What's in a Healthy Diet?

What is a Healthy Diet?

All the time people come to me wanting me to “diagnose” them with a special, rigid diet. As a health coach, I am not a dietician, therefore, I do not give “diets.” (I will, however, use the word “diet,” for lack of a better word, to describe one’s daily intake of food.) Most of the writing out there in the wide field of nutrition is talking about restrictions: “Don’t eat this and definitely don’t drink that!” In my opinion, it is important to follow what can be called “the cramming-out effect”, whereby you eat more of the healthier options (whole grains, green vegetables, etc.), which naturally leaves less room to partake of the less healthy foods. Plus, you will begin to not want “junk” because of how good you feel not eating it anymore.

It is also necessary to eat what you enjoy eating, for pleasure is a huge part of health. Food is here to be savored, flavored, and appreciated, as well as bring us health. However, that being said, when your body is in a healthy state of being, you will naturally desire to eat food that nourishes your body, mind and spirit, so that what you desire to eat will be good for you. Imagine that! In order to limit the confusion—or at least diminish it to a manageable quantity—here are a few general guidelines for a healthy “diet”. Keep in mind that my #1 rule for eating is to listen to your body, notice how it feels after a meal, and follow its cues. There are good reasons why you crave salt or chocolate. But that is a whole different article. So on with today’s topic:

Health-Supportive Food Guidelines

(adapted from Anne-Marie Colbin’s Food & Healing)

1. The Complex-Carbohydrate Group:
1. Whole-grain cereals (2-3 servings daily (1 cup cooked grain)): brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, corn, rye, popcorn, whole wheat, millet, whole-grain bread
2. Starchy tubers (2-3 servings daily (1 med. size tuber)): yams, camote (Mexican wild yam), sweet potatoes, etc.
2. The Protein Group:
1. Dry beans & peas (1-2 servings daily (1 cup cooked beans)): split peas, garbanzos, lentils, kidney beans, etc.
2. Animal protein (1-5 servings/week (1 fist-size piece)): fish, fowl, eggs, meat
3. The Vitamin/Mineral Group:
1. Leafy-green vegetables (1-2 servings daily (1/2 cup cooked)): kale, collards, chard, spinach, mustard greens, dandelion, etc. (all cooked); lettuce, parsley, dill, cilantro, watercress (all raw)
2. The roots & squashes (1-2 servings daily (1/2 cup)): turnips, parsnips, carrots, rutabagas, radishes, zucchini, etc.
3. The general vegetables (2-5 servings daily (1/2 cup)): celery, broccoli, onions, leeks, green beans, etc.
4. The sea vegetables (2-5 servings daily (1/4 cup)): nori (the kind in sushi), wakame (usually in miso soup), hijiki, dulse (comes in flake form), kombu, kelp, etc.
5. The nightshades (3-5 servings/week (1/2 cup) only if diet includes dairy): potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers
6. Fresh or cooked fruits (1-2 servings daily (1 cup) according to season)

·  between meals for raw fruit, as they can upset digestion if eaten with other foods.

4. The Lactobacillus Group (3-5 servings/week (1/2 cup)): fermented foods, including: pickles, kombucha (beverage), miso, tempeh, sauerkraut; fermented-milk products (yogurt, etc.) are optional
5. The Fun-Foods Group (weekends, parties, special occasions): milk, cheese, chocolate, sugar, pate, fried foods, “rich foods”, etc.

Something very important to note is that when you are incorporating more whole grains and carbohydrates into your diet, these require more thorough chewing. The enzymes that break down the carbohydrates are centrally and conveniently located in the mouth, and when you gulp down your brown rice, the burden of digestion then goes on to the lower organs, which can cause abdominal bloating, gas, and what was perceived as a “healthy” diet can become a bit of a digestive nightmare.

Eat well. Chew well. Be well.

Setting an Intention: Launching my Life into the Stratosphere!

This is my intention.

I intend to express the bold, sassy, beautiful, ingenious, divine spirit that lives inside of me, to let her soar, bubble out, spew, laugh, and come alive in every aspect of my life. I intend to have sharp & gentle focus around what I desire to be, do, build, create, own, love and attract into my life--and what it is time to let go of. I intend to allow my intuition to be the shining beacon of direction on the horizon of every day. I intend to laugh way more and relax into life and loving. I intend to awaken every cell of my body to the truth of my greatest potential for health and beauty. I intend to beam with the luscious, luminescence of divine purpose and to speak with courage and eloquence the messages in my heart. I intend to be my fullest, most alive version of me--every day!--whatever form that takes. I intend to trust in the divine process unfolding in my life and to be steadfast in my faith in Her and my own innate golden worth. I intend to be discerning, yet with an open mind and heart and a buoyant sense of humor through it all. I intend to listen to my body--finally--and choose the food, relationships, fun, rest, movement, environment that feels the most aligned with my physiology and spirituality. I intend to be fully engaged in this process, and to be a consistent presence in my own life, steadfast, dynamic and BIG HEARTED!

What's your intention?

Balance. Is it a Myth?

WooWoo Wednesday.....

"On the tightrope of life, only one thing allows us to move forward, and that one thing is balance. Without balance we fall into chaos, we fall behind, we miss out on what true choices we have in life.

Balance is acheived through awareness. Awareness of what we have on our plate. What is working and what is not. What feels good and what doesn't. Where we are and where we want to be.

 

With awareness, we have choice, the freedom to choose, free will. It is choice that gives us power. Power to choose. Power which is energy. Energy that allows us to move forward in alignment with our choices. We all want to live a full life, and the key to living a full life is finding the balance." —Laura Kangas

 

 

Balance. Is It A Myth?

Balance is a sticky subject among many of my clients. They have careers, partners, maybe children, family commitments, charity work, classes, hobbies, worship time—plus, big desires to uplevel their health. How can one possibly balance so many things?

 

I'm going to let you in on a little secret here: You cannot possibly balance so many things at one time. Not, at least, in the way you balance weight on a teeter-totter. That said, when people ask about life balance, what they usually want to know is how can you have more of what you want and less of what you don't want? How can you have more pleasure and less drudgery?

 

Personally, I think "harmony" is a better word than balance. To me, harmony means everything is co-existing in a spirit of cooperation. A much easier image than balance.

 

But harmony, balance, or whatever else you want to call "fitting it all in," there is a secret to doing more of what you want and less of what you don't want. Want to hear it?  (I just need to warn you that although the equation sounds simple, it actually takes massive willpower to execute. It also requires that you get absolutely clear on what you want your life to look like, and what you do not want in your life.)

 

Okay, here is my secret: First ask yourself what isn't serving you. What doesn't need to be in your life? What is dragging you down? Have you identified a few things?  Now get rid of them. Right this moment. (Or fix them. Pronto.)

 

Next, ask yourself what you want to accomplish in your life—or in this week or day. What do you desire? Focus on it. Or focus on them, becuase if you are like me, you have several desires going on at once: For me, it's living healthfully, having great relationships with people I love and running my awesome business.

 

Give it a try. I dare you. And see how much more harmonious your life can be.

 

So much love,

Stephanie

"Would you like to learn how to create massive health and outrageous irresistbility so you can attract, create and enjoy the looks and life of your dreams? Visit Stephanie Pedersen at www.WiseLifeWellness.com for free health, wellness, mindset and irresistibility tips, including the special report, Instantly Irresistible:  7 Fast Ways to a Sexier, More Beautiful You.

The Amazing Apple

 “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This well known saying points to the very heart of holistic medicine: that food is the best prevention for illness. Not only can a healthy diet prevent dis-ease, but it can help your body to slow symptoms of aging, have more energy, stay in balance with your environment and help you to heal when you are sick.

            There is a good reason that this saying has prevailed through time. There is a lot of truth to the dis-ease prevention properties of apples. And as we end summer and move into autumn, apples should be a key component of your daily diet. Your body has accumulated lots of internal heat through the summer, which can cause dryness in the bowels, lungs and skin. One of the easiest way to dispel this heat is to eat foods that will loosen the stools enough to move that heat down and out. That’s right: poop out the heat, people.

            The skins of apples are high in pectin, which is a kind of fiber. Fiber is like a maid service for your intestines, keeping things tidy and clean down there, which is a very good thing. Pectin is also shown to remove cholesterol, toxic metals such as lead and mercury, and the residues of radiation. Even though apples are high in sugar, the absorption of sugar is slowed down significantly by the pectin. Plus, “research has shown that apples have numerous nutrients that actually support blood sugar.*” Here are some more handy & nutritious facts about apples and blood sugar: (from Dr. John Douillard, an Ayurvedic practitioner out of Boulder, Colorado).

• Quercitin in apples may slow the breakdown of carbohydrates into simple sugars in the gut, thus supporting blood sugar (3).*
• Polyphenols in apples may lower the rate of glucose absorption, decreasing blood sugar spikes.
• Apples support the pancreas to produce more insulin to help support blood sugar(3).* (Douillard, 2011)

            Apples also sweep your teeth of debris. My mom used to bring me an apple when she picked me up from school when I had a dentist appointment so that my teeth would shine and my breath would be fresh. Thanks, Mom!

            Some tips on buying apples: Make sure you buy organic apples. They are on the USDA “Dirty Dozen” list for highest amounts of pesticide residue. The best way to get all the benefits from apples is to eat the whole thing raw, skin and all.

            If you think about the foods being harvested at the end of summer, apples are high on the list. Nature is telling us that this is a perfect food for balancing our internal chemistry and restoring health and balance to the body. So, eat your apples. While an apple a day is good, I suggest eating 2-3 whole apples for optimal benefit. Try out different kinds and find the one you like best. My personal favorite is Fuji or Honey Bear. By eating foods in season, you stay in sync with the world around you, and you can be healthy and radiant year round.

For more info & recipes on  apples and Seasonal Eating, go to  www.innerhum.org

Fantabulous Flax

Fantabulous Flax

 I feel like dancing around, whistling a tune and singing Flax…flax…flax. Flax, this beautiful, versatile, nourishing and TEEENSSSY seed capable of wondrous creations, containing boundless nourishment. I’m here today to sing (or tell) you its tale.

Imagine with me: It’s mid-morning, the light is soft. You stand in a field of flax, admiring its delicate and small blue flowers tinkling in the slight warm wind, atop strong slender stems. The whole plant is dancing with delight. It is indeed a soothing sight for sore eyes.

Humans have cultivated many uses for this fantabulous plant. The fibrous stems are spun into silky, glorious linen (the name derived from flax’s other name: linseed). Flax can even be smashed into pulp to make paper.

If you notice how the flax plant grows and moves and realize how its stems become this flowing, graceful fabric that we can use to adorn our bodies, then you can easily stretch your imagination into the possibilities that on the inside of our bodies, flax energetically plumps up dried out tissues and gently stimulates movement in the digestive tract and system…among other things I will discuss later.

Rebecca Wood, author of The Whole Foods Encyclopedia has this to say about flax’s history in our human food chain:

“Flax was used by late Stone Age lake dwellers in what is now Switzerland and cultivated in Babylon around 5000 BC, making it one of humankind’s earliest food supplies. In the eighth century, Charlemagne considered flax so essential for health that he passed laws requiring its use.”

We don’t have to use laws, just common sense to realize that adding flax to our diets is both important and easy.

These tiny, shiny seeds pack one powerful nutritional punch.

Let’s take a closer look:

They have a sweet flavor, a neutral thermal nature (meaning they neither heat nor cool the body), and they tone the stomach and colon. They are 40% oil, mostly linoleic and alpha-linoleic acids, which have been shown to strengthen immunity in our cells, prevent cancer from forming, and clear the heart and arteries of fatty blockages.

The Omega-3 fatty acids, which are highly-concentrated within these flat, shiny brown seeds, are a key to reducing inflammation in the body. Inflammation plays a part in many chronic and acute illnesses, including: heart disease, arthritis, asthma, diabetes and even some cancers. Omega-3s are what we also find in cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel and swordfish. If it’s Omega-3s you’re after, make sure you buy the dark brown seeds, as the “golden flax” have far less.

Good for maintaining healthy, youthful skin and tissues (on the inside as well as the outside), flax seeds also contain lignans, which convert to an estrogenic compound that helps to regulate women’s menstrual cycles and hormones, and may help reduce peri-menopausal symptoms.

Its high fiber content also makes flax seed meal a perfect addition to top off soups, salads and cereals. I mix freshly ground flax meal into my hot cereal for breakfast. 2 rounded Tablespoons of freshly ground flax meal is the recommended daily dose, for greatest benefit. Remember more is not better.

Why flax meal and not flax oil? Well, the oils in flax are highly unsaturated, meaning that when exposed to even low levels of heat, they easily go rancid. To ensure that you’re not consuming rancid oils, store at room temperature (or in the freezer) for a few months and only grind seeds in a coffee grinder once a week. I grind enough seeds (about 1 ½ cups) at the beginning of the week and store the “meal” or powder in a sealed glass jar in the fridge.

If you do buy flax oil, make sure to use it within a few weeks after opening the bottle. And keep it refrigerated. The seeds are mysteriously stable enough to use whole in cooking. It is theorized that this incredible stability is due to the high levels of antioxidants in the seeds. What miraculous creations, huh?

I personally prefer the meal to the oil, because I love the taste and my body really loves the extra fiber, which helps stabilize blood sugar, giving me the stable energy to love life and function at my best.

So whether you choose to drizzle it on a salad or sprinkle it in a smoothie, add some flax into your daily fare today or tomorrow morning! Your body will surely thank you for the extra love!