Roots & Seeds Nutrition Blog

Great Sources of Calcium: Alternatives to Dairy

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 10:00:01 +0000

Calcium is not only important for bone health, and teeth, but also for adrenal function, stabilizing blood pressure, weight management and helping to prevent colorectal cancer. It’s most common, when discussing calcium with my clients, that they immediately think of dairy as their main source of this vital nutrient. While dairy can be a rich [...]

Juicing 101: 6 Juicing Tips for Beginners!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:04:33 +0000

Juicing is one of the best things you can do for you health. In liquid form, it’s possible to intake larger quantities of fruits and vegetables than would normally be eaten at a single meal. That’s a great way to boost your daily intake! When you juice primarily fresh, organic produce, you are delivering high [...]

Something’s Gotta Give: Changing to Create Change

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:32:31 +0000

How Are Your New Year’s Resolutions Holding Up? The New Year has come and gone, and most of us are watching our new years resolutions dwindle into puffs of smoke, ghosts of our former fervent wishes. Where we had promised to eat a solid breakfast, we are instead listening to the gurgling of an empty [...]

French Paradox in Action: Facts About Fatty Foods

Roots & Seeds — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:21:17 +0000

French Women Don’t Get Fat. We’ve all heard about this theoretical, geographical advantage, but is it true? And if so, with a diet loaded in bread, cheese, butter and wine, how can it possibly be true? Turns out, it IS true and the answer may go beyond moderation and exercise. I recently spent a week [...]

Intelligent Snacking: My Favorite 4 O’Clock Snacks

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:06:35 +0000

Most people have an energy dip in the afternoon. The gap of time between lunch and dinner is usually far longer than between breakfast and lunch, and consequently, around mid-late afternoon is the time when we are most likely to succumb to our cravings for sugary snacks, in a futile attemp to hasten a recovery [...]

The 5 Best Winter Supplements for Your Cabinet

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:00:01 +0000

We’re entering the heart of cold and flu season and many of my readers are reaching out to ask what the best supplements are for the prevention and treatment of these wintertime scourges. While neither the flu nor the common cold is associated with bacterial infections, many physicians prescribe antibiotics in a misguided attempt at [...]

Video: The “Sunshine” Vitamin D

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:02:54 +0000

How Important is Vitamin D? When people think of vitamin D, their initial thought is hugely in relation to its importance in bone health. It is very true that vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption – without it, calcium is not properly absorbed into the bones, and instead deposits into soft tissue like the [...]

Decisiveness as a Way to Increase Willpower

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:44:30 +0000

Willpower. It’s almost a tease of a word. We all want it, we want loads of it, we feel like its elusive and mysterious and we blame the lack of it for all our failures. It almost sounds like a bad relationship. Turns out that willpower is in fact, a limited commodity. While we all [...]

Liquid Calories: Alternatives to Soda & High-Sugar Drinks

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:00:32 +0000

In today’s Motivational Monday, I discuss the consequences of liquid calories. The brain doesn’t recognize calories consumed in liquid form the same way it does calories of food — be it a slice of lasagna or a handful of cookies. When we eat food, the brain subconsciously attempts to curtail over-eating later in the day, [...]

Healthier Holidays: Three Tips to Help Curb Over-Indulgence

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:40:34 +0000

During the holiday season, many people pile on a few more pounds than they will successfully shed come the new year. After a few years, this time of year alone may easily have contributed to a significantly increased waistline. Here are three simple tips that can help you stay healthier during the holidays, and when [...]

Video: The Benefits of Flax Seed Oil & Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:15:32 +0000

Flax seeds have enormous health benefits, and are a great source of plant-based omega-3 essential fatty acids. They provide a good alternative to salmon and sardines for vegans or those with fish allergies, and for the rest of us who enjoy the benefits of essential fats contained in fish, but want to limit their intake [...]

Video: Why Almonds & Walnuts are the Ultimate Power Snacks!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:01:37 +0000

In today’s Motivational Monday, I reintroduce a healthy snacking favorite of mine that people sometimes grow to avoid because of their high caloric value: nuts! Specifically I talk about almonds and walnuts – two delicious varieties that pack a mean nutritional punch while at the same time, satisfying hunger cravings and providing sustained energy. I [...]

Video: Boost Immune Function with Ginger, Lemon & Lemongrass Tea

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:08:00 +0000

More than just a great alternative to caffeinated hot drinks like tea and coffee, a homemade blend of warm ginger and lemon tea has nutritional value with plenty of immune-boosting properties. Often used to treat nausea associated with motion or morning sickness, ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties, so can help lessen pain associated with arthritis [...]

Video: Pumpkins and Butternut Squash, Antioxidant and Mineral-Rich, Fall Vegetables!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:09:45 +0000

We are in the heart of autumn, and with this season comes an abundance of fall vegetables, including many different kinds of pumpkin, yams, and butternut squash. These beautifully colored vegetables contain lots of carotenoids which give them their deep yellow to orange/red color, and are a great source of antioxidants. Eating these foods helps [...]

Video: Raw Granola, A Healthy Alternative to Popular Breakfast Cereals

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:48:43 +0000

Welcome to my very first MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY video! A new series of short videos featuring nutritional tips and simple, easy-to-implement suggestions designed to get you motivated and inspired at the start of the week! This delicious raw granola recipe is a great on-the-go breakfast! Providing you with a good amount of protein to keep your [...]

Video: Healthy & Delicious Homemade Oat Bars Recipe

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 02:37:52 +0000

In December of 2009 I posted a blog with a homemade recipe for oat bars. Low and behold, of all the posts on this site, it’s one of the most viewed pages on Roots & Seeds to date. Who would have thought so many people would be searching the web specifically for a recipe for [...]

Video: Kale Pesto for Cancer Prevention & Boosting Serotonin!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:05:43 +0000

Kale is a dark leafy green vegetable with a very high nutritional value that has been shown to have cancer fighting properties. Yet despite its extraordinary heath benefits, I often hear from my clients that they find it a difficult vegetable to include in their diets because of its tough texture. Back in January I [...]

Video: 3 Bean Salad, A Food to Improve your Mood!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:19:56 +0000

A nutritious recipe that’s easy to make, with ingredients that will improve your mood. Beans and corn will help increase your serotonin levels – a chemical responsible for making you feel happy! Other ingredients work in complimentary ways to improve and stabilize brain function and help maintain a healthy heart!

Activity, Conscious Eating & Healthy Choices: Life’s Salt & Pepper Shakers!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:31:32 +0000

Confession: I have a shadow side… I am a foodie. Yes, I admit it. Alongside my fervent desire to see myself and all whom I encounter in the healthiest, most robust state of health that a human body can enjoy, I adore and love great food. In fact, when I receive my year-end breakdown of [...]

What the Most Commonly Prescribed Medications Reveal About Us

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Wed, 25 May 2011 15:54:03 +0000

Recently, I began working with a woman suffering from severe depression whose roots were firmly established in her youth. Now at age 45, this was a pervasive, debilitating condition that got in the way of her ability to work productively, raise her child in a healthy, balanced way, and thwarted her ability to think positively [...]

Home Cooking – Part 4: Love as Nourishment

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:08:18 +0000

The topic of food is as much a part of yoga as are the asanas. Whether it be the discussion on ahimsa, or non-harming (and therefore embracing a vegetarian diet), or the importance of eating in moderation, the Yoga Sutras outline many guidelines for the optimal Yogic (and lifestyle) diet in order to maximize health, [...]

Home Cooking – Part 3: Weight Loss

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:49:57 +0000

Well into the second month of the home cooking experiment and things are moving along better than expected. With a repertoire of easy, delicious recipes on hand – having enough food available has become much easier for my client. He has found that the Mediterranean Tuna Salad can be made with cooked chicken breasts for [...]

Love Your Heart ♥ Heart Health Month!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 05:09:22 +0000

Along with being the month of love and Valentine’s day, February is, appropriately enough, heart health month. It is during this month that we try and raise awareness of the dangers of heart disease, the number one killer in the United States. What’s frustrating about this statistic, is that cardiovascular disease is a completely preventable [...]

Home Cooking – Part 2: Supply and Demand

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:49:27 +0000

Onto week three, with the home cooking experiment well underway, and lots to report by way of progress and setbacks. While it has been quite tasty and satisfying to eat meals prepared at home, what has emerged as a challenge is keeping up supply to meet the demand as the week wore on. The good [...]

Home Cooking – Part 1: Saving Money

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:29:39 +0000

The New Year is in full swing and leading up to the first of the year, keeping my theme of “finishing” things in mind, I am eager to embrace a new “experiment”. Different from, but in the same vein as, the raw food experiment of last Summer, I decided to spend the next two months [...]

Healthy, Hearty Kale Pesto

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:00:04 +0000

Update: See my cooking video for this kale pesto recipe here! One of my favorite on-line recipe sites is 101 cookbooks. Heidi is a culinary master and prolific photographer who shares her many recipes and photos with her readers, offering up some of the easiest, most delicious vegetarian recipes I have ever come across. I [...]

Following Through to New Beginnings

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 05:45:12 +0000

A new year has begun and as 2010 came to a close I thought about the year to come and my hopes for 2011. I am not much of a new years’ resolution kind of gal. In the past, I have found resolutions to feel stale and repetitive (ie: I will lose 5 pounds, I [...]

6 Nutritious Habits for Healthy Skin!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:19:48 +0000

Fall is finally here with it’s colored fall leaves, chilly mornings and shorter days. I’d be hard-pressed to find a single New Yorker that does not absolutely LOVE this time of year for it’s endless walking opportunities, farmer’s markets bursting with the fruits of harvest and the cozy warmth of hot drinks on a cool [...]

Raw Food Journey: The 6 Month Mark!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:57:40 +0000

I recently returned from my Spanish vacation, which also happened to symbolize the six month mark of my raw food journey. As readers of this blog know, my intention was to maintain a 100% raw food diet until I traveled abroad in celebration of my parents’ 50-year wedding anniversary, deciding then how I would proceed. [...]

4 Fabulously Healthy New York Restaurants!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:38:47 +0000

Unbelievably, the summer is over, Labor Day is behind us, and Autumn is around the corner. If you are looking for healthy ways to jump start the coming months, detox from all the end of Summer parties, and get healthy for the colder months ahead, you might want to take advantage of the healthy cuisine [...]

Impromptu Treat: Raw Ice Cream

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 06:35:57 +0000

It was a thrilling, long-planned Saturday night, doing laundry, sorting old and new clothes, whipping up a little kelp noodle salad and attending to some long overdue chores. I was happy to find myself finally at home, attending to details that are so easily pushed aside for more pressing issues like Summer fun and adventures. But one [...]

Kelp Noodles!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:29:08 +0000

Those of you unfamiliar with Russell James, the raw food chef from England, would do well to check out his website. If you are interested in a raw food lifestyle and how to efficiently and deliciously make it happen, I strongly recommend James’ Raw Food Home Study Program that covers everything from setting up your [...]

Boredom: Saboteur of Healthy Eating

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:29:39 +0000

I recently had a follow up with a client who has been doing very well on a food elimination diet in order to heal her immune system. For months now, she has been diligent about her plan, taking her supplements and making sure she got regular exercise. This time however, at the start of our [...]

Podcast: The Raw Food Movement: Interview with Rhio

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:51:40 +0000

Raw on the Road: California

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:23:52 +0000

This Memorial Day weekend I decided to take a long road trip up Highway 1 on the California coast. For those of you not familiar with this rugged, spectacular coastline, I highly recommend you check it out. For those of you that have this on your to-do list, my suggestion is to get busy planning [...]

Healthy Habits, Lost in Translation

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:06:20 +0000

The Holiday Detour Déjà Vu Recently I had a session with a long-standing client that is having great success in managing his weight and stabilizing his blood sugar. He’s cut down on meat and increased fish. Cheese has been replaced with sunflower seeds and vegetables. Nighttime eating is under control and portions are down. Success [...]

Why Go Raw? The Restorative Powers of Enzymes

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 02:00:04 +0000

Two months into my raw food adventure and I consistently get asked two questions from incredulous friends, family and clients; why raw? And OMG aren’t you starving??? Rest assured I am most definitely not starving. It goes against my cultural DNA to starve. I am a descendant of Cuban and Spanish people whose love of [...]

Mood Food: 6 Foods Your Brain Will Thank You For

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:45:07 +0000

Maintenance at Grand Central Station The liver is a hugely important organ in the body, with its ability to clear toxins from the system and keep us healthy and fit, it deserves far more value, appreciation and care than it tends to receive. But our brains absolutely rule the show that is our life! Not [...]

Brain Benefits: Nutrition & Neurofeedback

Catherine Boyer, MA, LCSW — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:38:05 +0000

A Special Guest Post by Catherine Boyer, MA, LCSW Nutrition and psychotherapy — what’s the connection? They are both ways to help you help yourself feel better and live your life more fully, but there’s more to it than that. Poor nutrition can actually get in the way of therapy working (and therapy can help [...]

Who are you NOT? Getting to the Truth

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sat, 22 May 2010 05:02:12 +0000

In yoga class yesterday, my dear teacher at Jivamukti, Maria Preuster, talked about getting to our truth and identifying who we really are rather than the association that we have with our outsides, our personalities, the you the world sees and the you we cultivate to be more appealing, hirable, lovable, etc. It was an [...]

8 Hours of Sleep: How Important is it?

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:11:37 +0000

Turns out, it is very important. In fact, a lack of sleep (specifically less than 6 hours) can shorten your life. Recent research conducted in Italy and published in England showed that in addition to the expected health related issues regarding sleep deprivation such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, [...]

Vitamins B12 & D on a Vegan or Raw Diet

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sun, 09 May 2010 20:16:59 +0000

As my regular readers know, I recently embarked on a 6-month journey into raw foodism. One month in, and so far, so good. I am happy to report that I have great energy throughout the day, my focus and concentration have not faltered and I feel reinvigorated in my life and in my work. All [...]

A Chocolatey Way to Protect your Liver!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:21:26 +0000

A recent study by the European Association for the Study of the Liver presented at the International Liver Congress in Austria suggests that the consumption of dark chocolate may help in the treatment of cirrhosis of the liver; scarring of liver tissue due to alcohol or toxic drug use, which can also be caused by [...]

Liver Cleansing Cacao Smoothies

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:14:26 +0000

Chocolate-Almond Fruit Smoothie This packs a lot of nutrition per glass. In addition to the antioxidants in chocolate, there is an abundance of antioxidants in Blueberries as well! Additionally, almonds contain laetrile, cancer fighting phytonutrient that can also help protect the liver. Recent studies suggests that the consumption of dark chocolate may help treat cirrhosis [...]

A Journey into Raw Foodism

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 22:34:58 +0000

For those of you that may not be aware, I am in the midst of week three of a raw food experiment and am finally, after a rather fitful start, getting into the swing of things, experimenting with different recipes and not feeling the near constant hunger I was experiencing at the beginning when I [...]

Raw Cashew, Basil & Cilantro Pesto

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 22:31:27 +0000

As many of my readers already know, I recently began a six-month journey in 100% raw foodism. Here I share a recipe with you that helped me break out of the smoothie and salad rut I found myself in the first days and weeks of this process. After 6 days of 100% adherence, I grew [...]

Podcast: Managing Hypertension with a Whole Foods Diet

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:00:05 +0000

This podcast episode focuses on High Blood Pressure, otherwise known as Hypertension. I discuss the causes, effects and nutritional consequences of this condition, often called ‘The Silent Killer’ as it can have no obvious symptoms. Hypertension occurs when there is too much pressure on the arterial walls and can be a contributing factor in heart [...]

Podcast: Mindfulness & the Art of Choice

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:38:51 +0000

In this podcast episode I’m joined by relationship specialist Dr. Karen Sherman, author of ‘Mindfulness and the Art of Choice’. The book focuses on overcoming our conditioning to help us make positive changes in our lives. We discuss how our minds are patterned to work and how we often operate from an habitual way of [...]

Podcast: Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free Diets

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:31:12 +0000

This podcast episode focuses on celiac disease and gluten-free diets. Celiac disease, an intolerance to gluten – a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, oats and rye – is an increasingly prevalent autoimmune disease that often goes undiagnosed and can give rise to other conditions such as migraines, allergies, arthritis, lung disorders and [...]

Nature’s Cancer Fighter: Cruciferous Vegetables!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:49:10 +0000

There is no better place to wage the war against cancer than on your plate. The best possible way to manage cancer is to prevent it and in order to do so, it is pertinently important that you look at what you are eating, how much you are eating and why you make the food [...]

Japanese Pizza

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:48:10 +0000

Healthy food can be absolutely delicious! This recipe includes a good dose of cabbage, a cancer fighting cruciferous vegetable, and is a slightly modified version of the wonderful original Japanese Pizza recipe by Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks. Ingredients 2 cups of cabbage, sliced thin 2 cup of leeks, sliced thin and cleaned well to [...]

Nature’s Immunity: Spicy Thai Soup

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:49:44 +0000

I used to live in Astoria near a great Thai restaurant that made the best, to my mind, Tom Yum Gay, a spicy medicinal soup, made with lemon grass, ginger and hot red chilies. Whenever I’d get a cold, I’d run over to Lee’s Thai Pavilion and get a few pints of this soup, which [...]

The Slow Food Movement

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:57:14 +0000

Detours, Great Food and Slowing Down… What’s the saying; if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans? So true, but often what shows up is better or equally satisfying as what has been denied. After much planning and excitement for a hiking trip to the English Countryside, I was met with the [...]

Aubergine & Potato Soup

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:55:49 +0000

This delicious soup recipe was born from my attempt to replicate an amazing soup I had the pleasure to taste at The Unicorn, a unique pub in the town of Ludlow – capital of the Slow Food Movement in England. I am hoping that Sammuel, the sous-chef, will soon send me the real recipe. In [...]

Nature’s Prozac: Yam & Butternut Squash Soup

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:27:04 +0000

This delicious winter warm soup will help you beat the blues! While perusing the farmer’s market in Abington Square (West 12th Street & 8th Avenue in New York City) with my friend Doris, I was persuaded to buy rare Japanese yams that the organic vegetable stand was offering. According to the sign, they have a [...]

Top 10 Snacks for your Sugar Kicking Journey

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:39:43 +0000

The road to health is paved with small practices that add up to the greater health of the body. The very first and most profound practice that can begin that journey is the practice of eliminating sugar. In addition to the obvious weight difficulties it contributes to, sugar also affects heart health, can aggravate depression [...]

Homemade Oat Bars

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:39:24 +0000

Update: See my cooking video for this homemade oat bar recipe here! Here is a great recipe for homemade oat bars – perfected over time by yours truly. These oat bars are a great snack to keep handy at home or at the office for times when you need to satiate a sweet tooth craving, [...]

Tips for Fighting the Winter Blues

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:42:14 +0000

Crazy, Sexy, Life and the English Countryside… it’s a good week indeed! But not in the way you may be thinking. I recently had the opportunity to write a guest post for the popular Crazy, Sexy, Life blog on the topic of Seasonal Affective Disorder, where I outline practices that will help you manage your [...]

Healthy Beginnings: Managing Weight In-Utero

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:54:09 +0000

A recent study published in the Journal of Psychology shows what may have been intuitively understood before, that children acquire their food preferences in-utero. And just last week, Time magazine published an article that suggests that obesity in adults can be traced back to the health and weight of their mothers while pregnant. Finally, some [...]

Turkey Minestrone

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:52:53 +0000

A great way to get loads of vegetables into your diet is with soups. Because of the liquid volume, you can literally get 3 servings (or more) of vegetables into a bowl of soup! Here is a delicious and healthy minestrone soup recipe that’s perfect for the Autumn! Ingredients 10 ounces lean turkey sausage, casing [...]

Eliminating Sugar from your Diet

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:22:34 +0000

This blog post is part of my ‘Putting it into Practice‘ series. The Sweet Situation Hot on the heels of Halloween, do you want to know the scary truth about sugar? American’s, on average, get 20% of their calories from sugar. This leaves the other 80% of our calories to deliver not only the nutrients [...]

Managing Flu Season Naturally

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:56:25 +0000

There is a greater awareness and heightened hysteria about flu season this year due to the emergence of the swine flu. The media attention the H1N1 virus is receiving is no doubt causing some of the frenzy, but that’s its own issue. Truth is in regards to the flu, this year is like every other year. The [...]

Delicious Basil Pesto (Plus a Dairy-Free Miso Version)

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:36:41 +0000

This recipe was originally published in this month’s (October 2009) issue of my monthly nutrition newsletter ‘Elements ~ Healthy Living News’. During the summer my apartment resembles an Italian herb garden with basil growing in every corner that the sun shines, along with oregano, rosemary, mint and parsley. I get ridiculous joy from watching these [...]

Harvest, My Favorite Time Of Year

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0000

This is by far my favorite time of the year. The weather is perfect for both brisk walks and sound sleep, the leaves are turning and the Farmer’s markets are bursting with the gifts of the land. Cooking in autumn is like preparing meals in God’s kitchen; the variety is endless and it’s all available. [...]

Easy & Refreshing Gazpacho

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:22:00 +0000

I hope that you are all enjoying the last few weeks of summer and that the heat and humidity aren’t weighing you down. Like many of you, my summer has been busy with friends, parties and travel as well as a demanding work schedule, but despite the heat, I am doing my best to not [...]

Maximize Energy by Eating a Great Breakfast!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:34:00 +0000

Because of my affiliation with and love for Yoga, I see a lot of clients interested in transitioning to a Vegan diet. One of the eight limbs of Hatha Yoga is Ahimsa, which is non-harming. Ahimsa can be applied to our thoughts, words and actions, and for strict disciples of Yoga, it also means not [...]

How Bad Can One Cookie Be?

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:43:00 +0000

Unhealthy snacking can be the great saboteur of an otherwise healthy eating plan. Often I speak with clients and friends who tell me that they start their day off right with oatmeal and berries, make sure they get their vegetables in at lunch and dinner by eating salads and veggie soups, only to be completely [...]

Quick Food Doesn’t have to be Fast Food

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:40:00 +0000

Despite the economic crisis (or perhaps because of it), fast food restaurants are still doing extremely well. In fact, in late January McDonalds posted an 80% increase in net profits from the year before!! In an economy that is reeling from the loss of jobs and revenue, and while long-standing companies are going under, this [...]

Truth, Honesty, and our Relationship to Food

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:12:00 +0000

“It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.” ~ Somerset Maugham Regular readers of my monthly nutrition newsletter ‘Elements‘ know that I am a big devotee of Yoga. The style I ascribe to is the kick-ass, high intensity, musically influenced, God-centered practice doled [...]

A Brave New World ~ Nutritional Commitments for the New Year

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:44:00 +0000

This blog post is an adaptation of a segment originally posted in the January 2009 issue of my monthly nutrition & wellness newsletter ‘Elements’. If you missed it, you can download a copy by clicking here. It contains great health tips and recipes that compliment these themes of ‘change’ & ‘commitment’. I had such amazing [...]

Welcome to My Blog!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:10:00 +0000

So often ideas will come to me in a typical day that makes me think, “I should write about this in my newsletter.” Sometimes it’s trivial sometimes profound, but either way, typically, by the time I sit down to write about it for the newsletter, the exact content and intention of it is gone and [...]

Podcast: Physical Detoxification with Lisa Charles

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:43:17 +0000

Podcast: Infertility & Acupuncture: Aradhna Bell

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:06:11 +0000

Discusssing acupuncture and fertility.

Podcast: Cancer as a Preventable Disease (Part 2)

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:00:18 +0000

Building on the previous show on cancer prevention, Barbara reviews what causes the proliferation of cancer cells and dives into the nutritional factors involved in preventing and managing this often preventable disease. Learn about free radical damage and how it weakens the system, laying the groundwork for cancer cells to thrive as well as what [...]

Podcast: Cancer as a Preventable Disease (Part 1)

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:00:37 +0000

In this show I will explain how cancer develops, what environmental and nutritional factors play a role and what you can do right now to optimize your health. The show will cover what makes cancer cells proliferate, how alcohol plays a role in the development of almost all cancers except one, and the role of [...]

Podcast: Aging Gracefully, Nutrition & Beauty

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Wed, 30 May 2007 16:00:28 +0000

Aging is inevitable, but aging poorly is not. In this show, I discuss the elements of radiant, healthy skin and how you can begin to cultivate a lifestyle that will allow you to slow the aging process. You will learn which foods will promote inflammation which can translate into sags and lines on your face, [...]

Podcast: Emotional Issues & Weight Management

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 13:00:24 +0000

In this weeks’ show, Barbara talks with Doris Casella, LSW, a New York City based psychotherapist about the emotional factors that contribute and often control weight related issues such as obesity and anorexia. This show is for anyone who has ever tried to change their eating habits only to be defeated by their minds. Barbara [...]

Podcast: Adopting A Vegetarian Lifestyle

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:00:28 +0000

Barbara discusses adapting a Vegetarian lifestyle with yoga teacher and shiatsu practitioner Natalie Ullmann.

Podcast: Healthy Food for Healthy Kids!

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 13:00:35 +0000

Kid Health with Diane Simeone, dietician. Diane is a nutritionist and the mother of two healthy vibrant children and today she will be discussing how to feed your kids healthy foods that they’ll also enjoy. A discussion on supplements for children is included.

Podcast: Sleep Disorders and their Affect on your Health

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 13:00:32 +0000

Bodyworker Catherine Stapleton joins Barbara to discuss sleep disorders and their impact on your weight and the quality of your health.

Podcast: Emotional Detoxification: Large Intestines & Lungs

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 13:00:09 +0000

This episode continues the discussion of detoxification after the summer months – preparing the body for the autumn, and following cooler months where the foods become heavier and greasier. After focusing on physical detoxification last week, this week my guest Jane Gatanis and I discuss mainly the detoxing of emotional toxicity. We focus on two [...]

Podcast: Physical Detoxification: Energy & Mental Clarity

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 13:00:13 +0000

Detoxifying the body is an important component in maintaining good health, improving energy and mental clarity and shedding unwanted pounds. The change of seasons is always a great time to begin a detox protocol. On today’s show, Barbara discusses detoxification techniques with Lisa Charles, RD. Lisa is also the representative for Standard Process in New [...]

Podcast: Treating Allergies with Nutrition & Acupuncture

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:00:32 +0000

As we head into the spring season, this episode focuses on the treatment of allergies. I’m joined on the show by Tsao-Lin Moy, a licensed acupuncturist also specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine. Among other styles, Tsao-Lin uses Japanese style acupuncture and is strongly influenced by the teachings of Kiiko Matsumoto. Japanese acupuncture focuses on Hara [...]

Podcast: How to Prevent Summer Overindulging

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 05:00:00 +0000

Podcast: Improving Gastrointestinal Health

Barbara Mendez, RPh, MS — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 05:00:00 +0000