Bacon Smoothie

You 10-12 oz. liquid (water/coconut milk/whatever you like for your Smoothie base)

2 scoops chocolate Vegan Max

1 Scoop Double Chocolate Life Greens

1-2 tbsp. Sun Butter

2-3 strips bacon (cooked of course)

1/2 cup spinach

Some ice cubes

Blend until you can't wait anymore and decide to just go for it, chunks and all.

You can get the VeganMax and Life Greens at http://shop.lifetimefitness.com

Use my discount code 114251 and you'll save a little bit of money, and I might get a nice kickback from it for my bacon fund.

Supplements

Why I wrote this.

An old friend reached out with some questions about supplements. As a nutrition coach this actually a pretty common occurrence for me, and as I was writing a resonse the idea popped into my head to just make it a blog post, since my message back to my friend now exceeded 500 words! Here is my basic advice for choosing supplements.

Why supplements matter.

Nutrition is important when it comes to living a healthy life, and supplementation is just one part of that. For someone who has never taken a vitamin or omega-3 supplement in their life, sometimes just adding those is a great first step. 

When it comes to the world of supplements, there are a lot of small things that really add up. The last thing I want is for something as simple as the supplements someone takes be something that holds them back from better health or reaching a fitness goal. Here are some things that I typically coach people to look for.

Folate vs. folic acid. 

Folate is from plants whereas folic acid is made in a lab. Folate costs more, which is why a lot of manufacturers use folic acid instead. People with MTFHR gene mutations (30-50% of gen pop) are unable to convert folic acid to folate in the body. Folic acid has also been shown to cause cancer in lab rats.

Encapsulation and inactive ingredients.

Making sure that all supplements are in an easy-to-digest gel capsule is crucial to maximize breakdown and absorption in the body. Be sure to steer clear of stearic acid (an inflammatory derivitive of processed vegetable oils) and magnesium stearate, which may block absorption of key nutrients.

Vitamin D3. 

Making sure D3 is the form of vitamin D, and that it is paired with vitamin K2 for absorption. Both are fat soluble, and ideally should be suspended in a fatty solution, such as MCT oil.

Fish oil to EPA/DHA ratio and dosing.

With fish oil, look for 50% or higher of the oil coming from EPA & DHA. Manufacturers are known to cut fish oil with alpha-lenoleic acid, which can technically be turned into EPA or DHA in the body, but often doesn't actually happen.

Most people need 2400 mg combined EPA and DHA per day, so base your dose off that recommendation. For example the fish oil pills that I take each contain a combined total of 600 mg EPA and DHA, so I would take 4 per day to get my proper dosage. 

The reason for the higher dosage is that most Americans eat a 20:1 ratio of omega 6s and 9s compared to omega-3s. Just to bring that ratio a little closer to the 3:1 ratio our ancestors had, we need to supplement a little more. 

That's certainly not all there is to supplementation. Just a quick couple of things to check for. Just remember all those pills now could be preventing prescribed pills later.

Chapati-style flatbread - gluten-free, AIP and tasty

Hi,

Even if you don't give a Donald Trump about AIP, or think gluten-free stuff is all smoke and mirrors, you'll want to check this tasty recipe out. It's super easy, too.

I first found this recipe online, but it has since been taken down, which is a shame. So I decided that it needs to go on my blog. It's super versatile; you can make it into pancakes by thinning the batter with water, or just use it like flatbread. If you change the ratio of coconut flour to arrowroot, you can make a fluffy coconut flatbread.

From what I understand from an Indian nutrition coaching client of mine, chapati is a glutinous, chewy bread that is used to pick up dishes like daal and various curries and kormas. India is a fascinating place. Every chance I get, I try to learn about the culture that originated yoga, Krishna and korma.

Ingredients - this is what you need per chapati, so I hope you like to do math

-1 tbsp coconut flour

-2 tbsp arrowroot starch

-1/4 cup coconut milk (from the can)

-pinch salt

-1 tbsp. coconut oil

How-to

1. Heat a sauté pan on medium.

2. Mix everything up in a food processor.

3. Melt coconut oil in the pan

4. Add chapati mix, spreading it out as you put it in the pan. Flip after a few minutes. You should see bubbles or small changes in texture that will tell you when it's time.

If you already pay attention to how you fuel your body, this next part might seem silly to you, but I'm going to say it anyway.

I use this recipe for pancakes a lot. If you do this, avoid using syrup and opt to heat some frozen fruit to put on top instead. Also, be sure to eat them alongside a good source of protein. And lastly, be sure to wipe your butt after you poop!

Stevia-xylitol sweetened chocolate

It's tough as a health-conscious consumer, paleo or plant-based eater (the word vegan smacks of pseudo-vulcanist wierdo-ness that I just can't get down with) who doesn't eat sugar or man-made sweeteners. When you're in the mood for chocolate, the shelves at the grocery store give you the finger and the face Dr. Dre makes on the album cover of The Chronic.

Anyway, here's a recipe for those of you on an autoimmune, candida, paleo or vegan journey. Or those of you who just like good chocolate.

Ingredients 

2 oz baking chocolate (I prefer Guittard)

3 T xylitol 

24 drops stevia

Coconut oil to texture preference 

How to

Bring water to a boil in a double boiler. Here's my double boiler. Isn't it fancy?

In a saucepan, heat the xylitol over medium heat until it liquefies. You will feel like Walter White.

Add the xylitol to the double boiler and put the chocolate in. Once your chocolate is melted, add the liquid stevia slowly while mixing.

After that, you can add any mix-ins you like. I like to add Celtic sea salt to mine, and sprinkle toasted hemp seeds on top.

Pour into a paper or foil-lined pan and stick in the freezer for a few minutes. Boom. You're done. Cut it up and serve it.

Top 10 grocery staples

People ask me all the time, "what do YOU get at the grocery store?" As though I buy secret trainers-only food they don't know about. 

The other day, I read an article about how to make your blog more effective. The article said listicles are a hot thing for blogs to do, although the word itself sounds kind of like balls at the bottom of a list.

So here it is, my list - with balls:

My Top 10 Grocery Store Picks

 

1.       Brazil nuts – high in fiber, healthy fats and Selenium (which supports thyroid function).

2.       Hemp hearts – high in protein and and Omega-3 fatty acids.

3.       Flax milk or coconut milk – I keep several half-gallon containers in my fridge at all times. I mostly use it as a base in my protein smoothies or in Chia pudding (see below).

4.       Avocado – a versatile ingredient in everything from soups and salads to puddings. Full of healthy fats and flavor.

5.       Traditional Medicinals Pau D’Arco tea – Pau d’Arco (pron. pow-DARKo) is a South American herb that has been shown to have digestive and liver support benefits.

6.       Arugula – a dark, leafy green that can be used raw, cooked or in smoothies.

7.       Hummus – a blend of tahini, chickpeas, lemon juice and olive oil and a great replacement for unhealthy dips.

8.       Organic celery – dip celery sticks in hummus or Sun Butter for a snack.

9.       Reed’s Cabernet Grape Kombucha – a fizzy probiotic beverage made by fermenting sweetened green tea. It has detoxifying compounds in it, and can be useful for my clients who need to kick a soda habit.

10.   Chia seeds – Used by Mayans as early as 3500 BC. The word Chia actually means strength, because the Mayan diet consisted primarily of chia. Chia seeds deliver a massive amount of nutrients in each serving.

Here are 2 recipes that use some of my favorite ingredients.

Chia pudding ·         ½ cup almond, coconut or flax milk ·         1/8 cup chia seeds ·         8 drops liquid stevia Mix all ingredients together and let chill in fridge overnight. Top with a palmful of fresh fruit, sprinkle with hemp hearts and enjoy.

Avocado Pudding ·         2 avocados ·         6-8 T cocoa powder ·         4 T sun butter ·         2 T coconut butter ·         2 T xylitol ·         15 drops liquid stevia ·         Cacao nibs to taste Throw in the cuisinart for a minute, then the freezer for about 15. Try not to slap anyone when you taste how good it is.