Psyllium has been showing up as an ingredient in high-fiber breakfast cereals. It has been claimed to be effective in reducing blood cholesterol levels in those who consume it.  “Several studies point to a cholesterol reduction attributed to a diet that includes dietary fiber such as psyllium,” says Wikipedia.  Sometimes all I have to do is read a sentence and it convinces me I have to try it in something other than what I find it in on the grocery shelf.  This one screams “Put me in a smoothie, please!”

This is about the benefit of using powdered psyllium that you can certainly find in stores or at the bulk department in your local health food store.  Metamucil?  What’s that?  I’d rather have a fresh drink made right in my own kitchen with all the benefits.  You don’t want to ever take psyllium fiber without fluid.  Follow directions on the label, or with a teaspoon of psyllium, take at least 8 oz of liquid.  More is not better here.  Putting just a little of this potent ground husk is enough to make your smoothie great and to regulate your digestive system.  Be sure to thoroughly blend your powder in your favorite blender.  If you do take psyllium capsules, read and follow the directions on the label carefully.

Psyllium is good for constipation or food cravings and ground psyllium is well-known to benefit irregularity but it can also regulate your appetite and fat absorption and that can turn your smoothies into diet food.  Studies have also shown that psyllium is effective in lowering total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels.  Other studies have revealed positive benefits of psyllium to be effective in helping with Crohn’s Disease by acting as a prebiotic.  This will aid the healing of the inner lining of the inflamed intestines.

The fibers in psyllium will absorb water and add bulk to stool.  In my reading I’ve found that some doctors may tell you it takes a few months for psyllium to work.  That is misleading.  If you are consistently constipated, you may need to replenish the beneficial bacteria in your belly.  This is what may take a few months.  It will take that much time to build up the healthy bacteria that use fiber as their food.  Then the healthy bacteria feed, fill up your colon and then become easier to eliminate.  Psyllium husk powder is a soluble fiber.  It will relieve constipation and diarrhea and the bloating and gas that is common in IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).   High consumption of psyllium can lower the mortality rate from colon cancer.

The bulkiness of psyllium fiber is beneficial to satisfy your appetite.  Adding psyllium husk powder to your breakfast, lunch, or dinner smoothie will fill you up and reduce your cravings.  This fiber will make for a thicker smoothie.  In an hour after drinking your smoothie, your body senses the thicker consistency and your stomach and small intestine register the changes in viscosity, literally “filling” you up.  Not only does psyllium fiber speed the movement of digested food, it will enable you to absorb less fat from your food.  This fabulous fiber also regulates two different hormones that keep you from getting hungry.

Here are a couple of warnings about psyllium: Prescription drugs should be taken one hour before or two hours after psyllium.  The reason being that the absorption and effectiveness of many drugs may be reduced.  Second, always read the label regarding the amount of liquid you should ingest with this fiber.

What’s stopping you from adding this easy ingredient to your smoothies?  Oh you need some recipes for smoothies?  Try these past health blogs. 

Enjoy the consumption and absorption and assimilation and elimination!

I am at a point in my life where I wonder…is there something else I could be doing to feel better?  It seems when I hit 40, it was harder to stay fit and healthy and another weird symptom appeared every month or so.  At 47, I am wondering about perimenopause, fatigue, my thyroid, weight gain, stiff and achy joints and even heart palpitations.  It is my intention here to share a little of what I am going through and maybe help you find some answers too. 

My menstrual cycle started changing about a year ago.  Longer, shorter, heavier, lighter….all of the above.  I knew it was perimenopause and I wasn’t concerned until I started experiencing symptoms that would affect my daily life.  Most of the symptoms were manageable.  Some symptoms, like burning tongue, were diagnosed by my dental hygenist.  Night sweats, though intense enough to have to get up and change my clothes in the middle of the night, didn’t interfere with my life.  My fatigue was enough to cause me to start taking an afternoon nap.  I work nights, so that didn’t interfere with my day either.  You’d be surprised how much a cat nap could help.  And though we’re told if you move more you won’t feel as tired, that wasn’t so for me.  I walk or practice yoga every day and I was still tired around 3 in the afternoon.  So I worked a snooze into most of my days. 

However, fatigue could also be adrenal fatigue or low level DHEA. DHEA is a natural steroid produced by the adrenals. The adrenals are small organs right above the kidneys.  We make about 25 mg of DHEA per day (men more than women), but our production dwindles as we get older.  This is what nature intended for us.  Your adrenals make cortisol and adrenaline and also balance over 50 hormones in the body.  The hormone cortisol affects other regulatory processes such as: blood pressure, blood sugar levels, your immune and inflammatory response and influencing mood, memory and thought clarity.  If your adrenals are exhausted from stress (emotional and physical), poor nutrition, and crazy dieting, they are pumping out more cortisol and can’t manufacture enough DHEA to support a healthy hormonal balance.  This will result in your exhaustion, depression and that feeling of being overwhelmed.  So, if you are under more than average stress, your body will not have enough working material for proper endocrine function.  There is some evidence that healthy DHEA levels may help with Alzheimer’s, cancer, osteoporosis, depression, heart disease and obesity. 

So that could be why my blood pressure has been so low these last couple of weeks!  OK, so I guess I’m going through all of the above stressors.  I do know that when I eat 100% raw food I feel better.  I have been traveling a lot lately, and if I am not happy where I am, for example, with people that do not support my lifestyle, I simply do not feel well.  Is taking a DHEA supplement the answer?  It could be an important factor, but include it with lifestyle changes also.  There’s a lot out there about DHEA levels and supplements.  If you are concerned about your levels, have a medical test done.  Taking a supplement alone won’t help you if your adrenals are exhausted.  Your body will produce more or less depending on nutrient support, metabolism, hormone balance, activity level and your emotional state.  Also maintain a healthy body mass index, get adequate rest, expose yourself to some sunlight, exercise, and create more “downtime” in your life. 

What else can you do to support this “aging” thing?  Ayurvedic medicine says the adrenal gland is connected to the root chakra.  The root chakra is about groundedness, our nourishment, and our physical health.  When stress enters full force, we can become less grounded.  That sure explains even more about my aches and pains.  As most of you know I recently closed my business and moved.  However, I am not living anywhere yet.  I have been traveling around visiting family and friends and still haven’t decided on where I want to live.  Yep, that would be ungrounded!  Guess I’ll start doing some yoga grounding poses today! 

Eating a gluten-free diet can relieve the strain of your adrenal glands.  Low blood sugar will put stress on your body and strain your adrenal glands too.  Time your meals so that you aren’t going long periods of time without food.  Adrenals will work harder on an empty stomach, requiring them to release more cortisol to keep you functioning normally.  Living foods will allow the body to absorb more nutrients.  You will find yourself craving sugar and caffeine if your cortisol levels are low or you are tired.  Drinks that will restore your adrenal glands are: chamomile, passionflower and valerian teas, and vegetable juices.  Alcohol, caffeine and gatorade can drain the adrenals.  Honor your body.  Try to take the time to feel if you are actually hungry or if you are eating to fill another need.  I know when I am eating and not actually tasting anything.  With my burning tongue symptom, my taste buds are a little off.  So I think my mind tells me to eat more because my mouth can’t taste anything!  It’s all about balance.  I have good days and not so good days.  I honor them both. 

I’ll talk next time about more symptoms of our changing bodies.

As always, please see your health care practitioner for symptoms that concern you.  The suggestion here are informational only.

Here’s another topic I’m way too familiar with.  Fortunately I suffer from seasonal allergies and this is the season for me.  Spring and pollen.  Pollens are small, microscopic particles that are produced by plants and trees during the process of reproduction.  Hello spring and new growth!  I was in Connecticut a couple of weeks ago and I was feeling it then, but Vermont is behind its southern states by a couple of weeks.  So here I go again.  The only time I didn’t have any symptoms at all was when I had been eating a 100% raw diet for at least three months.  They aren’t as bad as they have been in the past and I have been keeping with a high raw lifestyle.  I also try to keep the windows closed, don’t go out of the house when it’s windy and I never walk in the fields!  It’s supposed to rain the next few days and that will help.

What can help?  Not only increasing your raw food intake, but decreasing your processed and cooked food intake.  Allergy symptoms include: Asthma and coughing, sinus pressure and congestion, red itchy eyes and discharge, skin rashes, general itching of every part of your body and throat, hives and runny nose.  The causes of allergies?  Everything from hereditary factors, long term exposure to drugs, especially antibiotics, adverse drug reactions, airborn pollens, food additives, colorings, perservatives and flavorings.  Liver dysfuntion can cause an increased work load for your immune system.  I never suffered from allergies in my childhood, they started during pregnancy.  Not only am I allergic to spring pollens, I’m also allergic to the skin of certain fruits and veggies, even if they are organic. 

Using organic produce when you can, can be a relief from many food allergies.  These do not contain pesticides and additives.  Selenium and zinc reduce inflammation.  Other supplements for you to try are: Fatty acids found in flaxseed oil, olive oil and oily fish, vitamin C, garlic and horseradish tablets, MSM powder.  And foods that promote liver function like, artichoke, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, or eggs.  How about some juice recipes for allergies?

Place in your juicer:

 one radish, one clove of garlic, one carrot, one pear and 2 cabbage leaves

or

tablespoon of fresh ginger, one apple, one carrot, 2 cabbage leaves, 1/2 red onion

or

one cup rice, almond or coconut milk, one banana, one pear, one Tblspn flaxseed oil, one Tblspn ground flaxseed.  Sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg.

Victoria Boutenko, in her book, Green For Life, says this, “….consuming green smoothies greatly benefits the health of people through improving the level of hydrochloric acid…….consumers of green smoothies should expect…to heal allergies……”.

Some other natural allergy cures are: Eucalyptus.  In a lozenge form it can increase production of saliva.  It can calm coughs and relieve nasal congestion and is also an antiseptic and has antibiotic properties.  The vapor from eucalyptus can clear congestion and loosen mucus.

A traditional remedy for asthma is red clover.  In tea form, red clover can reduce allergy symptoms.  Alfalfa can improve runny noses, sneezing and itching.  Alfalfa is believed to nourish the nervous system and calm the immune system.  And there’s always apple cider vinegar (this should be a staple in your kitchen), which contains many healing properties and is used to treat allergies.  It is rich in vitamins E, A, B1, B2 and B6 and contains potassium and calcium and can reduce mucus in the sinuses and reduce throat inflammation. 

Here’s what Louise Hay says about allergies (hay fever):  Emotional congestion. Fear of the calendar.  A belief in persecution. Guilt.  Your mantra for allergy time? “I am one with ALL OF LIFE.  I am safe at all times.

Grab your juicer and your tissues.  Be well and happy SPRING!

Donna Bergonzi-Boyle

 

If any of these natural cures cause your symptoms to worsen, consult your primary health care physician.

Some alternate titles I was working with were, All I want for Christmas is to stay on track, It’s the most fattening time of the year, and Everyone was singing “Here Comes Santa Claus” but it was only me.” Being raised Jewish I’d like to say I never fall into the “throw my healthy-living diet out the window during the holidays” trap but alas, even I tend to indulge a bit this time of year.  So I want the first tip to be; GO EASY ON YOURSELF!  I can’t stress enough that the best gift we can give ourselves over the holiday and every day for that matter, is to drop the rigidity and stress around healthy-living.  Because, as I’ve said so many times, it’s just not healthy.  Life is to be enjoyed and to the degree that our balance is compromised toward either apathy or severity we lose serenity.  So in that vein here are some tips on staying the course of a healthy diet while enjoying and giving this holiday season.

So what do we usually do?  Pig out and then make the New Years resolution to “be good”.  This insane thinking gets the teeter totter of shame/pride going and we never seem to learn that they’re depending on each other for the ride. The truth is that staying healthy DURING the holiday season is easier than you think.

Three basic things to remember:

1. Stay mindful.  It’s so easy to get caught up in the joy and revelry of gathering with loved ones that we often become essentially unconscious of what we’re eating.  Pay attention to your hunger and don’t eat if you aren’t hungry.
2. Measure your indulgences rather than deny them (unless of course there’s a true health risk) but don’t just shuck the whole plan for the holidays.  For some, Christmas is a very holy day, for other’s it is a relatively secularized holiday but when considering your healthy-lifestyle, it’s really just another day on the calendar
3. Stay true to and love yourself.  Don’t feel obliged to eat every dish or dessert made by good old Aunt Ethel or to attend every single event you’re invited to.  Politely decline and show you care in some other, more honest way.

And now to get down to some details:

• Try some pre-event healthy eating.  If you’re going to a party that you know won’t be healthy-living friendly, have something light beforehand.  A blended smoothie, whole grain cereal or even quality yogurt will fill you up just enough to keep from giving in to temptation and overindulging.
• Stay away from the buffet.  Make your selections and then go schmooze somewhere else. (I just love using Yiddish in a Christmas article)
• Make wise selections.  Choose raw vegetables, fresh fruits with healthy dips; hummus, guacamole and salsa types, avoiding the creamy options.
• Avoid the fried/fatty foods and if you’re a meat eater, choose solid pieces of chicken or turkey and remove the skin or look for fish options.
• Have a desert buddy.  I won’t say “If” but “When” you indulge in dessert, share with someone (It’s the spirit of giving…  to yourself as well as another).
• Be mindful of your alcohol consumption.  Isn’t this one obvious?  If you’re drunk, you’ll cheat.  If you must drink, don’t overdo it and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration and maybe even a bad hangover.  If you want to skip drinking altogether but don’t want to deal with inquiries, substitute with sparkling water with lime or a “virgin” anything.

If you do over do it the night before:

· Have breakfast, no matter how small – some fresh fruit or a fruit smoothie, whole grain cereal or toast.

· Drink fresh juices containing carrot, apple, beetroot, parsley, spinach and ginger to aid detoxification and provide the body with nutrients, especially vitamin C.

· Have some herbal tea to help settle the stomach: chamomile, peppermint, ginger, fennel or green tea are good choices.

On Christmas Day…:

• Instead of snacking on the bottomless tins of sweets try dried fruits and nuts.
• Again, stay with raw veggies and dips instead of the doughy finger foods.
• Try not to drink large volumes of fluid with your meal; this doesn’t help to ‘wash it down but rather dilutes your digestive secretions thus reducing their effectiveness.  And drink pure water instead of punch, beer or eggnog.
• Chew slowly and thoroughly. It’s essential for digestion and will help prevent bloating and indigestion and it will also reduces the likelihood of overeating as it allows the brain the register when you are full.
• If you stockpile, do it with vegetables. They are a great source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and you would have to eat vast amounts to get fat on them.  Aim for a variety of colors and flavors.
• Include steamed vegetables tossed in extra virgin olive oil or unsalted butter with fresh or dried herbs, sea salt and pepper as a side. Steaming is quick and helps to preserve the nutrients.
• Cut potatoes into large pieces and parboil them first before roasting to reduce the surface area for oil absorption.  Use extra virgin olive oil, garlic and/or fresh or dried herbs for added flavor.
• Remove the skin from chicken and turkey, it may taste nice but is one of the fattiest things you can eat.
• For stuffing, use something more vegetable-based rather than sausage meat or breadcrumbs.
• Choose which pie is your favorite and have one slice.  Don’t kid yourself by having two or three bite-size ones and think it’s the same.
• And remember, it may be Christmas but after the game, get off the couch and move.  Take some form of exercise each day; even a 15-20 minute walk before or after your main meal is beneficial. You’ll feel refreshed and it will aid digestion.

Have a happy, healthy holiday.

Be well,

Juicy Josh

We borrowed some great recipes from our friends at welikitraw.com (with their permission of course!) thinking that you could really get some use out of them too. We actually tried a few in the office and they were a total hit. Nothing but tasty rawness. Try ‘em – and post a comment and let us know what you think!

Watermelon Mini Cake Delights

This was a Memorial Day inspired treat I took to a pool party yesterday. They were all gobbled up by rawies and non-rawies alike! Yummy! This is a super Memorial Day or Fourth of July treat, or for just any ol’ time!

Ingredients

• 1 Watermelon, cut into squares
• 2 cups Cashews, soaked for two hours
• 1 cup Agave
• Vanilla, to taste
• Water, to taste
• Blueberries

Preparation

Place cashews, agave, and vanilla in food processor and process. Add water slowly, little by little to achieve a smoothe frosting-like consistency. Place on a ziplock bag and cut a small section of the bottom corner. Use this as your frosting instrument. Squeeze frosting on each watermelon, then top with a blueberry! You can also include little flags on each one for decoration and serving purposes. Or, shape them all into a flag shape for a lovely, festive presentation! Enjoy!

Kale Chips

Kale chips are sooo easy to make & delicious. They were so good that when we opened the dehydrater to try them, they almost all got eaten immediately!! I had to hold everyone off to get them on a plate to take a picture to post (what dedication! ; )

Easy, easy, easy.. Cut out the center tough stem part of the kale.
I used 2 big bunches of beautiful organic dark kale that we bought at the market.
Then cut each piece in 4 – You can layer & cut them all together so it it super quick.

In a mixing bowl pour a couple Tablespoons of olive oil, some (1/2t or less) of garlic, onion and chili powder, some cayenne, 1t of salt.. & I think I put 1 t of basil… & maybe a bit of cumin. Mix all together and then put the kale in the bowl and mix it into the oil mixture – I used my hands.
Spread out on dehydrator trays (I got my Mom to do this ; ) -Mom’s been great!! Check it after 4 hours, but I think we left it in for about 6 – it should be crispy.

It’s so good – I thought much better than chips – & you’re eating kale – how amazing is this!?!
Incredible!!

Blueberry Rawffins

• 1 cup Brazil nuts, ground into flour
• ½-2/3 cup almond meal leftover from making almond milk
• ¼ cup golden flaxseed, finely ground
• a few dashes of sea salt
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. agave nectar
• Fresh almond milk (I made mine with ½ cup soaked almonds and 2 cups water)
• 1 cup frozen blueberries (yields ½ cup thawed berries)
• Streusel topping: a couple dates and a handful of nuts processed into a crumb
• a few more drizzles of agave nectar

In a colander, thaw the frozen blueberries by rinsing them under warm water and allowing them to drain while you prepare the batter. You can also use fresh, but I didn’t have any at the time.

In a medium size bowl, mix together the ground Brazil nuts, almond meal (still damp from making your “milk”), ground flax and sea salt. Add the vanilla, oil, agave and a couple tablespoons of almond milk and stir to combine. Add a little more almond milk based on the consistency of your batter (not too crumbly, but not too wet either). I only used a total of 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) in mine.

Fold in the thawed blueberries, and add batter to six muffin cups or silicon liners. Sprinkle with streusel topping and a drizzle of agave.

“Bake” in your dehydrator for about an hour until firm enough to remove from muffin cups or liners. Continue to “bake” until the centers are no longer a doughy consistency. I tried mine after a couple of hours and opted to leave them in the dehydrator for brunch the next day. Serve with sweetened almond milk.

Recipes from www.welikeitraw.com