Mindful Menagerie

Indigestion much?

2012-09-09T15:35:00.003-05:00

So, I was doing some homework reading from a functional approach to clinical nutrition textbook and the subject was about digestion. Now, a couple of things really caught my attention about digestion in the stomach and I thought I'd share those discoveries :D There's a condition called hypochlorhydria which is when there's not enough gastric acid being secreted by the stomach walls.

Protein - How Much Do You Really Need

2012-09-04T21:00:00.002-05:00

Think you know about how much protein you need in your diet? Maybe you do and maybe you don't...either way, check out what the USDA guidelines are (of course, if you're an athlete you get to have a bit more): How much food from the Protein Foods Group is needed daily? The

RECIPE - Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake (low cal)

2012-02-26T14:49:00.000-06:00

... I know I still need the 2nd half of my blog regarding how to read labels and I'm hoping I can get it done today or tomorrow...but, in the meantime, thought I'd share a recipe for a vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake that I tweaked yesterday and it turned out really yummy! Here it is (if you make it, let me know how you like it): (NOTE: If you'd like more detailed nutrient information, go

Food Labels and Healthier Choices (Part 1 of 2)

2012-02-19T20:12:00.000-06:00

When you look at a food label, what do you see? What do you actually look for? I'm pretty label scrutinous when I'm grocery shopping but then again, I'm paranoid (to a degree) about what the big food companies and the USDA considers to be food or safe to consume as food. So, if you're interested, I thought I'd share my method of label scrutiny. Because of the amount of

Elixir of Life - Water

2012-02-17T12:02:00.000-06:00

If I asked you how much water you drink/intake on a daily basis, would you know? Do you know that your body can access water from your cells if you don't get enough from your intake (which does include water from some foods like fruits and vegetables which have a high water content)? Ever go give blood and find it very painful or even difficult to fill a vial? That's because the

Anemia...What May be Underlying.

2012-02-10T20:29:00.004-06:00

If you can't figure out why you're always anemic, especially since you've changed your diet and take your iron supplements, it may not be an iron intake issue but your inability to absorb vitamin B12. Yes, there are ties between anemia and vitamin B12. I know that I've blogged about the wonders of vitamin B12 but I think this is also an important thing to know, especially if you (or

February's Goal is...

2012-02-04T15:07:00.001-06:00

...to learn more patience and loosen my death grip on trying to control so many things in my life! Specifically, patience with situations more than anything else. I feel like I'm always in a hurry to get to the next step and when that step gets pulled away from me or when steps are added in-between, I have a difficult time dealing with it. Guess that's also a control thing too

Is your eye twitching??

2012-01-15T14:14:00.000-06:00

If it's been going on for a very long time, it could be the beginning of a B12 deficiency...most especially if you're a vegetarian/vegan or have gastrointestinal issues. If you suspect that you may not be getting enough, please contact your doctor and get some lab work done because this is a very important water-soluble vitamin! A water-soluble vitamin (versus a fat-soluble vitamin) isn't

Breakfast is Killing People!

2012-01-09T14:45:00.000-06:00

Here's something to think about: Did you know that an egg, while it has only 1 gram of saturated fat, has over 200mg of cholesterol??? That's almost 2/3 of the recommended daily limit! So, if people have an egg for breakfast every morning, plus 2 slices of bacon, plus 2 pats of butter on their toast that's 200+18+22=240mg of cholesterol - just for breakfast!! The USDA recommends a limit of 300mg

A Challenge to Big Food Companies!!

2012-01-03T21:26:00.000-06:00

I know I already posted a blog for today but this just came to me. Wouldn't it be awesome if we could manage to challenge ALL the board members from ALL the unhealthy food companies (including regular fast food chains & sit-down fast food chains) to HAVE to eat their companies' food everyday for 3 months?!?!? Because.... you and I know that those guys don't eat that stuff - they

Sensa (R) ... Have You Heard About it?

2012-01-03T16:26:00.001-06:00

The other day I had my first impression of Sensa(R) via a T.V. commercial - my first thought was "What the hell??" and then my next thought was "Oh No!" I still haven't quite made up my mind if this new manmade creation is a good thing or not and I can only decide that for myself. Either way here's what I am having issues with, if you're curious: 1) The creator of this taste/

January's Resolution

2012-01-01T15:44:00.000-06:00

New Year's Day Every Month!! I'm starting a new trend by NOT choosing one resolution to try to stick to ALL year long but I'm making new resolutions the first day of every month of 2012! How about you? January 1, 2012. Most people start off the New Year with a resolution relating to their health: "Going to lose weight" or "going to exercise more" or "going to eat healthier"...stop

New Year = Hitting the RESET Button

2011-12-31T14:38:00.000-06:00

Everyone has been talking about the "end of the world" because the Mayan calendar doesn't go any further than 2012...Honestly, it's just a bunch of hogwash in my book! Whether it's true or not, there's nothing that we can do about it, right? So why not have a really good year? One of the things I really like about New Year's Day is the hopes and possibilities that are before us.

Brown Rice vs. White Rice

2011-12-28T23:15:00.000-06:00

So someone was making a joke the other day about a Mexican restaurant that specializes in extra large burritos offering the choice between brown or white rice - "WOW! Those 15 calories I'll save by choosing the brown rice will really make a difference in losing weight!! Ha ha ha ha..." (BTW, he was wrong about the calorie difference - just saying :-D ) The truth is that the difference in

RECIPE - Sweet Twist Roasted Root Veggies

2011-12-27T22:11:00.002-06:00

Roasted root vegetables with a sweet twist! This was really good! Hope you guys like it! Ingredients 1 turnip, diced 3-4 small beets (various types if possible), sliced 5-6 fingerling (or new) potatoes, cubed 1/2 sweet onion, sliced 2 tbsp frozen pomegranate seeds 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp vegan butter 2 tbsp cashew butter 1/4 cup red wine 1 tbsp Braggs aminos 1

Most of Humanity isn't Humane...

2011-12-25T19:19:00.001-06:00

Toward animals but, most importantly, toward other humans. There are people who believe they are good-hearted and humanitarians but are they? Are you? Am I? Honestly, not always and that shames me. I mean, really think about it. I've been watching and listening to people; it's a bit depressing. Let's take a hypothetical example. Let's say there's a person

Life and Health Aren't Separate Entities!

2011-12-21T19:56:00.000-06:00

So, I watched two documentaries last night that were uplifting but also frustrating. The first was "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" (a Joe Cross film) the other was, finally, "Forks Over Knives". The movie that frustrated me the most was "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" (see the official movie website for a synopsis). It frustrated me to see people that were quite obviously in need of a

Humming While You Work...or Play...or Drive...

2011-12-20T14:08:00.000-06:00

I just learned something brilliantly interesting!! Did you know that when we hum that the gas exchange in our sinuses increases?!? The gas exchange with normal breathing is only about 4% but when we hum...oh boy!! It goes up to about 98%!! You may be wondering why this is important so I'm going to tell you a little bit about the importance but if you want to read more details

Vegan Food Lacks Flavor?!?!

2011-12-19T21:59:00.002-06:00

What?!? Are you flippin' kidding?? Yeah, I've heard the "oh, I'm sorry, it must be really boring" response to the announcement that I eat a vegan diet. I was just talking about this with one of my daughters today as we sat down to eat a late lunch at the Loving Hut. Why do meat-eaters assume that vegan food is bland or boring? Their assumption is really kind of stupid and

Iron Absorption for Vegetarians

2011-12-19T01:12:00.001-06:00

Iron. Are you getting enough iron as a vegan or vegetarian? Heme iron (derived from red meats) technically has a larger percentage of absorption in our systems (about 15%-35%) but since that's not an option for us, we tend to take in non-heme iron (derived from plant sources). The absorption percentage is lower at about 2%-20%. And, did you know that tannins in tea can decrease your

Steps on Soap Box

2011-12-16T16:45:00.000-06:00

Drugs. Drugs. Drugs. Drugs. You take them. I take them (though I keep them to a minimum, hence my vegan lifestyle). Everyone's taking them, right? The FDA says they're okay or they wouldn't be on the market, right? Doctors prescribe them left and right so that must mean they're safe, right? W.R.O.N.G.!! Safe is such a tricky word. Most medical schools do not require

The Good, The Bad and The...Carbs!

2011-12-03T19:10:00.001-06:00

Carbohydrates! Did you flinch? Hide? It seems these days that little word (okay, it's a pretty long word) sends fear into so many people and has prompted so many arguments within and without the medical community. You have fitness gurus, nutrition store workers, chiropractors, medical doctors, and all kinds of people making claims to "stay away" from those bad, awful,

Think E-N-E-R-G-Y Instead of Calories

2011-10-05T00:47:00.001-05:00

Those two words are pretty synonymous because calories and energy are pretty much the same thing. The correct term is kilocalories (or kcalories for short). For those who remember from school, a kilo is equal to a 1000 increment of metric measurement, in this case it's calories. So, it is a measurement in 1000-calorie metric units for the energy released/produced from carbohydrates,

Nutrients

2011-09-25T04:01:00.000-05:00

You've heard the word or at least seen it - nutrient. What is it exactly? Obviously, it has something to do with nutrition - right. Nutrients are, basically, chemicals derived from food that our bodies use for energy, structural materials (bone, etc.), and regulating agents for growth, maintenance, and tissue repair. Hmm, pretty important stuff those darn nutrients.

Health Claims on Food Labels (in USA)

2011-09-23T21:50:00.000-05:00

Did you know that up until 2003, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) would make food manufacturers show significant scientific evidence of any health claim they wanted to put onto their product labels? Yes, I said "up until 2003" because after that, things got stupid and crazy. Once again we get to see evidence that these manufacturers, those with the "deep pockets", get to play