The key to starting your digestion off on the right note isn’t the latest and greatest superfood or supplement. It is chewing, also known as mastication, and it’s the first and maybe the most important step in the digestive process. The way you chew and how long your chew, can significantly impact your digestion and your health in general.
Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins in the human body and the amino acids that make it up are essential building blocks in supporting the integrity and structure of our skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, blood vessels, and teeth as well as the entire gastrointestinal tract lining. As we age, our body gradually produces less. It is pretty different for everyone, but genetics, stress level, diet, smoking, age, and sun exposure may all influence how much we are producing.
There is a ton of fear and villainization of carbohydrates (“carbs”) out there and a lot of conflicting information. Some label all carbs as bad and others differentiate between “good” carbs and “bad” carbs. The purpose of this post is to cut through the dogma and get to the real truth about whether or not you should be eating them.
Ideally, we should have a fairly steady blood sugar ride throughout the day with balanced meals of fat, protein and carbs to satiate us until our next meal. We should not constantly rely on food for a quick hit of energy. This is not to say that eating regularly or snacking is bad, but giving your body a minimum of 3-4 hours between eating can provide the digestion cascade with the rest it needs and be very beneficial to the body.
Do we need them? I’d love to say no, but unfortunately given today’s environment the answer is yes for most people. Here are some of the reasons:
Soil diversity and quality has declined in modern times, decreasing the nutrient density of the food that comes from this soil. Modern farming has also led to a reduction in the diversity of plant foods that we eat on a daily basis and an increase in environmental toxins. Not to mention, most people don’t eat nearly enough of the right foods to obtain the amounts of nutrients that our bodies thrive on.
Our generation grew up with chronic antibiotic use, long-term use of birth control pills and other medications which wreak havoc on the liver and digestive and endocrine systems. We have reached a point where healing the gut and reversing damage to our bodies require more than dietary changes.
Our lifestyles today are challenging. In general, we are chronically stressed, we have poor sleep quality and quantity, we are not getting enough activity and movement in or we are over exercising, and we don’t spend enough time connecting with nature or spending time with one another.
I encourage my clients to obtain as many nutrients from food as possible because nutrient dense, whole foods are essentially pre-packaged nutrients that fit together naturally, containing many co-factors and enzymes required to absorb those nutrients. Though as I mention above, most of us are not obtaining the optimal level of at least some nutrients. Supplementation may be necessary indefinitely or for a period of time depending on the situation. For example, many of us are vitamin D and magnesium deficient. Other vitamins that we tend to be deficient in include vitamin A, K2, C, B12, selenium and iodine. Given our years of consuming more omega-6 vegetable oils when saturated fat had a bad rap, many have an imbalance in their omega-3 / omega-6 ratio as well (they should be balanced).
Because we are all so different and our bodies have different needs based on our lifestyles, diets and history I don’t make blanket recommendations. The best way to determine what deficiencies you have is to work with a functional medicine or holistic practitioner. As practitioners, part of our job is to research and test the best supplements for our clients to ensure that they are getting the appropriate nutrients their body needs. We help to monitor any adverse reactions or interactions with other medications you may be taking and help ensure proper dosing and timing. Some nutrients are known to be toxic if taken in high doses. For example, vitamin A can cause liver problems, too much zinc can reduce copper in the body and vitamin E and selenium may be linked to prostate cancer.
It is also important to note that the supplement industry is not regulated by the FDA and is in fact, not regulated at all. Standards for quality do not exist and there is nothing keeping companies from making false claims on their packaging which is ineffective and even dangerous. A Canadian research group conducted a study on a variety of different generic brand supplements. They found that many of these supplements found in well-known pharmacies (e.g. Walgreens, Wal-Mart) contained unlisted fillers, contaminants, completely different compounds than listed, and in some cases no active herbal ingredients at all. Over 60% of the store brand supplements tested had incorrect labeling, and more than 50% didn’t contain the advertised ingredient.
Given this problem, it is very important to purchase high quality supplements from trusted source. It is also important to find brands whose products are considered to be pharmaceutical grade which are at the top-tier of quality and generally only dispensed (or at least endorsed) by practitioners and clinicians. These supplements are produced under rigorous laboratory conditions, tested for purity, contaminants, and are free of allergens and questionable ingredients. The companies package synergistic compounds together to help improve your body’s ability to absorb the active ingredients. You can also be sure that you will be getting only those ingredients listed on the labels, without fillers and toxins.
Supplements can have a place in our health journey, provided we use them sensibly and not at the expense of a whole foods-based, nutrient dense diet. Ignore the dogma that is rampant in the health and wellness industry about the latest and greatest supplement and figure out what will work best for YOU with the help of someone trained to do so. You may find that in the long run you save money on products and supplements you don’t need and actually feel better using the supplements that serve your mind and body and improve your health.
Sources:
Grains, beans (legumes), nuts and seeds contain naturally occurring ant-nutrients which are a plants innate defense mechanism. In fact, almost all plants have some form of anti-nutrient or toxic substance to protect itself from being eaten. These anti-nutrients can negatively affect our health if we let them. For example one anti-nutrient, phytic acid, inhibits the absorption of other nutrients in the food and can cause digestive distress and blood sugar issues for some people. Others contain substances such as lectins , which can irritate the gut lining and eventually cause skin conditions and autoimmune responses. In extreme cases, some beans and raw seeds are highly toxic when eaten raw.
To alleviate this problem, many popular diets today appease the masses and simply eliminate them completely from their plan and don't get me started on the debate in health and wellness circles on this topic. It is unfortunate because many of us can actually tolerate these foods, especially when they are prepared properly. Once the anti-nutrients are degraded with proper pre-treatment, these foods become excellent sources of nutrients.
The concept of soaking and sprouting grains, legumes, nuts and seeds is not new. In fact, many ancient cultures around the world soaked, sprouted or fermented these foods and still do today. Over the years, they learned that preparing these foods in this way helps to alleviate the digestive distress and makes the nutrients more bio-available. The Chinese were the first people to sprout beans as they sailed on voyages overseas. The abundant vitamin C in sprouted mung beans prevented the crews from getting scurvy. Instructions for sprout dried peas for soups were found years ago in French cookbooks and bulgur, an ancient grain from the Middle East, is made from sprouted wheat.
Ideally, grains should undergo a long ferment (such as traditional sourdough or beer). However, this is not always practical given our time and storage constraints. After fermentation, sprouting is the next best preparation as it can still help to reduce anti-nutrients while simultaneously increasing the nutrient density of the food. Soaking alone will also help in the reduction of anti-nutrients, though not quite as well as soaking.
It is important to mention that some of our population cannot tolerate these foods (particularly grains and legumes). Other people choose to omit them because they may feel better without them or are obtaining the nutrients in these foods from another source. We are all different and have different needs and belief systems that influence how and what we eat. For those who choose to eat grains, beans, nuts and seeds – aim to eat them in their properly prepared form as often as possible so that you can take in as much of their nutrition as feasible and reduce your chances of mineral depletion or digestive distress later. If you are unsure about whether you tolerate these foods well or not, it may be helpful to eliminate them for a period of time as a test. If you do eat them in your home, take the time to properly prepare them. Your body with thank you!
Instructions for soaking grains and beans:
Instructions for soaking nuts and seeds:
Instructions for sprouting grains, beans, nuts and seeds:
The instructions for sprouting all grains, beans and seeds is the same for each, though the length of time it takes to sprout varies.
Sources:
Diet culture is something that is all around us yet most of us don’t think about it specifically or even know what it is. It feels normal to us even though it is anything but. Diet culture exists because our society values the number on the scale over health and longevity. It sends the message that restrictive eating through calorie deficits and the elimination of food groups, or whatever fad diet is in favor will help us to lose weight and therefore make us happier and healthier. It also tells us that the more we work out and the harder we work out, the more likely we are to have six pack abs. It reinforces the belief that if you are thin and or appear fit that you are a happier person. Diet culture is black and white – putting foods into buckets labeled good or bad with the aim of creating shame in our minds so that we continue purchase products and services that will give us that “bikini body”, help us get our body back after having a baby, or give us the energy of our youth.
This culture wants us to be in the cycle of wanting to lose weight and trying to keep it off, hating our bodies and shaming ourselves, it wants us to feel like a failure or worthless when a “diet” isn’t working. They want us to spend more money on the next diet, supplement or workout program. We can choose not to engage in this cycle, but it is dificult because it is so engrained in our society today. We deserve better.
Here are some strategies to help you reframe your thoughts and allow you to take charge of your mindset around health, while allowing you to stop feeding into, and thereby supporting diet culture:
1. Instead of labeling foods as good or bad or eliminating certain foods just because you believe they are too high in fat, carbs or calories, try to think about all foods as neutral and really pay attention to how they make you feel. Are these foods working for you, nourishing you and making you feel good? Stop reading labels for recommendations on how much you should be eating and eat what feels right to you, when it feels right and the amount that will nourish and sustain you. Aim to push out the guilt and anxiety associated with former “bad” foods. So long as the bulk of your meals are based on whole foods with lots of organic greens and vegetables (fiber), high quality proteins and healthy fats and you are feeling well generally, you can still enjoy some of the foods that our diet culture associates with guilt, shame or whatever else they have come up with to manipulate our thinking.
2. Stop exercising for punishment or to negate something that you ate and consider how exercise makes you feel. Contrary to popular belief, you can’t negate something you ate with running ten miles or taking two hours of spin class. We have very little control over our actual metabolic rate. While our food intake accounts for 100 percent of the energy that we take into our bodies, exercise burns off only somewhere between ten and thirty percent depending on a variety of factors at that time. It is pretty hard to erase your diet with hours on the treadmill and it isn’t worth the time or the hardship to your body. More exercise isn’t always better. In fact, most of the time it introduces more stress to your body. Over time the behavior of using exercise as punishment for poor dietary decisions can be extremely detrimental to your heath and your mindset. Exercise should be something that brings you joy and should be used as a tool to make you feel strong in your body, have more energy and confidence and add to your health and well being. So seek out the forms of exercise that you enjoy and do them because you care about your body
3. Let go of the idea that the number on the scale or your clothing size determines your worth, capabilities, health or happiness. Diet culture will tell you time and time again to follow a specific plan and you will lose weight and therefore be a happier person. There are unhappy people at all sizes and your worth and capabilities in any capacity are not tied to your weight or how you look in a bathing suit. This is a big one, especially with postpartum women. As new moms we often feel like we have to get our bodies back and in short order. Why? Because in diet culture, we are made to feel that we are not ourselves until we can successfully fit into our old clothes and have the same body that we had before having children. When you really think about it, is that even rational? Pregnant or not, our bodies change over time depending on our lifestyles, stress levels and seasons of life. A mother’s body should be celebrated for having the strength and amazing ability to carry a life, give birth and nourish that life. It is normal to not look the same afterwards because let’s face it, we are not the same afterwards. Your body never goes away it just changes with your experience, just like it does with other life experiences.
When you stop spending so much time stressing about your weight and focus on living your life – spending time with your children, nourishing yourself with foods that make you feel good, move your body as we are designed to, and do things for yourself that bring you joy and peace, you may just find that you are happier. You may never again fall into the trap of dieting and over-exercising only to fail and feel bad enough about yourself to do it again and again.
There are so many other ways that diet culture infiltrates the messaging we see all around us. I could go on about this forever so I picked a few of the common themes I see. I hope this post helps you to think about how diet culture has influenced you over the years, what you can do minimize its harmful effects and move forward in a more positive way that can help your own health and mindset. Hopefully over time the power that diet culture has over our society will diminish or even go away completely.
Let’s make it happen!
Our bodies process thousands of toxins and environmental stressors on a daily basis. There is a direct link between how many toxins we are exposing ourselves to and our ability to achieve optimal health and well-being. Some of these exposures are avoidable by changing what we put on in our bodies, on our bodies and what we do in our homes. These stressors are often hard to understand because they are not something that you can see or feel.
EMFs are electromagnetic fields and are all around us via electronic devices like our cell phones, Wi-Fi, electric wiring and lighting in our homes and even refrigerator motors. These EMFs pass through our bodies constantly, disrupting out bodies own unique electromagnetic energy field and potentially harming our cells by changing how our cells communicate with one another. While there is a huge amount of uncertainty over how harmful EMFs are to human health, there is a common theme that chronic EMF exposure may be related to ailments such as chronic fatigue, sleep issues, neurological and behavioral problems and even cancer.
High levels of constant EMF pollution are most problematic, particularly for a subset of the population particularly susceptible to adverse symptoms from excessive exposure. Children also appear to be more vulnerable to EMFs than adults. Reducing exposure to on a daily basis can be helpful in achieving better health for you and your family. A great place to start is in our homes – where we can control the level of EMFs we are exposed to.
Here are some of the easiest and most economical ways I have found to reduce exposure:
Change out the light bulbs in your homes from fluorescent or CFLs to incandescent. I know, it seems this is moving backward, but these newer bulbs give off radiofrequency radiation in addition to UV radiation and dirty electricity. The old-school incandescent light bulbs give off much less of these by-products (though they do use more electricity). Energy-efficient LED light bulbs don’t contain radiofrequency radiation or UV radiation, but they still produce dirty electricity.
Reduce your exposure when you don’t need it – while you sleep. Start by putting your Wi-Fi on a timer in order to turn it off a night (cutting your exposure in half). You can also remove high EMF sources from your bedroom by putting your cell phone in airplane mode, turning it off, or keeping it out of your room entirely. If you need to access your phone at night, keep it across the room from where you are sleeping to reduce your exposure to cell phone radiation. You can also purchase a battery-operated analog or LCD alarm clock. Keep other EMF emitting things like laptops, televisions, DVD players, etc., out of your bedroom as these electronic devices are constantly emitting an EMF that affects you while you sleep and may even affect your sleep experience itself.
Reduce your usage of cell phones and other devices including wearables like an Apple Watch or FitBit. Turn your Bluetooth off, and keep your phone in airplane mode whenever possible. If your kids play games or use apps on your phone or their phones, ensure they are playing in airplane mode. While the evidence on this isn’t totally clear, there may be a link between certain cancers (including the brain) as well as infertility to high levels of exposure to cell phones. Having your phone (or wearing it) close to your body is exposing you to constant radiation and EMF exposure.
Take regular Epsom salt baths to reset and recharge your body. For a great detox bath and a way to reduce the body’s toxic burden from chemicals and radiation, mix one cup of Epsom salt with a half cup of baking soda. Add 2-4 drops each of frankincense, lavender, and/or juniper berry essential oils directly to the mix, then pour under running water. Do this as often as possible, at least once a week.
For more information on reducing your EMF exposure in and out of the home, here are a few books and other sources below.
Sources:
Pineault, N. (2017). The Non-Tinfoil Guide to EMFs: How to Fix Our Stupid Use of Technology.
Milham, S. (2010). Dirty electricity: electrification and the diseases of civilization.
http://www.parentsforsafetechnology.org/worldwide-countries-taking-action.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412014001354
Sticking to your usual diet and lifestyle routine can seem daunting and stressful when you are travelling, particularly when you are travelling for work. Here are my strategies for feeling your best no matter where your plans lead you. I realize that sometimes we don't want to stick to our schedules when on vacation, for example, so please feel free to take from this post what you want and disregard what you don't find helpful or useful to you. Travelling can be stressful enough!
Lodging. If possible, find a place that offers a mini-fridge or even a small kitchen in the room in order to store healthy snacks and prep quick meals. Sometimes hotels are the only option, but some may have kitchens or refrigerators available in the room.
Food. You can easily take a variety of foods with you depending on the length of your trip, and the luggage you are travelling with.
For perishable foods, take a small cooler bag along with ice packs to keep foods cold during transit. When flying, if you’re unsure if you will make it through security with your ice packs, bring along a closable bag and get ice from an airport vendor once you’re in the terminal.
You can always prep a few items to bring if you have the time. All of which will survive just fine without ice packs.
Precut raw veggies of all kinds (i.e. carrots, celery, broccoli, cucumber, bell pepper)
Fruit, wash and bring whole if it travels well or cut up and put in small containers
Hard boiled eggs
Homemade muffins
Homemade granola
You can also bring, or purchase any of the following when you arrive at your destination:
Bananas, apples, citrus, berries, and avocados
Single serving packs or small containers of guacamole, hummus, coconut oil and nut butters
A loaf of your favorite bread
Packets of plain oatmeal
Granola (watch for high sugar content and vegetable oils, this one uses a small amount of coconut sugar and coconut oil)
Grass-fed yogurt or non-dairy yogurt
Grass fed jerky or beef sticks
Olives
Wild caught tuna, oysters, sardines or salmon in pouches or BPA free cans/tins
Hemp hearts, chia seeds, and raw nuts
Dried or freeze dried fruit
Refined sugar free bars like: RX Bar, Lara Bar, Epic Bar
Dark Chocolate
Saurkraut and/or kombucha to keep your digestion in check
Eating out. Try not to stress too much about this, especially if you are on vacation. Sometimes what we eat can’t always be in our control and some balance is good for us. It is ok to not always eat 100% healthy all the time. If you eat well most of the time, your body can handle some not so great for you meals once in a while. Some digestive enzymes and HCL support can help support your digestion if you are eating things that you are not used to. A warm cup of lemon water can be helpful too following a meal or in the morning. Here are my tips for when you do what to stay on track:
Let the wait staff know if you have any dietary restrictions and ask for their suggestions, especially at places where items are not labeled (i.e. gluten free, dairy free)
When ordering salads, find out what kind of oils they use. If they don’t know or if they are vegetable oil based, ask for a side of olive oil and lemon wedges or vinegar. Ask them to hold any croutons or cheeses if you’re avoiding gluten and processed dairy.
Burgers without the bun or a lettuce wrap are always an easy option. When in doubt meat or wild-caught fish with vegetables are your best bet. You can avoid sides fried in vegetable oils by asking for a side salad, or steamed or grilled vegetables.
Avoid vegetable oils by asking if there is an option to have your meat or vegetables cooked in butter (instead of the typical canola or soybean oil).
Creature Comforts. Bring your own reusable water bottle and travel mug for coffee or tea to use throughout your trip. Don’t’ forget your usual supplements, favorite teas and additional immune boosting supplements in case you need them. As your digestion can be off when travelling, some extra magnesium can help to keep you relaxed and keep things moving. Natural Calm makes some handy packets that are great when you are on the go. I like to bring my favorite essential oils too, along with a detoxifying face mask or beauty treatment for some inexpensive self-care. I always bring good walking shoes to make sure I can get in some movement and if I have the space I bring my travel yoga mat (if I have room) for hotel room workouts in case there isn’t a good gym or the weather outside isn’t ideal. It is important to note that if you are not up for working out at your usual level, don't stress. Travelling is tiring to your body and this might be a great time to give your body a rest or try a different way of being active or working out that your normally don't do. Keeping as normal of a routine as possible is crucial to overall health and longevity, especially if you travel for work often. If you are travelling for pleasure, try to unplug and de-stress as much as possible, you have earned it!
