Hydrate Those Kids!

Today is my nephew Max's birthday.  Happy Birthday, Max!  So, in honor of Max and all the other kids in my life, I wanted to add a p.s. to my last post about hydration.

People in general are pretty bad at correctly gauging thirst.  We often mistake a feeling of thirst for hunger.  And once we realize that we are really thirsty, we are already dehydrated.  This is especially true, and unfortunate, for kids.  Our brains are 90% water, and hydration is important for proper brain function, thinking and learning, and development.  One way to ensure that the kids in your world are hydrated is to get them in the habit of drinking water before, after, and during play/exercise, and also at regular times throughout the day.  The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that an 88-pound child should have 5 ounces of water (or sports drink, but this seems like a lot of potentially harmful artificial sweetners and colors, doesn't it?) every 20 minutes.  Maybe they'd even like to try some coconut water?

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Hydrate Those Kids!

Agua de Pipa: Nature's Sports Drink

Back in 1996, I lived in Costa Rica for 5 months.  It was wonderful.  It was awful.  I have stories that consistently make people, including myself, cry laughing, seethe with jealousy, or gasp in horror.  Two of those stories involve the two most wonderful, natural drinks I've EVER had the pleasure of sipping: fresh jugo de sandia (watermelon juice) and agua de pipa (coconut water).  I'll save my watermelon juice story for another time, but I will tell you that it involves 5-foot long iguanas, excruciating heat, Pacific coast sunsets, and a glorious hammock.

So, what about the coconut water?  While in Costa Rica, I went to a school for Latin American students studying sustainable agriculture and natural resources.  We spent many days out in the fields cutting back weed plants with machetes (organic farming).  It was hot and so we took frequent agua de pipa breaks to refresh ourselves.  We drank a lot of coconut water!  We would grab some pipas (coconuts), cut off the end of the pipa with a machete, and drink straight from the pipa.  At the time, I thought it was fun, tasty, and a novelty....except for that day I watched as one of the Guatemalan students cut off his thumb while opening his pipa!  No, I'm not kidding.  

As is true of many traditional practices, drinking the coconut water during our breaks from working in the hot sun was very smart.  I learned 10+ years later that coconut water is truly Nature's sports drink.  Coconut water is isotonic, which means that it has the normal salt concentration that occurs in the cells of the body and blood, and so it can replace the fluid and minerals lost during physical activity.  Unlike its manufactured competitors (e.g., Gatorade, Vitamin Water, Propel, etc.), coconut water is free from refined and artificial sugars, artificial colors, and really anything other than, you guessed it....agua de pipa.  Now that's the way to hydrate and revitalize!

In Sanskrit, the coconut palm has been called kalpa vriksha, which means "tree that gives all that is necessary for living".  So, other than electrolytes, what all does it have to give?  As for food, the coconut palm provides coconut water, coconut milk, coconut meat, coconut palm sugar (one of the lowest glycemic index sugars out there), and coconut oil.  But that's way too much to cover in this post.  For now, let's keep our attention on the awesomeness of coconut water.  In addition to its isotonic hydrating properties, coconut water has been said to raise metabolism, control diabetes, cleanse and detoxify, fight viruses (because of its high lauric acid content), ease digestive problems and heartburn during pregnancy, help fight fatigue, serve as a substitute for IV hydration fluids, and improve HDL cholesterol levels.  Not too shabby.

Though sipping some coconut water may not evoke your own memories of good times, machetes, and lost thumbs in Costa Rica, it certainly won't disappoint.  Next time you're looking for a refreshing and healthy drink, a high dose of electrolytes, or a hangover cure, try some coconut water.

What's your favorite food/drink from the coconut palm plant?  Are you willing to try some nice healthy coconut water in place of your (current) favorite energy or sports drink?  (I'm drinking some right now!)

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Hydrate Well.

We Are How We Eat: Let's Make Some Food-Mood Connections

As you know from previous posts, I did a 10-day spring detoxification cleanse back in April.  As part of that process, I kept a detailed food-mood log.  I wrote down everything I ate and drank, what kind of activity I did, how I slept, how I felt (foggy, energetic, sad, focused, etc.), digestive problems, congestion, allergies, acupuncture appointments, everything.  This is a really powerful (and simple!) tool. 

Most people I know would call me a "healthy eater", but what does that mean?  Yes, I cook the majority of my own food, I eat whole foods and avoid processed foods at least 90 percent of the time, but I still experience undesired symptoms sometimes.  For me that can mean headaches, congestion, poor sleep, and intense food cravings.  The problem with stepping back too far is that it's hard to see the connection between your symptoms and your lifestyle.  You end up thinking: "What's wrong?  This is so frustrating.  I eat healthy.  I live healthy.  But I still have all these symptoms." 

When you write down everything (everything!) and then review it, you really do see the patterns, and often the direct connections, between foods you eat and how you feel.  For instance, I have discovered over the past month or so that for me, right now, nuts make me crazy (or "nuts", if you will).  When I reintroduced nuts (organic, raw almonds and cashews -- healthy, right?) after my cleanse, I started experiencing hunger, cravings, and mild anxiety.  Because I was paying attention and tracking everything in my food-mood log, I took nuts back out of my diet after a few days and I lost all those symptoms.  There are reasons for this connection and it is also likely that the reaction is only temporary, but for now, for me, I've learned something very important to make me feel healthier and happier.

Although each of us is an individual and we need to pay attention to our own unique reactions and patterns (yet another reason to keep a food-mood journal), here are a few common food-mood connections to consider...

Do you feel spaced out, sad, overly sensitive, or hyper?  Hmmnn....where do sugar, chocolate, alcohol, fruit, and caffeine fit into your diet? 

Do you feel impatient, frustrated, stubborn, stuck, aggressive, or controlling?  If so, think about how much salt (not just table salt, but processed foods), meat, cheese and eggs are in your diet. 

I encourage you to get a notebook or set up a spreadsheet on your computer and begin keeping a food-mood journal. 

At the very least, record the following information: date, what you ate (everything you eat at meals, snacks, grazing), what you drank and how much (tea, coffee, soda, juice, water), physical activity, any comments about how you feel emotionally and physically, any cravings.  This is one of my first exercises for my health counseling clients.  I guarantee that by doing this you will: (1) learn something profound about your own food-mood connections; (2) have some accountability for your food and activity choices; and (3) increase your awareness of how much water you drink daily. 

Have you tried keeping a food-mood journal before?  Was it useful for you?  Are you ready to try it, or try it again?

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.

Tea for Daytime and Nighttime Relaxation

If I haven't already hinted at it in previous posts, I LOVE tea!  I love everything about it... filling my beautiful, orange Le Creuset tea kettle with clean, filtered water, choosing a special tea cup or mug, the anticipation of comfort while the tea is steeping, holding a warm cup in my hands, the aroma, the tastes, and the way I can use different herbs and different blends to achieve a desired result (calm, energy, clarity, headache relief, soothed stomach, and sleep).  Yes, preparing and enjoying tea, whether alone or with a friend, is such a simple luxury!

"Suppose you are drinking a cup of tea. When you hold your cup, you may like to breathe in, to bring your mind back to your body, and you become fully present. And when you are truly there, something else is also there -- life, represented by the cup of tea. In that moment you are real, and the cup of tea is real. You are not lost in the past, in the future, in your projects, in your worries. You are free from all of these afflictions. And in that state of being free, you enjoy your tea. That is the moment of happiness, and of peace."
~Thich Nhat Hanh

See there?  Do you see what just happened?  All I intended to do was fire off a quick post about one of my favorite packaged teas and it turned into a love letter to herbs and a plug for the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh.  Well, my good friends are surely not surprised by that. 

Clearly I will be returning to the topic of herbs, teas, and tisanes.  For now, though, I want to recommend one lovely tea in particular: Nighty Night Tea, produced by Traditional Medicinals.  When I can't blend my own relaxation/sleepytime tea (my "Relaxi-Tea") for whatever reason, I turn to TM's Organic Nighty Night tea.  Traditional Medicinals is a wonderful company and their ingredients are Organic and Fair Trade Certified.  The Nighty Night tea is marketed for nighttime relaxation and I have found it very useful for helping me get relaxed and sleepy in the evenings (on really tough, wired nights, I've taken 2 cups).  But you can also drink this tea in the morning or during the day if you're feeling anxious, on edge, or overcaffeinated (you know when you go 1 cup of coffee too far?).  This tea is safe and caffeine-free, but teas with a heavy chamomile component are generally not recommended for women who are pregnant or nursing, so use your best judgement there.  Also be warned that I have recommended this tea to friends in the past and they were instantly hooked!

If you want to try out Nighty Night tea and can't find it at your local grocery or health food store, I've included a link to purchase it at Amazon.com.  If you end up going that route, check out some Thich Nhat Hanh books as well: Peace Is Every Step is a great place to start.  Makes for some really peaceful morning or bedtime reading.

Do you have a favorite tea or relaxation ritual?

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Relax Well.

A Sense of Place and a Scarlet Tanager: Two Reasons I Got Up at the Crack of Dawn!

Yes, it's true...today I woke up at 4:45am.  Early for me.  Early for anyone!  Why, you ask?  This morning I headed down to Plum Island, Massachussetts, for a half day of birdwatching and picnicking on the beach with some colleagues from the University of New Hampshire. 

It was wonderful to smell the salt in the air as we approached the ocean.  We quietly piled out of our cars and began to test our memories -- which olivey-yellow warbler has the white eye ring? (yep, the Nashville Warbler)  We walked down the road and through the woods for hours, looking for new birds to identify and admire, and enjoying the beautiful, warm and breezy morning outside.  Lately I have been making a renewed effort to practice mindfulness meditation throughout my days, and I thoroughly enjoyed being present and mindful of every aspect of our walk: all of the gorgeous birds (including one of my favorites seen here, the Scarlet Tanager), the way the sun warmed my hair, the way the trail felt under my feet, and walking barefoot on the beach during lunch.

I personally love the ocean, especially up North.  I have always felt soothed and grounded when I smell the salty air, watch the constant flow of waves hitting the shore, or feel the ocean breeze.  Northern coastal areas are where I truly feel a sense of place.  I was purely happy being there today, and that feeling stayed with me all day, even once I found myself back in my office at the university.  And I never got that tired feeling in the afternoon!

So why am I sharing all of this with you?  To illustrate the point that good health depends not only on the food that we put into our bodies, but also on the other things in our lives that nourish us -- our environment, hobbies, relationships, physical activity, career/education, and spirituality.  In fact, my teachers at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition have asserted that these other lifestyle factors ('Primary Foods') can be even more important to our overall health than the foods we eat ('Secondary Foods').  I will return to the topic of Primary Foods in many future blog posts.  For now, I urge you to take a moment and reflect on the ways, other than eating your veggies, that you nourish yourself.

• Where do you find a sense of place?
• How do you practice self care?
• Are your relationships serving you well?  If so, give gratitude.  If not, how can you change this?
• What is the role of physical activity in your life?
• Do you love the work that you do?  If so, give gratitude.  If not, can you find new work that you love or can you find a way to love the work that you currently do?
• What is the role of spirituality (meditation, nature, religion) in your life?

 Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.

A Belated (Borrowed) Beltane Meditation.

I subscribe to an e-newsletter, called Nourishing the Teacher, about living on a yogic path. On Sunday, I received the latest newsletter with a story written by Anjali Budreski and Danny Arguetty. I really enjoyed reading their thoughts and wanted to share them with you. I feel that the best way to share them is simply to offer you their full story, rather than my interpretation of it. Here it is. Enjoy…

"And the day came, when the risk to remain tight in the bud, was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
-Anaiis Nin

may.2010.the choice to blossom

May 1, May Day, or Beltane as it is called in the British Isles, is a sacred cross-quarter holiday that marks the time between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. It is the time of the blossoming. Beltane is a celebration of the return of the light and green plants, abundance, blossoms, the first flowers, fertility, frivolity and sensuality. It is also a time to celebrate the return of the Sun God, Bel, signified by large bonfires lit on the hillsides in Ireland.

At this sacred holiday we each have the opportunity to reflect on what is ripe to blossom and unfurl in the rich, warm soil of our souls. We can choose to stay tight in the bud, or we can choose to bravely begin exploring, pushing and opening toward the warm light of spring. The choice is really ours so there is no judgment around our own ability to blossom. It is important to recognize that most of us, all the time, are in various stages of blossoming, just like the spring ephemerals in the forest. This compassionate approach to opening is how we might approach a delicate new wildflower in the woods. Patiently we wait, through days of sun and cold, only to go out one day and see that our favorite flower is in full bloom. We offer gratitude and appreciation, but we could not have forced this unfolding. There is a mystery to divine timing, and we can only assist things through self-inquiry, patience, and faith in others and ourselves.

The time of the bud holds such beauty and promise, but at some point, the bud needs an inner impulse to reveal more of what is inside. The other day, as I was hiking up my favorite mountain path, I felt deeply awed and touched by each flower's willingness to open, despite the fact that it had been a really cold night the night before and that a late spring snowstorm was in the forecast (not uncommon in Vermont). I feel this same awe and appreciation when someone I love demonstrates courage and takes the risk to reveal more of their authentic selves. This might come in the form of sharing their truth, even if it’s painful, a change of life’s direction even at the risk of other’s not understanding, or showing a part of themselves that is wanting to be seen and to ‘come out’ into the light of day like a new hobby, passion or pursuit. What the flowers taught me, and as Anaiis Nin points out, is that there is inherent risk in the blossoming. The flower can’t go back into the bud once it has opened. It is undefended and unprotected, yet for that short time that it is blooming, it offers as a gift its outrageous beauty, sweetness, and intoxication. Invite the blossoms of spring to inspire you to open up to more of who you are. And, if you are anything like me and the courageous little flowers, you might just find that it’s worth the risk.

Joy!

Anjali Budreski (& Danny)

How will you choose to blossom this spring?  What, for you, is worth the risk?

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Be Authentic.

Happy Mothers' Day!

Do you like to give flowers for Mothers’ Day? Well, consider a new way share flowers with the people in your life. It’s always nice to have a centerpiece of flowers on the table, but don’t stop there. Why not add flowers to your meals as well? You can garnish (but eat your garnish!) with violets, dandelions, or chrysanthemums, or you can stuff squash flowers as part of your meal. The other day I added blue violet flowers to my salad and topped it with avocado dressing. It was tasty and beautiful, and nutritious --- violets are a great source of Vitamin C.

I encourage you to start cooking with flowers because many are very nutritious and make for wonderful presentation, but it’s important to realize that not all flowers are edible. Be sure that any flowers you intend to eat are safe and pesticide free (not from a nursery, but from your garden or purchased as edible flowers). Rather than include all those details here, I’ll advise you to check up on your favorite flowers before nibbling. Check here for some good, concise information on edible flowers Dos & Don’ts.

Do you toss aside the flower garnish at restaurants? Or are you someone who already cooks with flowers? If so, which kinds of flowers do you use, and how?

By the way, I saw an ad the other day for edible flowers bouquets, so if you forgot to send that Mothers’ Day or Birthday present (or just want to send another), ask your local florists about edible flowers options.

Eat Well. Live Well. Be Well.

Aspartame: New Name, Same Bad Thing.

For anyone out there who hasn’t been on board with the idea that Aspartame (the artificial sweetener marketed as NutraSweet, Equal, etc.) is not good for us, I ask you this: Why do companies usually rename popular products? Not to be cynical, but I’m thinking it’s because people stopped buying the product and the company wants to convince people once again that they do want this product. And that’s exactly what happened when Ajinomoto, the company that makes aspartame, recently branded the name of their artificial sweetener: AminoSweet – doesn’t that sound natural and healthy? I mean, amino acids are good, right? And we all like sweets! And that’s better than listing the product as aspartame, an additive that has been connected to cancers, endocrine disorders, severe allergies and asthma, headaches/migraines, insomnia, depression, heart palpitations, memory loss, joint pain, and weight gain (to name a few of the 90 different symptoms reported to the FDA).

In 1965, the sweet taste of aspartame was accidentally discovered by a chemist working on production of an anti-ulcer medication. A long history followed, including coercion, lobbying, and concealing evidence proving that aspartame is unsafe for human consumption. So, here we are today with a new name for this popular food additive and carcinogen … AminoSweet!

I am posting today to let you know about the branding of aspartame as AminoSweet. I want you to be aware that this has happened so that you can check your ingredients lists for both names. Don’t be fooled. Aspartame, or AminoSweet, is found in many diet beverages (sodas, teas, etc.), sugar-free gums, “light” yogurts, and so much more. Please read the ingredients list before buying any product!

I will write about the nutritional benefits of natural sweeteners in upcoming posts, but for now I’ll just show you the comparative calorie counts (which is often the reason people choose an artificial sweetener like NutraSweet over a natural sweetener) of a variety of sweeteners.

Compare calories per 1 tsp for these sweeteners:
NutraSweet (Aspartame, AminoSweet), 2 cal.
White Sugar, 15 cal.
Brown Sugar, 15 cal.

Raw Sugar, 11 cal.
Date Sugar, 12 cal.
*Brown Rice Syrup, 20 cal.
*Molasses, 20 cal.
*Honey, 20 cal.
*Real Maple Syrup, 21 cal.

So, given all the wonderful benefits of choosing natural sweeteners* (trust me for now & stay tuned) and the risks of choosing artificial sweeteners (read above), is it really worth cutting those 18 calories per teaspoon? I probably burned 18 calories just writing this post! Well, maybe not, but what about this? ... Just eat less sweetener in general, choose a natural sweetener when you do have one, and enjoy it.

Are you willing to read ingredients lists from now on AND replace some of the artificial sweetener in your world with a yummy natural sweetener?

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Sweeten Well.

Happy International Herb Day!

Today is International Herb Day.  I just got back from the Herb Day celebration at The Herbal Path in Dover, NH.  There were tasty dishes to try, fun giveaways, and free 10-minute massages, reflexology, and reiki.  If you live in the area, go check out The Herbal Path at the Dover or Portsmouth locations.

I'm told that dill is the 2010 herb of the year.  So, consider experimenting by adding some dill to your meals this year.  Dill is great with fish (mmmnnn...salmon with lemon and dill), eggs, potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, millet, and cukes (think pickles!), and check out those beautiful flowers... 

In addition to adding great flavor to your meals, the dill plant also has a number of known energetic and healing properties, including the following:

• Dill leaves can be a mild stimulant.
• Eating cooked dill regularly has been shown to aid digestion and prevent constipation.
• Adding 1-2 tsp of a decoction (essentially, make a tea) of fresh dill leaves to your baby’s food can help prevent digestive disorders and encourage restful sleep.
• Regular ingestion of dill by nursing mothers has also been shown to increase breast milk production.
• An infusion of dill seeds mixed with honey (3x/daily) can ease the symptoms of colds, flu, and bronchitis.
• Chewing dill seeds can cure bad breath

What is your favorite use for dill?

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Eat Dill!