Homemade Yogurt –get those probiotics!

ADDITIVES-YUCK

Why are they even in the healthy stuff like yogurt???

A big shout out to one of my dear patients that recently shared her recipe with me for homemade yogurt! She is taking her gut bacteria seriously and is in fabulous health!! I love it! I was hesitant to try it and intimidated by the instructions in my probiotic handouts. It just seemed a little overwhelming and too domesticated for me. But it actually wasn’t bad at all!!

Sterilize a glass bottle in boiling water —I use mason jars (the small jelly kind are my favorites–you can get them pretty cheap at Meijer or even find them really cheap at Goodwill)
Take 8 cups (approx 2L) of organic milk (I love Trader’s Point Creamery) and bring it almost to a boil on the stove. You can use goat milk but the texture is much more runny.
Add sugar to taste (about 3-4 tbsp/2L of milk)
Let it cool down to 37 degrees C —ie warm to touch but not burning
Gradually add the starter 1:7 -1:10 and mix well-you can purchase a starter or buy a high quality plain yogurt with live active cultures from the store— add a little milk to the starter to give it a little fluid
Pour into clean bottles
Put them in the oven with a 40 watt bulb for 6-8 hours (use paper to block direct light onto the milk)
After 6 hours— the milk will solidify and be ready to stick in the fridge or eat. (It will keep 1-2 weeks)

AND WOWZA–you just made cheap high quality yogurt without all of the artificial sweeteners, dyes, and hefty price!! Watch out Martha Stewart!

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Angela in Diet, Nutrition 2 Comments

Diets Don’t Work

First, I don’t ever advocate dieting . Diets don’t work and the only way to “lose weight” is to get healthy and make a lifestyle change. I agree that our society is ridiculous with such social emphasis on thin, unhealthy weights and starvation based lifestyles. Kids see role models that are bone thin and completely malnourished! That puts a ton of pressure on adolescents. It’s not realistic and obviously not working as we see obesity and diabetes rates rising at astronomical rates.

I really try to focus on emphasizing the importance of nourishing the body with vitamins, mineral, and essential nutrients to ensure good health. I don’t really believe in the PALEO diet because it is a fad diet and in all actuality – it isn’t an authentic diet. There no way that we could actually eat as our paleolithic ancestors did. We simply don’t have the same habitat/environment. Todays’s berries, vegetables and seeds are nothing like the ones bought in grocery stores today. It is simply just a different environment and time period.

That being said, the PALEO diet does focus on No processed foods!!!!—- which is a huge improvement from what most Americans are eating today. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and organic, grass-fed lean meats is amazing for the body. It can only be sustainable though if it is implemented in small steps. I usually try to get patients to first adopt the idea that what they eat significantly impacts their health. I try to get them off of soda, packaged foods ,and sugars first. Then we start to implement changes that compatible with their lifestyle, work schedules, and individual tastes.

I will have patients first watch some of the newer documentaries like “Hungry For Change” and “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” which are entertaining films that really hit home regarding the idea that “you are what you eat”. In Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, Joe Cross literally cures himself of the disease “chronic urticaria” by changing his diet.

Of course —everyone should consult with their doctor before making any changes. Certain diet changes really should be tailored to specific disease states, medicines and lifestyles. I believe your doctor should be your partner and should work with you in tailoring lifestyle changes. I have seen amazing results in patients that have been willing to make some changes. They get off of medications, feel better, lose weight, and enjoy life more!

Personally, my life is busy and it is really hard to sustain a healthy eating pattern. I work full-time and have daughters that keep me running. We like to spend Sundays juicing fruits and veggies and making meals for the week. It is the only way we can stay on track and it is good bonding time (YES-I do give them allowance for helping #BRIBE). We still eat junk sometimes and my kids certainly don’t always eat like me. But, I can hope that they are at least becoming more aware of their food choices. We do like to get outdoors and hike on weekends and sit down and watch movies together. Yes we even occasionally eat popcorn and sno-caps which are both UBER unhealthy!!! It’s all relative!!!

I love my practice because I love to see people change!! I relish in seeing their lives improve and taking control of their own health. It is the most rewarding profession that I can imagine myself doing. If one person is helped by what I have to offer–it is worth it!

Posted on January 10, 2016 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Weight Loss 10 Comments

Natural tips to lower cholesterol

Like some of you —I have an icky family history of high cholesterol and I’m not a huge fan of taking any medication if you can do natural / dietary changes to remedy the problem. So when checked my cholesterol for my IU HEALTHY RESULTS test last week —I realized that I have slipped up some in the past few months. I’m going to get back to the basics and practice what I preach. Here are a few tips that might help you out.

First—the inflammation in your arteries is what is causing your high cholesterol — this inflammation causes the liver to make cholesterol to patch that inflammation in those damaged vessels. So really– high cholesterol is a symptom of an inflammatory diet.

We must remove the DANGER foods from our diet for any of these natural tips to help. I would remove sugar (sorry:( ) along with conventional grains like cereal/flour and wheat products. Also, this is a bad time to talk about this one but excess alcohol and caffeine are inflammatory also.

Take healthy / high quality supplements. I have almost everyone add a quality fish oil to their diet to help bring triglycerides down—here is my fish oil supplement that I love (I have been out for over 6 weeks now and apparently my numbers have suffered)

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—about 2000mg to 3000mg should work. Remember that you can put them in the freezer to prevent the dreaded “fish burp”–but, don’t forget to take them if you put them in there. Eating high quality wild caught fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna will give you tons of the good Omega 3’s. I try to eat these at least 2-3 times a week. Grass fed beef/venison can give you those as well. Don’t forget about organic eggs.

Eat soluble fiber like chia seeds, berries and green leafy veggies— you can add all these to a morning smoothie

Eat healthy herbs —-in particular rosemary, basil, and turmeric (the yellow spice often used in curries and mustard) are excellent and cutting down chronic inflammation.

Use olive oil (extra virgin) which will naturally raise HDL (good cholesterol) —- 1-2 Tbs daily will help

Don’t forget to MOVE —20 min of exercise just 3 times a week will help.

I hope everyone enjoys this wonderful holiday season and let’s keep these tips in mind for setting our resolutions.

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Angela in Diet, Nutrition 1 Comment

My Bacon Woes

The idea that I might have to stop eating bacon seriously frightens me!

The World Health Organization recently classified processed meats as a group 1 carcinogen. This is the same category as tobacco. EEK!!! This terrifies me because (as you may ask my family) I’m a bacon whore on Sunday mornings.

Here is how the World Health Organization vacation system works.

The agency weighs the strength of scientific evidence of foods, drinks, pesticides, plants and anything that is a potential cancer causer. It does not take into account how much of that substance you have to consume to increase your risk of getting cancer. The products are broken into 4 groups:

Group 1 –carcinogenic (cancer-causing)

Group 2A- probably carcinogenic

Group 2 B possibly carcinogenic

Group 4- probably not carcinogenic

Red meat contains a chemical called heme that is broken down into carcinogenic compounds in the gut. Also, nitrates and nitrites are used to cure meats (or help preserve them) and these can turn into carcinogenic compounds. To take it one step further, cooking these preserved meats at high temperatures can create more cancer-causing compounds.

Does make sense that we should cut back on the amount of processed foods like hot dogs and pepperoni? Of course! I try to stick to a diet of mostly vegetables supplemented with some fruits, nuts, seeds and lean, organic meats. We should also stick to rule of buying food in the most natural state and unprocessed form possible. Remember #JERF–Just Eat Real Food

Our family uses Applegate products which do not contain nitrates or nitrites. We also like to buy products from local farmers. That way we know what the animals are fed, how they are treated and that they don’t contain artifical ingredients or preservatives.

Remember that Group 1 also contains alcohol and sunlight which many of us have no problem consuming regularly.

Remember there is bad meat which is processed and CAFO raised. There are also good meats that contain no hormones or antibiotics and are grass-fed.

Here’s the scoop!

Smoking raises your risk of lung cancer by a factor of 20. It causes 1 million deaths worldwide every year. He raises your risk of colon cancer by 1.1-1.2 per daily serving of meat. Eating an extra 50 grams of processed meat daily increases the risk of colon cancer by 18%

Here are a few references that look into the subject a little closer if you look at the posts on this subject.

www.drdeborahmd.com

www.zoeharcombe.com

www.marksdailyapple.com

www.bloomberg.com

I’m going to continue to use common sense and make good choices —-Eat my veggies!!! and occasionally throw in some nitrate/nitrite free bacon! After all, you have to enjoy life!

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition 2 Comments

Mama had a baby and it’s head popped off!

Benefits of Dandelion Root

I have recently been doing more research on herbal supplements. Dandelion is one of the top healing foods to boost antioxidants and cleanse the liver.

It’s benefits include diuretic action (which in common terms means you eliminate extra water retention). It is high in potassium, calcium and vitamin K. It can also help with constipation.

It helps detox the liver by supporting fat digestion and also helps balance blood sugar naturally which in turn can help with overall weight loss.

I found a dandelion root tea that I like to drink twice a day. The roots of the herb used to make coffees and tea. The flow flowers over the herb can make a delicious wine. The leaves are vitamin rich but slightly bitter and are often used in cooking.

Who knew that “Momma had a baby and it’s head popped off” was such a powerful supplement for our bodies?

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Supplements, Whole Food 2 Comments

Vitamin K 101

Recently, I have been recommending a Vitamin K2 supplement to those of you with risk of osteopenia (bone thinning) or osteoporosis (bone loss). I thought I would share a few of the basics on why I think this supplement is essential.

Vit K basics:

In nature, Vitamin K comes in two forms. Vitamin K1 is found in free leafy vegetables

Vitamin K2 is found in organ meats, egg yolks and dairy products.

Vitamin K is essential in manufacturing blood clotting proteins. In addition, it plays a vital role in keeping calcium in the bones instead of in the arteries.

The majority of research has been done on Vitamin K1 and its role in clotting ( all you coumadin/warfarin users are well aware of this). Clinical trials show that Vitamin K2 is an important inducer of osteoblasts ( the bone building cells) Recent studies show that Vitamin K2 may be as effective as prescription drugs in reducing the incidence of bone fracture in post menopausal women.

The nitty-gritty:

1. Calcium is essential for good health. However, Vitamin K2 is an important regulator of calcium and can prevent aberrant calcium metabolism in the body leading to cardiovascular disease.

2. Insufficient Vitamin K2 leads to decreased bone mineral density which causes osteoporosis and cane actually increase the risk of heart disease.

3. Studies in Japan show that Vitamin K2 in can substantially improve osteoporosis when given in prescription form or in the dish NATTO which is rich in K2

4. Even small amounts of K2 helps fight heart disease by keeping calcium out of the arteries and preventing plaque.

Optimal amounts of Vitamin K2 are still under investigation but it seems that roughly 180-200 micrograms may be helpful. It is estimated that 80% of Americans do not get enough K2 in their diet which is similar to the deficiency of Vitamin D we are now seeing here in America

Foods Containing Vitamin K2

Fermented foods such as natto or veggies fermented with a starter culture of K2 –Note miso and tempeh are not high in K2

Grass-fed organic animal products

Goose liver pate^‘

Certain cheeses such as Brie and Gouda (75mcg/ounce)

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Whole Food 2 Comments

Liver Detoxification

Steps to Detoxify the Liver

Step 1

Remove toxic substances from the diet –this includes sugar, grains, processed foods, and especially conventional meat and dairy (these are loaded with antibiotics and hormones that will completely disrupt your GI system) These set up a perfect storm to create a leaky gut.

Step 2

Add detoxifying herbs to your diet

Milk Thistle 100mg twice a day

Turmeric 500mg twice a day

Step 3

The liver is said to hold toxic emotion according to Ancient Chinese medicine. Specifically the liver holds, anger, resentment and frustration. Many suggest writing down people in your life that you hold these emotions towards and work on forgiveness. A counselor may be helpful with this.

Another practice that may be helpful is practicing Gratitude by writing down things you are grateful for on a daily basis

Step 4

Consume Liver (Yep–I said liver)

Famous physicians Dr. Gerson and Weston A. Price studied this and found that consuming liver on a regular basis is excellent at detoxifying the body

You can buy local chicken livers at your farmer’s market and throw them in the crock pot with chicken breasts, celery, carrots, onions and vegetables

If you just can’t bring yourself to eat real liver, you can buy desiccated liver at your local health food store

Step 5

Drink warm or room temperature water with fresh lemon as an early morning detox

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Angela in Diet, disease, Nutrition, Whole Food Leave a comment

Turmeric as an anti-inflammatory

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family and is a common spice used in Indian curries which gives them their golden-yellow color. It is a perennial herb native to tropical Southeast Asia .

It has long been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese traditional medicine as a “tonic and blood purifier” There is extensive scientific research providing support for its therapeutic effects as an anti-inflammatory. Turmeric contains the compound Curcumin which is responsible for many of its therapeutic effects.

It is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It has a protective effect on the liver and aids in increasing bile secretion. It has been shown to reduce the developement of blocked arteries, and reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis. ( It should not be used in high doses if you are breastfeeding).

I recently contacted a great orthopedic MD that is well-respected in the field of preventative nutrition that recommends the following supplement–you can visit his site at http://yourpersonalwellnesscenter.com

Here’s the link for this curcumin supplement

http://www.europharmausa.com/products/curamin/

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition Leave a comment

Why is Candy Crush Addicting?

I had to do this post because I was determined to find out why I was wasting time playing a stupid game on my phone and burning precious time! Apparently I am suffering from an addiction no different from sugar, drugs, porn etc. See there is a biochemical reason that we get hooked on these ridiculous games–they are engineered to suck us in and aren’t really any different from the WHEAT and SUGAR that activates our opioid receptors in our brain. Let’s just pray that Candy Crush isn’t my gateway drug to something more!!!!

Here is why we get so hooked!

1. The colors and graphics activate our brain’s reward system. Creating patterns of three and being rewarded with zings and popping sounds encourages us to keep playing

2. They create the opening rounds really easy and this triggers your brain to release mini-shots of dopamine (the feel good hormone).

3. Once we get sucked into craving dopamine –we start the anticipation of wondering if we can get to the next level. This stimulates our problem solving, memory and spatial recognition.

4. Here is where they get us—-we are desperate to get to the next level and actually consider paying 99 cents for extra lives. They also encourage us to continue on by allowing us to share lives with friends on social media.

The real point is that we all have addictions that aren’t really our fault. These games, foods, drinks, and practices are all based on activating our “feel good” hormones in our brains. That being said, I am working on focusing on finding ways to calm my mind with a more productive passion. Exercise, Diet, Meditation, Love, Compassion—all can produce the same effects—Baby Steps!

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Angela in Diet, Exercise, Nutrition 5 Comments

The Hormone Reset Diet

Endocrine disruptors are found in so many products–not only in the actual products but in the packaging as well.

They have a huge range of negative effects on hormones. They can increase or decrease hormone production, imitate hormones, and actually turn one hormone into another. Exposures can lead to serious health benefits ranging from thyroid dysfunction all the way to autism or ADHD.

Here is a quick cheat sheet on what to avoid when looking for safe products:

Soap–triclosan and triclocarban

Sunscreen–SPF>50, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone and added insect repellant

Toothpaste- triclosan

Nail Polish-formaldehyde,tolulene and dibutyl phthalate

The Environmental Working Group has a great website where you can check the safety of your own products and cosmetics called SKIN DEEP.

Balancing hormones is one of the most essential things for achieving good health and weight loss. I loved Dr. Sara Gottfried’s first book The Hormone Cure because of all the questionnaires to help each individual reader determine what their actual issue was and then provided some specific holistic options in effort to correct the imbalances.

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She now has a new book out called The Hormone Reset Diet that I have just ordered. So stay tuned and I’ll let you know what I think of it.

Check out Dr. Sara’s new book-

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You can get free recipes HERE