Which Superfoods are Worth Your While?

 Nobody likes to myth bust more than I do. And so, when I recently spoke to Domino magazine about superfoods (and affordable substitutes) I was ready to offer full-on snark. However, as I reviewed each item on the list, I was reminded that many of these foods are heralded as super for a reason. Additionally, I believe foods can send subliminal messages. Perhaps, when we’re eating goji berries we feel we’re on our nutrition game. So, let’s have a look at these alleged superfoods…

 Hemp seeds hemp seeds have a combo of good, essential fats (essential means body cannot produce). One type of fat in hemp seeds are omega 3’s.  You’re probably acquainted with those good fats found in salmon and other fatty fish. But hemp also has GLA’s. GLA’s are great for healthy skin and hormone health; they are good omega 6’s. These GLA’s aren’t founding traditional foods. So, while you can get omega 3’s in fatty fish, walnuts and chia seeds,  GLA’s are usually supplemented in evening primrose or borage oil.

Worth it? Yes, particularly for women for PMS, hair or nail health.

Goji berries – even though superfoods seem trendy to us, most of them have a long history of use. Gojis have been used for thousands of years. Goji berries have beneficial effects on your blood sugar. They’re also important for eye health, as the antioxidants in goji’s can prevent macular degeneration. And any couple concerned with fertility should go goji, they benefit both sperm health and ovulation.

Worth it? Yes, for fertility, eye health and weight control.

Moringa- moringa is definitely having a moment. My issues with moringa are that a) the actual research is scant and b) that it tastes horrible. I did purchase some moringa powder to play with, will circle back. It’s rich in C, B6 and iron and has some diuretic effects.

Worth it?  I’m curious but unconvinced.

Bee pollen- I feel bee pollen should get more attention. Perhaps the reason it doesn’t is that it’s expensive to produce and not an inexpensive item to purchase. Bee pollen has natural, anti-bacterial properties. It also good for allergy sufferers. If you’re scanning this list for the superfood to help your metabolism, I’d pick pollen.

Worth it? Yup for immunity, allergies and weight loss.

*also some evidence it’s helpful for those TTC.

 Chia seeds- chia seeds have almost become commonplace, in healthy circles, with good reason. Chia seeds are LOADED with fiber and contain omega 3’s. They are natural hunger busters because of their ability to swell in liquid. I use our Cocochia (chia, coconut and probiotics) almost daily. 

Worth it? Yes, chia helps appetite, constipation and is a non-fish source of omega 3

As you can see, different superfoods make sense depending on your goals and needs. And although basics aren’t as sexy, if you aren’t regularly eating greens, drinking water and sleeping, 7 hours or more per night, start there first, before getting super.

Which superfoods to you use? Any I didn’t mention that you’re curious about?

Poke' is worth leaving your desk for

Usually, when I have a healthy discovery I cannot wait to spread the word. But there are certain instances where I hesitate, there’s an inclination to be greedy. I had that “I’m not sure if I should spread the word” thought as I ate my lunch on Friday.

For weeks Carolyn has been talking about poke’, poke’ poke” but I didn’t get it. I thought it looked like tartare. What was all the fuss about? Carolyn said, “it’s like a sashimi bowl”.  I looked Wisefish Poke’ up online and grew increasingly curious. The concept originated in Hawaii and seemed to be some hybrid of a make your own salad and the rice/quinoa bowl craze. There’s raw fish, a choice of sauces and other add-ins. I hear poke’ (poh-kay) is already “the thing” in LA.

I was in Chelsea on Friday and decided to hit Wisefish poke’ for lunch. My favorite nutritionist (the RD formerly known as One Smart Brownie,) couldn’t meet so I poke’-ed solo.  Wisefish had some suggestion combinations, the “Heat Wave” sounded good but given the choice I always make my own. My poke’ consisted of:

Zucchini noodles (brown or white rice are also options)

Salmon

Spicy shoyu (all sauces are GF)

Jalapenos

Hikjiki

Scallions

Cucumbers

Avocado

Sesame seeds

After I paid ($16 this included an unsweetened matcha ginger tea), I made my way to the window seating and of course snapped some pics of my poke’ It was definitely pretty but I still didn’t know what I was in for. Sometimes I make my own salad and it’s fantastic, other times it's too spicy or contains combinations that taste weird together.

Not this time. This was mind-blowingly good. It was super flavorful but not overpowering.  I was fantasizing about eating this lunch every day. Part of me didn’t want this dream lunch it to end but when it did I was surprisingly satisfied.

I’m not sure if you caught (pun…) this article on lunch in the New York Times yesterday. “Failure to Lunch” revealed that 62% of professionals eat lunch at their desks. This statistic sounds a little sad but there’s an upside. When we eat lunch alone, we tend to eat less. I’m curious if this holds true for meals consumed alone at home or dinnertime. My guess would be alone is not always a good thing.  The article disputed the notion that having a “desk lunch” leads to more productivity. Just because you’re not getting up doesn’t mean you’re working (Facebook trolling isn’t work).  I strongly believe, when possible, get yourself outside. This is important for your mood and energy.  Maybe, now that you have the lure of something new for lunch, you’ll step away from your desk.

Have you heard of or tried poke’? What’s your typical lunch? Do you eat it at your desk?

Two of our Family Favorites and Giveaways

 I relax some of my food standards when we’re away from home. Despite my best efforts,  you cannot always control everything. Vegetables aren’t always organic, most restaurants don’t cook with coconut oil etc. Additionally, contrary to what my offspring think, my mission in life isn’t to embarrass them in any way possible. Even with the upcoming book, at one of our early meetings when we conceptualized it, my agent looked at me and said “the advice for each scenario cannot be to bring your own.” I agreed. But there are places when you should bring your own and one of those places is the movies.

My children eat candy and have treats but they don’t need sour patch kids the size of a clutch purse or popcorn popped in garbage. They used to give me a hard time over my need to smuggle in my own cinema offerings until I found a solution they adored. The solution’s name is Quinn and this popcorn is insanely good. Aside from the movies it’s now our football snack, road trip snack- we’re pretty into it.

As Quinn says it’s “microwave popcorn reinvented”.  I have many issues and phobias but the microwave isn’t one of them. If you don’t microwave, there are stovetop directions.  The bag is free of chemical coatings and such found in typical micro pop (and also compostable). All ingredients are non-GMO, popcorn is organic. You pop the popcorn, add oil and shake, add the flavor packet and shake again. Our only issue is that we live in a house divided. Two favor Vermont Maple and Sea Salt and two can’t think beyond Hickory Smoked Cheddar.

So there are times when I try to find a family friendly replacement for unhealthy options. Other times, I’m trying to pack the maximum amount of nutrition into our family meals.  One of my favorite ways to do this is with hemp (seeds, oil, powder). Hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds) have a mild flavor and contain a variety of fats making them great for skin, cognition and mood.  They’re also a good source of protein. These go in our school day smoothies and get sprinkled over salads and in yogurt.

From our family (and the Quinn and Manitoba Harvest family) to yours.

Quinn is giving away a 6-pack of all flavors of their popcorn.

Manitoba harvest is generously supplying a lucky reader a hemp starter pack (with hemp oil, hemp hearts and hemp protein).

To be eligible

1. Comment below (with an email address so we can reach you)
2. Tweet “@foodtrainers family favorites @quinnpocorn and @manitobaharvest #giveaway http://foodtrainers.blogspot.com/2013/09/two-of-our-family-favorites-and.html"
3. And like Manitoba Harvest and Quinn Popcorn on Facebook

You have until Thursday September 19^th to enter 

How do you maximize nutrition in your meals? Have you tried either of these foods? And where do you try to smuggle food?

I can get you to like sardines

Special Sardine Salad, see below

Three whopping years ago, I attempted to like sardines. I psyched myself up and tried them and even concluded, “I would give sardines a second date.” I must apologize to sardines because I didn’t revisit them. I felt I had faced a food fear and frankly fear and eating aren’t two things I enjoy at the same time. I have total respect for sardines, their impressive omega 3 content, low mercury and B vitamin offerings. Maybe the initial timing wasn't right. More recently, I got together with some friends to cook and one of the recipes was a sardine salad. It wasn’t just a run of the mill green salad with sardines but baby arugula with orange and fennel, other delicious additions and sardines. We were in good hands with chef and author Myra Kornfield who I have known and worshipped for years.

We all loved the special sardine salad but joked that we didn’t whip out the mandolin for our weekday lunches. Was there a way to enjoy sardines simply? Myra digested the challenge and then scurried around the kitchen. “Have you tried sardines mashed with avocado?” My fear was instantly extinguished, replaced with curiosity. “You can also do this with mackerel.” My food phobias were getting crossed off the list at rapid speed. Myra combined the sardines with avocado, juice from ½ lemon and some good quality salt. It wasn’t just fine; it was delicious.

Sardine Mash

1 tin of Vital Choice Sardines, no need to use oil that remains in can

½ ripe avocado, cubed

juice from ½ lemon

few pinches Himalayan or Celtic salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mash with a fork. Eat as is or over greens.

I ordered both sardines and mackerel from Vital Choice. Full disclosure, when I made my own “mash” I wimped out and used only ½ tin with ½ avocado. Once I ate them in my own home, without sardine support and still liked them, ding dong sardine-o-phobia is gone. 

Have you tried sardines or mackerel? How do you prepare them? Any foods you want to like because of nutritional value but don't? 

Boston (but no marathon)

Thank you for those who tweeted "are you running?" Um no.

I’m in Boston for Dr Weil’s Nutrition and Health Conference. This is a conference I look forward to and have attended twice before in New York and also San Diego. Presenters, at any event,  are always a mixed bag and sometimes the sessions you expect to be best are not the highlights. Dr Robert Lustig opened the morning yesterday. His name may sound familiar as he figured prominently in 60 Minutes sugar segment; he’s also the endocrinologist quoted in the NYT early puberty article. Dr Lustig presented on fructose. I was really excited but not for the biochemistry lesson he started in with. There were two fun facts, after 45 minutes, first that 80% (wow) of supermarket items have some sugar. And second, Lustig’s “4 foods of the apocalypse”

Trans fats

Corn Fed Beef

Ethanol (alcohol)

Fructose

No surprises on the list but imagine if America worked on decreasing all of these…

The highlight of the day was a seminar on food and fertility by Dr Victoria Maizes who works with Dr Weil at the University of Arizona and I’ve seen present on diet and cancer before.  She is a fantastic speaker and offers suggestions versus mandates.  It startling when you look at the fertility data. Many women postpone having children to focus on work while fertility starts to decline in our 30s. As far as diet, it matters more vis-à-vis fertility as we get older, if that makes sense. So what’s been associated with decreased fertility?

1. Cereal- many foods were tested and cold cereal, likely because of glycemic index, decreased fertility more than most others
2. Nonfat milk- you know, if you read regularly, I’m not a skim fat but while nonfat milk decreases fertility whole dairy improves it.
3. Trans fats – a 2% increase in trans fats was associated with a 73% increase in infertility, think packaged products and read labels for hydrogenation. Trans fats were on Lustig’s list above and they really are about as bad for us as we thought, it not worse
4. Soda but not necessarily all caffeine

What foods improve fertility?

1. Whole Dairy
2. Fish/omega 3's- many women cut out fish due to mercury phobia and this is a mistake. Omega 3’s decrease miscarriage risk, postpartum depression and certain pediatric cancers.
3. Prenatal vitamins- I am not such a multivitamin all in one fan but feel strongly, after this presentation, that both men and women trying to conceive should be taking one (though not the same one).

What happens in utero and what women do before they conceive really, as Dr Maizes said “wires you for the rest of your life”. So I can focus on my mother and how screwed I am or I can try to pass this information on.  And finally, infertility isn’t always discussed and has to be one of the hardest things to go through. I have a sister to struggled with IVF and I tried for a long time with my older son. Dr Maizes reminded us of the compassion needed. I also think “tools” are helpful so please, if appropriate, pass this information along. And congratulations to all the Boston runners, well done.

 I have to get over to the Westin for today’s sessions. I’ll tweet @Foodtrainers about  them if you want to hear more.

Are you eating much of the apocalyptic foods? Or are you limiting fish due to mercury concerns? What do you think makes a good speaker or presentation?

Healthy Holidays: Tips to Keep you Sane and Slim

Perhaps you think it’s a festive time of year and I get that. There’s the music and the decorations, the parties and the treats. To me though, it seems like a bit of a conspiracy. Even the songs  “Feed the World”, “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” and for Hanukah “Gather Round the Table and We’ll give you a Treat” all subliminally telling you to do one thing, eat! Then there’s the inflated pound propaganda preparing you for the inevitable five to ten pound weight gain (more on that later).

I loved this graphic from Beth at Weight Maven; I don’t think the terror alert analogy is inappropriate:

Festive Foods are Everywhere

 

So what’s a well-intentioned healthy person to do short of signing up for a one month retreat? 

• Pick an Anchor Behavior. An anchor is something that centers you when things are crazy around you and December is crazy. Pick one behavior: breakfasts on track or gym visits or hydration to stick to for the duration of the season.
• Run on Empty. A study from the UK followed 3 groups during the holiday season. One group did not work out, another worked out before eating anything and the final group workout out after breakfast. The only group to lose weight was the “running on empty group”. If you have a 10-mile run planned or low blood sugar, eat before. Otherwise try running on empty here and there and eating soon after you’re done.
• Use Special Days for Special Days. Even if you don’t gorge, celebration abounds this month. In between the events I suggest pulling back a bit. Try, what I call, a Savory Day where you skip anything sweet for one day. Do this once or twice a week.
• Cook Responsibly. Many sad weight-related tales start with “I baked ________ to bring it __________. You don’t have to bring dessert and if you do it doesn’t have to be handmade.
• Utilize Your Little Helpers. It’s not just about taking things out of your diet. Both green tea and omega 3’s support you and your diet during the holiday season.
• Practice Treat Training. My sister makes trifle every year. It’s beautiful and everyone loves it but it’s just not my thing. On the other hand, eggnog is something I dream about.  What are the holiday foods you can’t pass up? Make it a mission to seek out the best version of those one or two foods and call it a day.
• Try Your Holiday Hotline or TIDEI. If you’re on twitter, I’m here for you. When you’re tempted to get carried away simply use the hash tag #TIDEI which stands for tweet it don’t eat it. Use @Foodtrainers and I’ll tweet you off the food ledge.

Finally, if you want to test your knowledge of food-related holiday songs I loved this quiz from slashfood that I failed miserably (didn’t even know how many maids a milking). And that holiday weight gain of five pounds? The good news is the NEJM found it’s only one or two pounds for most people. The bad news? Those one to two pounds stick around long after the holidays.

What are your favorite holiday foods? Do you tend to overdo it this time of year? Favorite holiday song? And what will your anchor behavior be?

Is All Fish Healthy?

Do these look like happy fish?

It bothers me that people are confused about what to eat. I take pride in distilling intricate nutrition information into something straight forward and easy to follow. For today's blog, my plan was to explain the differences between wild and farmed fish but something new happened. The more I researched, the more questions I had. While wild fish has its clear virtues, some farms are better than others. I don't consider myself an aquaculture expert and as I delved deeper into this topic I really felt- well much like a fish out of water (or in this case a fish out of the wild). I thought to scrap this post but realized something, if the ins and outs of fish farming are confusing to me, chances are I'm not alone. So here we go.

For starters, why is wild better than farmed fish?

• Wild fish, as the name implies, have room to swim. Farmed fish, on the other hand, are often confined to crowded spaces. One consequence of this is that farmed fish is fattier. Unfortunately this increase in fat isn’t the “good" fat. Wild salmon is 20% higher in protein and 20% lower in far than farm raised.
• Farmed fish is lower in omega 3’s than wild fish
• Fish farming is similar in many ways to factory farms for animals. Crowded conditions lead to contamination and the need for antibiotic use. Sulfa drugs with your salmon anyone?
• Farmed fish aren't searching for their next meal, they are “fed”. Their diet is very different from their wild counterparts. I had no idea farmed fish weren’t fed fish or other marine “stuff” until I read an article in the NYT last spring about tilapia farms. Corn, soy, wheat and even chicken (yes chicken) are used at fish farms.
• Due to the change from natural feed, farmed fish looks different than wild. Two red food dyes are used to color the flesh of farmed salmon. Otherwise it would appear greyish. This dying is known as “color finishing”. One of these colors is made from a strain of red yeast.
• Furthermore the proximity of many fish farms to wild fish adversely affects wild fish. A parasite known as sea lice has been on the rise due to this.

Antibiotics, corn and chicken in my fish? No thank you, I choose wild whenever possible but have certain lingering questions:

How do you know if fish is farmed or wild?

My general rule is that stores and companies using or selling wild fish want you to know and this fish is generally labeled. If it doesn’t say wild, it is almost always farmed. “Bred”, “raised” and “cultivated” are euphemisms for farmed. Atlantic salmon is farmed.

Are all farms flawed?

As I scoured Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch site, I learned that fish farming or aquaculture is part of our future. “The ecological impact of fish farming depends on the species chosen, where the farm is located, and how they are raised.” Not all fish farms are polluting the oceans and not all farms use chicken feathers as feed. The problem is that you can’t very well ask the waiter at the restaurant if your fish came from a good farm or a nasty one.  I would hope at some point there will be language much like “grass fed beef” to inform consumers.

Until the time when we can distinguish better farms from foul (or fowl) ones. Wild is the better bet. Canned wild salmon and wild sardines are more affordable options. And though farmed fish has its drawbacks and is inferior to wild nutritionally, I wouldn’t go ordering the steak.

Do you find fish facts confusing? Do you pay attention to where your fish comes from? Does coloring, antibiotics, soy or wheat used with farmed fish worry you?