, there are more minerals like iron, calcium and zinc.

My dad likes to use the leftover dark meat to make his famous turkey enchiladas because the dark meat has more flavor than the white meat.  His recipe is below.

Our vacation rental didn't have a 9 x 11 so we used 4 smaller vessels

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced finely
• 1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
• Jalapeño peppers, diced (optional)
• 4 cups shredded* turkey
• 1/2 cup bone broth
• 12 oz Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
• 16 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
• 1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
• 16 black olives, slices

Directions:

1.     Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until soft and translucent.

2.   Add bell pepper, green chilies and jalapeños.  Cook a few minutes more.  (Side note: If you aren't a fan of spicy, don't add the jalapeños.  If you love spicy, add as many other peppers as your taste buds can handle!)

3.     Add turkey and broth to pepper mixture.  Stir over low heat until well mixed.

4.     Remove from heat and add 1 cup (8 oz) of the cheese.  Mix well.  Enchilada filling is done.

5.     Lay a tortilla on a flat surface.  Place 1/4 cup** of the turkey mixture across the diameter of the tortilla and roll it into a cylinder.  If tortillas are dry and cracking as you roll, add a little bit of water to the remaining tortillas in a bag and microwave for 10 seconds to soften the grain and make it more pliable.

6.     Place the rolled enchilada in one end of a 9 x 11 Pyrex baking dish, leaving room on the sides.  Repeat with remaining tortillas until the baking dish is full length-wise.  It's OK if you end up with left-over filling - it can be frozen and used later for a quick taco meal!

7.     Pour beans into the space on the sides of the enchiladas.  Pour the enchilada sauce on top of the enchiladas.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup (4 oz) cheese on top of the sauce and sprinkle the olives on top of the cheese.

8.     Cover.  Bake in a preheated oven at 350° F for 30 minutes.  Remove cover and bake about 5-10 minutes more, until the cheese is beginning to brown.

9.     Serve warm.

One turkey enchilada served with spring mix salad, saffron rice, quinoa and black beans

* Use your fingers to pull apart the meat until it is a stringy consistency.  If you want to bring out more of the turkey flavor in your enchilada, you can brown the shredded meat in a separate pan (1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat) before adding it to the onion and pepper mixture.

**This measurement is not exact.  You can place more turkey mixture in the middle of each tortilla for a bigger enchilada or less turkey mixture for a smaller enchilada.  Nutritional note: the smaller enchilada will have more corn tortilla (i.e. carbs) per enchilada while the larger enchilada will have more turkey (i.e. protein) per enchilada.