Why a plant-based diet? Because food can cause or prevent health issues

Our genes may predispose us to diseases, but having a family history of a disease doesn’t mean we are destined to get it.

Lifestyle can have more impact on health than genetics. As renowned nutrition author and researcher Caldwell Esselstyn puts it: “Genetics loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.”

Check out the following list of health issues. Do you suffer from any of them? Are they part of your family history? If you answered yes to either of those questions then you should consider a whole-food plant-based diet.

Using food as a tool to improve your health is not a new trend.
Hippocrates taught that lesson in 431BC when he said: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Never underestimate the Power of the Fork!

Plant-Based is not Vegan.

So you don’t want to be vegan. Great! You can be Plant-Based or Plant-Strong!
Many people confuse a Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet with a Vegan Diet.
They are not the same, although some vegans do follow a WFPB diet. Those are healthy vegans.
Here are some basic differences:

Many vegans choose the lifestyle for the sake of the animals. They avoid all animal products including honey and clothing. But when it comes to food, their choices may not always be healthy. They may actually eat lots of unhealthy foods like white flour, soda, candy and any number of highly processed foods.

A person who follows a WFPB diet avoids overly processed foods and focuses on plants and whole foods.
That includes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds and natural sweeteners like honey.
WFPB is a healthy vegan diet as opposed to an unhealthy one. The resources mentioned here will be referring to a healthy vegan diet.

If you want nutrition information, don’t ask your doctor.

If you want information on nutrition as it relates to your health, hit the books or the internet. Don’t bother asking your doctor. The majority of doctors never take a nutrition class because medical schools don’t require them. Doctors interested in nutrition must take courses on their own and many don’t have the time or interest.

But that doesn’t mean doctors with a passion for nutrition and disease prevention don’t exist. They do. It’s your responsibility to be proactive and seek them out. And once you find one, chances are that doctor promotes a Whole-Food Plant-Based diet.

Whole-Food Plant-Based Resources

I’ve studied nutrition for more than 10 years. There is so much information out there that people find it overwhelming, and confusing.

So I’ve picked out 5 resources that I think give you the best information if you care about using the Power of the Fork to improve your health.

Start by watching the documentary Forks Over Knives available on Netflix or online. It highlights the work of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and T. Colin Campbell Phd. The focus of the film deals with Heart Disease, Cancer and Diabetes. It documents the research done in The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and presents personal stories of patients dealing with these diseases. By removing all animal protein from their diet and avoiding highly processed foods the patients find they can treat and reverse their diseases and remove or reduce other ailments. This documentary is what started me on my path to a WFPB lifestyle and it’s the first one I always recommend as a nutrition coach.

PCRM is a non profit organization based in Washington DC and headed by Dr. Neal Barnard. Its members include some 12,000 physicians from around the world and their focus is on promoting a WFPB lifestyle and nutrition in medical education viagra pris. Resources on their website provide information on the link between nutrition and Heart Disease, Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Weight Control and Cholesterol. Their Cancer Resources offers a free pdf file called The Cancer Survival Guide which I’ve written about before: Cancer Prevention and Survival Through Nutrition
This free pdf file is a wealth of information for anyone wanting to work with food in preventing the onset or recurrence of cancer.

Dr. Esselstyn is the author of the book “How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease” and its companion cookbook. Dr. Esselstyn is a cardiologist and a lecturer who works with his wife Ann and his daughter Jane, a nurse, to educate people about the health benefits of a WFPB diet. Check out his website and Face Book page.

Rip Esselstyn, author of “The Engine 2 Diet” and “Plant-Strong”, is a plant-based triathlete, and son of Dr. Esselstyn. Rip travels the world and like the other members of his family, he works at educating others on how to become plant-strong. You can find him on Facebook at Engine 2 For Life and The Engine 2 Seven-Day Challenge Rescue Group.

Dr. Greger is the creator of NutritionFacts.org where he sifts through the latest research so you don’t have to and he explains its relevance to us with respect to food and its link to overall health.

Want to get started?

Once you’ve checked out the information above, why not give a Whole-Food Plant-Based Lifestyle a try? To get started, I would recommend you sign up for one of the following free programs.

This program is done online via email with info, tips, and recipes.

This program is also done online via email and a closed FB group where members share lots of support, feedback, recipes and tips.

Give it a shot! You don’t have anything to lose but weight, pain, and disease-causing inflammation. Your body will thank you for it.

The post 10 resources when considering a plant-based diet. appeared first on PowersHealth.com.

A Few Kale Recipes That Won’t Disappoint

Kale always seems to be in the news. It’s a Superfood! A healthy green! Has tons of vitamins and nutrients. One cup of Kale has 10,000 i.u. of vitamin A! Compare that to 103 bananas. And it has as much vitmain K as 384 carrots. Not impressed? How about Kale as a source of Calcium? That’s right, just 1 cup of Kale contains 9% of the daily value of calcium. And that’s just for starters. Here is Kale’s nutrition data.

But the best qualities of kale come from the fact that it’s a leafy green. As a leafy green, Kale contains dietary fiber as well as magnesium and manganese. And that is important to anyone who is trying to lose weight or maintain it or to anyone who suffers from some type of inflammation. If you are watching your weight or if you have inflammation issues know this: Fat cells store toxins! And toxins cause inflammation.

What is important to note is that if you want to reduce the size of your fat cells, i.e. you want to lose weight, you need to detoxify at the same time and get rid of the toxins in your system. If you don’t and you just reduce caloric intake and increase energy consumption you will not affect the fat percentage because you will not have “eliminated the intra and extra-cellular toxins.” According to Anna Manayan, J.D., Dipl.Ac., L.Ac., NBIMA of the Immune Matrix, this is why people plateau and “cannot shrink the fat deposits on their body.”

As a certified nutrition coach I am a firm believer in incorporating a detoxifying program with a weight loss program. As a result it is quite common for clients to not only see results in weight loss but also in the reduction of inflammation.

So how does Kale fit in with all this? Kale, as a leafy green is nutrient-dense, highly anti-inflammatory, high in fiber and a healthy choice for weight loss and wellness.

So how do we get past that bitter taste some people may have a problem with?

Getting Past That Bitter Kale Taste

1. Buy Fresh Kale – Whenever possible I buy my Kale fresh from local farmers rather than the kale in grocery stores. The difference is amazing! And I find the kale not at all bitter when I buy it fresh locally. Another important cooking tip is to cut off the spine of the kale leaf. That is where the bitterness is. Make sure you cut that off before you add the kale to whatever recipe you are using.

But don’t throw the ribs out!! If you don’t have a compost pile but you have a dog, give the rib to the pooch!
4 of my 5 pooches sit at attention the minute I take the kale out of the fridge! They LOVE chewing on it.

Here is a delicious salad recipe made with kale and the dressing adds flavor that may just make you a fan.

Kale Slaw with Mustard Seed Dressing

2. Put That Kale In A Blender – Start by adding Kale to smoothies! Cut off the spine and chop it up and put a little in a high protein smoothie. Start with a little and before you know it you’ll be adding a good bunch. And you won’t taste a thing!!! Great way to get kids to eat it too. Or fussy husbands. =) Any of your favorite smoothie recipes will work. If you don’t have any try adding Kale to the Purple Power Smoothie Recipe posted elsewhere on this blog. Use it as a base or tweak it to suit your needs.

3. Add It To Soup or Stir Fry – Add Kale to a stir fry or to soup. Chop it up small and barely heat it up until it wilts. The goal is to keep as many nutrients intact and not lose them to cooking. Don’t have a good Kale Soup recipe? Here is one which is full of nutrients and antioxidants and is very hearty.

Harvest Minestrone with Quinoa and Kale

And lastly if you’ve tried the above and want to try a healthy salty Kale snack try some

Baked Kale Chips Maryland Style

You might just get hooked on Kale!

What have you got to lose?

The post Three Kale Recipes for People Who Hate Kale appeared first on PowersHealth.com.

Consider this scenario in the future: We live in a society dependent on processed foods. In an effort to slow down the progression of heart disease among Americans, doctors suggest it could become routine for customers ordering a Quarter Pounder at the McDonald’s Drive Thru to be asked the following question: Do you want fries with that Lipitor?

What?

Let me explain.

Doctors, Nutrition, and Pills

I’ve often complained that many doctors don’t bother advising patients to eat healthier in order to improve their health or prevent disease. My conclusion is based on research regarding medical school graduation requirements.
“Most medical schools in the United States fail to provide even a bare minimum of nutrition training.”
And once out of med school doctors have little time to study on their own. They can barely keep up with the new pharmaceuticals used to treat disease.

But it turns out that lack of nutrition education may not be the main reason doctors don’t bother teaching their patients how to eat healthy.

New research cites the following: When asked why more doctors don’t practice preventive cardiology,
“the number one reason given was their perception that patients fear being deprived of all the junk they’re eating.”

Does this sound surprising?

It’s not at all surprising to me as a nutrition coach.

I’ve spoken to many people over the years who decided to change their lifestyle and embark on a journey to eat healthy and exercise. Success came in many forms: weight loss, improved mood, reversal of disease and the elimination of prescription drugs and reduction of inflammation and joint pain to name a few. They would chant the praises of their new-found lease on life. They gushed with pride and accomplishment. You’d think that such a feeling of joy and success would be a great motivator to stay the course. It is for some people, i.e., those who consider health and long term gratification more important than immediate gratification. But for many, they let themselves slip back into the world of processed foods and that always leads to “conditioned hypereating” as Dr. David Kessler calls it in his book “The End of Overeating”. When we eat highly processed foods we dive into the rabbit hole where food manufacturers call the shots. They care little about our health. Profit is their main objective. The more food they sell the more profit for them. So to sell more food they work to get us to eat more, and more and more. Here’s how Dr. Kessler explains what happens to our brains when we eat highly processed foods:

“Chronic exposure to highly palatable foods changes our brains, conditioning us to seek continued stimulation. Over time a powerful drive for sugar, fat and salt competes with our conscious capacity to say no”.

Some people would argue that this description sounds just like an addiction. And for some people that is exactly what it is.

So it should come as no surprise then that doctors don’t want to bother taking the time required to educate a patient on how to climb out of this rabbit hole and take charge of their eating.

So what do doctors do?

They prescribe pills.

A Side Order of Statins Please

Using drugs to deal with the symptoms of disease is the routine option in this country because it’s an easy fix and apparently what most people prefer.

But how far are we willing to let that go?

Consider the group of doctors from the The Imperial College of London who described what they envisaged as the future “holistic” approach to dealing with a disease such as heart disease.

Picture a McDonald’s Drive Thru where not only would you be able to get packets of catsup with your quarter pounder but along with a warning that eating it could be hazardous to your health, you would also be handed packets of statin drugs to offset the negative effect your unhealthy meal will be having on your heart. This is not a joke. This comes from a paper published in The American Journal of Caridology in 2010 and reported by Dr. Michael Greger in his video: Fast Food: Do You Want Fries With That Lipitor?
From the paper:
“Routine accessibility of statins in establishments providing unhealthy food might be a rational modern means to offset the cardiovascular risk. Fast food outlets already offer condiments to supplement meals…” So why not “complimentary statin packets”.

Suggestions such as these, coming from the medical community are a disgrace. And it didn’t take long for the British Heart Foundation to respond and quickly attempt to set the record straight. As Dr. Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director of the BHF stated in his response:

“Promoting a pill for junk food would lead us towards medicalising a huge swathe of our population when really people need to take more responsibility for their own health.”

So there it is: “people need to take more responsibility for their own health.”

And that begins by paying attention to what we eat.

It is our responsibility to become knowledgeable about food. In this day and age, resources are everywhere. There is no excuse.

If you’re ready to start educating yourself about the Power of the Fork and what proper food choices can mean for you check out some of my blog posts on this site. Here are a few:

Eat Yourself Healthy

What is Low Glycemic Eating?

Can Food Heal?

“He who takes medicine and neglects the diet, wastes the skills of his doctors.”

The post How about a MacStatin with that Quarter Pounder? appeared first on PowersHealth.com.

Thanksgiving is a great time to add lots of healthy sides to the cornucopia of food being consumed this holiday weekend.

If people are going to meet to socialize and break bread together why not provide them with lots of healthy fare. Not only will people feel satiated yet unstuffed but you’ll be showering them with lots of health benefits as well. It doesn’t take much to tweak some old standards and turn them into healthier fare.

To give you some ideas, I’ve put together 10 of my favorite lean and clean holiday recipes.
They’ve become such favorites that I use them all year round.
Check them out and see if you find any of them tempting. You’ll find most of these are gluten free, and dairy free and they are all a great source of fiber. Why should you be concerned about fiber?

Fiber

According to the Mayo Clinic, and The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, most people eat only 15g of Fiber a day while the recommended amount for women is 25g and for men 38g.

By doubling up on fiber you could trim off 10 pounds of weight a year.

So fiber is a great way to keep your weight in check. A good thing during the holidays.

Fiber also helps:

So why not have sides on your table that provide nutrient dense foods and extra fiber instead of fat?

Here are my top ten:

Butternut Squash Soup

I LOVE butternut squash soup all year long but especially in the fall. Sprinkle with as much cinnamon or coriander as you’d like and garnish with pecans or pumpkin seeds on top (roasted if you have time) to make it a nourishing start to your family meal. Here is a link to my Butternut Squash and Apple Soup which also references my favorite Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup which is a great source of fiber and eliminates the need for milk as a thickener.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Stuffing

If you want an alternative to stuffing made with fatty sausage or cornbread try this Festive Quinoa recipe with cranberries, raisins and pomegranates. It’s a great source of protein, fiber and antioxidants.

Festive Quinoa from Manila Spoon

If rice is more to your liking try this gluten-free recipe made with wild rice and mushrooms.

Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffing from Detoxinista.

Cranberry Chutney by Terry Walters

If you’re looking for a new and healthy twist on cranberry sauce try this chunky cranberry chutney. If you don’t use it all for Thanksgiving dinner, leftovers go well with a high protein oatmeal breakfast the rest of the weekend.

Cranberry Chutney

Whipped Sweet Potatoes from Rikki Snyder.

Baking sweet potatoes brings out their natural sweetness so you don’t need to overkill with sugar.
This recipe has just enough maple syrup to add flavor.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Fluffy Mashed Potatoes from Post Punk Kitchen

Mashed potatoes can contribute to weight gain for many people but you don’t have to feel deprived on Thanksgiving. Use Yukon Gold potatoes since their glycemic index is lower and by using unsweetened almond milk you can reduce the inflammation sometimes caused by dairy milk. When buying unsweetened almond milk look for brands such as SILK that contain no carageenan. Always read the labels.

Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Pumpkin Seeds

Brussel Sprouts & Pumpkin Seeds

Some families can’t be without brussel sprouts at Thanksgiving. Here’s a version that is apt to make fans out of those who aren’t yet sold on these high nutrient little veggies.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Pumpkin Seeds

Green Beans with Lemon Almond Pesto from Oh my veggies.

Green beans seem to be a staple of the American Thanksgiving but going with a green bean casserole topped with onion rings can pack on a lot of calories. Here’s a healthier version with lots of flavor.

Green Beans with Lemon Almond Pesto

Stuffed Acorn Squash from Forks Over Knives

Stuffed Acorn Squash can be a meal by itself. I like to substitute quinoa for the rice in my recipe and by adding red kidney beans I can have a complete meal once Thanksgiving is over. This recipe is also a good dish to have for families with vegetarians who may not want to eat any turkey.
Check out this recipe:

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ginger Pear Crisp by Terry Walters

I love Terry Walters’ Clean cookbooks. Here is one of her fall recipes and
a great alternative to Thanksgiving pies. You can even make it without the crisp for a delicious and light fruit desert. Just sprinkle raisins and walnuts on top before baking. Yum!
I made her Baked Apples version without the crisp using 4 Gala apples and I used orange juice instead of apple juice. Sprinkled with walnuts and raisins it was a delicious ending to any meal.

Ginger Pear Crisp

May your holidays be healthy and happy!

The post Healthy Holiday Side Dishes appeared first on PowersHealth.com.

Labels, good or bad?

Food

Food labels are a hot topic.
Although some consider them too complex, they are a useful tool which provides information regarding the nutritional value of packaged foods.
Some countries are very strict when it comes to labels. Others, not so much. Combine that with an increasing number of consumers who feel they have a right to know what’s in the food they eat and you have an emotional topic with no easy answers.

People

There are also other labels associated with food. Those labels describe the people who eat foods that fall under certain categories. Based on what you eat, you may be labeled a carnivore, vegetarian, or vegan or any number of sub sets under each one of these. And therein lies the problem.
As is often the case when trying to label people, the reality is that we are complex individuals and one label does not always accurately define us.

Some common labels and my problem with them.

Vegetarian vs Meat-free

Don’t worry, they mean the same thing.

People who don’t eat meat tend to be put in the category of vegetarian.
But even that term may be changing. A recent article in The Telegragh stated, “Retailers are increasingly selling dishes as ‘meat-free’ as vegetarianism is seen as “outdated” and unfashionable.”

In 2011, the documentary Forks Over Knives, was released based on the work of Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr.

It was then that the term whole-foods plant based diet was born. This way of eating consists of vegetables, whole grains, legumes and fruit. The phrase became so popular that now the term plant-based is often used as a substitute for vegetarian.

Plant-Based, Plant-Strong, Vegan

The Forks Over Knives release created a new movement based on the premise that many degenerative diseases that affect us can be controlled and even reversed “by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.” For people interested in improving their health through nutrition and adopting this program, a lifestyle change is required, not just a quick fix to lose a few pounds. In the film, “The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. Throughout the film, cameras follow “reality patients” who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole-food, plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments—while the challenges and triumphs of their journeys are revealed.”

It wasn’t long before the plant-based notion started to spread. Dr. Esselstyn’s son, Rip Esselstyn, a firefighter and a triathlete developed a diet for his firehouse to help his firefighters lose weight and get healthy. The project brought about the 2009 book The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter’s 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds. It was his attempt to show a connection between good health and a plant-based regimen. His second book in 2013 My Beef With Meat introduces a new term, plant-strong, to underline the fact that you don’t need meat to have a strong body. His firefighters proved that.

Since Rip was a triathlete he soon got the attention of other athletes. Some of them were already vegans which meant they didn’t eat any animal products at all, including dairy and eggs. And that is what Rip was promoting. Other athletes however were getting all their protein from animal products and many started to look at plant sources for their food. As a result many athletes including marathon runners, endurance athletes, power lifters and even football players made the switch to a plant-based or plant-strong regimen because not only did it help them shed fat, it helped remove post-training inflammation and many claim their performance improved.

None of the Above

The problem I have with all these labels is that there are a lot of people who may be on a journey toward eating healthy and they don’t quite fit in any category. A label such as the ones mentioned above just doesn’t accurately define them.

For example, there are many people who decide to eat healthier for a while, until they’ve achieved their weight loss goal. Once they’ve achieved it they often go back to eating crap.

• Carbonated drinks
• Refined Sugars
• Artificial Food
• Processed Foods

These are people who are not looking at a lifestyle change. Is there a label for them? Yo-Yo Dieters is one that comes to mind.

At the other end of the spectrum are people who are committed to a lifestyle change and want to eat healthier for the rest of their lives. These are the people who are taking steps, some big and some small, to make changes in their habits. They are not changing cold turkey. They are removing processed junk foods and replacing them with whole living foods. They are also increasing their intake of plant food and eliminating a lot of animal products. For them this is a journey they are committed to for life. What should we call them?

Reducetarian

Brian Kateman may have the answer for you. Brian is the co-founder of the Reducetarian Foundation and their goal is to build a community of people who are committed to eating less meat,- red meat, poultry, and seafood,- not only for their health, but for the benefit of animals, and the environment. This is perfect for people who are not able or willing to give up eating meat completely but they’re willing to reduce the amount they do eat. It’s also a gradual program and you can start by setting small goals such as eating 1 meatless meat a week for 30 days. Then you can move on from there. The feeling is that no matter how small a step people take, their efforts will have a positive impact not only on their own health but but on the lives of animals and the planet as well.

My Personal Choice: Flexitarian

My own journey has been a gradual one and has spanned 10 years so far.
I started by removing heavily processed foods and replacing them with whole, lean and clean foods. See an article I wrote in 2011 called: Eat Yourself Healthy.
Then I started to remove more and more meat and eventually dairy. You might say I was/am a Reducetarian and didn’t know it. Seeing as I still do eat some chicken from time to time as a condiment and I always eat lobster whenever I go to Maine, and cheese whenever I go to Wisconsin, I don’t fit in as a vegetarian or a vegan. So I call myself a Flexitarian and I feel that suits me fine. I thrive on whole food plant based meals 95% of the time but that last 5% prevents me from being otherwise labeled. I eat this way because I feel so much better when I follow a whole food plant based regimen and I’m able to maintain my goal weight (10 years now).

How to choose?

So how does a person decide? You don’t! Let your body decide. Journal everything you eat and write down how you feel, physically and emotionally, and make a note of your weight. If you tune into your body and listen to it’s complaints you’ll soon be able to figure out what is best for you. Once you’ve found your path, who knows, you too may want to create a whole new label of your own.

The post How do you label yourself? Vegetarian, Vegan, Plant-Based or None of the Above? appeared first on PowersHealth.com.

Nutrient-dense Power Smoothie

Their nutrient density makes them a great meal replacement or a snack and they are an easy way to increase your raw veggie consumption.

A protein smoothie is good post workout for muscle repair and as a meal replacement it can be a helpful tool in achieving weight loss.

When you make sure to include Protein, Fat and Fiber in a smoothie you’ll be including all the required ingredients for optimal fuel.

While smoothies can turn out differently each time we make them, most of us tend to keep to the same recipes.

Here is one of my favorites. This is one I often use after a workout which is generally around noon time so it often serves as lunch for me as well. This one is named after my sled dog team The Powers Pack because it’s packed with powerful ingredients and it keeps me satiated for a good long while.

The Powers Pack Super Smoothie

Mix all the ingredients together in a blender.
Garnish with cacao nibs, unsweetened coconut, chia seeds or pomegranate seeds.

Enjoy!

The post The Powers Pack Super Smoothie appeared first on PowersHealth.com.

Chaga Mushroom Pictured in Wikipedia. “Inonotus obliquus” by Tocekas – Own work.

This winter I was introduced to Chaga tea.
I often travel to Maine and Canada in the Fall and Winter to take part in mushing events with my sled dog team. As a holistic nutrition coach I’m always tuned in to healthy foods especially those that are good sources of beneficial properties.

So I was very interested when a couple of my northern mushing friends offered me Chaga tea and mentioned that they’d found Chaga mushrooms growing on trees near their property. That’s how I was introduced to a mushroom that over the centuries has been referred to as: “Mushroom of Immortality” and “Gift from God” by the Siberians; “The Diamond of the Forest” by the Japanese; and “King of Plants” by the Chinese.

Whoa! Those are hefty descriptions and no doubt somewhat exaggerated but nonetheless I was intrigued.

As I sipped tea and got a briefing on Chaga from my mushing friends and the benefits they experienced, I decided this mushroom was well worth researching.

What is Chaga?

Chaga is referred to as a mushroom because it’s a fungus but it is different from what we regard as soft mushrooms. Chaga is hard and might best be described as a tree growth because it grows as a dark mass, growing from within the tree until it pushes forth to the outside where it continues to grow on the bark of birch trees. And this only happens on birch trees that are found in cold northern climates. This last fact is the reason it is so nutrient dense. In order to survive in very harsh climates the birch tree concentrates natural compounds to protect itself. These compounds are called phytochemicals. These occur naturally in plants but they are important to us because they have been shown to affect human health in a positive way. That is why plants are so beneficial to us. They are full of phytonutrients.

But the Chaga mushroom is power-packed! The compounds found in northern birch trees are highly nutrient-dense and they are part of the reason these trees have such a long life span. Think about it–even if you are a fan of plant food and herbs these don’t have the life span that trees do. Trees are amazing, for their strength and their longevity. And the Chaga gives us an opportunity to share in this source of nutrient-dense compounds.

The Benefits Of Chaga

Chaga is a powerful antioxidant which means that as an antioxidant it works at the core of cell structures which means that the positive effects of what Chaga can do for an individual may be limitless. Antioxidants tend to work anywhere in the body where oxidative stress is found. That can happen in any of our cells, from head to toe. So wherever our cells need help or are undergoing oxidative stress, that’s where antioxidants go to help repair and restore. From brain function to immunity to joints, skin, cardiovascular health, organ health, skin health, where there is a need, antioxidants will find their way there.

The list of purported benefits is quite extensive as a Google search will reveal. Chaga has been used for years in folk medicine by Russians and Eastern Europeans and interest in the US started to grow in the 90’s. Here are a few of the benefits and the reason for the interest:

Chaga Side Effects

While many articles about Chaga claim there are no reported side effects, that may be true for anyone who is not taking any medications. But if you are taking medications, especially blood thinners, it is best to check with your doctor before adding any antioxidants to your regimen. Antioxidants do what a lot of medications do and it is a good idea to check with your doctor to rule out any contra-indications. He or she may adjust your dosage if you add more natural sources of antioxidants to your regimen. This is especially true for anyone on heart, blood pressure or diabetic medicine. Best to get your doctor on board.

For more detailed information on Chaga, it’s history and the research done on this compound, Wikipedia is a good resource: Inonotus Obliquus And ChagaKnowledge.com has some great information.

Where To Get Chaga

Unless you live up north and have access to a birch tree with Chaga growing on it I recommend purchasing your Chaga online. Because I’m from Maine I like the Maine-grown Chaga Tea Chunks available on Amazon. Tea chunks look like they were just cut from the tree. They are wild harvested and not cultivated which is what you want. You can also purchase it already in powder form as tea. If you do that then I would recommend an Organic supplier to make sure it is free from toxins.

Preparing Chaga Tea

If you buy Chaga Teabags then preparing Chaga is as simple as seeping a bag in hot water.
The key for steeping chaga is to not overheat. Recommendations are to grind the chaga nuggets into powder and steep that and Cass Ingram MD in The Healing Powers of Wild Chaga recommends putting it in a crockpot which is a version I like.

If you’re looking to add natural antioxidants to your day, consider Chaga. It may be a weird looking mushroom but you can decide what your favorite adjective will be when you describe it.

The post Chaga Tea. Why all the hype? appeared first on PowersHealth.com.

Need a Healthy Jump Start?

Getting started on a healthy eating program can be a challenge. That’s why I put together a 15 day Jump Start Program for anyone who needs a little push to get started or just get back on track to healthy eating.

Go Solo or With a Group

If you and a group of friends and family would like to get started together, contact me and I’ll coach you all through it with your own private online group. The group pricing is listed below. If you prefer to go Solo you can do that too. Just contact me for details.

Here are some of the benefits of a two week Jump Start Program:

• Flush out toxins and impurities from your system.
• Reset your metabolism and get it working again
• Reset your taste buds and turn off the cravings for sweets
• Re-balance your Ph so that your system is more alkaline rather than acidic
• Refresh and restore your GI tract
• Lose a few pounds
• Prepare yourself mentally to eat healthier

Getting Started.

Here’s what you’ll get:

• Daily emails with motivational tips, information and recipes
• Emailed documents including a Detox Guide, Meal Suggestions, Tips, Daily Journal
• Online support and added tips through the Closed Facebook Group or online support from me as your personal coach if you choose to go solo.

Once you sign up I will add you to the Facebook group so you can benefit from shared recipes and the group’s support. If you are not on FB, consider joining. If you don’t, you will still get daily emails. You just won’t have the online group support.

Documents will be mailed 3 days ahead of time so you can prepare yourself mentally and get your supplies in order.

There will be tips on how you can transition into the program with ease.

Small Group Cost:Full 2 Week Program with Documents $69.95

If you have a family member or friend who would like to join you feel free to pass on this information. For many, having a buddy do this with you is very motivational!

Serious about changing your lifestyle? Take advantage of a Special One Month Package of $99.95.

If you are serious about a lifestyle change and are ready to commit to a full month you can take advantage of a significant savings by signing up now for $99.95. Committing to a month will help you establish habits which can serve you well for years to come.

How to Sign Up

You can sign up with Pay Pal. For sign up info or if you have further questions email me directly at thepowerspack@gmail.com

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My Philosophy

Ever since I became a nutrition coach I’ve been preaching the following message:
If you want to reach your weight loss goal and maintain it you’ll need to eat healthy fuel in the form of lean, clean and fiber rich foods and don’t forget to burn off that fuel or else it will be stored as fat.

Seems simple and straightforward to me but people keep hoping my message will change. It won’t. Fuel as well as Exercise are the two components that have to be addressed when people hope to reach weight loss and weight management goals.

Calories

Are you the type who counts calories to lose weight? If you are, how is that working out for you?
Since you can’t hear the tone of my voice I want to clarify that I’m not being sarcastic. I truly would like to know how that is working out for you?

I ask because I was never able to successfully lose weight when I counted calories and I was generally very grumpy, extremely hungry and prone to other side effects that I won’t mention here. When and if I did lose weight I ALWAYS put it back on. It was one of the most depressing times in my life.

Apparently I was not alone. Here is some information reported recently in Medical Daily, an online news service reporting on health and science news. In one of their articles entitled Diet vs Exercise Debate Depends On The Difference Between Weight Loss and Weight Management. “More than 80 percent of people who lose weight regain all or most of it back within two years.” Yup, I used to be one of those.

Quality vs. Quantity

A number of years ago, I was fortunate enough to learn that it wasn’t the quantity of calories or lack thereof that worked for me, it was the quality. Once I figured that out and started focusing on healthy foods, the weight came off and stayed off!

Now I no longer worry about Weight Loss, I just focus on Weight Management. But oddly enough both those goals were attained the same way. I didn’t focus on calories, I focused on the quality of my food and portion sizes and the calories took care of themselves.

People often tell me that they are buying more healthy food like fruit and organic vegetables but they are still having weight issues. Apparently this is a common occurrence. Here is one explanation from the same article:

“Last year, the USDA reported we’re eating 25 percent more fresh fruit, 54 percent more fresh vegetables, and there’s been a rise in organic food sales. But the increase in consumption doesn’t mean we’ve been preparing our fruits and veggies healthily. Sure, we’re eating more vegetables, but we’re pouring 1,000 milligrams of salt onto them and drenching them with oil before they’re dipped into the fryer. When we do eat our veggies, it’s usually potatoes or tomatoes that have morphed into the form of French fries or pizza. Conversely, the foods you want in your system are dark green and orange veggies like spinach, carrots, and sweet potatoes. But they only make up 10 percent of our diet.”

American Consumption vs. Reommendtaions

Now granted, not everyone falls into the category mentioned above but overall consumption of what are considered healthy foods is not where it should be. Here is a great graph that shows the actual consumption of foods in American households compared to the USDA recommendations.

Exercise

It seems obvious to me that the quality of the fuel we eat is a big determining factor as to whether or not it will be possible to lose weight. But food alone is not the answer and I discovered that myself several years ago. The right amount and kinds of food are essential but that is still no guarantee weight loss will occur. Exercise has to be a component of the formula.

As mentioned in a study quoted in the article above: “Diets do not lead to sustained weight loss or health benefits for the majority of people” The article continues,”The challenge is keeping it off, not losing it. Virtually anyone can lose weight, but not everyone can maintain weight loss with healthy consistency…..Diets provide degree improvements where exercise constructs new habits. Ninety percent of those who were able to successfully keep their weight off exercised for one hour every day.”

This is the message I preach even though it may not be the message most people want to hear. There’s no way around it: Food is Fuel and needs to be used as such and the only way to do that is through exercise.

As I read the closing paragraph of the Medical Daily article it brought a smile to my lips. “Our bodies are machines, and if you pour low quality fuel into the tank, the engine won’t run as well. The secret is as simple as that. It is in the application of this stalwart analogy that makes it difficult for most. So do yourself a favor, grab yourself a pair of sneakers and a gym membership to go along with your salad fork.”

Perhaps with enough repetition that message will one day become clear.

The post Making Calories Count: Weight Loss or Weight Management? appeared first on PowersHealth.com.

The Powers Pack coming in from a run in western Pa.

Fall Musher’s Reunion

One of our favorite mushing get-togethers in the Fall is a Musher’s Reunion and Training Weekend in western Pa. It is hosted by a retired musher from the Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club who has land where he used to train his own dogs and which he opens up for a Fall weekend for an enjoyable gathering of former and current mushers. People and dogs gather and set up camp for a weekend and there are opportunities to train dogs, eat, tell stories around a campfire, eat, play with dogs, share experiences, eat…. You get the idea.

I started going to these gatherings when I first started mushing. It was a great way to meet people, some of whom have become not only mentors but good friends.

Once again, as my husband Kevin loves to do, he writes up musings about the goings on during the weekend and he sends them out as Mushing Bulletins to our family and friends.

This year he wrote about the various dogs that you might find at a Musher’s Reunion and Training Weekend and I thought I would include it here.

Not All Sled Dogs Are Huskies by Kevin Powers

The quote “Any man who hates dogs and babies can’t be all bad” is virtually always misattributed to W.C.Fields. The fact that, in one of his films, he kicked Baby Leroy, a child movie star, may be a contributing factor.

In fact he never said it. Leo Rosten, the humorist, said it about him during a roast in 1939. Fields thought that, whenever he appeared in a scene with a kid or a dog, they would find some unpredictable way to steal the scene. If the dog is actually a puppy and the kid is a toddler, you’ve got no chance of diverting people’s attention from their every action. How ya gonna compete with this…?

Future musher and future sled dog.

Or this…?

These kids are right out of the cast of Stand by Me…

They live down the road and spend the weekend hanging around the dogs. The one on the right, Ryan, even pitched a tent and camped out. I asked his buddy, Luke, whose orange ski hat completely covered both ears and both eyebrows, whether he was related to the guy who wrote the gospel. He said “No, but I’ve heard of him.”

This prompted Ralph to raise the question of whether Luke got all the credit he deserved for writing not only the gospel but the Acts of the Apostles. You might get the idea that Ralph is some kind of religious nut from all this talk about the Bible. His response would be “I ain’t a religious nut, I just know some stuff!” He’s actually a NASCAR nut, but under that southern drawl, good ol’ boy exterior is a frightening amount of factual information.

On Sunday, after the morning run, we head into State College to shop at the local Wegman’s. Well actually the Head Musher shops at the Wegman’s and I go to Dick’s to check out the sporting goods, in particular the golf stuff.

After a half hour or so, I end up back at the van sitting on the back bumper with the tailgate open so the dogs can enjoy the cool breeze. Nine out of ten people who pass the van stop to talk about the dogs. One out of ten has taken a trip to Alaska and visited the kennel of an Iditarod musher. Every person I have ever spoken to who has done so makes virtually the same statement. i.e. “Those dogs up in Alaska don’t look like sled dogs!” To those people this is what a sled dog should look like

Kodiak

Or this…

Siberian Husky

Or this…

Chinook

In their mind’s eye, they see King, Sgt. Preston of the Yukon’s Alaskan Malamute, even if they aren’t old enough to know who Sgt. Preston of the Yukon is. The closer a dog looks to a Siberian or a Malamute, the more they think it’s a sled dog. Here’s what an Alaskan Malamute looks like…

Malamute

Is that a regal face or what? That’s sled dog nobility at its finest.

Malamutes are BIG dogs. They might weigh twice as much as the Siberian Huskies pictured above. Mushers sometimes call them “Fuzzies”, for obvious reasons. Our kids grew up with an Alaskan Malamute named Chinook that the Head Musher acquired when she taught school in Alaska. One hundred and twenty-five pounds of fur that everybody loved. But I don’t think you’ll find any Malamutes in this year’s Iditarod, although there will be some Siberians.

Do you know what happens when you give two kids bicycles? Within fifteen minutes they are racing each other. Once one starts winning all the time, the other tries to find a way of making his bike faster. Before you know it manufacturers are building racing bikes and things get out of control.

Well, that’s what has happened in sled dog racing. We started out with big, strong, Malamutes pulling sleds carrying heavy loads. Work dogs, doing work. Then somebody got the idea to race them. We’ve now morphed our way to Alaskan Huskies, (the dogs people complain about when they return from Alaska) that can run a thousand miles in eight days and then two weeks later do the same thing all over again. And they can do this in a snowstorm in zero visibility at ten below zero. They are incredible athletes

Here’s a picture of a team of Alaskan Huskies I took in Togo, Minnesota, in 2011. It belongs to Jamie Nelson who has run and finished the Iditarod several times and has won the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon four times (and she came in second three times). They have been bred for speed and endurance. I would imagine that none of them weighs much over 35 pounds.

Jamie Nelson feeding her team of Alaskan Huskies

That’s Jamie feeding the dogs after a run. One of the dogs was not eating because he seemed to be preoccupied with me and my camera. So I said to Jamie: “Do you want me to leave?” Her response was “No, you stay right where you are. He’s got to learn not to be distracted when it’s time to eat.” When he continued to stare at me, she picked up his dish and divided the contents among the other dogs. He was not a happy camper, but the next time he didn’t pay any attention to me. Dog Training 101 from a lady who is really good at it.

But the story doesn’t end with Alaskan Huskies. There are mushers who run sprint races, maybe thirty miles or less, who have hounds. They are long legged, floppy eared, short haired running maniacs. Handsome dogs, but a far cry from that “Fuzzie pictured above.

This guy looks like a pointer to me but people refer to them as “hounds” and they definitely pull carts and sleds.

Hound

Now, if you want to see a face only a mother could love, check out this hound pup…

Hound Pup

He bears a striking resemblance to former Senator Alphonse D’Amato, but I don’t want to stigmatize the poor dog.

There’s one breed of sled-pulling dog that I haven’t mentioned. There are a bunch of them at the reunion. The people who run them call them “Sammies”, short for Samoyed. Here is a twelve-dog team just finishing a run.

Sammies

They are known for turning heads and shedding.

Well that’s about it from the 28th Annual Mushers Reunion. Oh wait, there is one other thing. When you are around mushers and you say something like “Well I’ve never ridden on a dog sled!”, someone will figure out a way to get you on a dog sled. Several years ago that statement got me a ride on a “proto-type” racing sled behind a twelve-dog team going just under three hundred miles and hour, only a slight exaggeration.

So, last year, I told Ralph that I had never tasted venison. That resulted in this…

Is this a great country, or what?

That’s it until the next trip, scheduled for the first week of December – The Fair Hill Challenge, a dry-land race near the University of Delaware. Jeez hold on, hold on, that’s next weekend. I’m going to have to get my thesaurus out and find some more words.

Later,
The One-Man Pit Crew

P.S. From the Musher: I am posting this after the Fair Hill Challenge which was cancelled this year due to rain which made the trail too muddy for a safe dryland race. So now fingers are crossed that Mother Nature will cooperate for our next adventure.

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