Food for Thought: Smarter Eating Tips

Nov 12, 2013 by DrSarahGamble

Remember:
1. If you have the choice to eat something “bad” vs. nothing at all… NOTHING WINS EVERY TIME!
2. You will never die of hunger
3. If it’s not ORGANIC, then it is TRASH!
4. Make mealtime interactive family time- individual pizzas, smoothies, huge batches of muffins every Sunday for the week…
5. My motto is: if you made it, you can trust it!

3 Rules for a 2-Week Detox:
1. No meat and no fish (even shellfish)
2. No dairy (cow or goat) and no egg (not even whites)
3. No white flour, no white potato, no white sugar.  That includes anything made commercially that would have these in it.

Brands to Trust:
1. 365 ORGANIC–found at Whole Foods (WF) only
2. Garden of Eatin’
3. Ezekiel 4:9 Breads
4. Spectrum Organic Oils and Vinegars
5. Earths Balance Spread and Vegan Buttery Sticks
6. St. Dalfour Jelly
7. Lara Bars
8. Natures Promise Chicken Thighs/Drumsticks/Ground Turkey- only at Stop & Shop
9. Barbara’s Bakery Cereals
10. Newman’s Own
11. Amy’s Salsa
12. Santa Cruz Organic Apple Sauce
13. Follow Your Heart- Veganaise (mayo)
14. Annie’s Naturals- salad dressings
15. Cascaidian Farms

Look For These Words on Packages:
1. Whole Grain
2. Sprouted
3. Organic

STAY TUNED FOR MY “NEVER” AND “ALWAYS” RECOMMENDATIONS!

 

read more

Flip It Rule #1

Oct 10, 2013 by DrSarahGamble

Breakfast: EAT IT

This is the most important meal of YOUR day.  I know you’ve heard this all of your life, but still you don’t listen.  All the reasons you’ve heard are true.  It gets your metabolism started, it gives your body fuel and it gets your digestive system moving.  But it’s also an important habit to keep you on track.

 

Practical tip: If you start your day with a green juice or a brown rice protein smoothie before you leave the house, you’ll be much less likely to buy anything other than black coffee or tea at Starbucks.  Studies show that starting the day with a healthy breakfast finds you to be less likely to make poor eating decisions the rest of the day.

read more

Nutrition can be Blunderful!

Sep 25, 2013 by DrSarahGamble

FACT VS. FICTION: When it comes to Nutrition, there are some common blunders that are unfortunately, accepted as truths. It’s important to know the facts!

 The “health benefits” of consuming dairy is a common blunder that has its roots from a time when milk was unpasteurized, therefore nutrient and enzyme-rich. Furthermore, livestock was not corn-fed and were not pumped full of antibiotics and growth-inducing hormones as they are today.

The natural occurring growth hormones and casein in cattle irritate the internal system of the human body, triggering the production of mucus as a defense mechanism. Non-human milk is not biochemically adapted for the human body and is too growth promoting.

 Eating animal flesh of any kind, including fish, is not necessary for strength and energy. ALL flesh foods are highly stimulating and therefore make us feel temporarily energized, but this feeling is a poor indicator of the negative effects this food group may have on our bodies.

These inflammatory foods irritate the body, may cause an increase in the secretion of mucus, and provide minimal amounts of absorbable protein. Flesh foods accelerate your aging process because your body works much harder to break flesh matter into a nutritious form. Flesh- eating tips: eat wild fish–not farm raised; avoid shell fish, eat flesh foods no more than 3 times a week, avoid combining any starchy foods with flesh foods, avoid pork and when eating packaged meats, eat the package and throw away the meat!

read more

Welcome to the Gland Canyon!

Sep 3, 2013 by DrSarahGamble

Here are some tips how to eat to achieve a healthy thyroid:

Cook with virgin coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil

Avoid soybean oil.  Most commercial salad dressings and mayonnaise contain soybean oil or other unhealthy polyunsaturated oils.  Soy is often used in many commercially packaged foods like veggie burgers, energy bars, snack foods, and baked goods.

Use almond, rice or coconut milk, not soymilk, soy cheese, and soy ice cream as alternatives to dairy.

Replace soy-based vegetable oils with coconut and olive oils

Consume iodine rich foods like sea vegetables, cranberries, fish, and eggs.  Celtic sea salt is low in iodine so you will need other sources.

Eat small coldwater fish such as wild salmon, mackerel, halibut, sole, sardines, and snapper.

Avoid tuna and swordfish, which are high in mercury, and interfere with thyroid function.

Nutrients shown to contribute to thyroid health include zinc (juice ginger root), selenium, manganese, chromium, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin A.

The thyroid gland requires high levels of vitamin A, and people with hypothyroidism have an impaired ability to convert beta-carotene to vitamin A.  Consider supplementation of vitamin A through cod liver oil.  Choose cod liver oil from cod caught in Icelandic or Norwegian waters where fish are less likely to have high mercury levels.

Avoid foods known as goitrogens which can block iodine from being absorbed by the thyroid gland.  Goitrogens include peanuts, soybeans, millet, pine nuts, and the cruciferous vegetable family—Brussels sprouts, broccoli, turnips, cabbage, kale, and mustard.  Until your thyroid health is restored, you may want to eat these foods sparingly.

Cruciferous vegetables contain thyroid inhibitors known as goitrogens.  Fluoride can also impede thyroid function.

 

read more

Know Your Fruits and Veggies!

Aug 22, 2013 by DrSarahGamble

Here’s some useful (and interesting) information regarding the function of some fruits and vegetables – and nuts too!

A cup of broccoli has as much calcium as a glass of milk and almost twice as much protein as steak: 11.2g per 100 calories

Pears contain lignin, an insoluble fiber that helps to usher cholesterol out of the body

You can put cinnamon sticks in your drinks or sprinkle on food for efficient insulin release

Oats have 2x the protein of brown rice and help you maintain your energy level

Parsley reduces depression, lowers cholesterol & strengthens kidneys

2oz raw almonds = > 50% of your daily magnesium requirement for heart health

Use flax seed oil or ground flax seed daily to meet essential fat needs

Pomegranates have potassium, fiber, vitamin C and niacin

Kale has potent phytochemicals to prevent cancers and macular degeneration

Raspberries are low in calories, high in vitamin C and the seeds are high in fiber

Garlic slows cholesterol synthesis, lowers blood pressure and improves memory

Parsley sweetens the breath, is a diuretic and helps lower cholesterol

Blackberries have dietary fiber, vitamins C and K, folic acid and manganese

Celery has fiber, natural sodium and is a natural tranquilizer

Strawberries are a better source of vitamin C and ellagic acid than oranges

Blueberries prevent and actually reverse abnormal physical and mental decline

Figs have calcium, iron, magnesium, fiber, and potassium

Bananas decrease stroke risk, relieve heartburn, prevent ulcers and reverse diarrhea

Nuts lower cholesterol, have fiber, protein, magnesium, copper, folate and vitamin E

read more

Flippin’ It #1

Jan 21, 2013 by DrSarahGamble

Breakfast: Just Eat It

I know you have heard this a million times- but most people still don’t get it.  Eating (well) within 90 minutes of waking up…:  feeds your brain to improve cognition for the day; helps you perform tasks related to memory; gets your bowels moving; helps you resist succumbing to impulsive eating temptations and battles the obesity bulge!  Make it a habit- like brushing your teeth in the morning- and you will never have to stress over it again.

My Real Life:  If I start my day with a green juice/smoothie or a brown rice protein smoothie before leaving the house, I resist the evil Starbucks “Glass Case” and eat WAY better the rest of the day.

New Plan:  Make breakfast before bed.  This way when you wake up- it can be as easy as “grab and go!”  Leave a comment below if you would like some Healthy Breakfast Options posted.

 

read more