This is an ongoing series on spring detox cleansing. To catch up, refer to part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5. I’m on day 9 of my cleanse and although I’ve had a couple of minor incidents, overall I’m feeling great and I’m even starting to see these changes in the way I look. When you focus on eating fresh, unprocessed, wholesome ingredients and you eliminate the foods that cause your body stress, you start to see it in your eyes, your skin, your attitude (most of the time) and your energy levels. A transformation slowly takes place in which you gain renewed strength and vitality. There are ups and downs along the way, just like everything else in life and (news flash) there are no quick fixes or miracle cures (darn) no matter what you hear on the radio or read in magazines. But if you really care about your health and are committed to making positive changes, better health can be yours in fairly short order. A mild cleanse is a good place to start (consult your healthcare advisor before starting any cleanse or detox program).

Having said that, I WANT some chocolate. Stomp, stomp!

Here’s my recipe for a healthy treat to soothe the soul when collard greens and bok choy just don’t cut it. We all have those days and rather than taking a high-speed nose-dive off the detox wagon and downing a bag of peanut M & Ms (you know who you are), my healthy cocoa dipping sauce is just the remedy. And yes, this treat is okay occasionally and in moderation while cleansing — at least in my world. Sorry, Miles, but the sauvignon blanc is still off the menu as a detox drink. Not forever though, so don’t despair, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

Pure cocoa is a healthy ingredient. Its high flavonoid content makes it a great treat, but product quality is important. Cocoa is a processed food, which I don’t normally consider detox-worthy, but if you choose a good quality organic version, I think it’s a fine option on occasion and in small doses. Non-organically processed cocoa may contain some icky by-products, so go with the good stuff and use it sparingly.

Healthy and tasty cocoa dipping sauce (gluten-free & vegan)
6 mejool dates, pitted
3/4 cup filtered water
1/4 cup almond butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 small packet of stevia (1 g packet, which is .o35 ounce or about 1/4 teaspoon)
sliced apples, pears, pineapple, oranges, jicama, or strawberries

Soak pitted dates in filtered water for an hour or so. Put soaking water, dates and the rest of the ingredients (other than the fruit) in food processor and pulse until you have a sauce-like consistency. Store in glass jar in the refrigerator. Dip sliced apples (or other fruit) into sauce and enjoy!

One serving consists of one sliced apple and 2-3 tablespoons of dipping sauce.

* I use NOW organic natural cocoa powder. There’s nothing else in it and it’s only 55 calories per 1/4 cup. See photo above, which is a plate of NOW cocoa powder.

Go forth and choose healthy treats (no peanut M&Ms)!
Melissa
P.S. The little skeleton box was a gift from a dear friend and is part of a rather colorful El Dia de los Muertos skeleton collection I have.

This post is part of an ongoing series about detoxing in a healthy way. To catch up see part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4. Part 1 is a rambling introduction to detoxing and part 2 consists of some basic guidelines (what to avoid, why to choose organic, pastured eggs, etc.). Today’s post will be another daily menu sample, including recipes for smoothies and egg salad wraps.

Melissa’s cleanse menu (ignore my weird sleep patterns)
4 AM
Warm water with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a touch of stevia, followed by herbal tea
4: 15 AM
Small bowl of homemade applesauce (made with Fuji apples and blood oranges), topped with chopped walnuts (yum!)
5:30 AM
One hour of yoga, water throughout the day
8 AM
Fruit smoothie (recipe below)
12 Noon
Egg salad lettuce wraps (recipe below), detox tea
3 PM
Raw carrots and celery, 2 mejool dates, water
6 PM
Bowl of kale and brown rice soup, raw flax crackers, “sleepy time” herbal tea
8:30 PM
Asleep

Blueberry smoothie
1 cup unsweetened coconut water
3/4 cup plain goat kefir
2/3 cup frozen blueberries
1 small ripe banana
3/4 scoop chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

This is a guideline — depending on what I have on hand, I make my smoothies different every time. Put all ingredients in blender and mix well.

Egg salad lettuce wraps
Because I don’t eat regular bread, I make most of my sandwiches into lettuce or cabbage wraps. It’s a healthy way to eat sandwiches.

salad
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced cucumber
2 tablespoons diced onion
2 tablespoons chopped sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
fresh lettuce or napa cabbage leaves (washed/dried)

dressing
1/2 avocado
1 teaspoon Annie’s organic dijon mustard (no sugar, no additives, no gluten)
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Put chopped salad ingredients in medium-sized bowl, set aside. Put dressing ingredients in a small bowl, lightly mash and mix ingredients and toss in with salad. Salt and pepper to taste.

Makes one serving, double it for two.

In good health,
Melissa

This post is part of an ongoing series on cleansing. To catch up, read part 1, part 2, and part 3.

I’m into day 6 of my spring “healthy eating and detox” cleanse and was inspired by a reader (thanks, Laura from Chicago) to focus on some specific detox nutrients. To be on the safe side, I’m going to stick with food sources and skip talking about specific supplements. We’ll keep it natural, gentle and simple.

I won’t go into too much detail, but the liver is considered the most metabolically active and important organ when it comes to detoxing. It filters blood at a rate of about 1.5 quarts per minute (you read that right). There’s a lot of action going on throughout the body when we detox, but the liver is the workhorse. There are two blood sources to the liver, one that carries newly absorbed nutrients, drugs, microbes, toxins, and other icky things from the gastrointestinal tract. It detoxs alcohol and chemically alters or excretes thyroid hormones and steroid hormones (estrogens and aldosterone). The liver has to “decide” what to do with all these substances, so keeping it in good shape keeps us in good shape. Here are a few simple and effective detox rejuvenators to help us do that.

*Again, check with your health care provider before embarking on a detox cleanse or before taking these products. Just because they are natural doesn’t mean they’re always safe. There may be conditions in which you should not take these products and some should only be taken for a short time. Many herbal products should not be taken during pregnancy — please consult your physician if you are pregnant or nursing.

Detox rejuvenators
The following organic herbs are believed to help support the digestive tract, liver, kidneys, blood, and/or lungs to promote healthy detoxification.

Sarsaparilla root gives root-beer it’s root-beery flavor (what would you call that flavor?) and promotes the excretion of fluids and increases energy (Chi) flow.

Milk Thistle (also called wild artichoke) stimulates new cell growth in the liver and helps protect it from toxins. It also protects the gall bladder and kidneys, both of which are involved in detoxing. Milk thistle is also good for adrenal problems, psoriasis and helps boost immune function.

Ginger root is protective to the liver and stimulates circulation. I chop, mince, or zest whole ginger root and put it into all kinds of things, including my tea.

Dandelion root (celiacchick Kelly mentioned this in my first post on cleansing) stimulates bile production. The liver helps break down and eliminate toxins by producing bile, which is stored in the gallbladder. Bile is part digestive secretion and part excretory product. We want healthy bile flow. It’s rather unattractive looking camo-colored goop, but it’s very important.

Red clover helps support liver and kidney function and has anti-inflammatory properties. It also boosts immune function and helps with skin disorders.

Rosemary leaves help detoxify the liver, stimulate circulation and digestion, and provide antioxidant protection.

Fenugreek seeds stimulate and lubricate the intestines and act as a laxative.

Garlic enhances immune function, improves circulation, supports liver and digestion, and helps detoxify the body.

Cilantro will have its own post in a few days.

Burdock root (I saved my favorite for last)
I’m actually not sure why, but I love burdock root and have been using it (whole) for a long time. It’s unattractive and isn’t all that tasty, but I use it on a regular basis. I sauté it in coconut oil and pureé it with stock to add depth and thickness to soups and stews. Because I live gluten-free and never add flour for thickening, I use things like cooked potatoes or burdock root, which provide a healthy alternative.

Burdock root acts as an antioxidant and aids in the elimination of excess fluid and toxins. It helps purify the blood, supports liver and gallbladder function, stimulates digestion, boosts immune function, helps with skin disorders, and may help relieve PMS symptoms. It can also be used as a rinse to promote hair and scalp health. Good stuff all the way around. I prefer getting my nutrients through organic food sources (rather than supplements) as it’s easier to know what you’re getting and control what you’re ingesting.

Burdock root can interfere with iron absorption if taken internally as a supplement, so, “ask your doctor if burdock root is right for you.” (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

*The above photo shows a piece of brown burdock root (carrot sized) alongside coin shaped pieces I cut from the root. These are ingredients I used to make burdock root soup a few days ago. This is one of the mainstays of my detoxing routine. I don’t really have a recipe as it’s something that comes out different every time I make it (depending on what I have on hand). If any of you are more interested in that, I’ll make some, pay attention to what I do, and create a real recipe.

There are numerous herbal adaptogens, but I’ll stick with this short list of the ones I feel may help with this type of cleansing. Most of these come in organic herbal tea form, so they’re easy to find at your local “natural” market.

Go forth and do some spring cleaning!
Melissa

Everyone has different biorhythms and mine are a bit strange. I’ve always been like this to some degree, even as a baby — much to my mom’s dismay. My college roommates found it annoying as well. I’ll be posting several sample menus during my cleanse. Ignore the weird circadian cycles as I’m not a big fan of sleeping. It’s probably a genetic wiring hitch on one of my chromosomes. Or, more likely, an overly enthusiastic suprachiasmatic nucleus. That little BB-sized thingamabob in the hypothalamus (region of the brain) controls our patterns of waking and sleeping. Mine is afraid it’s going to miss something. With the exception of the first 4 or 5 hours of sleep, I could skip the rest. I find it boring.

Having said that, I’m also an advocate of lots of sleep because I have a fairly good idea of what’s going on while we’re off in la-la land. We need good quality sleep, at least 8 hours per night. Deep, uninterrupted rest helps restore the body and regenerate the mind. Not getting enough sleep is one of my downfalls and something I have to consciously (unconsciously?) work on all the time.

Melissa’s cleanse menu
4 AM
Warm water with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a small amount of stevia, followed by a cup of herbal tea
4:30 AM
One sliced apple and with a couple of tablespoons of almond butter
5:30 AM
One hour of yoga
7 AM
Blueberry and goat kefir smoothie (I’ll post the recipe in the next day or so)
11 AM
Fresh BIG salad (lettuce and napa cabbage, raisins, roasted sunflower seeds, raw beets, broccoli), detox tea
2 PM
Avocado salsa (before photo above, after photo and recipe below) raw crackers (sea vegetables and flax seeds)
5 PM
Detox tea, Bosc pear
6 PM
1 cup burdock root and vegetable soup, “sleepytime” herbal tea with lemon and honey
7:30 PM
4-5 walnuts
8:45 PM
Asleep

Avocado Salsa (I made this up out of ingredients I had on hand)
1/2 avocado
1/4 cup shredded zucchini
2 tablespoons diced green onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped pumpkin seeds
1 small minced garlic
shredded carrot (about 1/2 carrot)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
squeeze of lemon
Celtic sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Mash and serve with raw crackers.

Serves — uh — uh — one.

Onward (without my coffee and coconut milk, whine-whine),
Melissa

(Day 1 of the cleanse chronicles can be found here.)

Okay, who decided coffee was off-limits while detoxing? Whoever it was should be smacked upside the head with a wet collard green. Or a bunch of beets.

Grrrrr!

Normally I have one cup of coffee each morning, no more — and 1/3rd of that is coconut milk. Even though I’m a nutritionist, I’m not part of the “coffee is evil” crowd. My coffee of choice is a nice mellow, organic breakfast blend. It’s light and bursting with aroma and high mountain zing. Aaahhh.

As much as I like my morning cup, I think it’s important to skip it right now. But I miss it and thoroughly enjoy having that warm, creamy drink each morning. I’ll do a whole post on coffee and why I don’t think it’s a bad thing if you keep it to one cup a day. And I don’t mean those Starbucks mega-grande-ginormous versions.

More on that later. For now I’ll share with you some of my basic principles of detoxing. I like my spring cleanse to be pleasant, and for the most part it is. Nothing extreme, nothing weird, no reason to take time out from life to camp out on the bathroom floor and be totally miserable. I don’t want to weaken myself — I want to lose a couple of winter pounds, look and feel better, strengthen my immune system, boost my energy levels, lighten my toxic load, sleep better, and recommit myself to choosing clean, nourishing foods.

Again, make sure you consult your health care provider before starting any detox program. I do this quite often, so other than some minor things, it’s not terribly unpleasant for me. But depending on your current lifestyle and over-all health, even what might be considered a mild cleanse can be unsafe if not monitored carefully.

Vibrant health maintenance doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult. Avoid things that cause harm and give your body what it needs to thrive. Let it do the complicated stuff, all you have to do is safely and effectively support the process. Here are a few of my tips (a loose guideline) on how to safely cleanse, lessen your toxic burden and regain strength and vitality.

1. Organic (check here for a prior post I did on organic food)
Organic food is free of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, hormones, antibiotics and is generally easier for the body to break down, absorb and assimilate. Some studies show organic foods to be higher in nutritional value, but what they lack is almost more important to me, especially while cleansing. The point in detoxing is to get rid of the nasty stuff from your system, not add to it. We’re living in a different world than our ancestors did and are exposed to 40,000 - 50,000 chemicals that didn’t exist decades ago. The average American (eating the Standard American Diet, also known as the SAD diet) ingests in one way or another, around 120 pounds of additives per year. So, choose organic foods whenever possible.

2. Avoid
Eliminate all gluten grains (whether you need to in normal life or not), dairy (with a few exceptions), most soy foods, sugar (with a couple of exceptions), caffeine, soda, alcohol, meat, all processed and packaged foods, fast food, and some vegetables. I’m cutting way back, or eliminating, starches (most grains, potatoes, yams, peas and beans) and most nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant). I do have a few minor exceptions to these rules, but for the most part, I avoid everything on this list. Don’t panic, there are lots of wonderful foods on the “choose” list.

3. Choose
Eat any combination of fresh organic vegetables, a good portion of them raw. Goitrogen foods (cruciferous vegetables) should be lightly cooked. I’ll do a separate post on cruciferous vegetables and thyroid function later. Use olive oil for salad dressings, coconut oil for cooking and ghee for other uses (if you like ghee, which is clarified butter). Unfiltered raw honey, raw agave (use sparingly), or stevia can be used for occasional sweetening, but go easy on it. Pastured organic eggs are fine in moderation.

4. Rough it up
Eat lots of whole, high-fiber foods. Fiber in the form of raw veggies and fruit is instrumental in helping to move toxins out of the body. For a detailed post I did on the benefits of fiber, check here. Fiber is high on my list of important substances, with all kinds of valuable health benefits, but add it slowly or you’ll explode (and it won’t be pretty). At the least, you’ll be feeling icky until you get used to the sweeping effects on your digestive system.

5. Flush it out
I’m in the process of creating a separate post on water, so I’ll keep this brief (famous last words). Drink lots of water while cleansing, especially since you’ll be increasing your fiber intake. Water, water, water! Divide your weight in half — that is the amount of water in ounces you should drink daily. If you weigh 150 pounds, that’s 75 ounces of water per day, which is about nine or ten 8-ounce glasses.

6. Turn up the heat
Not in your house, but in your body. Exercise daily and sweat it out. I love yoga for detoxing as it’s bendy and twisty and stimulates fluid movement in the body and helps wring things out. This deserves a separate post as well — yoga for detox and digestion.

7. Eat less
According to my Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition book, if you live for 65 years or longer, you will have consumed more than 70,000 meals and disposed of 50 tons of food. FIFTY TONS OF FOOD?! Oh my gosh, that’s almost creepy. Actually, it is creepy. Okay, I will admit to eating more calories than I need a good part of the time, but spending a little less time at the trough makes us realize that we’ll not only survive, but we’ll be much healthier if we don’t super-size everything.

8. Just say no to stress
Now? While the economy sinks to new depths? Yeah, right. Well, at least do the best you can as stress can undermine all your good intentions.

These are my basic cleansing guidelines. Tomorrow I’ll start posting detox recipes, and good ones, at that. Remember, I said I wasn’t into starving myself or feeling totally deprived. Except for the coffee thing. Grrrr!

Go forth and get rid of icky things.
Melissa
P.S. Darn it, I “talked” too much again. I need a word-count cut-off program.

My car has close to 140,000 hard-earned miles on it and while I have no desire to compare myself to my older-model, off-road, 4-wheel drive, stick-shift Nissan Pathfinder, there’s something to think about here.

First off, about my car — it’s an SUV. A truck pretending to be a car. I need something substantial to haul around my skis, boots, snowshoes, camping gear, yoga mat, and Fairbanks, my 125 pound puppy. Okay, so it’s an evil SUV. But I want a vehicle that will take me off road, through deep snow, and safely around the high country. This is the one for me. I love it and even though it’s almost 10 years old I want to keep it running smoothly for another 100,000 miles or so.

Can I do that?

I hope so, but for that to happen I need to take care of it now to avoid problems and expensive repairs later. Most people change their car’s engine oil regularly and periodically change the transmission fluid and the differential oils. And what about the brakes, steering, suspension, tires, timing belts, and CV joints? My service guy takes care of that stuff and always mentions how important is to keep the fluids clean and topped off. In this case, I do what I’m told (not one of my strong points). My nice little SUV is taking good care of me because I take good care of it.

How many of you take good care of your car? Or at least run it over to Jiffy Lube every 3,000 miles to flush things out and change the oil?

By now you probably know where I’m going with this, don’t you?

Yikes! Most people take better care of their cars than they do themselves.

We need to pay attention to our own internal fluids, joints, batteries and spark plugs.

I’m starting my spring cleanse today, which is my version of a tune-up to flush things out and start fresh with the seasonal change.

Here’s a basic guide to what my idea of a cleanse is. There are lots of different versions and I’ve tried many over the years, but a simple healthy-eating detox is what works best for me. I’m not into deprivation. I’m into re-evaluating my food choices, lightening my toxic load, losing a couple of pounds, and tuning up my engine. I like to transition into spring and summer with renewed energy and a reminder that I need to take my health seriously. Springtime is the equivalent of that little sticker the service guy (or girl) puts on the inside left corner of your car’s windshield reminding you to come back for an oil change and service check in another 3,000 miles.

If you’re interesting in a cleansing program for yourself, I suggest you contact a qualified health-care professional to guide you through the process. There can be some unpleasant pitfalls if you don’t do this in a healthy and balanced way.

Spring cleanse/detox
Spring is the season of awakening, time to crawl out from under the weight of winter. It’s a perfect time to move away from heavy foods to lighter fare. My form of detoxing is to avoid poor food (and lifestyle) choices and improve the quality of what I eat. Get rid of bad habits before they become permanent lifestyle behaviors. It’s an ongoing process.

My online dictionary describes detoxification as, the metabolic process of removing toxic substances or neutralizing toxic properties from the body (normally a function of the liver); an application that is intended to relieve illness or injury. That’s perfect, and just what I need right now. That and to fit into my favorite jeans without a 5 minute struggle followed by 20 deep knee bends.

Liver love
This overworked and under-appreciated organ deserves to have a whole post written in its honor. Don’t panic, I’ll spare you and stick to the abridged version. But trust me, you need to take good care of your liver as you wouldn’t last a day without its valiant efforts. It’s your hazardous materials crew, your recycling team, your overall best friend. It performs hundreds of specific functions including filtering the blood and ridding the body of harmful toxins, bacteria, viruses, pesticides, too much alcohol, pollution, pharmaceuticals, contaminated food, heavy metals and other icky and disgusting things that somehow end up inside of us. Giving it a break to rest, regroup and regenerate is a very good idea.

That’s it for now, but I’ll periodically post about my cleansing experience with tips and recipes from my 3,000 mile tune-up.

And, keeping with the car analogy — remember, your body is a temple, not an old clunker. Take good care of it.

Wear your seatbelt!
Melissa

If you fly into DIA (Denver International Airport), you’ll be greeted with a terminal that matches our mountains and seven and a half acres of solar photovoltaic panels. Yes, we’re a cutting-edge, groovy city with a totally hip and charmingly dorky mayor* who’s putting us on the map as the greenest city in the country. Solar energy isn’t hard to come by around here considering we average 300 days of sunshine per year. That’s even more than Miami Beach or San Diego. You didn’t know that, did you? Now, forget I ever said it unless you already live here.

Back to my point.

Solar cells use sunlight to produce electricity.

What does this have to do with nutrition or food, you ask? Actually, nothing, but I thought it would be a good segue into the weirdness of vitamin D.

Skin cells use sunlight to produce vitamin D.

See ladies, all you are is a bikini-clad solar panel. Or, if you’re a guy, a speedo-clad solar panel.

Vitamin D is the hot new nutrient these days, but there’s lots of confusing information about it, so I thought I’d dedicate an entire post to it and clear things up.

Vitamin D

I haven’t even started and we’re already in murky territory — vitamin D isn’t even a vitamin, it’s a hormone, one we can synthesize on our own. We do this with the help of sunlight and a precursor the body makes from cholesterol.

*Hormones are chemical messengers, substances made in one part of the body that cause a response in another part of the body. Vitamins are essential nutrients found in food and needed in small amounts to prevent disease and support health. Two different things.

How do we make vitamin D (which is not a vitamin)?

The liver produces the precursor to vitamin D from cholesterol. Ultraviolet light from the sun hits this precursor (7-dehydrocholesterol, in case you’re interested), which is in the skin, and converts it to previtamin D3. Over the next day or so, this substance works its way into the body and is eventually converted to its active form — that of a functioning hormone. Two things must occur for it to become fully active, one change takes place in the liver and one in the kidneys. Conditions impacting liver or kidney function can interfere with the activation of vitamin D, resulting in deficiencies.

Important roles of vitamin D

It’s a convoluted process, but vitamin D helps maintain blood concentrations of calcium and phosphorus, which in turn helps bones grow strong and dense. If there is a deficiency or a problem along the pathway, growing bones may not calcify, become weak, and skeletal abnormalities result (rickets in children). In adults, a deficiency in vitamin D, a failure to adequately synthesize it, or malabsorption can lead to osteoporosis.

In addition to being mandatory for bone growth and strength, research also suggests that vitamin D plays a role in brain and nervous system health; immunity; insulin secretion (type 2 diabetes) and other autoimmune conditions; skin, muscle, and cartilage health; reproductive health; cardiovascular health, and may be beneficial against many types of cancer.

Vitamin D and celiac disease

Osteoporosis is often seen in people with celiac disease. In fact, it is one of the most common adult presentations. The reasons are complex and different for each individual, but intestinal damage resulting in the malabsorption of calcium and vitamin D can play a key role. If you aren’t synthesizing and absorbing vitamin D, then calcium absorption is compromised. If you’re not able to utilize these nutrients, your bones will pay the price.

Vitamin D sources and possible toxicity

Not many foods contain vitamin D — at least in a natural state. Some foods such as milk, infant formula, orange juice, and some breads and cereals have been fortified with vitamin D. Some fish (wild-caught salmon, mackerel, sardines), fish liver oil, and eggs from hens that have been fed vitamin D are good sources, but that’s about it as far as food goes.

But, remember, our skin is made up of little solar panels, so we can easily produce our own vitamin D. No need to worry if you live in a sunny climate and don’t wear a burka or sunscreen with a higher number than 8. All you need is 15 minutes of sunshine a few times a week. You don’t have to bake in the sun and risk skin cancer — plus, the sun poses no risk of vitamin D toxicity. You can’t overdose on vitamin D from the sun.

You can on synthetic vitamin D though. My Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition book states, “Vitamin D is the most likely of the vitamins to have toxic effects when consumed in excessive amounts. The amounts in foods are within safe limits, but supplements…should be kept out of the reach of children and used cautiously, if at all, by adults.”

Excessive vitamin D raises blood calcium levels, which in turn, can cause kidney stones. The kidneys make an effort to to excrete concentrated calcium.

Recommendations

Here’s where it gets dicey. Some research suggests many of us aren’t getting enough vitamin D and that the current RDA (recommended daily allowance) is too low. The RDA measurements are the average daily amounts considered adequate to meet the needs of most healthy people. Advocates suggest we need far more than the UL (tolerable upper intake levels) to be healthy. But then again, what if we’re taking too much and it’s toxic?

The RDA for infants up to 1 year old is 1,000 IU per day. For children and adults, it’s 2,000 IU per day. That 15 minutes of sun I suggested can produce up to 20,000 IU depending on where you are, how direct and cloud-free the sun is, what your skin color is (darker skinned people need longer exposure), and how much of your body is exposed. That’s way more than you need for one day, so your body saves it for a rainy day. Literally.

Vitamin D is one of the trendy nutrients right now and there are many reasons to take this one seriously. People who live in northern climates or those who don’t get any sun, older people, people with digestive disorders resulting in malabsorption, post menopausal women, and those who get no vitamin D in the diet might want to consider supplementation. Talk with your health care provider if you think you may be at risk of a deficiency.

I can’t end this without saying how important it is to not only make sure you get enough of the right nutrients (vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus) for strong bones, but also to do some weight bearing exercise every day. Stand on your hands! Your bones will thank you.

Go forth and sing — here comes the sun doo-be-doo-be — here comes the sun and I say, it’s all right.
Melissa

* With limited name recognition, no political experience and a reputation for having an offbeat and weathered wardrobe, mayoral candidate John Hickenlooper turned those challenges into opportunities with his quirky ads (and now famous) mode of transportation. (Courtesy of YouTube)

Aaaahhh, nothing like a few days in the mountains to boost the spirit, clear the mind, and cleanse the soul. No politics, no stock market, no economic doom and gloom, no work, no worries. My perspective always changes when I’m outside, enjoying life, and doing something physical. Throw in some fresh powder, expansive views, lasting friendships, a little dark chocolate, and a glass of good red wine at the end of the day and nothing else matters.

Life is good.

I’ll get back to nutrition, food, and recipes in a few days, but for now, here’s a short photo essay of my trip to Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico, Land of Enchantment and my old stomping grounds. Soul nourishment at its finest.

Not fifteen minutes ago when I started on this post, my intention was to simply pick out some photos and let them do the talking. I should have known better. Blah, blah, blah — I’m never at a loss for words.

When the snow’s good (which it was), there are lots of opportunities at Taos for hiking up to some great ridge skiing. Oster, Fabian, Stauffenberg, and Treskow are runs immortalizing members of the German Nazi resistance during WWII. Ernie Blake founded Taos Ski Valley in 1955 after leaving Nazi Germany in 1938. He chose to name four of the ski area’s most challenging runs in honor of these German heroes. It’s a fascinating story — read here for a more detailed version.

This is me and my favorite French chef, Claude, standing outside the Hotel St. Bernard. I used to work with him years ago at the St. Bernard, which, along with owner Jean Mayer, happens to be the heart and soul of Taos Ski Valley. Claude and I are God parents to one of Jean’s sons. As I said, nothing like lifelong friends to lift your spirits and enrich your life.

Taos Ski Patrol avalanche dogs extraordinaire — Tigger, Riley, and Hattie — off duty, chasing sticks, and having fun. Life is good for them, too.

Go forth and renew your spirit!
Melissa

Organic food — is it worth the money?

I think so and from what I’ve read, most of the time there is a difference in the nutritional value, not to mention the avoidance of pesticides and the impact on the environment. To me, it’s as much about what I’m NOT eating as what I am eating. This is important if you have celiac disease or other autoimmune or chronic conditions — and most of us have something a little off-kilter going on inside (hey, no body’s perfect). I’m going to resist launching into an anatomy lesson here, but our bodies don’t need the additional burden of figuring out what to do with the pesticide residue that often tags along with conventionally grown foods.

A National Academy of Sciences study stated that, “Low level pesticide exposure can cause serious, developmental risks to infants and children, some with lifelong consequences.” While limiting exposure is especially important for kids, it’s important for everyone, regardless of age. Continually dosing ourselves with synthetic fertilizers and chemicals designed to kill insects, fungal “pests,” and weeds can’t possibly be good for us. If this stuff keeps animals, insects, and bacteria from eating the food, maybe we shouldn’t be eating it either. Uh-oh, does that mean these little critters are smarter than we are?

At least try to minimize exposure by choosing organic when purchasing the following fruits and vegetables (the first list below). These have been labeled the “Dirty Dozen” by the Environmental Working Group after running over 50,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected between 2000 and 2005. If you can’t opt for organic in all your food choices, try to make your conventional choices from the “Cleanest 12” and your organic choices from the “Dirty Dozen” list.

The Dirty Dozen (highest in pesticide residue in order as listed)
peaches
apples
sweet bell peppers
celery
nectarines
strawberries
cherries
lettuce
imported grapes
pears
spinach
potatoes

The Cleanest 12 (lowest in pesticides)
onions
avocados
sweet corn (frozen)
pineapples
mango
sweet peas (frozen)
asparagus
kiwi
bananas
cabbage
broccoli
eggplant

Get the full list of results at www.foodnews.org.

I’m anxiously (seriously, I can’t sleep at night) awaiting the spring start-up of my Grant Family Farms CSA weekly delivery of organic fruits and vegetables. Have I mentioned how much I love these guys? Okay, okay — I know I talk about them a lot, but I’m not obsessed or anything. I promise. Well, maybe a little, but the bottom line is — I want safe, healthy, nutritious food that is locally grown by people who not only care about the food they’re growing, but how it impacts the environment as well. Yes, I admit it, I love these people.

Go forth and eat organic food, join a CSA, and thrive!
Melissa
P.S. The above photo depicts some odds and ends in my refrigerator crisper drawer and the dregs from almost-empty rice bags. Everything is organic. I also had a left-over baked sweet potato and some home-made broth in the fridge. The result was the most wonderful and nutritious soup. Eating organic does not have to be expensive and with a little creativity you can stretch something like this “catch-all” soup for 2 or 3 days.

Did your grandmother ever tell you that fish was brain food? Once again, grandma was right. About 60% of your brain (mine too) is made up of fat — essential fatty acids (EFA). In fact, some evolutionary biologists attribute the fact that humans are at the top of the food chain to one specific food. That food is fish, which is full of healthy EFAs (the good fats).

I’ll give you a brief run-down of what EFAs are, how they enhance our health, and where you can get them, but first, just for fun, please check out this post on EFAs. It will give you a little background and a humorous take on omega fats and why we need them to survive, thrive, and carry on. It will also enlighten you as to one of the reasons men are attracted to J-Lo.

EFAs (essential fatty acids)
• EFAs are building blocks and are a necessary components for all body cells
• required for good health, can’t be produced by our bodies (hence, essential)
• they are the “good” polyunsaturated fats
• research shows they should be consumed daily
• two important families of EFAs include omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids
• both are necessary, but balanced intake is important
• studies show that the omega-3s, EPA and DHA, are the most beneficial
• GLA is a beneficial omega-6 fat
• unhealthy omega-6 fats can be found in refined vegetable oils and processed foods
• too many omega-6s and too few omega-3s can contribute to chronic disease, depression, and an assortment of behavioral disorders
• in the right combination, EFAs can decrease inflammation and support good health
• omega-3s (EPA and DHA) can be found in cold water fish such as salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies and in 100% grass fed beef
• omega-6 (GLA, the good one) is found in borage, black current, and evening primrose oil
• plant sources* of omega-3s include flax, chia, camolina, purslane, lingonberry, kiwi, and some nuts

Benefits of DHA (omega-3)
• important to nervous system function
• research shows DHA may improve cognitive function, memory, and learning capacity
• DHA is important to mental well-being and stability
• deficiencies may cause depression, bipolar disorder, aggression, and increased suicide risk
• DHA is necessary for maintaining healthy brain function and cognitive ability as we age
• essential during pregnancy and lactation
• research also suggests DHA may reduce postpartum depression

Benefits of EPA (omega-3)
• boosts immune function
• beneficial for autoimmune and inflammatory conditions
• helpful for inflammatory bowel diseases (celiac, crohn’s, IBS)
• supports healthy cardiac function (the American Heart Association recommends omega-3s)
• helps control blood pressure
• may reduce joint pain and swelling and help with arthritis
• beneficial for asthma patients

Benefits of GLA (a good type of omega-6)
• supports skin and hair health
• may reduce eczema and psoriasis
• reduces inflammation
• beneficial in reducing the symptoms of arthritis
• may help alleviate PMS and symptoms of menopause

* Omega-3s fall into two categories — plant-based and fish-based. You also get omega-3s from 100% grass-fed meat. While the plant-based sources are healthy additions to the diet for many reasons, EPA and DHA derived from fish and meat are more bio-available. The body has to convert the shorter chain fatty acid, ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) from the plant source, into EPA and DHA and studies show we aren’t very efficient in doing so. Fish appears to be the the best source.

* There are some conditions in which these oils may have a negative impact on the body, so it is important to consult your doctor before taking EFAs in the form of supplements. It is also important to avoid low-quality fish oil supplements as they may contain some icky stuff (heavy metals, toxins, etc.).

Tamari Salmon

what you need
1 cup sake (Japanese rice wine)
1/2 cup gluten-free tamari
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
12-ounce salmon filet, cut in two 6-ounce pieces (or something similar)

preparation
preheat oven to 425
cover a cookie sheet with tin foil and oil lightly

what you do
1. mix first 5 ingredients together in small bowl; reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for later
2. rinse salmon under cold water, pat dry with a paper towel and place in glass baking dish
3. pour marinade (remember to reserve 1/4 cup for later) over salmon
4. cover and put in refrigerator for an hour or so (occasionally spoon liquid over exposed parts of the fish)
5. place fish on prepared baking sheet and put on middle rack in oven
6. bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork (it depends on how thick your filets are, you may need less time; don’t overcook)
7. pour reserved marinade over fish and serve immediately

Serve with yukon gold roasted potatoes or wild rice. Yum!

So, the bottom line is — ladies, celebrate your curves, and men, if we call you a fat head, take it as a compliment.

Enjoy!
Melissa

Disclaimer: All material on this website is provided for informational and educational use only and should not be used for diagnostic purposes. Consult with your physician regarding any health or medical concerns you may have.