These are a Few of My Favorite Things

I’ve learned over the years how to find some great food buys, that are super healthy, organic, less expensive or hard-to-find, and I wanted to share that with you…

And no, it’s not raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, although I like them too!

I’ve been eating the way I do for quite a few years and I’ve learned over the years how to find some great ingredients that are super healthy, less expensive or hard-to-find, and I wanted to share that with you. Now for those of you who live far away from me, I apologize in advance. Hopefully you can find some of these same things at stores near you or very similar items.

I am not advertising for anyone nor trying to sell any particular product for my own personal gain. I don’t get commission on this stuff either. This is just my list of grocery items that I have found are either a great value or particularly good.

I love Trader Joe’s to stock up on great healthy, often organic items at a super great price. I tend to get more of the canned, bottled and frozen foods when I go to Trader Joe’s, and like to get more of my fresh produce at Whole Foods or the local grocery or farmer’s market. The selection is better and the produce seems fresher.

Some of these things are just super tasty, some of them are hard-to-find ingredients, some of them are things that come with a small price tag or that just save time and energy when making meals. I will probably be adding to this list from time to time, as new products come out, prices change, etc.

Here is my list thus far:

Grassfed Beef–This is such great stuff and totally different (and better because of the fat content) than ‘organic’. Choose grassfed over organic whenever possible. The BEST tasting, highest quality grassfed meat can be ordered from U.S. Wellness online. They deliver to your door in two days. If you want to find something closer, get grassfed from Whole Foods. They now carry a decent assortment of locally raised grassfed meats. I also found that Trader Joe’s carries grassfed ground beef which is really tasty and a decent price as well. Also, your closest farmer’s market may carry grassfed meats, local and natural bacon and free range pastured eggs.

Chicken–I like Trader Joe’s chicken. They offer organic/free range breasts and thighs (boneless and skinless), or whole chickens at a good price. Costco also carries some convenient three packs of organic boneless, skinless thighs or breasts at a great price. I prefer boneless skinless thighs because they have a better flavor, and juicier and more tender, and because the thighs are dark meat, they contain more iron and other nutrients than breasts do.

Bacon–The only kind of bacon you should eat is the natural kind that is nitrate and nitrate free. Regular grocery stores sell it, but, wow! It’s expensive there. I hate paying $6 or $7 for a small package of bacon that doesn’t even weigh a pound. Trader Joe’s sells a package of “Ends and Pieces” bacon that weighs a whole pound and is delicious, and all natural as well. It’s mostly regular slices of bacon and a few smaller thicker, odd pieces. Works for me at $2.99 for a pound.

Natural Chicken Sausage from TJ’s or WF–Both stores have a great selection of natural chicken sausages. They are relatively inexpensive and a great quick meal with some veggies or delicious added to eggs in the am. Or try a little stirfry with them. The green apple sausage from TJ’s is da bomb. Had them on the grill last night!

Natural Peanut Butter–Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanuts and flax butter.

Sunflower Butter–For those of us who have developed a nut allergy, sunflower butter is a great substitute. Try to find the kind without a lot of sugar.

REAL Butter–Kerrygold brand of Grassfed butter. Grass fed is WAY better than regular butter, and has the hard-to-find vitamin K2. I originally found this butter in my regular grocery store (Dierberg’s), but I’ve seen it at Trader Joes and Whole Foods as well. Trader Joe’s by far has the best price on this–it’s $2.00 less than what it sells for at Whole Foods.

Raw Cheese–Regular grocery stores are starting to carry raw cheeses and some have a great variety. And raw goat cheese is great for those who have dairy allergies and sensitivities. I am allergic to pasteurized dairy, but raw cheese is just fine !My very favorite (not cheap, but soo delicious!) Raw, cave aged gruyere from Whole Foods. Wow. What a delicious nutty taste it has.

Eggs–Now this can be a complex decision. So many different kinds of eggs and different classifications. The best choice is from the local farmer’s market, and pasture raised. If you are purchasing from a grocery store, look for ‘organic’ or ‘pasture-raised’. Buying  this classification is generally more expensive, but chickens who are raised for organic eggs are much healthier overall, not given hormones and antibiotics and not near as likely to have eggs with salmonella or other dangerous organisms. If you can’t find organic or just don’t want to pay the high price, look for ‘free range’ and organic eggs. My favorite from Whole Foods is Farmer’s Hen House ‘free range’ egg raised on Amish farms. (Amish farms are close to organic, just not certified). This brand comes in a ‘jumbo’ size, so for $3.99, you get a lot of egg–with rich orange yolks (meaning they have lots of healthy omega 3 fats and nutrients).

Nuts–Trader Joe’s also has a great variety of nuts and trail mix. Just watch out for the sugary additions if you are doing trail mix or a flavored nut.

Energy Bars (grain free and nut free)–Macro bars are my new favorites! Most any grocery or health food store now carries a wide variety of energy bars. Whole Foods has a whole wall of them! Whew…gets crazy trying to decipher ingredients. Trader Joe’s also carries a great selection. Stay away from the manufactured ‘energy bars’ which are basically processed soy and sugar.

Paleo Bread or Tortillas–Whole Foods and other health food stores now carry somewhat expensive paleo tortillas and other bread products, but these can be expensive. Better to make your own or omit all together.

Milk (milk substitute)–I love Trader Joe’s brand of coconut milk in the carton. Many companies make this type of milk now and I like the flavor (no coconut taste), and it’s consistency. Watch out for added sugars though. Hemp and flax milk are good, and I’ve seen quinoa milk. These can be pricey, and often there is little of the main ingredient and a lot of fillers, sugars, thickeners, etc. At least buy the kind with no added sugar.

Pasta–Tj’s now carries a lot of great gluten free pastas and the latest, which is REALLY good is black bean pasta. I looked at the ingredients and it said, “Black bean flour”. Period. It is really good, really hearty and filling and full of protein and fiber. YUM. There is also yucca flour pasta, quinoa pasta, etc.

A Healthy Treat–Trader Joe’s Toasted Coconut snacks. A hint of sweetness, a nice crunch, a touch of toasted coconut flavor, with a little bit of sea salt. Wow! My new favorite snack.

Chips–Of course you should avoid chips, but sometimes you just want a salty crunchy snack. These fill the bill. Trader Joe’s carries them and I’ve seen similar ones elsewhere. Lentil chips. These tasty chips are made of lentils and rice flour. No corn, no gluten, and no added oils. And they hold up well to your favorite hummus.

Laundry Detergent–Since I have read about and personally experienced the problems that the toxins in regular laundry detergent contains, I have switched to an all natural, plant based type. One of my favorites and by far the best price is either Trader Joe’s own brand of lavender scented detergent or Whole Food’s 365 brand. Both seem to do a great job (and I don’t get itchy) and are suitable for HE washers too.

While I’m at it, I love Trader Joe’s French milled soap bars, their natural citrus shampoo, cream rinse and body wash too–free of chemical toxins and additives.

Favorite Supplements–While I can get clients physician grade supplements at a good price, I have found that a couple brands at Whole Foods are just as good and you can get them quickly (if you live near a WF), and the prices are about the same as what I get at a discount. Plus you don’t have to pay for shipping, wait for them to arrive, etc. Solaray and Twinlab are good lines with a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and herbs. I also like Jarrow for more speciality items like Alpha Lipoic Acid.

P.S. I get Grain free natural dogfood from Costco that my dog loves and is a great buy as well.

 

 

 

 

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. 

Get the latest Gluten Free, Superfoods Recipe book HERE–The Fat Burning Kitchen Superfoods Recipes.

Cat also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.

                                Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

 

 

Never Eat These Fruits and Vegetables!

The Dirty Dozen

We see the organic produce in the grocery store and farmer’s markets, but is it really worth the higher price we have to pay?

Aren’t we just paying for expensive food?

Choosing organic foods is a wise decision not only because these foods are lower in harmful pesticides which can be neurotoxins, lead to cancer and other diseases, and mess up our hormones; but also because organic foods contain more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and not genetically modified.

A new report issued by the President’s Cancer Panel even recommends organic produce to lower the risk of cancer and other diseases.

Fruits and vegetables can sit in a field for up to six months during their growing phase so that anything that is sprayed on them will actually get soaked up into the roots.

You cannot wash off many of these pesticides and chemicals.

While it would be nice to purchase and eat everything organic, sometimes this can become an expensive venture. For those of us who must stick to a budget, avoiding the worst offenders is a better answer.

The “Dirty Dozen” list is put together every year by the Environmental Working Group shows the fruits and vegetables that are the most highly sprayed. The group analyzes data from the Department of Agriculture about pesticide residue and ranks foods based on how much or little pesticide residue they have.

When conventionally grown, the fruits and veggies on this list showed at least 47 different chemicals, with some having 67 or more.

Do you want to eat poison? No thanks.

Researchers say eating certain types of organic produce can reduce the amount of toxins we consume on a daily basis by as much as 80 percent.

So next time you go grocery shopping, avoid these conventionally raised fruits or vegetables at all costs:

Apples
Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Blueberries
Nectarines
Sweet Bell Peppers
Cherries
Potatoes
Imported Grapes
Lettuce and Spinach
Kale and Collard Greens    

However, the following list are vegetables and fruit that are relatively safe if even you purchase the conventionally grown, non-organic type.

Onions
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Mango
Sweet Peas
Asparagus
Kiwi fruit
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Onions

Buying locally grown produce also helps to cut back on pesticides, plus you get fresher fruits and vegetables.

And buying local and in season is your best bet for the safest, freshest, and best tasting produce, and the least expensive option.

Till next time, Stay Healthy and Lean!

 

 

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.  

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.    

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

 

 

Should you Eat Eggs?

Whole eggs, especially the yolk (not just egg whites) are an incredibly good source of usable protein and the healthiest essential fats. Egg yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, choline and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg.


Whole eggs, especially the yolk (not just egg whites) are an incredibly good source of usable protein and the healthiest essential fats.

While egg whites are one of the highest quality sources of protein available, the egg yolks are actually the healthiest part of the egg!
That’s where most of the vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants (such as lutein) are found. Egg yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, choline and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg.
In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids like omega 3 fats.
And, the protein of whole eggs is more bio-available than egg whites alone due to a more balanced amino acid profile that the yolks help to build. Just make sure to choose free range, organic or pastured eggs instead of the ‘factory-farmed’ grocery store eggs.

There is a huge difference!

Similar to grass-fed beef, and wild caught fish, the nutrient balance of healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the less healthy omega 6 fatty acids is controlled by the diet of the chickens. So free range, organic eggs are by far the healthiest choice for good fats and high levels of nutrition.  ‘Pastured’ eggs, which means the chickens were allowed to roam freely outdoors and eat bugs and grubs and worms are the healthiest of all eggs. Check your local farmers’ market or health food store for this kind of egg.

Of course we all know that eggs contain a powerful amount of protein and essential fats, but new research has found that they also contain antioxidant properties that are known to prevent cardiovascular disease as well as cancer and other diseases.

When eggs are fried or boiled, the antioxidant properties were cut in half. The loss of  antioxidants was the worse when heated in a microwave, which destroys many of the nutrients in any given food! So healthy, clean raw eggs contain the most nutrients.

Eggs are so versatile.

You can add them to so many things, like smoothies, or sauces; eat them alone, or make high protein meals by just scrambling eggs with a bit of grass fed dairy butter, and your favorite veggies.

Season with salt and pepper and add extra antioxidants and nutrition by sprinkling in some turmeric, curry, hot peppers, garlic, cilantro, etc. Top with raw dairy grass fed cheese or fresh salsa, and viola, you have the perfect, filling, high protein, and fat burning meal!

Read more about healthy fat burning foods in The Fat Burning Kitchen Ebook,

cat How to Enjoy Holiday Treats and NOT Feel Guilty, or Gain Weight

 

DSC 6815 How to Enjoy Holiday Treats and NOT Feel Guilty, or Gain WeightCatherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.   

                        Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.    

          Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.


What about Coffee?

 

 

Caffeine was once thought to be bad for us.

But as we can see with the prevalence of coffee shops on virtually every corner, coffee is everywhere. And tea is gaining in popularity too.  

 

According to recent coffee statistics, coffee is the most popular beverage worldwide with over 400 billion cups consumed each year.

And, the United States alone imports around $4 billion worth of coffee per year.  Americans drink about 400 million cups of java a day, and companies like Starbucks would certainly like that number to grow.

 

Coffee, tea and other beverages containing caffeine have a great many health benefits.

And apparently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Surgeon General, the National Academy of Science, the American Medical Association, the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control, the American Cancer Society, the Framingham Heart Study and many other scientific studies now agree on this fact.

 

Coffee increases the body’s metabolism, your heart rate, breathing, and helps to warm up the body.

It elevates the mood and can actually reduce depression as well, by increasing energy and stimulating the brain, making you more mentally alert.

 

Beyond the obvious stimulating factors that we all enjoy coffee for, there are some other fairly significant health contributions coffee makes. Lets take a look at some of these redeeming virtues of coffee:

 

·    Coffee Lowers Your Risk of Type 2 DiabetesTwo separate studies, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that drinking three to four cups of coffee a day decreased risk of type 2 diabetes by 27%. It is thought that this is due to the fact that coffee contains antioxidants and minerals like magnesium, that are beneficial for blood sugar metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Coffee may also help with weight reduction, which lessens the tendency to get diabetes as well.

 

·    Coffee Prevents Parkinson’s diseaseSix studies have shown that people who drink coffee daily are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson’s. And some of the newer Parkinson’s drugs actually contain a caffeine derivative.

 

Lowers Your Chances of Alzheimer’s Disease–Drinking five medium-sized cups of coffee a day could lower your chances of Alzheimer’s. One study followed mice that were bred to develop Alzheimer’s. After two months of drinking water with caffeine, the mice performed much better on memory and thinking tests compared to mice that were given only water. Plus, the mice had a 50% reduction of beta amyloid, a protein often found in Alzheimer’s patients’ brains.

 

·    Coffee Reduces Colon Cancer Risk—While colorectal cancer is the second highest cause of cancer related deaths in the US, a recent study from the European Journal of Cancer Prevention showed that colorectal cancer was 24% lower among those who drank 4 or more cups of coffee per day than the non-coffee drinkers.

 

·    Coffee Reduces Gall Stones–Researchers from Harvard University found that those drinking one cup a day had a 13% risk reduction of gallstone disease. Those drinking two to three cups a day had a 21% risk reduction and those drinking four or more cups a day had a 33% risk reduction of gallstone disease.

 

·    Coffee Helps Asthmatics—Caffeine and the chemical theophyline in coffee act as natural bronchodilators. Three or more cups of coffee per day help can relieve the symptoms of asthma.

 

·    Coffee Alleviates Headaches and Manages Migraines—Because caffeine is a natural vasoconstrictor, the caffeine in coffee helps to reduce headache pain in many people. Caffeine additives not only help headache medications to work more effectively, it also helps the body absorb headache drugs quicker.

 

·    Coffee Burns Fat—Because caffeine speeds up your metabolism, you have more energy and burn more calories. Caffeine also breaks down fat and frees up fatty acids in the body for immediate fat burning. In fact, conversion from fat to energy is about 30% more effective with caffeine. And because fat is being burned for energy, blood glucose levels don’t get low, and amino acids are preserved and you don’t get hungry as quickly.

 

·    Coffee’s High Number of Antioxidants Fights Free Radicals–Recent studies have shown that coffee is one of the richest sources of antioxidants in the average person’s diet. But little is known about how these antioxidants, including caffeine, work against free radicals.

 

·    Coffee is an Athletic Performance Enhancer—Numerous tests have been conducted on caffeine and its effects on athletic performance and endurance. And the results–caffeine works. About 330 mg (or 5 mg per kilogram of body weight) 30 minutes to an hour before workouts results in better endurance, faster times, less exertion, less fatigue, and more rapid recovery — up to 30% better. 

 

So what about the downside of coffee: What about the jitteriness that it causes? What about other health risks? Can you have too much of a good thing?

 

Coffee can raise cholesterol, spike insulin, be dangerous to those with heart disease, cause irregular heartbeat, raise blood pressure, cause insomnia and anxiety if overdone.

People with panic or anxiety disorders may find that they are especially sensitive to caffeine and usually find that even a little bit of coffee will make anxiety and panic much much worse.

 

Coffee also interferes with your body’s ability to use folate (a B vitamin, especially important for pregnant women), and vitamins B12 and B6. These nutrients are necessary to keep homocysteine levels low. Elevated homocysteine levels are associated with heart attacks and heart disease.

 

Coffee makes the acid/base balance of the blood turn acidic, causing calcium to be used as a buffering agent in the body.

 

Coffee also stimulates your adrenals — the hormones that activate your fight or flight response. If your adrenal hormones are stimulated too often, which is bound to happen if you are a daily coffee drinker, your adrenal glands may eventually burn out.

 

In premenopausal women, the body will substitute progesterone for adrenal hormones.

Progesterone has its own important job to do, and serves as a balance for estrogen. If progesterone is used up, you become estrogen dominant. Estrogen dominance can lead to osteoporosis.

 

Coffee tends to be a heavily sprayed crop so drinking non-organic coffee will expose you to a hefty dose of pesticides with each cup.

 

If you’re pregnant or planning to be, you should avoid coffee altogether. Over 300 mg of caffeine a day, which is the equivalent of two to three eight ounce cups of coffee, can increase your risk of miscarriage, low birth weight baby, and cleft palate, as well as SIDS. It is also transferred through breast milk, and stays in your body and your baby’s body  longer than most people.

 

Caffeine and coffee can also be pretty strong diuretics, so if you are drinking large quantities of it, be sure to drink water to replace the lost fluids.

 

So am I going ditch the ‘Joe’?

No way! I love a nice strong cup in the morning to get me going, mentally and physically. It’s sometimes the only thing that gets me out of bed. I’m not a morning person, without caffeine.

 

If you want to drink coffee, keep this in mind, and you’ll be fine:

 

·    Opt for organic, drink it fresh and grind it every day. Coffee is one of the products that you just should not ingest any other way, so pay a few extra bucks and get the organic kind. This maximizes the antioxidants in the coffee—and it just tastes better. And while you’re at it, avoid drinking coffee out of those nasty Styrofoam containers. Coffee can leach out some bad chemicals from that stuff.

 

·    Drink it black. Leave out the sugar, the cream, the fake non dairy chemical ‘cream’, and the artificial sweeteners. If you MUST have something in your coffee, try a little coconut milk and stevia.

 

·    Avoid drinking caffeinated coffee in the evening. Since coffee has a half life of 6 hours, it can take quite a bit of time to clear out all the caffeine. Instead get a good night’s sleep and sleep soundly, without caffeine.

 

And whatever you do, don’t get your caffeine fix from those fluffy, fattening, sugary, macchiato, mochaccino, cappucino, frappuccino drinks from the coffee shops. That’s not going to do you or your wallet any good.

 

A small amount of caffeine can be very helpful in many instances. A long boring drive when you’re feeling sleepy, crying babies who keep you up half the night, traveling through timezones, and getting up early to be productive in the pre-dawn hours of the morning. Sure, it’s good to be health conscious, but a little bit of caffeine to get us up in the morning, through the day, and over the hump is OK, too. And sometimes, a hot cuppa ‘joe’ just really tastes good.

Till next time, stay healthy, lean and energetic!

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.   

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.    

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fitwise.com

 

Mercola, If you drink coffee make sure it’s organic, Jan 2010.

 

Hartley Jack, Caffeine and Sports Performance, http://www.vanderbilt.edu/ans/psychology/health_psychology/caffeine_sports.htm

 

Warner Jennifer, New Clues on Caffeine’s Health Benefits

Study Suggests Antioxidants in Caffeine Play a Role in Coffee’s Impact on Health, WebMD Health News.