Eat Well To Think Well

Today I’d like to introduce you to a seldom heard of brain chemical that has scientists pretty excited. Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) is a chemical that acts like a super fertilizer for the brain, improving the speed and function of neurons, helping them regenerate and protecting them against cell death. There are two things that are well known to increase BDNF – exercise and omega-3 fatty acids.

Ashleigh and the team here at the Refinery provides you the necessary exercise, but how about your omega-3’s? Do you have them in the ideal ratios for mood stability, blood sugar regulation, lowering inflammation and creating healthier, faster functioning cell membranes?

There is a test you can order (www.omega3test.com) but if you don’t want to go that far, then start to improve your ratios by lowering your omega-6 fats and adding in sufficient high quality omega-3’s. You want to aim to consume between 2-4 grams of omega-6 fats for every 1 gram of omega-3 fats you consume daily

Getting your 6’s is not usually a problem. They dominate the standard American diet in the form of seed fats like soy and corn oil, the fats of grain fed animal and corn-fed seafood (farm raised salmon for instance) and they are dominant in grains, nuts and seeds except flax, walnut and chia which are rich in the omega 3’s. Sadly, and perhaps tragically, 80% of the fat consumed in the US is actually from soy oil while less than 20% is in derived from fish oil. By comparison, In Japan they get 80% of their fats in the forms of the omega-3’s and only 20% in the form of omega-6 fat, which may be why their rates of heart disease, depression and dementia are significantly lower. Studies have clearly shown that a lack of fish consumption is universally related to depression, and that rates of violence are tied to lower omega-3 fatty acid consumption – an indication that brains deprived of this amazing fat can malfunction with dire consequences.

Include some omega-3 fat at every meal including foods like wild salmon, sardines, walnuts, pasture raised or omega-3 eggs, pastured dairy foods, flax oil, walnuts, flax, hemp and chia seed. For a super boost of omega-3’s purchase Nordic Naturals or Carlson’s liquid fish oil and take 1-3 tsp.  per day.

To Your Brain Health!

Cassandra Mick, CNE

Researchers recently ranked the antioxidant content of over 3000 foods and found strawberries to be among the top three antioxidant containing foods after blackberries and walnuts.  The humble strawberry, easy to grow, delicious in smoothies and best by the basketful from the Farmers Market in late Spring is also doing a warriors job of mopping up free radicals that roam around your body causing cellular damage and death.

What are free radicals?

Free radicals are created as a result of the process of oxidation – which is a substance combining with oxygen. Oxidation is a process that is crucial to life and is part of the body’s normal metabolism and therefore pants and animals have built in antioxidant systems, but we can help the body out by consuming bright, colorful plant foods to boost the supply.

When are strawberries at their best?

Strawberries are ideally eaten as soon after picking as possible. Research shows that the amount of vitamin C and other antioxidants goes down dramatically after 2 days. Choose strawberries at their most vibrant red-pink color since it’s been found that underripe or overripe berries have fewer of the valuable phyto-nutrients our bodies thrive on.

Other fruits pale in comparison to berries in terms of antioxidants. Apples and bananas, the most commonly consumed fruits in America have less than a fifth of the antioxidant polyphenols of berries –  and mango, the most popular fruit worldwide, has less than half.

So feed those red beauties to your kids, eat them yourself and buy them fresh when you can. Frozen is good too especially if they look like they were vibrantly ripe when frozen (sadly, I often find large whitish pink berries in the frozen berry section with little flavor). You can also pick them fresh on Sauvie Island and freeze them yourself. You will be glad you did when the winter months drag on and you can pull a little bit of summer out of your freezer boosting your antioxidant power as well. Yum.

Try this recipe for a Strawberry Tart with an almond crust.

To your best health!

Cassandra Mick, CNE

Delicious D

Vitamin D has gotten a lot of attention in the last few years, your doctor may even have tested your levels and suggested supplementing – especially during the winter months. I hope you listened to him, because D has a host of positive effects and scientists are finding even more.

Adequate Vitamin D levels are good for mood, bones, cancer prevention, guarding against osteoporosis, insulin regulation and even weight loss. Now we are learning that it’s beneficial to building and maintaining muscle mass as well. A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine reported that after adjusting for multiple factors, people with higher D levels had more muscle strength in their arms and legs.

Some estimate that as many as 40-50% of Americans are deficient in this key nutrient. Of 89 NFL football players measured in one study, over half had low vitamin D and those players were more prone to muscle injury than their teammates with adequate levels.  And as for kids bone health, the Mayo clinic reports that fractures in girls are up 56% over 40 years ago, while boys are up 32%.

Got Milk? You Might Not Need It

Though dairy does contain some vitamin D, it is D2, a form that may not be as well absorbed as D3, the form most common in supplements. Dr. Michael Holick, author book The Vitamin D Solution (read a review here) suggests that moderate amounts of unprotected sun exposure is the best way to boost your D levels.  Just 10 minutes of sunshine between 10am and 2pm without sunscreen gives you 10,000 IU’s of vitamin D. However take note, in the Pacific Northwest, vitamin D is only derived from sunlight between the months of May and September so during the remaining months you will want to supplement.

A good maintenance dose seems to be 2000 IU per day, though those with darker skin will need more. I’ve heard from some clients that their insurance companies are declining to pay for tests recently, but it’s worth asking your doctor anyway if you’ve never been tested.

And, remember,  keep the sunscreen off until your body has a chance to make some of this precious nutrient.

To your best health!

Cassandra Mick, CNE

These Shakes are a Blast!

You might think I’m a little crazy (my husband sure does) when I tell you to make a sweet, nutrient dense shake from a cooked sweet potato but these babies are delicious and so easy to digest!! For those of you who know me, you know that I experienced years of digestive and other health difficulties before finally figuring out the keys to keep my belly, my body and my brain happy and healthy. This week marks the newest in a long line of nutrition discoveries that I want to share with you. I’ve been using sweet potato for years, but never like this!

What’s in a Name?

The label “sweet potato” covers the white sweet potato, the orange yam and the purple skinned Japanese sweet potato. There is no “true yam” in our markets, they are all sweet potatoes. Low on the glycemic index, bursting with vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber, the sweet potato is an excellent source of happy carbs. Relative to other unrefined carbohydrate, sweet potato converts to glucose fairly quickly so you can use it to fuel your body for exercise and your brain for better concentration and focus. Sweet potatoes can deliciously crowd out the cravings for refined sugar, white flour and the nutrient-poor quickie-carbs that we are often tempted by. For those with digestive impairment, sweet potatoes are often much easier to digest than grains, even the non-gluten grains like quinoa and brown rice, which is particularly helpful.

Food for Mood

Carbs make us happy – because a steady supply of easily available glucose makes us happy. Diets higher in protein and fat and very low in carb work well for weight loss as long as people don’t feel too poorly using such a protocol. If you’ve tried a high protein low carb diet (Paleo-ish) and didn’t feel great then try the sweet potato as a the main carb source along with your healthy protein, sufficient fat intake and green veggie too. When you feel a carb craving, try this Sweet Potato Shake for an easy to digest and super-healthy carbohydrate and then take note of whether it quickly satisfies. I have been using these every day for a week now, and am LOVING them!

Orange Sweet Potato Shake

3/4 cup mashed cooked sweet potato (I like the white sweet potato for this recipe or the Japanese sweet potato with the purple skin)
juice of 1/2 an orange
1.5 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk
4-5 ice cubes
a bit of orange zest (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender and whirl away.

Of course you can just eat sweet potatoes the old fashioned way, baked until soft and mashed with some butter or coconut oil, but I dare you to try this variation. I think you’ll be happily surprised!

My inspiration for this post came from my experience this week, and from the book Sweet Potato Power by Ashley Tudor. Thanks for rockin’ the sweet potato Ashley!

To Your Sweet Health,
Cassandra Mick, CNE

Some folks swear by their coffee, some don’t even like a sip. Below I outline some of the conclusions drawn from current research. The quick summary is – drink it in moderation if it works!

Is coffee dehydrating?

Let’s start with it’s reputation of coffee having a diuretic and dehydrating effect. While we once thought (and it is still commonly believed) that coffee causes dehydration, recent research concludes that’s actually not so. We have the military to thank for having done thorough research on the physiological effects of caffeine on hydration. Their incentive?  Forces deployed in desert climates in the middle east.

Studying subjects who regularly consumed a relatively low amount of caffeine — equivalent to 1 six-ounce cup of brewed coffee (about 1oo mg caffeine) they found that over a 24 hour period, urine losses were similar to a person who had consumed no caffeine. Earlier studies had looked at urine collection just two to four hours after caffeine consumption (not the 24-hour picture), didn’t compare coffee to water, or used very high doses of caffeine (Journal of International Sports Nutrition, 2005. Armstrong). We now know people have similar urine volume whether they consume caffeinated or plain water. This may sound counterintuitive to you, since there can be a drying sensation in the mouth following coffee, but that’s actually caused by the astringency from the tannins present in coffee.

Of course, I’m not suggesting you use coffee to rehydrate. Good ol’ water and plenty of it is much better!

Caffeine and athletic performance

Studies show that caffeine in moderate amounts (250-300 mg per day) does enhance physical performance and makes the effort feel easier for endurance activities and short, high-intensity activities. The enhanced endurance performance is likely due to caffeines positive influence on nerve impulse transmission.

Be warned however, that people have varied responses to caffeine. Some people are very sensitive to caffeine and need to limit consumption to avoid negative side-effects. Common side-effects reported include jitteriness, insomnia, nausea, increased blood pressure and loose bowels.  Other people can consume a large amount of caffeine without any ill effect. Just remember to listen to your own body to determine the right amount of caffeine for you. Also, remember that brewed coffee has no calories but a Carmel Frappuccino has 410!

Coffee and stress

Neuroscientists have newly clarified the definition of stress to mean: “conditions where an environmental demand exceeds the natural regulatory capacity of an organism.” (Koolhaas, et al. Stress revisited. Neurosc Biobehav Rev. 2011 Feb)

What this means is that whether coffee is a negative stressor to you depends upon your unique body, how much stress you already experience and how strong your adrenal glands are (adrenals=adreneline=fight or flight). Coffee is a stimulant and a drug – a widely used and pleasant one for many but for some, it is a contributor to  anxiety, adrenal exhaustion and other unpleasant conditions.

So, in conclusion, enjoy your coffee in moderation if it’s working for you. However if coffee crowds out good nutrition, causes an energy roller-coaster or if someone is caffeine sensitive (a genetic trait that causes the stimulant to metabolize more slowly) then a switch to green tea and a gradual taper off is advised.

To your great health!

Cassandra Mick, CNE

Coconut and the tropical fats developed an unjustly negative reputation in the 50′s, when it was first put forth by the experts that consuming saturated fat would inevitably lead to heart disease. Tropical fats were quickly pushed out of the American food system and replaced with refined vegetable oils like peanut, soy and corn oils. Americans dutifully cut down on saturated fat consumption but they replaced many of those missing calories with calories from carbohydrates, mostly refined, which have led us to the current situation in which we are experiencing an obesity epidemic.

Fast forward to the present and tropical oils are enjoying a newfound place as a health-food as a result of newer more sophisticated research. Turns out that the saturated fats in coconut oil are dominated by MCT’s or medium chain fatty acids that burn quickly as fuel, are anti-microbial, anti-fungal and improve the absorption of minerals. They have had promising early research demonstrating a positive effect on lipid profiles.

Coconut oil is more stable as a cooking oil than olive oil and can be used in high heat cooking without going being damaged by the heat. As a side-note is best not to use olive oil to cook with, as heat destroys the healthy properties of the oil. Instead, drizzle it over foods after they are cooked and use a more stable oil like , coconut oil or ghee for higher heat cooking. 

Weight Loss

The MCT’s (medium chain tryglicerides) in coconut oil are processed differently by the body than long-chain fatty acids are, so they convert more quickly to energy for the body and are not stored as fat. That is remarkable when  you think about it – you can eat fat to lose fat, especially if you use this super-fat in place of carbs! Athletes know about this quick energy source, and they use MCT’s to fuel athletic performance. You can add virgin raw coconut oil (available in the oils section of New Seasons) to oatmeal, spread it on toast, melt it in with mashed sweet potato or mix it in hot tea. Work up to 1-3 tablespoons per day.

Join in the spring cleanse for more ideas on how to use coconut oil –  Info Night is Wednesday April 3, 7pm and the cleansing will begin the following Saturday!

To your best health!

Cassandra Mick, CNE
eatwellwithcassandra.com

For most of us, sitting is just a regular part of our lives. We sit at school, at work, in the car, while eating and during our favorite TV shows. Some of us take regular breaks from sitting to walk or to exercise (a notion which I’m sure our ancestors would find astonishing) but is it enough? Let’s take a look at the surprisingly strong link between poor health and sitting.

When you are sitting:

• Your risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity doubles or even triples. 
• Calorie burning rate drops within one minute – to 1/3 the rate it is when you are walking
• Insulin drops in effectiveness causing a rise in the risk of Type II Diabetes
• Fat burning rates shift dramatically. When sitting down, lipase (an enzyme that helps usher circulating fat into muscles) shuts off which allows fat to remain in circulation, lowering HDL – good cholesterol – potentially clogging arteries and being stored as body fat

In one simple study, a man consumed one meal while sitting down and one while standing. The plasma samples drawn after each meal were decidedly different – the sample drawn after the standing meal was clear liquid, the sitting meal plasma was cloudy with fat.

Though exact hourly guidelines have not been put forth, one study showed that men who spend 6 hours per day or more sitting had an overall death rate about 20% higher than those who sat 3 hours or less. Women who sat for more than 6 hours per day had an overall death rate about 40% higher than those who sat less.

What Can You Do?

• Take frequent breaks from sitting. At work, walk to the bathroom once per hour, stand up and stretch and activate your large muscle groups with a few squats or lunges.
• Perform activities while standing, if you have the choice. I have two standing desks in my home, (large pieces of custom cut wood mounted to the wall and finished) and I have a cardboard box that I set my computer on when it is on the kitchen counter. It may feel odd at first to stand while watching TV or browsing the computer but you’ll get used to it quickly.
• Fidget more! In one study conducted at the Mayo Clinic, participants who fidgeted more gained less weight. So, despite your grade school teacher’s admonishment to sit still, I suggest you wiggle your toes, jiggle your legs and squirrel around in your chair to your hearts content.

For a lively and fascinating look at the science behind sitting and health, see the NYT article in which the author participates as a mock research participant wearing “magic underwear” that measure his every movement.

To  your best health!

Cassandra Mick, CNE

Omega-3′s seem to be a topic that everybody in the nutrition world can agree on, which is a rare thing. Experts from the low-fat camp, Mediterranean diet adherents, the paleo and primal folks, and followers of the vegan/vegetarian model all agree that omega’3′s are necessary for optimal functioning. What a relief, something we can all do without having to sort through controversy.

Why are omega-3′s so beneficial?

Well, fat in general is necessary for humans to survive and thrive – making up a significant portion of every one of the 100 trillion cell membranes in your body. Cell membranes are where much of the action of cellular functioning occurs, and ideally that membrane is fluid, supple and quickly responsive – especially in the brain which itself is made up of 60% fat, most of which is the omega 3 fat DHA. When our diet provides plentiful omega-3 fats, they will go into the building of these supple membranes, but when our diet is dominated by omega-6 fats, those membranes become stiff, slow and less responsive.

Omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in our diet is crucial

Unfortunately, in our food supply we now derive most of dietary fat from seeds and grains (corn and soy) which are high in another essential fatty acid, omega-6.  It is not that omega-6 fats are bad for us, they’re not. We just need to consume them in roughly equal proportion to omega-3′s. We need a 1:1 ratio, but the modern American diet has closer to a 20:1 ratio. We take in about 20x more omega-6 fats than we do omega-3 fats, and this causes problems such as inflammation, weight gain, increased cholesterol and contributes to brain disorders including depression, anxiety and ADD.

Omega 6 fats are more inflammatory than omega-3′s and this may lead to weight gain and cardiovascular disease. According to one study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, taking approximately 2g  omega 3′s (from fish oil) per day combined with exercise reduced body fat and improved cardiovascular and metabolic health more than either exercise or supplement alone. Studies have found that these beneficial fats also raise HDL, the good cholesterol.

So, try to eat fish 2-3 times per week and take a high quality fish oil supplement. If you prefer plant sourced omega-3′s, take ground flax or chia seed and invest in a high quality algae products available at some health food stores. Omega-3 eggs are another good plant source (technically the 3′s are from the flax the chickens are fed)  but just remember that the conversion rate from plant sourced omega-3′s is not as high as those from fish oil.

Check out Dr. Mark Hyman’s article on fish oils if you want more info.

To your best health!

Cassandra Mick, CNE

The title of this post should actually be More Protein + Workouts + More Muscle, but since Ashleigh takes care in the workout part of the equation, I’ll focus on the nutrition piece.

Higher protein diets are back in favor these days especially with the emergence of the Primal and Paleo diet movements, and I’ve seen them work wonders with my clients. Protein (from the word protos meaning primary) increases satiation, provides a slow-burning replacement for excess carbs, encourages a speedier metabolism and even helps stabilize moods and cravings. A high protein breakfast increases metabolism by 30% for 12 hours according to Byron J. Richards author of Mastering Leptin.

When designing your meal plans, remember that the more amino acids (the main constituent of protein) that are made available to the muscles, the more they are able to build up. There is a point of diminishing returns, but most active people need at least 0.8-1g protein per pound of bodyweight. Another way to measure your protein intake is to aim for around 120 grams of protein a day, increasing slowly over the course of a week. To give you a perspective, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is: Men: 56 grams a day and women: 46 grams a day, but experts argue that these guidelines are out of date and are meant to insure adequate functioning. I am more interested in a diet that leads to optimal functioning.

You will need to experiment with your own intake to discover what works best for your unique body/brain. If you notice any digestive discomfort then read last weeks post on Maximizing Digestion for Muscle Growth and keep an ear out for when Ashleigh and I launch our Group Cleanse.

If you have kidney or liver disease, consult with a doctor before increasing your protein intake.

To your great health!

Cassandra Mick, CNE

Stomach acid declines with age causing poor breakdown of protein – which you need to build muscles!

Optimally functioning digestion and absorption is a rare thing. Many people experience mal-digestion on a regular basis caused by number of factors incliding low stomach acid, poor production of digestive enzymes, intestinal microflora imbalance or unidentified food intolerances. Today, let’s look at the production of hydrochloric acid, the incredibly powerful acid secreted by the stomach and responsible for early breakdown of macronutrients. After the age of 30 stomach acid production declines for most of us, and  this can cause the following symptoms:

• bloating
• gas
• excess belching
• reflux or heartburn
• diarrhea or constipation
• a sense of fullness even with small small amount of food
• skin conditions, joint pain, cravings and fatigue can also be linked to low stomach acid.

It may take some nutritional detective work to determine what the exact problem is with an individual, but one common cause is low stomach acid. As Hydrochloric acid (HCL) declines it leads to incomplete nutrient breakdown. Ironically, the symptoms of high and low stomach are the same, and blocking stomach acid further with acid blockers like Tums,  may lead to nutrient deficiencies.

If you think this is a problem for you, try some of these foods to optimize digestion:

• Naturally fermented foods, such as saurekraut, kim chi, kombucha and miso are a great place to start. These foods contain probiotics that help restore balance, and the naturally acidic properties can assist with breakdown of food in the stomach.
• Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, mixed with a bit of honey and water before a meal aids digestion.
• Bitter foods and herbs have been shown to stimulate gastric juices and improve digestion. Experiment with dandelion, ginger, fennel and milk thistle. As a general rule, you can include more bitter foods  in your diet.  Dandelion greens, arugula, endive and bitter teas made from the herbs listed above are all beneficial.

To your best health,

Cassandra Mick, CNE