Need a lift - try tea!

At the beginning of last year, I would roll out of bed and head straight for the coffee maker. It was a morning ritual that I looked forward to, but unfortunately I was addicted. It started innocently - first with 1 cup, then 2, but after a few months I was up to 4 cups of coffee! Coffee does have health properties, but of course only in moderation. Too much caffeine can leech calcium from your bones. And, the buzz I was getting actually contributed to anxiety attacks. So, after cutting back significantly and experiencing major withdrawals (headaches and fatigue), as of July I was totally coffee free.

It was a good feeling to have dropped the addiction, but I did miss having something to look forward to in the morning (water just wasn't cutting it). So, I tried my hand at tea. I always knew tea was very healthy with immune benefits, strengthening bones and teeth, and even raising metabolism slightly. However, I never got past the bitterness of green or black teas. I was sure I just couldn't ever enjoy tea on a daily basis.

Alas, peppermint tea entered my world. Of course peppermint tea is not traditional tea, it is an herbal drink made from peppermint leaves. However, for me it has been my gateway into other teas. I have found by steeping a bag of peppermint tea along with black or green tea, I am able to have a drink that is much less bitter and very soothing. Peppermint is such a relaxing scent, sitting down with my morning cup is a great way to ease into the day. Chai has also become a regular favorite of mine. I also love spicy Vanilla Hazelnut tea by Yogi Tea.

So, if you are finding yourself far too attached to your cup of Joe - do a little experimenting. You are bound to find a tea that you will enjoy.

The Myth of Good Health

I was shopping the other day when I overheard two co-workers talking. One of the women mentioned that she didn't feel well and was getting rundown. The other woman immediately snapped, "you need to take care of yourself." I couldn't help but cringe at that proclammation.

It struck a nerve because in spite of taking excellent care of myself - eating well, exercising, getting plenty of sleep - earlier this year I became very ill with nausea, fatigue, anxiety etc.. As a dietitian, I get a lot of flack from people when I am ill. People seem to assume that my nutrition education gives me superhuman powers. Truth is, I don't eat perfectly all of the time, but I do eat very well most of the time, and unfortunately I still get sick. In fact, due to autoimmune disease, I actually get sick more than the people I know who smoke, drink and otherwise abuse their bodies. It is just a tough break.

Unfortunately controlling health, just like most things in life, is really not possible. You can do your best to practice healthy habits, but that does not give you any guarantees. I think this is an especially pertinent point for people who are blessed with good health to remember. It truly is a blessing to be thankful for. After all, there are many examples of health problems that shouldn't logically have occurred - people who are diagnosed with lung cancer in spite of never smoking a cigarette, or those who get cancer years after they've struggled so hard to quit.

Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating we all give up and discard all things healthy. On the contrary, I believe it is important to practice healthy habits in order to stack the deck in your favor. It is just important to remember that there is an element of fate and chance in everything, and rather than assuming illness is the victim's fault, I think we should think twice before jumping to that conclusion.

Cleaning Tips in Time for the Holidays

Some of my friends tease me about the way I stress over maintaining a clean house. And, my husband has taken to saying things like, "but, YOU love cleaning" when I ask him to help out. Truth is, although I do love a clean house, I do not love cleaning! I am sure I am not alone, so here are my top cleaning tips and tools to help you prepare for the holiday season:

• Clean rug = Clean room: I have a mix of linoleum, hard wood and carpeting in my home. And, although I really do like the look of hard wood and the ease of linoleum, I honestly love the feel of carpetting. However, my carpets are a light cream color which is a nightmare to keep clean. That is until I drag out my handy dandy steamer. I have a Bissell QuickSteamer which I bought on impulse at a Walmart a few years ago. It was impulsive simply because I already had a Bissell ProSteamer which set me back almost $300, but was such a monster to maneuver that it gave me backaches when I used it. The QuickSteamer is a smaller, much lighter, much cheaper (around $80) version, and much to my surprise, I think it works just as well, if not better than its monstrous cousin. I am not sure if they sell my exact model anymore but this one looks pretty close http://www.bissell.com/Products/p/quicksteamer/product.aspx. My regular weekly vacuuming is done with another Bissell beauty, the Bissell Momentum. It was under $100, but has been WAY better than my old $300 Kenmore. It is light and just does an overall great job. I love having a bagless too, because you can really see the fruits of your labor (i.e. the hairballs and dust bunnies).



• Keep the Toxins to a Minimum: I used to use all the fancy cleaners that were designed to go in the steam cleaner - big mistake. Those things are potent on dirt, but they are in a word - scary. I noticed that my cats would always sneeze and act very lethargic after I cleaned the rugs. I would also get a sore throat and just feel lousy overall. I didn't quite make the connection until I read a story about Kelly Preston & John Travolta's son having health problems related to their frequent rug cleaning. I now simply use hot water mixed with a capful of Kids N Pets, which is a fabulous enzymatic cleaner that cleans very well. It works great as a spot remover too between full carpet cleaning - which I only do once or twice a year (hey, I told you I didn't really like cleaning). You can get Kids N Pets in the carpet cleaning area of Target http://kidsnpetsbrand.com/products.htm. I use the All Purpose Cleaner and I like it much better than the foam version that is specifically for carpets. On the anti-toxin note - baking soda and vinegar are the best cleaners going. Plus they are cheap and totally safe. I have spray bottles of vinegar in every bathroom and the kitchen.



• Smells Clean, Is Clean: Aromatherapy works wonders. The right smell can set the mood and can definitely trick your mind to think an area is fresh and clean, even when it isn't. While I really love candles, I am learning that they aren't always safe because the wicks can contain lead. As an alternative, essentials oils are a great and potent solution. My favorite has become peppermint which is both energizing and relaxing at the same time. This time of year is especially good for scenting your home with peppermint. I use a terracotta decanter which I put just a few drops of oil in, and the scent naturally diffuses through the room. I was told by a friend that putting the oil in a little water over a tea light is another effective way to spread the oil's scent (there are special holders for this purpose - don't just put the oil near a tea light because it is flammable).



• Clear the Clutter: In order to give the illusion of clean, I have developed an elaborate system of baskets. There are baskets on the kitchen table to catch the mail and bills, and baskets on the couch to contain my husbands magazines and newspapers. There are even large baskets in the kitchen housing the cat food and the recyclables. Eliminating clutter is even more effective at making a hom look clean than the nitty-gritty dusting and scrubbing.

So, there you have it, my personal cleaning secrets. I hope they will help you prepare for the holiday season.

Going Gluten Free

This summer I was experiencing nausea and fatigue. I became so desperate to determine the culprit that I decided to modify my diet. I started by keeping a food journal of everything I ate and drank and how I felt afterwards. The whole process was extremely tedious, and although nothing really stood out as the "problem", it was still worth the time. In fact, I think everyone should do it at least 1 to 2 weeks every couple of months just to make sure their diet is actually well-balanced.

ELIMINATING ADDITIVES, ETC.
I also became an obsessive label reader. I have always taken time to read the nutrition information on the products I buy, but with my new issues I started to really fixate on ingredients vs. the Cals and fat that I usually honed in on. I began avoiding anything that had ever been associated with digestive problems. I started with artificial sweeteners. Then, I avoided milk. And, finally I decided to cut out the mother of all food components - gluten.

A RELUCTANT CHANGE
I have to admit I REALLY didn't want to eliminate gluten. After learning about Celiac Disease in college, I remember always feeling very bad for anyone who had to avoid gluten. Gluten is in wheat, rye and barley. Rye and barley aren't so hard to avoid, but WHEAT? It is in everything! Especially for me who based my diet largely on whole grains like whole wheat pasta, wheat crackers, and whole grains breads and tortillas. To try to avoid that protein seemed absolutely unthinkable to me. After all, I was nauseous much of the time, so I couldn't afford to lose any more weight. If I cut out wheat, what could I eat? From a nutrition standpoint I knew the answer, but I just wasn't sure I could do it. Bottom line - I could. I did. And after two weeks of assembling my own tool kit of "go to" foods, I realized that going gluten-free was one of the best experiments I have ever undertaken.

NOT RIGHT FOR EVERYONE
Do I think everyone should eliminate gluten? No! In fact, I would caution anyone who isn't taking it serious not to even try because you can easily develop nutritional deficiencies. In fact, I developed cracks at the sides of my mouth - a sign of B-vitamin deficiency and possibly anemia. I treated the problem by adding more fortified foods and nutritional supplements to my diet.

GLUTEN FREE PANTRY
I did struggle at first in finding foods that were gluten-free, but once my pantry was stocked I was on my way to one of the healthiest diets I have ever eaten. Here is a list of some of my favorite products and meals that are now a part of my daily diet

• Cream of rice. I would make this creamy cereal with almond milk or fortified rice milk (being careful to check that it is fortified with vitamin D and calcium).
• Gerber rice cereal with bananas. I know it sounds crazy to eat baby food, but it is well-fortified with iron and other B-vitamins (although the label %s apply only to infants and children, so I had to do some math to determine how much iron I was actually getting). I actually really like the taste of this product and I generally mix it with plain cream of rice to make a breakfast porridge. If I have them, I add chopped bananas, or banana baby food.
• Rice pasta - Trader Joe's sells an inexpensive and very versatile thin spaghetti variety that makes a great base for plain sauces or parmesan cheese.
• Chicken broth mix - Trader Joe's has another great product that is lower sodium and comes in packets that you rehydrate. I would add mushrooms, green onions, garlic and rice pasta to the broth for a healthy, quick soup.
• Beans - avoiding gluten also meant less fiber in my diet, so adding beans in was a great way to add fiber, iron and protein. I ate the beans with soy and flax tortilla chips (also by Trader Joe')
• Rice products - rice cakes with peanut butter are a good quick snack, or instant brown rice with cooked veggies.
• Ready made gluten-free products - Puffins breakfast cereal, or Puffed Rice cereal sweetened with honey made it possible for me to always have a super quick meal or snack on hand.
• Miscellaneous - fruit bars (an all-fruit bar sold by Target), fresh fruits, dried fruit mixes, almonds, eggs, chicken, hummus, popcorn, corn tortillas, vegetables, guacamole, salmon.

A DIET TO STICK WITH?

A few weeks ago, I had blood tests to insure that I am not anemic. I also had tests that indicated I do not have Celiac Disease (but ate gluten before the test because otherwise I might have had a false negative). So, I don't actually HAVE to avoid gluten anymore, and I am no longer being strict - I have had pizza on occasion and potato rolls (my fav). But, I do intend to avoid obvious sources of gluten. And, I will continue to eat more simply, avoiding foods with lots of ingredients and additives. The true lesson for me in going gluten-free is that many of the foods that contain gluten also contain lots of other junk. So while avoiding gluten may not be necessary for everyone, it is probably not a bad idea overall.

For more info on gluten, and Celiac Disease, check out the article I wrote for the Women's circle of health, What’s So Great About Gluten-Free?

Gastric Emptying Study / Test for Gastroparesis

When I started this blog I vowed I would do my best to pass on information that I thought might be helpful to others. In my mind, I kept the topics pretty broad to include anything health and wellness with a smattering of beauty favs and products I love. Well, I have REALLY slipped on giving any information for the past few months. Truth is, it was hard to blog about health and wellness when I was feeling neither healthy nor well. I was experiencing nausea on nearly a daily basis. And, I was really quite scared about seeing a gastroenterologist. I think part of my hang-up was that I somehow believed that as a dietitian I should be able to fix my digestive problems. Obviously this is a ridiculous notion. And, I finally bit the bullet and scheduled an appointment.

Fearing I would have to face some invasive procedure, I was very relieved that the initial plan involved simple blood tests checking for H Pylori, Celiac disease, anemia (folate, b 12, and iron) and immunoglobulins (which indicate food allergy). It was also recommended that I have a simple study done to see how quickly my food is moving through my GI tract - mainly my stomach. Since my primary complaint was nausea with bloating and a feeling of fullness, the doctor suspected s a condition called gastroparesis in which the stomach does not receive the correct stimulation telling it to push food on to the small intestine. I also later learned in talking with the test technician that having thyroid disease also put me at risk, since according to her 90% of people with thyroid problems also have GI problems.

GASTRIC EMPTYING SCAN
In order to determine if I did have gastroparesis, I went to have a gastric emptying scan. I was very nervous about the test - although I really didn't need to be. So, I would like to share with you the specifics so that should you ever need to have this study done you will be fully prepared:
The night before the test I was not allowed to eat or drink (even water) after midnight, since my test was at 8:00a.m. this translated to 8 hours. Although I never eat that late anyway, I did drink some water just before bed since I suffer from dry mouth and I knew that would be a long stretch with no liquids.

The morning of the exam I dressed in loose sweats and a t-shirt. I kind of wish I had also brought a removable sweatshirt or sweater.

I checked in with the front desk and was taken to the exam room. There I was asked to sit down while the technician prepared my special "meal". She explained that the food contained a substance that would help them watch the food as it traveled through my stomach (I later learned it was a radioisotope). The special substance was concealed in a meal of beef stew which I was instructed to eat. As I began picking at the potatoes and carrots the technician warned that I needed to eat it all - even the grayish, mystery meat. I told her I was pacing myself because I wasn't much of a meat eater and she reminded me that I only had 5 minutes to finish - I think I must have missed that part of her initial explanation. But, her warnings did force me to pick up the pace. I was able to drink water which really helped everything go down. All and all, it really wasn't that bad. After I finished I told the technician that I normally eat like a vegetarian, so the meat was no picnic for me. She kind of laughed and told me that the vegetarian version is much worse - 3 eggs with lots of mayonnaise. UGGGHH!!! I hate mayo, so if that was my meal I would have lost it for sure. After hearing that I was actually loving the beef stew.

I was then instructed to hop up on a long table that was covered with a soft sheet and had a fluffy pillow at the end. I asked if I could remove my shoes knowing that I was basically settling in for a long pseudo-nap. The technician was all for that move.

Once comfortable on the table - and it was surprisingly comfortable. The tech pushed a button which made the entire table move down toward a giant x-ray machine. When my stomach was just under the machine, the table stopped. My head was outside of the machine leaving me free to stare mindlessly at the ceiling. Then the countdown began. Although the tech initially told me that I would be able to get up after an hour, because I had my eyes closed the entire time she thought I was sleeping. I was not actually sleeping - instead I was trying very hard to relax, taking deep breaths, and listening attentively to the music that was playing in the room. Although I was covered with several blankets, I did get a little chilly after the first hour. And, while I did get a bit fidgety at times, the ability to just lie still gave me a lot of time to think. In fact, it gave me lots of creative inspiration for upcoming topics to write about (like this lengthy post)!

After nearly 2 hours passed, I was able to get off the table and go to the bathroom. Then I waited in a waiting area where I stayed for about 30 mins before returning to the table. I used that time to read a magazine I had brought along - I had also brought my MP3 player, but wouldn't have been able to comfortably use that during the exam since my arms needed to remain by my sides at all times.

I was asked to return to the table, but this time I was only under the machine for around 5 mins, and afterwards I was allowed to leave the office completely with instructions to return in a few hours.

When I returned I had just 5 more minutes on the table and I was free to go. At that point my fear was completely gone and my inquisitive nature took hold. I then asked the tech exactly what had just transpired. She explained that they were taking pictures of my stomach at 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, and 4 hours - with some time in between. Afterwards she would be piecing those pictures together to determine how much of my beef stew had left my stomach. The goal is that by the 2 hour mark 60% of the stew should have left my stomach, and by the 4 hour mark, there really shouldn't have been any traces left.

So, long story short, if you ever have to have a gastric emptying scan - fear not. It is easy and pain free!

My Yogurt Dreams Were Answered

I had a bit of a yogurt obsession earlier this year. At that time I was just loving all things yogurt - frozen yogurt, yogurt plus extra probiotics, yogurt with fiber. It was all good, with the exception of a few annoying ingredients namely loads of sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

But, alas my yogurt dreams have been answered in a Greek yogurt called Chobani. The pros of this new option include:

• all-natural ingredients (milk, fruit or natural flavors, sugar and probiotics)


• very little added sugar


• tons of protein (14-16 grams per serving)


• 5 kinds of probiotics!

Those are the nutritional pluses, but the taste is really good too. Not too tart like the other types of Greek yogurt I have tried. In addition, the texture is really rich and creamy. But, what truly excites me the most is the inclusion of 5 different probiotics! And, there are some very well researched variations in that bunch - meaning these are the types that have been shown to boost immunity and improve digestive health.

I fear that as was the case earlier this year I will get into yogurt overload, but for the time being I am enjoying a daily dose, along with an Adora Calcium to make up my remaining calcium requirements.

The Hair Product I CAN'T Live Without

I took an entire month off from blogging, so I figured this post better be a good one! And, it is, I promise. I am going to reveal my absolute favorite hair care product.

First I must give some background - I have spent my entire 30+ years of life trying to tame my unruly curls. At any given time you will find between 5 and 10 hair products in my bathroom. But, for the past year or so, I have really only turned to one. Drumroll please.....it is Beyond the Zone's Split Mender.

It is a leave-in conditioner that detangles, softens, and tames my frizz. I absolutely love it! And, my hairdresser took notice too. About a month or so after I started using it she commented on how healthy my hair looked. I've also noticed that my hair has a lot more shine.

The best part of it all - it is very inexpensive and 1 bottle has lasted me over a year! It is available at Sally Beauy Supply for around $5.50. And, they often have special sales for even more savings. I have tried some of the other Beyond the Zone products, and although I also like the Last Call spray-on, leave-in conditioner, Split Mender is still the only product I have ever felt that I couldn't live without!