Cheeseburger Soup

2 lbs. lean ground beef (venison or any kind of lean ground optional)
1 sm. Onion - diced
1 green pepper - diced
1 red pepper - diced

Cook until meat is done Add:
1 32 oz. container beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 med. head cabbage or 1 pkg. Shredded cabbage
pepper and salt to taste ( hot peppers optional)

Bring to low boil and cook for 5 min. Turn heat to low and add 2 1/2 cups Nacho Cheese. Stir until cheese melts.( optional - Bacon pieces to bring the fat count up / or any of the above ingredients )

A Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables

Alright so on Monday we posted about organic fruits and vegetables and I promised to cover the rainbow of colors and phytonutrients, so let's get down to it.

Red- Colored by lycopene or anthocyanins. Lycopene (found in foods like tomatoes and pink grapefruit) may reduce the risk of several types of cancer (like prostate). Anthocyanins (strawberries and raspberries) are powerful antioxidants (for healthy hearts).  Examples: apples, beets, cherries, cranberries, red peppers and radishes.

Orange/ Yellow: Colored by carotenoids. Beta-carotenes (found in carrots and pumkin) are converted to vitamin A to maintain healthy mucous membranes and healthy eyes. Helps to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and improves immune system function. Reduce risk of developing age-related macular degeneration by 43% and lowers the risk of heart attacks by 36%. Examples: apricots, lemons, nectarines, peaches, pears, yellow peppers, and tangerines.

Green: Colored by chlorphyll. Some that contain lutein (spinach, green peppers, cucumbers, and celery) work with zeaxanthin to reduce the risks of cataracts and macular degeneration. Indoles (in cruciform vegetables like brocoli and cabbage) may protect against some types of cancer. Examples: artichokes, avocados, Brussels sprouts, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, and cucumbers.

Blue/ Purple: Colored by anthocyanins. A powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage. Also, may reduce the risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Example: blackberries, eggplant, grapes, blueberries, and plums.

White: Colored by anthoxanthins. Has health promoting chemicals (allicin) that lower cholesterol and blood pressure, while reducing the risk of stomach cancer and heart disease. Examples: cauliflower, jicama, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, onions, parsnips, and turnips.

Lauric Acid: What is it and Why Should I care?

I've been doing a lot of research on coconut and we've already done an article on coconut products (July 5), but I thought we'd look at one of it's by-products today: lauric acid. It is a medium chain fatty acid. What I found fascinating is that besides coconut, it's only found in high concentrations in breast milk. That is cool, at least to me! Why is this so important? It protects against bacteria and viruses, which is why it's so important that it's found in breast milk  because it helps babies fight off infections. The lauric acid forms monolaurin. Monolaurin is a antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozaol monoglyceride that the body uses to destroy lipid coated virsuses (which includes influenza and HIV). What else is great is that it's virtually non-toxic, which gives it an edge over pharmaceutical drugs. Most who consume higher levels experience less sickness. Other benefits include: increased metabolism and improved skin and hair condition. Coconut oil has the highest natural levels of lauric acid. Nearly half of the fatty acids in coconut oil are lauric acid. It has seven grams per tablespoon! Dr. Mary Enig suggests consuming 10-20 grams of lauric acid per day (or 3 tablespoons). It's best to get organic, cold-pressed, extra virgin coconut oil to get the most benefits. Personally I love to use the coconut oil, it has a great smell and flavor. In addition it's great to cook with because it has a higher smoke point. I would say try it, if it's found naturally in breast milk, it has to be beneficial right?

Lift Heavy, Build Muscle!

No exercise program can be complete without some kind of resistance lifting program. People get so focused on looking "skinny" or trying not to get "bulky," that they miss the boat with lifting heavy. Lifting weights actually helps weight loss and creates a slimmer figure. Lifting can help increase muscle mass. Muscle burns 30-50calories a day compared to fat, which burns 5-10 calories. Basically if you can create more muscle then you can burn more calories, making weight loss easier and more efficient. Since the muscle takes up less space it actually makes you leaner and slimmer. This is great for physical appearance and body fat percentage but there are other benefits to lifting as well. Benefits include: greater muscular strength, increased endurance, enhanced bone density, improved muscle tone, improved cardiovascular fitness, helps maintain flexibility, and helps prevent osteoporosis. The increased muscle strength can improve posture, reduce risk of injury, and better support joints. An added bonus is the improved mood it brings, with increased levels of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. It's important to train with heavy weights though. You have to push muscles so they adapt by increasing in size and power, so that the next time you do the same workout it is less stressful than the time before. Important to note that you need to continue to lift heavy because strength will decline if you do not continue a strength stimulus (which is why lifting heavy is essential because it stimulates more muscle fibers). You don't want to do it everyday though because you'll need more time to recover (muscle is built and restored after workouts, not during, which is why rest (including sleep) is important). I liked one quote I found that said "you can't train heavy all the time. . but you can train heavy every time." Lifting light weights doesn't trigger new muscle growth, so if you're going to the gym and not feeling it and think you're going to just take it easy; go home. Lifting light isn't going to accomplish anything and clearly your body needs more time to recover (you're doing more harm than good). Skipping a workout or delaying it a day or two is not the end of the world, it's better (I know most of us feel we need to workout all the time to produce results, but really that can be counterproductive, as we've looked at before with chronic cardio). Determine your one rep max on a lift and aim to lift between 70 and 80% of that when you lift. Make a goal to lift two or three times a week (if you only do one and need more time to recover that's fine too, you've stimulated a lot of muscle obviously). Women aren't going to get bulky either from lifting heavy weights (we'll discuss women's weight lifting in detail at a later date). So go out there and get your Hercules on, feel strong, gain muscle and lose some fat!

Taking Care of Others, Wearing on Our Health?

One of my clients gave me an article about the care giving boomerang, and since Tuesday's are spiritual/body blogs I thought it would be appropriate to discuss what I learned in this article. Because people are living longer, people are now going through a second care giving stage (first with their children and then with their parents). Fifties should be a high point in one's life. The kids are grown, so you don't have to balance that with a job. Life should be about pursuing lost dreams and living, but unfortunately this is a time when many have to step into the role of caregiver. Almost 50 million Americans care for an adult who was once independent. The average caregiver is a 48-year old woman with at least one kid still at home and has a job. Care giving can be exhausting, averaging for five years. Most feel that it is an obligation, it's not something that anyone signs up to do. Worst of all is the stress (which leads to other health problems) and as a wellness facility we are concerned with overall health. Caregivers can feel exhausted but can't sleep (which we know the risk associated with a lack of sleep) which leads to chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels. Long term caregivers put themselves at high risk for all kinds of health issues. They have higher risks for: sleep deprivation, immune-system deficiency, depression, chronic anxiety, loss of concentration, and premature death. Not only do they suffer physically, but psychologically as well (feeling under appreciated for their dedication causing some of the worst damage). Eventually it gets to the point where they become to stressed and can't care give anymore and their parent (or whomever they taking care of) end up in a nursing home and then they feel more guilt for not being able to take care of them. What should people do then if they find themselves in a care giving position but they don't want to suffer all the health risks. If you can plan ahead and discuss with family and siblings ahead of time so that you are not alone. Another options are to join a support group.  Try and take at least an hour a day to do something you enjoy, every few weeks or months take longer. Taking care of people you love is important, but so is your health, so plan and take time to yourself to remain in wellness.

Organic Fruits and Veggies

Today's topic is pretty broad and general, but it is important to discuss the carbohydrates that I do eat. I don't recommend not eating any carbs, I say no grains, starches, or sugars. Carbohydrates are the other macronutrients (we've already discussed fats and proteins). Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber (all of which are important to protect against chronic diseases like stroke, heart disease, and cancers). They're pretty as well, just look at the picture (this is Pikes Market, by the way, which I would highly recommend going to if you are ever in the Seattle area). All the color and variation is important though. Eating a variety of fruit and vegetable colors provides a range of nutrients (fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C). Friday's Featured Food page we'll look at a fruit or vegetable for each color and give benefits. Now that we know some of the benefits of fruits and vegetables, let's look at why we should buy organically grown products. Nowadays produce are hindered with hormones and sprayed with pesticides, and we don't know the effects of what these will do to our bodies. One thing about organic is that you get the benefits now without having to wait for the results of these additives and the lasting detrimental effects they may have. There are additional reasons to eat organically though.
*They are hormone free. There is one theory that growth hormone in foods could add to current issue of kids growing up faster and hitting puberty at younger ages.
*Pesticide and Herbicide free. These are poisons used to prevent weeds and bugs, however, they can still contain trace amounts in regular fruits and veggies.
*Higher nutrient levels. Organic fruits may appear smaller, but regular fruits and vegetables bigger size is due to water.
*Prenatal benefits.
*No artificial coloring, what you see is what you get when you bite into it.
*Tastes better. Because they are allowed to grow and mature at their own pace they have a "home grown" taste.
* Promotes a healthier water table. Traditional farming methods allow for poisons (pesticide/herbicides) to make their way into our drinking water.
*Higher levels of antioxidants- Organic fruits are usually fresher and from a local source so they contain higher levels of antioxidants (important to protect against chronic diseases like stroke, heart disease and cancer)
* Supports local economy since most stores have to purchase from local farmers.
One other side note is the benefits of plant food in preserving muscle mass. A study at Tufts concluded that potassium-rich plant foods can help older individuals to maintain lean mass. I wouldn't suggest going hog wild with all fruits and vegetables though. Try to eat more vegetables than fruit because there carb numbers are lower than fruits. Also seek fruits that are lower glycemic (so that you don't spike insulin levels). Great fruits are cherries, blueberries (check out one of Featured Food blogs), blackberries, strawberries, apples, and grapefruits. Fruits to avoid are tropical fruits like watermelon and pineapple. Vegetables eat in unlimited quantities; vegetables that are thermogenic are best. Thermogenic vegetables include: spinach (another Featured Food), mushrooms, raddishes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, zucchini, and celery. Fruits and vegetables have numerous health benefits and come in a variety of color. What would I do? Go and make a big colorful salad (spinach, leafy greens, maybe strawberries and blueberries topped with olive oil; skies the limits and the options are limitless) and eat up!