All You Ever Wanted to Know About Food Combining

You asked for it. I just hope you really want to know.

I haven’t posted anything about food combining before for a couple reasons, the first and most glaring excuse being that I don’t strictly follow these rules myself. The second reason is because my goal here at My New Roots is to get you excited about eating a raw brownie instead of a regular brownie, which I feel is such a huge step in the right direction, that throwing another caveat into your new, healthy lifestyle feels cruel. Just when you thought you had it all figured out, here comes another rule?!?  I know. I get it. I struggle with this one a lot (hence the not doing it part). 

Judging by the number inquisitive emails piling up, lots of you want to know about this food combining. So what is it exactly? 

Food combining is a centuries-old way of eating for optimal digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Food combining centers around the idea that meals should be kept simple in order to be digested properly by enzymatic action - the natural way our body works to break down food and absorb nutrients. As different foods require their own unique enzymes (even foods in the same basic category, such as wheat and barley), too many different foods in one meal confuse the body and it is not able to produce all of the necessary enzymes simultaneously. This leads to a whole host of digestive issues, starting with belching, heartburn, intestinal gas, abdominal pain and swelling. As benign as these symptoms seem, they are just that: symptoms of a larger problem. If you are experiencing these digestive “upsets” on a regular basis, you should definitely consider food combining. After years of ignoring these signs that your body is delivering, you can begin to experience far more serious problems and irreversible damage.  

When food is not digested properly, many issues arise. For one, when we eat too many different foods at one sitting, the body has a difficult time digesting through enzymatic action. Instead bacterial digestion takes over, leading to the aforementioned issues, but also creating poisonous bi-products. Secondly, when undigested food leaves the stomach, small portions can pass through into the intestinal tract, become trapped in crevices, and putrefy, producing toxins. Food that the body cannot utilize wastes energy and overworks the organs, which will eventually lead to organ malfunction. Undigested foods are also perfect breeding grounds for unfriendly bacteria that further cause fermentation to occur. Thirdly, tiny particles can pass into the blood stream, causing allergic reactions. 

The last reason, and one that definitely motivates me, is that food which we do not digest completely, cannot be broken down into parts that our bodies can assimilate. If I choose to invest extra money in organic foods for the higher nutrient levels, isn’t in my best interest then to eat in way that actually allows me to unlock those nutrients? I think so! 

In North American food culture, we’ve been conditioned to eat a “balanced diet”, yet somehow this term has been misinterpreted to mean a “balanced meal”. We throw all kinds of stuff on one single plate, pour a big glass of milk on the side, with the best intentions - to cover all our nutritional bases. Unfortunately, this doesn't exactly accomplish what we were aiming for. 

If we look to our ancestors, and in fact many cultures around the world, individual foods were eaten alone, or combined with only one or two other foods. Such primitive eating patterns were practiced for thousands of years and are the foundation of our digestive capacities. Simple dietary plans are simply best, especially for anyone with compromised digestion, in a weakened or stressed condition. Eating simply is also a way to preserve vitality and maintain strong digestion into the later years of life. 

There are two ways of food combining. The first one I’ll present, Plan A, is the “light” version, and designed for people with normal digestion and without any serious health conditions. The second, Plan B, is one that ideally should be followed by everyone, but especially those with poor digestion and major health problems. 

Plan A - Food Combining for Better Digestion {click here to download a PDF}
This plan for food combining is relatively simple and follows eating in a specific order for satisfactory digestion. This does not mean that all of these categories of foods should be eaten in the same meal; it means that the categories should be eaten in a specific sequence. The best-digested meals are in fact very simple ones, including a maximum of three foods per meal.

1. Protein // Eat proteins first. Although we’re pretty used to digging in the bread basket before our steaks (or legumes, nuts, seeds…) it is best to eat protein foods first as they require the most digestive enzymes in comparison with those required for plants and starches. When you eat protein-rich foods after starches or other food, your stomach acids will not be sufficient for their digestion. Protein foods can be combined with cooked or raw green and non-starchy vegetables.

2. Starch // Eat starches after protein foods, or omit protein foods altogether and eat only starches. Starches can be combined with cooked or raw green and non-starchy vegetables.

3. Salad // Eat raw vegetables, salad and sprouts after proteins or starch. These foods contain their own enzymes and digest more rapidly than proteins and starches.

4. Dessert // Eat sweets last. Desserts include fruits, dried fruits, and any foods containing concentrated sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, or molasses. Because of their relatively simple carbohydrate structures, sweet foods digest very quickly.

Plan B - Food Combining for Maximum Digestibility {click here to download a PDF}
This plan is similar to Plan A, but a little more restrictive for people with compromised digestion, in times of sickness, or for those wanting to prolong heir strong digestive powers.  Refer to the graphic to see which foods can be combined in one meal – they are directly connected by a dotted line.

1. Eat high protein foods, starchy foods, and high-fat foods in separate meals // The macronutrient groups that we are all familiar with (carbohydrates, protein, fats) are best kept separate when eating, and should not be combined at all in Plan B. Rice and beans? No. Pizza? No. Steak and Potatoes? You get the idea. However, all of these categories combine well with green and non-starchy vegetables, respectively. Green veggies actually aid the digestion of starches, proteins and fats, so having eggs with steamed spinach is a great idea; eggs on toast not so much.

2. Fruit and sweet foods should be eaten alone // Although we all love dessert to end a meal, fruit and sweet foods have relatively simple carbohydrate structures, meaning they digest very quickly. While the sugars in the cookie you just ate on top of dinner have already broken down, the other foods in the meal sit and ferment. Crazy as it sounds, it is best to eat dessert first (at least 30 minutes before a meal), or wait 4 hours after. Enjoy a piece of fruit first thing in the morning as a terrific cleanser, then wait half an hour before eating a full breakfast.

Plan B: The Exceptions
Of course there are exceptions to every rule, so just to confuse inform you further, here are a few more conditions to eat by:
1. Foods that are high in fat and protein (cheese, yogurt, kefir, nuts, and oil-bearing seeds) are okay to combine with acidic (sour) fruit. Examples: tahini and lemon dressing, almonds and sour apples, yogurt and strawberries.

2. Drink dairy milk alone. When milk from animals is consumed with other foods it tends to curdle, insulating itself from digestive enzymes. Curdled/fermented milk products such as cheese, yogurt, and buttermilk do not cause this problem and can combine well with green vegetables.

3. Eat melons alone. Melons digest very rapidly, and will cause any other food with which they are eaten to ferment. Proscuitto and cantaloupe = digestive suicide.

4. Celery and lettuce can be eaten with fruits.

5. Lemon, lime, and tomato can be eaten with green vegetables.


As I said before, I am not so strict when it comes to food combining. I enjoy eating a banana with my morning grains, I like butternut squash and chickpea soup, and I love raw brownies! You should see my breakfast smoothies: I jam just about anything edible into that blender and whizz it up, without batting an eyelash. Fruits, veggies, nut milk, algae, chlorophyll, bee pollen, avocado, flax oil, …basically something from every single food group because I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that it won’t digest properly – I’ve been taught for so long to eat as much good stuff as possible! Doesn’t that mean all in one go? Argh. I too struggle with being a more health-conscious individual.

So where does this leave us? Well, I am going to continue on my path with greater awareness of these principles, and use them as a guide whenever possible. I will still drink my green smoothies once in a while, but maybe commit to proper food combining at least one meal a day. That feels reasonable for me right now. Start small. I love how I am talking myself through this in front of you.

In the meantime, I went back about a year in the archives and dug up a few the recipes that are a pretty good fit with food combining principles. There are many that can also be tweaked just a bit to suit the plan you choose to follow. No, the raw cashew dreamcake was not on that list, sniff, but I suppose it should be saved for special occasions anyway. Not Tuesday breakfasts.

Wild Mushrooms on Toast
Roasted Sesame Winter Slaw
Chanterelle Soup
Roasted Roots
Lemony Leeks with Chickpeas
Spicy Roasted Broccoli with Almonds
Carrots with Mellow Miso
Grilled Corn Salsa
Tarragon String Bean Salad
Black Rice Salad
Asparagus Ribbon Salad


Sources: 

Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 2003.
Haas, Elson M. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. Berkley, CA: Wiley, 2006. 
Balch, Phyllis A. Prescription for Dietary Wellness. New York, NY: Penguin, 2003.
* Charts modeled after those found in Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford *

Guest Post: Eat Yourself Fertile!

For those of you that have never been to Copenhagen, I will tell you right now that it is the city of babies. Babies absolutely everywhere. Prams, buggies, strollers, snugglies – you can’t go for a walk around the block without running into a least one cool mom and her perfect little progeny.
Then my friends caught the bug. My friends? Is it really that time already? Aren’t we still 18? I guess not. I guess it’s time I actually start thinking about the not-so-distant possibility of starting a family (mom, dad - STOP freaking out. I am not trying to tell you anything…). This is a very exciting prospect of course, but there are so many questions swirling around in my head about where to begin.

A while back a very cool lady named Natalie wrote to me.  Natalie is a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine and a natural fertility specialist living in Australia. As we got to emailing back and forth I realized that this connection could not have been made at a better time. I enlisted her help to write a post for all those ladies out there who have baby-on-the-brain, and perhaps are looking for a little advice on how to prepare the body for just such an undertaking. Natalie believes that the diet is the best place to begin, naturally.

Eat yourself fertile – my top five fertile foods
Enhancing fertility can be confusing – there are so many different do’s and don’ts to deal with, you would be forgiven for popping it in the all “too hard” basket.  I believe it is important to begin with the basics and to pare things down – so I am sharing with you my top five fertile foods. These are not just a great boost to your health but also to reproductive function – after all, food is the best medicine!

The recipe for good health and healthy fertility is really simple. It is simplicity. It is about keeping it basic.  Basic works.

Avocado
Fats are high on the list for fertile eating.  Be aware here, we are talking good fats found from plants and fish (and eggs), certainly not the variety you find in refined and fried foods are your local donut stand.  Never be afraid of good fats in your diet.  There are many essential properties found in foods such as avocado, olive oil and nuts. Remember – low fat is out – it’s nutritionally ‘empty’. This means all that “low fat” achieves is you wanting something ‘more’ to fill the gap because it is filled with sugar to make up for the fat taken out.  Avocados are brilliant sources of good fats.  Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers.  And how profound is this fact? It takes exactly nine months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit – not just a pretty fruit, but a lovely symbol of fertility and gestation.
For a My New Roots recipe using avocados, click here.

Eggs
Protein is a key element when it comes to pumping up fertility. For this reason, I’m a huge fan of the egg.  They are the complete fertile food; high in omega 3’s, folic acid, B vitamins, iron, calcium, potassium – the list goes on.  Like many foods, quality is super important and free range organic is my first choice where possible.  Need a vegan option?  Pack in the protein from every source possible – nuts, grains (such as millet), and legumes are all great sources and contain some protein.  For boosting fertility, the protein game is all about adding up the numbers.  90gms of protein per day is recommended for optimal fertility.
For a My New Roots recipe using eggs, click here.



Figs
Figs are also full of fertile goodness.  They are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow – just like… you guessed it, testicles.  Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers too. This means this magic; luscious fruit helps to overcome male sterility.  Figs are historically known as an aphrodisiac too – and feeling like lovin’ does just as much for fertility levels as all the eating well in the world!
For a My New Roots recipe using figs, click here.

Olives
We’ve already beaten the drum of how great fats are for fertility – and olives provide this and then some.   They are a great remedy for inflammation, are high in anti-oxidants and help prevent cancer.  They truly are wonderful.  How is this good for fertility?  Cells are changed by stress – and so adding olives to your plate is useful to assist in maintaining a healthy reproductive environment and nourishing the reproductive organs.  You’re body is super clever – stress will absolutely lower fertility, and so adding foods to help our body work well and cope better with stress is essential in our busy lives.   When we fail to do this, the body simply shuts down and becomes infertile.
For a My New Roots recipe using olives, click here.

Water
Good quality filtered water is a must.  By increasing fluid intake, you are not only flushing toxins through your body everyday, but by keeping your body well hydrated, you are also helping to create more cervical mucus essential for fertilization.  Without fertile mucus, the sperm will not be nourished and fed, nor will they reach the egg.  This is equally important when it comes for men creating great seminal fluid.

A balanced and wholesome diet is essential for great health.  This includes a great range of colourful fruit and veggies, whole-grains, legumes and protein.  There are specific qualities that certain veggies contain, that can help to treat menstrual irregularities and hormone imbalances.  By increasing your intake and variety of fresh produce, you will do your health and fertility big favors.  By being aware of what you’re nourishing your body with, you are setting yourself up for a happy and healthy pregnancy.

*    *    *    *    *    *

The one thing that surprised me in Natalie’s article was the high amount of protein that she suggested was optimal for increasing fertility. 90 grams?! I get about half that a day, which is right on the money for a woman of my weight. I can’t imagine doubling that amount every day – I’d have to eat…double the food? Never one to shy away from another bowl of lentil soup, Natalie says that if you break it down into meals and snacks, it’s really do-able. Aim for 20 grams of protein at each meal, and 10 grams for snacks.
What does that look like? Well, a cup of cooked lentils runs about 18 grams, plus a cup of cooked quinoa is 8 – right there is 26 grams in one meal. Not bad! Throw in a hemp protein smoothie for breakfast, a handful of almonds for a snack, some broccoli and spinach salad…it adds up pretty quickly. I suppose the hard part is being aware and making that much more of an effort.
Natalie says if you can’t get up to 90 grams a day, “even if you are getting 1/2 - 3/4 this amount you are looking after all things fertile.  Some patients find this great and others hate it.  I get that. So you need to work within what your body is also telling you is acceptable.”

If any of you have other questions for Natalie regarding her guidelines, ask in the comment section and she will answer them there.

Thank you Natalie for the wonderful advice!

Doctor of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncturist, Natalie Kringoudis is a Natural Fertility Specialist.  Her website 'Fertile Body Heart and Soul' (www.melbournenaturalfertility.com.au) provides interesting, enjoyable and honest information on fertility and natural medicine .  Although based in Melbourne, Australia, Natalie is committed to ensuring that information about health and fertility care is accessible to couples world wide.  
Natalie is the owner of The Pagoda Tree (www.thepagodatree.com.au) - Melbourne's home of Women's Health, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Alternative Therapies. She provides care with a positive, carling attitude and wholesome approach. Natalie supports couples through their fertility challenges, including natural fertility as well as assisted conception and IVF. She is currently pregnant with her second child, and understand the importance of an integrated approach to health. She advocates food as  a wonderful therapeutic tool.  Natalie is a lover of natural health and living.

Rustic Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup + How to Cook Beans

Who needs a solid warm-up? Yup, right here. It’s still winter.
To combat the never-ending chilly-ness, I have been living on soups. Easy-to-make, filling, nourishing, warming, and inexpensive - a big pot of hot lovin’ is the ideal way to make it through these last winter days.

This black bean soup is a favorite recipe of mine. I made it up on day at work, last winter I believe, and it was a real winner with the customers and the staff. The beans make it hearty and incredibly satisfying, and the vegetable ingredients are flexible – really just use what you have on hand.

The secret to this soup however, is cooking the beans from scratch. Yup, I said it. It’s time people.
Cooking beans from dried is a lot easier than you think. For some reason, everyone seems to be thrown off by the whole ‘soaking’ thing, and the idea that they may have to think about cooking something in the near future as opposed to whipping up a dish spontaneously. I get that. But the all-of-15-seconds it takes to put dried beans in a bowl and cover with water is about as difficult as velcroing your shoes. Ugh! Followed closely by the agonizing task of filling a pot with water and turning the heat on. I know, it’s a lot.
Can we get over this silliness? Thanks.

I’ve come up with a list that should further help to inform (convince) you that dried beans are your friends, because I really feel strongly about these little guys.

1. Cost – has anyone noticed how expensive canned beans are?! I mean, it’s kinda crazy. I think the number one reason to use dried beans in place of canned ones is the amount of money you’ll save. It’s like a bean sale everyday of the year – five for the price of one.
2. Health – dried beans are healthier because you cook them yourself and control exactly what goes in them. They are not sitting in can-captivity with ridiculously high levels of sodium, additives like calcium chloride, and the potential of being exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) through the can lining. Ever read the ingredients on a bag of dried beans? Beans.
3. Taste – honestly, once you cook your own beans, you’ll never go back to canned ones – you’ve been warned. The flavour and texture of home-cooked beans is light years beyond anything that has been sitting in a tin for months (or years). And instead of the completely mushy consistency that we often associate with beans (no wonder kids hate them!), dried beans cook up to a wide range of textures from al dente (for salads) to well-done (for soups and dips), depending on what you’re going to use them for.
4. Less waste – for the amount of food you get from a can of beans, the waste is huge. By purchasing dried beans you are doing a great service to the environment, as there is no mining for metal involved, no tree cutting or paper milling, no toxic inks, and no energy for recycling.
5. Variety – it is pretty difficult to find a can of Christmas Lima beans at the grocery store, isn’t it? How about Flageolets? Anasazi? Lupini? The beauty of buying dried beans is the enormous selection you’ll find! A whole world of legumes will be open to you and your lucky palette. Chickpeas, I still love you, but Jackson Wonders and Steuben Yellows got ya’ beat.



Cooking black beans from dried
Ingredients:
2 cups dried black beans
6 cups water
2 Tbsp. sea salt (optional)

Directions:
1. Place black beans and plenty of clean water in a large bowl and let soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours (Sarah B. tip: if it’s a workday, soak in the morning before going to work; if it’s the weekend, soak them before going to bed at night).
2. After soaking, drain and rinse the beans very well, making sure to remove any stones or debris that may have slipped into the batch.
3. Place beans and 6 cups clean water into a large pot, add salt. With the heat on high, bring beans to a boil, then reduce to simmer. At this point, there may be some foam that sits on top of the water– remove it with a slotted spoon.
4. Cook beans until tender (this will vary greatly on your own beans, but for black beans you’re looking at approximately 45 minutes. The good news is, for this soup it doesn’t really matter how long you cook them for, as you will be pureeing a portion of them anyway.)
5. Remove beans from stove and drain with a bowl underneath the sieve to catch the cooking liquid (this is an important step for the soup).

Yay. You just cooked beans.

Note: this is the method for most bean cooking, with slight variations in cooking time depending on the bean variety. You can add salt if you like, but it’s not totally necessary. I find that if I am cooking beans for a salad for instance, it’s a very important step, as the beans won’t taste of much individually if they are not salted prior to cooking. In a soup or dip, you can season to taste at the end.



Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup
4 cups cooked black beans (from 2 cups dried) + 4 cups cooking liquid
1 large red onion
3 leeks
8 cloves garlic
1 large sweet potato
4 carrots
½ head of celeriac (celery root)
2 Tbsp. ghee/oil of your choice
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground corriander
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. crushed chilies
3 large tomatoes, diced or 1 small can tomatoes (14.5 oz / 400 gr.)
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. olive oil
sea salt
cilantro

1. Heat ghee/oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add spices. Stir until fragrant.
2. Add chopped onion, leek, and salt. Cook for a few minutes until vegetables begin to wilt a bit. Add garlic, the rest of the chopped vegetables and tomatoes. Stir occasionally.
5. Using a blender, immersion blender, or food processor, puree 2 cups of the cooked beans (approx. half the total amount) with 4 cups of the reserved cooking liquid. Add to the pot with the remaining whole, cooked beans.
6. Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
7. Season to taste. Add the juice of 1 lemon, olive oil, maple syrup, and cilantro.
8. Serve immediately with a drizzle of cold-pressed olive oil, cilantro, and a chunk of cornbread (working the kinks out of that recipe!) Store leftovers in the fridge; freezes well.
(p.s. this is even better the next day.)

I hope that this soup gives you a very good excuse to try cooking beans from dried sometime in the near future. It really is incredibly simple, and I feel one of those satisfying culinary activities that perhaps takes you one step out of your comfort zone, but certainly one step closer to your food.

2010: Tasty Ambitions

Happy New Year everybody! I hope you all had a delightfully delicious holiday filled with love, and tummies filled with delicious food! Mine was slow and relaxing, with plenty of time for cooking and reflections.
Over the break, I came up with some new year’s food goals and I thought it might be fun to share them with you. I tend to do this every year, and I am always amused to look back and see how many of them I’ve accomplished 12 months later.

1. Learn some new cooking techniques.
2. Try eating a greater variety of fruits (when in season).
3. Do at least 2 fasts/cleanses in the next 12 months.
4. Start taking probiotics regularly again (eek! I’ve been lazy with those…).
5. Drink fresh-pressed vegetable juices more often...this may involve buying a juicer, even though my kitchen has no more space for appliances!
6. Have breakfast parties.
7. Experiment more often with flavours that intimidate me.
8. Don’t let food go bad in the fridge.
9. Eat when I’m really hungry, stop before I’m really full.
10. Learn how to bake really good, healthy bread from scratch.

I hope that this inspires you create your own list! Challenge yourself, even if it’s one little thing.

Sending love and light to each and every one of you. Thanks for continuing to visit My New Roots. Have a spectacular 2010!
Sarah B.

p.s. – To answer one of the comments from the last post regarding whether or not I really indulge myself, the answer is a proud “hell yeah!” Of course I have been down the road of ‘extreme health’, limiting myself to basically plants and water, but I have found a delightful balance somewhere between the candy-obsessed, white bread lovin’ girl I used to be, and now, someone who just simply enjoys to eat healthy because it feels good. That being said, I feel so proud of myself that I have finally come to a place where I feel happy to indulge and to let the odd pastry cross my lips. Eating healthy is one thing, but it can often become an obsession, and you can never really find a limit. We forget that health also resides so much in the mind, and being content with the choices we make and relinquishing judgment is the most important thing.

And if you really want to know, my absolute undoing is freshly baked bread, straight from the oven, with butter. And I am so happy that you asked.

Rice Milk 101

If this isn’t easy, I don’t know what is.
This is how you make rice milk:
Step 1: rinse 1 cup of brown rice.
Step 2: put rinsed rice in blender.
Step 3: add 2 cups water.
Step 4: blend.
Step 5: strain milk.
Step 6: drink.

Over the past few months, I have been considering getting off the soy wagon. The research and information that is surfacing about to the health food industry’s little darling, reveals that it may not be as virtuous as once believed.

As with the issue of cow’s milk, I don’t want to go heavily into the details, as this is purely a personal choice. In addition, the research I’ve explored isn’t exactly from non-biased sources, and although very interesting, I don’t feel comfortable making sweeping statements that I can’t back up.
So, I did a little research of my own, and it is evidence enough.
To be frank, for the past several months, my premenstrual syndrome has been rather, ahem, out of hand. I’ve been suffering from all the classics: serious, devil-possessed mood swings, cramps, swollen everything, and being a holistic nutritionist I know that this is a sign of a major imbalance. After picking up my usual container of soymilk a while back, it hit me like a ton of tofu bricks: could this estrogen-mimicking legume be the source of my suffering? I’ve been hitting the carton pretty hard since moving to Denmark, for there is a serious lack of alternative vegetarian protein sources available such as hemp, spirulina, and bee pollen. In an attempt to keep my protein levels where they need to be, I’ve been drinking and eating more soy products than usual. Everything in moderation they say…I have been punished.

So, since I’ve put the kibosh on soy, a miraculous thing has occurred: the PMS has improved significantly, so much so, that my last monthly bill came by complete surprise, instead of sending me the oh-so-unsubtle signals of irrational crying spells and painfully bloated breasts. Too much?



Rice milk is a very simple and inexpensive thing to make, and in my opinion, better than soy. It is not a good source of protein, so it should not substitute protein foods in your diet. However, I think rice milk would be very helpful for those transitioning from dairy milk to non-dairy milk.

To the instructions that I’ve listed above, I will add the following:

- Add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of honey to the rice while blending. You can even add vanilla, stevia, agave nectar, or make chocolate rice milk by throwing in some cocoa powder.

- Use the finest strainer you can find to separate the rice grits from the milk. Alternatively, you can purchase rice and nut milk bags at health food stores, which are made of fine-mesh fabric, designed specifically for this purpose.


- Keep rice milk in a sterilized, sealed glass container for up to four days. Shake before use.

- Wondering what to do with those rice grits? Use them to make rice porridge for breakfast: simply cover the grits with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer with cinnamon and raisins until the water is absorbed. Then add rice milk. Waste not, want not!

It's Miller Time

So, I’ve just discovered something amazing.

You can mill flour. At home. In your blender.

For years I’ve known that buying flour pre-ground in the store as opposed to making your own, is like eating frozen TV dinners instead of having your grandmother cook you up a delicious Salisbury steak. Okay, strange example, but you get the picture. Moving on.

Why mill you own flour anyway?
I think that the number one reason you should grind your own grain flours is for the health benefits. All commercially made grain flours have had the germ removed. This is the part of the grain that contains the majority of the nutrition, since it is the part that allows the seed to germinate. Without the healthy oils, vitamins and minerals that make up the germ, the (dead) flour can happily sit on the shelf for months or even years and still be edible.
In addition, when flour is milled, the bran or “shell” of the grain is broken, leaving the insides exposed, causing the loss of vital nutrients and oxidization of fats. Ever noticed how right after you peel and apple, it starts to turn brown? The delicate, vulnerable interior of a grain goes through the same degradation process and almost as quickly.
Whole Wheat in fact, loses 45% of it's nutrients within the first 24 hours after it has been milled, and by the time 72 hours has passed it has lost a whopping 90%! That is 90% of the original nutritional value of a very wholesome grain that does not make it in to your body. Is it any wonder we have to take nutritional supplements?
Milling your own flour ensures that you preserve the grains’ vital nutrients for your consumption since you will use it immediately.

The second reason is flavour. The taste of the flour I made myself actually tastes like something. Even the “good flour” I used to buy at health food stores, never tasted this good, and often they were dry and sometimes tasted bitter (this indicated rancidity!) With home milled flour my bread is moister and has a wonderful fresh and nutty taste that comes from the inclusion of the germ.

Finally, grinding your own flours can give you access to flours that you might not be able to get otherwise. For example, spelt flour or kamut flour can be hard to find in a regular supermarket. However, finding the whole grain is often easier as whole grains keep a very long time and so are easier for stores to carry. Also, these specialty flours are cheaper when ground at home. A pound of spelt grain is much cheaper than a pound of spelt flour assuming you can find it. Also, you have control over how much you have on hand, how fine or course it is ground, etc. For those that are gluten-sensitive or intolerant, you can even make high-protein flours from beans and lentils. I baked a loaf of bread from all the grains in the photograph at the top of this post. It's a meal in itself, I guarantee!

How to become a Genuine Miller
Most people don’t believe that they can grind flour in their home blender (isn’t it only good for making milkshakes?), but it’s true – even a very cheap one, like mine, can get the job done. All you have to do is add enough grain so that it doesn’t just fly around inside the container. If you add at least 2 cups of grain, the weight of it will keep the kernels down around the blades.

1. Place at least 2 cups of the grain (or legume) of your choice (wheat, kamut, spelt, barley, quinoa, rice, millet, lentil, chick pea…) in a blender.
2. Turn the blender on high and watch the show. The grain will continue to ground finer and finer, and it will rise up the sides of the blender. You will know that is finished grinding when the flour stops falling into the center of the centrifuge.
3. Remove flour from blender and sift according to your preferences. I used a rather large-holed sieve because I like eating grainy bread, but I recognize not everyone shares my love of sand-textured baked goods. If you like a lighter flour, use a fine-mesh sieve. You can see the grit that comes out of the flour in the photograph. I actually saved these and sprinkled them on top of the bread I baked, but the birds love that stuff too, if you don’t.

That’s it. I wish it were more complicated and impressive, but now you really have no excuses to keep buying dead, nutritionally void store-bought flour.
Stayed tuned for the next post when I will walk you through baking a loaf of bread, step-by-step, made with flour that you milled all by yourself. Even your blender will be flabbergasted.

Probiotic Power

Last week I got really sick. I was so sick after four days of being glued to my bed, that I started to panic. I thought that with my arsenal of natural, cold-fighting remedies, I’d kick my sore throat, sleepless nights and high-grade fever to the curb, but I finally admitted that I needed help from…gulp…my doctor. She took some swabs, unsure of what had invaded my poor body and gave me a prescription for antibiotics just in case it was a bacterial infection. Just in case? I love how doctors just throw drugs around like they’re no big deal. What has the world come to?
As bad as this situation seemed at the time, the antibiotics gave me the perfect excuse to discuss a very important topic and something that seems to be on everyone’s mind: probiotics.

So, what are probiotics anyway? It has certainly become the new “it girl” ingredient in everything from yoghurt to granola bars and people seem to be catching on to the trend, buying probiotic enriched products by the truckloads. There’s just one little problem: no one really knows what probiotics are!

What the heck are probiotics?
In short, probiotics are friendly bacteria that live inside our guts. An estimated 100 trillion microorganisms representing more than 500 different species inhabit every normal, healthy bowel. Hard to believe since the medical community has been raging wars against bacteria for years now, scaring us all into buying anti-bacterial everything. But these guys, the probiotics, are the good kind of bacteria, essential to our health. In fact, probiotics have a lot of important work to do inside us. Here are a few of their responsibilities:
• Promote regular bowel movements (help relieve diarrhea and constipation)
• Improve digestion of proteins, carbohydrates and fats
• Enhance immune function
• Contribute to the absorption of minerals
• Produce antioxidants
• Participate in the manufacture of some B vitamins
• Help inhibit food poisoning
• Normalize skin conditions
• Help reduce cholesterol
• Maintain bone health
• Help manage blood sugar levels
• Improve the symptoms of lactose intolerance
• Help combat fungal and yeast infections
• Limit the action of disease-causing bacteria

BONUS!!! Probiotics are helpful in the treatment of constipation, diarrhea, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chron’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, yeast infections, urinary tract infections, allergies, skin problems and Candida.

Let’s jump back to the topic of antibiotics and break down the word itself. “Anti” means against, and “biotic” means life. Antibiotics are against life, and they work by wiping out all bacteria in the body (the good kind and the bad kind) in order to get a sick person healthy again. In times of need, they are life saving, but they certainly shouldn’t be taken “just in case”. Obliterating all the bacteria in your body is an incredibly drastic thing to do if you don’t have to.
With a little logic, we can deduce that the word “probiotic” means “for life”. This is precisely why during and after a course of antibiotics it is essential to bring those friendly little guys back to your gut. Have you ever experienced diarrhea, flatulence, fatigue, skin problems or yeast infections after a taking around of penicillin and the like? It’s because all your little warriors are gone! Yikes!

And unfortunately, there are even more ways that our modern lifestyles negatively impact our bowel ecology. Ask yourself the following questions to get an idea of how your gut measures up:
Do you….
- use antibiotics?
- drink chlorinated (tap) water?
- consume alcohol?
- take over-the-counter medication (aspirin, antacids, antihistamines etc.)?
- eat processed foods (containing preservatives, additives)?
- experience daily stress?
- take birth control pills?
- use steroidal & hormonal drugs?
- drink carbonated and/or caffeinated drinks?
- watch a lot of television or use a mobile phone (exposure to radiation)?

Based on that list, chances are good that your bowels aren’t in the shape they could be, right? The good news is you can counteract the effects of these factors by taking a daily probiotic supplement. This is especially critical after consuming antibiotics, and a very thorough re-inoculation regime should do wonders for your digestive system, after it’s taken a beating!

Feeding your Friends – Fermented Foods and Prebiotics
We should also be aware that our diets play a serious role in the ecology of our colons. Certain fermented foods like miso, tempeh, sauerkraut, and natural yogurt, encourage the growth of friendly bacteria populations. And, if you’ve ever heard the term “prebiotic”, another trendy term that is being thrown around by food manufactures these days, it refers to certain types of non-digestible foods that make their way through our digestive system and help good bacteria grow and flourish. Prebiotics come from eating certain types of carbohydrates fibers that feed beneficial bacteria and keep them healthy. Sources of prebiotics include raw vegetables and fruits, legumes and whole grains. Sometimes probiotic supplements will include a prebiotc fiber, often referred to as FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides).

How to pick your probiotics
Like I mentioned earlier, many food manufacturers are jumping on the benevolent bacteria bandwagon and in my opinion, ripping people off. A large proportion of grocery store products simply do not deliver the benefits of probiotics because they lack the potency and nutrition of a true supplement. You can tell just by watching some advertisements for probiotic-enriched whatever…do they really say anything at all? Hardly.
Pick up your probiotics at a health food store and speak to a qualified, non-biased employee about what they offer. A single dose of probiotic supplement should have a MINIMUM of 10 million live bacteria, experts say. It is also clear that these bacteria should be from one or more of the Lactobacillus family - which are just about the only 'friendly-bacteria' tough enough to make it into the large intestine where they need to be! After a course of antibiotics, I take between 30 and 50 BILLION everyday for a week just to re-inoculate, followed by my regular 15 billion daily just to keep my bowels in top form. You can experiment with different amounts to see what works best for you, but if you are just beginning to take probiotics, I would start with a rather high dose to get the ball rolling.
Please keep in mind that these powerful, health-enhancing team players don’t always come cheap. Your health is an investment! You may be paying upwards of (gasp!) one dollar a day for good quality probiotics, but it is worth every penny. Don’t sell yourself short. Those 100 trillion friends you didn’t know you had need all the help they can get. Especially when your doctor gives you antibiotics just in case, or in my case for no reason. The tests came back negative.

image: http://www.freshhealthnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/probiotics.jpg
info source: Jensen, Bernard Dr Jensen's Guide To Better Bowel Care New York, NY: Penguin, 1999.
http://www.gonando.com/probiotics.html

One Hot Night

Oh my. Last night was quite a wild one.
I decided that I should just keep truckin’ along with my detox mission, and pull one more cleansing trick from my sleeve. While I was researching this month, I stumbled across a “ginger detox bath”, and recalled my herbal medicine teacher mentioning this one time back in class.
The idea is to immerse yourself in a hot bath filled with ginger (fresh or powdered) and some Epsom salts. The ginger makes the bath “hotter” as it comes into contact with your skin. This allows your pores to open, your skin to sweat, providing a clear path for toxins to get out. Simple and effective!

I thought I would give it a shot.

And let me tell you…I haven’t felt that hot in a very long time.

After about 10 minutes my scalp started dripping and my heartbeat got so strong, I could feel the pulse in my teeth! It was totally wild. I brought a book into the bathroom with me in case I got bored, but all I could do was stare at the ceiling and try to focus on not melting. It was INCREDIBLE!

Here are the full instructions so you can try it yourself:
1. Measure out 1/8 cup ginger, fresh or powdered (powdered goes deeper), and mix with 1 cup Epsom salts.
2. Run a hot bath (as hot as you can handle) and pour the ginger/salt mixture into the tub.
3. While the bath is running, take a dry skin brush (or vegetable brush if you must!) and brush all parts of the body in a circular motion toward the heart. (Skin brushing can be very beneficial because the skin is a primary avenue for detoxification) See full instructions here.
4. Sit in the bath for 20-30 minutes, making sure that you have a very good sweat on (if you don’t, the water isn’t hot enough). I recommend rubbing all areas of your body in clockwise circular motions for a count of 20 in each area while soaking. Rub each breast (great way to ward against cancer) your stomach area, etc. You'll find that you will get quite uncomfortably "hot and sweaty" so it helps to have some bottle water handy to help flush the toxins out. Do not remain in the tub for more than 30 minutes.
5. When you get out of the bath, go straight to bed and wrap yourself up in blankets, with towels against your skin (DO NOT apply lotions, potions or serums to your skin as you might normally before bed, as this will clog your pores and defeat the purpose of cleansing). You will continue to sweat for about an hour, but you’ll probably pass out before then. Keep water next to the bed in case you wake up in the night thirsty.
6. Upon waking, you may feel slightly “flu-y”, but this is a good sign – it means you are really releasing toxins from your body! Continue to drink lots of water the next day, especially if you are feeling tired or sick. This didn’t happen to me, but I sure was thirsty!

I had a great experience with this ginger bath and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves saunas or steam rooms, but can’t get to the spa every week! This is certainly something I will add to my cleansing repertoire, and maybe even just for kicks when the temperature drops below -15 degrees (more often than I care to experience these days).

I hope you’ve taken some of my advice this month, and are welcoming February feeling renewed, refreshed and squeaky clean inside!

The Ultimate Detox Tea

Whew! I am currently on day six of the one week cleanse. I am feeling good. A little on the slow side today, but that is a natural side effect of the body doing so much janitorial work on the inside. I have been strictly following the brown rice and steamed vegetable diet – no fat, minimal protein, not even salt or pepper. On one hand, this diet makes cooking a snap: you don’t have to agonize over what to have at your next meal, but one soon realizes that the pleasures associated with cooking – experimenting with foods and flavours, discovering new herbs and spices, trying new methods of preparation, fall by the wayside.

However, the pros seem to outweigh the cons: I am extremely clear-headed, calm, grounded, and have a surprising amount of energy for someone who is consuming less than 500 calories a day. Not to say that it is at all a sustainable way of living. It would be impossible to obtain all of the nutrients that the body requires in so few calories, but once in a while the body does miraculous things when it gets a break from digesting the regular amount of food we consume everyday.
I thought in addition to my simple diet, I would throw a few herbs in to compliment and assist my organs in clearing out the sludgy cobwebs. And since I have never really talked about herbs and herbal medicine, I thought that this would be a perfect opportunity!


There are a wide variety of herbs that have a stimulating, and therefore beneficial effect on our major detoxification organs: the liver and the gastrointestinal tract. The liver plays a key role in detoxification because it neutralizes chemicals from the external environment, filters the blood, manufactures bile, and goes through a variety of enzymatic processes to both break down, and create, compounds necessary for human life -- cholesterol (the "good" kind), glutathione, and various hormones. The digestive system, to a large extent, controls what is absorbed from the food we eat and what is excreted once our food has been broken down and utilized, respectively. Keeping our digestive system happy and functioning as it should, improves our ability to push the garbage out of our systems – critical at all times to our health, but especially when cleansing!

These herbs can be purchased at your local health food store for less than the cost of those “detox kits” in fancy boxes, and lasts twice as long. If you cannot find everything on this list, simply use the ones available to you, keeping them in the amounts prescribed below. (Ensure that the herbs you are using are certified organic – you don’t want to be adding pesticides and chemical fertilizers into your super clean bod!)

You may find it helpful to bring a measuring spoon with you to the store so that all you have to do when you get home is dump all the bags into a container and mix. Simply combine all herbs in proportions listed. Store tightly covered in a glass jar(s) in a cool, dry place away from direct light.


4 Tbs dandelion leaf (kidneys)
3 Tbs dandelion root (liver, gallbladder)
2 Tbs burdock root (blood, liver, gallbladder)
3 Tbs milkthistle seed, crushed (liver, gallbladder)
3 Tbs cleavers (lymph, kidneys)
4 Tbs lemon balm (digestive tonic, nervine)
4 Tbs pau d'arco (blood, parasites)
4 Tbs horsetail (kidneys, skin)
5 Tbs red clover (blood)
2 Tbs chickweed (lymph, colon)
2 Tbs angelica root (liver, digestive tonic)
3 Tbs yarrow herb (liver, gallbladder, blood, gen. tonic)
5 Tbs nettle leaf (kidneys, blood, general tonic, nutritive)
4 Tbs plantain (skin, lungs, gastric system, internal healer, antiseptic)

To make tea: bring one and a half cups spring or distilled water to light simmer on stove (water should be moving but not bubbling). Use a non-metal pot if possible. Add two teaspoons of mixture and let simmer for about 10 minutes, keeping lid on pot. Strain into cup.
Whatever formula you use, the tea should be taken between meals. Drink one cup of detox tea per day for 3 days, then 2 cups per day for one week, then 2 -3 cups per day until mixture is finished.

Now I know what you’re thinking: this stuff must taste like the bottom of a lake. But I would choose to compare it to hay. It is certainly “earthy”, but by no means unpalatable. I kind of like, actually.
You can drink this concoction during a cleanse like the one I mentioned in my last post, or while you are eating a “normal diet”, but it is advisable to limit or avoid sugar, dairy, processed foods, fatty foods, flour and caffeine. Eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruit, lean protein foods (beans, lentils, fish, organic chicken, nuts), whole grains and healthy oils (flax, olive, hemp or a combination). Remember to drink plenty of water everyday to help flush your system of the toxins you are liberating from every cell.
Which reminds me…it’s time for another cup!

Tea Recipe by: Peter Quenter, herbalist and homeopath.

Simple Detox for All

Whew! What a long blog break that was. The holidays were a beautiful bustle of family and friends and I feel refreshed and excited to welcome the New Year!
Now back to cultivating My New Roots…

This time of year I get so many questions about detox programs and cleansing. I suppose that after the holidays everyone is dying for a quick fix that will help shed their holiday weight gain and give them an excuse to abstain from drinking alcohol for a week. However, detoxifying the body is a serious undertaking and not something to rush into, especially if your diet has been…ahem…less than perfect lately.
Firstly, going to extremes is not the answer. Fasting, or giving up food entirely, is an inappropriate path to take this time of year, since our bodies need food to keep us warm and nourished for the cold winter months ahead. (The spring and summer months are more suitable for fasting since the weather is warmer and we don’t need as many calories to regulate our body temperature. Makes sense, doesn’t it?) And I bet it’s good news for you, since that water fast you were planning can now be put off until June. Whoopee.

Yes, now is the time to be gentle and make small changes to your diet for a week or so. You will certainly notice a difference and maybe even feel compelled to continue your clean nutritional regime, bringing your body back into balance, improving your concentration, sleep, digestion and energy! Big Whoopee.

We can also support the process of detoxification through other routines such as yoga, using saunas, and massage. All of these physical practices help to move toxins through the lymphatic system by sweating, or specific movements that twist and “ring out” internal organs.

Here are some general cleansing tips that almost everyone can follow after the holidays.

Dietary Suggestions:
1. Start everyday with a cup of warm water and fresh lemon juice. This serves to flush the digestive system, stimulate the liver and kidneys and alkalinize the whole body. (This is one of the best things you can do for yourself! Especially if you can squeeze it in before your morning coffee or tea. Start now and do it everyday for the rest of your life…watch miracles happen.)
2. For one week, meals should consist mainly of brown rice, steamed vegetables, miso broth and seaweed (all organically grown!). Ginger and cayenne may be added to flavour soups to stimulate circulation.
3. Drink plenty of water! At least 2 litres of purified or filtered water a day to stimulate your kidneys, liver and digestive system’s (primary detox organs) functions. It will also boost your metabolism, which in turn accelerates toxin and fat elimination.
Things to avoid: drugs, sugar, fried foods, meats, dairy, anything in a box, bag or bottle!

Lifestyle suggestions:
1. Head to a yoga class, book a massage, or find a sauna to hop in!
2. Practice dry skin brushing. See instructions here.
3. If you want to exercise, keep the intensity low…your body is resting.
4. Be gentle with yourself. Choose a week where you have time to relax and reflect, get some extra sleep (8 or more hours a night), and the mental space for the challenge of change.

What? Disappointed that I didn’t tell you to starve yourself? You wanted some drastic deprivation and torture? The truth is, most of us struggle giving up booze for a week, so if you can handle the suggestions above, you have my blessing to move on to more convoluted procedures. Good luck with that.

When you come out of a gentle cleanse such as this one, try to continue eating a balanced, whole foods diet, exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep. As we treat our bodies with the physical and emotional respect they deserve, our need to detoxify becomes less and less and the better we will feel everyday.

I wish everyone the best for 2009. Thanks for continuing to discover the beauty of becoming the healthiest, most vibrant self through My New Roots!

source: Haas, Elson M. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. Berkley, CA: Wiley, 2006.

Keeping up Appearances

It has been said that humans are attracted to beauty because it denotes a certain level of genetic perfection. Especially when it comes to choosing a sexual partner, the more flawless the better, to ensure a healthy offspring.
I suppose the very same thing could apply to what we eat: the more colourful, vibrant, juicy and fresh looking, we guess the healthier it must be for us. Looking at a sad little slice of Wonderbread, we all know that something is missing.

Unfortunately, there are some conniving food manufactures out there who have taken this innate, biological instinct of ours, and turned it against us. Since we do purchase foods based on their appearance, we often fall prey to the deceptive beauty of an edible, rather then its nutritional value, and who can blame us?

A perfect example of this would be the lovable dried apricot, whose golden, wrinkly face shows up in pastries, picnics and brown bag lunches. Seems innocuous enough, right? It’s just dried fruit after all. Well, you’ve been duped – have you ever seen a real dried apricot? I suppose you have since you’re reading this blog and you can clearly see the difference in the photo above. No, those are not dog droppings, those are apricots – what they would normally look like if you left them out in the sun for a couple weeks. The apricots on the left, the bright orange ones that you would most certainly buy based on your biological instincts, have been treated with sulfur dioxide to ensure that the colour stays bright and the fruit “healthy” looking. Why would we want to bite into a shriveled, brown blob anyway? I’ll tell you why.

Commercially grown dried apricots may be treated with sulfur dioxide gas during processing due to its antimicrobial properties and its ability to maintain the original appearance of the fruit. Sulfur dioxide is toxic in large amounts. Sulfur dioxide blocks nerve signals from one area of the lungs to another, often causing breathing distress in sensitive individuals. It makes the fruit look healthy and vibrant, but this is merely an illusion. Sulfur dioxide also gives dried fruits a distinctive chemical flavour that you probably wouldn’t notice unless you’ve had the real thing.
Dried fruits may also be treated with other sulfites to prevent rotting and extend their shelf life. Sulfites cause adverse reactions in an estimated one out of every 100 people, who turn out to be sulfite sensitive. People who suffer from asthma are particularly at risk – The FDA estimates that 5 percent of asthmatics will experience a reaction upon exposure.

Foods that are classified as "organic" do not contain sulfites since federal regulations prohibit the use of these preservatives in organically grown or produced foods. Therefore, concern about sulfite exposure is yet another reason to purchase organic foods.

The process of drying fruits naturally does not require preservatives anyway, since drying itself is an effective method of preservation. Dried fruits only lose 2% to 5% of nutrient value if dried without chemicals or additives. They are a healthy food choice, especially for children with a sweet tooth!

Remember to always read labels when purchasing any kind of processed foods, or better yet, don’t buy processed foods at all. Buy organic! By doing so, you will ensure that your food is relatively safe and chemical-free. Personally, I will take the non-L.A. version of apricots any day of the week, since I don’t need my fruits to look beautiful, I want them to be beautiful. Appearances can be deceiving.

I'm So NOT in the Dark

What gives? They say that Scandinavia is the land of the midnight sun, but I have discovered that this is just a cute little euphemism for the land of sleepless nights. Since being here I have been unable to fall asleep with ease, or sleep soundly without waking. My daytime hours have been spent in a serious Danish daze. It’s not jet lag. It’s the fact that it never gets dark!

When someone comes to me with sleeping problems, the first thing I like to do is assess their bedtime patterns and sleeping environment. Many people watch television towards the end of their day to unwind and some even have a TV in their bedroom and fall asleep watching horrible made-for-TV movies starring Tori Spelling. Some people write emails with their laptops inches from their face, the bright monitor lights blaring into their tired eyes. My stepmother falls asleep reading with all the lights on and wonders why she wakes up an hour later, the rest of her night completely sabotaged.

See what I am getting at here? The dark matters. Think about what the world was like before electricity: I know, that was like, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, but back in the day, humans’ sleep cycles were totally (and naturally) dependent on the day’s light cycles. They rose with the rising sun and slept when it got dark. And it was really dark. Do you think they relied on Ambien? Halcion? Lunesta? I doubt it.

Here’s how it works: Exposure to light stimulates a nerve pathway from the retina in the eye to an area in the brain called the hypothalamus. There, a special center called the supra-chiasmatic nucleus (SCN) initiates signals to other parts of the brain that control hormones, body temperature and other functions that play a role in making us feel sleepy or wide awake.

The SCN works like a clock that sets off a regulated pattern of activities that affect the entire body. Once exposed to the first light each day, the clock in the SCN begins performing functions like raising body temperature and releasing stimulating hormones like cortisol. The SCN also delays the release of other hormones like melatonin, which is associated with sleep onset, until many hours later when darkness arrives.

Melatonin is a natural hormone made by your body's pineal (pih-knee-uhl) gland. This is a pea-sized gland located just above the middle of the brain. During the day the pineal is inactive. When the sun goes down and darkness occurs, the pineal is "turned on" by the SCN and begins to actively produce melatonin, which is released into the blood. Usually, this occurs around 9 pm. As a result, melatonin levels in the blood rise sharply and you begin to feel less alert. Sleep becomes more inviting. Melatonin levels in the blood stay elevated for about 12 hours - all through the night - before the light of a new day when they fall back to low daytime levels by about 9 am. Daytime levels of melatonin are barely detectable.

Of course, there are other reasons that people cannot sleep besides their bedrooms being too bright. Stress and anxiety, drug side effects, noise, jet lag, physical pain, or simply being uncomfortable in bed can contribute to a poor night’s sleep. However, making a few small changes to your sleeping routine, instead of resorting to drugs is always the preferred method in my books. Here are some tips for making your night as restful as possible:

1. Try to go to bed at the same time every night to establish a routine.

2. Ensure that the room is dark and quiet.

3. Ensure that the room is a comfortable temperature; not too hot or cold.

4. Invest in a comfy bed.

5. Address any physical problems or discomfort (e.g. heartburn, menopausal hot flashes, arthritis, headaches or back pain) that make sleeping difficult.

7. Exercise during the day, but not within three hours of going to bed.

8. Do not drink alcohol before going to bed.

9. Do not drink caffeinated beverages in the afternoon or evening.

10. Do not work in bed or just before going to bed.

11. Do not watch television or use the computer at least one hour before going to bed.

Even though I always suggest to others that they ensure their sleeping environment be totally dark when they go to bed, sometimes I forget to take my own advice. My boyfriend handed me a sleeping mask last night, and today I feel like I am back to my old self again. Now that I'm back in the dark, I can finally see the light.

resource: http://www.sleepfoundation.org

Soak your Nuts

Adding nuts to your diet is a very good idea. Nuts and seeds of all varieties contain essential fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are wonderful on salads, super as a spread on sandwiches, and great as a quick snack on the run. Most of the nuts you’ll find in the grocery store are roasted, salted, or flavoured in some way, but we all know, just like fruits and vegetables, the best way to eat them is raw!

But, we can do even better than that.
Wonder why those seeds, (including almonds, sunflower, spelt, oats, pecans, sesame, wheat etc.) in your cupboard don’t turn into plants, or get moldy? Well, nature is amazing, and has given nuts and seeds a special enzyme that inhibits their growth until it has all the things it needs to grow (sunlight, water, soil etc.).

When we eat raw nuts, we also eat the enzyme inhibitors that prevent the seed from sprouting. This takes a real toll on our digestion, since they will prevent our own enzymes from breaking down the food in our digestive tracts, inhibiting absorption of precious vitamins and minerals. Simply by soaking nuts in a little water, the nuts release these harmful enzymes, and at the same time, their nutritional value skyrockets. Think back to my sprouting article: when we soak, we stimulate the process of germination, liberating the incredible life force inside! We are literally eating the beginnings of a plant, so consider of all the vital nutrients that must be unlocked, and all for us to consume. How bad could you possibly feel eating that?!

Traditional people always soaked or partially sprouted their seed and nuts before they were eaten. Aztec people still practice soaking pumpkin and squash seeds and drying them in the sun before eating whole or grinding them into a meal.

I usually put a handful of almonds in a bowl or jar and fill it with filtered water before going to bed at night. Then the next morning I can have them on my oats, or even better, blend them with some water to make almond milk! Delicious. I like to peel my almonds before eating them (see picture above). I just scrape one edge of the nut with the tip of my fingernail and the bran slides off. The almonds are soft, full of flavour and three times the nutrients! What a great way to start the day.

Softer nuts and seeds, like cashews, pumpkin seeds and walnuts can be soaked for even less time, about 4 hours. Just make sure to rinse all nuts very well after they’ve been soaking, since the water they were bathing in is filled with the enzyme inhibitors that you wanted to get rid of in the first place.

If you want large batches, simply spread all of your soaked nuts on a baking pan and place in a warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for 12-24 hours, until dry and crisp (or use a dehydrator - this is a better option, as the temperature stays around 115 and prevents enzyme destruction). Store for up to a few months in an airtight container (walnuts need to be stored in the fridge).

That’s it! Another simple step towards greater health…and I just couldn’t resist that title.

A Burning Question

I was at a health food store with a friend the other day, cruising the aisles when he asked: “Hey Sarah, why do beeswax candles cost so much more than regular candles?” Well, I had to admit that he had me stumped there. I had heard that beeswax candles were better to burn than their paraffin counterparts, but I didn’t know why exactly. Oohhh so exciting - I couldn’t wait to get to the bottom of this one! With a little research I found some truly shocking information that was certainly blog-worthy…
Before I explain why beeswax candles are totally awesome, first I will give you the low-down on the evils of the alternative.

…Paraffin origin…
Most candles we buy are made from paraffin wax. Paraffin is a petroleum by-product, the grayish-black sludge that oozes out of the backside of the petroleum refineries. It is the substance left over after producing many of the other common petroleum products such as gas, oils, pavement, etc.
This crud is then bleached with 100% strength bleach creating dioxins, which are toxic, and then is processed into ‘solid’ paraffin using various carcinogenic, solidifying chemicals.
Candle companies purchase paraffin wax and then add various other ‘texturizing’ chemicals, artificial dyes for colour and synthetic fragrances.

…Synthetic Fragrances…
When synthetic fragrances are burned, they produce toxic fluoro-carbons and other polluting by-products. Inhaling these fluoro-carbons damages the receptors in our nasal passages that detect scent, and long-term, diminishes the overall abilities of your olfactory senses by ‘wearing them out’, one of the reasons why many people seem to ‘require’ increasingly stronger smelling candles (or Glade air freshener), etc., to experience any enjoyable aromas at all!

…Your Precious Lungs…
Last, but certainly not least, is the indirect cost of burning a fuel like paraffin in your home, which emits black soot that coats your walls, household furnishings and curtains, not to mention your lungs and skin. It is a proven fact that paraffin, with its associated synthetic scents and other additives, causes headaches, allergic reactions and difficulties with sinuses and lungs. Anyone with respiratory problems should not burn paraffin candles, nor should those that want to prevent them.

Now that you are convinced to never burn a Dollarama candle again, let me introduce you to beeswax, and the incredible properties it has to offer.

…Beautiful Beeswax…
Burning beeswax produces negative ions. Now, without getting too new age-y or scientific on you, I will just say that that negative ions are a positive thing, since they actually attract pollutants, in much the same way that a magnet attracts iron fillings. Negative ions attach to positively charged ions that hold in dust, dander, molds and other air borne contaminants. Once attached, the positive ions are weighted down and this drops both the ions and the contaminants to the ground surface to be swept up or vacuumed away. Bottom line: burning beeswax will actually clean your air.

You can burn beeswax in an unventilated room without fear of pollution. In fact, many people report that burning a candle in the bedroom for 30 minutes or so before falling asleep produces a more restful sleep.

…Overall Cost…
And to answer my friend’s question: while the initial cost may seem higher than paraffin candles, beeswax burns for much longer, and with many more benefits. Beeswax has a much higher melting point than paraffin and so it burns far more slowly. Costing only pennies an hour to burn, beeswax is much more economical than paraffin over time. Held in high esteem, beeswax has been used since ancient times, by Egyptian kings and Greek and Roman empires.

You can purchase beeswax candles at health food stores and some farmer’s markets. Beware of imitations! Look for 100% pure cappings beeswax, which is the wax that comes from the seal around each cell in the honeycomb. Also, make sure the wick is made of a natural fiber and that there aren’t any artificial scents added. Pure beeswax should smell like honey, naturally.
Burn, baby. Burn.

There is something magical about a weekend winter morning. I find that the early hours of the day are steeped in a particular slowness that doesn’t accompany the other seasons. I can sleep in, go for a long walk in the snow to build up some appetite and then move onto my favorite thing: an artful meal.

Like I mentioned a couple posts ago, our hurried lives don’t often allow us the time to eat “properly”. We tend to see it as another thing to check off the to-do list, instead of a privilege and an opportunity to nurture ourselves both physically and spiritually. And especially when we are cooking for ourselves, we will settle for a fast and pathetic meal of microwave popcorn (admit it, you’ve done it).

Eating is an art, and every meal can be a masterpiece. All it takes is a couple more minutes of dedication and the results are a truly astounding. When I allow myself the time to prepare food well and beautifully, it’s like I’ve just given myself a gift.

Meals that tempt the eyes are more likely to tempt the taste buds. That's why, as a health-conscious cook, it’s important to make nutritious foods look their best. When a meal is appealingly presented, you and your family are more likely to eat and enjoy it - making it easier to stick to a healthful diet.

Creating a beautiful meal doesn’t take a lot of work, just a little know-how. Here are some tips to taking that hum-drum dinner to restaurant worthy fare:

1. Pack as much colour on the plate as you can. There’s nothing inspiring about a plate of all one-colour food, so include a rainbow of vegetables, herbs and spices.
2. Pay attention to form. Experiment with cutting foods into a variety of shapes and sizes. You can cut peppers in elegant strips, festive rings or small triangles. Slice carrots, celery and zucchini on the diagonal for change. You can vary shapes and sizes within a dish as well. For instance, make a fruit salad with melon balls, pineapple chunks, kiwi slices and orange sections.
3. Texture matters. Use long stands of beets, or ribbons of cucumber for added crunch on salad or a swirl of high-quality olive oil for added smoothness in a soup.
4. Add a garnish. Herbs work well, just select one based on the dish’s ingredients. Some of my favorites are cilantro, Italian parsley, fresh basil and mint - these really perk up a meal with their fresh flavours, bright colours and nutritional goodness.

Pictured above is one of my favorite winter breakfasts, rolled oats with a buffet of toppings. I like to stir in wild, frozen blueberries about a minute before serving so they thaw, but don’t overcook. These turn the bland-coloured oats into a deep purple indulgence. Then I arrange sliced apples and chopped nuts on top. The apples are cool and crispy in contrast to the warm, soft oats and the nuts are rich and add crunch. I keep the extra garnishes on the side to add as I go – the whole experience makes me feel special.

Over the next few Saturdays or Sundays, give yourself the chance to create something beautiful with your food to enjoy alone or with friends and family. It may even become a priority…and suddenly life will be full of an unexplained richness that feels like you’ve just won the lottery and tastes like heaven only hopes.

Have you Masticated Today?

I’m talking about chewing! When did we all stop eating mindfully and actually using our teeth? These days it’s hard to find time to eat, let alone do it “properly” so I thought it would be a good idea to remind us all why chewing is so important to our health and how to get back to masticating like we should.

Chewing your food properly is the first step in the process of digestion, which extracts the nutrients from what you eat. The bottom line is: the more you chew your food, the more nutrients will be available for your body to absorb. There’s no point in dropping extra cash on organic food, if you don’t even chew it up!

Here are some great reasons to start chomping again:
1. Chewing cleans your food before it hits your stomach since saliva is antibacterial. Certain food-borne bacteria can be killed just from chewing!
2. When you eat, it takes a while before satiety (“fullness”) signals reach your brain and tell you that you’ve had enough. If you rush your meals you will eat much more before these signals kick in, resulting in your consuming more food than you need. Just by slowing down when you eat you will more likely to eat less (apparently some people want to do that).
3. According to university studies, chewing stimulates the endocrine system, keeping your hormones in balance for a happier, younger-looking you. In particular, the parotid glands just under your cheekbones release a cell-rejuvenating substance, which gives you that youthful glow.
4. Chewing decreases your risk of indigestion and gas. By increasing the surface area of your food, the enzymes in your saliva can begin digestion earlier and prevent your stomach from working too hard. Also, when you chew slowly, you take in less air. You won't champion the next belching contest at the pub, but that's not something to be proud of anyway.
5. The more you chew, the more oxygen is sent to the brain. So take your time and give your meal a thorough munching if you want to keep your mind sharp and avoid those post-meal sleepies.
6. Scientists have also discovered that munching is magnificent for the memory. It may help keep dementia in the elderly at bay. It seems that the more you chew, the more short-term memory cells you develop. When people get older, they lose their teeth and start eating mushy foods. The short-term memory may be compromised because of this simple change in diet and behavior. Isn’t that amazing?

So it turns out grandma was right. Chewing sufficiently does make a difference in how we feel and even look! For best results, try chewing each bite 30 times or more. At first this may seem too time consuming, but remember that eating should be done without hurry anyway. Enjoying the flavour and texture of each bite will bring awareness and gratitude to the act of eating and you’ll naturally slow down. I like to chew my food until it’s liquid simply because I know that I am doing my body a huge favor – last time I checked, I didn’t have teeth in my stomach!