As a product of the NY public school system I think it’s fair to say that I turned out pretty well. I learned a lot in my pre-college days, then went on to college, graduated and became a responsible, tax-paying citizen. When I think back to my college years and what I ate, I can’t remember cooking a single meal. Sure I could make omelets, pour cereal and milk, boil pasta, and microwave frozen meals, but cooking, like really cooking… not so much (and I don’t even mean Julia Child style). I don’t think it ever occurred to me to even try. Why would I? I had the dining hall, Lean-Cuisine, Subway, Panera and Taco Bell to do the work for me.

It’s no wonder I got sick and was eventually diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. My body just couldn’t keep up. It was time to get back to the basics! As I quickly learned, clean healthy whole food can be prepared in just a handful of minutes.

Steaming is one of my favorite ways to prepare vegetables. You only use one pot so clean up is really easy and the veggies cook in a matter of minutes. All you need is water so you really can’t beat the price for your ingredients.

When done correctly, steaming is a great way to retain the flavor and nutrients in your food. To maximize their nutritional value, vegetables should be cooked al denté – tender on the outside and crisp on the inside. So often, my clients overcook their vegetables without realize that this greatly diminishes their nutrient density.

To steam vegetables, begin by adding about 2 inches of water to the bottom of your pot. This will prevent the pot from burning. Allow the water to boil before adding the vegetables to the steamer basket so the heat will be consistent throughout the cooking time. After you add your vegetables, turn the heat to a medium temperature and cover with a lid. I like to steam multiple vegetables at once in a very large pot in order to maximize efficiency. Place the denser vegetables on the bottom because they will need more heat in order to cook. The lightest vegetables, like dark leafy greens should be on top.

Be sure to save the water at the bottom of the pot! The water can be used as a base for soups and sauces. You can also drink it straight hot or cold.

Did you know that if you place a frog in a pan of water, he just sits there? If the pan is heated very slowly and gradually the frog won’t even notice that the temperature of the water he is sitting in is getting warmer. The frog “gets used to” the increasing heat and will likely boil to death if the heat is not turned down because his sensory capabilities fail to warn him that he needs to hop out of the pan in order to survive.

So why am I sharing this gruesome tale with you? We, the American public, have become the frog and the food companies and Standard American Diet (SAD) are like the water. Overtime, we have become more and more dependent on artificial ingredients and processed foods, but because this has been a gradual increase, we hardly noticed. Today, we (as a country) are sick, diseased, exhausted and overweight. The water is near boiling and we have to “hop out” to save our lives. For many, “hopping” is easier said then done.

Convenience, culture, tradition, perception of finances and taste preference “trap” us, even though our current diet is not in our best interests.

I spend most of my day, every day, advising people on how to live a healthier life. I help them understand that eating healthy doesn’t have to leave them with an empty wallet and that healthy foods and tasty foods are not mutually exclusive. The thing is, I am a human too. No human is perfect. We are biologically programmed to seek out the most calorically-dense foods and eat as much of them as possible. A long, long, very long time we had to rely on our opportunities of feast in order to survive during famine. This innate instinct is now confused in our modern environment of super-sizing and drive-throughs. We have an unlimited amount of food available anytime and anywhere.

I know better than to eat sugar and drink caffeine. I know the effects they have on my body, but like I said, I am human too, and no human is perfect. So this week when life got busy, schoolwork piled up and clients were scheduled back to back, I resorted to one of my old habits – caffeine – for that extra boost to get me through. Although I haven’t had a sip of coffee in years, tea has a similar effect on me. The caffeine, felt good initially and I felt energized and empowered to get through my grueling tasks. It didn’t take long before I felt tired, starving and craving sweets. Everything felt out of whack and off balance by the end of the day.

The next day, I woke up feeling hungover and sluggish, so what did I do? I put some water on to boil and had a nice hot cup of caffeinated tea – actually, make that plural – cups of tea. I was feeding myself poorly to make myself feel better. Does that sound familiar or may be it’s just me? After another day of this routine, I decided enough was enough and the next morning I woke up and had some hot water with lemon. While not nearly as satisfying at the time, I felt a heck of a lot better by the end of the day, and feeling more like myself. I “hopped” out of the boiling water.

Sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in the pleasure trap because it can feel so good and getting out of it doesn’t initially. The following books provide more information about “hopping” out of the boiling water. The Pleasure Trap by J. Lisle Douglas and Alan Goldhamer and The Yoga of Eating by Charles Eisenstein provide wonderful and insightful information about the motivational factors that cause us to give in to an excessive diet and lifestyle and how to communicate with our body to get on and stay on a healthy, energizing and mindful track.

Where to start first? Which assignment or exam has the highest priority? The questions can go on and on.

For those of you that spend your days in an office, I’m sure you can relate too. Ever have multiple deadlines that overlap? Who hasn’t? You find yourself getting to the office earlier in the morning and staying later at night, may be even bringing work home with you in the evenings or weekends. It consumes your life.

So when I haven’t been coaching clients, I’ve been splitting my time between the library and my desk at home. I haven’t tried any new recipes or been spending much time in the kitchen at all.

So what did I have to share with my readers? “Not much” was my initial reaction.

Well, boy was I wrong! Everyone goes through periods of “crunch time”. Our stress levels are up and we have less personal time than we’d like. This is a fact of life. Period.

The important thing is how we deal with it.

1. Don’t take a break from the gym! Some days I have shorter workouts than usual, but at least I get my body moving and sweating. If I can’t make a yoga class, I make sure to spend time on my yoga mat at home. Exercise should be as routine as brushing your teeth. I know I am more productive if I’ve taken some time to move around. Plus, it’s a great way to reduce stress.

2. Stock up on yummy whole foods so you aren’t tempted to order-in or eat processed foods. A few days ago, I cooked a large batch of brown rice, steamed a lot of different vegetables, stocked up on a variety of beans, hummus and avocados. When you take time to cook in advance and all you have to do is scoop it onto a plate, it’s pretty hard to be tempted by the not-so-good-for-you stuff. You won’t be eating refined flours and sugars, which cause energy levels and mood to peak and crash.

3. Make sure to get enough sleep. People who are tired do not cope well in stressful situations. If you make time to sleep, you will feel better and be more resilient and adaptable in dealing with what is waiting for you the next day.

4. Be realistic about your expectations. Set realistic goals for the workday, week, month, etc. You’ll feel more accomplished and motivated at the end of the day if you can cross off everything on your “to-do” list.

So what do you do to stay healthy and on track during “crunch time”? What do you think you could be doing differently?

Over half of the population is deficient in vitamin D and research indicates that this contributes to a variety of health issues like cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, autoimmune diseases and diabetes.

According to Mark Hyman, MD, “Vitamin D has a huge impact on the health and function of your cells. It reduces cellular growth (which promotes cancer) and improves cell differentiation (which puts cells into an anti-cancer state). That makes vitamin D one of the most potent cancer inhibitors — and explains why vitamin D deficiency has been linked to colon, prostate, breast and ovarian cancer.”

Research indicates that vitamin D can regulate and control our genes which explains why it can do everything from preventing cancer to reducing inflammation. It is like an on-off switch for various cellular responses. If you aren’t getting enough vitamin D your health may suffer as a result.

So what can you do to make sure you’re getting enough Vitamin D?

1. Get tested! The 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test can measure your vitamin D level. The optimal range when measured in nanograms per milliliter is 40 to 65 ng/ml.

2. Eat foods that contain vitamin D. These include fish oil, fatty fish (salmon, tuna, trout and mackerel) and eggs.

3. For more information about vitamin D and vitamin D supplements click here.

For more information about vitamin D click here.

Resources:

Joel Fuhrman, MD

Mark Hyman, MD

Go on. Finish the sentence. I’ll wait.

If your answer had anything to do with puffy eyes, tired eyes, wrinkles, pimples, or blotches – you are definitely not alone. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. What you are missing is “glow”.

Food is the root to our glowing skin. The foods we eat nourish the cells in our body, which affect the quality of the blood that feeds our delicate skin cells. If we feed our body cells foods that are processed, fatty, or contain animal products, then that is what will create our skin’s surface. However, if our skin cells grow from vegetables and other energizing, purifying and reviving foods, than our skin will illuminate.

Our skin is the product of what is going on inside our bodies. When our organs function properly and efficiently, our skin will be as calm and relaxed as our insides.

Foods that Deprive Us of Our Glow

Red Meat & Poultry – These foods are high in saturated fats and cholesterol. Our bodies require a lot of energy to digest red meat, which takes away energy and resources from other bodily functions. Red meat contributes to dry skin and hair.

Poultry has a layer of fat under the skin, which gives its consumers a layer of fat under their skin. This contributes to dry skin and blemishes. “Chicken skin” is a common term for aging flesh on humans for a reason.

Dairy – We are the only species that consumes milk after infancy.  The majority of humans naturally stop producing lactase, the enzyme needed to properly metabolize lactose (the sugar in milk), usually between the ages of two and five years old. Most mammals were not meant to consume milk after infancy. These foods also require a lot of energy to assimilate, which limits the amount of energy available for other body functions.

Eggs – Eggs are also difficult for our bodies to digest, which again depletes energy and resources from other body systems. They are high in cholesterol and fat and create stiff muscles and joints.

Sugar & Flour – These foods do not provide us with any nutrients. Refined sugar lacks vitamins, minerals and fiber, thus requiring extra effort to digest. Our body must deplete its own store of minerals and enzymes to absorb sucrose properly. Therefore, instead of providing our body with nutrition, it creates deficiency. Unlike natural sugar, refined sugar is absorbed quickly into our bloodstream causing excitability, nervous tension and hyperactivity. We quickly “crash” when our blood sugar plummets, causing fatigue, depression, weariness and exhaustion.

All of these fatty foods harden the body. They contribute to clogged pores and inhibit waste release. They decrease moisture in the skin, which contributes to wrinkles and makes skin hard and brittle.

Foods that Enhance Our Glow

Whole Grains – So what exactly is a whole-grain? These are grains that have been produced from unrefined grain, which is grain that still retains its outer bran layers and inner germ and endosperm. Basically, these grains still have all of their nutrients (dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins). These grains will be absorbed more slowly into your blood stream, keeping your blood sugar level stable, which will keep your energy and mood free from spikes and crashes.

Beans – They are high in iron, B vitamins, fiber, and are versatile enough that you may never tire of them.

Fish – When eaten in moderation, fish provides an excellent source of the essential fatty acids, protein, B vitamins and other essential nutrients.

Vegetables – Dark leafy greens like kale and collards are great for purifying the blood, improving liver, gallbladder and kidney function. Nightshade vegetables are better in smaller amounts due to their acidic content. These vegetables include tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant.

Soups – When served as the first course of a meal, or the entire meal, soup helps to relax the digestive tract, which enhances our digestion, making the nutrients more efficiently and easily absorbed.

Dessert – That’s right, dessert is an important component of a healthy diet. Depriving yourself of foods that you crave is not going to do anyone any good. This is why fad and crash dieting never works in the long run. The key is picking the right dessert to prevent overeating and binging and keeping you feeling satisfied. Fruit is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Avoid desserts made with refined flour and sugar. Substitute your favorite dessert recipe with a whole-grain or nut-based flour and replace refined sugar with a natural sweetener like agave nectar.

Also, sweet vegetables soothe the internal organs of the body and energize the mind. Because many of these vegetables are root vegetables, they are energetically grounding, which helps to balance out the spaciness people often feel after eating other kinds of sweet foods. Adding in sweet vegetables helps to crowd out less healthy foods in the diet.

These “glowing” foods are nutrient dense, so every calorie consumed is actually benefiting your body. By eating a plant-based diet that emphasizes vegetables, whole-grains and legumes, you give your body the fuel it needs to function without extra effort to remove all of the impurities you feed it.

When our insides are happy, it shows on our outsides.

Resources:

In case you didn’t know… the entire east coast has spent the majority of 2010 in below average temperatures. I was one of the lucky to escape to a warmer, ok, tropical, climate for 7 days with my family. It had been 10 years since our last family vacation, and we were definitely due, so we packed our bags and headed to St. Maarten.

We spent the week relaxing, hiking, reading and cooking. Cooking, you say? You bet. The changes to our diet and lifestyle that my family and I have made were not about to take a backseat because we flew a couple of thousand miles to some tropical paradise. No offense St. Maarten, but how could I enjoy a beach vacation if I was bloated and tired the entire trip?

Our hotel room had a kitchen and small dining area. The slightly higher expense of the hotel room with a furnished kitchen more than made up for the cost of 6 people eating in restaurants 2 or 3 times a day. We flew with bags of quinoa and brown rice in our suitcases, found 2 grocery stores within walking distance of the hotel and worked together as a family each night to cook dinner, making sure to cook extra for lunch the following day.

Our meals were simple; a big salad loaded with veggies and beans, soup, whole grains mixed with veggies and some fresh veggie juice (my mom went so far as to pack her juicer – double brownie points for her). Simple, easy to prepare and loaded with nutrients. Plus we got to spend time together while grocery shopping and cooking. We ate as a family the meal that we prepared. With a few bottles of wine that we picked up at the grocery store, we had the best restaurant in St. Maarten in our hotel room and you couldn’t beat the price!

Each meal cost about $30 total – that’s $5 per person! Who ever said eating healthy was expensive never ate with my family. After our very satisfying dinners, we strolled downtown to see what the nightlife had in store.

We didn’t bring any recipes or fancy ingredients to St. Maarten. We sure didn’t spend hours in the kitchen chopping and cooking. What we ate was simple, easy, fast and healthy. We did this because we wanted to, not because we felt obligated or cheap. It was a bonding experience for my family and an essential component to a very memorable vacation.

Healthy habits stick when you ease into them gradually – not when you try to take on too much at once like with crash or fad dieting. If your healthy habits are in place before your next trip, sticking to them will be a lot easier. Trust me, you can still enjoy a vacation without overindulging. It’s not “sacrifice”, it’s “self care’.