More reasons to skip skim (in case grey coffee isn't reason enough)

We’ve said it before…if you do dairy (and we do), you have to skip the skim. It’s better for your weight, your skin, your bones and your fertility. Recent research adds further evidence to our skim-stance. A study published in Circulation analyzed the blood of 3,333 adults for 15 years. It’s difficult to “skim” over (had to) their findings.  People who consumed more full-fat dairy had a 46% decreased risk of getting diabetes. Another study published in the American Journal of Nutrition looked at obesity risk with full fat versus low fat dairy among 18,438 female participants. Those who consumed the most full-fat dairy products lowered their risk of being overweight or obese by 8%.

At Foodtrainers, we believe fat makes you thin. Fat keeps you full. It’s crucial for your skin, hair, nails and Vitamin D absorption. Cutting back on calories by cutting out fat typically results in eating more sugar/carb calories. And when your sugar and carbs increase your body stores more fat (remember the “fat free” 90s?).

Aside from skipping skim, fermented dairy is your best bet.  Fermented dairy contains probiotics that help your weight, cravings and mood.  These good bacteria break down some of the lactose. If you find dairy difficult to digest, fermented dairy may be easier. We adore four percent Siggi’s yogurt, Maple Hill Creamery plain kefir and Nancy’s (probiotic) cottage cheese. And it’s not fermented but Ronnybrook’s half and half and their glass bottles make life better.

Hate to say we told you so (well before fat was where it's at), but PLEASE skip the skim and grey coffee… you’re welcome. 

Speaking of dairy, Lauren and I are checking out a new cheese headquarters this week… details to follow!

Hemp-y Breakfast With Anna Kaiser

I had the pleasure of shooting a video you fitness guru Anna Kaiser. The requested topic was hemp and since hemp hearts are lauded in The Little Book of Thin, I was thrilled. An aside, I hadn't meant Anna prior. And you never know what a project will be like in this scenario. Anna was as welcoming and fun as she is successful. So here is the link, we make a delicious Blueberry, lime and coconut breakfast bowl and laugh a lot. The bowl feature's my favorite Siggi's coconut low fat yogurt, Manitoba hemp hearts and lots of zest. Stay tuned for our next installment.
Have you tried Anna's workout? Eat hemp foods? Did you think hemp was pot? 

Top 10 Savory Breakfasts

Why is breakfast a sugar fest? Even if you’re not eating cold cereal and pancakes what you’re having is most likely a desserty start to the day. Whether you’ve quit sugar with us for June or you’re just becoming more sugar conscious breakfast can be a challenge. I’ve suggested dinner forbreakfast before, but here are some of our favorites from the past couple of weeks.

Eggs- My son and I rush to the farmer’s market on Sunday morning to buy eggs before they sell out. There’s a huge difference in taste between these eggs and supermarket eggs so that would be my first suggestion.

1. Try eggs scrambled in coconut oil (virgin if you like a coconut taste, refined if not). Sprinkle with a little hot sauce and voila.
2. Green Eggs- in LBT I have our Green Eggs or muffin frittatas (see below)
3. Be a Poacher- I'm currently conquering something I hadn’t been able to without a microwave and that’s egg poaching thanks to this there are many versions be sure what you purchase is BPA free.
   
4. Paleo bread, without gluten the only bread I eat is this Paleo Bread from Food Matters- I’ve been topping it with coconut butter or avocado and Malden sea salt.
5. For a little “tartine” try our Orgran quinoa crackers with and wild smoked salmon and Greek cream cheese
6. Plain, unsweetened yogurt isn’t for everyone. I’ve been using Siggi’s plain and topping it with cinnamon or cardamom. Almond and coffee extract have been useful too.
7. Sohha Savory Yogurt- Carolyn discovered this savory yogurt and if you can get your hands on it do so. I think we’re going to see more yogurt along these lines.
   
8. If you're yogurted out try Nancy’s Cottage Cheese- this organic cottage cheese contains probiotics. Probiotics can improve mood, digestion and immunity. Probiotics also impart a little tang that I like but may come as a little surprise.
9. Miso soup- if you were in Japan you’d have this for breakfast (or part of breakfast). It’s a fermented food, in my opinion it's the best soy to eat. My two favorite brands are South River and Miso Master. I would skip the tofu and instead use sea vegetables or mushrooms. Click the South River link for an easy recipe.
10. Savory smoothie- OK so smoothies were a little sad when we first started this no sugar experiment. I don’t even need my smoothie super sweet but super bland was another story. I'm pleased to say I discovered the secret. Blend 1/2 avocado or 2Tbs unsweetened almond butter (or other nut or seed butter), 1/4 cup almond or coconut milk (yup unsweetened), 1Tbs protein powder (love my Green Dream), you can add greens or spiralina and then throw in a handful of ice. And drumroll….the key to smoothies that aren’t sweet and pretty much all of these breakfasts is salt. Add a nice pinch of Himalayan salt. You will not miss the sugar.

I’ve used lavender salt, truffle salt and Malden salt this week so a salty shoutout.

What do you usually have for breakfast? Have you thought about the sugar in your breakfast or your children’s breakfast (a whole other story)? Why do you think breakfast here is super sweet?

From The Little Book of Thin
Green Eggs 
Makes 4 Servings

1 cup sautéed or steamed kale (or other leftover vegetables though if not green, change title)
4 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp chili powder
Black pepper to taste.
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spray four cups in a standard-sized muffin pan with Spectrum cooking spray. Divide the kale between the 4 cups.
In a small bowl whisk together eggs, salt, paprika, chili powder and pepper. Pour eggs evenly over the kale in the muffin cups. Bake until just set, 15 to 20 minutes. Let the frittatas cool in the pan for 5 minutes then gently remove.

If you want to let food be they medicine, have to take "it" daily

We are bombarded by food claims. Some foods improve exercise recovery, others ease PMS, there are ingredients that help with metabolism and a few even actually help reduce belly fat. The first step is to sort through the research or consult an expert to find our which claims hold up. The second, often missed, step is to consume the foods regularly in order to ease symptoms or make a noticeable difference.  If a doctor prescribed a blood pressure pill, would you ever take it once or whenever you think about it and expect it to work? I hope not.

I recently talked about sun protective foods. If you're as concerned about sun damage as I am these days, put walnuts, wild salmon and cruciferous veggies on list each week and seek out recipes that utilize them. This is our new meatless monday dinner, in my opinion the perfect kale salad (with walnuts too). I love a cookbook from Melissa Clark Cook This Now because it's organized by month.  Green beans with walnuts and walnut oil (tarragon really makes this). green beans and walnuts

There was also a great article on wild salmon in the times last week (it is worth it to go wild) with this recipe I have on our menu for this week.

If you have GI issues or have been struggling with sub par immunity up your probiotic foods. Include at least one probiotic food daily. Have you seen Evolve's Greek Kefir? Kefir boasts 10x the probiotics of yogurt, I also adore my Siggis Coconut skyr and Bubbies' sauerkraut (no "dog" needed).

I am a believer in the power of linoleic fatty acids and belly fat but you'll need to snack on sunflower seeds daily, put hemp seeds or protein in your morning smoothie or add pine nuts to your salad.

Yes, there’s a value in eating a variety of healthy foods daily but if you are utilizing a food for a specific function, it needs to be consumed regularly for enough time. Start with 4-6 weeks. In some areas- GI pain or body fat you'll be able to see a difference. The bonus? Oftentimes when we're really getting what's called a therapeutic dose of a certain nutrient, there are other "side effects" such as better skin or digestion. Hippocrates was one smart guy.
Have you ever added a food into your diet for the sake of improving a condition or health issue? How long did it take to notice a difference? Do you take vitamins? Have you ever though of seeking out the same nutrients from food?