No reason hormones need to drive the bus.

There are certain annoyances we need to accept: a rainy day, unanticipated traffic, and a blister from a new pair of shoes.  However, when it comes to our bodies many of our issues can be solved or certainly ameliorated with food. For many of my clients, there is no greater source of dietary derailment than PMS and cycle-related issues can last over a week. That’s 25% of each month feeling and often eating off.  And it’s not just a female issue if you live with a crazy, bloated person, right?

You may know I’m not a fan of adding one food in for a desired effect. If you’re concerned about getting sick I’ll suggest you add multiple immune boosters and the same goes for PMS. Carolyn, Joanna and I created what we feel is the ultimate anti-PMS arsenal. In our Monthly Morsels newsletter today we mapped out a sample “Peace Out PMS” day of food, selected the best PMS supplements and I’m proud to introduce our super, duper PMS Kit.

The kit includes the following:

Cacao Magic-  from Philosophie our favorite, new line of smoothie powders. This cacao is really magic and a tonic for cramps, crankiness and appetite surges.

Natural Calm- powdered magnesium supplement is a “mood must”. Magnesium is helpful for PMS but most of us are deficient so many find it helpful as a daily ritual.

Probiotics- did you know most of our serotonin is produced in our guts? If you have “gut clutter” mood can take a hit. And when it comes to PMS that gut clutter will also lead to ultra bloat. A probiotic supplement is an insurance policy but probiotic foods are also necessary. Sunbiotics chocolate probiotic almonds contains both cacao and probiotics, how’s that for double duty (or doody).

Sweet Riot- these dark chocolate covered cacao nibs (look like chocolate rice krispies) are great a post-meal treat (one 1 calorie per piece!). Take that PMS weight gain.

Explore Asian Organic Black Bean Pasta- contains both magnesium and B6. We call B6 “be happy” because it  plays a key role in the production of mood neurotransmitters. Plus, how about pasta with 12g of fiber and 25g of protein per serving?  Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and add  asparagus (you can toss asparagus in pasta water for last 5 minutes) for bonus B6 and debloating action.

Heather’s Fennel Tummy Tea – these tea bags are jumbo size and potent.

Fennel is one of my favorite debloaters. A cup of tummy tea after dinner and that PMS pooch will not be there in the morning.

Of course these items are available a la carte. It just depends how horrendous your hormones are (ours can be pretty bad).

Do you suffer from PMS? What are your main symptoms? What’s in your arsenal?

Forget the Oscars, Introducing the Ch-oscars

 Every February our offices turn into a chocolate tasting lab. We try the unusual, we had truffles made with sorrel and matcha salt and chocolate with mushrooms. There were superfood chocolates and drinking chocolates all in the name of finding the best, healthy chocolates around. And we did it,  for a complete list of our Chocofacts (the darker the chocolate, the lower the sugar) and Chocowinners (debloating chocolate anyone?) click here.

I thought I’d cherry-pick my personal favorites from the tasty group:

Matcha Cacao

You know from my Golden Milk post I love warm drinks. This powder is adult hot-cocoa mix. You take 2 tsp of the powder (it comes in other flavors too but matcha is amazing for your metabolism) add water as if you’re making tea and then top it off with frothed almond milk.

Sunbiotic Bar

I love probiotics and I’m not sure many people would say that. I think they’re one of the foods we all need to focus more on. Why? They help our mood (much of our serotonin is produced in our guy), our GI function and help our immune systems….. In LBT I also explain how this group of foods help sweet cravings. Sunbiotic offers all of these benefits in a not-too-sweet chocolate bar.

The Best Healthy Chocolate on The Planet

This bar from Hu Kitchen (pictured above) has a cult following. Clients talk about it and friends hoard them. It’s not only like some evolved form of adult Reese’s. It has creamy almond butter and quinoa for crunch and texture.  Plus, it’s dairy free, gluten free, soy free, vegan and uses no stabilizers. If you love someone and gift them this, they’ll love you back. If you taste this bar you’ll understand why.

Chocolate Mug Cake

Oh boy do I need food photography tips, have any?

I was late to the mug cake party. It was really the winter and this newsletter that made me give it a whirl. Since I’m not much of an after dinner eater- I had this for breakfast. I justified it by saying some of the ingredients go in my smoothie anyway.

Here’s what you do, combine

1 tbs almond flour (haven’t tried coconut flour)

1tbs cocoa (you could use cacao but I thought would need more sweetening)

1tbs almond milk

1 egg

1 tsp coconut oil

½ to 1 tsp honey (or maple or liquid stevia)

Mix all ingredients in a microwave safe mug. Cook for 60 to 90 seconds and check because you can go from perfect to dry and nasty quickly. Optional tsp almond butter on top (I opted for this you’ll see). I never have cakes so for me this was a complete treat, you can make sweeter or add different extracts for a mint, coconut or cinnamon flavor.
Are you a chocolate person (if you say no, please explain I don't understand how this is possible)? What's your favorite dark chocolate? Have you tried any of these selections? How can I take better food photos?

Smoothie Scientists and Giveaway

Yesterday we sent out our “Smoothie Support Group” newsletter tackling your most pressing smoothie issues: how to ensure your smoothie isn’t a gazillion calories, solutions for those of you who feel you rather eat versus drink your calories and the most common smoothie query “do I need a Vitamix?”

When I last posted about smoothie ingredients, one commenter said “You talk about things you put in your smoothies a lot and I have this image in my head of you with a zillion potions and powders, in a lab coat

Carolyn and I in front of Smoothie Central cabinet with all sorts of powders and mix-ins

That’s all Carolyn and I needed to read…enter your Smoothie Scientists in our labcoats. Here is our video debut (we’ll hone our skills, I promise) with our Thin Minty Smoothie.

6oz Harmless Harvest Coconut water
1 cup frozen blueberries (if you skip berries be sure to add ice cubes)

1 handful kale

1 scoop Sun Warrior Chocolate protein powder

1 Tbs Cacao nibs or powder

¼ avocado

Organic Peppermint extract
pinch Himalayan salt

6 drops NuStevia

Cacao, if you’re not familiar with it, is what chocolate is made from. The powder or nibs are high in fiber (good to get things moving), it keeps LDL or bad cholesterol from doing nasty things, is a mood booster and a source of magnesium (most people are magnesium deficient).

Turmeric Carrot Smoothie with must-have Strawesome 

I love to “smooth” it’s true and have been playing around with my Turmeric Smoothie

 6oz ice water (or I tried with carrot juice too)

1 scoop Vanilla Sun Warrior

½ frozen banana

1 tsp. nut butter (used cashew butter)

Ice cubes

Cinnamon

¼ to ½ tsp. turmeric

NuStevia (used their lemon flavor)

Reasons everyone should add turmeric to your diet daily:

• Weight loss- studies (yes on rodents but still) show turmeric added to diet resulted in less weight gain; less lower body fat, if you’re a “pear” turmeric is for you.
• One double blind, placebo-controlled study found that turmeric reduced symptoms of bloating and gas in people suffering from indigestion (love well executed bloat study).
• It is a natural liver detoxifier, important in the summer time with perhaps more cocktails consumed
• Good for healthy skin and conditions such as psoriasis
• It is a potent anti-inflammatory with zero side effects; therefore, it is a natural treatment for arthritis, soreness following exercise and nature's Advil
• Prevents various forms of cancer from spreading, described as “turning off cancer cells”

I want to try turmeric in a smoothie with Socal Cleanse hemp protein (which made our protein powder Hall of Fame). It’s what we call our Monday morning protein- excellent for bloat or when PMS strikes. Socal has generously offered to give away a bag of their protein to one of our thirsty (we didn’t say bloated) readers.

To enter comment below and tell us where you stand on the smoothing spectrum (smoothie newbie or seasoned smoothie maker), what your favorite smoothie is and what type of blender you use. If you haven’t lost your smoothie v-card, what’s holding you back?

12 Things You Must Know About Cocoa-Plus a Sweet Bonus!

When I started blogging, I knew nothing. I’m not sure that much has changed but I can assure you I was clueless then. I poked around and found some blogs that spoke to me. I read Fooducate and Svelte Gourmand, Herbal Water and ILI and I really enjoyed a blog called Small Bites.  Every time I sent my browser to these URL’s I was giddy when a new post was up. And then something happened. A couple of months ago I noticed that there wasn’t anything new on Small Bites. I continued to check and finally there was a message up. The author, Andy Bellatti, explained he would be posting less in the coming months. He’d still be tweeting and posting here and there but not as much. I was sad. A few days later Andy tweeted some interesting facts about cocoa. I had an idea. I contacted Andy and asked if he’d do a guest post for Foodtrainers. He agreed and I’m excited to share Andy's cocoa post with you today (and the good news is Andy is now posting regularly again):

Whether your Valentine's Day celebrations included gifting your other half a lovely box of chocolates or protesting the infamous massacre by watching "War of the Roses" while savoring some chocolate ice cream, here are twelve facts everyone -- singled or coupled, starry-eyed or jaded -- should know about this world-famous delicacy:

HEALTH AND NUTRITION:

1) Cocoa (also known as cacao) contains a variety of healthful compounds known as flavonoids that have been found to have a protective effect on blood pressure and cardiovascular health.

2) There are three ways to get the most health benefits from cocoa: eating raw cacao nibs (i.e.: adding them to trail mix or oatmeal), adding unsweetened non-Dutch-treated cocoa powder to a recipe (such as a smoothie) or consuming chocolate bars that contain at least 85% cocoa.

3) "Dutch-treated" or "alkali-treated" chocolate produces a more mild-tasting chocolate, but also decreases flavonoid content by approximately 75 percent.  What a shame!

4) Certain components in dairy limit the absorption of antioxidants from cocoa.  This is why bars with higher cocoa contents (and, thereby, lower milk percentages) yield more health benefits.  Alternatively, you can also try vegan chocolate bars, like Endangered Species.

5) Two tablespoons of cocoa powder provide 4 grams of fiber.  A perfect way to add extra nutrition and flavor to a banana and almond butter smoothie!

6) Stearic acid -- the saturated fat predominant in chocolate -- is unique in that a good chunk of it is converted by the body into a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat known as oleic acid… the same one found in large quantities in olive oil!

7) The lower the cocoa content of a chocolate bar, the higher its sugar content.

8) Cocoa releases many neurotransmitters, including phenylethylamine, which has been shown to improve mood and alertness.  Best part?  No subsequent crash.

9) Cocoa is an excellent source of catechins -- compounds also found in green tea and red wine that help reduce atherosclerosis risk.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS:

10) Conventional cocoa crops are often sprayed with methyl bromide, a class 1 ozone-depleting substance.

11) As with coffee, shade-grown cocoa beans are healthier for the planet.  Since they grow under existing trees, they do not disturb floral and faunal biodiversity.

SOCIAL JUSTICE:

12) The majority of chocolate bars are made from cocoa beans grown in West Africa.  Due to the paltry amount of money they receive from many large-scale chocolate companies, these farms often turn to slavery-like forced and/or child labor to ensure profits.  This is why it's crucial to look for "fair-trade certified" chocolate bars.  This certification ensures that cocoa farmers are receiving their fair monetary share, and that farm employees work in humane conditions.

BONUS: Mexican-Inspired Super-Easy Chocolate Truffles

Now that you know all about cocoa's wonderful health benefits, why not spend just ten minutes in the kitchen making a delectable dessert chock-full of flavonoids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals?  These raw vegan truffles with a kick will leave you saying "Crunch bar WHO?"

YIELDS: 12 truffles

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup raw walnuts OR raw almonds OR raw hazelnuts

1/8 teaspoon salt

1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract or powder (the powder yields drier truffles)

1/2 cup chopped pitted dates or raisins (I highly recommend dates; if your food processor is powerful, you don’t need to chop them)

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder



1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

A pinch of red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Grind nuts, salt, and vanilla in food processor.

2) Add dates/raisins and process again, until mixture resembles raw dough.

3) Add cocoa powder and cinnamon; process again.

4) Scoop out mixture into large bowl.  Add red pepper flakes and mix into "dough" by hand.

5) Form dough into bite-size round "truffles".

6) Refrigerate or freeze for at least 2 hours.

7) Enjoy!

NUTRITION INFORMATION (for 3 “bites”)

205 calories



5 grams fiber


5 grams protein

Andy Bellatti is a Seattle-based whole-foods-focused nutritionist. He also provides customized nutrition-based services and regularly writes and lectures on various aspects of wellness, health, and nutrition. His work has been featured in Oxygen, Today’s Dietitian, AOL Health, and MSNBC.com. Andy has an MS in clinical nutrition from New York University. Follow Andy on Twitter: @AndyBellatti.

So, which of these cocoa facts were a surprise to you? Do you know what plant is in the picture above?Do you think about the environmental impact of the foods you eat? What were the first blogs you started reading?