2015 USDA Dietary Guidelines

2015 USDA Dietary Guidelines

Here are two good articles on the USDA Diet Guidelines:

Fat Headlines

Dr. Garth Davis

I'm sure the Beef and Dairy Industry are going to have something to say about the decision.

More to come.

Spartan Up!

Spartan Up!

I have led a very active life.  Baseball when I was young. Surfing for over 40 years. Over the past twenty years, I have been involved in Mountain Bike racing, Xterra off-road triathlons, Olympic distance triathlons and even Ironman triathlons. 

Late last year a fairly new sport came across my radar.. Obstacle Course Racing.  By my nature, I only wanted to participate in the best of the best. The Spartan Race Series is known to be the Ironman of OCR.  So I dove in headfirst and started learning everything I could. I have now read Spartan Up!  three times and counting.  It will change your life and the way you perceive it.

I signed up for my first (of many to come) last November.  After 4+miles, countless amount of stairs to be climbed in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, 24 obstacles to overcome and only 120 penalty Burpees, I became a Spartan!  My perception of life's obstacles has completely changed. I can only hope that I can be an influence on those I interact with in my everyday life.

" If you want to change your life, you have to change your frame of reference"

Please watch;

What does it mean to Spartan Up!

Spartan Race 2014 Thank You!

You can listen to short powerful podcasts at:

SpartanUp! The Podcast

Becoming a Spartan!

 I am looking forward to doing Spartan Super with our son Jay in October!!

Chia Seeds

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds were an important energy source for many ancient cultures, including the Mayans and Incas.  They still remain a dietary staple in many Central and South American countries today.  In the Mayan language, chia means "strength".  These little seeds are incredibly nutritious and are packed with with significant amounts of protein, calcium, fiber and essential minerals.  They are used in energy bars, puddings, breads, baking and even as an egg replacement when made into a 'gel'.  I make a gel using 1 tbs seeds to 3 tbs organic apple juice or lemonade.  I then add a couple of scoops to my oatmeal with fresh or frozen fruit each morning.  When I work out of town, I mix some with fruit, cinnamon and some type of seed or nuts and have it for breakfast on the go.  

Here some facts on the nutritional values:

5 x the calcium then milk

3 x the antioxidants then blueberries

3 x the iron then spinach

3 x the fiber of oatmeal

2 x the protein of any bean, grain or sprout

2 x the potassium of a banana

They also help to normalize blood glucose levels by slowing the conversion of carbs into sugar.

Just 1 tablespoon of chia seeds contains 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, 2282 mg of Omega 3 and 752 mg of Omega 6 fatty acids!

Quick Chia Pudding

1 cup vanilla almond milk
5 soft pitted dates
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup of fresh blueberries
1/4 cup of chia seeds
combine all except chia in a blender until smooth
whisk together with chia seeds and refrigerate 1-2 hours or overnight
  

Surf's Up! Elvis Style

Surf's Up!...Elvis Style

Reportedly one of Elvis' favorite sandwich was a Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana topped with Bacon.  I have been eating these for over 50 years, minus the bacon.  It has been an essential staple for many a surf trip.  Most seasoned soul surfers will agree it is one of the easiest and
most nutritional sandwich you can make.

All you need is:

Whole Grain Bread
Natural Peanut Butter (just peanuts and salt, nothing else!)
One Ripe Banana
Honey
A Pinch of Cinnamon

   Melt a little Earth Balance in a skillet over medium heat, make your sandwich and
grill it like you would a grilled cheese sandwich.  That's it!

I will be trying one soon with our Coconut Bacon Recipe. (See sidebar for our Coconut BLT recipe).

As always, let us know what you think!

GOT MILK?

Milk Doesn't Do A Body Good

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, around 75% of the world's adults can't digest milk (they're lactose-intolerant) and most don't even know it.  Stomach pain, gas, bloating, allergies, eczema, asthma, arthritis, inflammation and acne can all be linked to dairy.  Beyond childhood, most people stop producing the enzyme lactase, which is needed to digest lactose (the sugar in milk).  The protein in cow's milk (casein) is difficult for humans to digest.  According to Dr T. Colin Campbell author of The-China-Study, the protein "Casein", which makes up about 87% of the protein in cow's milk, creates and promotes cancer cell growth.
"GOT MILK?"  NO THANK YOU!

According to the Dairy Industry we need to consume milk and cheese to obtain our calcium requirements, but there are many other alternatives with nondairy milk:  Almond, Coconut, Rice and Soy milks are just a few.  You can even make your own with a high speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec with raw nuts, organic coconut flakes, water and a nut milk bag!  Here's a recipe for almond milk from The Blender Girl:  Awesome Almond Milk.

We don't need to get our calcium from milk.  Cows get there calcium from eating plants.  Gorillas, rhinos, elephants and horses maintain a strong physique from eating greens also.  So can we!

Dairy has approximately 300 mg. of calcium per cup, along with plenty of casein, but very little magnesium (which is needed for our bodies to absorb the calcium).  Therefore, the calcium we have in our bones is leeched out to help digest what we just consumed.

Here our some examples of plant-based calcium sources:

Collard Greens-270 mg. per cup

White Beans-160 mg. per cup

Kale-125 mg. per cup

Tofu-200-400 mg. per 1/2 cup

Oranges-80 mg. 

Figs-dried-150 mg. per 1/2 cup

CHIA SEEDS-300 mg. per OUNCE (5x the amount of milk), plus it has Boron
 to help our bodies to absorb it.

Here are 4 great articles to check out; 

 The Truth About Dairy, KrisCarr.com

   Calcium and Strong Bones, pcrm.org

10 Fascinating Facts About Cow's Milk, OneGreenPlanet.org

                                  5 Myths About Cow's Milk, OneGreenPlanet.org

NOT MILK!

How Food Can Fix Your Mood

How Food Can Fix Your Mood

In last week's episode on Rich Roll's Podcast, he states: "If we want to repair our broken health care system and move culture towards true, long-term sustainable wellness, then medicine must embrace a a new approach to healing.  An approach that’s so new, it’s old."

As with most of his episodes, this one is about two hours long, so sit back, relax and enjoy!

You won't be disappointed.  Click now to listen to "How Food Can Fix Your Mood".

The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of the disease.” 
—Thomas Edison

Plant-Based Diets and Diabetes

Plant-Based Diets and Diabetes

nutritionfacts.org is the go-to site for any questions about nutrition and health.

Here is a great video on the subject of preventing and treating Diabetes with a plant-based diet

from Dr. Michael Greger: Plant-Based Diets and Diabetes.