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Tips for For Soaking, Sprouting and Eating Healthy Nuts

I absolutely love nuts. I really could nibble on them all day. People are often scared that nuts will make them fat, but I lost my last 10 pounds while including nuts as part of my daily regimen. So I thought, if I’m obsessed with nuts, others must feel the same way. Here are some tips to help you consume nuts in a way that will work with your body and give you the most nutrients possible.

Nuts are made from oils that can go rancid. We don’t think of nuts as a food that goes bad, but they do. Complicating the matter, rancid nuts can still taste good. So how do we protect ourselves from these toxic oils?

Buy raw nuts. Roasted nuts have been cooked at high heat which not only destroys the nutrient profile of the nut, but also makes the oil in the nut rancid. Additionally, roasted nuts are usually cooked in vegetable oil which is problematic because these oils spoil at high heats as well.

Buy nuts from the bulk section. Nuts that are packaged can sit for long periods of time before reaching store shelves. Nuts in the bulk section tend to be fresher. There is a catch though. If a store doesn’t sell a lot of nuts, those bulk nuts will have a chance to spoil too. I like buying nuts from the bins at my local Whole Foods because there is a constant rotation of product.

Once you bring nuts home, store them in the fridge. The cooler temperature will prolong the nuts life. This will help keep nuts fresh. The oil in the nut is a lot more stable at cooler temperatures.

Another point to keep in mind is that while nuts are full of vitamins and minerals, they are also a source of phytic acid (which can stop certain needed minerals from being utilized) as well as enzyme inhibitors (which can inhibit proper digestion and lead to tummy troubles). But before you throw your nuts away, know that there is way to help neutralize the unhealthy components of nuts as well as improve their nutrient profile. This is through the proper soaking of nuts. This simple process helps destroy the unhealthy components as well as make more vitamins and minerals in the nut more available.

Soaking nuts is easy. Soak nuts overnight (for at least 8 hours). Add salt to the soaking mixture to activate enzymes that neutralize the enzyme inhibitors. Then drain the nuts and put them on a pan in the oven at 150 degrees until they are dry (I use my convection oven since my normal ovendoesn’t go that low). If your oven only starts at 200 degrees, keep the oven door propped open to let out some of the heat. You may be tempted to turn up the heat to get them to dry faster, but resist this urge. Remember that high heat will burn the oils in the nuts and destroy the nutrients. Another option is to use a dehydrator if you have one. Just make sure the nuts are dry before storing them in the fridge so they don’t grow mold. If you know that you don’t have the patience (this can take quite a few hours), make nuts in small batches and consume immediately.
*soaking instruction taken from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions.

Another option is to sprout your nuts. Sprouting nuts has a lot of the advantages of soaking nuts. Sprouting nuts makes many of the vitamins and minerals more available. Sprouting can also remove the phytic acid and the enzyme inhibitors. If you are uninspired or time restricted, you can easily buy sprouted nuts, but they will cost you a pretty penny.

Soak nuts with salt overnight (at least 8 hours) in a jar with a sealed screen or covered by a cheesecloth. Then drain the jar and move it to a warm, shaded area in the home. After 12 hours, rinse the nuts and drain. Return them to the warm dark area. Repeat this process every 12 hours until sprouted. Timing can vary, but this usually takes from 1 to 3 days. Keep an eye on them. You will know they are sprouted because you will see a small tail begin to grow. It doesn’t need to be very long. Once it starts to grow, you are done. Follow the oven drying process described above for soaking nuts.

So enjoy your nuts. Nuts contain wonderful, healthy fat. I love using them as a snack for weight loss (in moderation). It is much better to consume fat that will fill you than starchy or sugary snacks that will upset blood sugar and lead to hunger and fat storage. So I say eat your nuts, but prepare them properly to get the most out of their nutritional potential!

My Guide to Breaking a Sweat for the Uninspired

Ok, I do belong to a gym.  Yet workouts are hard and I’m not a huge fan of sweat.  But I do it because it is important for so many reasons.  It helps osteoporosis and bone preservation.  It is also can help delay the muscle loss that starts at age 30. Exercise burns calories, but more importantly it strengthens the hormonal communication that keeps a person feeling full and stops them from storing excess fat.  And as we all know, cardio is excellent for the heart.

There are those that are athletes.  They take to athletics young, continue with their sport through adulthood and never need to be prodded or urged to workout.  They are able to make the time for exercise no matter what life throws at them because they love it and because it is a priority.

That has not always been the case with me.  I’ve tried being a gym rat but failed miserably.  Somehow, spending hours on an elliptical machine didn’t give me the results I wanted but did succeed in boring me.  I tried jogging.  Surely all those people I see running morning noon and night must be onto something.  I made it about a mile.  I then traded in my running shoes for rollerblades.  I

wiped-out before I fully stood up!

Finally, I had an epiphany.  I’m not by nature an athlete.  At my core, I am a creative-type, having been an actress through my childhood and early adulthood.  What types of exercise do I enjoy?  That would be exercise that isn’t just repetitive but where I actually get to create something. 

I first realized this as an adult taking figure skating lessons.  Now, learning to figure skate as an adult is admittedly somewhat humiliating.  You are in a rink with 8-year-olds leaping to the left and right of you while you are struggling to glide on one foot.  I grew up far from any ice skating rink and put on ice skates for the first time as a teenager.  I liked ice skating because it involved more than rote exercises.  I got to put moves together and make up little routines.

I then tried some dancing classes.  My goal was not to be the next Misty Copeland.  My goal was for better movement, to become stronger and to challenge myself.  I really saw a lot of changes in my body from dancing, especially my abdominals since everything is supported by your core. 

Next I tried ariel hammock.  The first thing I have to say about that is that I’m terrified of heights.  The next thing I have to say is that I had so much fun.  I loved challenging myself and I got to put on a little show.  Again, the creative aspect of exercise distracted me from the fact that I was working out.

So that is how I got into shape.  I’m still not a great runner and I still get bored on the elliptical machine.  That hasn’t changed.  You don’t get to change who you are.  You can change your approach.  Doing so worked for me.

 What type of exercise excites you?

Summer Iced Tea Spritzer

Ok, I spend a lot of time talking about food as nourishment which is all well and good.  At the end of the day though, food isn’t just a conglomeration of vitamins, minerals, protein, fat and fiber.  In truth, food is a representation of our social customs and traditions.  It marks certain occasions, comforts us in cold or hot weather and creates a space around which families often gather.

For me, cold food and drinks are integral to my summer experience.  I have amazing memories of playing outside throughout the humid, sticky Florida summers as a little kid.  My salvation: my mom kept the freezer stocked with Otter Pops.  If you’ve never had an Otter pop, it is a long, thin pop that you suck out frozen, sugary goodness from a plastic wrapper.   It is labeled as a popsicle, with a texture somewhat similar to a snow cone.  Aaah! 

At nine years old, we drove north to set up residence in Pennsylvania.  What did I discover when I got there?  The happy chimes of the ice cream truck!  I can’t imagine the reason, but there were no ice cream trucks where I lived in Florida.  I had never even heard of the concept.  It was a novel, albeit wonderful realization that icy goodness could be delivered daily to my street.  I started with the snow cone and moved on to many of the ice creamy options.

Then I hit my teen years and I spent a few summer weeks with my friend at the Jersey shore.  That is when I discovered the chipwich.  I’m pretty sure the chipwich was created by some super genius ice cream God.  What more could you ask for than a chocolate chip covered vanilla ice cream scoop that is sandwiched between not one, but two yummy chocolate chip cookies?

Now that I’m an adult, I’ve moved on to iced drinks as my chilly comfort from the blazing summer rays.  Sitting outside with a cold drink, packed with extra ice and dripping with condensation is my current salvation from the summer heat.  I mentioned a few weeks ago that coffee (my normal go-to summer beverage) is not an option for me right now due to my taxed adrenals.  So, I’ve been on the hunt for a yummy, chilly summer drink and I think I have finally found it!

I call it Fruity Iced Tea Summer Spritzer.  The thing I love about it is that no ice cubes are needed.  My fridge has ice making capabilities, but sadly my non-renovated, 1940s bungalow does not have water hook-ups for the freezer.  My landlord said it was something about not wanting to ruin the apartment’s 1940s authenticity.  Personally, I would be willing to compromise authenticity for bountiful ice cubes, but I digress.  I’m stuck making ice cubes in the little trays, which means trying to smash the cubes out of the tray into my drink.  This frustrates both me, and my loud noise hating poodle who takes any ruckus is indication of an intruder.  I try to explain to her that I was just making ice, but she is too busy furiously barking out the window to listen.  So, an ice cube-less cooling beverage is a double win for me.

Ingredients

8 ounces chilled iced tea

splash of seltzer water

squeeze of lemon

½ cup frozen berries

½ cup loosely packed mint leaves

I started off by brewing the iced tea.  This time I used Tropical Crimson herbal iced tea by Rishi Tea.  I love it because it is a reasonably priced organic herbal tea that is tasty and refreshing. I think this would go especially well will with an iced green tea, but try it with your favorite.  I brewed the iced tea ahead of time (according to the directions on the box), so I had plenty of time to let it chill.  With the heat we’ve been having lately, I want my beverage to be good and cold before drinking.

Once the tea was ready, the rest was easy.  I started by placing my mint leaves on the bottom of the glass.  Then I poured the iced tea , filling the glass ¾ of the way.  Then I added just a splash of club soda (or any sparkly water).  The goal was to add bubbles without completely watering down the drink.  There is nothing I hate more than a watered down drink.  I then added just a quick squeeze of lemon.  I wasn’t going for lemonade.  I just wanted to give the tea some depth of fruitiness.

The final ingredient is frozen berries.  I added about ½ cup, but add as many as appeals to you. The berries keep the drink cold just like ice without having to bang out any cubes and without ending with a watered down drink as the beverage cools!  It is pretty to look at, chilly to drink and yummy to eat all the sweet berries once you get to the bottom of the drink. 

So that is my current summer obsession.  It is also rich in antioxidants and fiber.  But who wants to think about nutrition that when soaking in the summer rays.  To me, it is an Otter Pop for the slightly more mature seven year old in me. 

A Plea for Rain, Hay and Plentiful Avocados in California

So it is raining here in Los Angeles.  And when I say rain, I mean a very slight drizzle.  But hey, my fellow Los Angelinos can attest, drizzle is for us what a downpour is to most other parts of the world.  We see rain here so rarely that when it happens, it is often the top story on the news.  Reporters will do man on the street interviews to discuss local resident’s experience of the treacherous trickle.  No joke.

Yet we need rain to nourish the land.  California is in a horrible drought which means all of us locals need to be mindful of when and how we use water.  It is destroying crops. I read a statistic that 17,000 agriculture workers are expected to be out of a job this year.  I even read somewhere that the possibility exists of needing to migrate people out of California.  Whoa.  Personally, I’m opting to be migrated to Hawaii.  I was born in New York, not too far from the Canadian border but I’ve gotten way too used to sunshine to turn back now.

California is supposedly the number one state for US agriculture.  Yup, amazingly we have more than movie stars and botox factories here.  Who would have guessed?  It is amazing for us Los Angelinos to remember that California isn’t just a conglomeration of coffee and juice bars, but is very much a large expanse of farmland.  I wonder if the farmers, toiling in the dry sun all day laugh at those of us who thrive on spray tans.  But I digress. 

So, we have a lot of agriculture here in California.  Do you like cheese?  Amazingly, we have a lot of cows here.  California is also a really good state to find organic raw milk (if you are so inclined and don’t happen to have your own cow.)  We are also great growers of grapes, apples, almonds, walnuts, lemons and hay (yes, I said hay.) (http://norml.org/legal/item/california-top-10-cash-crops)   Personally, I am a big fan of the California avocado.  I’d never had an avocado before moving here and was shocked to find it is served on EVERYTHING.  I become judgmental when I go back East, shaking my head at the dismal selection of available avocados.  I look sadly at my fellow shoppers and wonder if they have a glimmer at what they are being denied based on geography.

There are, of course, other reasons to be concerned about a drought than food.  Fire is a huge concern and dry conditions create the ideal setting for an out of control blaze.  As much as we like to feel in control of the elements, Mother Nature can overpower us.

So if those of you who have more access to the wet stuff could kindly do a rain dance for us, it would be greatly appreciated.  Even if you aren’t a great dancer.   It will benefit you too by keeping pricing down for some of your favorite commodities.  A slow down in production means less availability and high prices for everyone.

And if you are into entrepreneurship, you may want to invest in a galosh manufacturing company.  See somebody is going to have to sell us Californians rain gear once it starts raining again.  Seriously, do you have any idea where I might have left my umbrella?  If I retrace my steps I last saw it in 2011.

An Ode to Coffee (I Love You Despite Your Flaws)

Aah, coffee.  How I love the smell of you.  I know there are people who scatter satchels of potpourri around their houses.  I would love satchels of coffee beans so I can be surrounded by coffee aroma at all times.  One of my last waking thoughts at night is often of excitement over the next morning’s freshly brewed cup of coffee.

Seriously, I am jealous as all hell at those who could be happy with a cup of tea.  I think of tea drinkers as refined, peaceful and earthy.  Nothing at all like us hyped up, overly excited coffee drinkers.  I aspire to be like those happy tea drinkers.  Alas, I crave coffee and you don’t always get to choose who you love.

My desire goes way beyond the jittery buzz.  I like the taste of coffee that is raw and unembellished.  It is just the gritty black stuff for me.  I used to favor flavored creamers and even further back in the day I would add packets of Equal.  This was before realizing artificial sweetener was probably going to bite my health in the butt.  These days, I will crave something like a caramel macchiato every once in a while.  In the end though, sitting outside sipping a black ice coffee on a summer day tastes perfect to me.

My heart breaks at the next point I’m going to make.  Unfortunately, there are health consequences from drinking too much coffee.  Currently I need to vigilantly avoid the java as even decaf will aggravate my overly taxed adrenals.  We live in a time when almost everyone is stressed, sleep deprived and exposed to too many toxins.  Since caffeine further aggravates this adrenal stress, I must say sayonara to my beloved.

It is also a pretty well know fact that coffee is super dehydrating.  You basically need to drink two cups of water to replace the water lost from drinking one cup of coffee!  And who has time to drink all that water when you are busy sucking down coffee?

Some additional sad trivia about coffee.  Coffee is very acidic, meaning it can throw off the acid/alkaline balance of your body.  If you drink a bunch of coffee, and don’t compensate by, lets say, eating a bunch of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts), your body will become acidic.  An acidic body leaches nutrients from its bones and organs so it can return to its natural alkaline stasis.  There is much talk of how being acidic increases your odds for diseases like cancer.  This is due to the imbalances created from being acidic.  The ideal ph of the human body is slightly alkaline at about 7.2.  Wondering if your body is acidic?  There are tests you can buy where you can test your morning pee on litmus paper to see where you fall on the scale.

Another sad coffee fact.  Coffee will aggravate the gut.  Drink too much coffee and your gut could become permeable (a.k.a. leaky gut) which will lead to inflammation, weight gain and an increased chance of disease.  Leaky gut could contribute to you developing a sensitivity to some of your favorite foods.  Oh java, why do you have to be that way?

On the bright side, there are some ways to make better choices with coffee.  First of all, purchase organic.  Ack, another thing to buy organic!  Yes, but here is why.  Coffee beans come from different countries with various regulations about pesticides.  There are many pesticides that are banned in the US as toxic but are liberally used elsewhere.  Coffee beans are a crop that is heavily sprayed.  Down cup after cup of this pesticide laden crop and it is going to be a toxin party in your stomach.

Feeling jittery?  Well, there is always decaf.  Unfortunately, even decaf can be problematic.  Decaf gives you additional chemical exposure from the chemicals used to eliminate the caffeine.  You’re trading caffeine for even more inflammation-causing toxins.  Look for decaf coffee that is labeled decaffeinated via Swiss water process.  This is much gentler to your system.  There is a decaf coffee by Groundworks (based in Los Angeles, but can be purchased online-groundworkscoffee.com) called Angel City which I love.  It is organic, Swiss water processed and 99.7% caffeine free.  If you want decaf coffee, this is the way to go. 

Ok, and finally, there is a product I tried recently that is a perfect compromise between coffee and tea.  I’m not saying it will make you want to give up coffee altogether, but it could be a nice drink for the afternoon when you know you’ve really reached your caffeine limit.  It is a coffee substitute called Teeccino (www.teeccino.com) and it is made of organic healthy grains and nuts like barley, chicory and almonds.  It can be brewed in a teabag in just a few minutes and it has a smooth coffee-like flavor without the added caffeine, acid and toxins!  Quite frankly I am in love with this stuff since I’m living in a no-coffee zone.

So coffee, please don’t be mad that I pointed out your flaws.  I love you despite the fact that we’ve needed to “see other people”.  I know that sometimes you are bad for me, but I was told I have a penchant for loving the heartbreakers. 

If you are a tea drinker, then you probably don’t have much use for my ode to coffee.  If you are a bean lover like me, then hopefully you relate.  Coffee may but a lovable but unhealthy crutch.  The good news is that there are ways to be a healthier coffee drinker.  Coffee, you may be the “bad boy” of the beverage world (though certainly not as mischievous as your step-brother whisky), but I know you have a good heart.  We may be star crossed lovers currently but we will be together (in moderation) soon.  

A Healthier Way to Live in an "On The Go", Takeout World

Ok, you know you want to eat healthy.   You would just prefer to be able to do so without actually having to cook.   With all the nonsense that fills your week, who has the time?  It is takeout or frozen dinners because you don’t have the energy for anything more.   Think you are doomed to clot your arteries?  Well, while it is preferable to have healthy and fresh home-cooked meals, there is a way to clean up your diet significantly while eating your meals from a restaurant barstool.  Don’t believe me? Well here I am in my tights, cape and super-power goggles to help you navigate restaurants for a healthier lifestyle. (Ok, I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but whose counting?)

I’m going to start with an old standard.  A salad can often be a very good option, but it all depends on the type of salad you choose.  Avoid the fillers like croutons, wontons and tortilla strips.  Those just provide empty calories.  Minimize the deli slices, bacon bits and the cheeses as they are heavily processed and salted.  Also, it probably goes without saying but filling your salad with deep fried foods is probably not the best option.  Grilled or broiled meat with a colorful array of veggies, maybe some beans all tossed together would be a much better option.  Now here’s the clincher.  The dressing is the make or break item of the salad.  It isn’t enough to just choose a low fat salad dressing.  Low fat dressings usually compensate with sugar which can be worse for your heart and waist line than the added fat.  I often try to make my own dressing right there in the restaurant.  Ask for oil and balsamic vinegar and a little side of Dijon mustard.  Mix the oil and vinegar and put in a smidge of mustard to taste.  Add a dash of salt and you have a no-sugar added, heart healthy salad dressing on the fly!

Of course, if you spend your life eating out, you eventually have to venture beyond just roughage.  This is a good time to talk to the waiter.  Are you in an Irish pub with everything smothered in cream sauce?  Ask if they can just serve you a simple piece of chicken covered in basic spices that is grilled or baked.  Most restaurants would have the ingredients to do that.  Or are you just dying for an occasional burger?  Ask for it to be served on a green salad instead of a bun.  Or ask for it on type of brown rice if you are missing your carbohydrates.  Removing the bun isn't about limiting carbohydrates.  It is about removing the sugar filled (yes, bread is usually made with sugar) refined carbohydrates that quickly turn to sugar in your body.  Oh, and on the topic of sugar, avoid the most common condiments.  Ketchup has tons of sugar and mayo is made out of oils that easily go rancid.  Better options are mustard and Worcestershire sauce that usually have less sugar and bad fats.  They are still often high in sodium so don’t go overboard!

Another great place to look for nourishing restaurant options is ethnic food.  Now I’m not talking about the “American” version of certain ethnic foods that you will see at Panda Express or Del Taco.  I’m talking about the small family run restaurant where everything is made from scratch from whole food ingredients.  Foods that you will find at most Indian and Ethiopian restaurants tend to be unprocessed other than the breads and flavored with spices as opposed to sugar.  Sushi is also a good option as it is often made of just basic, whole ingredients.  That isn’t to say that you can’t get into trouble at these restaurants.  If you go to Sushi and order just the fried tempura or the Philly roll stuffed with cream cheese, you will be missing out on much of the nutrient potential that sushi has to offer.  So let’s talk about the popular Chinese food.  Is that a good option?  “American” style Chinese food sauces are often filled with sugar, salt and much of the food is friend.   A better way to order Chinese food is to order it steamed. The vegetables will be crisper, offering more nutrient potential.  You can add a little soy sauce for taste (high in sodium but no sugar) or enjoy a little bit of the sauce on the side if feeling deprived. 

So that brings me to the final stop in our healthy bites restaurant tour.  What about eating at fast food restaurants?  While fast food will never be the best choice, sometimes you are driving cross country or you’ve got a small child in your backseat or you are just in a rush with limited options.  In general, even the “healthier options” at burger joints aren’t the best.  For instance, the granola/yogurt cup advertised as a “healthy option” is often filled with so much sugar filled cereal that you might as well be eating candy.  So what should you choose?

Rotisserie or grilled chicken places can make better options.  The best option is to remove the skin which will remove a not so heart healthy form of fat but will also remove a lot of the salt filled sauce.  Part of the charm in many of these places is that you can load up on more nutritious sides like steamed vegetables or a salad.  Then again, load up on the extra butter mashed potatoes and you’ve now turned your meal into much more of a blood pressure hazard.

Something like Chipotle can be a better option (though load up on the sour cream, cheese and tortillas and your meal is now an artery clogging nightmare).  Choose as many whole food ingredients as possible to make the healthiest creation.  Maybe today you may be in the mood for vegetarian.  If you choose lettuce, black beans, brown rice and maybe the sautéed peppers, your meal will be lower sodium, low sugar and filled with foods that have nutritional value.  Skip the salsa and use the hot sauce on the side to further reduce your sugar intake.

Finally, what about Subway?  After all, they advertise themselves as being diet-friendly.  I prefer people choose the salads over the sandwiches to avoid so much refined carbohydrate.  Subway advertises there sandwiches as heart healthy if they are low calorie and fat.  I prefer to look at the total nutrient content. A big roll that will be quickly metabolized into sugar can lead to a blood sugar imbalance and weight gain.  Again, the best option will be a salad without the packaged salad dressing.  Flavor your salad with oil, vinegar and maybe some hot or sweet peppers.

Now let’s get real.  You aren’t going to deprive yourself of ever eating a double burger with fries, or an ice cream sundae ever again.  Eventually you are going to go to a restaurant as a treat because they serve your favorite foods.  This guide isn’t for the occasional restaurant dweller in good health.  When you find yourself frequenting restaurants as a larger part of your diet, it is important to understand how to get more nourishing options.  Restaurant food ideally will not replace home cooked sustenance.  Yet when it does, this guide is the best bet to lead you to a healthy, well balanced, nourished life!