The Amazing Benefits of Just 1 Tbsp of FLAX SEEDS a Day + Recipe Ideas

The Amazing Benefits of Just 1 Tbsp of FLAX SEEDS a Day + Recipe Ideas

by | Sep 19, 2018 | Healthy Eating, Recipes, Superfoods

You may already know that flax seeds are good for you because of their high fiber and high ALA omega 3 fatty acid content. However, there’s something else in flax seeds that sets them apart from other plant foods – their high lignan content (or to be more accurate, their high lignan precursor content). Most notably, just a tablespoon of flax seed added to the diet of individuals with hypertension can significantly lower their blood pressure, and a tablespoon of flax seed a day can also have a significant effect on the prevention and treatment of breast and prostate cancer. But that’s not all!

 

10 Amazing benefits of flax seeds:

In Dr. Greger’s book How Not to Die, he cites studies that have shown the “miraculous” power of flax seed consumption specifically on lowering blood pressure in individuals with hypertension, and in preventing and treating breast and prostate cancers. While their high fiber and omega 3 fatty acid content are two big reasons to eat flaxseeds, it’s their lignan-content that sets them apart. Flax seeds have about 100 times more lignan precursors than other plant foods.1

  1. Helps lower blood pressure – “Flax seeds alone induce ‘one of the most potent blood pressure lowering effects ever achieved by a dietary intervention.’ Eating just a few tablespoons a day appears to be 2-3 times more powerful than adopting an aerobic endurance exercise program.” A trial published in the Journal of Hypertension showed that the addition of just a few tablespoons of flaxseed introduced (unknowingly) into the diets of individuals with hypertension caused a drop in blood pressure from 158/82 to 143/75 which would equate to 46% fewer strokes and 29% less heart disease over time. In contrast, powerful hypertension drugs have only been shown to lower blood pressure by up to 8 and 3 points or 5 and 2 points, compared to a 15 and 7 point drop in systolic and diastolic blood pressure caused by flaxseed consumption. For more details, watch this video.1,2
  2. Helps prevent and treat breast cancer, esp. in postmenopausal women, & prostate cancer – For more details, watch this video.1,2,4
  3. Helps Decrease Menopausal and Hormonal Imbalance Symptoms, such a hot flashes, and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis2,4
  4. May help fight diabetes by improving blood sugar4
  5. Helps lower cholesterol and triglycerides and reduce the risk of heart disease 1,2,4
  6. Helps improve digestive health and relieve constipation1,2
  7. Helps improve sensitive skin. Watch this video for details.
  8. Can ease symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, lubricate joints and lessen stiffness & joint pain.3,4
  9. May help reduce the number or severity of colds and flus, as lignans are also known for their antiviral and antibacterial properties, therefore consuming flax regularly.2
  10. And finally, flax seed consumption daily can also help with weight loss. 2

Side note on the importance of probiotics when consuming flaxseeds:

Dr. Greger also explains that good bacteria in our gut are needed to convert the lignan precursors from flaxseeds (or any plant foods) into lignans. He states in his book that “the gut bacteria’s role may help explain why women with more frequent UTIs may be at higher risk of breast cancer.” And this is on the only reason to pay attention to your gut microbiome – having sufficient good bacteria in your gut is increasingly being recognized for it’s role in preventing and treating almost all ailments. It’s important to realize that every course of anti-biotics you take can kill good bacteria, along with the bad bacteria. So, if you’ve been on anti-biotics you absolutely should supplement with probiotic rich foods or supplements afterwards, but all individuals will benefit from including probiotics in their daily diet.

Tips for buying and storing your flax seeds:

  • Buy whole flaxseeds and grind them yourself — While they can be purchased already ground, unless buying sprouted ground flaxseeds, it is best to purchase the whole seeds and grind them yourself. Whole flaxseed keeps the omega 3 fatty acids inside well protected so they can be stored at room temperature for up to a year, whereas ground flaxseeds have a shelf life of only about 4 months. I grind them using a spice/coffee grinder, but a high-speed blender or food processor would also work. You can use whole flax seeds as well, but they are difficult to digest so they’ll likely just pass right through you without releasing any of their nutrients (unless you chew them really well, which isn’t easy). Just use a coffee or spice grinder or your high-speed blender to grind.
  • If buying pre-ground flaxseeds, check the production date — As the shelf life of ground flax is only about 4 months, you want to check when they were packaged to know how fresh they are; they may have been sitting on the shelf much longer than 4 months which is why I suggest grinding yourself.
  • Try sprouted ground flaxseeds — Alternatively, if you want to buy pre-ground flax, it’s best to go with sprouted flax which is much more stable and does not require refrigeration and has a shelf life of 2 years. Sprouted flax also provides optimized nutrient absorption and a nuttier (and more appealing) taste. I love Sprout Revolution’s sprouted ground flax, which you can buy on Amazon here. There is the option of plain, or goji and cranberry flavored. Both are great! The sprouted is more pricey than the regular flax, but I just prefer the taste when sprinkling it on top of my oatmeal or smoothie bowls and feel that it’s worth the extra month because it’s a more bio-available form of flax which results in better nutrient absorption – plus, one bag will last you a whole month if consuming just 1 tablespoon a day.
  • If you live in Kurdistan/Iraq, you can find flax seeds at Carrefour in Family Mall in the bulk spice section — They also sell ground flax in the spice aisle, but as I said, its best to buy whole seeds and its more economical as well.
  • Keep your flax in the freezer or refrigerator — While whole flax does have a longer shelf life, it is still a good idea to keep your whole flaxseed in a dark, cool place until you grind them. For ground flax you definitely want to keep it in the freezer or refrigerator. This will prevent the ground flax from oxidizing and losing its nutritional potency.4

How to easily get your 1 Tbsp daily serving of flax seeds:

Ground flax has a kind of nutty taste and goes well sprinkled on anything from oatmeal, smoothie bowls, salads, soups, or really anything – just experiment and see what you like best. As I said above, I prefer the sprouted ground flax seeds when I’m sprinkling it on top of my smoothie bowls or oatmeal and use either the sprouted or regular ground flax when I’m mixing it into things.

  • Add flaxseed to a food you habitually eat. Every time you have a certain food, like oatmeal, smoothies, soup, or yogurt, stir in a couple tablespoons of ground flaxseed. Soon it will be a habit and you won’t have to think about it, you’ll just do it.
  • Add flaxseed to dark, moist dishes. Dark sauces or meat mixtures will easily hide the taste and texture of ground flax so no one will notice they are even eating it. For example, stir some into a casserole, chicken parmesan, chili, beef stew, meatloaf, or meatballs. For a 4-serving casserole, you can usually get away with adding 2 to 4 tablespoons of ground flaxseed.
  • Use as flour-substitute in baking. You can also cook with flax without damaging the lignans and omega 3 fatty acids (unlike flaxseed oil), so you can add the tbsp of ground flax directly with your oats when cooking them. Substitute ground flaxseed for part of the flour in recipes for quick breads, muffins, rolls, bread, bagels, pancakes, and waffles. Try replacing 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the flour with ground flaxseed if the recipe calls for 2 or more cups of flour.4  You can also use flax as part of a gluten-free breadcrumb substitution such as in this recipe for paleo meatballs. Or try making healthier baked goods like these paleo banana muffins with dark chocolate, these banana bread muffins, or mix with homemade granola.
  • Use as egg substitute — Ground flax can also serve as an egg replacement in many recipes (like these lentil (meatless)balls I tried the other week and loved). Just mix 1 Tbsp ground flax with 3 Tbsp water and let sit a few minutes before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.
  • Make gluten-free flaxseed crackers — I just made these almond flax crackers (link to recipe) to give to my mother-in-law who has high blood pressure as an easy way for her to consume a tablespoon of flaxseeds each day. Based on the size of my crackers I gave her a prescription to eat just 4 small crackers each day. I used half flax and half almond meal (which can be made by just grinding up raw almonds in your vitamix, spice grinder, or food processor) and a few spoons of chia seeds. I add 2-3 teaspoons of za’atar spice with ½ tsp each of onion and garlic powder and they come out great. Next time I’m planning to try with fresh rosemary and roasted garlic.If you want a very simple and low-cost recipe, you can follow Dr. Greger’s basic flax cracker recipe by simply mixing 2 cups flax with 1 cup water and adding any herbs or spices you like. Dr. Greger adds ½ tsp each of smoked paprika, onion and garlic powder.Just be sure to check if any spice mixes you use already contain salt, as za’atar sometimes does, so you aren’t adding extra salt. If you have hypertension it’s best to just omit the salt if you’ll be eating them with something that contains salt such as my recommendation below.
  • Flax cracker serving recommendation: I love these crackers as a snack topped with a sliver of avocado and some of my homemade sauerkraut (so I’m also getting probiotics – the good bacteria that helps to convert the lignans precursors from the flaxseeds into lignans). My other favorite is serving them with a homemade white bean & almond dip.

 

Just google “healthy flaxseed recipes” and you’ll find many more ideas!

 

Precautions:

When you first add flaxseeds to your diet you might temporarily experience bloating and gas, abdominal discomfort, loose stools, decreased appetite, and potential hormonal changes if you consume large amounts. Therefore, if you don’t currently consume a lot of fiber, start by just adding one tsp of ground flax to your daily diet and then slowly increase to 2 tsp/day and finally 3 tsp (1 Tbsp) or up to 2-3 tablespoons daily.

Be sure to also drink plenty of water as you start consuming flax.

Important: flax seeds acts as a blood thinner, so if you’re taking any blood thinners such as aspirin or other NSAIDs, you should avoid flax seed consumption unless you’ve consulted with your doctor.

If you are taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, or hypertension drugs, consult with your doctor to monitor your cholesterol or blood pressure levels as you begin consuming flax to see if you can lower your dosage, or perhaps even go off the drugs (especially if adopting a more whole foods plant-based diet overall).2

 

Bottom Line:

  • 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds should be part of your daily diet (unless you’re taking blood thinners) to help prevent or treat hypertension, breast and prostate cancers (as well as potentially other cancers), prevent heart disease, reduce menopausal and hormonal imbalance symptoms and potentially reduce the risk of osteoporosis, reduce joint pain and stiffness, and improve digestive health and elimination of waste and toxins, among other benefits.
  • Flaxseeds should be stored in a cool place and be consumed as ground flax seed powder, ideally freshly ground at home using a spice/coffee grinder.
  • Ground flaxseed is very versatile and can be sprinkled on any type of food or used in many recipes such as granola, muffins, crackers, smoothies, oatmeal, meatballs, and so much more!
  • If you don’t have enough good bacteria in your gut, your body won’t be able to take full advantage of the lignan precursors from the flax seeds (or other plant foods), so be sure to also add raw fermented foods to your daily diet or take a high-quality supplement, esp. if you’ve been on anti-biotics. Here’s an easy recipe for homemade sauerkraut. And I purchased these fermentation jar lids and glass weights to make the process super easy and prevent mold growth.
  • Flax seeds are cheap and easily available, so the addition of at least one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds per day is one very easy habit that if you sustain it for the rest of your life it can have a great impact on optimizing your health.

 

Now, please pass it on! Share this information or blog post with others so they can also benefit from this “miraculous” plant food.

 

References:

  1. Michael Greger, How Not to Die, 2015 (and his website: nutritionfacts.org)
  2. https://draxe.com/10-flax-seed-benefits-nutrition-facts/
  3. https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/treatments/natural/supplements-herbs/guide/flaxseed.php)
  4. https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed#2

 

 

The Only Green Smoothie Recipe You Need to Know

The Only Green Smoothie Recipe You Need to Know

by | Sep 10, 2018 | Brain Health, Energy Practices, Healthy Eating, Recipes, Superfoods

If you want:
  • more energy,
  • more focus
  • improved athletic performance
  • clearer skin,
  • less body fat,
  • slower cell aging,
  • improved digestion, AND
  • a significantly reduced risk of cancer and numerous other diseases
without spending a lot of time or money, …
may I suggest you start making this nutrient-dense green smoothie part of your daily routine?

 

My go-to recipe is packed with nutrition and still tastes great — even my husband thinks so, and he was not even a fan of salads until he met me, smile. However, we all have different taste preferences and depending on the season and where you live, you’ll want to vary the ingredients so I’ll also share the basic formula for a nutrient-dense green smoothie that you can follow to easily whip one up with what you have available.

If you haven’t yet read my blog post: How Much Veggies & Greens do I Really Need to Eat Each Day?, check it out here to learn more about the power of green smoothies.

 

While you’ll find green smoothie recipes all over the internet, my go-to is based on Kimberly Snyder’s Glowing Green Smoothie recipe, with a few add-ins to further boost the nutritional content and a few variations based on what produce I have locally available.

According to Kimberly, who is a clinical nutritionist and author of numerous books including the Beauty Detox Diet:

“In one delicious drink, we get the fuel to not only lose weight, but rejuvenate our skin, fight aging, and increase our energy. It’s so easy, it’s so simple, and it has worked for all my clients, from Hollywood stars to busy moms and schoolteachers.”

 

In my version of the “glowing green smoothie” I swap swiss card for romaine lettuce (because it’s so plentiful where I’m living in Iraq and more nutrient-dense) and I’m currently using frozen spinach instead of fresh because that’s my only option. I also add a little healthy fat in the form of avocado or chia seeds to increase the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins from the greens. And then I always like to add some fresh ginger, cinnamon (for both taste and to help balance blood sugar), and an extra superfood boost such as spirulina or schizandra berry powder for extra antioxidants and other phytonutrients, which also boosts the detox power of my smoothie.

 

So here’s the basic formula that I follow, so you can have fun experimenting with different greens and fruit combos based on what’s in season or cheapest to buy.

 

Basic Smoothie Formula:

  • At least a 2:1 ratio of greens to fruit (or 1:1 when first starting out and up to 3:1 for a super nutrient-dense smoothie)
  • At least 1 packed cup of raw dark leafy greens, or 1/2 cup frozen (Spinach is great for newbies because the taste is mild and it blends up really well even in a normal blender so you won’t even know it’s in there, even if you’re not a spinach fan. Baby kale is another great option when starting out, but it’s best to vary your greens every few weeks and switch between plant families – but there is also nothing wrong with consuming spinach every day unless you’ve previously had calcium oxalate kidney stones and the same goes for kale, unless you’re predisposed to hypothyroidism. Rotating your greens will just ensure you get a wider variety of nutrients. Check out this article if you want to know more about how you should rotate your greens and the plant families.
  • 1 healthy fat (Just a small amount is needed, even one nut would do, to enable the fat-soluble vitamins in the greens to be absorbed. Options include: 1/4 avocado, a few nuts or a spoon of nut butter, chia, hemp or flax seeds – I usually add avocado, chia or hemp seeds.)
  • Liquid base (filtered water, coconut water, or carrageen-free nut or seed “milk” (aka nut juice); I just use water)
  • Extra superfood boost, optional (A superfood is a super nutrient-dense food, such as dark leafy greens. There are many others that I buy in powder form and keep in my pantry to make my smoothie EXTRA nutritious, including: spirulina powder, goji berries, schizandra berry powder, and acai powder (though I prefer the frozen acai packets, but they don’t sell those in Iraq) – I also like to add these to my protein shakes for an added energy boost.) 

 

My Go-To Green Smoothie Recipe:

Ingredients (2 servings):
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1-inch piece of fresh ginger
  • 2 medium pieces of fruit (I often use 1 pear and 1 apple, or 2 pears, or 2 peaches.)
  • ½ a small banana (You can always add a little more after you blend up if you prefer your smoothie a little sweeter, but I find that ½ a small one is plenty to make my smoothie taste good, as long as it’s ripe.)
  • 3-4 cups (or handfuls) of greens* (I am currently using spinach and swiss chard because that’s what I have available)
  • 1 small cucumber (I add a Persian cucumber; you could add ½ a larger one)
  • 1 handful fresh herbs, optional but encouraged (my favorite is cilantro but sadly that is unavailable where I’m living currently so I often use parsley because it’s one of the most nutrient dense foods and great for detoxification. I also love adding dill.)
  • 1 Tbsp organic chia seeds (or other healthy fat, such as ½ avocado, flax, or nut butter)
  • 2 dashes of cinnamon (I love the taste this gives but in cooler weather adding ginger and cinnamon as especially good for their warming properties)
  • 1 heaping tsp organic spirulina powder, or other superfood boost, optional (Spirulina is algae and it does smell and taste like you might imagine algae would, but that’s only on its own. I PROMISE you won’t even taste it in this smoothie – I tested it out on my husband to be sure it wasn’t only my taste buds telling me that (smile). It’s an amazing superfood that is rich in Chlorophyll which helps remove toxins from the blood and boost the immune system,2 among many other health benefits due to its wide array of minerals, trace elements, phytonutrients, and enzymes. The other superfood that I used to add until I ran out of it was schizandra berry powder. Now I’m in the habit of using the whole dried berries to make a daily “tea”)
  • Water (About 1 1/2 cups but I don’t measure, I just pour some and blend, and then add more if needed to reach a nice consistency, or just add extra ice)
  • A few ice cubes, if you like your smoothie chilled (It usually tastes better this way but don’t make it too cold or it can be harder to digest. Also, adding at least one frozen fruit will help to chill the smoothie without watering it down – I usually keep frozen bananas in my freezer for this purpose – which is a great way to save fruit when you have too much and it’s about to become overripe; peaches are another fruit I usually slice and freeze.)

 

Directions:
  1. Pack all ingredients (except frozen banana and ice) into your blend and blend well until you’ve reached a smooth consistency.
  2. Add the frozen banana and ice and blend again to chill your smoothie.
  3. Taste to make sure it’s to your liking. Add a little more banana if you think it needs more sweetness, a little more water if it seems too thick and chunky, or more ice if its not chilled enough. Finally, pour and enjoy! If you don’t have someone to share with you can save the other servings for an afternoon energy boost – best stored in a glass bottle.

 

A Delicious Fall Smoothie Recipe for Picky Eaters:

If you’re not a fan of most greens and vegetables, I suggest starting with this recipe. As long as you like cinnamon and pears, I’m sure you’ll love it!

Ingredients (1 serving):
  • 1 large handful spinach
  • 1/2 frozen banan
  • 1 pear
  • dash of cinnamon
  • 1 cup water

Blend and enjoy! Add a few ice cubes if you like your smoothie more chilled.

Some additional green smoothie pointers:

  1. Invest in a Vitamix. It is an investment in your health and will save you money in the long-run. It is not required for making green smoothies — any blender will do — but the Vitamix makes the smoothies sooo smooth! I used to have a  Ninja and when I switched to the Vitamix it was like night and day! To save money, buy a refurbished one or watch for discounts on Amazon. And you can use it for so much more! I use mine to make homemade nut butters and nut milks, blended soups and so much more! There are so many recipes that you can use your Vitamix for. However, if purchasing a Vitamix is not an option right now, I suggest sticking with softer greens such as spinach and baby kale so the consistency of your smoothie will be smooth (unless you don’t mind drinking a smoothie that’s a little chunky).
  2. Slowly increase your greens. If you currently don’t consume a lot of greens, then it’s best to start off with less and then slowly increase after your body has adjusted. Otherwise, you could end up with bloating and gas, which is normal in the short-term when switching to a more plant-based diet, but slowly increasing your intake of greens you can minimize any unpleasant side-effects.
  3. Chew your smoothies. Make sure when you consume green smoothies that you actually still chew a little and drink slowly to optimize digestion (which starts in the mouth with the enzymes in our saliva). This will help to optimize the assimilation of all the nutrients and prevent bloating or gas.
  4. Choose clean produce. Use organic when possible or at least for those ingredients on the dirty dozen list. Or choose conventional produce that’s not on the dirty dozen list, or better yet, that’s on the clean 15 list. Here’s the EWG’s 2018 dirty dozen list, and the 2018 clean 15.
  5. Rub, don’t just rinse. If you can’t buy organic, don’t just rinse your produce under water but also rub it. Friction helps remove more contaminants from the surface of your produce. You also can use a vegetable brush for the non-leafy produce.1 For those that you can’t rub, like your leafy greens, you can use a 9:1-part water:salt rinse3.
  6. Save time by prepping in advance. To save time in the morning, you can pack all non-frozen ingredients into your blender the night before so you only need to add water, ice and the frozen banana in the morning and blend. You could even blend the night before and pack into bottles to grab and go (the smoothie is good for up to 2 days in the fridge), but I think it tastes best fresh. You could also portion out all ingredients into 5 glass containers for each day of the week on a Sunday afternoon. And for the days you’re short on time, keep frozen spinach and fruit in the freezer — you can easily just toss in a cup of frozen spinach with a cup of frozen mango and a 1/2 a banana for example.

 

References:

1 https://www.oxygenmag.com/nutrition/why-you-should-rethink-your-veggie-intake#gid=ci022529562000260d&pid=wash-vegetables-hyman

2 Dr. Michael Greger, How Not to Die, 2015.

 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This is a personal blog written by me, Larissa Popp. This blog is my way of sharing both health tips and things that I love and want others to know about that can help with a healthy lifestyle. I include affiliate links only for products I have tried and love.

How much veggies & greens do you really need to eat each day?

How much veggies & greens do you really need to eat each day?

by | Sep 7, 2018 | Book Insights, Energy Practices, Healthy Eating, Superfoods

How many servings of vegetables did you eat yesterday?

How about dark leafy greens?

Do you even know how many servings you should be consuming to optimize your health and energy?

A serving would be1,4:

  • 1 cup of raw leafy greens or ½ cup cooked greens
  • ½ cup of cooked or raw other vegetables
  • ½ cup of 100% vegetable juice, fresh and without additives

 

While the USDA guidelines recommend between 5-13 servings of fruits AND vegetables a day for optimal health,1 I prefer to follow the independent guidance of health and nutrition experts, including Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Michael Greger.

 

According to Dr. Michael Greger, an internationally-renowned nutrition expert and physician, in his book How Not to Die (which I’m currently listening to on Audible and highly recommend), it is recommended to consume at least 5 servings of vegetables per day, including at least 2 servings of leafy greens daily and 1 servings of cruciferous vegetables. He defines a serving size as 1 cup raw greens, ½ cup cooked greens, or ½ cup raw or cooked other vegetables.4

 

Dr. Mark Hyman, in his book “Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?”, recommends between 7-9 servings of vegetables per day (or roughly 4 cups worth), with a focus on slow burning and low glycemic ones that are the most nutritionally dense — which includes: cruciferous vegetables, dark leafy greens (of course!), vegetables from the allium family (garlic, shallots, onion…), high fiber veggies like celery and asparagus, and mushrooms.

 

Dark leafy greens are the healthiest food on the planet based on their nutrient density (havig the most nutrition per calorie), and thus are highly effective for preventing and reversing many chronic diseases (including many types of cancer, heart disease and hypertension, diabetes, and more). Eating more leafy greens is also one of the best ways to increase your ENERGY, with only positive side-effects that include enhanced athletic performance. I highly recommend checking out the documentary Powered by Green Smoothies, which can be viewed for free on Youtube (the full movie was actually uploaded by the producer because that is how much he believes in getting the message out to the world about the power of green smoothies!).

 

I challenge you to just try a self-experiment and see for yourself what happens when you eat more greens.

 

I recently returned from a 3 week visit back to the States — from Kurdistan, Iraq, where I currently live — and I started making green smoothies again each morning for my husband and I, as well as big salads for lunch — which is very different from typical Kurdish cuisine.

 

After just two days of consuming lots of fresh greens and fruit from the smoothies and salads, my husband — who is Kurdish, and had been eating lots of bread, white rice and beans, few fruits and vegetables while I was gone – commented that he was feeling much lighter and more energetic!

 

This is the power of eating greens!

 

You may be wondering, what about the advice to “eat the rainbow”?

While striving to eat a wide array of different colored fruits and vegetables is highly beneficial because pigment is an indication of nutrient content, leafy greens in fact contain many of the other plant pigments (which are simply masked by the high chlorophyll content). Therefore, dark greens actually provide much of the same nutrition (and more) than other vegetables and fruits. “So, in essence, when you’re eating your greens, you’re eating the rainbow,” Dr. Greger states.4

 

Some of the most nutrient-dense greens are: seaweed, parsley, swiss chard, kale, watercress, collards, mustard greens, bok choy, dandelion greens, spinach, arugula (which is especially good for hypertension4), beet greens, sorrel, mesclun mix, turnip greens, and romaine lettuce.3,4,5 If you’re not a fan of dark leafy greens, I encourage you to at least give spinach or baby kale a try in a simple green smoothie, like this one (the fruit completely masks the taste of the spinach).

 

And did you know…? 

…that you can actually LEARN to like new vegetables by initially adding some sweetness? There is phenomenon known as the flavor flavor phenomenon, in which you can change your taste palette by linking a less favorable flavor, such as sour or bitter, with a more pleasant one, such as sweet. So by simply adding a sweet sauce (such as a balsamic glaze or honey Dijon dressing) to bitter greens or blending greens with fruit, you are actually training your taste buds to get used to the true flavor of those greens. After just a few days you can start to like the greens more than before. So green smoothies are not only a great way to consume lots of greens by masking their flavor with sweet fruit, but you’ll actually be training your taste buds to enjoy greens more on their own. Try it!

 

So, if you find it difficult to consume 2 cups of leafy greens each day, I suggest you begin a morning green smoothie habit. I find that this is one of the easiest ways to get a sufficient amount of leafy greens and other nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables in your diet daily. You’ll be able to start your day having already gotten 4-5 servings of fruits and veggies.

 

You would likely never consume the same amount of fruits and vegetables in one sitting if you had to sit and chew it. Digestion is also going to be much easier since the blender already did a lot of the work which means less bloating and gas, and increased nutrient absorption.

 

We are not simply what we eat. We are what we digest.

 

Did you know…?

…that many people these days have impaired digestive systems or just don’t chew their food well enough, so often many nutrients from the food are not absorbed and just pass right through without being utilized by the body.

 

If you’ve never tried a green smoothie, don’t be turned off by the contents or color – my husband actually loves the green smoothies I make and I put a LOT of greens (which he does not love on their own). I even sneaked in some spirulina powder (a type of algae that’s considered a superfood) that I brought back from the U.S. and he didn’t even notice a difference in the taste.

 

Want to try my go-to green smoothie recipe? Or learn some tips for upgrading your current green smoothie? Check out my blog post: The Only Green Smoothie Recipe You Need to Know.

 

 

References: 

1 https://www.huffingtonpost.com/irene-rubaumkeller-/fruit-vegetable-servings_b_926400.html

2 https://www.fmtv.com/media/uploads/downloads/heal-yourself-masterclass-fridge-bundle.pdf

3 https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/most-nutrient-dense-foods.php#more-high-nutrient-foods

4 Dr. Michael Greger, How Not to Die, 2015.

5 https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/eat-to-live-blog/128/andi-food-scores-rating-the-nutrient-density-of-foods

My #1 Tip for Reducing Post-Meal Gas, Bloating, Indigestion and Fatigue

My #1 Tip for Reducing Post-Meal Gas, Bloating, Indigestion and Fatigue

by | Jul 31, 2018 | Energy Practices, Healthy Eating

Our gut is gaining increasing recognition for its significant role in our body, which is why I recently signed up for a functional nutrition training intensive all about digestion. I have gathered so many juicy nuggets of information that I am eager to share, because while the health of our gut is at the root of most health concerns it is often overlooked in conventional medicine. We are not simply what we eat; we are what we can digest, absorb and utilize. So, if your digestive system is functioning optimally, you aren’t getting all the nutrition that your food might have to offer.

I want to start by sharing one very easy strategy to optimize our digestion, which is so simple and so powerful, yet so often overlooked when it comes to problems with post-meal gas, bloating, indigestion, and fatigue.

To optimize your health and have more energy, CHEW your food more!

The simple act of chewing more can eliminate gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort – and fatigue (because the less energy required for digestion, the more energy there is to use elsewhere). Additionally, with optimal digestion, the energy from our food is getting where it needs to go.

Yes, it’s that simple, but read on if you want to fully understand how chewing plays such a significant impact on your digestion and post-meal energy levels. Often when we better understand how our body functions, we are more likely to adopt strategies to optimize our body’s systems.

You might also find that you eat less when you focus more on chewing (because your brain doesn’t get the signal that you’re full until after a lag of about 20 minutes) – which is why this has also proven to be effective in helping people lose weight. People also lose weight because by optimizing their digestion through chewing more, more of the nutrients from the food are getting to the cells. Overeating sometimes occurs because the cells aren’t getting what they need (which could be due to the consumption of nutrient deficient food, or due to poor digestion and assimilation of even nutrient-dense food).

Now, for those of you who enjoy learning about the connection between food and physiology, let’s explore chewing a little further.

When you take a bite of food, the digestion of that food begins in your mouth with chewing. Chewing mechanically breaks down our food into smaller and smaller pieces, expels air, and mixes the food with saliva. Saliva, with its enzymes, begins the chemical breakdown of our food. The longer food spends in your mouth, the easier digestion is on the rest of your body.

That was probably nothing new to you, but what you might not know is that the act of chewing also alerts the rest of your digestive system to get ready for the food coming its way, whereby more enzymes are released in the body and more hydrochloric acid (or HCL). This means that digestion in your stomach and small intestines will be compromised as well by not taking the time to chew your food well.

In addition, did you know that you also might need to chew your liquids? It can be very easy to quickly guzzle down a high-calorie smoothie, which means that you might not be getting the full benefit from what is hopefully a nutrient-dense drink. While a smoothie doesn’t need the mechanical breakdown that comes with chewing, it does still need the chemical breakdown that comes from mixing with our saliva and being exposed to more enzymes.

Here’s another interesting thing to note:

Heartburn is not a problem resulting from too much stomach acid, but instead from too little. Therefore, by taking antacids for heartburn you might treat the symptoms but you’re actually making the problem worse by further depleting stomach acid that’s already deficient. This is often the problem in conventional medicine today – we are treating the symptoms more often, rather than the root cause.

Your Action Step:

While you could simply pay more attention to how much you’re chewing during your next meal, and try to chew more, I suggest you do a one-week experiment where you focus more intentionally on both relaxing during meal time and chewing your food more.

It’s best if you actually keep a journal to write down any post-meal symptoms prior to starting the experiment, and then writing down how you feel after meals while trying these recommendations to become more fully aware of how chewing impacts your physiology. How much you need to chew depends on what you’re eating but start off trying to chew each mouthful of food at least 30 times to get used to what that feels like (and also chew your smoothies a little). Below is a step by step routine to follow to help you out.

Recipe for mindful eating and chewing to optimize your digestion:

  1. Remove any distractions prior to your meal (i.e. your phone, computer, the TV and any reading material), and if possible, light a candle or play soft music.
  2. Do some light stretching, then take a few deep breathes before you start eating. (This is especially important if you are feeling stressed because eating while stressed, on top of not chewing well, is a sure way to get a tummy ache; you might also wash your face before eating to help shift into a more relaxed state.).
  3. Express gratitude for your food.
  4. Place a bite of food in your mouth, then put your utensils down — and you might also find it helpful to place your hands together.
  5. Begin chewing and really savor the taste of the food.
  6. Concentrate on the act of chewing (try counting your chews for the first few bites).
  7. If you’re feeling stressed, close your eyes and let the act of chewing relax you.
  8. If having a meal with others, try to save most of the talking for after your meal, or between bites.