by dnshah | Jul 8, 2018 | Age Defying, Diet and Weight Loss, Health and Wellness Tips, Obesity, Stress Management
Please note that before anyone changes their diet that they should speak to their doctor about their health goals and their desire to use ACV to reach them.
Losing weight is a cumulative process involving one’s dietary consumption, lifestyle, fitness/activity levels, stress, sleep, and digestion. The point being that just adding ACV into one’s diet does not imply one will automatically lose weight. That said, there is a 2017 study involving rats showing that ACV attenuates oxidative stress and reduces the risk of obesity. No word on how this impacts humans, but I believe ACV could help humans similarly as long as there is a moderation of food and ample movement, sleep, and intent to lose weight. The ACV dosage for weight loss is 2 teaspoons diluted in 16 ounces of water daily. Food should be combined with a protein (at every meal) for the metabolism boost needed to change the way the body processes food. A sensible weight loss diet consists of adequate protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. To understand how much is recommended daily, one should seek the support of a nutritional therapist or dietician.
One should NOT combine ACV with foods with baking soda. Mixing vinegar and baking soda can cause an acid-base reaction creating carbon dioxide inside the body.
ACV can prove to aid in weight loss when combined with a SENSIBLE nutritious diet, moderate exercise, and adequate sleep. For many people it work as a natural appetite suppressant allowing one to reduce their appetite and shrink their stomach. Again it is one factor in weight loss – and there are many others (quantity of food, stress, sleep, activity, etc.).
Aside from dietary reasons, ACV is used for a number of health/cleaning/detox goals, and the dosage varies for each goal. For ramping up the antimicrobial capacity to best manage candida albicans (yeast that causes infections in the mouth, intestinal tract, and/or vagina), the dilution would be 1:2 ACV. The dilution would be 1:50 to inhibit the growth of E-coli. Of course many people use ACV diluted in equal parts for gargling to relieve sore throat or bad breath. Those suffering from acid reflux have experimented with ACV to help the root cause of their reflux. For those that have reflux due to insufficient acid, the ACV helps balance out their acids. The dose for that is 1 teaspoon of ACV followed by a glass of water. Daily ingestion may fight off sinus infections by cleaning the lymphatic system.
In fact there is also an “Apple Cider Vinegar Detox” where one wants to clean the lymphatic and digestive systems. It involves ingesting ACV 3 times a day diluted in water (as a tea)
Some get a benefit from ACV by topically applying it… for relief of itching of bug bites, or on the skin directly, or rinsing their hair with it after a shampoo. It can also help with teeth stains by rubbing it into the stain on the tooth and then rinsing well with water.
Aside from consumption and topical use of ACV, it is a great cleaning agent combined with water. And this cleaner is highly recommended with little ones running about during the cleaning. Because if they come into contact with the cleaning solution, there is little negative effect even if swallowed for most.
That said, ACV is not for everyone; some are particularly sensitive to it (those sensitive to apples cannot partake). Regular consumption of ACV may cause tooth enamel erosion, so it is wise to use a straw or rinse the mouth after consuming it. It could interact with medication (including diuretics and insulin) so talk to your doctor if you are on prescription medications before using ACV. And finally ACV is acidic in nature so it could irritate the throat and stomach, especially if taken on an empty stomach. Dilution is key to avoid this irritation so drink plenty of water if irritation occurs.
by dnshah | Mar 8, 2018 | Age Defying, Diet and Weight Loss, Health and Wellness Tips, Main Dishes, Obesity, Recipes
I have tried cauliflower “rice” with other curries and I really didn’t notice too much of a difference in taste. If you are a rice fanatic and you need your rice daily, you will definitely notice a difference – but consider swapping it out occasionally for nutritious variety and gain. And if you don’t eat it every day, and can add more flavor and taste with side dishes, I think it is a phenomenal swap! Here’s the nutritional breakdown
| 100g of each |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiber |
Calories |
Protein |
Carbs |
Sugars |
Fat |
Vitamins |
Minerals |
| Cauliflower |
3 |
25 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
0.4 |
C,B-6,Folate |
K,Mn |
| White Rice |
0.4 |
130 |
2.7 |
28.2 |
0.1 |
0.3 |
Folate, Thiamin, Niacin, B-6 |
Mn, Se, Fe |
| Brown Rice |
3.4 |
362 |
7.5 |
76.2 |
1.1 |
2.7 |
B-6,Folate, Niacin |
Cu, Mg, Mn, P, Zn |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So choosing cauliflower over white rice helps us because our bodies need more fiber, and cauliflower packs more than 7x what white rice gives us. Most of us would rather spend our calories elsewhere than rice or cauliflower, and cauliflower is 5x less calories – for the same 100 gram comparison. Cauliflower is 5x lower in carbs. It provides some natural sugar – which is okay, and it provides some vitamin C and potassium which is needed for our immune systems daily.
Other fringe benefits include faster prep time because it is actually faster to food process and oven roast cauliflower than to boil long-grain white rice. Cauliflower is part of the cruciferous family of vegetables touted for their anti-cancer properties. Other health benefits for cauliflower over white rice include collagen production, good blood clotting, blood pressure regulation, bone health, and a metabolism boost!
So overall this particular swap is a great one!
Why would someone not want to choose cauliflower over rice? If you have a food sensitivity to cauliflower, you’re better off switching between white and brown rice! If you have thyroid issues, you have to watch overeating of goitrogenous vegetables, like those in the cruciferous family. If the cauliflower is cooked, it should not pose a health issue.
To make cauliflower rice, simply process the cauliflower (food processor) until it is rice-sized. Then boil in stock or saute with other flavors for 2 minutes. Voila! you have a cauliflower rice.
by dnshah | Mar 8, 2018 | Health and Wellness Tips
About 1 in 3 Americans are affected with high blood pressure (hypertension); and according to the latest study, it seems that vegetarian diets may protect against hypertension and help manage this stage before progressing into a more advanced stage (cardiac issues). It is crucial to manage it before it becomes more serious to avoid chronic illness and the time, energy, and cost of managing a chronic illness in today’s America (think health care crisis). The onus is on each of us to manage our health for better quality of life as we age. In fact conventional medicine points towards a specific diet for hypertension sufferers: DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).
In other studies, people on DASH were able to lower their blood pressure within 14 days! The DASH diet consists of these daily servings:
- 7-8 servings of grains
- 4-5 servings of vegetables
- 4-5 servings of fruits
- 2-3 fat-free dairy products (or calcium fortified non-dairy alternatives)
- less than 2 servings of fish or poultry
- 4-5 servings of nuts, seeds, or legumes/beans
- less than 2 servings of fats/oils
It also cuts back on anything high in saturated fats, cholesterol, trans-fats, meats, refined salts, and refined sugars. Of course doctors may advise to eliminate salts from your diet, but the challenge is to keep our tongues happy also. So a great strategy is to acclimate your palette to a little less salt, and then each week reduce it just a little further. Other strategies involve:
- Reducing meats to less than 6 ounces/day. In fact people have been quite successful with meatless Mondays and incorporating more lunches that are meat-free yet still satisfying. Some choices include: bean burritos, lentil burgers, tofu stir-fry, seitan (faux meats) hotdogs, veggie nuggets, pasta primavera, and veggie pizzas!
- Try plant-based milks and non-dairy alternatives; Ripple is a company that is featuring a variety of plant-based milks that taste delicious. This helps avoid the fat and cholesterol from regular dairy milk. Daiya is a company that features non-dairy cheeses which are being used for pizza and pasta quite successfully.
- Adding an extra salad at lunch or dinner (no salt needed).
- Adding an extra portion of lentils or beans to satisfy both the vegetable and protein requirement simultaneously.
- Use an apple in between meals to curb hunger; other good snacks include celery with nut butter, raisins, brown rice cakes with nut butter, and unbuttered popcorn. The main thing is to avoid pre-packaged foods and go for natural real foods.
- Steam and boil foods vs. sauteeing with butter, lavishly adding spices/condiments to flavor foods. Aside from nutritional therapy, exercise can help with hypertension.
If these beneficial changes seem intimidating, consider working with a health coach that can do all the research and customization of a meal plan for each individual lifestyle. Make an appointment today!
by dnshah | Mar 8, 2018 | Health and Wellness Tips, Stress Management
Working with different people’s styles, backgrounds, and lifestyles means I get an opportunity to work through various “moods” to get to an end-result. Some journeys are blessings, and others provide great opportunities for learning. I’ve learned that both types of journeys are beneficial for me and very natural to encounter. I embrace all types of people, and am thankful to contribute to their success. That said, people give off energy and that energy can be felt by others in proximity. It is usually before words are spoken. Sometimes it is an abrupt walking style, a forceful gesture, or a genuine loving smile – our human brains pick up on so much even before words are spoken. Pessimistic (thinking the worst) vibrations feel like someone who is more reactive to their surroundings in a harsh way. These vibes feel louder or stronger and emanate from those that hold fear, feel unheard, or are accustomed to swimming upstream. The history of a pessimist often tells the tale of a hard struggle leading to mistrust or injustice. They need more affirmations and love to heal their wounds compared to optimists.
To change the energy pessimist give off, they must heal their inner wounds. Step one is to understand the wound itself – if one is afraid of the worst happening in every situation, ask the hard question, “Why?” The answer to the question may involve reliving a harsh reality and life journey. Accepting that past as history, and opening the mind and heart for a different outcome in the future is progress. It is not easy, and having a coach at your side is a great strategy. Once vibrations invite different outcomes, the universe often surprises us.
It is a miraculous transition once a pessimistic energy converts because there is joy where there wasn’t, there is excitement where there wasn’t, and there is love where it couldn’t be found before. To me it is the same person that was there before the transition, but now it is though the light switch has increased intensity brighter and brighter!
It is a purposeful choice to smile, or be gentler, or to think before one speaks; and likewise it is a purposeful choice to think the best of people around us and consider their situations before our own. I empower people to change their vibrations through a set of exercises starting with gratitude. What list of things are people grateful for in their life? How have they shown gratitude for them? What are they waiting for – life is short, don’t wait!
The process of an adult going back and showing appreciation (verbally & non-verbally) to their parent or guardian is often soul searching and healing. And please don’t wait until it is too late to do that. I lost my mom last year, and I’m so grateful I was able to thank her in writing and in person. If you haven’t done this yet, what are you waiting for?
The process of defining feelings of love for a good friend often begins to change a life outlook on being loved. These are completely easy ways to bring positive feelings into the realm of life, and there are many more.
The energy we give off combines with other energy in proximity to bring about an end reality. The more pessimistic (thinking the worst) vibrations becomes stronger, the more reality can mirror it. We can see this in the animal world. One angry reactive animal joining a bunch makes them all hostile and distrustful. As humans, we are privileged to have the gift of language with each other; and this gift can lift and inspire people, or undermine hope by depicting mistrust and fear for others. I hope we all do this gift of communication justice by trying our best to spreading gratitude and service for other souls we encounter on our life journey. I believe it’s not an accident when we encounter others, but that there is a purpose that person is before me. Then it becomes a game to find out why. People provide opportunities for us to progress our own soul.
by dnshah | Mar 8, 2018 | Age Defying, Diet and Weight Loss, Health and Wellness Tips, Obesity, Stress Management
One of the things that most of my clients love to incorporate is a nutrient dense breakfast protein smoothie. How healthy are protein shakes?
They are only as healthy as the ingredients that go into them! So if we’re talking buying a bottle from the store – chances are taste becomes more important than health. When a brand wants to sell their product, they have to ensure people understand it, can afford it, like it, and will buy it. And then the focus is on repeat business (taste). I have not found any ready-made protein smoothies that are NOT full of sugars and additives. It’s the nature of the business.
For this reason, I advocate for MAKING homemade protein smoothies. This means that you have to invest in some protein powder varieties (whey protein, pea protein, soy protein, etc.), and some fruits/vegetables that blend well together. In addition the protein smoothie is an excellent carrier for other superfoods (nuts, seeds, fiber, spices, fats, omega-3s, herbs) that add to the taste as well as the nourishment.
What are the benefits of the concept of protein smoothies? When incorporated on a daily or almost daily basis, they provide a convenient (could be packed to-go in the early mornings) medium of consuming a nutrient rick breakfast every day. Most of us don’t have a lot of extra time in the mornings, and many of us are on the go. The idea of blending some healthy foods together into a shake and drinking it becomes one that many people are willing to try. Once they realize it satisfies them, is easy to make, easy to digest, hydrates them, is versatile, has endless varieties depending on various ingredient combinations, prevents the munchies later, and empowers some weight loss in a comfortable way – many of clients are on-board to do it long term. And I didn’t even mention that it becomes very easy to add superfood key ingredients (turmeric, psyllium husk, flax seeds, etc) so that that decadent protein smoothie becomes an immune booster, and a natural detoxifier.
What are examples of the “better” ones? The “better” ones are homemade, have no added refined sugar, and have no dairy. They are based in water and have 30-40% fruits, 40-50% vegetables, and the remainder is filled with protein and superfood toppings. Ideally you drink a different flavored/colored smoothie every day/week so the body gets a chance to get the various nutrition it needs in a week.
What are the drawbacks? It takes some time to buy and prepare the foods you would want to use in the quick morning smoothie blends. But I find that once/week or once/month, you can buy, wash, cut, and pack individual ziplocs of the smoothie ingredients and then FREEZE them. This way in the morning, you just grab a bag – add protein, seeds, nuts, husk, and blend. Voila – you’re done!
Do they help with building muscles? The different qualities of each protein would help in different ways – but generally speaking increasing your protein intake would help to repair muscles during a process of building or recovery. This means a protein smoothie is useful BEFORE or AFTER a workout. Is there a healthier alternative? The only way to get the benefits discussed are to ingest real foods. It may take a while to actually eat all of these things during the day – and you have to find the time to prep and eat them; or come up with a system that you quickly blend these amazing foods and drink them to jump start your day. My husband and I can vouch for our mornings being complete with our smoothies. Additionally I talk about protein smoothies in my TedX Talk too. They are a means of great power, energy, and recovery.
by dnshah | Mar 8, 2018 | Health and Wellness Tips
What’s a cleanse and what’s a detox?
Cleanses are typically a product you buy diluted in juices or shakes that serve as meal replacements allowing one to also lose weight AND detox the body of waste. You can’t do this if pregnant or lactating – either.
Detox programs can be liquid-based or eating programs to boost your immune system to do the detoxification normally. Because the majority of people don’t want to starve and liquid diet, I created a detox eating program (RENEW) that many have had good success with in terms of detoxing. Many claim a few pounds of weight loss as a side effect also.
There are certain instances that a cleanse is more appropriate or an eating detox is more appropriate. Cleanses jumpstart a weight loss program well. A regular detox program ensures your immune system runs optimally.
Why should we invest time, money, and energy into this?
Both cleanses and detoxes are designed to free up toxins that enter your system (think air pollution, water pollution, pesticides, GMOs, etc). A healthy immune system is supposed to handle all these bombarding elements, however over time the world has become more polluted and our food supply has implemented business practices that aren’t health-centered. For those that are health-focused, it is smart to learn more about how you can control your health. Some common symptoms that your immune system is getting overwhelmed are:
- Brain fog
- Fatigue
- Lack of focus
- Anxiety
- Pain
- Moodiness
- Depression
- Sluggishness
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Frequent Colds/Flu
My RENEW detox is a 10-day eating program free of top 10 ingredients that challenge immunity (things like gluten, refined sugar, dairy, etc.), and can be done by pregnant or lactating moms also. It empowers the body to release that which the body need not store. While gently detoxing, the plan is also providing dietary and lifestyle changes to explore and fully satisfy one physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s definitely a time-out and focus inward experience. The objective is to gently detox, eat great foods, AND deal with common signs that your immunity is not running optimally.
An internet connection is all that’s needed to participate. After registering, one receives the full week’s shopping list, menu plan, full recipes, and entry into the facebook group to share your journey with others partaking; The comradery and support of other detox participants makes this experience fun and adventurous. Of course the adventure would not be complete without some games and prizes, right? Who knew how much fun it would be to detox – come experience it and see why my clients call me asking me to run another detox soon! Here are just some of the many benefits of RENEWing:
WEIGHT LOSS & DETOXIFICATION
People wanting to jump start a diet to lose weight are inspired by a cleanse. It releases your daily habits or craving by going through a routine that involves less calorie consumption, yet keeps your blood-sugar constant. Many people love to jump start their diets this way. Of course a cleanse is not permanent, so after a jumpstart cleanse in January, think about a Spring Renew with me.
IMPROVE IMMUNITY
A great way to ensure an optimal immune system is to occasionally reduce the toxin load entering your body, and give an overwhelmed immune system a chance to recovery and re-fortify its responses. An overwhelmed immune system doesn’t always run as well as it was designed.
EXPLORE NEW HABITS/FOODS
People wanting to explore a new way of eating for optimal energy, or better handling an illness. People that have always wanted to change some habits or their diet are better off trying a clean eating detox to redefine choices and habits.
My next RENEW will take place April 23 – May 2, 2018. Check it out to learn more and recruit a friend to experience an amazing healthy journey.
