Hot Water Rescue

3.29

I posted last week about questioning everything. That's a good way to stay mentally fresh and growing through life. And part of the journey of questioning everything is keeping an open mind to what we observe and experience along the way.

Some time ago I was at dinner with a few business friends and one specifically got a mug of hot water with our dinner (while the rest of us were having seltzers and sodas and adult beverages.) One of the guys questioned him on his dinner beverage, and he simply said that it's a lot healthier for your than cold water, and certainly better than sodas and beer. I think that was the first time I was aware of someone specifically drinking hot water with a meal, or anytime, because of the health benefits.

Fast forward to a current coworker, who with lunch everyday has hot water (with a squeeze of lemon). Hmmm... this piqued my interest enough to merit some further study. After reading a half a dozen or so articles and posts on the benefits of drinking hot water over cold, I too am set on the benefits of a few glasses of what I'll call, 'unflavored tea.'

I acknowledge how refreshing a glass of fresh cold water is on a hot day. I especially like cold water, but not iced water (something close to 50 degrees, which is about the temperature of fresh natural spring water.) But the muscle tension, constricted blood vessels and hindered digestion which result are all good reasons to steer clear of cold water as a beverage of choice.

Hot water to the rescue. The numerous benefits of drinking hot water over cold are varied and proven. From better digestion to healthier skin to improved blood circulation, reduced nasal congestion, general body detox and relief of cramps, hot water is the winner, hands down.

How much water should we consume in a day? Research and doctors suggest between a half an ounce and one ounce per pound of body weight. That's several quarts of water a day... and that's over and above coffee and other drinks. We all better get drinking if we want to keep up with that pace.

Give it a try. Maybe it sounds a bit flaky, but do a two week test of drinking hot water as your beverage of choice and see if you don't detox and feel better.

By the Way

Check out this post from LifeHack.org for 12 Unexpected Benefits of Drinking Hot Water. Then sit down with a big mug of unflavored tea, relax, and enjoy!

Question Everything

3.28

We live in a world full of information and mis-information. If there is one things I've learned in my six-year wellness journey, it is to question everything. Assume nothing and don't trust common sense and accepted wisdom. For all the volumes of health information available to us, very little of it empowers us as individuals to discern what is best for our wellness and longevity.

For me it started years ago with 'Eat to Live' by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, which opened up all kinds of wellness and nutritional concepts which continue to inform me to this day. Then there was "The Science of Natural Healing," from The Great Courses, which further opened my view of what happens in our bodies nutritionally, and how simple (counter-cultural) choices will greatly improve our health and life.

If I hadn't been willing to open up my thinking and question what defines real food, I'd still be eating Pop Tarts and ice cream every day. I know I can turn the migraines, muscle and joint pains, and digestive issues on and off based on my nutritional choices.

Instead, I accepted the challenge of looking differently, even radically, at my pantry and wellness. Changing my thinking has changed my life. Through lots of questioning, I now know how sensitive my metabolism is to corn, nightshade vegetables, dairy and wheat. I know I can turn on health issues by having high-glycemic foods, and also that I can live pain-free and full-of-energy by eating clean. How cool is that?!

So, how's your journey and your pantry? Have you tried reading labels and questioning common knowledge about what constitutes food, and what is really healthful for our bodies? If you haven't, maybe today is your day. What can seem radical and health-nutty can quickly become a life-changing step in the right direction. Then it just takes another step and another... and a bit more reading and bit more curiosity and a bit more questioning. Soon enough, you will likely gain momentum on your own course toward wellness.

By the Way

One other wellness conviction that is very compelling to me is that there is no money in healthy people... follow the money, and you soon realize our government and society has a vested interest in peddling disease and failing health. I know that sounds super-cynical (and I'm not a conspiracy theorist) but if you follow the money it is evident that health and wellness don't help create jobs and commerce and make cash flow in our western world. For me, I'd rather be counter-cultural and healthy :o)

Make it Yourself

3.27

I'm not into posting recipes. There are sooo many websites with the latest recipe for something healthy or super-delicious or trendy, I figure I don't need to join the fray. BUT today I made something awesome, so I've decided to share the recipe if you want to try it.

Why the change of heart? Last week I took a fresh look at our pantry choices regarding acid/alkaline balance and noticed that some of our food-stock was coming from the bad side. As I re-evaluated things, I realized that oats and rice were a big part of our starches, and those are solidly on the bad (acid-forming) side side of acid/alkaline balance... hmmm.

So I came around to a renewed interest in ancient grains and finding and stocking some from the good side, and have spent a good bit of time this week doing just that. What resulted is that I simply reminded myself of things I already knew: mass-produced, refined grains (wheat, rice, oats, barley) are not as healthful as popular perspective and government support have us believe. But ancient grains? Those have staying power exactly because they are healthful and nutritious.

What are the ancient grains? Many of them are actually seeds... and I'm focusing on the gluten-free offerings: chia, amanranth, millet, teff, sorghum, quinoa. Technically, all whole grains have ancient roots; our modern versions likely have decades (or centuries) of modifications which have changed the size (bigger) and growth characteristics (drought-resistance) and even GMO changes to resist bugs. Ancient grains like the ones I mentioned often don't have these modifications.

Millet Flax Crackers
Baked fresh today

So what I made was a batch of crackers. Yes, simple crackers. Why? Have you tried to find tasty gluten-free crackers that don't have rice or potato starch as a base? There are expensive specialty crackers that would fit that profile, but nothing simple or readily available and affordable. So I made my own. And the early results are in: they're great!

I chose millet flour (which I ground myself in our Nutri-bullet) and ground flax, with some chia seeds for texture and hemp hearts sprinkled on top for a bit of extra flavor and nutrition. Want to give them a try? See the recipe below - maybe you'll make it yourself.

By the Way

The flour in the recipe below can likely be substituted with teff, sorghum or quinoa flour for a different texture and flavor profile. The millet was simply my first try... 

Millet and flax crackers (I modified this from a recipe online and a little bit of creativity)
(Oven temperature - 375 degrees; total cooking time about 50 minutes)

1 1/2 C ground flax
1 T chia seeds
1 1/2 C water
1 1/2 C millet flour
1 1/2 t salt
3 T olive oil
1 1/2 t baking powder
Additional pinches of salt for topping as well as seeds or other toppings (sesame seeds, hemp hearts, finely chopped nuts, etc.)

In a medium-sized bowl combine ground flax and chia seeds with the water. Stir and let stand about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
After flax and chia have thickened add remaining ingredients, stirring thoroughly to combine.
Divide dough evenly between two cookie sheets and spread to about 1/8" thick with back of a large metal spoon to cover entire sheet. Score dough with a pizza cutter, making initial cracker shapes; pierce the middle of each cracker with a fork (to prevent the centers from bubbling up). Top with pinches of salt (like kosher for visual appeal), various seeds or chopped nuts, etc.
Cook 20 minutes; remove and rescore crackers with pizza cutter; cook additional 15 minutes, remove and rescore a final time. Crackers may be cooked further until browned and crunchy, or can be removed at this time for a bit softer cracker (a lot like a mini flat-bread)
Enjoy!!

Returning to the Good Side

3.26

I was reminded this week of the value of discerning choices in my pantry and fridge. Last year I had posted about acid-alkaline balance in our bodies and how it is related to our food choices (From the Good Side, Jan 2015). This week I realized how far my own recollections had slid from the reality of healthful choices where acid/alkaline balance is concerned.

What is acid/alkaline balance all about? Our bodies do a miraculous job of maintaining consistent blood and tissue pH, even with the untold stresses which can put our bodily pH out of wack. Stress results from metabolizing things like refined foods and meats, dairy and most grains. When absorbing these less-healthy nutrients into our bodies, a state of low pH (an acid condition) is generated, inching our blood pH below the ideal 7.37 (which is just slightly alkaline).Veggies and fruits help stabilize bodily pH by the alkaline-forming nature of digested plant foods, keeping the pH in our tissues slightly alkaline, and keeping our bodies healthy.

If we're not eating fruits and veggies to counteract acid-forming foods, our bodies will compensate for the acid and use other means to neutralize it. As Dr. Joel Fuhrman stated in his book, Eat to Live: "Animal-protein ingestion results in a heavy acid load in the blood. This sets off a series of reactions whereby calcium is released from the bones to help neutralize the acid." Literally, our bones give up some density in the form of calcium compounds, in order for the slightly acidic state to be rebalanced back to slightly alkaline. The result is that we lose bone density, and end up with a calcium deficit in our bodies.

The slightly acidic state can also promote general inflammatory issues in our bodies, lending to health problems like arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and it can allow numerous cancers to take hold.

So, how do we keep our diet on the good side? Check out the the learning page at pHreshproducts.com. They offer extensive explanations of acid-alkaline issues in our diet and suggest the alkaline-forming foods which will counteract the acid-formation. Once you've wrapped your mind around which foods are acid-forming (unhealthy) and which are alkaline-forming (health-promoting) take a long look at your pantry and fridge, and see how your current food inventory measures up. Maybe you'll find some adjustments you need to make, just like we did this past week...

By the Way

Here is a tremendous chart to get you started on understanding acid-forming and alkaline-forming foods. Make choices from the good side, and your body will thank you.

Not So Sweet

3.25

Sugar is everywhere in our culture. On average, we've gone from consuming several pounds a year per person 200+ years ago, to over 100 pounds a year each, today. Huge consumer product groups like snacks and sodas and breakfast cereals are chocked full of sugar. Why? The refined sucrose and fructose in sugar is truly addicting, with similar effects on our brains as cocaine and other addictive drugs. Getting more raises the threshold of response and we need more to get the same 'benefit.'

And what do we get for this addiction? Not only obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, but sugar also speeds aging, stresses our liver the same way alcohol does, and interrupts our natural immune responses. And sugar literally feeds the growth and replication of cancer cells. Uhg. Beyond that, sugar in our diet increases inflammation response in our metabolism, and new studies are showing a strong relationship between elevated fructose in our diet and the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Natural sugars are better than refined sugars, but both are still concentrated sucrose:

• Today's refined white sugar often comes from beet sugar
• Cane sugar comes from sugar cane and has been a growing staple of western culture for centuries
• High fructose corn syrup is highly-refined corn syrup, it is significantly cheaper than other sugar sweeteners, and it has even worse health impacts
• Natural sugars come from raw, unrefined or lightly-refined sources, like honey, maple syrup, and agave nectar.
• Natural sugars also come from fruit, and even those add to our overall sugar load

So what is the solution to the sugar addiction and the health trauma that results? Moderation. Do we need to eliminate sugar? No, not all of it - just reduce refined sugar intake and keep it under control. The American Heart Assn says no more than 100 calories from refined sugars per day for women, and no more than 150 calories per day for men.

Keeping sweeteners to natural forms like honey is best, or minimally-refined ones like maple syrup or agave nectar. The point with any sweeteners, though, is moderation. Without moderation in our sweeteners, we can develop a sugar addiction (remember, it eventually takes more and more sugar to get the same amount of satisfaction.) With moderation, we find simple enjoyment from the sweetness of fruit and the occasional sweet treat, and they're easy to walk away from.

Take a hard look at your sugar habits and sweet expectations. If you are overcome with an uncontrollable desire for sweets, start today to detox from sugar and give moderation a try.

By the Way

Fruit sugars are much healthier than any prepared sugars or refined sweeteners, but these are sugars just the same. The only redeeming quality of getting sugar from whole fruit is the fiber and carbohydrates from the fruit, which help our bodies metabolize and use the sucrose with less ill-effects.

Not what we think

3.24

I have a co-worker who is super-healthy and vegan. He understands the value of nutrient-dense foods and a plant-based diet, and we have frequent conversations about what's new (to us) in healthy choices and recipes.

The other day he sent me several articles about protein and how much misinformation is out there about needing lots of protein in our diet. The research was gathered and supported by Gatorade and focused a lot on how even committed athletes don't need nearly the amount of protein that conventional wisdom indicates.

This misinformation is systemic in our western culture, and it doesn't look like it will get better anytime soon. The truth is, a plant-based diet rich in veggies, fruits, healthy grains, nuts and seeds will far outpace a protein-rich diet focused on dairy and animal proteins.

I often say that if we lived on the plains of Kansas in the 1800's we'd be incredibly grateful for a cow and her milk, some chickens and their eggs, and maybe a couple of pigs if we were really blessed. At least with a small barn yard, we would have some calorie-dense meats that would nourish our family consistently. And some fresh grains and produce thrown in, and we might even prosper.

But we don't live in the 1800's, and we have so many options for healthy food buying and eating, we have no excuse to get this wrong. The bigger issue is changing the message. We still have an archaic centralized government message telling us that dairy is essential to our health (especially brainwashing our kids in public school) and supporting big meat industry messages and sales volumes to a willing public.

I get that there is nothing more savory than the smell and taste of grilled meat. Throw in some salt and garlic, and hey, how can something that tastes this good be bad for you?! In small, occasional amounts and meals? No problem. But at the exorbitant rate that western culture eats meat protein, we write our own prescription for disease and untimely demise.

If you aren't convinced, do your own research. Check out Dr. Joel Fuhrman and Dr. Dean Ornish, and web resources like MindBodyGreen. We live with food-abundance like never before, and with extensive information available, we have no excuse for living with food-related poor health. What we will hear and learn from government and conventional media is full of half-truths and lobbyist-fed industry pandering. The truth on healthful foods is not what we think.

By the Way

If you really want to update your perspective on plant-based eating and healthful choices, check out these valuable documentaries (available on Netflix, or at their websites):
Fork Over Knives
Food Matters
Hungry for Change

These are all exceptionally eye-opening. Here's to upgrading what we know about our food choices and making healthful choices.

It's Summer - Change the Rules

3.23

Summer is almost over! Quick, what are all those fun things we wanted to do before Labor Day and school restarting?! We checked off one: our family just returned from an epic two-week+ vacation out West... it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to suspend the 'rules' and engage life in a completely different way for a while.

But a healthful lifestyle isn't conditional. After all, it's a lifestyle. I'm usually a "90/10" eater. 90% of my calories typically come from nutrient-dense, plant-based foods, and about 10% are some rare dairy or lean meats or something processed. On vacation though, it was probably more like 70/30. We enjoyed ribs in Wyoming and excellent smoky BBQ in Colorado, and also had trout, tremendous salmon dip, and several wonderful salads. Mmmm...

That's what vacation is all about. It's okay to change the rules for a while, as long as we know where our baseline is. Changing the rules is different than breaking the rules. And I've been a clean eater for so many years that I know I'll pay for straying from healthful choices. My body and metabolism react to poor food choices. But hey, I'm okay with that for a brief spell of summer.

Now that we're back in the swing of things I look forward to cleansing for a bit and then this fall, I'm planning on bringing more variety to my own healthful diet, and the overall food choices our family enjoys.

How about your summer? Hopefully it's been fun and relaxing and memorable. And if you feel like you fell off the wagon where your health and eating are concerned, it's simple enough to take a deep breath, contemplate your choices a bit, and get back to your wellness baseline.

By the Way

Part of my changing the rules was having ice cream twice on vacation (one was a fudge sundae) and it was fleetingly awesome. Because I wasn't running or working out, I didn't notice the dragging lethargy that usually hits me when I eat dairy. For healthy choices though, I also had a delicious dairy free treat at a frozen yogurt shop, and the organic plum sorbet at Moo's in Jackson Hole, WY. Tremendous!