Finding a New Primary Care Doctor

A Big Thanks To Leslie at Wellparents.com for this great advice Thanks to Leslie at Read more

The Rollercoaster of Life

Grandma: "I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like Read more

Sheltering at Home/Covid 19

Never in the last two decades of my career as a physician would I have imagined that we would be using the same mask to see patients all day and then sterilizing/recycling them at the end of the day. Read more

Turmeric Health Benefits

Have you ever wondered what the paste is applied to the bride and groom's faces and arms in Indian weddings?  It's actually the spice turmeric.  Turmeric is the ingredient in curry that gives it a vibrant yellow color.  Actually, Read more

COVID 19 Precautions

With the scare of COVID here in the USA now, I wanted to post a little info about boosting immunity to prevent contracting the virus. Here are some important facts about Covid-19 It is spread by contact with Read more

Natural Tips for Avoiding Colds

This cold and flu season is still upon us and unfortunately, many patients are still being plagued by these nasty viral symptoms.  Here are a few tips to try if you feel like you are coming down with something. Of Read more

Sherry's Story

Sherry has a great story.  She has been diabetic for years and she has made some massive changes!   "I have been on a lifestyle change. It has been a year following a ketogenic food plan.  When I started this journey Read more

Pharmacy to Farmacy

Many of you may know Erin-- the fabulous Pharm D that worked in our office a few years back.  Erin is a phenomenal gal and we embarked on the journey  into natural medicine around the same time.  As we both Read more

vegetables

Safe grilling!

Grilling is a great way to eliminate fats and oils while preparing meats and veggies. Plus it’s a fun way to stay outdoors to eat and cook. Disposable plates mean you stay out of the kitchen completely.
FoodFacts.com would like to discuss grilling season.
With grilling season just around the corner, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month released a pamphlet with grilling tips for the safe preparation of foods.
E-coli and salmonella are two of the most well-known and common food-borne illnesses in existent, and both illnesses are often contracted through the incorrect preparation of foods. This is especially common in the summer, when grilling is a common means of cooking and the heat outside is high, resulting in a higher chance of bacteria growing within food. So how can you keep you and your family safe during this fun, but risky, time?
It all begins before you even begin cooking, with proper cleanup and preparation of your work area. Cleaning your food items is also a must, specifically fresh fruits and vegetables.
The means in which you transport your food is also important, and transporting foods in an organized manner could be beneficial. Keeping your cold foods cold, specifically in a cooler with the temperature at 40°F or below, is necessary for preventing bacteria growth. Keep the coolers closed, and don’t cross-contaminate foods such as poultry, seafood and raw meat.
What about the actual grilling process, though? How do you keep your foods safe?
When grilling, it is important to marinate your food safely – keep it in the refrigerator, rather than the counters or outside. Keep already grilled food hot until it is served. Also, and this is very important – cook food thoroughly. To find out proper cooking temperatures, please refer to the FDA link at the bottom of this blog. Finally, when cooking, keep utensils separate to prevent cross-contamination. It might be a good idea to wash utensils after each use to be extra safe.
So, folks, there you have it. Separation, refrigeration, and proper cooking temperatures are the basics.

With that said, we’re wishing you a happy and healthy grilling season from FoodFacts.com!Another note from Dee: if you use a liquid marinade, be sure to discard it after use, do not put it back on meat that’s been cooked. Remember, it was in close contact with the raw meat and should be treated that way. Here’s the FDA link: FDA.

Posted on by Angela in Diet, Guest Blog, Nutrition, Organic, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Homemade V8 Juice

I love V8 Juice–my mom made me drink it every morning before school.  (Thanks Mom).  It was the perfect combo to my usual breakfast of chocolate donuts!  I think of the commercial “I should have had a V8!”  as I peel the little label off that can!   This last weekend, the kids and I went on a mission to reproduce a V8 juice using our new juicer.  Don’t get me wrong– V8 from the store is incredibly better than soda or an artificial reproduction of a fruit juice.   Please don’t feel judged if you do drink it–it’s a great choice.  We just needed a project.  It certainly became a project quickly (Imagine a 5-year-old cramming veggies in a juicer at lightening speed)  and it turned into a real ordeal.   It’s amazing that we survived with fingers and kitchen intact.

Fooducate gives it a B rating so no–it’s not all that bad.  However – please note the Maltodextrin, Salt, Flavoring???, and Ascorbic/Citric Acid. in the ingredient label.  That is way more ingredients than we like to see!  TOXIC!.

Maltodextrin is made from starch,  primarily corn in the US .  Maltodextrin applies to any starch hydrolysis product containing less than 20 glucose units.  It serves as an artificial sweetener in most foods in which it is added.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/502241-the-risks-of-maltodextrin/#ixzz2QTR6RTCd

Image

Here is a list of the V8 juice ingredients -the store-bought version–

Tomato Juice From Concentrate (Water, Tomato Concentrate), Reconstituted Vegetable Juice Blend (Water and Concentrated Juices of Carrots, Celery, Beets, Parsley, Lettuce, Watercress, Spinach), Maltodextrin, Salt, Ascorbic Acid, Flavoring, Citric Acid.

Here are our homeade ingredients:

Our Homemade Version–

• 6 medium-sized carrots
• 1 small beet (washed thoroughly)
• 3 large tomatoes
• 1 red bell pepper
• A bag of baby spinach
• 1 green bell pepper
• ¼ slice of sweet onion
• 3 stalks of celery
• ¼ head of fresh cabbage
• Half clove garlic
• Kale leaves, chili pepper and salt to taste

 

Unfortunately, ours turned out quite palatable but had a very unpleasing brown color–Let me know if you try this and have better results.  (I’m not posting the end product for that reason)

Posted on by Angela in Diet, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food 2 Comments

Do I have to buy organic? The Dirty Dozen

Sure, we would all love to buy everything we eat organic and process free, but who can afford that in today’s economic times.  I struggle with the issue of spending so much on food especially if it isn’t all eaten before it goes bad.   If you are buying veggies on a budget, try to go organic for the Dirty Dozen foods.  These top 12 are known to be grown with the most pesticides.  The rest you can probably get by not buying organic.  Regardless, any fruit or vegetable (organic or not) is still better than that McDonald’s cheeseburger so don’t spend too much time worrying!

Peach

Apple

Bell Pepper

Celery

Nectarine

Strawberries

Cherries

Kale

Lettuce

Grapes

Carrot

Pear

Posted on by Angela in Diet, disease, Green Living, Nutrition, Organic, vegan, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Veganville!

Fellow struggle bus victims—-

The daylight savings time change and the dreary weather has led to a slow Monday for me.  I am guessing that many of you are feeling the mullygrubs as well.  I’m sick of waiting for winter to finally break allowing those bright spring undertones to freshen our moods!  In effort to keep things lighthearted today–I have to share my man crush Justin Timberlake’s performance on Saturday Night Live this weekend.  Love it!

However, I felt compelled to share this real life testimonial with you all for anyone who watched the inspiring Dr. Terry Wahl’s TED talk last week.  The more research I do, the more patient testimonials I find.  This 7 minute video is by a young gal with relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis.  She shares her progress on her blog and in this you tube video.  Eat those veggies!  And bring it on down to VEGANVILLE!

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, vegan, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Calcium Supplements—are they for the cows?

The easiest way to get your calcium!
EAT IT!

 

I am reposting this oldie but goodie with all of the questions I have gotten this last week on calcium supplements and some of the new information that has been released regarding their use.  I really feel like we should be getting our calcium from food.  Primarily=plant based food considering some of the dangers of milk and soy in today’s food supply.  Here are some of the best plant based sources of calcium.

 

Enjoy the best way to get your calcium–through your food.  Yes friends, Citracal with D is a good supplement but there really isn’t any reason why we need to take an additional manufactured supplement when there are so many great foods that contain plenty of calcium.  Edamame, oranges, beans, and kale all have great amounts of calcium and you get the benefit of all the other nutrients and antioxidants!  Remember those free radical cancer fighters?  Eat your veggies people!  Eat your veggies!

The following is from http://www.healthaliciousness.com

#1: Collard Greens (Cooked)

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup Chopped
210mg 357mg
21% DV 36% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Collard Greens

 

#2: Kale (Raw)

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup
205mg 137mg
21% DV 14% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Kale

 

#3: Turnip Greens

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup Chopped
190mg 105mg
19% DV 10% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts

 

#4: Garlic

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup Calcium in 1 Clove
181mg 246mg 5mg
18% DV 25% DV 1% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Garlic

 

#5: Arugula (Rocket)

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup
160mg 32mg
16% DV 4% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts

 

#6: Broccoli Rabe (Rapini)

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Bunch Cooked (437 grams)
118mg 516mg
12% DV 52% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Broccoli Rabe (Rapini)

 

#7: Mustard Greens

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup Chopped
101mg 152mg
10% DV 15% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Mustard Greens

 

#8: Sun Dried Tomatoes

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup
110mg 59mg
11% DV 6% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts

 

#9: Spinach (Raw)

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup
99mg 30mg
10% DV 3% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Spinach

 

#10: Okra

Calcium per 100g serving Calcium in 1 Cup Sliced
96mg 177mg
10% DV 18% DV

Click to see complete nutrition facts || More about Okra
Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/high-calcium-vegetables.php#HctdUrebgCISwMHs.99

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, disease, Nutrition, vegan, Whole Food Leave a comment

Conventional Diet Wisdom

 

Conventional diet wisdom is wrong!  Changes in our diets have occurred as a result of the agricultural revolution 7,000 years ago.  Unfortunately, the more recent industrial revolution has happened  so quickly that our genes haven’t had time to adapt.  Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes were virtually nonexistent before we rapidly changed our diets.  Our ancestors for more than 2 million years ate meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, and nuts.  Grains like wheat and corn, soybeans, and sugar were not part of their diet.  The processed foods that we are consuming now only contain food like substances and not nutrients.  If you don’t believe me–go into Walmart and count how many healthy looking people over the age of 30 you see.  More food for thought—Watch this tidbit about the Paleo Diet.

Posted on by Angela in Body, Call to action, Diet, disease, Green Living, Nutrition, Organic, vegan, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Juicing

I am frequently glanced at oddly in the hallways of the hospital when people see me carrying in my ball jar full of juice for breakfast.  If it is green, I get eye rolls or mysterious lurks.  Since my staff and I are all experimenting with juicing and recipes for tasty juice, I thought I would explain the differences between juicers.

Centrifugal vs Masticating

Centrifugal juicers work at high speeds and tend to be noisy.  They are wonderful at juicing fruits and vegetables quickly and are easy to clean.  However, they can juice green leafy vegetables but are not as efficient as a masticating juicer.

A masticating  juicer is especially good at juicing the green leafy vegetables such as wheatgrass, spinach, parsley, cilantro, kale, Swiss Chard.  One benefit of a masticating juicer is that it requires less veggies to create more juice than a centrifugal juicer.  It can also be used to make baby food, pasta, nut butter and ground meat.

I have a centrifugal juicer now since I am still a novice.  Eventually, I may upgrade.  I found my Omega 3 juicer at Georgetown Market for under $150.  There are juicers that are much less expensive and work well.

Tonight–I will be adding Kale and Parsley to my juice and disguising it in a colored glass so my kids will try it before they realize that it is green.  Baby steps and devious manuevers are required by this mom to change our family’s diet

 This is my juicer–so far so good although it is rather loud.

 Here is a link to a great article that is much more in depth on the differences in juicers —please check it out

 http://www.juicingwithg.com/types-of-juicers/

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Organic, vegan, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Green Bean Delivery

It may be my obsession with Pinterest or my overwhelming desire to believe I actually am Martha Stewart, but I am ecstatic each week when my $35 tub of fresh produce arrives from Green Bean Delivery.  My family members roll their eyes as I rush to pinterest to find recipes that will combine all my new food into fanciful, ingenious masterpieces.  Fresh produce at the supermarket is expensive so I put my sleuth skills to work to find alternatives.  Luckily, when you mix a nutritionist and an environmentalist with integrity, you get the perfect union!

Matt Ewer and Elizabeth Blessing are soul mates.  Drawn together by their passion for developing a healthier community, they combined their experiences to develop a marriage and business that will sustain integrity and value for the future.  They offer online home delivery of fresh,organic produce from local farmers and artisans.  The produce is affordable, convenient, and assessable to Midwest communities.  Thank you both for this service and for being “real” and doing what you believe is right.

Learn about Green Bean Delivery—-http://www.greenbeanindiana.com

Matt Ewer and Elizabeth Blessing, husband and wife, share equal passions for healthy community, nutrition education, sustainable farming and food networks. After a short stint on the West Coast, the pair decided to move back home to Indianapolis and put their experiences to the test by starting their own food delivery business.

In 2007, Green B.E.A.N. Delivery, formerly Farm Fresh Delivery, was founded in Indianapolis by Matt and Elizabeth. John Freeland and Matt attended college together and have remained good friends through the years. After Matt started the company, John, who is now the vice president, saw a need and desire for this type of service in Cincinnati. In early 2009, Green B.E.A.N. Delivery expanded to The Queen City.

 Matt has a degree in Environmental Management from Indiana University. After graduating in 2000, he worked at Stranger’s Hill organic farm in Bloomington, Ind., for two seasons. Enjoying his experience in farming led Matt to Washington State for another learning experience in organics. While in Seattle for four years, Matt was the general manager of Full Circle Farm, which was recently named “one of the most successful small farms in the country” by US News. He has experience in buying, growing and selling large volumes of produce and natural products, as well as marketing and managing a growing company.

Elizabeth has a Master of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Indiana University. After graduating from Bastyr, she worked as a nutrition educator for Washington State University King County Extension’s Food $ense Program. While at Food $ense, she co-authored nutrition education curriculum. In 2007, Elizabeth became the on-site nutritionist and food service instructor at The Chef’s Academy, the Indiana Business College’s culinary school. Today, as the full-time staff nutritionist at Green B.E.A.N. Delivery, Beth creates unique recipes and information nutritional pieces for members to enjoy.

 Today, Green B.E.A.N. Delivery is a fast growing online home delivery service that provides organic produce and natural groceries to its members sourced from local farmers and artisans. The company’s goal is to make healthy, local and sustainably grown foods convenient, affordable and accessible to Midwest communities. Green B.E.A.N. Delivery’s focus is on improving the health of Midwest urban communities while strengthening its sustainable food businesses with both rural and urban roots.  

 The company currently serves Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, Ind., Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio, and Louisville, Ky., as well as the greater surrounding areas. Its service provides an avenue for local artisans and farmers to share their crafts and talents with local community members. Green B.E.A.N. Delivery services homes, and recently began delivering to offices in Cincinnati.

 Additionally, Green B.E.A.N. Delivery is focused on several other initiatives, such as Farm to Kitchen Foods, which produces homemade food for members.  Tiny Footprint Distribution by Green B.E.A.N. Delivery distributes all-natural, sustainably produced products to end retailers, and was created to help artisans with the biggest challenge they face—distribution. Garden on the Go, in collaboration with Indiana University Health, is a mobile produce truck that works to provide Indianapolis communities with better access to healthy foods. As others come to fruition, we will make the announcement.

Posted on by Angela in Body, Composting, Diet, Green Living, Nutrition, Organic, Weight Loss, Whole Food 1 Comment