Neti Pots are becoming more and more mainstream these days. A few years back, Dr. Oz recommended them on the Oprah show and more people now than ever use them in this country. I started using one years before Dr. Oz said anything and before most people knew what they were.
A neti pot is a little ceramic container with a spout that you fill with salt water and pour through one side of your nose. The water comes out the other side. This sounds horrific, but it really is more effective than most sinus medications. If you have chronic sinus issues, this may be for you. I have found it very helpful. In addition to giving up dairy, this has really made a big difference to my sinuses. I used to get at least 2 sinus infections every year (sometimes, up to 4!) and now I don't get them at all. It makes sense because the neti pot washes the irritants away. The first time I used it, all this black stuff came out. I think it was years of black eyeliner built up in my sinuses. Eek!
Are there any other neti pot believers out there?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
A Good, Lowfat Way to Cook Chicken
Years ago when I was about to get married, I was bamboozled into going to a cooking demonstration. They made it seem like I had won a prize and I would get a free vacation just by going to the thing. Also, they said there would be free food there. (Silly me, I believed them.)
Anyway, I dragged a friend and my mom to this thing and it turned out to be a sales tactic for really expensive pots and pans. We sat through the demo, got a bite of chicken, then got the hard-sell before they gave us our coupon for a free two-nights stay in any motel 6 in the country. (Hardly a vacation!)
I did not buy any pots or pans from them. I was mad at them for wasting my time! The one useful thing I got from this is I learned a really good way to cook chicken breasts with no oil.
Here is the technique:
Heat up a frying pan to medium heat. Place the chicken breasts in the pan. (however many will fit. I usually do 4 at a time.) The chicken breasts will stick to the pan. Salt the chicken and put on whatever spices you want. (I use garlic and oregano). Cover with a lid. As the chicken cooks, the fat will melt which will unstick the chicken from the pan. When you are able to lift them, turn them over. Again, they will stick. Cover and cook. When they unstick, that means they are done.
They really do come out good. Nice and juicy and not dry at all. (I guess the lid keeps in the moisture.)
The pot and pan people told us that you could do this technique with ONLY their pots and pans. Whatever! I tried it at home with my own pan and it worked great. I like to serve this with roasted asparagus and/or creamed spinach.
Anyway, I dragged a friend and my mom to this thing and it turned out to be a sales tactic for really expensive pots and pans. We sat through the demo, got a bite of chicken, then got the hard-sell before they gave us our coupon for a free two-nights stay in any motel 6 in the country. (Hardly a vacation!)
I did not buy any pots or pans from them. I was mad at them for wasting my time! The one useful thing I got from this is I learned a really good way to cook chicken breasts with no oil.
Here is the technique:
Heat up a frying pan to medium heat. Place the chicken breasts in the pan. (however many will fit. I usually do 4 at a time.) The chicken breasts will stick to the pan. Salt the chicken and put on whatever spices you want. (I use garlic and oregano). Cover with a lid. As the chicken cooks, the fat will melt which will unstick the chicken from the pan. When you are able to lift them, turn them over. Again, they will stick. Cover and cook. When they unstick, that means they are done.
They really do come out good. Nice and juicy and not dry at all. (I guess the lid keeps in the moisture.)
The pot and pan people told us that you could do this technique with ONLY their pots and pans. Whatever! I tried it at home with my own pan and it worked great. I like to serve this with roasted asparagus and/or creamed spinach.
Friday, March 12, 2010
My Favorite Snacks
I never think about foods I can't have. This is a useful strategy for me because thinking about the Cheetos, Oreos, Twinkies, etc. that I'll never eat again just makes me so depressed. Luckily, I have found some new snacks that I love! It makes me happy to focus on these things. I TOTALLY enjoy these snacks:
- 1/2 avocado spread on 2 rice cakes
- rice crackers and almond butter (or macadamia butter or tahini)
- baby carrots and black bean hummus
- Flax-seed crackers
- home-made yogurt, topped with chopped pecans
- a handful of nuts (like hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds)
- rice (or corn) chips with guacamole
- millet cereal with soymilk or almond milk
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Detox Bath
One thing I do every night which makes me feel awesome is the "Ultrabath" (as described by Dr. Hyman in his book, "The Ultramind Solution").
Directions:
Add the following to your bath at night:
- 4 handfuls of Epsom salts (about 2 cups)
- 2 handfuls of baking soda (about 1 cup)
- 10 drops of lavendar oil
Soak for at least 20 minutes in water as hot as you can stand (to encourage sweating).
Benefits:
This ultrabath will pull toxins out of your body through your skin. (It is the largest organ of your body, after all!) Also, the magnesium content of the soda relaxes your muscles and helps you to sleep better. The lavendar oil is optional, but I find it relaxing. (I suppose you could use a different kind of essential oil if you like.)
Why I do it:
-My shoulders are always tight and I feel like they are "up in my ears" all the time. Soaking in this solution relaxes my shoulders and brings them down to earth.
-I'm one of these people that always feels cold and this bath helps me feel warm for several hours afterwards.
-Dr. Cooper told me to take an ultrabath once a week, but I do it every night. If I don't take an ultrabath at night, I feel it the next morning! I guess the toxins build up and make me feel sluggish and tired and headachy. It's enough of a difference that I have made this my nightly ritual.
-I fall asleep more easily and have more restful sleep after I have my ultrabath.
Try it! You'll like it!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Rotating Menus
Another tip for finding allergies? Rotate your menus! What I mean by this is have a set menu for each day of the week and stick to it for several weeks. For instance, I always eat nuts as a snack but on Mondays it's Brazil nuts, Tuesday is almonds, Wednesday is pumpkin seeds, Thursday is walnuts, Friday is sunflower seeds, Saturday is pecans, and Sunday is hazelnuts. (Yeah, it was expensive to buy all these raw nuts at once, but they have lasted several months now. I keep them in the fridge.) I write out my menus for the week and keep it on the fridge. That way, I never have to guess what I'm eating and it helps me when I'm making the grocery list too.
I also rotate my meats, veggies, and grains. Once you write out your whole menu, it's not hard to implement it. There is a book called "If This is Tuesday, It Must Be Chicken". I haven't read it, but I was told it has some helpful ideas about how to rotate your food.
The benefit of doing this is that it helps you identify other, less-common food sensitivities you might have. For instance, this is how I found out I had a problem with chickpeas. I eat Greek food every Friday for lunch (as a treat), and I used to eat the hummus with my meal. Every Saturday morning, I had a splitting headache and had to be in bed for most of the day. (Boooo!) I knew it had to be something I was eating on Friday so I replaced one thing at a time. Once I stopped eating hummus, bingo! No Saturday headache!
For the past 3 weeks, I have been having a headache every Tuesday morning. (Today was no exception.) I haven't figured out what I'm eating on Monday that causes it, but I suspect Brazil nuts (which is sad because I LOVE them!) Next Monday, I'm going to eat macadamia nuts instead and see what happens.
Oh, I forgot to mention to keep a food journal. I write down what I eat in one column, and how I felt in another column right next to it. (I do this during the commercial breaks when I'm watching TV at night.) That way, you can see what works and what doesn't. I found that eating salmon and broccoli makes me feel fantastic while eating corn makes me feel bloaty.
I know this is a lot of trouble, but it can be done and it's not forever. I think of it as an investment. Invest some time now, so you can feel good and focus on other, more fun things later! Of course, if you feel okay all the time, you probably don't need to do this. I'm just SO tired of feeling like crap all the time and am really motivated to do all this stuff!
I also rotate my meats, veggies, and grains. Once you write out your whole menu, it's not hard to implement it. There is a book called "If This is Tuesday, It Must Be Chicken". I haven't read it, but I was told it has some helpful ideas about how to rotate your food.
The benefit of doing this is that it helps you identify other, less-common food sensitivities you might have. For instance, this is how I found out I had a problem with chickpeas. I eat Greek food every Friday for lunch (as a treat), and I used to eat the hummus with my meal. Every Saturday morning, I had a splitting headache and had to be in bed for most of the day. (Boooo!) I knew it had to be something I was eating on Friday so I replaced one thing at a time. Once I stopped eating hummus, bingo! No Saturday headache!
For the past 3 weeks, I have been having a headache every Tuesday morning. (Today was no exception.) I haven't figured out what I'm eating on Monday that causes it, but I suspect Brazil nuts (which is sad because I LOVE them!) Next Monday, I'm going to eat macadamia nuts instead and see what happens.
Oh, I forgot to mention to keep a food journal. I write down what I eat in one column, and how I felt in another column right next to it. (I do this during the commercial breaks when I'm watching TV at night.) That way, you can see what works and what doesn't. I found that eating salmon and broccoli makes me feel fantastic while eating corn makes me feel bloaty.
I know this is a lot of trouble, but it can be done and it's not forever. I think of it as an investment. Invest some time now, so you can feel good and focus on other, more fun things later! Of course, if you feel okay all the time, you probably don't need to do this. I'm just SO tired of feeling like crap all the time and am really motivated to do all this stuff!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Wheat, dairy, and sugar
After giving up the "bad stuff", and adding in the "good stuff", the next step on my journey was to figure out if I had any allegies or food sensitivities. There's a difference between an accute allergy, in which you have immediate symptoms, and a sensitivity in which the symptoms may appear later on. (As much as 3 days later sometimes.) You may not be able to pinpoint certain foods, especially if you eat them every day. It is estimated that 75% of the population may have a gluten and/or dairy intolerance and not even know it! The most common allergens are: wheat, dairy, eggs, citrus, nightshades (tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers).
What's the best way to find out if you have these intolerances? Give all of them up for 2 weeks. Also, you must get off of all the substances you're addicted to (in my case, sugar and caffiene). Then, eat a lot of wheat on one day. Wait 3 days. You'll be able to tell if you have a problem with wheat. Then, do the same thing with dairy, then eggs, then citrus, and so on. It seems like a daunting task, but I did it even while I was working full-time. It just takes some advance planning and you have to buy all of your food on the weekends.
How I did it:
After you get used to cooking your own food, it's much easier to replace dairy and wheat containing foods with alternative ingredients. I would plan my whole week's worth of food. That way, there was no second-guessing and I didn't have to think about it when I got busy during the week.
I did NOT give up all of these at once! There's no way I could've stayed on it if I had.
1. First, I gave up dairy. This wasn't that hard because I don't drink much milk anyway and I like the taste of soymilk or almond milk on my cereal. (Cheese, yogurt, and ice-cream were harder, but they have such good alternatives these days! Soy cheese, coconut milk yogurt and ice-cream, etc.)
2. After 3 days, I gave up wheat (and all gluten-containing products). Wheat also wasn't that hard because they make perfectly good rice bread and other gluten-free things. I found some super yummy gluten-free ginger snaps! (I was still eating sugar at this point.)
3. Eggs, citrus, and nightshades were a little harder, but I found ways around them.
4. After another 3 days, I gave up caffiene. I got some decaf green tea and had it with soymilk in the morning. This actually grew on me and now it is my drink of choice! Caffiene wasn't as hard to give up as I thought it would be. I only had a slight headache for 1 day and then I was fine.
5. Sugar was the LAST thing I gave up, and by far was the hardest. For 3 whole days, I felt like I had the flu! I even had to take 2 days off of work I felt so bad. (severe headache, sweats followed by chills, achy joints, crazy nightmares, nausea, depression, etc.) I had no idea that sugar could do all this! I am certain that sugar is an addictive substance for me. These were withdrawal symptoms. Before, I never could get through a whole day without sugar in some form (especially in the afternoons).
After staying off all of these for two weeks, I added them back in one at a time to see where I had problems. (Not the sugar though. I did not want to go through those withdrawal symptoms again!)
My Food Sensitivities:
1. Wheat - wheat makes me SUPER sleepy! I used to have to have a nap in the afternoons. Sometimes, I literally could not keep my eyes open. (Then, I'd have to have a Coke to wake up.) When I don't eat wheat, I do not get sleepy during the day, I do not require a nap, and I don't crave Coke or sweets.
2. Dairy - If I slip up and eat it, I get digestive issues and feel bloaty and fat. While in Greece this past Christmas, I ate some Saganaki and had a terrible migraine within an hour after eating it. (Saganaki is cheese, usually Haloumi, fried in olive oil until it gets crusty. It's probably the best tasting thing on the planet so of course I strayed and ate it!) Cheese is definitely off-limits for me.
3. Sugar - I need to stay off of it. I'm like an alcoholic, but with sugar. If I have even a little, it unleashes the cookie monster inside of me and I cannot stop! Also, I absolutely cannot lose weight as long as I eat sugar, even if I eat very few calories. These days, I eat a lot more calories than I did when I was on Weight Watchers, but none of them are from sugar. (I lost maybe 5 pounds with WW and gained them right back even though I never went above my allotted points!)
4. Nightshades - I feel bad after eating tomatoes (they give me canker sores), eggplant (makes me feels sick and tired), and peppers (give me digestive issues). Sometimes, I treat myself and have sauteed eggplant, but I take enzymes first which help my body deal with it.
I hope this has inspired you to do this for yourself and has helped to convince you that it IS possible! (If I had told myself I'd be doing this before I started, I would've absolutely rolled my eyes at myself!)
What's the best way to find out if you have these intolerances? Give all of them up for 2 weeks. Also, you must get off of all the substances you're addicted to (in my case, sugar and caffiene). Then, eat a lot of wheat on one day. Wait 3 days. You'll be able to tell if you have a problem with wheat. Then, do the same thing with dairy, then eggs, then citrus, and so on. It seems like a daunting task, but I did it even while I was working full-time. It just takes some advance planning and you have to buy all of your food on the weekends.
How I did it:
After you get used to cooking your own food, it's much easier to replace dairy and wheat containing foods with alternative ingredients. I would plan my whole week's worth of food. That way, there was no second-guessing and I didn't have to think about it when I got busy during the week.
I did NOT give up all of these at once! There's no way I could've stayed on it if I had.
1. First, I gave up dairy. This wasn't that hard because I don't drink much milk anyway and I like the taste of soymilk or almond milk on my cereal. (Cheese, yogurt, and ice-cream were harder, but they have such good alternatives these days! Soy cheese, coconut milk yogurt and ice-cream, etc.)
2. After 3 days, I gave up wheat (and all gluten-containing products). Wheat also wasn't that hard because they make perfectly good rice bread and other gluten-free things. I found some super yummy gluten-free ginger snaps! (I was still eating sugar at this point.)
3. Eggs, citrus, and nightshades were a little harder, but I found ways around them.
4. After another 3 days, I gave up caffiene. I got some decaf green tea and had it with soymilk in the morning. This actually grew on me and now it is my drink of choice! Caffiene wasn't as hard to give up as I thought it would be. I only had a slight headache for 1 day and then I was fine.
5. Sugar was the LAST thing I gave up, and by far was the hardest. For 3 whole days, I felt like I had the flu! I even had to take 2 days off of work I felt so bad. (severe headache, sweats followed by chills, achy joints, crazy nightmares, nausea, depression, etc.) I had no idea that sugar could do all this! I am certain that sugar is an addictive substance for me. These were withdrawal symptoms. Before, I never could get through a whole day without sugar in some form (especially in the afternoons).
After staying off all of these for two weeks, I added them back in one at a time to see where I had problems. (Not the sugar though. I did not want to go through those withdrawal symptoms again!)
My Food Sensitivities:
1. Wheat - wheat makes me SUPER sleepy! I used to have to have a nap in the afternoons. Sometimes, I literally could not keep my eyes open. (Then, I'd have to have a Coke to wake up.) When I don't eat wheat, I do not get sleepy during the day, I do not require a nap, and I don't crave Coke or sweets.
2. Dairy - If I slip up and eat it, I get digestive issues and feel bloaty and fat. While in Greece this past Christmas, I ate some Saganaki and had a terrible migraine within an hour after eating it. (Saganaki is cheese, usually Haloumi, fried in olive oil until it gets crusty. It's probably the best tasting thing on the planet so of course I strayed and ate it!) Cheese is definitely off-limits for me.
3. Sugar - I need to stay off of it. I'm like an alcoholic, but with sugar. If I have even a little, it unleashes the cookie monster inside of me and I cannot stop! Also, I absolutely cannot lose weight as long as I eat sugar, even if I eat very few calories. These days, I eat a lot more calories than I did when I was on Weight Watchers, but none of them are from sugar. (I lost maybe 5 pounds with WW and gained them right back even though I never went above my allotted points!)
4. Nightshades - I feel bad after eating tomatoes (they give me canker sores), eggplant (makes me feels sick and tired), and peppers (give me digestive issues). Sometimes, I treat myself and have sauteed eggplant, but I take enzymes first which help my body deal with it.
I hope this has inspired you to do this for yourself and has helped to convince you that it IS possible! (If I had told myself I'd be doing this before I started, I would've absolutely rolled my eyes at myself!)
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Party Food Ideas for the Dietarily Challenged
What can you serve at a party that's gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free that your guests will also want to eat? That was my challenge for today since I am hosting an Oscar party tomorrow night. I think I did okay! (Thank goodness for Whole Foods!)
Here are some things I came up with:
1. Rice crust, no cheese veggie pizza
I found these cute little popcorn bags at a party supply store and am planning on serving popcorn in them.
Also, you can't go wrong with Terra chips. They look beautiful (like potpourie!) and taste good too!
4. Olives - I found some that have no vinegar in them. (They are in salt water and citric acid instead.) Stuffed with garlic and jalapeno peppers, they are sure to be a hit!
5. Roasted nuts - Get an assortment of raw nuts (brazil nuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, are my favs) and drizzle them with a little olive oil. Then, you can sprinkle them with whatever spice you want (curry, paprika, or cinnamon) and roast on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Yum!
5. And for dessert......black bean brownie sundaes! I love this black bean brownie recipe. (I promise, you'll never taste the black beans!) The only modification I make is that I use olive oil instead of butter. (This makes it dairy free and it's still super yummy!) I top the brownies with some sugar-free coconut milk ice-cream. This is my favorite (it's the Cherry Amaretto flavor):
Any other fabulous party food ideas out there?
Here are some things I came up with:
1. Rice crust, no cheese veggie pizza
I also got some regular pizzas for the other guests but this pizza is delicious enough to serve anyone. You don't miss the cheese (well, almost) because the caramelized onions make it taste so good! It's also sugar free because they use agave syrup instead of sugar in the crust. (It's not yeast free however, but I suppose I can bend the rules a little bit for a party.)
2. Popcorn
I found these cute little popcorn bags at a party supply store and am planning on serving popcorn in them. 3. Black bean hummous and guacamole are great party foods, served with some chips and baby carrots for dipping. These rice chips taste delicious!
Also, you can't go wrong with Terra chips. They look beautiful (like potpourie!) and taste good too!
4. Olives - I found some that have no vinegar in them. (They are in salt water and citric acid instead.) Stuffed with garlic and jalapeno peppers, they are sure to be a hit!
5. Roasted nuts - Get an assortment of raw nuts (brazil nuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, are my favs) and drizzle them with a little olive oil. Then, you can sprinkle them with whatever spice you want (curry, paprika, or cinnamon) and roast on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Yum!
5. And for dessert......black bean brownie sundaes! I love this black bean brownie recipe. (I promise, you'll never taste the black beans!) The only modification I make is that I use olive oil instead of butter. (This makes it dairy free and it's still super yummy!) I top the brownies with some sugar-free coconut milk ice-cream. This is my favorite (it's the Cherry Amaretto flavor):
Any other fabulous party food ideas out there?
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