Food Friday: Brussels Sprouts

Food Friday is my weekly homage to my favorite thing on Earth- FOOD!  I haven't always felt this way.  I used to view food as the enemy.  But no longer!  I love food- it helps me meet my performance goals, nourishes my body, and most importantly keeps me healthy so I can make a difference in this crazy world.  So every Friday I will be posting about one of my favorite foods.  It may be a plant or animal, single ingredient or recipe, or whatever I feel like (hey- it's my blog afterall).

If there is a particular food you would like me to talk about, recommend it in the comments! 

 Brussels Sprouts

Hold it.  How many of us rallied against our parents to keep Brussels Sprouts off our plate?  Because really, cabbage is suspect all by itself... but mini smelly cabbages are downright offensive.  In fact, a 2008 Heinz survey ranked Brussels Sprouts as the most hated vegetable in America.

I get it.  I hated Brussels Sprouts before I even tried them.  What kind of Regina George vegetable has a reputation like that?

Well, Brussels Sprouts are very, ah, fragrant when overcooked.  The traditional method of cooking was to boil them- assuring they were mushy and smelly.

But just like thick rimmed glasses and baggy sweaters, what's old is new again.  Brussels Sprouts are back in a big way.  Restaurants are making a name by making them tasty.  Hipster foodies buy them locally.  And of course, they're Paleo.

Brussels Sprouts pack a punch of nutrients and are super easy to make.  So if you haven't already, get daring and add some to your meal plan today!

P.S.  Does anyone else say Brussel Sprouts??  I did... until about two days ago.  It's really Brussels Sprouts.... because modern versions were cultivated in Belgium!

Benefits

• Super high levels of Vitamin C and K
• A good source of Folate, Manganese, Fiber, and Vitamin B6   
• Provides protection against cancer because of a compound called glucosinolate.  All cruciferous veggies contain this compound, but Brussels Sprouts have the most.  
• Low carbohydrate- one gram per serving

Shopping

Readily available in most grocery stores, Brussels Sprouts are usually located by the big cabbage.  Do you think that makes them feel inadequate?

But really, buy and cook them fresh.  Frozen Brussels Sprouts tend to be bitter and slimy.

Preparing

I typically cut the sprouts in half or even quarter them.  Be sure to chop off the hard white stem portion at the bottom.  If the outer leaves are looking a little yellow, you can peel them away.  And with all veggies, wash them well.

Cooking

Let me say this once...

Roasting Brussels Sprouts is the way to go.

Some people like them steamed, but I think that makes them taste like mini-cabbage mush balls.  So if that's your jam, go for it.  A good roast gives them crispy outer leaves and well cooked inside.  You can also peel the leaves and make chips.  

You could also skip the cooking and slice them to make a winter slaw!

Recipe

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Ham

These sprouts have just the right about of crisp and are a great side dish for anything from ribs to chicken to hamburgers.  Or by themselves as a snack!

Ingredients:

1 lb Brussels Sprouts
1/2 Cup Chopped Ham (or sub 4 pieces of chopped bacon)
2 TBS Coconut Oil (melted)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 Degrees F.

2. Cut the white stalk off of the Brussels Sprouts and cut in half

3.  Mix Brussels Sprouts with chopped ham, coconut oil, sea salt, and pepper.

4. Spread evenly on a baking sheet.

5.  Bake for 35-40 minutes until crisp on the outside.

6.  Serve immediately and enjoy!


Cheers!

-Kelsey

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What do you think?  Do you like Brussesls Sprouts or would you rather put your head through a wall?  If you love them, share your favorite recipes in the comments below!

What's Wrong with Processed Sports Drinks (and Recipe for a Real Food Alternative!)

As we're approaching the height of the summer heat and humidity, over-exertion and dehydration tend to appear.  If you have performance goals, work outside, or have kids that are constantly on the go, maintaining that intensity without the risk of injury or overheating can be tricky.

For this, the food industry tells us that sports drinks are they way to keep ourselves hydrated and safe.

But wait a minute, is there something wrong with Gatorade, Powerade, or any of the other sports drinks that promise superior nutrition conveniently out of a vending machine?  According this this Deadspin article, a lot (<-- Warning, it's a great article, but there is some swearing).  It calls to question the entire notion of dehydration, electrolytes, and cramping.  

I don't think that replenishing electrolytes and carbohydrates (salt and sugar, by the way) is a bad thing.  In fact, feeding your body some glucose (sugar) immediately following physical exertion can help your body start to repair damaged tissues.  The only caveat here is if you have fat loss goals, it could be detrimental to your goals.  But more on that another time.    

What I'm more concerned about is the ingredient list.  Let's break down common ingredients found on one of these labels:

Water- This is good.  Drink enough of this in general.

Sugar-  Pretty straight forward.  This is what will help you replenish your glucose stores, as mentioned above.

Dextrose- This is the name given to sugar produced from corn.  Reading between the lines here- High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Despite the marketing efforts by the Corn Industry, there are plenty of reasons why you do not want to ingest this.

Citric Acid- For the purposes of manufacturing a sports drink, it is fermented sugar to use as a flavoring agent.

Natural Flavor-  This is a gnarly one.  A search on the inter-webs will send you down a rabbit hole that this can be a chemical that resembles perfume, MSG, Aspartame, or even bugs.  The official FDA definition is published in the Code of Federal Regulations (21CFR101.22).  Basically the label "Natural Food" means the flavoring can be derived, distilled, or extracted from either plants or animal matter directly or via roasting, heating or fermenting.  There is no direction on the quality of the source of the flavoring- factory farmed cows and genetically modified soy beans are fair game.  Point being that this a very vague food label that is not highly regulated.

Sodium Citrate-  This is a common food additive for flavor and preservatives, but in it's most basic form, it's salt.

Monopotassium Phosphate- This is water soluble salt, and a source of phosphorus and potassium.  My thought would be that this is where the electrolytes in sports drinks come from.

Modified Food Starch-  This is an ingredient that will aid in attaining the desired texture or gel of the food.  The nutritional value of this food is a wash, but you should note that unless otherwise stated on the labeling this can be made from corn or wheat from varying quality sources.  So if you have an allergy to gluten or are trying to avoid GMO sources, avoiding Modified Food Starch would be a good first step.

Glycerol ester of Rosin-  This is another ingredient that aids in mix and texture.  It's pretty common in fruit juices to keep oils and water from separating.  Officially there are no heath risks associated with this and it is the "best and most natural option for achieving stability in beverages," however it is advised that pregnant women consult their doctors prior to consuming beverages with Glycerol Ester of Rosin (ummm... what?).

In a nutshell, manufactured sports drinks are chocked full of artificial, man-made, unclear, borderline panic inducing ingredients.  

So what to do?

Well, first of all, good ol' fashion water will probably suffice most of the time.  If you're concerned about electrolyte loss, you can add a pinch of salt.  Only after incredibly intense workouts or spending time laboring in the heat and sun should the need for an electrolyte and glucose hit be necessary.

If you do feel you need a sports drink.... Enter the glorious coconut.  Coconut products have taken the US by storm over the past several years, from milk, to flakes, to oil, and for our purposes today... coconut water.

Think of coconut water as nature's own miracle sports drink.  It has all the essentials without the man made ingredients, such as good sugars, sodium, potassium (more than 4 bananas per serving), and electrolytes.  As a bonus, it has dietary fiber, enzymes, vitamin C, and amino acids.

Now, for those of you who have tasted coconut water, you might cringe at the thought of using it.  No doubt- it is an acquired taste.  So how do we make one of nature's most optimal foods better suited for consumption?

Do what the food industry does- add sugar!  But in our case, we're going to add a natural source of sugar (and other vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers).  In other words, we're going to add fruit.

Wholly Made Sports Drink

Ingredients: 

1 Cup Coconut Water
1 Cup Water/Ice
1/4 Cup Strawberries and Pineapple (Mango, Bananas, or any tropic fruit work great)
Blender or Muddle Tool
Shaker





1. Muddle or blend the fruit fruit.  I prefer to muddle only enough to get some of the juices out, because I like the chunks of fruit during or after a workout.  If you don't think you'll like the fruit as chunky, then just pop it in the blender to get it to your desired consistency.

2.  Add that fruit, coconut water, and water/ice to your shaker (you can mess with the coconut/water/ice ratio depending on how palatable you find the coconut water).

If you're going to be enjoying this immediately, then you probably don't need ice.  If you're going to take this with you to the gym or the soccer field, adding some ice will help keep it cool until consumed.

                                   

3. Shake it up!

4.  Leave it in the shaker and take it with you.  Or pour and enjoy immediately.

A few notes on this:
  -  You can make it ahead of time, but it will only keep in the fridge for about 3-4 days before it starts to get questionable.
  -  You'll find this is slightly less convenient than a manufactured sports drink.  But in my opinion, it's well worth it.
  -  Experiment with this!  Have fun, test and learn on yourself, and let me know what you think!

Cheers!

-Kelsey

Real Food Burger Bun Recipe and Updates

It has been a crazy few weeks!  In an awesome way, of course, but a lot has happened!  So I wanted to give you a 'Kelsey's life' update and then share an AWESOME recipe just in time for your 4th of July Backyard BBQ.

So here we go:

• I became a Quitter.  At the beginning of this month, I turned in my notice to my Corporate job so I can focus on Health Coaching full time.  I am so excited, nervous, scared, pumped, anxious, etc.  But mostly excited!  This means that I'm going to have more time to dedicate to my current clients, open my availability for new clients, and create awesome and relevant content more regularly.  Speaking of content....

• I started an e-Newsletter.  So sign up to get weekly access to exclusive content, recipes, articles, events, etc.  I know what you're thinking: "Between Groupon, the Prince of Nigeria, and all the cat pictures I get from Great Aunt Sally, there is no more room in my inbox."  Or "I already follow you on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  What do you possibly have to add to those?"  Well, I love Social Media, but I have no control over whether or not my posts show up on your news feed so you could be missing a lot of great information.  Even if you've followed by blog through Blogger, this is different.  But due to anti-spam laws I cannot sign you up!  Plus I promise my newsletter will be more relevant than those cat pictures!  Speaking of relevant...

• I'm officially a Certified Health Coach.  I finished and passed my final exam from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and am accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.  This has been an incredibly enlightening and amazing journey, but it does not stop here.  I plan to continue to grow and learn every day, attend seminars and workshops, and attain designations.  

So I think that about sums it up for now... but stay tuned because there is more to come!

Low Carb, Real Food, Super Delish Burger Bun

  If you are gluten free, low carb, or just avoid bread, you know this time of year can be depressing.  You are usually the one left to munch on your slab of meat between two pieces of lettuce, or worse, cutting it up with a knife and fork.  

(Sad trombone.)

  So here we go.  A bun made with just 5 ingredients and that looks and tastes pretty darn close to a normal bun.  Plus it only takes 20 minutes to make.  10 cool points for me, right?  

  You can make this in advance and it will store for several days in the fridge.  Just make sure you take it out in enough time to come to room temperature.

  The recipe makes 1/2 of a bun.  So if you want to make enough for one burger, double it.  If you want to make enough for 2 burgers, make 4.  And so on...

Ingredients: 

1 Egg

1/2 Teaspoon Coconut Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Cacao Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a small, oven safe bowl with coconut oil.  I used my Pyrex custard cups.  If you do not have a dish that you feel comfortable using in the oven, there is a microwave option listed below.  

Add all the ingredients to the bowl.

Whisk ingredients together until there are minimal to no lumps (some lumps are ok, but not a ton).

Put the bowl in the oven for 15 minutes, or until mixture is firm.  The bun will be light brown in color.  You can microwave it, if you prefer, for 90 seconds

Allow the bun to cool.  Use a knife and scrape between the egg and the dish and gently pop the bun out.

Create a majestic burger to make all other burgers jealous.  

And voila!  All your burger problems solved!  

Cheers!

Kelsey

Un-Caffeinated

OK, so.  On the outside, I'm Miss IHaveAllTheAnswersAboutHealth.  On the inside, I deal with my own nutritional demons  That's pretty typical, right?  Don't "they" say the most disturbed people become therapists?  So this is kind of the same thing.

But in the spirit of full disclosure, I've been dealing with a an issue over the past several months.  It's an issue with a substance that's flat out been an addiction for the past 10 years.  I could not imagine my life without it.  For some people, it's not a big issue.  But for me, it was becoming the most detrimental issue to my health.  And based on the dramatic nature of my explanation, it might not be what you think.  Are you ready?

Caffeine.  Specifically, coffee.  Even more specifically, a Grande Pike's Place with a shot of espresso and some cinnamon powder.  Every.  Flippin.  Day.  Sometimes more than once.  Plus about another 8 cups of black coffee.  And I'm not even close to kidding.

To be clear, I didn't think I had a problem.  But looking back, I should have known there was an issue when I started telling people that "I could quit if I wanted to, I just don't want to."

I've been one big ball of stress over the past year.  With what feels like 8 million things going on, I was wound tight every minute of every day.  Then one day I heard one of my favorite bloggers/podcasters, Jason Seib, mention that caffeine is for healthy people.  Whaaaaaaat??  Doesn't caffeine make people healthier?

Well, here's the issue.  Caffeine creates stress in your body.  While some stress can be good, in the wrong situation it can be bad.  Really really bad.  

Long story short- caffeine artificially increases cortisol and reduces the functionality of the adrenal glands.  This can cause issues with sleep, weight gain, chronic inflammation, and overall feelings of crappiness (<- that's a word now).

In a person who is very healthy and dealing with low levels of stress, caffeine can be no big deal.  But for someone who is stressed, has a compromised immune system, or struggling to meet aesthetic or fitness goals, it can be very detrimental.

So, I cut it out.  Cold turkey.  

I replaced it with decaf herbal teas and drank water- a TON of water.  And I spent the first three days in a foggy haze.  Like, it took me 30 minutes to read and comprehend one email and I could barely hold a conversation before noon.

Siiiiiigh

And then after about 3 days.... the weirdest thing happened.  The fog lifted:  

• I could think clearly.  
• I had more energy.  
• I slept better.  
• I felt rested and ready to go when I woke up.  
• I became a morning person again.  
• I stopped feeling like the world was crashing down every minute of every day. 

Pretty much the opposite of everything I thought would happen.  

And the BEST thing about cutting out caffeine is that I am no longer bound by the chains of needing a substance to function.  Believe it or not...

There is freedom in restriction.    

Soooo... what now?  This doesn't mean I won't ever have an ounce of caffeine again.  But what it does mean is that I will be VERY intentional to never again allow my mood, productivity, or happiness be dependent on an external stimulant.

So you're probably reading this and you're thinking "good for you, but I could NEVER do that."  Trust me- If I can, you can.

How do you know if you should consider giving up caffeine?

1. You need caffeine before you can function in the morning.
2. You don't sleep well.
3. You get headaches if you don't drink it.
4. You're constantly stressed, angry, or anxious.
5. You've hit a fat loss or performance plateau.
6. You couldn't imagine your life without it.
7. You've ever used the phrase "I could give it up if I wanted to. I just don't want to."

And so let's say that you decide this is the right move for you. 

How do you even start?

1. Create a plan and set a date.  And then warn all your friends and family to avoid you for the first three days.
2. Clear your house of any caffeine and change your route to work/school/the gym to avoid a Starbucks.  Seriously.
3. Enlist a cheering section to support you, but apologize in advance for how you may behave (see suggestion one).
4. Plan on drinking LOTS of decaf herbal teas and water.  This will help alleviate headaches and sluggishness.
5. Batten down the hatches.  It won't be easy, but it will be worth it.  You are worth it.  Your health is worth it.  If you need help, I can help.  

So tell me....  Have you ever given up caffeine?  Or beat another food addiction?  Or even just thought about it?  Tell me about it in the comments!

Food Friday: Kale

Food Friday is my weekly homage to my favorite thing on Earth- FOOD!  I haven't always felt this way.  I used to view food as the enemy.  But no longer!  I love food- it helps me meet my performance goals, nourishes my body, and most importantly keeps me healthy so I can make a difference in this crazy world.  So every Friday I will be posting about one of my favorite foods.  It may be a plant or animal, single ingredient or recipe, or whatever I feel like (hey- it's my blog afterall).

If there is a particular food you would like me to talk about, recommend it in the comments! 

 Kale

Oh Kale, glorious Kale.

First of all, I feel like Kale is VERY polarizing.  I've seen Facebook commentary that it tastes like dirt.  According to Mitchell on Modern Family, "Kale is not ready to Anchor a meal."  And really, WWRST (What Would Ron Swanson Think).

  

For anyone who knows me, it's probably borderline shocking that my first Food Friday is about a vegetable.  But Kale is probably the one green that I legitimately love.

It's so versatile: you can eat it raw in a salad, cooked in a soup, sauteed in some (sourced) bacon fat with garlic, mixed in a hash, stuffed in some Pumpkins, or baked as a chip.  

Benefits

And here is what Kale has to offer you:

• Mega Rich is Vitamins A,D,E,K and C 
• Chocked full of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory micronutrients  
• Great source of Calcium (Anyone going dairy free will inevitably hear the phrase "But where will you get your calcium?"  You can tell them "KALE YO!")
• Contains essential minerals like copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus  
• Great source of Fiber (Again, if you're giving up whole grains see the Calcium comment above.)

Shopping

Look for firm, deeply colored leaves.  I've only ever seen green Kale in my grocery store, but there are red and purple varieties as well.  And some more good news- Kale is cheap.  You can usually get one bunch of organic Kale for under $2.

Preparing

Make sure you pull the leaves off the stems.  The stems can be really chewy but they are great for compost!  And as with any other veggie, rinse well before eating!

Cooking

I think a lot of people in the health an wellness field would recommend eating Kale raw, but I have to disagree with that.  Cooking Kale will cause it to lose some of the nutrients, but if you do not have a full functioning digestive system (most people do not) digesting any raw plant can be difficult.  

I think you get the biggest bang for your buck using Kale in a soup.  Below is my very favorite Kale recipe where the Kale is cooked in the soup.  The soup will retain most of the good stuff lost in the heating process.  

Recipe

Sausage and Sweet Potato Soup with Kale

This is my FAVORITE recipe with Kale.  If you're a fan of the Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden, this is pretty darn close!

*I saved the following as a picture.  You should be able to right click and "save as" to your personal recipe folder OR print directly from the picture.*

  

How do you feel about Kale?  Love it or hate it?  If you love it, what is your favorite way to eat it?

How Margarine Homewrecked Our Health

In the last few weeks, I've found myself in the middle of or the observer of a lot of conversations about butter.  And to be clear, I'm not complaining.  I looooooove butter (gasp).  And ya know what?  Butter loves me back (gaaaaassssssp).

Most of these conversations revolve around someone making a statement that they love butter and someone else chiming in about hout many calories it has or how it will cause clogged arteries and heart attacks.  But butter has to be one of the most misunderstood and slandered foods in the grocery store.  To fully understand why butter is so misunderstood, it's important to understand the history of butter and why it's fallen out of good graces with most nutritionists and the FDA.

This story can be quite dry and involve lots of food politics.  I'm going to translate it into a story that most of us can understand (for illustrative purposes).  A sort of Desperate Housewives tale.... 

Sprinkle the fairy dust to transport us to a time not so long ago.  A simpler time.  A white picket fence time.  Specifically, the 1950s.

Butter is a housewife who, for as long as she and anyone in her family can remember, has been providing her family with critical calories, good quality fat, and necessary vitamins and nutrients from the milk of grass fed cows.  These nutrients include Vitamins A, D, E, K, DHA, Copper, Zinc, Chromium, Selenium, and CLA.  She also provided essential fatty acids, necessary cholesterols, and shorter chain fatty acids.  All of these kept her family strong and healthy, specifically in regards to brain health, heart disease, liver/lung/kidney function.  She also help them build a stronger immune system and stronger bodies (sort of the 1950s version of being swoll). 

Until one day.

That was the day Butter's husband, known to his friends as USDA, found a new wife named Margarine.  Sure, she appeared to have all the same qualities as Butter- a similar flavor, consistency, and a nice full body.  But unlike Butter, Margarine had a shiny new outfit, cost less to keep around the house, and had certain man-made parts.  USDA had been very happy with Butter for the longest time,  his ol' fraternity brothers, Food Scientist and Marketing Exec, convinced him that upgrading to Margarine would be more fun. 

Butter was taken completely by surprise.

Margarine took her home,

the loyalty of her betrothed,

 her dignity,

and most importantly her family. 

A few of the neighbors questioned USDA's decision to replace Butter with Margarine.  So USDA's ol' buddy, Marketing Exec (who had experience with this), helped him spread rumors about Butter.  Soon enough, all of the neighbors were fond of Margarine as well.

But over time, it was obvious that Margarine wasn't all she was seemed.  Her addiction to man made enhancements grew worse.  She started to rely on government support to keep her home.  And worst of all, her family started to become less nourished and crave love and affection elsewhere. 

You see, Margerine was a deciever.  Promising a more healthy life, but all the while seeking attention and growth for herself.  She is the ultimate wolf in sheep's clothing.

The good news is that Butter is still around.  She's quietly biding her time for her family to come back. She now goes by different names such as Kerry Gold

or Organic Valley.

You'll still find her in the dairy section of most grocery stores, but for sure at the health food stores.  She'll be there as quite and humble as ever, no flashy dress promising heart health or superior taste (she doesn't need to promise something that is a part of who she is).

So what are you waiting for?  Welcome Butter back into your life. 

Cheers-

Kelsey

My Story- Part 2 (Nourish)

Note:  You’ll notice I don’t use any citations for this post.  For today, it’s not about what is or isn’t scientifically proven.  It’s about what I’m doing and what works for me.

But if you’re looking for more resources, check out some of my favorite people in the world of nutrition and lifestyle management.  Check out their websites, listen to their podcasts, and buy their books.  You won’t be sorry:  Robb Wolf, Diane Sanfillipo, Liz Wolfe, Sarah Fragoso, and Mark Sisson.

 
Life is crazy these days.  Between the uber amount of traveling for work, coursework for my Heath Coaching certification, training at the gym, supporting a few non-profit causes, loving on my husband, trying to help with the house, yard, and spoiled pets, and some occasional sleep, my weeks move pretty fast.

I'm not telling you this to make you feel sorry for me or to start a contest about who is busier.  I'm telling you this because this is Kelsey's Modern Life.  I would be willing to bet your life has a similar outline.  And we all know that crazy lives can cause some important decisions to get put on the back burner.

In Part 1 of this series, I shared with you the catalyst that ignited my health and wellness journey.  When I was diagnosed with MS, I reacted the way most of us do- "What medicine do you have to fix this?"  I took that medicine for a hot minute, but I never really felt good.  I’m not even sure that I felt better.  I still had numbness and tingling, no balance, suffered from brain fog, etc, etc, etc.  We all know the difference between feeling better and feeling good. 

Good didn't come for me until October of 2011.  Good didn’t come until I figured out a way to holistically solve my issues.  Good came when I was introduced to the Paleo/Primal lifestyle.  Specifically the nutrition side of things.  It's pretty simple.  Are you ready? 

Eat your fill of whole sources of meat, fish, nuts, seeds, eggs, veggies, and fruits.  Avoid eating grains, legumes, and most dairy.

We can spend hours, days, and years talking about the ideal ratio of macronutrients, the role of fermented foods and organ meats, and if Paleo cookies, granola bars, and beer are ok.  But honestly- it doesn't matter.  (Well, it does, depending on your goals and life circumstances, but for what we're talking about today: It.  Doesn't.  Matter.)

Here is how I eat on a typical* day:

Breakfast: Pastured sausage and roasted sweet potatoes with kale and onions.

Lunch: Soup (I love love love love love soup (love it)), a salad or lettuce wrap, and a side of avocado.

Dinner:  Some sort of pot-roast with grassfed butter and sweet potatoes, burgers with sweet potato buns, or dark meat chicken curry with riced cauliflower. 

*Typical means when I’m not traveling.  I’ll spend time covering what I eat when I travel in another post. 

Of course this gets modified based on seasons, activities, and other things that pop up.  But here is my thought on food relating to health:

  

It seems to me that whenever we’re trying to cure an ailment with a holistic approach, the first thing we do is try to add something to our diet to make it go away.  For example, adding cinnamon to your diet is supposed to lower your blood sugar, chicken soup will help cure the common cold, and supposedly the acai berry helps fight off everything from cancer to the bubonic plague.  And I’m not saying that any of these are bad (I love soup, remember?).  But from my perspective, we don’t often take a moment to do some root cause analysis of what is causing us to get sick.

From stress to environmental toxins to a couple of harmless germs, contributors to illness are everywhere. From my experience, highly inflammatory foods are one of the biggest influencers of health.  The most common inflammatory foods are grains (especially gluten containing grains such as wheat, barley, and rye), dairy, soy, legumes, and any other highly refined foods. 

I’ve found when I eat foods that are highly inflammatory my digestive, hormonal, and immune systems go seriously out of whack.  My most common symptoms are acne, brain fog, weight gain, disrupted sleep, and, worst of all, MS symptoms. 

I cut out industrial foods that were making me sick.  The kind of sick that wreaks havoc on my immune system and breaks my body down cell by cell.  The kind of sick that causes inflammation in my gut and decreases my body's ability to digest and utilize key nutrients.  The kind of sick that slowly chips away at my life span.  And I'm not trying to be dramatic here (it just comes naturally).

And over the past year, something odd started to happen.  I went from feeling Good to feeling GREAT.  Of course there are more factors that influence this such as stress, sleep, and movement, but nutrition was the cornerstone of this change.

This lifestyle (it is a lifestyle, not a diet) is not always easy.  To make this work for me, I spend hours prepping meals and cooking every Sunday.  Remember what I told you….  I don’t have a ton of hours in my week as it is.  But for me, this is super critical.  Eating right goes well beyond looking good in a bikini or getting my deadlift up over 300 lbs.  My goal is to be healthy, vibrant, and mobile for a very long time. 

We all have goals.  We also all have free will.  And every time we exercise that free will to go off plan, it has an impact on our goals.  Sometimes it’s worth it (frozen custard on a summer night- yes pleaseeeeee) and other times it’s just not (gluten, dairy, soy-filled fast food every day because something else in my life took priority- no, just no).

So I would implore you to consider what your goals are, start thinking about what you need to do to reach them, and own the decision rights to your life.  I really think you’ll be glad you did.  I am.

-Kelsey

Albers Down Under: Sydney and the Basics

Traveling can be stressful- airplanes, transfers, people who seem to have never left their mother’s basement.  Add foreign foods, bad coffee, and exposure to almost every germ known to man, and you most likely have the perfect storm for exhaustion and sickness.  But traveling doesn’t have to suck. 

The next several posts will be capturing our trip to Australia, but I’ll also tie in some best practices for health and wellness from our trip down under (and I've’ve become quite the travel authority on traveling in my everyday life, too).  A critical part of overall wellness goes far beyond making sure you eat the right macro and micro nutrient ratios.  It’s about taking adventures and learning to love life (this is the THRIVE part of Ignite.Nourish.Thrive.).  So while we’re in Australia, I’ll be sharing our adventures as well as about how to be well, eat real foods, and make this lifestyle work from the other side of the world.

Enjoy!

Sydney is a beautiful city.  Well, the 8 square blocks that we stayed within for the two days we were there.  But those 8 square blocks- beautiful.  We rolled into our hotel at about 10am in the morning probably looking like death (and possibly smelling worse).  24 straight hours of traveling will do that to you.  Luckily we were able to get early check in to take a shower and change clothes. 

My favorite part about Sydney was the food (no surprise there).  We stayed in an area of Sydney right off the harbor called The Rocks.  The area was built into some natural bluffs, so there were steep hills and hidden staircases everywhere.  

And with any quaint, tourist infested area of any city, there was an abundance of food.  Pubs, pizza parlors, coffee shops, chocolatiers, gelato, coffee, steak houses, fresh seafood, and Asian fusion.  I don’t know that any of it was distinctly Australian, but it was distinctly delicious.  

We toured the Sydney Opera house.

Took a Harbor Cruise.

And walked across the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

A lot of Sydney was a blur because we were still recovering from our mega long trans-pacific flight.  And it terms of setting the bar for our health for the trip, the Buck (or Wombat) stopped there.  As I’ve detailed in previous posts, I have food intolerances as well as a sensitive immune and stress system, so traveling can and will wreak havoc on my body.  Below are my top 5 critical travel behaviors.  These can be applied to everyday life as well as travel:

Get Plenty of Sleep.  This one goes without saying, but there are a couple of items to note here.  The first is to get enough (duh) and somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-8 hours per night is great for most people (some need more, some need less).  You’ll know when you’ve had enough when you awake refreshed.  Now, I know that isn’t always possible especially when you’re traveling abroad and want to make every moment count.  The second part of this is re-setting your sleep cycle to local time.  Our bodies rest best when it’s dark and quiet out, and this is how our natural rhythm will tend to set itself. 

But sometimes these two sleep principles don’t go hand in hand.  For example, when we arrived in Sydney it was 8am local time (we had been traveling for over 30 hours by that point).  It took everything we had to not fall into bed and sleep the day away.  But because I was super concerned with resetting our sleep cycles, we went out sight-seeing and powered through the day (with a little help from some coffee shops and chocolatiers).  But we gave in and went to bed at 7pm.  And although we were really tired, we were both wide awake at 3am (10am our time).  There was a temptation to get up and watch TV or read, but we stayed in bed for an hour until we fell back asleep.  And when we awoke at 8am the next morning, our cycles were basically reset.  From there, we’ve been very intentional to get enough sleep every night. 

I know we all want to party like rock stars on vacation, but if we don’t sleep our Moves like Jagger will start to resemble Moves like Miley.

Drink Lots of Water.  This one doesn’t need very much explanation.  I’m a fan of indulging on vacation, but skipping on the water will make you dehydrated, tired, sick, constipated, crabby, and give you wonky cravings.  I usually try to find a convenience store and buy a gallon (or more depending on how long I’ll be in one spot) and another water bottle to carry with me and refill.  Depending on where you are, you could even use tap water to fill up the water bottle on the cheap.  You’ll want to do some research, though, on the tap water quality.  A simple Google search should provide enough information for you to make a decision.

     Take  Fermented Cod-Liver Oil/Butter Oil Blend.  Alright, I think this may be where some people jump ship, but hang with me for a second.  First, to be clear, you can get it in capsules and it will not make you burp fish oil all day.  Second, this stuff is basically an elixir of the gods.  It’s a fermented food, so it will help to strengthen your gut which means you’re more resistant to getting sick.  It also has copious amounts of Vitamin D (and A&K, which help your body absorb it).  Vitamin D gives you energy, helps regulate your sleep, keeps you from getting sick, and will help manage and reduce sunburns.  And as a bonus, this particular supplement could help clear your skin and make your nails and hair grow. 

But as always, source matters.  I can only recommend getting this from Green Pastures (available on Amazon or at Green Earth Grocers in Edwardsville for my Southern IL peeps).  Green pastures uses quality ingredients and does not heat the oil during fermentation ensuring the nutrient quality is retained.  I should point out, though, that this is not a good source for Omega-3 like most fish oil (I personally don’t take any fish oil, but I can cover that at a later date).

Take Digestive Enzymes.  I know this one sounds gross, but I am totally in love with these supplements.  They also come in pill form and should be taken with food.  These little buggers help break down your food and absorb nutrients.  When we’re stressed (and hey, like we covered, traveling can be stressful) food becomes only a vessel for calories rather than a life giving sources of nutrients.  Also, for those of you with food sensitivities, this can help you tolerate more foods.  I find if I ingest small amounts of gluten and dairy while on digestive enzymes, they do not have quite the number of ill side effects.  But three words of caution on digestive enzymes:

a.       Test them before you get on vacation (like- several weeks out) because they will impact your digestion.    

b.      This is what works for me.  We all have different bodies, so just be cautious if you’re using them to help manage food intolerances.               

c.       Taking digestive enzymes is not a free pass to eat like garbage.  Garbage food is still garbage food.     

You can find digestive enzymes on Amazon- NowFoods Super Enzymes are good quality and have a great reputation.

Get in Some Smart Movement.  When a vacation involves quite a bit of beach time, bar time, or driving/flying, we forget to move.  This doesn’t meant that you need to go on a 5 mile run or CrossFit every day (you can if you want to), but vacation is a great time to get back to something most of us don’t do nearly enough in our everyday.  Vacation is a great time to get back to walking.  Walk on the beach, explore a city, or go for a hike.  Walking is a great way to save money (cab fare is redonkulous) and catch more sights (you see more going 2 mph than 40).  Plus, getting in some solid natural movement will help you feel a little less guilty about that double scoop of gelato.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but using the above 5 behaviors in conjunction with a fun and relaxing week will help you stay healthy, happy, and ready to take on the world when you have to get back to it.  Do you have any go to health or wellness tips that keep you healthy when you’re traveling?  If so, I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

-Kelsey

Stuffed Miniature Pumpkins and the Evolution of Cooking

Cooking is a therapeutic activity for me.  After a long and stressful day, I look forward to cooking a nourishing meal for my family.  There is something about taking whole food and turning it into a complete meal.  Often times, I'll catch myself smiling while adding spices or sauteing some meat and veggies.  Cooking is not only the best way to control your food quality and macronutrient content, it is also one of the best ways to connect with what is on your fork.

I haven't always felt this way about cooking.  It is undeniable that there is an evolution to cooking.  My personal journey started with adding ingredients to boxed meals such as broccoli to Hamburger Helper or dry soup mixes.  And to me, that was considered homemade.  Occasionally I would play with super complicated recipes out of The Joy of Cooking, spend all day creating something, and after an exhausting day, swear it off for good.  But for the most part, the cooking I did was made from something prefabricated elsewhere.

But necessity truly is the mother of invention.  When I realized that I had a pretty serious Gluten intolerance, gone were the days of trusting boxed food.  Gluten is hidden in so many things from the obvious offenders such as pasta and bread, to soup and dressing mixes, to canned soups and stocks, to spice mixtures.  Wheat is cheap and flavorless, which means it is a perfect ingredient to increase the yield for food items.  This took most of the prepackaged food items off the table for me.  So this forced me into another stage in the evolution of cooking.  Rather than rely on food scientists to premix and flavor foods for me, I started using cookbooks and exploring spices and flavors to create meals.  I even started making my own soup stock, mixing post workout whey drinks, and brewing Kombucha.

And not so long ago I hit another major milestone in my food evolution.  I entered the era of recipe creation.  I'm not a creative person by nature, but when I've been immersed in something for awhile the wheels start turning.  My goal was to start learning how to take complementary flavors and create delicious meals.  A few weeks ago, I made a chili (from a cookbook) that used cloves.  The clove gave the chili a hard and sweet, almost smoky, flavor that I was fascinated by.  At the same time, a volunteer miniature pumpkin plant in our garden was supplying us with what we would normally use as Halloween decorations.  The wheels were spinning pretty fast and furious at this point.  So I went for it and created the recipe below.  And not to brag, but it is pretty darn tasty!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or ground lamb (I used beef because we didn't have any lamb but I think this would be delicious with lamb.  I know some people like to use ground turkey, but I don't recommend this because I think ground turkey is dry and tasteless.)
6 miniature pumpkins- grocery stores have tons of them in stock right now for really cheap
1 bunch of kale
1 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 teaspoons cinnamon, split
1/2 teaspoon of cloves (it is easy to go overboard on this, so be careful)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350.

1.  Cut the tops off the miniature pumpkins and spoon just the seeds out (make sure to leave the flesh on the sides of the pumpkins).

2.  Mix 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon and the maple syrup in a separate dish.  Brush the mixture evenly into the pumpkins.

3.  Put the tops of the pumpkins back on and place them in an oven safe dish.  Bake the pumpkins for 35-45 minutes.

4.  While the pumpkins are baking, saute your onions.  When the onions are translucent, add the ground beef or lamb, garlic, cloves, and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.  Cook until meat is brown.

5.  While the meat is browning and the pumpkins are pumkining, rinse your kale and pull the kale leaves from the spines of the kale (I really don't know what the technical term is for any of this...  this is just what sounds good to me).  Add the kale to the meat once it is brown.  Mix the kale and turn the burner on low (you'll want to keep this warm, but not keep it cooking).

6.  Once the pumpkins are soft to the touch, pull them out of the oven and let them cool.  Scrape the flesh off the sides into a bowl.  (Note-The flesh should be very soft and easy to scrape.  If the flesh is hard, then you should put the pumpkins back in the oven until they are soft.)

7.  Mix the pumpkin flesh in with meat.  Stir all of it together and then spoon the mixture back into the pumpkins.  

8.  Enjoy!!

I think this pairs well with a simple spinach salad.  The one pictured below is simply spinach, chopped fresh button mushrooms, a pomegranate, with an olive oil/red wine vinegar dressing.  

Have fun with this recipe.  And let me know what you think!!