Nutrition Frenzy

As promised, here is the Holy Grail of Whole Grain products according to ME.

I love all these products because they let me make a sandwich, eat a bowl of pasta or indulge in a burrito - healthfully! I’m also happy to tell you that with the exception of the Zen Bakery Products (which have natural sugars from fruit and 100% fruit juice), nothing on the list has any added sugar! How’s that for healthy???

Ezekial/Food For Life Sprouted Grain Breads (great grilled cheese or French toast material).

Ezekial/Food For Life English Muffins (make your own Egg Mcmuff or try the Cinnamon Raisin with a bit of cream cheese - sooo good).

Ezekial/Food For Life PROPHET’S Pockets (pita): Whether you stuff them with turkey, cheese and avocado or just dip in a bit of hummus, these whole wheat pita are fragrant, soft and low calorie.

Ezekial/Food For Life Cereal: Hot or Cold this cereal is a healthy version of Grape-Nuts. You can use it to make trail mix or top your yogurt parfait.

Ezekial Hotdog and Hamburger Buns are the only whole grain buns I’ve come across that contain no sugar, honey, etc. I do find them a little doughy, so I scoop out the insides. Can’t find the weenie otherwise . . . .

La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Tortillas: A Mexican food-lovers salvation. These little darlings are low cal, packed with fiber and pass my Neanderthal’s “authentico” burrito test. Keep these guys in the fridge or freezer, I’ve found this extends their freshness. Even frozen they separate easily from each other and defrost quickly.

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Grain Pasta: Pasta Pasta! Spaghetti, Penne, Linguini, Rotini and even lasagna noodles made with whole grains are fiber-full. Hallelujah! Pasta’s off “no-no” list. My Italian mama even cooks with these. For the best results be sure not to overcook and immediately after draining drizzle noodles with Olive Oil or spaghetti sauce containing oil.

Wasa Crackers: A great crunchy base for turkey and cheese, tuna fish or peanut butter

Triscuits: Yep, these oldies but goodies are whole wheat so you can have ‘em any way you like ‘em

Mestemacher Breads: Rye, Sunflower and Fitness breads are all natural and hearty. Dr. Andrew Weil turned me on to this brand.

Zen Bakery Muffins and Cookies: Big, moist muffins come in yummy combos like Blueberry-Raspberry Oat Bran, Cranberry-Apple,

Banana Nut and Carrot Cake: Oatmeal-cranberry cookies are a perfect snack and the Cinnamon Raisin Rolls are a guilt-free delight. All natural and made with whole wheat flour, these high fiber, no added sugar, Zen’s goodies are-always on my shopping list

Okay, that’s the list, for now. Like all respectable food nut groupies I am always on the look-out for the latest and greatest.

Whole Grain products

I am obsessed with breasts.

No, you dirty girl, not obsessed with looking at them (although I admit to checking out my own for updates on southward sliding).

No, I am obsessed with how nutrition can help keep our breasts HEALTHY.

Taking Boobs Personally

Several years ago my tough-as-nails mom had a bilateral mastectomy. Mom has always been a pretty health-conscious person. Maybe she did hit the brownies a little hard once in a while, but all in all she leads a healthful lifestyle - never smoked, doesn’t drink (one glass of chardonnay and she tips over), plenty of fruit, veggies and she plays tennis like a 65-year old Maria Sharapova.

Mom also takes pride in the fresh-squeezed glass of grapefruit juice she enjoys every morning.

Anyhow, ever since mom’s battle with breast cancer I’ve been vigilant about keeping up on the latest news on breast cancer prevention and treatment.

The Newest News

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“You: On A Diet,” by Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz offers cutting-edge information about the biological reasons we gain weight, and the secret to losing it and keeping it off for good. In “You: On A Diet”, Roizen and Oz-ster list five commonly found ingredients that we should ALWAYS avoid:

These food pitfalls bear repeating, and repeating and repeating. So, over the next few days I’ll tell you ways to avoid these bad guys and how to make substitutions so that you don’t mourn their passing out of your diet.

Let’s start with this one:

DO NOT EAT FOODS CONTAINING HYDROGENTATED OR PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS (TRANS FATS)

I KEEP FORGETTING, WHAT ARE HYDROGENATED & PARTIALLY HYDROGENTED OILS?

Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils (aka Trans Fats) are unnatural forms of oil, created by manufacturers.

When oils are heated and hydrogen bubbles are passed through it, the fatty acids become denser. If you fully hydrogenate an oil it becomes solid at room temperature. If you stop part-way, you create a partially hydrogenated oil, which has a consistency like margarine.

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You: On A Diet, Dr. Michael Roizen

The other night I went to dinner at a very elegant establishment. I was psyched for a beautifully prepared fish dinner (anything prepared by someone other than me is always beautiful as far as I’m concerned).

Enlightened consumer that I am, I inquired as to whether the broiled salmon entrée was wild or farmed. The rest of the exchange with my waitress went like this:

WAITRESS WITH A BLANK LOOK: “Wild or what???”

PAIN IN-THE-ASS CUSTOMER: “The fish . . . Any idea where it came from?”

PATIENT WAITRESS WITH JUSTIFIED HINT OF ANNOYANCE: “ Well, it came from the kitchen, but I’ll run and ask the chef.”

Five minutes later:

WAITRESS WHO NOW HATES MY GUTS: “Ma’m, all of our salmon is freshly farmed!”

EXCEEDINGLY RUDE CUSTOMER: “What the hell does freshly farmed mean ???” “Oh, just forget it, I’ll have the chicken.”

Honestly, I didn’t intend to be a nightmare customer, and I certainly don’t mean to demean wait-staff. I mean, how could I expect her to know the difference between types of salmon when confusion is perpetuated by marketing with labels like “Atlantic”, “Ocean-Raised,” “Farm-Raised” and what I guess is the newly coined, “Freshly-Farmed.”

Bottom line - what you want to eat is called “Wild Alaskan Salmon”, all other terms are almost always synonymous with “farmed”.

What’s the diff?, you ask.

Farmed salmon looks the same as Wild and it’s less expensive. Just cook ‘er up and don’t worry about it, right? But in order to be sure you are eating the type of fish that offers the most health benefits it’s important to understand a very real difference does exist between Wild Alaskan and Farmed Salmon.

World renowned health experts like Dr. Nicholas Perricone, Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Mercola all highly recommend Wild Alaskan Salmon for a variety of reasons.

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fish dinner, salmon, Dr. Nicholas Perricone, Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Mercola

Today I am going to share a little concoction I have been making for myself every single day for lunch. And I mean EVERY, SINGLE DAY.

Ever get on one of those jags? Well, luckily this culinary creation is a health-nut’s dream and a dieter’s best friend.

This recipe incorporates several Super-Food heavy hitters that will keep your body rockin’ and provides your taste buds with a break from your ordinary, American fare.

Why its so great for you:

WILD SALMON: One of the healthiest foods you can eat. Wild salmon is high in Omega 3 fats which promote normal cholesterol and triglycerides, improve blood flow, enhance immune function, reduce joint pain and are important for getting lustrous hair and glowing skin.

This is interesting (at least to me) – did you know that more than ½ your brain is composed of fat, the most abundant type of which is called DHA? Well, the reason salmon is considered “brain food” is that it also contains DHA, the same fat that is in your brain. That’s why eating wild salmon you can help you improve cognitive function. That is also why being called “Fathead” is actually a compliment.

SPINACH: Calorie for calorie spinach has more nutrients than any other food we eat. Chock full of antioxidants, spinach is a potent anti-cancer agent.

BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER: Cruciferous vegetables are key to preventing cancer because they are powerful antioxidants and they clear toxins from the body. Added bonus- they are a great source of fiber!

GEEEN ONIONS: Onions are high in two antioxidants: quercetin and sulphur. These two help neutralize free radicals thereby reducing the risk of certain types of cancers .Onions reduce total cholesterol while increasing HDL (good ) cholesterol, especially when eaten raw. Onions also reduce the risk of diabetes, stimulate the immune system and relieve upset stomach.

CHICKPEAS/GARBANZO BEANS: These little guys are low in calories but high in fiber, protein, potassium and folic acid. Including beans in your diet promotes heart health and chemicals called saponins in beans prevent genetic cell mutation. If you stay away from beans because you are afraid they will give you sonic-farts introduce them gradually.

RED PEPPER FLAKES: Hot peppers contain capsaicin, a substance which inhibits inflammation. Red pepper is proven to reduce pain related to arthritis, psoriasis and diabetic neuropathy. Red pepper can also reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels and protect blood from the free radicals which lead to arterial damage. In fact, cultures that use red pepper liberally have been shown to have much lower rates of stroke, heart attack and pulmonary embolism. Red pepper has also been shown to help stop the spread of prostate cancer and reduce expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

The heat you feel when you eat red pepper is real. Red pepper increases both thermogenesis (heat production) and oxygen consumption in your body. This increased thermogenesis can help you lose weight by revving up metabolism and lessening appetite.

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culinary creation, health-nut, dieter, recipe, Super-Food

Chances are you haven’t seen any celebrities sporting raw milk moustaches in any slick advertisements lately.

But does raw milk deserve the bad rap that it has gotten?

Misconception and confusion surround the subject of raw milk, and it is a darn shame because if you follow society’s conventions and kowtow (no pun intended) to the unfortunate influence of “Big Dairy”, you’ll miss out on one of the greatest, and least expensive sources of nutrients that you and your family can enjoy.

Why Pasteurized Milk Is Problematic

- Heat treatment during pasteurization alters the configuration of its protein configuration, stripping it of most of its protein , nutrients, enzymes and antibodies

- Pasteurization leads to a loss of up to 66% of Vitamins A, D, E and F

- Vitamin C loss exceeds 50%

- Calcium loss of 50% or more depending on pasteurization temperature (makes you wonder about why you pay more for Horizon Dairy’s “ultra-pasteurization” process)

- Less than 10% of original enzymes remain after pasteurization

- Pasteurized milk can actually PROMOTE allergies and autoimmune dysfunction

- Pasteurized milk is completely stripped of phosphate, essential for absorption of calcium and development of a strong skeletal system

- Essential fatty acids are reduced by pasteurization

Health Benefits Of Raw Milk

- 100% of milk protein remains available

- 100% of minerals remain metabolically available

- Rich in enzymes and contains all 22 essential amino acids

- Rich in phosphate, essential for absorption of calcium

- Rich source of B12, a vitamin rare in non-meat sources

- 33% higher in Vitamin C than pasteurized milk

- Contains enzyme-based pathogen killers (i.e., prevents growth of e-coli and listeria among others)

- 2½ times higher in enzyme IgG, which inhibits rotavirus organisms that cause diarrhea in infants

Raw Milk Tastes Heavenly

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Borage (Boar aj) Oil is one supplement every beauty bitch should be taking.

I especially like it because next to no one knows about it.

I mean, after receiving a compliment on our spectacular complexions don’t we all like to be all, “oh, I really don’t do much, just wash with a bar of Dove soap . . . . hmmm, too bad that doesn’t work for you.”

The big dogs like Dr. Perricone of The Perricone Promise fame, recommend it and even more importantly, the Hot Sundae is telling you this stuff works.

Borage is a concentrated source of GLA (Gamma Linoleic Acid). Gamma linoleic acid helps the body utilize the healthy fats you ingest (think olive oil, almonds, and avocado — NOT the Cinnabon you inhaled at the mall).

Fatty fish like salmon also contain GLA, which is why fish is touted as a premier way to get a healthy glow and lustrous locks. For those of you who find fish stinky and revolting, a borage oil supplement is a wonderful, mercury-free way to reap many of the same rewards offered by fish.

Even for a fish lover like me, taking 1,000 mg of borage oil daily is still a good idea since whipping up a sardine frittata for breakfast can sometimes, or never actually happen. Be sure the bottle says “cold-pressed.” As with olive oil, cold pressed means the integrity of the borage oil is intact.

A final note - be sure not to pass this tip along to your girlfriends. After all, you’re the one who took the time to read this damn article, so why should she get to look as hot as you?

Alright, now scoot along and get that borage oil already. Oh, and don’t forget to pick up a few bars of Dove.

Borage, Perricone

Victoria Beckham and The Spice Girls are launching a comeback! If tickets are cheap maybe I’ll check out a concert… Maybe.

Even if The Spice Girls aren’t your cup of tea, here’s a nutritious way to add some spice to your life: Good, old-fashioned, great-tasting cinnamon! Yes, you can get great health benefits just by sprinkling on the same spice that made mom’s kitchen smell so homey and delish.

Awesome Cinnamon Stats

One Teaspoon cinnamon provides

- 28 mg of calcium
- Over 1g fiber
- Almost 1mg iron
- A good amount of Vitamins C, K as well as manganese

Cinnamon Also Offers:

- Anti-inflammatory properties
- Favorable effects on brain and memory function
- Soothes stomach upset and helps prevent ulcers
- Reduces bacteria that causes urinary tract infections and fungus that can cause nasty yeast infections

Cinnamon For Diabetes

Studies show cinnamon may prevent and help treat Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. As little as ½ tsp of cinnamon per day can improve insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control. Cinnamon’s active ingredient, proanthocyanidin works to activate insulin receptors allowing cells to use energy from sugar- biochemically the same reaction as insulin!

Because cinnamon can intensify the effect of insulin medication, talk to your doctor before using cinnamon if you are already being treated for Type 2 diabetes.

Cinnamon For Weight Loss and to Decrease Risk of Heart Disease

Heart Disease: Studies document improvement in blood sugar, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol with consumption of only ½ tspn of cinnamon a day.

Weight Control Cinnamon can fight obesity by helping prevent the blood sugar highs (and subsequent lows), which often lead to binges on sugary food. What’s more, by preventing the insulin resistance that often accompanies obesity, cinnamon can help prevent “Metabolic Syndrome” also known as pre-diabetes.

Use Caution With Supplements

Unless you are allergic, it’s unlikely that you’ll have an adverse reaction to cinnamon if you are simply adding a few dashes to your cooking. But be aware that cinnamon supplements can cause negative reactions such as skin rash or mouth or stomach irritation.
Also, high doses of cinnamon can have a blood-thinning effect, especially when combined with other medications.

Winning Cinnamon Combos

Cinnamon is extremely versatile and the taste appeals to adults and kids alike. Here are some of my favorite ways to get my daily ½ tspn:

- Add to oatmeal along with stevia and some plump raisins ( imagine a bowlful of oatmeal cookie taste!), a dash in a strawberry smoothie or protein shake, sprinkle on apple slices and dip in a tablespoon of almond butter, top yogurt or cottage cheese, in muffin batter, on toast along with a dash of stevia (just like mom’s cinnamon toast), add to warm milk or coffee. Of course, there are also many wonderful ethnic meat and tofu dishes that incorporate cinnamon. Yum!

A Sexy Side Note

I must digress from nutritional observations for just a moment.

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I’ve always had a bit of a crush on Lance Armstrong.

I mean, not even so much with his physical being, but with his great spirit. Most of us mere mortals have a tough time just waking up at 5am to get to the gym.

Lance had his body ravaged by cancer, battled through and went on to win the most grueling bike race in the world. And then win it five more times after that. I know some people may think Lance is arrogant (yeah, like you wouldn’t be if you’d kicked everyone’s ass), but I still admire his tenacity and his balls.

His lean physique also fills me with wonder and awe. How can a guy that LEAN be so POWERFUL??? Personally, I dig guys with a little more meat on their bones (hence my brawny Neanderthal), but the idea that you can be both lean AND extremely strong is intriguing.

When I see Lance’s legs firing like pistons as he propels up Mount Saint Escargot Du Croissant, I find myself wondering: what does that guy eat?

Short anwer: more calories than any of us can afford to. But the real answers can be found in Chris Carmichael’s Fitness Cookbook.

In his latest book Carmichael, Lance’s coach and trainer offers a glimpse into how athletes train and eat for lean physiques and stamina.

Carmichael is also the best selling author of “Food For Fitness,” where he examines reasons why some foods are better fuel than others. “Fitness Cookbook” goes one step farther and provides new, delicious recipes that can help in your quest for a healthy, high-energy life. You don’t need to be a competitive athlete to still get the benefit of all the research that prescribes what top athletes should eat to keep in top condition.

“Fitness Cookbook” delivers innovative recipes that someone like me (a non-gourmand) can easily put together. These are completely do-able yet still elegant enough to serve with pride.

Recipes run the gamut: from breakfast items you can make ahead and take on the run (or bike) like Homemade Health Bars, to Hearty Chicken Soup with Spinach and Rice, to beautiful dinner entrees like Pasta Salad with Chicken and Black Olive Pesto.

Don’t worry, athletes DO eat dessert, so you get recipes for elegant and delicious treats that still have nutritional benefit. One of my favorites is Grilled Figs with Lemon Ice Cream and Mint. I KNOW it sounds hard but it most definitely is not. I also KNOW it might not sound as good as Betty Crocker Double Decker Death Pie, but the sweetness of figs along with vanilla ice cream flavored with lemon and honey is actually quite outrageous.

I’ll also give a shout out about The Frozen Orange Yogurt: A clever mix of low fat yogurt, honey marmalade and juice give this dessert a refreshing zest that still satisfies a sweet tooth.

Chris Carmichael’s Fitness Cookbook also gives great insight into patterning nutrition to match your training. Basically, teaching you how to eliminate periods where your training (calorie expenditure) and eating (calorie intake) are mismatched to = blubber butt. And no, you won’t have to gnaw on celery stalks during periods where you aren’t able to make it to the gym as regularly, or after you are coming off training for a marathon. You’ll just learn what foods work best for your body during those recovery periods. I love “recovery.” Much nicer than “lazy.”

Bottom line: Carmichaels’ nutritional program launched Lance onto the podium. It’s sure to teach you and I a thing or two. Another valuable lesson gleaned from the book: Pear and Pecan Salad is really yummy.

Hi Ho! Up the Mountain You Go!

Lance Armstrong, bike race, Chris Carmichael’s Fitness Cookbook., athletes, Fitness Cookbook, nutritional program

Some smoothies suck.

Recently I saw an Oprah episode featuring her “special” smoothie recipe. Now, I adore Oprah but I have to tell you her smoothie sucked.

Here were her ingredients: chocolate soy milk, 4 strawberries and ½ banana. And oh yeah, don’t forget 2 luscious ice cubes. Yum . . . .

Instead, try one of my favorite smoothies. If you have even semi-normal taste buds you are going to go freakin nuts when you try it. You may even become addicted to it like my mother.

I mean, here is the part where I am supposed to tell you how lovely it is for a breakfast with a perfect ratio of protein, carbs, and healthy fats, not to mention a great source of calcium. Instead, I’ll just let you know you are going to end up sucking down this puppy for breakfast lunch and dinner.

Here it is:

–1 Cup plain yogurt or Kefir (a probiotic beverage = liquid-like yogurt but lower in sugar)
–¾ C water
–1 TBSP Flax Seed
–1 Scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
–1 frozen pear or apple (slice and then freeze)
–1 Scoop Sambazon Acai powder
–2 TBSP natural peanut butter
–2 Ice cubes (Oprah’s contribution)
–1 Stevia packet

What the hell is Stevia? Stevia is a gift from God to fat girls. Seriously, you gotta get this stuff. Trader Joes, Whole Foods, GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, it is actually quite easy to find.

Stevia is an ALL - NATURAL, no calorie, no carb, no sugar, no nothing, plant extract that is extremely sweet. An extraordinary alternative to artificial sweeteners that I am squeamish about ingesting too regularly lest my unborn children have 4 four heads.

Anyway, this shake is the bomb, you’re gonna looooooooove it.

Oprah, smoothie recipe, Stevia

This is not Chinese take-out: it is the ultimate in gooey deliciousness with great health benefits that takes only minutes to prepare.

Here’s what you need:

–½ C Rolled Oats (not instant)
–1C Water
–Dash of Stevia
–Dash of Cinnamon
–Dash of Salt

Here’s what you do:

–Nuke the mixutre for about a minute and a half and let stand for one minute.

–Mix in 1 large tablespoon (I tell you 1 TBSP but we all know you are gonna put a humungous, ginormous soup spoon-ful in there, that’s ok, none of us are gonna be on the Victoria’s Secret runway anytime soon) chunky all natural peanut butter. I recommend Maranatha for a texture that is like peanut butter fudge. In fact, the stuff is so thick and gooey I often get lock-jaw. Like, my husband asks me questions that get no response. I mean, can’t he see I am BUSY with my damn peanut butter?

–Throw in a handful of chopped almonds for added crunch along with dried fruit of your choice – raisins, cranberries, chopped apricots.

Here are some variations (I have lots of variations since I tend to eat the Yum Yum twice a day, breakfast and a late night snack):

For a fantabulous breakfast throw in a scoop of chocolate protein powder and sliced banana. Or, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, walnuts sprinkled with raisins.

For the adventurous substitute peanut butter with a tablespoon or two (or ten, oink oink) of Coconut Oil with fresh berries.

Oatmeal is a great addition to your diet for many reasons: it is proven to lower cholesterol, is full of fiber for nicely shaped poopies, and because it generates warm- fuzzy childhood memories of mom’s warm oatmeal cookies. Plus, the Quaker Oatmeal guy is a total hottie.

The real deal behind losing weight and maintaining it for a lifetime is a diet filled with delicious foods that are naturally nutritious.

Now go give that Quaker Stud a big luscious lick.

health benefits, losing weight, diet, delicious foods

For all concerned about the death of the true, raw almond come September 1st, here is some great news.

After making a few inquiries at my lovely Farmer’s Market this weekend, I learned that the California Almond Board’s bad decision to heat treat ALL almonds will apply only to those sold commercially. Private vendors (like the awesome guys at the Farmie’s Market), will still be able to sell the real thing - raw and unheated - in all their nutritional glory. Yippee!

I am thinking I’ll just have to start making my own raw almond butter at home once September rolls around (now the “S” word in my home). Could be quite messy, but worth it!

Long Live The Real Raw Almond!

Real Raw Almond

“Bring on the holistic horsecrap, break out the Bible bread!”, exclaims my husband the Neanderthal as he stands in front of the barbeque grill wielding a pair of tongs.

Please don’t take offense at this outburst. I know I no longer do. He can’t help it, he was raised on Oscar Meyer Weiners paired with “Wonder” Bread White-Flour Death Buns.

My Neanderthal’s insensitive reference is to the Food For Life line of “Ezekiel” sprouted grain products. The packaging of these all natural treasures is covered in scripture verses. Like the hot dog buns we use whenever we grill, all the Food For Life Ezekiel products are organic, whole sprouted grains.

The religious zealots who created these products are actually on to something. My husband and I enjoy several of their products on a daily basis. You’ll definitely want to try the hot dog and hamburger buns, English muffins (my favorite) cereal (think grape nuts minus the high fructose corn syrup) and pasta.

I know for a fact that most of the “Processing Pavilions” (as I call the major chain groceries) carry Ezekial bread. So, take the plunge and switch to a bread that is organic, sprouted 100% whole grains. Its stats also really rock: low calorie (80 a slice) low fat (5 grams a slice) high fiber and also a complete protein.

If you don’t regularly buy 100% natural bread products here is a heads up. To avoid funkiness, refrigerate Food For Life breads and muffins. Because these products have no artificial ingredients, they can start to look a little too natural a little too quickly if you know what I mean . . . .

This Sunday, dip some Ezekial bread in a mixture of egg white with a dash of cinnamon and vanilla to create a healthy French toast breakfast in bed for your lova. Or, serve your famous marinara over a bed of Ezekial sprouted grain pasta.

Sometimes love means giving a gentle push in a positive direction. Despite his teasing, my husband is secretly pleased that I care enough to find him a delicious and healthy new place to put his weenie.

grain products, natural bread products

DEMI MOORE IS GONNA BE SO MAD

Raw foodist Demi Moore attributes her glowing, youthful appearance and rockin’ body to a raw foods diet.

That’s why I have a feeling she’s gonna throw a major diva-esque tantrum when she hears the news about the imminent demise of raw almonds in the United States. Hopefully, some pissed off celebrities will help challenge this tragic measure.

Come on Demi, give us a hand – it’s time to put some serious A-list pressure on the California Almond Board.

RAW ALMONDS R.I.P.

I am saddened to tell you that due to a rash decision of the California Almond Board, come September 1st, 2007 you’ll no longer be able to buy untreated raw almonds. And yes, that means raw almond butter, a most delectable and nutritious treat, will become a distant memory as well.

What is going on?!?

In 2001 and 2004 there were two salmonella outbreaks stemming from conventional almonds. The Almond Board’s decision to heat treat ALL almonds is based on these outbreaks yet it ignores the important differences in how organic and conventional almonds are processed and stored.

In fact, conventionally grown raw almonds are stored in warehouses at room temperature which a makes them more susceptible to contracting disease-causing organisms, while organic raw almonds are kept refrigerated.

The other factor the Board ignores is the fact that heat treatment/pasteurization may in fact INCREASE the risk of almonds that become contaminated with salmonella. Studies show that eliminating bacteria from the surface of foods (heat treatment), can actually create a sterile surface MORE likely to foster the growth of bacteria like salmonella. Thus, a pasteurized almond that comes in contact with salmonella has a higher likelihood of spreading salmonella to a consumer than a raw almond would. Dumb Board.

Don’t be Fooled

You’ll probably continue seeing labeling of “Raw Almonds”. But be aware that these labels are misleading and there will probably be some small print somewhere on the package stating (heat treated). Unbelievably, even organic “raw” almonds will be subjected to a high-temperature, moist heat treatment. Bye-bye life-sustaining enzymes and so long to the health benefits of alive, raw almonds. Makes me so mad!

You REALLY Need To Go Organic Now

All conventional almonds will be treated not only with high-temp heat, but also fumigated with Propylene Oxide which is classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Uh-oh. I don’t like the sound of that. Add to that the fact that Propylene Oxide is banned in the European Union as well as other countries. Not a likely to be a contender for Healthy Chemical Of The Year, right?

Take A Stand

If you are as p.o.’d as I am by the Board’s decision, take a few minutes to contact the media in your area. Most people out there are still happily munching almond butter and apple slices, completely unaware that in just a few short months their favorite, healthiest snack will be a distant memory. Together we can use the time we have left to campaign and help prevent the almond crisis.

Help keep real almonds alive!

Sign the petition here: Online petition - Mandatory Almond Pasteurization is WRONG!!!

Last Sunday, yoga class started with Shivasana.

For those of you not yet fluent in “yoga-ese,” Shivasana is a reclining pose of total relaxation and restoration typically done at the end of yoga practice, after completing the more challenging poses.

But on this particular Sunday, my lovely instructor said something that really resonated with me: “Today, let’s have our dessert first!”

What this meant was that we all took Shivasana BEFORE we got started on the balancing and twisty-turny stuff. Result? I was invigorated throughout my practice and this tremendous feeling permeated the rest of my day.

More importantly, I created a new approach to my entire week as I wondered: What would it feel like to have Dessert First every day?

When I was growing up my mom had a t-shirt that said, “Life is Short - Eat Dessert First”. Now, my mom, a bona fide chocoholic, took this dictate quite literally - a virtual mandate to order the Snickers Sundae before the salad. Understandably then, I never considered that “Dessert First” could possibly relate to anything more than a junk food orgy.

These days I realize “Have Dessert First” is more than just justification for Rocky Road après broccoli. In fact, Dessert First” is a poignant mantra that we can use to get more pleasure out of each and every day.

How To Order Dessert

Think about anything you tend to “save” for special occasions only. For me, this is often a certain items of clothing or my good perfume.

I’m not saying I’ve started wearing my prom dress to the dry cleaners or dousing myself with Chanel No 5 before unloading the dishwasher, but I am wearing more of my “cute stuff” and spritzing myself, even if I am the only one who may get a whiff of my French cologne “just because”.

For you, it may be using linen napkins or the nice wineglasses that you usually “save” for company. Do fresh flowers tend to be something you splurge on only when you planning a family get-together?

This week, try buying a small, fragrant bouquet for your desk. What about that walk you rush to squeeze in at the end of your day? Tonight, prep the kids’ cereal bowls in advance so you can wake for a sunrise stroll and start your day off like you would at Canyon Ranch Spa.

You get the idea! “Dessert First” simply reminds us to go ahead and do a little bit of whatever it is that we usually reserve for “special occasions”.

Consider EVERY day special! Remember that every day you deserve to treat yourself to a bit of “Life Candy”.

No doubt about it - there will always be yucky stuff out there that we have to deal with. All the more reason to take advantage of the little, daily joys we can give to ourselves!

Be Sweet to Yourself!

yoga class, Shivasana, dessert