I have been wanting to plant a garden for many years now, and we finally got around to building one this spring.  It was actually being completed the day that I went into labour!

I would encourage anyone with space and the desire to think about planting one for next year. There is something about going to the backyard to get your vegetables that is very satisfying.  I have to say that it is a learning process, we planted way too much zucchini and not enough lettuce…so let me just say that we have had to come up with many different ways to eat zucchini!!   The nice thing about it is that no green thumb is required, so it makes you feel like a real star. You just plant it, and water it a couple of times and a couple of months later you a whole garden full.

That being said, I have included 2 of our favourite summer zucchini recipes!

Grilled Zucchini

This is a very simple cooking method that you can do with any vegetables.  We usually put in zucchini, onions/leeks, tomatoes from the garden and then whatever other vegetables are in season…asparagus, peppers, beans, eggplant, mushrooms.

Many books will recommend that you soak your veggies for 30min before grilling them. We don’t do that, we just purchased a grilling basket and then put them on the top rack of the BBQ on low heat. The concern about the BBQ is the charring, as it can be carcinogenic so it is important to now “blacken” your meat/fish or veggies.

Since coconut oil is very heat stable, we usually melt some coconut oil and then brush our veggies with that.  Mix them with some fresh spices…we planted parsley so we usually use some of that, or you could put in thyme, basil etc.  Let them cook for about 5min or so, stirring them often.  Pull them off of the heat, and add a very small amount of braggs soy sauce to them.  Serve these with fish or organic meats.

Stuffed Zucchini

Recipe serves two as a side dish but is easily doubled.

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini, freshly picked and washed; scrubbed with a brush if necessary to remove dirt
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 tbsp. onions
• ½ – 1 tsp. dried oregano, to taste
• ½ – 1 tsp. dried basil, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ cup tomato or spaghetti sauce…commercial versions tend to be high in salt, so we usually just crush tomatoes from the garden and then add more basil/oregano to taste
• 2 tbsp. breadcrumbs (we use ezekial or rye)
• 2 tsp. nutritional yeast (This a deactivated yeast that tastes much like parmesan cheese. It is a complete protein that is high in Bvitamins, specifically B12 which is great for vegetarians or vegans. You can find it in the health food section of Zehrs and some say it looks like cornmeal…but I think it looks like fish food!  It is also great as a topping for popcorn.)

Directions:

• Boil zucchini for 10min in hot water
• Preheat oven to 350F
• Sauté onion and garlic in coconut oil for 2-3min
• Add tomato sauce to heat and stir
• Add breadcrumbs, basil and oregano – we like it a little spicy, so usually add some chili powder or cayenne
• Allow zucchini to cool, and then cut in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop the insides out and save in a small bowl. Chop any pieces that are larger than bite size into smaller pieces
• Add the zucchini mix to the sauce mixture
• Fill the empty zucchini with the mixture and top each with nutritional yeast
• Bake for 15min
• ENJOY!

Recipe adapted from http://vegetarian-recipes.suite101.com

Eating foods that are more alkalinizing will help your body function vibrantly and will help you lose weight, have more energy, help keep your bones strong, improve your digestion and much more. For a complete list of alkalinizing foods refer to the chart below.

pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline something is. pH balance is a very important part of health. pH is measured from 1 (very acidic) to 14 (very alkaline). Our body works really hard to keep the pH of our blood at a slightly alkaline level (7.4). Our diet can have a significant impact on our blood pH. When we eat more acidic foods such as sugar, processed food, red meat our bodies have to work extra hard to restore the pH of the body. Consider this: A 350 ml serving of Coke, Pepsi or similar drink delivers a sugar fix equivalent to about 9 teaspoons of sugar straight into the blood stream. This instantly acidifies the bloodstream to the extreme point that without an immediate emergency response from the body, it would kill you in a mater of minutes…you’d have to drink 32 glasses of alkaline water to neutralize the blood pH…to prevent death by acidosis, the body reacts swiftly by drawing huge amounts of organic calcium from the bones and teeth and pouring it into the bloodstream to neutralize the excess acid and quickly restore alkaline balance. Calcium is the body’s most potent alkalizing agent”

It’s no coincidence that acid foods that pack on the pounds and contribute to other help problems such as osteoporosis. Acidic foods accelerate aging, especially after our 40’s when the body isn’t as efficient at buffering the blood with calcium.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that alkalizing diets improve bone density and serum growth hormone concentrations; the acidosis resulting from acidic diets contributes to bone and muscle loss.

Our fat cells actually help to protect us again the excess acid in our body by trapping the acid in the fat cells. The more acidic the diet is the more your fat cells grow. Also, the body resists breaking down fat stores when the body is acidic, so to help mobilize and breakdown fat you need to alkalinize!

Clinical studies show that alkaline mineral water (such as spring water) is the best way to obtain alkaline minerals and acid waters like colas are the best way to quickly deplete them!

The most nourishing alkaline foods are nature’s super greens – spirulina, barley and wheat grass. Other super foods are Essetential Fatty Acids (omega 3) help maintain an alkaline body. For a more complete list of alkaline and acidic foods please see the chart below.

5 Top Ways to Stay Alkaline:

1. Drink, Drink then Drink some more!
   1. By far the most important and yet the easiest way to accelerate your alkaline diet weight loss results is to hydrate consistently. Avoid Coffee, tea, soda and other acidic drinks.
2. Avoid Foods with preservatives, food colouring and additives.
   1. The body wasn’t designed to digest these chemical substances, so it must either: eliminate them, neutralize them or park them away where they can’t damage your body
3. Avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague.
   1. If you have been trying to lose weight, chances are you have relied on artificial sweeteners to cut calories.
4. Always have cut veggies and soaked nuts ready in your fridge
   1. Having more of the alkaline foods readily available makes it easier to make the healthier choice. Buy veggies that you enjoy eating!
5. Choose more vegetarian sources of Protein
   1. Meats are more acid especially red meat. Choose less acid protein such as vegetarian protein – beans, nuts, seeds, fish

General Guidance:

Stick to salads, fresh vegetables and healthy nuts and oils. Try to consume plenty of raw foods and at least 2-3 litres of clean, pure water daily. Avoid or reduce of fatty meats, dairy, cheese, sweets, chocolates, alcohol and tobacco. Packaged foods are often full of hidden offenders and microwave meals are full of sugars and salts.

Eating local and fresh is not only fantastic for the environment but it also makes for much tastier meals! There are numerous fresh and local fruits and vegetables harvested in our community – asparagus being one of our favourite! The fleshy green spears of asparagus are both succulent and tender and have been considered a delicacy since ancient times. Asparagus is also known for its healing properties and high nutrient content. Start experimenting with asparagus and make it a great addition to your meals!

Heart Health

Asparagus are especially high in folate. Folate is essential for a healthy cardiovascular system. Just one serving of asparagus supplies almost 66% of the daily recommended intake of folate.

A Natural Diuretic

Asparagus is a very good source of potassium (288 mg per cup) and quite low in sodium (19.8 mg per cup). Its mineral content, combined with an active amino acid in asparagus, asparagine, gives asparagus a diuretic effect. Historically, asparagus has been used to treat problems involving swelling, such as arthritis and rheumatism, and may also be useful for PMS-related water retention.

Food for Healthy Gut Flora

Asparagus contains a special kind of carbohydrate called inulin which is a health-promoting friendly bacteria in our large intestine. When our diet contains good amounts of friendly bacteria the digestive system works smoothly.

A Birth Defect Fighter

Eat lots of asparagus if you’re thinking about becoming pregnant or are in the early stages of pregnancy. A cup of asparagus supplies approximately 263 mcg of folate, a B-vitamin essential for proper nervous system development. Inadequate folate during pregnancy has been linked to several birth defects, including neural tube defects like spina bifida.

For more information on asparagus and for delicious recipes visit the official Ontario website for asparagus.

Lets face it, many of us (including myself) enjoy a good cup of coffee. Some drink coffee for the taste, others to wake up or for some it is just a habit or break from the daily grind. It has become a social thing for us, we have coffee at meetings, functions and often meet friends and chat over a steaming hot cup of “joe”.

While there have been many studies that have reaped the benefits of a good organic free trade cup of coffee, what we are putting in this coffee is another story.

Lets look at the hidden calories in coffee that are contributing to our ever growing waste lines.

Hidden Calories

Coffee itself has virtually no calories, however very few of us will drink our coffee black.

The new guidelines are suggesting that we limit our added sugar intake to no more than 100 calories for women and 150 calories for men a day.

• 1 tsp or packet of sugar = 20 calories
• 1 pump of flavoured coffee syrup  = 20 calories (usually there are 3-4 pumps/drink)
• Whip = 60-110 calories

Lets look at some of the sugar in your favourite drinks:

• Grande Chai Tea Latte Starbuck – 8 tsp sugar, 128 calories of added sugar
• Grande Green Tea Latte – 91/2 tsp sugar, 152 calories of added sugar
• Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte – 41/2 tsp sugar, 72 calories of added sugar
• Hot Chocolate – 6 tsp sugar, 96 calories of added sugar
• 14oz Iced Cap from Tim Hortons – 11 ½ tsp sugar, 184 calories of added sugar
• 10oz Hot Chocolate from Tim Hortons – 9 ½ tsp sugar, 152 calories of added sugar

If you have these occasionally, no problem..we can all indulge. However, if you are having these on a daily basis you need to consider how much extra sugar you are pumping through your system!

Artificial Sweeteners, They’re Better, Right?

So what about the no sugar syrups or artificial sweeteners? We know that long term intake of these things is not natural or good for your health. They have been associated with many neurological conditions, as well as aggravating certain neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis.

We suggest that you use real sugar in moderation.

If you are a “double double” person, consider this…

One Suggestion

If you drink a 10oz “double double” you are consuming 150 more calories than if you drink black coffee. If that is too extreme, switching to double milk and double sugar will reduce your calories by 40 per 10oz cup.

What if you stopped the sweet and just added a single milk? You would save 130 calories per 10oz cup.   You have to ask yourself…if you are drinking that double double, are you drinking it because you like the taste of coffee, or sugar?

Saving this 120 calories every day is significant, as it has been shown that as little as a 100calories more a day than your body requires will put on 10lbs per year.

Make a conscious choice of where your calories and added sugars are coming from!!

Ah the age old question, how to I prevent those wrinkles.  North America spends billions of dollars annually trying to tap into this fountain of youth through surgeries, creams, lotions, and health products.

Let’s find out what is in your own local grocery store that can help you age vibrantly, naturally!

Diet

This is not going to come as a surprise to many of you…but what you eat on a consistent basis will effect how your skin ages.

Studies are showing that eating a diet that is higher in fish, vegetables, fruits, legumes while consuming lower intakes of butter, sugar and meat can positively effect skin wrinkling.

So…eat those veggies

(Purba Exp Dermatol 2008)

Lycopene

We know that sun damages the skin. It has been found that increased intake of lycopene has been shown to be able to have UV protecting properties. This means rich lycopene based diets for 12 weeks have been shown to reduce UV induced redness when patients are exposed to the sun. Does this mean eat tomatoes, and don’t wear sunscreen? No, it just helps to further reduce the UV damage.  Also lycopene has been shown to help reduce the depth and severity of furrows and wrinkles in humans.

(Riediger J Am Diet Assoc 2009)

Cocoa

No, this doesn’t mean you can go out and eat unlimited amounts of O’Henry Bars!

But…pure cocoa has been show to contain antioxidants that reduce skin aging. Consumption of 325mg of cocoa flavonols per day for 3 months reduced UV redness, improved skin hydration and decreased roughness and scaling of the skin.

How much is this?  If you get raw cacao powder about 2 tsp will contain roughly this amount. Check out our recipe on the website for healthy hot chocolate.

(Neukam Eur J Nutr 2007)

Fish Oils

You have heard over and over to take your omegas, here is another reason why. Studies are showing that the EPA found in fish can provide internal protection against UV damage and improve skin elasticity. Make sure you take a fish oil supplement that has been tested for heavy metals and take the equivalent of 1000mg of combined EPA/DHA per day.

(Riediger J Am Diet Assoc 2009)

Proper Hydration

We know that drinking your water, and being well hydrated will lead to healthy skin with that glowing appearance. It has been shown that things like fermented dairy (yogurt, kefir), green tea and borage oil can improve hydration from the inside out.

So skip that second cup of coffee and donut and have some plain yogurt and green tea!

(Puch Exp Dermatol 2008)

When we think of sodium and fast foods, many of us think of the burger joints like McDonalds and Burger King. Most people know that these foods are high in sodium, and that an increased intake of sodium over time can contribute to disease conditions like high blood pressure, osteoporosis, water retention and even increases your chances of stomach cancer.

How Much Salt Is Too Much?

New guidelines are suggesting that we consume no more thatn 1500mg per day, it is estimated that the average Canadian is consuming double this amount.

Just to put this number into perspective 1 tsp of salt contains 2400mg of sodium. However most of the salt we are eating is not coming from the table salt we are using to salt our foods or adding to our cooking. While we still want to limit this, most of the salt is lurking in the processed, packaged and fast foods we are eating.

We know that things like frozen dinners and canned soups are high in sodium, but take a look the next time at processed meats, or canned tomato sauce or even certain breads. It can all add up.

Lurking Sodium

Lets take a look at some of the sodium that is lurking in the fast foods that you are eating…

• Tim Hortons 12 grain bagel – 590mg
• Tim Hortons Chicken Snack Wrapper – 610mg
• Starbucks Italian pesto, cheese and tomato sandwich – 900mg
• Tim Hortons Soups (individual) – average 900mg
• Kelseys veggie burger – 950mg
• Kelseys broccoli and cheddar soup  – 1020mg
• Manchu wok green bean chicken with mixed veggies – 1070mg
• Tim Hortons Chicken Club Sandwich – 1070mg
• Mr greek, greek salad with dressing – 1160mg
• Boston pizza veggie pizza (individual) – 1160mg
• Swiss chalet chicken soup – 1380mg
• Starbucks egg and spinach and feta wrap  – 1140mg
• Swiss chalet grilled chicken caeser salad with dressing – 1730mg
• Montanas roasted salmon with rice and veggies – 1780mg
• Swiss chalet ¼ chicken dinner with dipping sauce and rice – 2020mg
• Swiss chalet chicken stirfry with rice – 2290mg
• Montanas turkey club sandwich – 2320mg
• Kelseys nachos and cheese – 3530mg

As you can see, some of these choices are actually the best ones on the menu but they still have increased sodium. It is not really their fault, they have to get their produce in bulk and when they do that it has to be preserved so it wont spoil and salt is an easy way to prevent the spoilage. Also – we demand that foods tastes good, and our plates like salt. The more we eat, the more we want.

In Conclusion

While all of these foods are great and fine occasionally, if you are eating lunch out everyday it is important to re-evaluate these choices and start making this stuff at home. It use to be that eating out was a luxury or social, so it really didn’t matter if a couple times  a month you were over your sodium intake. Now it seems that people are eating out 1-2x/day which as you can see can really add up and increase your risk factors for disease!

At one point we thought our genes were static, meaning that if your mom had arthritis…you were very likely to get it to. While this is still true, we now know that what we eat, how we think and move can actually influence our genes.

The good news…we can talk to our genes and influence which of these disease factors will be expressed.

One of the biggest ways that our lifestyle can influence this is through telomers. Telomers are basically protective caps on the end of our chromosomes and the longer our telomers the longer we live. Studies are now showing that 12 weeks on a healthy whole food lifestyle program (including reducing stress, improving sleep and exercise) can positively influence the length of the telomers.

New research is also showing that the omega 3 fats found in fish can also keep your telomers from shortening. Yet another reason to eat wild sources of fish and take your omega 3 supplement (that has been tested for heavy metals of course).

Sometimes can also be referred to as the “mid life crisis” this condition was once thought of as an excuse to buy a sports car, but know is being shown to be a true medical condition.

It makes sense really, if female hormones change then why can’t mens. This condition is referred to as Andropause and men that experience this will start to feel increased amount of depression, weight gain and fatigue over the age of 40.   Andropause is related to the decline in testosterone which begins after 25 years old. Usually this is a gradual decline, but the more rapidly the testosterone falls the faster a man ages and increases risk factors for heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis and dementia.

So, the key is to preserve the amount of testosterone that a man produces. 2 ways we can do this is are:

1. exercise, especially weight lifting exercise
2. reduce the belly fat

That visceral fat will produce an enzyme called aromatase which actually converts testosterone to estrogen.  So, sometimes we can take testosterone to help but it has been shown that in the bodies effort to control estrogen levels it actually binds free testosterone making it unavailable. Therefore if this aromatase enzyme is present, even taking testosterone doesn’t produce the desired effect.

What do we do?

Lose that belly fat! We know that high levels of insulin and stress hormone cortisol are the 2 driving forces for this unwanted waist line.

Insulin levels are controlled by reducing the amount of sugar and white carbohydrates you eat.  So, part of achieving optimal health in aging men is achieving a healthy body composition!!

Start making steps to lose that belly today…your health will thank you!

So, if you haven’t been watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution it is a must see. Tune in Friday’s at 9pm on ABC.

For those of you who haven’t heard of this program, Jamie Oliver is better know as the “Naked Chef”. He has created a revolution in the school programs at home in England, and has now brought the project to one of the unhealthiest cities in America.

As you can imagine, he gets a lot of resistance and has great struggles trying to get these kids to eat “real food”.    The kids are currently on a school lunch program and are being fed pizza and strawberry milk for breakfast and then pizza or chicken nuggets again at lunch.  Of course all of these meals are processed containing a whole list of additives not to mention vast amounts of sugar and salt.

Jamie’s mission is to get “real food” back into the school cafeterias which includes meals like pasta, with a meat sauce that is full of vegetables and real chicken or sloppy joes made of unprocessed beef and vegetables and even mac and cheese…but the homemade kind not from a box. He even admits that the meals are sometimes not the “best” choices but they are better than the stuff they are currently eating.

There have been 3-4 clips in this series so far that I have found fascinating and wanted to share them with you

Is That Chicken?

In one of the first episodes, Jamie does an experiment where he takes a chicken and explains to a group of 6-7 kids where processed chicken nuggets come from. He takes a whole chicken and cuts off the legs and breasts, explains these are the good parts and sets them aside. What is left is the carcass, bones, fat, cartilage..and he takes all of this and cuts it up and places it in a food processor. At this point the kids are screaming and totally grossed out. Jamie explains that these are the ingredients they are eating when they consume chicken nuggets. Then he takes the “mash” and combines this with flour, fillers, and spices to make it taste good, forms them into patties and fries them with a coating.

The kids are watching this whole process, and at the end he asks for a show of hands as to who would eat this.

Even though 3 minutes before they were disgusted by the “mash”, every child put up their hand that they would still eat the chicken nugget. Gross!

The point being, we really have to focus on educating our kids about what is actually in our food as when this food comes in pretty packages they are disconnected from what they are actually eating. This goes for adults too.

What is a Vegetable?

Along this same line, Jamie went into the classroom and was trying to get kids to identify vegetables.  While the kids had no problem recognizing things like French fries and pizza – not one single child was able to identify a carrot, potato, eggplant, broccoli etc.

Come Over To The Common Sense Corner

Jamie has his meals going up against the regular school lunch program. On this particular day, he made a pasta that included 7 different kids of vegetables, and that was going up against a burger and fries with the “option” of a side salad.

The supervisor pulled Jamie aside and said that according to standards there wasn’t enough vegetable in his meal. The policy required that you need 1 ½ cups, and even though there were 7 different kinds of vegetables in the pasta there wasn’t 1 ½ cups. When he questioned where the vegetables were in the regular school program dish the answer was the French fries and the option the kids had for the side salad (even though not one child was in the salad line).

This is where we have to use our common sense, and agree that sometimes policy just doesn’t make sense. I bring this up as this happens a lot! We know in our heart of hearts what we should and shouldn’t be eating but we tend to rationalize. My favourite example of this is the whole grain fruit loops…we know this really isn’t great for us, yet we rationalize that at least it is whole grain, or reduced in sugar.

When presented with situations like this…no matter what the policy or label may claim we challenge you to put on your common sense hat!

Is That Milk?

The last one was probably the most mind blowing for me. The last episode had Jamie trying to feed the children plain milk instead of giving them the option to choose the strawberry or chocolate version.  Typically these flavoured milks have more sugar than a can of pop…and we know all of the problems that over 10tsp of sugar in one drink can have on a body, let alone a little body!  The rationalization for the flavoured milk still being offered was that it is better for a child to drink the sugar to make sure they get their calcium.

My jaw dropped to the floor!

We now know that sugar is one of the major driving forces of things like cardiovascular disease, inflammation, diabetes and now new research is pointing at Alzheimer’s as being the type 3 diabetes.  In addition, we know that calcium is leached in an acidic environment…and one of the number one acidic foods is sugar.

Again…here is where we need to advocate for and educate our children.

One of the teachers in this episode encouraged the children to choose the regular plain milk and explained why, and everyone in that class made the right choice in the cafeteria line.  It is up to us become educated ourselves, and then educate our children and given the choice they usually do make the right decision!

Your Own Food Revolution

To embark on your own Food Revolution…come to our Transformation Weekend on June 5/6, 2010.

2FOR1 special is on until May 7th!

For More Details click here now: http://www.lose-weight-waterloo.com/

Until Next Time…tune into Jamie’s Food Revolution.

Stay Vibrant

Robin and Kristijana

Robert Ridpath of Metagenics interviewed Robin in January as a guest on his radio show. Click the play button below to listen to the recording of their conversation.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]