Another post pre-written to hold us over while I’m in the early days of motherhood But I think it’s a good one! Can’t wait to be back blogging “live,” but in the meantime Danny has gained weight, had a great checkup with his pediatrician, and I’m eating like mad to keep up with a 9 lb. baby’s demand for food!
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but frozen yogurt shops are kind of a big deal. I see one every time I turn around. Like Pinkberry. Are you familiar? Because apparently they’re in 14 states and 6 countries outside the U.S. And they have a catchy little song with lyrics like these:
“It doesn’t feel like I’m cheating when I’m eating it”
That’s funny, what would I be cheating on? Oh, that’s right, I’m supposed to be on a diet aren’t I? Obviously I have a weight problem or at least a body image issue. Because…I’m a woman. And I imagine the name “Pinkberry” is targeted at me. So it’s nice to imply guilt right off the bat, because women should feel guilty about how much they weigh and what they look like. Right. Thanks, Pinkberry! I almost forgot!
Going off dairy was the very first change I made to my diet. And boy oh boy was that a difficult decision to make! No dairy? Ohmigod what am I going to eat?
I remember it well. But I was suffering from tremendous sinus infections and something had to be done. I heard that dairy could contribute to that sort of thing – plus, I had a sneaking suspicion that it was milk that caused my stomachaches.
It took a little getting used to but going off dairy made me feel so much better, I didn’t care. My digestion started functioning properly and the sinus infections lessened, then went away. Of course, I also started cleaning sugar and other garbage from my diet so that helped. But dairy…that was my first bold move.
Cut to some years later and you might be surprised to see a half gallon of (always organic!) milk in my refrigerator. It’s funny, after my stomach healed I could tolerate milk again. And in moderation as part of a clean diet, I’m not getting those sinus infections. (Fingers crossed!)
So what gives? Is dairy good or not? Should you go off it?
Well, that depends. Milk, especially raw milk from grass fed cows, is very nutritious. But when it’s pasteurized, heated to crazy high temperatures in the name of killing bacteria, many of the nutritious qualities are lost. Most proponents of milk are specifically talking about raw milk. If that’s something you are interested in, check out RealMilk.com for more information.
Milk is a build-up food. It’s meant to grow big, strong cows, or goats, or humans. Need to lose weight? Probably want to cut back on dairy. Too skinny? Maybe quality milk is just what you need.
Milk is advertised as a great source of calcium. But it doesn’t quite add up – in a country that consumes great quantities of milk we have high rates of osteoporosis. In China, traditionally milk is not part of the diet at all. Yet rates of osteoporosis are low. What gives?
If you’re worried about calcium, look to whole foods like dark leafy greens, almonds and anchovies for calcium. And avoid caffeine, which leeches calcium from your bones.
When I drink milk – and I do, now – I always buy whole, organic milk. That’s a whole food. Skim milk is a partial food. I believe in feeding my body food in its most natural state possible. Plus, whole milk tastes amazing. I mean, if you’re gonna do it, do it right! That said, I usually limit my intake to a splash in my tea in the morning, something like that.
Milk replacements? Eh. I drank soymilk and felt virtuous for awhile. But then I read the label and realized it’s full of sugar! I switched to unsweetened. But then I learned about phytoestrogens and all the reasons to lay off consuming so much darn soy. Hmmm. Now what?
Almond milk, oat milk, rice milk? Maybe. It’s all processed, to a degree, if it’s being sold in the supermarket. I mean, you can make almond milk yourself. But you know what’s even easier? Banana milk. That’s what the video above is about because it’s something I use several times a week. It’s fast and about as natural as it gets when it comes to a white, milky substance for your morning cereal. If you’re like me, morning cereal means Uncle Sam’s or another unsweetened brand, or a whole grain porridge or something like that. Banana milk lends a litttle creaminess and a little sweetness. What’s not to love?
Oh, and the blender in the video is the Magic Bullet. It rocks. Makes a great gift!
What’s creamy and sweet and comes in all sorts of flavors? You scream, I scream – well, go ahead. ICE CREAM!
Who can imagine summer without it? My first waitressing job was at Friendly’s believe it or not…I’d leave covered in hot fudge, thousand island dressing and Fribble. But I was young so somehow I’d get changed in my car and head out for a night with friends without a second thought. Sometimes on those nights ice cream was what I ate for dinner! No wonder those years felt crazy. Later when I was living alone in Boston on a laughable salary, I’d buy a cheap half gallon of ice cream and nosh while watching TV. Those years also felt crazy.
No more. Now I’ve got another treat that’s cool, creamy and delicious.
Enter stage left, Chia Cream!
I have to give credit to Ricki for this fantastic idea. It’s a dessert you can feel 100% good about. And I’ve found it to be a satisfying stand-in for ice cream. Of course I still have some ice cream from time to time. But chia pudding is starting to make a more frequent appearance because it is so easy and so yummy. Did I mention it’s good for you?
Ok, let’s get down to business. The chia seed. Heard of it? Maybe a little 80′s TV jingle comes to mind? Yes, the same seeds used in the Chia Pet is also sold at food grade quality and is a great source of nutrition. They’re full of Omega-3′s, calcium, fiber and antioxidants. Who knew? Learn more about ‘em here.
One time I used chia seeds alongside sesame seeds in a cookie recipe. They were good, but I noticed that I’d get the chia seeds stuck in my teeth and they’d turn sort of…gelatinous? Gross, huh. But this is a negative that turned into a huge positive, as you’ll see.
For this recipe you can use any kind of liquid you like. I used whole fat organic coconut milk for a very thick consistency that comes close to ice cream. Other types of milk or juice will create more of a pudding. I found chia seeds at Harvest Co-op in Cambridge, MA. If you can’t find ‘em, order ‘em here! Thank you, Interweb!
Ch-ch-ch-Chia Cream
4 Tbl. chia seeds
3/4 cup organic whole-fat coconut milk
1 Tbl. maple syrup
Topping options are endless: fruit, nuts, shredded coconut, cocoa, cinammon…
In a bowl, combine seeds with coconut milk. Stir well. Let mixture sit for 20-30 minutes. Stir every 5-10 minutes. The consistency will become thick and tapioca like. Add maple syrup and stir. You may refrigerate at this point for a cool treat, but it’s also good at room temperature. Add toppings and enjoy!
Before we get going, have you entered to win free Khaya cookies yet? How about a trip to Cape Town? If not, enter here.
Osteoporosis. Is it a problem?
My mom has started hearing from her doctors that she’s losing bone density and of course this worries me. For her, and for me! Certainly we are both at high risk for osteoporosis: we’re slender, small-framed caucasian women! Oh, crap.
Well, it’s becoming more and more common for women to be prescribed medications to help stop bone loss. It’s clearly good business, as I see they have Sally Fields touting Boniva (one of my favorite names for a prescription drug…isn’t it cute? And so is she! Wait, wait, that’s marketing getting into my brain! Aughh) As with all prescription drugs, you just gotta wonder…is there a better way? After all, too much calcium in our bones can lead to an even greater danger: brittle bones with no flexibility. Now THAT is going to cause fractures.
If you want to have strong, healthy bones you need calcium in your diet, sure. But you also need certain vitamins and healthy fats to help your body make use of the calcium you ingest. Ms. Colbin noted that the dietary risk factors for breaking bones are:
1. Too many nightshade vegetables (eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.)
2. Diet high in refined sugar and grains
3. Not enough dark, leafy greens,
4. Not enough good quality fats
The first thing that comes up when you think about calcium is…Milk. Of course. The dairy industry has spent a gabillion dollars on marketing to sear in our brains the connection between milk and calcium and strong bones. According to some experts in the holistic nutrition world, you actually don’t need milk at all in your diet. Milk from mothers is great for babies. Milk from cows is perfect for calves. But as a full grown human being, milk is unnecessary and often the cause of allergies and digestive troubles. Ms. Colbin states that milk is inappropriate for women in particular as we are milk-makers…milk is supposed to go out, not in.
However, then you have those on the other side of the fence who swear by milk – and typically raw milk. You have Sally Fallon and the Weston A. Price foundation who go to great lengths to extoll the virtues of the creamy raw white stuff for it’s nutritional value, probiotics and live enzymes. After all, whole milk (not skim or 2%) is a whole food. And that’s what we are supposed to be eating, right? Whole foods are good!
Well.
We’re not going to solve this conundrum today, folks. To milk or not to milk? I say, do what’s right for you. If milk doesn’t sit well in your belly, or if you prefer a vegan lifestyle, then fine. If you love milk and want to find good quality organic and even raw milk, that’s cool too.
And while we’re on the topic of choosing milk or no milk, remember that milk substitutions are really not “health foods.” For instance, soymilk is neither a whole food nor something that is healthy by the glassful because of the phytoestrogens in soy and the sugar almost always added to processed soymilk. Many people say that milk causes congestion and mucus buildup, and if that’s true for you then stay away from all milky-quality foods like almond milk or rice milk. I mean, really, you don’t need to have a white liquid in your diet! So if you can’t do whole organic milk then just skip the milk category altogether.
Ms. Colbin offered this idea which is quite nice: If you really must eat cereal and you must pour something white on it, blend half a banana with 1/2 cup of water and use that! (I tried it – it’s good!)
But back to the idea of healthy bones.
So, we know we need calcium, and the fats and vitamins that occur alongside it in whole foods. We need less sugar, fewer refined grains and more dark leafy green veggies.
Here’s a bone-building recipe I came up with that will knock your garlic-loving socks off. My mom always made this as a quickie dinner when I was growing up so all I’ve done is added veggies and swapped out the pasta. Kale is a great source of calcium, as are anchovies!
Anchovy pasta with kale
1 head kale, chopped small including stems (any variety, I used red curly)
2 Tbl. organic butter
1 lb. whole wheat pasta (I used fettuccine)
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin organic olive oil
2 cans anchovies (chopped) and liquid they are packed in (sardines also work)
1 handful fresh oregano, basil or parsley, chopped
1/2 cup water
S+P
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While it cooks, heat butter in a large pan over medium high heat. Add kale and toss with some salt and pepper. When kale is soft and stil bright green, set aside in a bowl.
3. Rinse out pan and add olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add garlic and allow to turn golden. Then mix in entire contents of anchovy cans, water, herbs, water, S+P. Bring to a simmer and reduce to low.
4. Combine cooked pasta with anchovy sauce. Top with a generous scoop of kale.
Moving on to another of my grandma’s recipes! Her Italian Sesame Seed Cookies always had a really understated elegance. It’s as if to say, who needs chocolate? Who needs icing? They sort of fall in that Stella D’oro category of cookies that seem perfectly acceptable for breakfast and are excellent with a cup of coffee. (And when I say coffee I mean organic green tea…ok, maybe coffee but just 1 cup!)
Following my patented (not really) 3-step method I converted this white sugar/white flour recipe to something that tastes even better and feels like real food: 1. Replace. Instead of 3 cups of white flour, I used 2 cups of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of rye flour. The wheat flour is necessary for gluten. I think. I’m no scientist. The rye flour I thought would complement the seed theme. Mostly it was a guess. As for sugar, I ditched white sugar for a combination of raw unfiltered honey and date sugar. (The date sugar was a surprising and happy find – pure ground dates!) Then, the baking soda became aluminum free and the eggs organic/free range. Finally, instead of regular sesame seeds I chose the unhulled variety for extra fiber. So lots of replacements here.
2. Eliminate. I got rid of 100% of the white sugar and flour in this recipe. Enough said!
3. Add value. I added poppy, chia and caraway seeds. Together these seeds are a powerhouse of calcium, copper, manganese, zinc, fiber and more. I’m sorry, what was that? Calcium in a non-dairy product? YES, yes that’s right.
They came out fantastic. Reminiscent of my grandma’s cookies, absolutely. But with way more full bodied flavor from all of the quality ingredients. I’m in love.
Toothdigger Seed Cookies Considering all the seeds, you should have floss handy 1 cup unsalted organic butter, softened 1/2 cup raw unfiltered honey 1/2 cup date sugar 2 organic eggs 1 tsp. organic vanilla extract 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1/8 tsp. salt 1 cup rye flour 1 cup of seeds, poured into a shallow bowl (Combination is up to you, I had a mixture of unhulled sesame, poppy, chia and caraway)
Cream together butter, honey, and date sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and baking powder. Blend to create dough. Shape with hands into 1.5″ long log shapes, about 1/2″ wide. Roll cookies in seeds. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly browned.
Eager to eliminate dairy from my diet, I’ve had to dig a little deeper into the calcium issue. With no milk, will my bones collapse? What are other sources of calcium? Is it healthy to not eat any dairy products? Answers: no, kale (for example), yes.
Recently I heard that almonds are a great source of calcium, so I clickety-clacked over to NutritionData.com to find out. This is an awesome site for all nutritional data inquiries. Turns out, almonds kick whole milk’s butt in % daily values of calcium.
My doctor made me get a bone density scan last year because of my ‘premature grays.’ How mortifying. So it got me thinking about bones and calcium and stuff, and pretty much feeling like my mom. Turns out my bone density is fine and I intend to keep it that way.
I’m re-reading John Robbins’ The Food Revolution and feel compelled to share some of his stats. (I understand that with any statistics they could be off, or wrong entirely. But it’s worth thinking about, right?)
*Countries with the highest consumption of dairy products are the same countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis: Finland, Sweden, USA, England
*Calcium intake in rural China: 1/2 the calcium intake of the USA. Bone fracture rate in rural China: 1/5 of the USA.
*Amount of calcium lost in urine of a woman after eating a hamburger: 28 mg
*Amount of calcium lost in urine of a woman after drinking a cup of coffee: 2 mg
So, as mentioned in other posts on this blog, the best way to increase your calcium intake is to eat leafy green vegetables like broccoli, kale, and brussel sprouts. The calcium absorption from these veggies are substantially higher than cow’s milk, and come with no ill side effects. Plus, green veggies are a lot cheaper than those questionable chocolatey calcium chews.
In a blind taste test I know I’d be able to pick kale out of a lineup. Especially if that lineup included things like meatballs. Or peanut butter. Because kale would be the thing that tasted um,… bad.
But those hearty leafy greens are a great way to get iron, tons of vitamins, not to mention calcium. Osteoporosis can’t be wished away on a magic unicorn, after all. So I figured out a way to make kale taste a lot better, and even…good! It’s still not quite a Fudgy the Whale ice cream cake, but try sticking candles in and singing happy birthday anyway. Why not? Kale That Doesn’t Suck 1 head of kale (duh) 1 onion, chopped 3-5 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbl. olive oil 1 lemon optional: chopped olives, toasted nuts (any kind you like), tomatoes
Cut the leafy parts of the kale away from the thick stems. Chop leaves and slice stems into round pieces. Steam all the kale over boiling water for 5-10 minutes; it should be bright green. Then heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden. Add onions, cook until transluscent. Then add kale and saute for 5-10 minutes. Once the kale is softened and pliable without turning brown or mushy, add lemon and optional ingredients. Serve hot or cold as a side dish, or mix with brown rice for a main course.
I help busy people find balance in their over-worked, over-stressed lives. Trust me, it's not an all-or-nothing situation! A few shifts in diet and lifestyle can rock your world like they did mine. (And if you're a health coach, I can help you do the same for your own clients.) Read on
But I think it’s a good one! Can’t wait to be back blogging “live,” but in the meantime Danny has gained weight, had a great checkup with his pediatrician, and I’m eating like mad to keep up with a 9 lb. baby’s demand for food!
