Sunday, February 26, 2012
We Have Moved!
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Wednesday, December 14, 2011
9 Easy Dietary Tips for Beginning an Alkaline Lifestyle
We've all been there. Wanting to eat healthier, feel better, and lose weight but feeling overwhelmed by the idea of completely changing our diets, even for a brief period of time. Eating alkaline is not a short-term fad diet, but a lifestyle built upon the idea that most disease is caused by over acidity in the body, and that the way to correct our body's pH is through a plant-based diet and alkaline water. But that does not mean you have to make the change overnight. It took Dr. Robert O. Young--believed by many to be the father of the alkaline diet and lifestyle--two years to fully make the switch (and even then I believe he still eats fish).
And even though my daughter and I quit eating meat "cold turkey" almost four years ago, we are choosing to ease into the alkaline diet by making small changes that will eventually add up to equal the ideal 80% alkaline/20% acidic ratio day after day.
So with that said, I offer up 9 easy dietary tips you can start implementing today to work towards an alkaline diet:
1. Change Your Cooking Oil--And Make Sure You Get Enough!
Healthy fats are an important part of an alkaline diet and can be obtained through substituting healthy oils for the more mainstream unhealthy oils. Corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil, and vegetable oil are refined oils that are not healthy and should be avoided and replaced with cold-pressed oils like extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, flaxseed oil, coconut oil and hemp oils. All oils can create free radicals when heated, so I recommend using a small amount of water to steam fry your vegetables instead of cooking them in oil and then just drizzle your healthy oil on top once plated. You can also try making your own oil-based salad dressings and drizzling healthy oils on top of vegetable wraps.
2. Forget Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners and Replace with Stevia
Sugar has been linked to cancer and artificial sweeteners are not only acidifying but carcinogenic. Swapping your sugar cubes with stevia, an all-natural sweetener derived from herbs, is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family. According to Ray Kurzwell, author Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever: stevia is highly nutritious, lowers blood sugar in diabetics while regulating blood sugar in non-diabetics, lowers elevated blood pressure, kills bacteria that cause tooth decay, increases energy levels and mental activity, and reduces cravings for alcohol and tobacco. Other natural sugar alternatives: Chicory root, agave nectar.
3. Pass the Table Salt, and Shake on Sea Salt Instead
Our bodies contain about a pound of salt, and sodium is an alkaline mineral necessary for survival. But the refined iodized salt that sits on most dinner tables in America is completely unhealthy and the type of salt doctors are referring to when they advise patients to cut down on their salt intake. Refill your salt shaker with unrefined sea salt and sprinkle on top of wraps, soups and vegetables. Other alternatives: Celtic salt, Himalayan salt, Real salt.
4. Goodbye Peanut Butter, Hello Almond Butter
Peanuts are acidifying to the body and the moldiest, most undesirable peanuts are what is used to make peanut butter. Swap out your P.B. for its healthier cousin almond butter, and spread on sandwiches or use as a dip for pretzels, crackers, fruit, and to make smoothies creamier. I got my first jar of almond butter at Trader Joes a few weeks ago and it's almost gone!
5. Got Unsweetened Almond Milk?
Cows milk and other dairy products are not only acidifying but contrary to popular belief they actually rob the body of calcium and create a putrid sludge that wreaks havoc on your digestive system. Dump your carton of cows milk and try unsweetened almond milk instead. It is a healthy, delicious, alkaline substitute for drinking, cooking, baking, creamer and cereal. Other alternatives (buy unsweetened): Coconut milk, soy milk, rice milk.
6. Instead of White Rice try Brown Rice
I knew that brown rice was better for you than white, but what I only recently learned was that white rice is merely brown rice which has been stripped of the majority of its nutrients! The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be artificially "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3 and iron. Clearly, brown rice is the nutritional winner over white rice and an easy swap. Other alternatives: Basmati rice, quinoa, jasmine rice, wild rice.
7. Substitute Your Soy Sauce with Bragg Liquid Aminos
Soy sauce is fermented and acidic. A great substitute is Bragg Liquid Aminos, which is a liquid protein concentrate derived from healthy soybeans, which contains 18 essential and non-essential amino acids in naturally occurring amounts, is not fermented or heated and is gluten-free. I will admit that I have not personally tried this yet but I am told it tastes just like soy sauce.
8. Change Your Pasta
Most pastas are made with refined starches that lack nutritional value. Try swapping your spaghetti for soba noodles, tofu noodles, gluten-free pasta, whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash. You can also try making your own pasta sauce from scratch instead of using pre-packaged sauces which tend to contain sugar and preservatives. I made spaghetti squash for the first time last week and was amazed at how quick, simple and tasty it was (stay tuned for the recipe).
9. Instead of Bottled Water try Alkaline Ionized Water
Not all waters are created equal. Most bottled waters, along with distilled and reverse osmosis waters are actually acidic. Tap water is regulated by the government to be at least a 7 pH which is neutral on the alkaline scale, but is littered with contaminants. Therefore your best option is alkaline ionized water from a Chanson water ionizer which you can hook up to your tap. The water is pre-filtered and microclustered, resulting in better tasting water with a smoother feel that doesn't cause bloating. It is also rich in antioxidants and able to hydrate and detoxify better than standard water due to its smaller water molecule size. Being properly hydrated is the key to overall wellness and you will not regret the switch from bottled water to ionized alkaline water.
I hope that helps. Please comment if you have any questions or tips of your own to share!
And even though my daughter and I quit eating meat "cold turkey" almost four years ago, we are choosing to ease into the alkaline diet by making small changes that will eventually add up to equal the ideal 80% alkaline/20% acidic ratio day after day.
So with that said, I offer up 9 easy dietary tips you can start implementing today to work towards an alkaline diet:
1. Change Your Cooking Oil--And Make Sure You Get Enough!
Healthy fats are an important part of an alkaline diet and can be obtained through substituting healthy oils for the more mainstream unhealthy oils. Corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil, and vegetable oil are refined oils that are not healthy and should be avoided and replaced with cold-pressed oils like extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, flaxseed oil, coconut oil and hemp oils. All oils can create free radicals when heated, so I recommend using a small amount of water to steam fry your vegetables instead of cooking them in oil and then just drizzle your healthy oil on top once plated. You can also try making your own oil-based salad dressings and drizzling healthy oils on top of vegetable wraps.
2. Forget Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners and Replace with Stevia
Sugar has been linked to cancer and artificial sweeteners are not only acidifying but carcinogenic. Swapping your sugar cubes with stevia, an all-natural sweetener derived from herbs, is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family. According to Ray Kurzwell, author Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever: stevia is highly nutritious, lowers blood sugar in diabetics while regulating blood sugar in non-diabetics, lowers elevated blood pressure, kills bacteria that cause tooth decay, increases energy levels and mental activity, and reduces cravings for alcohol and tobacco. Other natural sugar alternatives: Chicory root, agave nectar.
3. Pass the Table Salt, and Shake on Sea Salt Instead
Our bodies contain about a pound of salt, and sodium is an alkaline mineral necessary for survival. But the refined iodized salt that sits on most dinner tables in America is completely unhealthy and the type of salt doctors are referring to when they advise patients to cut down on their salt intake. Refill your salt shaker with unrefined sea salt and sprinkle on top of wraps, soups and vegetables. Other alternatives: Celtic salt, Himalayan salt, Real salt.
4. Goodbye Peanut Butter, Hello Almond Butter
Peanuts are acidifying to the body and the moldiest, most undesirable peanuts are what is used to make peanut butter. Swap out your P.B. for its healthier cousin almond butter, and spread on sandwiches or use as a dip for pretzels, crackers, fruit, and to make smoothies creamier. I got my first jar of almond butter at Trader Joes a few weeks ago and it's almost gone!
5. Got Unsweetened Almond Milk?
Cows milk and other dairy products are not only acidifying but contrary to popular belief they actually rob the body of calcium and create a putrid sludge that wreaks havoc on your digestive system. Dump your carton of cows milk and try unsweetened almond milk instead. It is a healthy, delicious, alkaline substitute for drinking, cooking, baking, creamer and cereal. Other alternatives (buy unsweetened): Coconut milk, soy milk, rice milk.
6. Instead of White Rice try Brown Rice
I knew that brown rice was better for you than white, but what I only recently learned was that white rice is merely brown rice which has been stripped of the majority of its nutrients! The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be artificially "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3 and iron. Clearly, brown rice is the nutritional winner over white rice and an easy swap. Other alternatives: Basmati rice, quinoa, jasmine rice, wild rice.
7. Substitute Your Soy Sauce with Bragg Liquid Aminos
Soy sauce is fermented and acidic. A great substitute is Bragg Liquid Aminos, which is a liquid protein concentrate derived from healthy soybeans, which contains 18 essential and non-essential amino acids in naturally occurring amounts, is not fermented or heated and is gluten-free. I will admit that I have not personally tried this yet but I am told it tastes just like soy sauce.
8. Change Your Pasta
Most pastas are made with refined starches that lack nutritional value. Try swapping your spaghetti for soba noodles, tofu noodles, gluten-free pasta, whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash. You can also try making your own pasta sauce from scratch instead of using pre-packaged sauces which tend to contain sugar and preservatives. I made spaghetti squash for the first time last week and was amazed at how quick, simple and tasty it was (stay tuned for the recipe).
9. Instead of Bottled Water try Alkaline Ionized Water
Not all waters are created equal. Most bottled waters, along with distilled and reverse osmosis waters are actually acidic. Tap water is regulated by the government to be at least a 7 pH which is neutral on the alkaline scale, but is littered with contaminants. Therefore your best option is alkaline ionized water from a Chanson water ionizer which you can hook up to your tap. The water is pre-filtered and microclustered, resulting in better tasting water with a smoother feel that doesn't cause bloating. It is also rich in antioxidants and able to hydrate and detoxify better than standard water due to its smaller water molecule size. Being properly hydrated is the key to overall wellness and you will not regret the switch from bottled water to ionized alkaline water.
I hope that helps. Please comment if you have any questions or tips of your own to share!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Introduction
My Story
Just under four years ago, I became a vegetarian for ethical and environmental reasons after watching these videos back-to-back:
Yes, PETA got me. I wasn't even looking to become a vegetarian, I had come to their website for business purposes and literally stopped eating meat the very next day. (My then 7-year old animal-loving daughter followed suit the day after with virtually no persuasion.) Even though I realized that going vegetarian had significant health benefits, health was the least of my concerns. I was 26 years old, newly single, and more interested in going out and having fun, which at the time often involved large amounts of alcohol. I decided that being health-conscious and fit could wait until my 30s when I was ready to settle down again and be more responsible, serious, and grounded. I wasn't ready to be a yoga mat-toting health nut, not yet. But saying goodbye to meat I could do, and even though I wasn't a true animal lover I did have grave concerns about the environment and its sustainability so it felt good to find a way to do my part.
I adopted what was more of a carbitarian diet than anything. Instead of pepperoni pizza I ate cheese pizza, instead of tacos and meat burritos, I ordered bean and cheese burritos and cheese enchiladas. Instead of spaghetti with meat sauce I got marinara sauce. I replaced lunchmeat with egg salad or grilled cheese. I ultimately wanted to become vegan for the sake of the animals and the environment but what would I do without cheese now that it was largely what I ate? I had never really developed a taste for vegetables, and aside from an occasional salad, I really didn't bother to incorporate any more into my vegetarian diet. Eliminating meat really wasn't that hard, and the theory that your taste buds change when you cut meat out of your diet really did hold true for me, I no longer craved it at about the six month mark. I did experience more energy and felt better overall those first few months after eliminating meat. But because I was still eating so much dairy and starch and so few vegetables, I soon got back to feeling sluggish and periodically depressed, although I have never been overweight at any point in my life. My friends called me "the worst vegetarian ever" teasing that I shouldn't even classify as a vegetarian since I rarely ate vegetables.
Then, shortly after my 30th birthday, I took a job which requires me to read and write about health--particularly alkaline-acid balance and the benefits of alkaline water--40 hours a week. And this was the push I needed to shift my focus to health, right on my self-appointed schedule. I first read "The Miraculous Properties of Ionized Water" by Bob McCauley, which literally changed my life. My mother and stepfather had given me a water ionizer years before but I was too busy chugging half a dozen Cherry Cokes and Dr. Peppers a day to take advantage of it. After reading the book I promptly had my fiancee hook up our water ionizer and said goodbye to sodas, which are one of the most acidic liquids we can consume. I began drinking the recommended amount of alkaline ionized water daily and immediately noticed increased energy, general wellness and fewer headaches and chest pains. That was about three months ago and I have since read dozens of books, watched a handful of documentaries and written over a dozen articles on the subject of alkaline living and the benefits of a plant-based diet as well as added tons of vegetables to my diet and created some delicious alkaline recipes of my own. I am excited to share some of the things I have learned and the recipes I have with you here. I can now truly say that health is my #1 goal and I am genuinely working towards an alkalarian diet diet and lifestyle, which is best described in Dr. Robert O. Young's book "The pH Miracle" but I will sum up as:
*Daily consumption of good quality alkaline water (I recommend Chanson Water ionizers)
*A virtually raw vegan diet consisting mainly of alkaline fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds
*An 80% alkaline/20% acid balance
*Alkaline-forming exercise like walking, rebounding, yoga, and jogging
*Positive thoughts and meditation
*Stress-reduced living
Stay tuned for future posts in which I will cover the above topics and provide recipes and resources.
Just under four years ago, I became a vegetarian for ethical and environmental reasons after watching these videos back-to-back:
KFC Cruelty with Pamela Anderson
(Warning: Contains graphic content)
"Meet Your Meat" - Alec Baldwin Narrates
(Warning: Contains graphic content)
Yes, PETA got me. I wasn't even looking to become a vegetarian, I had come to their website for business purposes and literally stopped eating meat the very next day. (My then 7-year old animal-loving daughter followed suit the day after with virtually no persuasion.) Even though I realized that going vegetarian had significant health benefits, health was the least of my concerns. I was 26 years old, newly single, and more interested in going out and having fun, which at the time often involved large amounts of alcohol. I decided that being health-conscious and fit could wait until my 30s when I was ready to settle down again and be more responsible, serious, and grounded. I wasn't ready to be a yoga mat-toting health nut, not yet. But saying goodbye to meat I could do, and even though I wasn't a true animal lover I did have grave concerns about the environment and its sustainability so it felt good to find a way to do my part.
I adopted what was more of a carbitarian diet than anything. Instead of pepperoni pizza I ate cheese pizza, instead of tacos and meat burritos, I ordered bean and cheese burritos and cheese enchiladas. Instead of spaghetti with meat sauce I got marinara sauce. I replaced lunchmeat with egg salad or grilled cheese. I ultimately wanted to become vegan for the sake of the animals and the environment but what would I do without cheese now that it was largely what I ate? I had never really developed a taste for vegetables, and aside from an occasional salad, I really didn't bother to incorporate any more into my vegetarian diet. Eliminating meat really wasn't that hard, and the theory that your taste buds change when you cut meat out of your diet really did hold true for me, I no longer craved it at about the six month mark. I did experience more energy and felt better overall those first few months after eliminating meat. But because I was still eating so much dairy and starch and so few vegetables, I soon got back to feeling sluggish and periodically depressed, although I have never been overweight at any point in my life. My friends called me "the worst vegetarian ever" teasing that I shouldn't even classify as a vegetarian since I rarely ate vegetables.
Then, shortly after my 30th birthday, I took a job which requires me to read and write about health--particularly alkaline-acid balance and the benefits of alkaline water--40 hours a week. And this was the push I needed to shift my focus to health, right on my self-appointed schedule. I first read "The Miraculous Properties of Ionized Water" by Bob McCauley, which literally changed my life. My mother and stepfather had given me a water ionizer years before but I was too busy chugging half a dozen Cherry Cokes and Dr. Peppers a day to take advantage of it. After reading the book I promptly had my fiancee hook up our water ionizer and said goodbye to sodas, which are one of the most acidic liquids we can consume. I began drinking the recommended amount of alkaline ionized water daily and immediately noticed increased energy, general wellness and fewer headaches and chest pains. That was about three months ago and I have since read dozens of books, watched a handful of documentaries and written over a dozen articles on the subject of alkaline living and the benefits of a plant-based diet as well as added tons of vegetables to my diet and created some delicious alkaline recipes of my own. I am excited to share some of the things I have learned and the recipes I have with you here. I can now truly say that health is my #1 goal and I am genuinely working towards an alkalarian diet diet and lifestyle, which is best described in Dr. Robert O. Young's book "The pH Miracle" but I will sum up as:
*Daily consumption of good quality alkaline water (I recommend Chanson Water ionizers)
*A virtually raw vegan diet consisting mainly of alkaline fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds
*An 80% alkaline/20% acid balance
*Alkaline-forming exercise like walking, rebounding, yoga, and jogging
*Positive thoughts and meditation
*Stress-reduced living
Stay tuned for future posts in which I will cover the above topics and provide recipes and resources.
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