Category Archives: drinks

fruit smoothie

Four Delicious Superfood Smoothies For Fall

by breakfast, drinks, Fall, seasons

Superfood Smoothies

While smoothies are certainly more popular during the warmer months of the year, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying them during the Fall season. A superfood smoothie can be a great way to add a nutrient-dense bump to your diet. To increase your nutrition you can simply change the ingredients in your smoothies. This allows you to take advantage of the season by eating those superfoods that are available at this time of year.

Important notes for smoothie making

  • By using bone broth instead of plain ice cubes you’ll be adding a small amount of a wonderful nutrient dense liquid that adds to the health benefits of the smoothies.
  • For added protein in each of the smoothies listed below add 1-2 scoops of collagen powder.  This odorless, flavorless powder is also highly beneficial for gut health but won’t change the delicious flavor of the smoothie.
  • When using almond or coconut milk be sure to read the label and avoid carrageenan. This ingredient, made from a red seaweed, can be highly irritating to the gut.
  • Each recipe below makes 2 servings, if desired you can cut the recipe in half to make just a single serving.
  • If you want to make two servings and save one for later it’s recommended that you freeze the second serving in order to prevent the ingredients from oxidizing. When you are ready to drink it, thaw a little more than halfway (overnight in the fridge should work) and re-blend. The frozen one may have a thicker consistency when blended depending on how much you let it thaw.
Wonderful Walnut Smoothie
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups almond or coconut milk
  2. 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
  3. 2 cups frozen organic wild blueberries
  4. 2 tbsp fresh-ground flax seeds
  5. 2 tbsp organic molasses
  6. 1-2 tsps cinnamon
  7. 4 bone broth cubes
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/
Cran-Orange Breakfast Boost
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Ingredients
  1. 6 oranges, washed, peeled and sectioned
  2. 2 cups frozen cranberries,
  3. 1 16-ounce bottle cranberry kombucha
  4. 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  5. 6 bone broth cubes
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/
Almost Pie Smoothie
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Ingredients
  1. 1/3 C gluten-free oats
  2. ½ C pumpkin puree
  3. 1 ½ C organic Greek yogurt
  4. 2 medium organic Fuji apples (about 2 cups)
  5. 1 banana, frozen and broken into pieces
  6. 1 C almond or coconut milk
  7. ¼ t pumpkin pie spice
  8. 6 bone broth cubes
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/
Carrot Cake Smoothie
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Ingredients
  1. 1 frozen banana, broken into chunks
  2. ¼ cup shredded carrots
  3. 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  4. 1- 1½ tsp cinnamon (to taste)
  5. generous pinch nutmeg
  6. 1 C organic yogurt
  7. ½ C almond or coconut milk
  8. ¼ t ginger
  9. 4 bone broth cubes
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/

More great Fall recipes

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Three Delicious Pumpkin Recipes For Fall

by drinks, nutrients, seasons, super foods, vegetarian, , , , ,

It’s that time of year when the days are getting shorter, the temperatures are dropping, and all those scrumptious, warming, Fall foods are appearing at your grocery store. This includes pumpkin, one of my favorite, most versatile vegetables. Fabulous in soups, baked goods, as a side vegetable, and even as a snack using the seeds. Pumpkins are so tasty that I find it surprising how in the United States we spend nearly $600 million on pumpkins just to carve them up for Halloween and then discard them. They’re so nutritious and delicious that I think we should all be eating more of them.

Superfood Benefits of Pumpkin

 

Qualifying as a superfood, pumpkins are a wonderful source of potassium, vitamin A, a good source of vitamin C, and also provide quite a bit of fiber. Health-wise, due in part to their high antioxidant status, studies show pumpkin may be supportive in decreasing the risk of cancer. They’re also believed to help with improving insulin regulation, lowering blood pressure, providing lignans (which can have an antimicrobial benefit), and consuming pumpkin may even be helpful for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

It’s not just the flesh of the pumpkin that’s good for you. The seeds also have health benefits. Helpful for cholesterol metabolism and in addition to being a good source of protein, the seeds also deliver tryptophan, manganese, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, and zinc. All of this goes a long way towards making pumpkins and their seeds something you definitely want to add to your nutritional plan.

Pumpkin Recipes

 

While almost everyone is familiar with pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread, and possibly even pumpkin soup, there’s so much more you can do with them.  Here are a few delicious ways to add more pumpkin to your Fall menu and bump up your nutrition.

Pumpkin Hummus

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Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15 oz can organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
  • 15 ounces pumpkin puree
  • juice of 2 lemons (about 4 tablespoons)
  • 1/3 cup virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup tahini paste
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt 
  • 2-4 Tbsp chickpea liquid, as needed for consistency

Instructions
 

  • Blend all ingredients except salt and liquid together
  • If needed, add chickpea liquid 1 Tablespoon at a  time for smoothness and consistency
  • Once fully blended add salt to taste
  • Best served at room temperature

Pumpkin Alfredo

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound gluten-free tagliatelle (my preferred brand is Jovial)|
  • 2 Tbsp organic butter
  • 2 Tbsp gluten-free flour
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced finely
  • 4 cups organic milk
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp finely minced rosemary
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes (to taste)
  • sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
  • shaved parmesan for topping
  • minced rosemary for topping

Instructions
 

  • Cook, drain, and lightly rinse pasta
  • Heat butter in a saucepan, add flour and whisk until combined
  • Add garlic, pepper, rosemary, and milk, reduce heat
  • Whisk all ingredient together until fully combined
  • Add pasta to the sauce and combine, coating noodles well
  • Garnish with extra minced rosemary and shaved parmesan

Superfood Pumpkin Shake

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Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree, cold, not freshly cooked
  • 2 bananas
  • ½ cup plain organic Greek yogurt (full fat if possible)
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (avoid carrageenan)
  • 2 tbsp protein powder
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp ground flax seeds
  • 1 tsp bee pollen granules
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 cups ice

Instructions
 

  • Blend well until fully combined
  • If needed add extra liquid to fully blend ingredients together

 

For a few more Fall posts be sure to check these out:

What’s Really In Sport Drinks?

by drinks, ingredients, water

I'm going to be blunt. Under no circumstances would I recommend commercial sport drinks. Period.  Well, maybe if you are dehydrated (literally) and no other liquid exists for miles. 

Sadly commercial sport drinks such as Gatorade and Vitamin Water are nothing but liquid sugar and chemical additives. The cons far outweigh any benefit. Most young children simply need water. Teenage and adult athletes may need extra support, but there are much healthier alternatives. And I guarantee professional athletes are not drinking Gatorade despite the advertisements you see on TV.

A Closer Look at the Ingredients in Sport Drinks

While there are minor differences in different sport drinks, many of them have the similar ingredients. Let's take a closer look at the ingredients in Gatorade…

Gatorade sport drinks nutrition label

Water: Good!

Sugar: And lots of it! An entire 16-ounce bottle contains a little more than 13 teaspoons of sugar. It's counterproductive to encourage our kids to play sports to be healthy, but then load them up with sugar. Sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) are the primary source of added sugars in the standard American diet. And several studies have linked SSBs to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease [1].

Dextrose: Just another form of sugar. Unfortunately this form of sugar is made from corn and therefore most likely to be genetically modified (GM).

Citric Acid: A flavoring and a preservative. It may seem harmless because it is naturally found in fruit, but the citric acid found in foods and beverages is chemically produced from black mold secretions.  It's also another product that comes from corn and another source of GM contamination.

Natural Flavor: Don’t let the name fool you. The “fruit punch” does not get its flavor from real fruit. These are flavors made in a laboratory. And no one really knows how or what is used to make them.

Salt: Salt is one of the electrolytes (the other major electrolytes are calcium, chloride, magnesium, potassium, and phosphate) however sea salt would be a better option here because it actually provides minerals. 

Sodium Citrate: A “sodium salt of citric acid” this chemically processed food additive is used to regulate acidity. It has a potential to cause allergic reactions, dizziness, or restlessness. 

Monopotassium Phosphate: This ingredient is a potassium salt that has the potential to cause abdominal discomfort. It's a common food additive as well as a fertilizer and fungicide. 

Modified Food Starch: Another chemically processed food stabilizer.

Red 40: Artificial dyes are linked to behavior disorders and hyperactivity in children. Some kids are more sensitive than others. For those that are sensitive, it can be disastrous for them and their families. These dyes are made from petroleum and coal tar and are banned in several other countries. [2]

Glycerol Ester of Rosin: A food additive designed to keep oils suspended or evenly mixed in water. It is produced from pine tree wood rosin using a long list of chemicals.

Caramel Color: Another artificial coloring additive. Unfortunately it contains 4-methylimidazole which has been linked to cancer.

Unfortunately the “zero-calorie” options typically contain the exact same ingredients. However instead of sugar, they use artificial sweeteners. While many people turn to artificial sweeteners to consume fewer calories, studies have actually linked them to weight gain. [3]

Healthy alternatives

There are more “natural” brands on the market today, but they’re mostly made of concentrated fruit juice (another form of liquid sugar). And they still have a few unnecessary additives. Therefore, why buy over-sugared drinks when water is a much healthier, and cheaper, option.

And from an environmental standpoint, we’d use much less plastic if every team player brought a reusable water bottle filled from home. Further, you'll also your reduce exposure to the harmful aspects of plastic by using a glass or stainless steel container.

While one sport drink won’t cause permanent harm, drinking them routinely is another story.

When you or your children truly need a source of electrolytes after an intense or prolonged period of physical activity, try one of these options instead:

  • Make your own electrolyte drink by combining water, lemon, raw honey and sea salt
  • Make an agua fresca
  • Choose coconut water, a well balanced electrolyte beverage (but, be sure to read the label and avoid harmful additives)

 

Containers

One other issue with sports drinks and vitamin waters is that they come in a plastic container. This is a problem due to the BPA (to learn more watch my interview with Lara Adler, The Environmental Toxins Nerd). Bring your own drinks with you and use glass or stainless steel containers as your healthiest option. My personal favorite is Glasstic, a shatterproof plastic cylinder around a glass center cylinder. Easy to take apart and wash in the dishwasher, the company claims these are the last water bottle you'll ever need. I bought three over a year ago and they're still going strong. Get 10% off with this link.

* * * * * * 

Resources:

[1] Sugar Sweetened Beverages: Over time, too much liquid sugar can lead to serious disease
[2] Food additives and hyperactive behavior in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-0ld children 
[3] Gain weight by “going diet?” Artificial sweeteners and the neurobiology of sugar cravings 

 

What’s In Your Tea?

by additives, drinks, ingredients, Uncategorized

With the weather getting colder I'm definitely drinking more hot tea.  Mention tea drinkers and most people tend to think of the United Kingdom.  The United States, however, is growing as a nation of tea drinkers.  According to the Tea Association of the U.S., from 1990-2014 the U.S. wholesale market grew from two billion dollars to more than 10 billion. Tea appears to be taking more shelf space at the grocery store and there's an increasing number of brands and flavors.

Health Benefits

Tea has many health benefits.  Starting with the fact that it often has far less caffeine than coffee.  Different types of teas offer different benefits:

Green – high in the polyphenol EGCG, studies show that tea may be supportive against a variety of cancers as well as preventing clogged arteries and improving cholesterol levels.

Black – the highest caffeine levels are found in black tea.  In studies it appears that black tea may protect the lungs against damage from cigarette smoke and may even help to reduce the risk of stroke.

White – Appears to have the highest anticancer properties compared to other varieties of tea.

Oolong – A partially fermented black tea, this has been shown to help lower cholesterol level.

Pu-erh – Fermented and aged, this tea showed benefits for lowering cholesterol and helping with reduced weight gain in animal studies.

Flavoring

Recently one of my readers, Mary, wrote in and asked, “How do they make the flavored teas.  I like the fruity flavors but after reading your book I'm wondering how they get the flavor in there.”

Great question.  The answer, unfortunately, is that often the flavors are from artificial ingredients.  Many companies list their ingredients on their website making it easy to find out what's really in your tea.  For the fruity teas (which seems to be the most popular judging by conversations with friends) although they have fruit pieces in them they also have artificial flavors.  Some tea companies use “natural” flavors, but as we've discussed before, natural doesn't always mean what we think it does.

And then of course there's other negative ingredients such as citric acid and maltodextrin, both of which are sourced from corn and therefore highly likely to be genetically modified. Another issue with tea is the use of pesticides however that is a rather deep topic and I'll be covering it at another time.

Here's a slide show with the ingredients of some popular flavored teas

[easingslider id=”2978″]

 

Make your own

So what's the answer if you want to drink flavored tea but don't want all the additives?  Tea can also be flavored with juices, extracts (such as vanilla or lemon), or fresh herbs and spices (such as ginger, vanilla, cardamom, or mint) but remember blend cautiously for balanced flavoring.

In my opinion the best option is to blend your own.  I typically buy my teas and ingredients at Mountain Rose Herbs.  Their ingredients are organic and many of them are  fair trade and ethically wild harvested. Starting with a base (black, green, white, roiboos, etc) add in your flavorants.  Mix well and place into a jar.  Good choices for flavorings can be: jasmine, rose, lavender, mint leaves, citrus peel, ginger, lemon, cinnamon, vanilla, or other spices.  Choose just a couple of flavorings that will go together, it takes a while to learn how to make complex blends without overwhelming the base tea or creating a mish mash of flavors that are not pleasant.

One of my personal favorites is a lemon tea made using a number of lemon flavor ingredients. Before I started making my own tea blends I didn't even know that there was a green roiboos.  Now it's my favorite, I really love it.  It's not as sweet as the red and has a pleasant grassy note which I think pairs well with the lemon.  When I make this tea blend I purchase all of the ingredients from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Lemon Tea

equal parts:
lemon verbena
lemon grass
lemon peel
green roiboos tea

Mix together and store in an airtight jar in a place away from sunlight

To brew a cup of tea add 1 heaping teaspoon of tea to 1 cup boiling water and let steep for five minutes
A tea ball can be helpful, otherwise strain before drinking
Enjoy!

Enjoy these teas hot or cold and take advantage of them as a delicious alternative to plain water (especially the decaffeinated varieties).

 

Zurvita Zeal: A Review

by additives, drinks, ingredients, reviews

As The Ingredient Guru, I often get asked to "take a look" at a variety of products, especially if they have good buzzwords on the label.

Recently I was given a bottle of Zeal by Zurvita*. The person who gave it to me wanted my opinion; she was very excited about the product and takes it every day, in part because of the label statements: "Gluten free", "vegan", "natural ingredients", "complete nutrition", "no artificial colors, sweeteners or preservatives", and "an excellent source of fiber".

Misleading Labels

It's important to note that products like these often do not have gluten. That’s because gluten is found in wheat, barley, and other glutenous grain products. The gluten-free statement is merely a marketing ploy to capitalize on the desire of a growing number of people to eat gluten-free.

After a review of the ingredients, I will not be trying this product. Here's why:

Caffeine Content

The label does not disclose how much caffeine is in a serving, but it contains several sources: guarana seed powder and yerba mate. The product also has green tea extract; however, the website says, "Green tea used in Zeal is standardized at 50% EGCG content and is considered decaffeinated because when it is processed to contain a high level of antioxidants (EGCG), the amount of naturally occurring caffeine is reduced." The guarana and yerba mate most likely do provide caffeine.

Crystalline Fructose

This is essentially dehydrated high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is 55% fructose by volume, while crystalline fructose is 90% fructose by volume. Excessive fructose consumption is bad for the liver.

Natural Flavors

As we've discussed before, the term natural doesn't really mean much, and "natural" flavors might not be everything they're cracked up to be.

Labeling Issues

A personal frustration with this product is how it is labeled. The ingredients are extremely small red/orange print on a brown background. This makes it very difficult to read, a choice that I have to believe is deliberate on the part of the manufacturer. I find it deceptive when manufacturers label with this type of print or grey print on a dark background. Anytime the label is not clear and easy to read, I have to wonder what they are hiding.

While there are a number of apparently clean ingredients in this product, it is not without negative ingredients as discussed above. The use of buzzwords on the label is something called front-of-package labeling and is often used by companies to distract consumers from looking further into the ingredients.

Keep this in mind when reading the label and looking at new-to-you products. Just because the label says it's a good choice doesn't always mean that it's something you want to consume.

Ed note: Zurvita is a network marketing, or MLM, company. This article does not address the "business" of Zurvita and is not meant to be construed as for or against these types of opportunities. It is simply a discussion of this one product that the company produces.

Coconut Milk — Not As Healthy As You’d Think

by dairy, drinks, gmo, ingredients,

Big news!  Yesterday, Wednesday, February 4 2015, Starbucks announced that they would start offering coconut milk as a non-dairy option. It's scheduled to appear at a Starbucks near you beginning on February 17, 2105. Normally that would be a great option, especially for someone like me who is currently dealing with food sensitivities and needs to avoid dairy.  It's also potentially better than their current non-dairy option, soymilk, which is quite possibly genetically modified.

While I don't drink coffee I do like an occasional green tea latte.  However, on closer inspection it turns out this isn't going to be an option for me either.  The ingredients panel shows several items that I can't consume and a couple more that I choose not to.

Carrageenan

Let's start with carrageenan.  It's a red seaweed which has been shown to be problematic for those with digestive issues.   Not just those who have serious bowel health issues such as crohn's or ulcerative colitis, carrageenan can also affect those who struggle with bloating or gas issue.  Many of them find that they do much better when they avoid carrageenan.  For more information check out this report by the Cornucopia Institute.  In fact many people who struggle with carrageenan also have issues with excessive amounts of gums in food products.  This coconut milk also contains gellan gum, xanthan gum, and guar gum.

"Natural" Flavors

For ingredients I choose not to consume, and which I advocate others avoid as well, we see "natural" flavors [quotes are mine] which could mean anything and sometimes is a code for monosodium glutamate.  There's also corn dextrin which, because it doesn't specifically say organic, could be genetically modified.  While coconut milk itself isn't genetically modified, corn is one of the most highly GMO crops we have and conventional corn products should be avoided as much as possible.   The vitamin A palmitate is most likely a synthetic form of palmitic acid; it's used to fortify dairy products.

Guar Gum

There are coconut milks that do not contain these products however some of them contain a gum, usually guar gum, to help with thickening the coconut milk.  Be sure to read the label to avoid ingredients you don't want to eat.

----------

Update:  A reader wrote in and told me that Starbucks was aligned with Monsanto and supported opposition to GMO labeling.  Research shows that Starbucks is not directly affiliated with Monsanto other than that they both belong to the Grocery Manufacturers Association which is vigorously opposed to GMO labeling.   Starbucks claims to be an "affiliate" member and in a direct quote from Starbuck's website:

Starbucks is not a part of any lawsuit pertaining to GMO labeling nor have we provided funding for any campaign. And Starbucks is not aligned with Monsanto to stop food labeling or block Vermont State law.

The petition claiming that Starbucks is part of this litigation is completely false and we have asked the petitioners to correct their description of our position.

Starbucks has not taken a position on the issue of GMO labeling. As a company with stores and a product presence in every state, we prefer a national solution.

 

Unseen Labels – What’s In Your Fast Food

by additives, dairy, drinks

A friend recently posted this picture on their Facebook page.    And I've heard a number of people talking about the “hand-spun” shakes at Chick Fil-A.  I believe hand-spun means nothing more than using an old-fashioned, metal wand device, rather than a blender.  However, with the words home-spun in there it sounds wholesome.  And the picture, of course, makes it look tempting and delicious with a large peach right up front.  The limited time only is, I suppose, there to make you feel that if you don't get yours now you've missed out.

Unfortunately the ingredients tell a different story:

Icedream (whole milk, sugar, nonfat dry milk, cream, corn syrup, natural and artificial flavors, dried whole eggs, cornstarch, mono and diglycerides, disodium phosphate, cellulose gum, carrageenan, sodium phosphate, guar gum, sodium citrate, annatto and caramel colors, artificial color [Yellow 5&6]), peaches, sugar, dextrose, water, citric acid, pectin (pectin, sodium diphosphate, calcium orthophosphate), lemon juice concentrate, salt, turmeric extract (propylene glycol, extractives of turmeric), natural flavor, ascorbic acid, annatto, milkshake base (whole milk, sugar, cream, whey powder (milk), nonfat dry milk, artificial flavor, disodium phosphate, mono and diglycerides, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, guar gum, cellulose gum, carrageenan), whipped cream (cream, milk, sugar, sorbitol, nonfat milk solids, artificial flavor, mono and diglycerides, carrageenan, polysorbate 80, mixed tocopherols [vitamin E] to protect flavor, propellant: nitrous oxide), cherry.

Rather than a whole food peach milkshake we have a host of chemicals which include artificial flavors (appearing three times), colors, preservatives and other unhealthy ingredients.

Considering that a traditional peach milkshake has ice cream (choose organic, whole fat and chemical free), milk (again organic and whole fat), and peaches (organic – to avoid pesticides), it's somewhat ridiculous that this lab-experiment-gone-wrong is being promoted as a tasty treat.

My suggestion?  Skip theirs and make your own.

Make Do Bullet Blender

by drinks, vegetarian

Recently I was wasting time researching ideas for food preparations on Pinterest and came across a posting that mentioned using regular mouth canning jars as a personal bullet blender device.  According to the pin/link that mentioned it the mouth of a regular pint jar happens to fit the blender blade base which then fits into the blender and can be used to make personal smoothies.

I already own a blender and am not interested in buying another appliance for my kitchen.  But there are times when it would be great to be able to make individual smoothies without having to clean the blender in between each recipe.

This morning, after mulling it over for a bit, I decided to give it a try.  I figured the worst thing that would happen is that it wouldn't work and I would have to dump it all into the blender and start from scratch.

To make this morning's smoothie I put the following ingredients into a regular mouth pint canning jar:  Greek style yogurt, organic strawberries, washed and quartered, fresh ground flax seed, greens powder, coconut oil, and a splash of almond milk to make sure there was enough liquid.  I put the blade base on the jar and it fit very well, placed the whole thing on the blender and hit the button.

I didn't measure very well as I wasn't sure how it would work but it seemed to have come out okay.   The hardest part was trying to carefully undo the jar and blade base from the without undoing the jar and spilling the contents all over the blender.

It turns out this works very well and I anticipate more personal smoothies in our future.

Should You Care About Alkaline Beverages?

by drinks, health, vegetables, vinegar, , ,
Because the first thing you drink every day is really important why not start with something that's going to be good for your health?
 
When working with clients, I regularly remind people to start their day with an alkalizing beverage.  This invariably brings up the question, "What is an alkalizing beverage and why do I need to drink it?"
 

Second question first. Your body does better when it is in a more alkaline state. If you happen to remember from your high school biology class, a pH of 7.0 is base or neutral. You should be somewhere between 7.2-7.4 in order to be healthy.  When your body is in a more acidic state you can potentially be prone to illness.  

 

Effects of PH imbalance 

 

Maintaining an acidic body state for a long period of time can cause a wide variety of illnesses such as headaches, inflammation, bloating, acne, hair or nails that break easily, and other symptoms.

Because the body seeks balance, if it is too acidic it will pull minerals from your bones and from muscle tissue.  Eventually, you can experience a significant depletion of minerals.

 

How to maintain PH balance

 

However, simply drinking alkalizing beverages isn't enough. You actually need to consume a more alkaline diet.

Our modern American diet tends to be highly acidic, especially when it's high in processed foods and animal products. So in order to shift away from high acidity, it's a good idea to include more alkalizing foods in your diet. 

Ideally, most people appear to do best when they consume a diet that is 60-70% alkalizing foods.  This includes:

In addition to making sure you add alkalizing foods to your diet, it can be a good idea to start the day with an alkalizing drink. 

However, it's important to know that just drinking alkaline water isn't going to alkalize your body.  Studies indicate that drinking alkaline water does not increase body pH.

That doesn't mean there aren't any benefits though.  Drinking naturally alkaline water may help decrease the enzyme that can cause acid reflux. Other research seems to indicate that drinking alkaline water may be beneficial for people with conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and/or high blood pressure.

 

What is an alkalizing beverage? 

 

Rather than simply drinking alkaline water, consider having a glass of water with 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar. If you're not used to the tartness of either of these you may have to work up to it by starting with 1 teaspoon in a glass of water and increasing a teaspoon at a time.   

Adding a greens powder to water or a morning smoothie is another way to get an alkalizing beverage into your day.  Another option would be to drink kombucha or water kefir, either plain or adding a healthy slug to water glass.  This can be a great start to the day and one that has the added benefit of probiotics to further support gut health.

 

Vinegar and lemons are acidic so how can they be alkalizing?

 

 It's one of the odd properties of acid-alkaline balance.  Yes, we do consider them to be acidic however their ash, or residue after they have been broken down, is alkaline.  That makes them alkalizing food.  This alkalizing effect is also found with limes and grapefruits however not with oranges.

If you want to test to see whether your specific body state is more alkaline or more acidic you can purchase a First Morning Urine Ph Kit.These strips test either urine or saliva (urine is generally considered to be a better indicator).  If you are interested in changing your diet you could also consider getting a copy of The Joy in Living The Alkaline Way.  Both the pH Test Kit and the book are available online at Better Lab Tests Now. 

Simply enter the word Alkaline into the search bar to get a free copy of the book, order the test kit, plus find more information about alkalizing.

So yes, it's a good idea to start your day with an alkalizing beverage and drink for your health. And then evaluate your diet to add more alkalizing foods.

 

Sources

 

 

"Alkaline Water: Better Than Plain Water?". Mayo Clinic, 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/alkaline-water/faq-20058029. 

Koufman, Jamie A., and Nikki Johnston. "Potential Benefits Of Ph 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water As An Adjunct In The Treatment Of Reflux Disease". Annals Of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, vol 121, no. 7, 2012, pp. 431-434. SAGE Publications, doi:10.1177/000348941212100702.

"Preliminary Observation On Changes Of Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar And Blood Lipids After Using Alkaline Ionized Drinking Water--《Shanghai Journal Of Preventive Medicine》2001年12期 ". En.Cnki.Com.Cn, 2021, http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-SHYI200112005.htm.

Michelle Liew, B.A. "15 Signs Your Body Has Too High Acidity Levels And How To Fix It". Life Advancer, 2016, https://www.lifeadvancer.com/body-high-acidity-levels/. 

 

 

 

 

kefir - fermented beverage

Benefits Of Water Kefir

by drinks, lacto-fermentation, probiotics

It's a good idea to drink fermented beverages – they contain probiotics, or good bacteria, and are great for your digestion! Studies also show that probiotics help when you are depressed or anxious. Beneficial probiotics can be found in a number of foods, but they're also found in fermented beverages such as kombucha or kefir. The best part is that you can actually make these delicious beverages at home.

Health benefits:

  • Due to the beneficial bacteria, kefir is helpful for the immune system and supports a good bacterial balance in the gut
  • Kefir has been shown in laboratory studies to improve bone mass, helpful to prevent osteoporosis
  • High in probiotics, kefir may be a beneficial beverage for supporting mental wellbeing
  • L. kefiri (one of the active beneficial bacteria in kefir) is antimicrobial and has good probiotic benefits, inhibiting pathogens
  • Appears to be anti-carcinogenic and may have therapeutic benefit for both healthy and ill adults

How to make water kefir:

I have to say water kefir is my favorite when it comes to home-made because it’s so quick and simple.

  1. Dissolve 1/3 cup sugar with filtered warm water in a clean one quart glass jar. I like to use turbinado or rapadura sugars because they are not stripped of all their nutrients.
  2. Add water kefir grains (about 1 to 2 tablespoons).
  3. Place jar out of direct sunlight.
  4. Cover jar with a clean dish towel.
  5. Let sit for 24 to 30 hours or to your taste. )If you aren’t sure how it should taste, try some from someone else’s batch)
  6. Strain the water kefir grains from liquid
  7. Do a secondary fermentation by adding something to provide some flavor – I like ginger so I add 5-10 slices of freshly peeled ginger. Another option is a few mint leaves. Cap and let sit on the counter for 24 hours.
  8. Strain out flavorings, transfer the liquid to another one quart glass jar and save in the fridge to start drinking
  9. Rinse your grains and start over for an unlimited supply of delicious and nourishing water kefir loaded with probiotics or good bacteria!

A few more notes:

  • Don’t worry about the sugar as it’s mostly used up during the fermentation process
  • Your kefir grains will actually start to grow so you can share them with friends – getting from grains from a friend is a good way to get started
  • The grains sort of look like very baby cauliflower florets and should be kept cool when not being used

For those of you who would like to try making water kefir at home Cultures for Health is a great source for your grains.  They also sell a large number of other culture products for yogurt, sourdough, cheese and more.

References:

Carasi P, et al., Safety Characterization and Antimicrobial Properties of Kefir-Isolated Lactobacillus kefiri . BioMed Research International. 2014;2014:208974. doi:10.1155/2014/208974.

Chen, HL, et al., Kefir improves bone mass and microarchitecture in an ovariectomized rat model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Osteoporos Int. 2015 Feb;26(2):589-99. doi: 10.1007/s00198-014-2908-x. Epub 2014 Oct 3.

Messaoudi, Michael, et al., Beneficial psychological effects of a probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in healthy human volunteers. Gut Microbes, 2:4, 256-261, DOI: 10.4161/gmic.2.4.16108

S. Sarkar, (2007) “Potential of kefir as a dietetic beverage – a review”, British Food Journal, Vol. 109 Issue: 4, pp.280-290, https://doi.org/10.1108/00070700710736534

 

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This is a guest post from my friend and colleague Trudy Scott (CN).  Trudy is a Certified Nutritionist and the founder of www.everywomanover29.com, a thriving nutrition practice with a focus on food, mood and women’s health. Trudy educates women about the amazing healing powers of food and nutrients and helps them find natural solutions for anxiety and other mood problems. Her goal for all her clients (and all women): “You can be your healthiest, look your best and feel on-top-of-the-world emotionally!”  Trudy is also the author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.