You know that average fast-food value meals are gigantic, but did you know that they average anywhere from 700-1,200 calories with the fries alone accounting for more than 500 calories and 26 grams of fat? Restaurant portions are no better, with servings routinely double what the average healthy person needs to consume in one sitting. If you’re trying to lose weight, one of the best things you can do is forget eating out!

USDA My Plate

As a country, we’re making small strides to be better, as evidenced by the First Lady’s revision of the USDA food pyramid and the release of “MyPlate” in 2010. Half of the plate is dedicated to fruits and vegetables; the other half to protein and grains. New York University nutrition professor and food activist Marion Nestle found it to be an improvement, but took issue with protein being labeled as a food because it’s actually a micronutrient. According to Nestle, we consume twice the protein we need and the meat industry continues to work hard to promote meat as protein even though there are ample vegetarian sources. Dr. Walter Willett, from the nutrition department at Harvard School of Public Health, developed a “Healthy Eating Plate” that closely resembles MyPlate but swaps water for dairy and adds in healthy oil.

Obviously, there are differing views on how to get food on your plate. And the question always comes down to: how much? An anti-inflammatory approach to eating—which many health experts, including Dr. Andrew Weil support for weight-loss and prevention of disease—closely resembles the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. Here’s what that looks like on any given day:

-Protein: 20-30% (from vegetable and hormone-free animal sources, except pork)

-Fat: 20-30% (such fats as nuts, seeds, avocado, healthy oils)

-Carbohydrates: 40-60% (from non-refined sources, i.e.: whole grain and starchy vegetables)

This 2:1:1 ratio is easy to remember and allows you to pile on as many water-based (non-starchy) vegetables as your heart desires! If it helps you visualize, 2-3 ounces of protein is roughly equivalent to the size of your iPhone and the diameter of a quarter is a good gauge for measuring out a portion of whole-wheat or buckwheat pasta. But instead of obsessing over portion, know that you should not have to greatly restrict calorie intake to lose weight if you are eating the right foods.

Practical wisdom can get you far. As Michael Pollan now famously said in Food Rules, his common sense guide that demystifies eating, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Now those are words to live by.

Author’s content used under license, © 2012 Sprouted Content, LLC

Joints feeling achy? Boost your manganese and copper levels by eating spinach, plus taking supplements.

Don’t chalk up your fatigue and achiness to getting older. It may be what you aren’t eating!

By Norine Dworkin-McDaniel

What if the fountain of youth were in your own kitchen? While we’ve come to expect that certain physical and mental changes are an inevitable part of getting older, the fact is that the foods we eat—or don’t—may speed those processes along, aging us before our time.

The reason is simple. “We eat too many processed foods,” says David Katz, MD, director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center. “They’re often high in calories and low in nutrients such as vitamin B12 and omega-3s, so we end up with islands of deficiencies in a sea of excess.”

These inadequacies can result in symptoms we tend to assume are due to aging, such as the four below. Here are ways to determine whether adjusting your diet or adding a supplement can help you look—and feel—younger.

Schedule a consult with our Holistic Health Coach, Christine Cochrum or our Naturopathic Doctor, Homa Hashime to see how they can help you achieve your wellness goals.

1. You have less energy
You may need more: Vitamin B12
Found only in foods that are derived from animals, this nutrient helps regulate your metabolism and energy production and is key to maintaining a healthy brain and nervous system. “Fatigue is a classic sign of B12 deficiency, which usually occurs in people who don’t eat very much animal protein,” says Danine Fruge, MD, associate medical director of the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Miami.

Chewing a lot of antacids to relieve heartburn can also lead to B12 deficiency, because antacids interfere with B12 absorption.

Food fix: Have two servings of nonfat dairy foods, such as fat-free milk or nonfat yogurt, and 3 to 4 ounces of lean protein daily. Good sources of B12 include seafood such as fish, clams, oysters, and mussels, as well as lean beef and pork, chicken, and fortified cereal.

Supplement solution: Take 500 to 1,000 mcg of vitamin B12 in tablet form every day to raise and maintain your B12 levels.

2. Your joints ache
You may need more:Manganese and Copper
Because manganese and copper are both essential for maintaining joint cartilage and flexibility, “in most cases, supplementing these nutrients reverses the joint deterioration and eliminates the pain,” says Dale Peterson, MD, director of the Comprehensive Wellness Center in Sapulpa, OK. “The body can actually repair a significant amount of damage if it’s given the proper support.”

Food fix: Nuts, beef, and spinach are good sources of these nutrients, but you won’t be able to eat enough to get all your copper and manganese, so opt for a supplement, Dr. Peterson advises.

Supplement solution: Take 2 mg of copper and 5 mg of manganese each day. Within 2 to 3 months, your joints should feel less painful.

3. You’re more forgetful
You may need more: Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
“These fatty acids are part of the brain’s building blocks,” explains Andrew Weil, MD, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. “If you’re not getting enough in your diet, the architecture of the brain becomes weak, and brain function, including memory, suffers.” But it’s not only the amount of omega-3s that’s important; the balance between omega-3s and omega-6s is equally crucial. “Our diets are flooded with omega-6 fatty acids, mostly from processed foods,” says Dr. Weil. “The more omega-6s you eat, the more omega-3s you need to balance your levels. Most of us aren’t eating enough omega-3s and are eating too many omega-6s.”

Food fix: First, reduce the amount of refined and processed foods you eat as much as possible, and cook with olive or canola oil. Then, eat 3 ½ounces of wild salmon and 3 ½ounces of herring, sardines, or halibut each week. Add 2 tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseed to cereal, whole grain side dishes, or shakes daily, and garnish salads or cereal with 1 tablespoon of walnuts 5 days a week. Finally, enjoy 9 to 12 almonds 4 times a week.

Supplement solution: Take at least 2,000 mg of fish oil daily. Look for 1,000 mg capsules of combined docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosaentaenoic acid (EPA).

4. Your blood pressure is rising
You may need more: Potassium
“Having too little potassium in your diet magnifies the toxic effects of excessive salt intake,” Dr. Fruge says. Most processed foods have added sodium but no extra potassium, so if your meals come from boxes, you’re likely at risk. Worsening the situation, when your kidneys try to flush out the salt, you lose even more potassium. “The imbalance damages blood vessels, driving up blood pressure,” Dr. Fruge notes. “Eating better can correct the problem—I’ve seen people drop thirty points in three days.”

Food fix: Cut your sodium consumption to no more than 1,500 mg per day, and eat seven to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

Supplement solution: Potassium supplements can lead to arrhythmia or other cardiac problems, says Danine Fruge, MD. Stick with produce to avoid those side effects.

Seasons form the natural backdrop for eating. All of the world’s healthiest foods are seasonal. Imagine a vegetable garden in the dead of winter. Now imagine this same garden on a sunny, summer day. How different things are during these two seasons of the year! For ecologists, seasons are considered a source of natural diversity.
Changes in growing conditions from spring to summer or fall to winter are
considered essential for balancing the earth’s resources and its life forms.
But today it’s so easy for us to forget about seasons when we eat. Modern food
processing and worldwide distribution of food make foods available year-round,
and grocery stores shelves look much the same in December as they do in July.

Research Supporting Seasonal Eating

In a research study conducted in 1997 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in London, England, significant differences were found in the nutrient content of
pasteurized milk in summer versus winter. Iodine was higher in the winter;
beta-carotene was higher in the summer. The Ministry discovered that these
differences in milk composition were primarily due to differences in the diets
of the cows. With more salt-preserved foods in winter and more fresh plants in
the summer, cows ended up producing nutritionally different milks during the
two seasons. Similarly, researchers in Japan found three-fold differences in
the vitamin C content of spinach harvested in summer versus winter.

Guides for Eating Seasonally

What does this mean for you? Eat seasonally! To enjoy the full nourishment of food, you must make your menu a seasonal one. In different parts of the world, and even in
different regions of one country, seasonal menus can vary. But here are some
overriding principles you can follow to ensure optimal nourishment in every
season:

• In spring, focus on tender, leafy vegetables that represent the fresh new growth of this season. The greening that occurs in springtime should be represented by greens on your plate, including Swiss chard, spinach, Romaine lettuce, fresh parsley and basil.

• In summer, stick with light, cooling foods in the tradition of traditional Chinese medicine. These foods include fruits like strawberries, apples, pears, and plums; vegetables like summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and corn; and spices
  and seasonings like peppermint and cilantro.

• In fall, turn toward the more warming, autumn harvest foods, including carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, and garlic. Also emphasize the more warming spices and seasonings including ginger, peppercorns, and mustard seeds.

• In winter, turn even more exclusively toward warming foods. Remember the principle that foods taking longer to grow are generally more warming than foods that grow quickly. All of the animal foods fall into the warming category including fish, chicken, beef, lamb and venison. So do most of the root vegetables,
  including carrots, potatoes, onions and garlic. Eggs also fit in here, as do corn and nuts.

You can start eating seasonally by visiting your local farmer’s market. As vegetables are shipped from around the world to our local supermarkets, they loose nutrients along the
way. Eating produce that is grown and harvested in our local communities gives us food with a higher nutrient content than foods that are imported from other parts of the world. By visiting farmer’s markets and choosing to purchase locally grown and harvested food, we get more nutrients and a wide variety of delicious foods.

Small farmers are connected to the land they work. They grow many different types of fruits and vegetables through each season and provide variety in the types of produce they supply. Small farms rotate their crops frequently which will replenish the soil with nutrients and grow more nutrient dense foods. The rotation of crops also aids in the continued health of the soil itself, therefore contributing to a sustainable environment and the overall health of the world.

The best way to incorporate seasonal eating into your life is to join a community supported agriculture group (CSA). These local groups purchase a portion of a small
farm’s produce before the season begins. By becoming a member and paying a fee
you get fresh produce right off the farm delivered to a local pick up spot once a week! The variety of fruits and vegetables you get depends on where you live and what the farm grows. An added bonus is not knowing what you will receive and simply getting an opportunity to try something new. The only guarantee with becoming part of a CSA is that you will have a steady supply of fresh, nutrient dense produce from late spring until early winter. You also get the opportunity to meet other people in your community who have the same interest in creating a happier and healthier planet and lifestyle through supporting local farmers and organic farming.

Eating a seasonal diet means different things, depending on which part of the world you live in. By adding seasonal foods to your plate, you ensure that you are getting essential
vitamins and minerals including important antioxidants that protect the body from  disease. Wherever you are in the world, there are a number of resources out there to help you make the transition to eating a more wholesome and balanced diet. You can check your local farmer’s market to see what is in season or look for a “locally grown” sign above the produce in your local supermarket. Check the Internet to see if your town or one near by has a local CSA. If not, see how you can start one! Be open to new foods and experiment in your kitchen. Eating is always in season! So see what happens when you make yourself over from the inside out with a healthy and balanced seasonal
diet.

In all seasons, be creative! Let the natural backdrop of spring, summer, fall and winter be your guide.

Tips for Seasonal Eating

Incorporating seasonal eating into your lifestyle demands more thought, time, commitment and active participation. But, you will be rewarded with more taste, vitality, and well-being. The following tips can help you make the adjustment.

Start slow

Making these changes will not occur overnight. Set reachable goals by incorporating seasonal food slowly into your meals and shopping.

Be creative and flexible when cooking

Seasonal cooking can be an adventure, so don’t be afraid to try new things. Learn how to substitute seasonal foods, such as celeriac root in winter, and local foods, such as honey or maple syrup instead of cane sugar, as a way of incorporating new foods in your diet.

Devise a food plan

Consider when certain foods appear, time requirements for food processing and
preservation, and monthly or weekly meal planning.

Organize time for bulk cooking

Plan blocks of time when you can prepare components of several meals. Freeze
extra portions of sauces, soups, stews and chilis.

Equip yourself

A food processor saves time when chopping vegetables, and a mortar and pestle
can help with pestos, chutneys and salsas. Other indispensable tools include
canning jars, dehydrators and storage containers.

Don’t cook in summer and plan for winter

Soups, stews, and casseroles are easy to prepare and freeze ahead of time for
cold-weather meals. In the summer, however, crisp salads are readily available
and quickly prepared without heating up the kitchen. To prepare a satisfying
meal, add grains, nuts or other protein and use whatever vegetables are
handy.

Make a commitment

Purchasing locally-grown and seasonal foods can benefit the economy,
environment, and personal nutrition in many ways. Buy fewer convenience foods
which, in general, are more expensive, excessively packaged, and less
nutritious than food you can prepare fresh at home.

Patronize businesses that buy local foods

Many area restaurants and stores buy produce from area farmers sacrificing
convenience in favor of freshness and nutrition.

Develop a connection to your food

Be conscious of the source of your food. A good start would be getting to know
some of the vendors at the Farmers’ Market.

Enjoy!

Enjoy the tastes, the relationships you develop with producers, and the
knowledge that you are doing something good for yourself and the earth

In just a few generations, we have completely transformed what, when and how we eat. We get most of our food from supermarkets and those foods contain chemicals, additives and sweeteners. We eat that stuff along with fried and fast foods. We eat in our cars, at our desks and in front of the TV. We’re usually in such a hurry, we don’t chew our food properly, nor do we take the time to enjoy, smell or taste it. This is why a lot of people nowadays spend time at doctors’ offices complaining of upset stomachs, constipation and many other digestive disorders. It’s time we made this connection and start to remedy it. Better food, eaten in a relaxed atmosphere, equals better health.

Our ancestors ate food as nature produced it. They ate whole and unprocessed vegetables, fruit, grains and beans, and animal foods. Their diet was loaded with nutrients. They occasionally ate sugar and honey and wine and beer, but these weren’t everyday foods consumed in large quantities. Additionally, our ancestors balanced their diets with regular physical labor – men, women and children – from sunrise to sunset. Their lives were active and healthy.

Organic vs. Non-Organic
Today we eat many foods that are processed and processing strips the nutrients that we desperately need to be healthy. Moreover, processing foods usually involves adding sweeteners, colors, flavors and preservatives, which studies have shown to be detrimental to health. Take bread for example. Store-bought white bread can sit on the shelf for about 21 days before it loses its moisture and gets hard. That’s because the wheat bran and the germ (parts of the grain) have been removed during the milling process. Manufacturers remove these parts to create lighter, fluffier bread and to extend its shelf-life. A large portion of the nutrients in the wheat come from these parts. They then reintroduce some nutrients (called enriching), but they can’t possibly reintroduce all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals and fiber that the original plant source contained.

What we buy in the supermarket may look like food, and it may taste like food, but it’s certainly not the food our ancestors ate. There are a multitude of bright, colorful boxes of every size and shape with catchy slogans on the outside and chemical additives on the inside. Unless you buy organic, even the fruits and vegetables are shiny, perfect and all the same size due to conventional farming practices and genetically modified produce. If you haven’t tried organic fruits and vegetables, do a taste test. The next time you grocery shop buy an organic apple and a non-organic apple and taste both. Organic foods taste cleaner and more flavorful. They have more energy than conventionally grown foods, which have lost much of their life-force through chemical treatment and modification. The average conventionally grown apple has 20 to 30 artificial chemicals on its skin, even after rinsing. Also these chemicals find their way inside the apples in the growing process. Think how good your own home-grown vegetables taste compared to the ‘pretty’ ones from the grocery store.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are any organism in which the genetic material has been altered or shuffled around in a way that does not occur naturally. This science is used to cultivate GM plants, which are then used to grow GM food crops. The most common of these GM crops in the U.S. are canola, corn, and soy. These are used in many processed foods, and many experts estimate that about 70 percent of the foods in grocery stores in the U. S. and Canada contain genetically engineered ingredients. Food safety experts during the past decade have identified several potential problems with GMO food crops. These problems include the possibility of introducing new toxins or allergens into previously safe foods, increasing toxins to dangerous levels in foods that typically produce harmless amounts or diminishing foods’ nutritional values. When shopping, look for labels that say “GMO free” or organic.

Organic farming doesn’t depend on synthetic pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers or hormones so therefore the food doesn’t contain these unnatural things. Also, fresh, organic produce contains more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other micronutrients than non-organic produce.

Environmental Effects
Our food choices also have an effect on our environment. Large corporate grocery stores ship foods in from all over the world on a daily basis using enormous amounts of energy to do so. The cattle industry is another area that requires huge amounts of energy and resources. Cattle require huge amounts of water every day, they need land for grazing and each cow consumes about 25 pounds of corn each day, which translates into a lot of fossil fuel energy. The leading cause of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is cattle ranching. What can we do to help? Cutting back on buying beef can save water and energy, even if it’s just 5 pounds of beef a year! Another option is to look for meat that is grass-fed, certified organic and local, whenever possible.

Seasonal Foods
Our ancestors ate seasonally because they had no choice, but this was not a bad thing. They ate fresh greens in spring, ripe fruit in summer, root vegetables in the fall and they relied on animal food in the winter. These foods in these seasons agreed with the body. For instance, in the wintertime, it’s natural to crave animal food because that’s when the body needs to feel more solid and insulated from the cold. Humans need more fat during the winter. Ripe fruits are ‘cooling’ foods and therefore good for you during the hot summertime. Your body knows what it wants and needs if you will only listen to it. Experiment with foods every season and see which ones make you feel energetic and which make you feel tired.