Jeneration Eden

Tag: health

  • The Future of Nutrition is Now

    The Future of Nutrition is Now

     

     

    I’m coming off a very inspiring week. I was sitting in front of the computer with earphones on for much of each day, drowning out the sound of everything else going on around me. I wouldn’t normally tout this sort of antisocial, sedentary behavior, but as I was lucky enough to be listening to a 5 day online conference on the future of nutrition, I’d say this was an exception to the rule. From Monday through Friday I was the beneficiary of powerful and achievable life lessons, compelling insights and an explosion of plain, simple and tangible truths.

    The Future of Nutrition Conference was organized by the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, founded by Marc David, a nationally recognized teacher, speaker and author who has made it his life’s mission to share his many decades worth of research and experience on eating, thinking and living healthfully.

    Throughout the week, attendees listened to over 50 established and respected doctors, nutritionists, scientists, healthy living advocates and ambitious entrepreneurs speak one-on-one with David, who, with his easy-going and relatable attitude, made the whole experience extremely enjoyable. All the experts spoke in great detail about how the right attitude and the most beneficial nutrients intertwine to create a healthy, happy, meaningful life.

    As you might imagine, the conversations bubbled over with scientific evidence, potent information and interesting ideas — waaaaay too much stuff for any one blog post.  But amidst all the talk of the benefits of veganism, the advantages of vegetarianism and the wonders of the paleo diet, there were many relevant, down to earth, agreed-upon insights that really moved me; they made perfect sense and were brilliant in their simplicity. My hope is that my family – and yours – can abide by many of these ideals.

    • “What we put in our body is information for every function of our body.” I know that. You know that. But how well do we actually live it? Functional nutritionist Andrea Nakayama made clear how important it is to really live by the notion that what we put into our bodies is absolutely connected to our health and happiness.
    • There is no one-size-fits-all diet, as we are all physiologically different and have different biological challenges. But the experts agree that our bodies should be full of colorful and green leafy vegetables, fruits such as berries, beans, healthy grains (although some really push for a gluten-free diet), lean sources of protein and healthy fats. Those categories should be the cornerstone of everyone’s diet.
    • If you choose to eat fish, it should be only certain wild varieties (like Alaskan salmon) and if you eat dairy and meat, it should be from grass fed animals, with a third party organic certification, in order to avoid pesticides, antibiotics and hormones.
    • Avoid refined sugar and processed foods as much as possible. This is important for everyone – adults and children alike. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride spoke specifically about children and how these products are literally addictive and extremely toxic to children’s bodies, leading to many serious physical and behavioral problems.
    • From Heather White, executive director of the Environmental Working Group – an organization that I love – came some important daily tidbits: Become a label reader and buy foods with the fewest ingredients; buy organic as much as possible – refer to EWG’s dirty dozen list for produce that should be purchased organic; avoid plastics and instead use stainless steel, glass and bamboo; buy a water filter for your tap water in order to clean it of many contaminants.
    • From Darya Rose, a neuroscientist and food writer, a few simple ideas: Focus on health, not weight. Eat a healthy breakfast. Pack your own lunch. Create a happy relationship with food, not a stressful one; do this by making little healthy changes in your diet and by understanding that there is a balance and you don’t have to be impeccable all the time.
    • “If you’re standing on a thumbtack, don’t take aspirin, get off the thumbtack!” Seems obvious, right? But, says Robyn O’Brein, tireless healthy food warrior, speaker and author, many people don’t realize that they’re taking aspirin when it comes to eating, dealing with symptoms rather than the source of the problems. But if you really want to change the way you feel, then you need to change the things that you eat. Take a hard look at your diet, speak to an expert if need be, and start eating more healthfully. Get off the thumbtack.
    • Dr. David Katz, founding director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center, said many things that resonated with me. His basic premise? Life is more fun if you’re healthy. You can “add years to your life and life to your years” if you happily and properly prioritize your health. On that note, he spoke about how taste buds can become accustomed to anything you offer them and that you can “rehabilitate them” by swapping in healthier versions of the current foods that you eat (say, a tomato sauce with much less sugar than the one you’re currently buying). He also spoke about families. How to teach kids about healthy living? Just live it in your own home. Create an environment that is full of healthy foods and ideas and regularly serve yourself and your kids tasty, healthy whole foods – like many of those mentioned in this blog. Children will benefit enormously, emotionally and physically, from these actions. In creating this type of home, you will be implicitly giving your children the tools for lifelong health.
    • Advocating for healthy eating is not a moral argument and it’s not about being a good or bad person. It’s also not about being a perfect person, by any stretch. Many of the experts spoke about doing one’s best and knowing that indulgences, if they are right for you, can be part of life. But overall, it’s very important to look at your own body and health, to know that you really are what you eat, and to try and create an overall eating plan that consists of delicious, healthy foods. Take good care of yourself and the people you love and life will be a lot tastier…

     

     

     

     

     

  • Quick Kitchen Wisdom for 2014

    Quick Kitchen Wisdom for 2014

     

     

     

    This post first ran on igokids.com. 

    The kitchen is at the heart of my very busy life. My four children’s ample appetites guarantee that I’m a regular in that space, faithfully whipping up meals, snacks and drinks like a pro. And while I’ve learned that homemade whole wheat pizza is really tasty and that spinach can be secretively blended into a smoothie, I’ve also learned that the kitchen is ground zero for many common, synthetic chemicals that can find their way into children’s very vulnerable bodies. The best take-home lesson though, is that there’s quite a bit we can do to protect our families from these toxicants.

    Other than promising to shed unwanted pounds and vowing to spend less time on your cell phone, resolve to ring in 2014 with some easy actions that will banish certain chemicals from your kids’ diets and help green up your kitchen as well.

    Opt for organic: Pesticides – many of which are carcinogenic and neurotoxic – are a particular menace to children’s growing bodies. But fear not. You can reduce your child’s exposure to these synthetic chemicals without turning over your whole kitchen. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s list of the most contaminated produce – which includes many kid faves such as apples, grapes and strawberries – at http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php, choose you family’s mainstays from the list and buy them organic. This is a great way to protect your kids without breaking the bank.

    Score some stainless steel: Six years ago I snatched up a bunch of stainless steel water bottles from hwww.kleankanteen.com/ and, since then, my kids have rarely put a plastic bottle to their lips. And that’s a very good thing. Single use and reusable plastic bottles can leach endocrine disrupting chemicals and carcinogens and they further our reliance on petrochemicals. In addition, bottled water is often not regulated; filtered tap water is a better option.

    Nix the non-stick: Your might think that your non-stick pans are vital to Sunday brunch, but your weekends will look a lot healthier without them. The gasses that are released from brand name coatings like Teflon are highly toxic and linked to many health problems including developmental concerns and cancer. They’re nothing you want your kids breathing in. So start by swapping a few non-stick pans for stainless steel or cast iron ones; you can find some great stainless options at allcookwarefind.com. They are safe and, with a little EVOO warmed up, your omelets will slide off of them just beautifully.

     

     

  • This One Nails It

    This One Nails It

     

     

    At my last salon visit, I was asked by several women whether I wanted to upgrade to a signature pedicure, if I could use a 10 minute back massage and if I wanted an eyebrow threading (this last appeal caused me to raise an already nicely arched eyebrow, thank you very much).

    But you know what would’ve made me really happy? If those eager gals had offered me nail polishes without well known hazardous chemicals. Now that woulda been worth the extra tips they were angling for.

    Don’t call me a buzzkill — I’ve no intention of ruining your idea of a relaxing mani/pedi with talk of dreaded disease. I’m not saying you gotta hightail it out of the salon and go bare on the nails – although that’s a perfectly chic decision. I’m just letting you know that if you avoid several potentially harmful polish ingredients, you’ll nail beauty and safety all at once.

    So let’s get to it. The idea here is to avoid the toxic trio. Alliterative, yes, but also right to the point. The moniker refers to formaldehyde, a polish hardener; toluene, a chemical that offers ease of application; and DBP, a plasticizer that prevents chipping — or, as I like to call them, a carcinogen, a neurotoxin, and a hormone disruptor. They’re found in many nail polishes…and it’s ugly business.

    Why the heck is stuff that causes cancer, headaches/fatigue and reproductive problems allowed in nail polish anyway? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t require cosmetic companies to test the safety of their products by disinterested third-parties. Basically, cosmetics companies get to police themselves. And you know what that means — it means that the Pretty in Pink nail polish on your 6 year-old’s nails likely contains nasty stuff that’s getting absorbed into her developing body through her nail beds (not to mention her mouth, if she’s a biter). I, for one, don’t want that for my daughter. Or myself.

    In addition, salon workers who regularly breathe in these hazardous chemicals have reported, among other things, high rates of respiratory problems. Our world suffers as well; when these products are thrown out, the chemicals make their way into our groundwater and soil, contaminating our earth.

    The European Union banned or restricted members of the toxic trio from use in cosmetics starting in 2004. Unfortunately, the United States often drags its feet when it comes to this stuff, so if you use nail polishes made in America, you need to be your own watchdog, especially if you’re pregnant or have kids who beg for glittery nails.

    Luckily, you don’t have to bark up too many trees to find good, safer polish. There are many companies that care about beautyand health. OPI, Zoya, Poofy Organics and Priti NYC are brands that have proven their nail polish safety. Revlon Multi-Care Base and Topcoat is a nice choice for the before and after. For your little ones – for whom it’s particularly ideal to get that spa treatment at home as opposed to in a stinky salon – there’s the Priti Princess Collection, where shimmery colors abound, andHopscotch Kids. Both of those brands also have safe polish removers.

    You should be aware that while certain polishes do claim to be 3 free (some claim to be 5 free – free of the toxic trio, plus formaldehyde resin and camphor), a study done in California in 2012 proved many of them unworthy of the claim. But if you buy yourself some bottles from the companies listed above or other proven brands, you can head to the salon and confidently whip out your own non-toxic shocking orange (as I did that last time). And you might even feel good enough to splurge for that 10 minute massage.

  • Have Your Steak and Eat it Too

    Have Your Steak and Eat it Too

     

     

     

    Considering my mantra of the importance of dodging unhealthy exposures, it wouldn’t take a psychic to guess that I try to avoid red meat. No mind-reading required here…and for many obvious reasons.

    Most of us know that red meat is high in cholesterol and saturated fat, and that the processed types (think hot dogs and salami) are also high in sodium, nitrates and other additives. Certain studies link too much red meat with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes. A recent study out of Harvard posits a direct relationship: the risk of premature death – due to cancer and heart disease, for example – grows with increased consumption of red meat.

    Less familiar to many though, is the fact that the act of cooking animal proteins releases toxic byproducts that contribute to disease and, hence, to meat’s much-maligned (and well-deserved so) reputation. Cooking meat – and even chicken and fish – at high temperatures causes the formation of HCAs (heterocyclic amines), and the smoke that attaches itself to these proteins on the grill is chockfull of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Both chemicals are suspected carcinogens and have been linked to diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer as well as adverse birth outcomes.

    The last time I had red meat was, well ok, fine — a week ago. I was at a party and went with the mob mentality. (And the steak looked damn good — hey, I’m only human.) But before that it had been a long while since I’d tucked into a rib-eye and frankly (pun possibly intended), I really don’t miss the stuff.

    Even though tides are turning and people are increasingly (yay!) choosing leaner protein sources, legumes and whole grains, red meat can be tempting and, as we’re still knee deep in summer, meat-based barbecues abound. I generally go for veggie burgers – as does my vegetarian hubby – but I know that for many, nothing short of a “real” burger will satisfy a growling belly.

    If you fall into the camp of people who are strict omnivores – and certainly if you’ve got kids who request summer barbecues – there are many things you should do to make grill time as healthy as possible.

    • Use an electric, propane or natural gas grill; they are safer than charcoal or wood grills. If you use charcoal, use sustainably produced charcoal (not charcoal made with petrochemicals)
    • Choose the leanest and smallest cuts of meat and remove the skin before cooking. Fish is preferable, as it takes less time to cook
    • Marinate food in lemon or vinegar based marinades; the acid will keep the chemical byproducts from sticking to the food
    • Pre-cook food in the microwave (apologies to you hard-core chefs out there) and just finish up the cooking on the grill. This can cut carcinogens up to 90%
    • Don’t keep food directly over the charcoals. As juices drip, the smoke rises, depositing the carcinogens directly into the food. Put some tinfoil in between (with small holes for dripping) or move the food off to the side
    • Grill your food enough…but not too much. The well done, and certainly charred, parts of the meat contain the purest form of the carcinogens. This applies to frying and roasting as well
    • Add some veggies and veggie burgers to the mix. They create few, if any, of these toxins and may actually mitigate the effects of the toxins that are present

    So if you really can’t bear the thought of summer without a barbecued meat sandwich, at least take steps to make that sandwich a little cleaner. And consider dipping your toes into the veggie world. It’s a pretty fun summer in here too.