Category: Nutrition Basics

Basic Nutrition Tips, Tools, etc.

Buying healthy food without breaking the bank…

go to www.foodnews.org for printable version
go to http://www.foodnews.org for printable version

 When I talk to people about healthy foods and nutrition, I often get an “I just can’t afford it” response. This is a common notion because the price tags on organic products are indeed higher. However, it is important to point out that a) there are longer term consequences and hard costs that result from eating the “regular” products, and b) by eliminating the unhealthy foods from the shopping cart and reducing the amount of eating out, there is money freed up to by the good stuff and c) there are practical ways to manage higher quality foods and to fit them into your budget.

One very helpful resource is the Environmental Working Group’s Pesticide Guide. This shows you exactly where your money is best spent on organic fruits and vegetables and where buying conventional is OK. Carry this handy guide in your purse or wallet until you have it memorized. They even update it every year with the latest data. You can visit their website at www.foodnews.org to get the full list.

Back to the health consequences of our diets, eating foods high in herbicides and pesticides is linked with toxicities, migraines, allergies, ADD/ADHD, neurological conditions, hormone dysfunction, immune suppression, etc. In a 2005 study measuring the levels of two organophosphate pesticides that have been linked to harmful neurological effects, a dramatic decrease was shown immediately after introducing organic food items. This is encouraging in that changes have immediate benefits. Non-organic produce is also less nutritious in terms of the vitamin and mineral content. This EWG guide is a practical way to start making changes- a roadmap if you will.

One irreducible minimum when it comes to food is meats. It is absolutely imperative to change the meats that you eat. Everyone should be eating free-range chicken and grass fed organic beef. Conventional meats are raised under inhumane conditions, injected almost continuously with antibiotics and hormones, and fed pesticide loaded grains. Did you know that it takes 100 pounds of pesticide sprayed grain to produce 1 pound of ground beef? Frightening, isn’t it? Here’s another scary fact- the latest news is that beef will be irradiated and/or cloned and, guess what, no labeling required. We won’t even have the option of knowing what we are eating! I will go into more detail about meats in an upcoming newsletter but just know that this is an area that just should not be compromised. Even if you don’t buy one organic fruit or vegetable, buy your meat organic (grass fed beef, free range chicken)! You will get the greatest bang for your buck by doing so.

I am willing to pay more for this type of meat because honestly, I can’t afford not to. I consider where I put my money to be a vote. The more votes healthy, organic, unadulterated foods get, the more the food industry will have to listen and the healthier Americans will become!

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

My Top 10 Superfoods

I wanted to share with you my top 10 list of healthy foods.  These are not just my favorites; I have researched them extensively and have devised the list based on firm research.  Many of these foods are lacking and even completely absent in the average American’s diet.  I hope that this list will help open your mind and expand your shopping list.   So here they are!

 

Top 10 Foods

 

1  Coconut – This would include coconut meat, milk, and oil.  Coconut products are not only delicious but extremely healthy.  Coconut products are high in fat but it is the good fat.  92% are MCT’s (medium chain triglycerides) which metabolize very easily and give quick energy rather than being stored.  Coconut products have the following properties:  antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antiviral.  They are high in antioxidants, fiber, potassium, magnesium, and low in sugar.  They provide quick energy to the body, carry vitamins, and regulate hormones.  MCT’s are proven in cancer prevention, weight loss, and boosting athletic performance.  Coconut oil is the absolute best to cook with because can withstand medium to high heat making is less vulnerable to oxidation and rancidity.  I cook with coconut oil, add coconut milk to smoothies, curries, and raw coconut in both cooking and for a snack.     

 

2  Olive Oil – Olive oil has long been touted as a health elixir of sorts.  It is used extensively in Mediterranean diets which are notoriously healthy.  Olive oil is high in phenols (antioxidants), monounsaturated fats, and oleic acid.  Olive oil has been shown to help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (good cholesterol), lower blood pressure, prevent cancer.  It is important to buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil because it is not processed helping it keep all of its vitamins, fatty acids, and antioxidants in tact.  Olive oil should not be heated too much as it has a low smoke point causing oxidation/rancidity.  It is best used on salads or sprinkled on foods after they are cooked. 

 

3  Avocados – Avocados are another good fat that are often overlooked by many people.  It, like olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats like oleic acid.  Avocados are high in mono and beta sitosterols which have been shown to help lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease.  They also contain lutein which is an antioxidant with the ability to support healthy skin and eyes.  Avocados are high in fiber, folate, vitamin A, and beta carotene.  They are a filling snack or a great addition to many different foods.

 

4  Greens – This would include kale, chard, spinach, and collards.  Kale actually has the dubious distinction of having the highest ORAC rating (measures antioxidants).  The amount of antioxidants in these green leafy vegetables is amazing.  They are high in sulfur, which helps the body detox, calcium, iron, Vitamins A, C, & K, beta-carotene, fiber, and protein.  Because of the high levels of antioxidants, they are proven cancer preventers and fighters.  If you are not a big fan of greens yet try putting them in soups or smoothies (you won’t even taste them).  But whatever you do, get them in your diet!!!

 

5  Grass Fed Beef – Did you know that cows were meant to roam pastures and eat grass and NOT grain?  By changing the cow’s diet to grains, it has made beef much less nutritious and honestly, unhealthy.  Grass fed beef, on the other hand, has 60% more Omega 3’s (the good fats that have so many proven benefits in disease prevention).  Grass fed beef is also high in congegated linoleic acid (CLA) which is also touted with many benefits.  Grass fed beef is free of chemicals, pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics that our conventional beef is full of.  It is high in iron, Vitamin B12, monounsaturated fat, and zinc.  If you would like resources on where to find grass fed beef, just contact me. 

 

6  Wild Caught Fish –  Fish is a very healthful food but just like beef, a distinction must be made.  Wild caught fish is the way to go as opposed to farm raised.  Farm raised fish are fed grains instead of their natural diet of krill and shrimp.  This obviously changes their composition making them less healthy.  Wild caught salmon for instance is high in astaxanthin (an antioxidant) and farm raised salmon is not.  Farm raised salmon has also shown approximately 16 times as much PCB’s found in wild salmon.  Wild caught fish is a great source of omega 3’s, calcium, selenium, and protein.  Fish helps regulate blood sugar, improves heart function, helps the brain and mood, prevents disease, and boosts metabolism.  Remember, as far as mercury contamination is concerned, the smaller the fish the better, cold water fish are better, and stay away from Atlantic fish. 

 

7  Broccoli – Broccoli is a super-vegetable.  Among many other things, it is high in isothiocanates (anticancer phytochemicals).  Broccoli is especially healthy for women because of its high levels of indoles, an antioxidant which has a positive effect on estrogen.  It is high in sulforaphone which helps fight carcinogens in the body.  Broccoli is high in protein, fiber, potassium, calcium, and vitamin C.  In fact, it’s calcium content can rival milk and it’s vitamin C content can rival citrus. 

 

8  Nuts – (preferably raw)  Nuts are great because they have so many health benefits yet they are delicious and offer a great, portable snack option.  Nuts have been shown to lower heart disease, prevent cancer, and lower cholesterol.  They are loaded with protein, good fats, fiber, magnesium, and antioxidants.  They are best raw (and soaked for that matter) as the heating/roasting process diminishes some of the nutritional value.  Nuts are also great made in to nut butters like peanut, cashew, and almond butter (my favorite both nutritionally and taste wise).

 

9  Berries – Berries are an incredible food.  They are absolutely loaded with antioxidants , help fight inflammation, and have a low glycemic index (they will not spike blood sugar.)  They, like greens have some of the highest ORAC values.  They have amazing cancer fighting abilities and have been shown to help with memory and brain health.  They are high in fiber, calcium, magnesium, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K.

 

10  Free Range Eggs – Eggs are terrific because they are inexpensive, versatile, contain all 9 amino acids, and are high in vitamins.  (And yes, even the yolks!  It is a package deal)  Eggs are good for cancer prevention, the cardiovascular system, brain function, liver support, and cell membrane health.  Eggs are high in choline which is an essential nutrient that can only come from the diet which helps prevent the accumulation of cholesterol in the liver.  The distinction must be made however, between conventional eggs (chickens treated with hormones, antibiotics and feed with pesticides) and organic free range eggs that are free of all the things listed above. 

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Too Busy?

I have found, after talking to hundreds of people about nutrition, that good nutrition is very much a value issue. After all, if you value something, you make time for it, invest in it, and take great care with it. When it comes to nutrition, I often hear people say, “I’m too busy.” However, it is really a matter of value and priorities, isn’t it? Stay with me here…people work because they need to make money to live. So even if there were 25 loads of dirty laundry to do, a sink full of dirty dishes, house repairs to do, children’s activities etc. they would still go to work. If you found a lump in your breast, would you miss your scheduled doctors appointment? No, probably not. Why, because it becomes a priority. Work is a priority, family is a priority, there are lots of priorities! Well, I propose to you that your diet and nutrition should be a priority too. Why should the food that actually nourishes and fuels your body be put at the end of the priority list? It’s not that you don’t have time, it’s really that you don’t make time.

Everyone in this day and age is busy, lets face it, we are all stressed and pressed for time but are we willing to sacrifice our health for a convenient diet instead of a nourishing one? Have you ever noticed that the most successful people you know are also the busiest? These people are masters at prioritizing and organizing. They are able to draw solid yellow lines (no passing zones) around the segments of their lives. This allows them to accomplish their objectives and does not compromise their priorities. I heard someone say once that if you want something done and done right, give it to a busy person. Not just any busy person though- give it to a busy, successful person! We can all find time for the things that are important to us. It is just a matter of defining what those things are.

So, back to nutrition…If you decide to make it a priority, guess what, it will be! If you know you will be at work until 7PM every night next week, plan accordingly. Break out the crockpot and throw ingredients in before you leave, make 5 meals on Sunday, make some no-cook meals, etc. You get the idea. It can be done. If you know you are going to have the kids on the road all day, pack a lunch, pack snacks, see if there is a Whole Foods on your route, etc. If it is a priority, it will happen. However, without a plan failure is guaranteed. You are then forced to pull out that handy excuse of “I just don’t have time.”

You don’t have to spend hours on end preparing and planning meals. You can cook a full course dinner in under 30 minutes, easily! I look at it like this…by the time you decide where to go out to eat, get in the car, drive there, wait to be served, eat, wait for the bill, and drive home you could have cooked at home, eaten, relaxed, had the kitchen clean, and ensured a nourishing meal.

Please realize that “too busy” is just an excuse and excuses can be very destructive. They have the ability to corrupt our minds, to talk us into believing things that aren’t true, to justify our bad behaviors, and to keep us stuck in the same ruts. Isn’t it time to break down our excuses? We need to ask ourselves, “what are we busy doing?”

Whatever you do, don’t let excuses prevent you from eating a healthy diet, your body deserves the fuel it desires. After all, if you abuse it, you will lose it in some way or another. Will all of the long hours at work, soccer practices, watching your favorite tv show, patronizing restaurants, etc. be worth it if you lose your health? Time is not the enemy; it is how you manage your time that is the enemy. By the way, buying an organizer/planner that you can plug tasks into is not the answer. It is the bigger picture that you must start with. Decide what your priorities are (nutrition should be one of them) and no one or nothing should be able to derail your commitment to that. It should be right up there with quality family time, exercise, spiritual time, work, etc. You can do it!

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Surviving Eating Out

I’ve talked about how eating out can really compromise your health so I wanted to give some tips for surviving eating out.  Americans are experts at eating out.  Not only do we eat out for food but for entertainment and fun.  This is a very hard habit for people to break.  We are all so busy and eating out is just too easy.  It is, however, very costly (money and health wise).  If you take all of the money you would save by not eating out, you would have enough to buy the organic produce, the grass-fed beef, the wild caught fish that costs a little bit more than conventional.  Besides the cost factor, you honestly do not know what goes into those yummy dishes.  Restaurants focus on taste because they want you to come back and to have an enjoyable experience.  I can guarantee they do not care if you are making healthy selections or not.  In fact, they thrive on our bad choices.  Obviously what tastes good may not be the best thing for us.  Restaurants will load up their food with hydrogenated oils, additives, rich/creamy sauces, salt, sugar, etc. 

 

We all know that fast food is not good for us.  It is pretty much a given.  Why we eat it in the quantities we do is beyond me.  But don’t fool yourself.  Many of the restaurants we eat at thinking they are healthier are merely dressed up fast food.  Instead of standing in line, you sit at a table.  Many of the places like Your Neighborhood Grill and the place you can get your Baby Backs are no better than the typical fast food. 

 

My hope is that you will drastically reduce the amount of times you eat out and that if you do go out, you will make better choices.  It is important to remember that we vote with our forks.  If more and more people demand healthy dishes the restaurants will respond.  If they see that their Fried Hormone/Antibiotic filled Chicken Tenders with Hydrogenated Oil soaked French Fries are not selling, they will take them off the menu.  (This, by the way, is a recurring dream for me.)

 

Here are some hints to help you if you do go out to eat.

 

·          Scan the menu.  If asparagus appears somewhere on the menu, you should be able to substitute it in with your meal. 

·          Don’t feel like you have to finish everything.  Save ½ for lunch the next day or split with someone else.

·          Skip the bread and butter before your meal. 

·          Start with a salad but be careful.  Restaurant salad dressings are a killer.  They are loaded with bad oils, sugars, salt, etc.  They can make a salad have more bad fat and bad calories than just ordering the hamburger and French fries.  Bring your own dressing (I know, it’s weird but who cares) or ask for olive oil and vinegar or olive oil and lemon slices. 

·          Avoid soups, especially cream based soups.  Soups are notorious for hiding harmful ingredients like MSG (monosodium glutamate), excess table salt, hydrogenated oils, etc.  Most soups come on large bags, premade at some corporate headquarters, shipped for hundreds of miles, and loaded with additives and preservatives to make it last. 

·          Ask for all sauces on the side.  Try not to even use them.  They are other hiding places for stuff you shouldn’t be eating.  If you do have to use them, just drizzle a few drops, don’t slather it on like the restaurants do.

·          Avoid fried foods.  Ask for grilled or broiled

·          Order bottled water or bring your own.  Most other water comes right from the tap.  Besides, most other drinks cost $1-$3!!! 

·          For kids, order off of the adult menu and have them share.  Typically, there is nothing healthy on a kids menu.

·          If you are ordering fish, make sure it is wild-caught and preferably not from the Atlantic (toxicity issues).  If unsure, don’t eat it.

·          Instead of potatoes, rice, etc, substitute another vegetable.

·          Decide what you are going to eat before you get there.  Many restaurants have their menus online where you can print them off.

·          Skip dessert

·          Skip appetizers (salad can be your appetizer)

·          Make your own salad concoction.  If you see any ingredients on the menu that would make a good salad, ask them to make you one.  (i.e. grilled onions/peppers, broccoli, artichokes, black beans, etc.)

·          Squeeze lemon slices over your meal for extra flavor.

 

Just remember that when you eat at home you get these benefits:

 

·          You know what is going in the food

·          You can take pride in a home cooked meal

·          You can spend quality time preparing the meal and eating with your family without the distractions of a busy, noisy restaurant

·          It will save you time and money

·          It will save your health!

 

Go homemade!  Make your own Chinese Takeout:  Chicken w/Tamari, Brown Rice & Steamed Veggies

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Eat more (often) and lose weight???

Did you know that you can boost your metabolism, thus increasing your ability to lose weight, by eating more often?  Instead of eating 3 (or less) meals a day, try to add two additional, smaller meals/snacks.  Eating 5 times a day versus 3 will allow your body to keep nourished, reduce feelings of hunger/cravings and more effectively process the food.  The key, however, is to eat smaller portions more frequently, not to just add to 2 more huge meals.  A good mid-morning snack is fruit, good mid-afternoon snacks are hummus with whole wheat pitas, brown rice, or a sweet potato, and good evening snacks are nuts or seeds.

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Shopping List

Now that we have talked about how to read a label, it’s time to go shopping. Over the years, I have been able to change food shopping from a “chore” to an enjoyable experience. I actually enjoy shopping and bringing home bags of groceries that I am going to turn into something spectacular for my family to eat. I don’t shop for food, I shop for nutrition! There is a big difference. Everything you eat is a CHOICE.

Below is a general shopping list. These are items that I like to keep on hand so that I can throw a meal together any time without a lot of effort. The fruits and vegetables vary based on availability, seasonality, price and how they look and feel. Don’t be bound by your recipes or meal plans- be flexible. For instance, if you plan to make a recipe that calls for broccoli but all of the broccoli at the store is scrawny or limp or yellowed- choose something else. Most of the items on the list are readily available at regular grocery stores. If not, you can find them at health food stores. For a full Local Food Resource Guide, just email me at kimroberto@comcast.net and I will send it to you. It will tell you what to buy and where- locally! So here’s the list:

PANTRY:

• Coconut Oil (the healtiest oil- more on this later) • Extra Virgin Olive Oil • Coconut Milk (in cans in the ethnic food aisle) • Braggs Liquid Aminos (like soy sauce) • Brown Rice (no instant) • Whole Wheat Couscous • Organic, Free Range Chicken Broth • Black Beans (dry & canned) • Organic Crushed Tomatoes • Almond Milk (unsweetened) • Agave Nectar (like honey but low glycemic index) • Local Honey • Spike Seasoning • Cajun Spice (Check ingredients) • Curry Powder • Organic Oats • Whole Grain Pasta • Dried Fruits • Sea Salt • Herbs/Spices • Stevia (natural sugar alternative)

REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER

• Apple Cider Vinegar • Raw Nuts • Organic, Free Range Eggs • Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise (mayo substitute) • Frozen Strawberries or other berries • Frozen Bananas (peel and freeze) • Flax Seeds • Ginger (keep in the freezer) • Fruit Sweetened Ketchup • Tamari Sauce (high quality soy sauce) • Pure Maple Syrup • Olives • Butter (preferably organic) • Organic Peanut Butter • Organic Almond Butter • Organic Milk • Yogurt (no sugar) • Coconut Flakes • Ezekiel Bread • Salsa (check ingredients)

FRUITS/VEGETABLES

Anything goes! BUT…you should buy the organic version of the following items because the carry the heaviest pesticide load

Peaches, Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Lettuce, Grapes, Pears, Spinach 

MEATS/FISH • Organic, Free Range Chicken • Grass Fed Beef • Nitrite Free Turkey Bacon • Organic Deli Meats • Wild Caught, Cold Water Fish

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment