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I have always heard how probiotics are good for you and how important it is that we eat them, but I had no idea why.  Also, I didn’t know how important it is to consume them after taking antibiotics.  I like how you offered a variety of sources of probiotics. The only one I was familiar with was yogurt.  I also wasn’t aware that probiotics help combat C. diff.  I found myself googling the different foods you listed to see if I would enjoy eating any of them.  Great job with this post. 

The probiotic path to a happy and healthy gut

Keeping our gut happy and healthy can be difficult with the endless processed foods in the stores and convenient fast food restaurants. With billions of dollars going into medical bills for treating digestive and digestive-caused disease, it is important to find ways to balance the bacteria in our stomachs. Probiotics are one of these ways to keep our body healthy and able to combat these diseases. 

Probiotics main function in our bodies is absorbing nutrients and fighting infections. More specifically they can aid in regular bowel movements, the inflammatory response, producing enzymes and B-vitamins, absorbing minerals, glucose, vitamins, and fatty acids, and also protecting against pathogens, toxins, and infections. The list of benefits goes on.

One of the most recommended reasons for ingesting probiotics by doctors is after taking antibiotics. Antibiotics are very harsh on the stomach. They disrupt the balance of the bacteria in your stomach and create a poor environment for the good bacteria to live in. If antibiotics are taken for too long, this can lead to the growth of Clostridium difficile, or C. diff. Probiotics are important at these times because it helps balance out the environment of your stomach, while also introducing more good bacteria. Other reasons to take probiotics are after eating a lot of sugar, GMO foods, high carbohydrate meals, high stress, and other chemicals/medications.

There are different types and forms of probiotics. The most well-known is yogurt. Others are vinegars/fermented foods, kefir, supplements, kimchi, kombucha, sourdough bread, miso, and tempeh. However, each form contains different strains of bacteria which in turn have different benefits. Yogurt does not contain all the necessary strains and cannot completely protect agains the harmful side effects of antibiotics. Supplements can help with this, however, it is important to know which kinds to get. Some probiotic strains are to combat C. diff while others combat diarrhea. Florastor is one that is often recommended. It is strong enough to survive against antibiotics and protects against C. diff and the harmful side effects of antibiotics.

References

Freuman, T. D. (2014, July 29). How (and Why) to Take Probiotics When Using Antibiotics. Retrieved from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2014/07/29/how-and-why-to-take-probiotics-when-using-antibiotics

B. (2014, March 3). Probiotics: Pros and Cons. Retrieved from http://www.berkeleywellness.com/supplements/other-supplements/article/probiotics-pros-and-cons

Dilonardo, M. J. (2015, December 14). What are Probiotics? Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/features/what-are-probiotics#1

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I found your blog very interesting and helpful.  There are certain foods that I always try to buy organic and others that I don’t believe are as important to be organic.  I love the idea of doing your own garden and cannot wait to start one this summer.  It should be interesting because I have never attempted to grow anything before.  I found your ideas of packing snacks for traveling helpful and plan to also try this for my family’s next road trip.  I always appreciate going to grocery stores that have a separate “clearly identifiable” organic sections.  

Organic Food In the Community

It might not be too much of a challenge to buy organic in your town, but what about if you live in a small, rural area or are on the road? Now that we have started to explore what organic food means and why we might want to try it, we have to look at where we can get it.

Gardening

The easiest way to make sure that you are getting organic food is to make it yourself. By planting your own garden you are able to monitor the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and the production process (if applicable). It is also a fun experience to see the progress as the plants grow and to see the results of your hard work. Although gardening can take a long time and only creates produce, the food is always fresh, organic practices can be used easily, and there is a large variety of plants and vegetables that you can grow. There are even systems to let you grow plants indoors during the winter!

Farmer’s Market

A lot of communities have a weekly to monthly farmer’s market, especially during the summer. These can be great places to buy organic food, support local producers, and meet other people in your community who love food as much as you! Usually there is a website or notice in the local newspaper to notify you of the times and dates. Make sure to ask the seller about their practices to make sure that their food is truly organic and not just local before you buy it.

Grocery Stores

Most grocery stores have a separate section for organic foods. The most common is the produce area where many types of fruits and vegetables are labeled. On occasion they will have a section for non-produce items, but usually these items are sold alongside their non-organic counterparts with a label on the packaging to tell you they are organic.

Restaurants

Getting organic food in a restaurant is a little harder to do, but there are certain restaurants that use only organic ingredients or have certain foods that are organically made.

Online Searching

The Internet is a fantastic tool for finding information on all of the above options in your community. You can also shop for organic food from online stores and have it shipped to your house. This can be more expensive, but may be the only option if you live in a rural community that is a long way from a larger organic market.

Traveling

It can be hard to find organic food while traveling, but doing research ahead of time makes the process easier. The Internet may be your best friend when it comes to getting information on any of the above options in the destination you are going to. With enough time, figuring out all the details is possible. Another option is to pack your own foods such as nuts, apples, oranges, raw vegetables, beef jerky, and energy bars. These foods are easy to keep fresh, provide you with plenty of calories, and can be a great snack until you find another source of organic food.

The next time you need to buy organically produced food just do a little searching. There are plenty of options to find it and most of them are probably right around the corner.

References:

1. 7 Secrets to Eating Healthy on the Road. (2015, March 30). Retrieved April 02, 2017, from http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/7-secrets-eating-healthy-road

2. Organic Travel™ - Guides to Healthy and Organic Places - About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2017, from http://organictravel.com/server/general/aboutus.shtml

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Eat some water!

My last two posts have discussed the importance of drinking water and the importance of not consuming too many sugary beverages.  Now I would like to focus on the water content in certain foods.  We do not get all of our daily water intake in liquid form.  Approximately 20% of our water intake comes from different foods we eat.  Many of the fruits and vegetables we eat have a high water content, which helps us stay hydrated.  Not only does it keep us hydrated, but it also feeds our bodies with antioxidants, vitamins, electrolytes, and fiber.  I want to share with all of you some of the highest rated foods in water content.  Cucumbers have a water content of 96% and are full of vitamin C, K, and B.  Cucumbers are great in salads or on a sandwich.  They are also a great snack to eat in sliced form.  I personally prefer english cucumbers over the traditional ones.  Next on the list is zucchini, which is very similar to cucumbers and has a water content of 95%.  Beware though because once cooked, they lose most of their water content.  Zucchini is another great option to add to a salad, especially a pasta salad.  Another food that is great on salad or on a sandwich is tomato, which has a water content of 94%.  Cherry tomatoes are also high in water content and are an easy snack to pack and eat.  Celery is the next vegetable on my list of foods high in water content, yielding a content of 95%.  Celery is also great in salads or alone as a snack.  I personally enjoy a crisp celery stalk with some peanut butter on it.  I also read that celery is a natural remedy for a headache.  This makes sense because some headaches are caused by dehydration and with such a high water content it is a perfect remedy for that pesky headache.  I have been discussing how the foods above are great to add to salads, but have not mentioned the main staple of a salad which is lettuce.  Iceberg lettuce has a water content of 96%.  I personally have always opted for romaine lettuce because it has more nutrients than iceberg lettuce.  I never realized that iceberg is actually beneficial because of it’s high water content.  I actually buy my lettuce in bulk from Costco and every Sunday I spend time washing and prepping my lettuce for the week.  I then store the lettuce I prep in mason jars and they stay good for the entire week.  Now let’s switch gears and talk about the water content in different fruit.  Strawberries are extremely healthy and offer a water content of 92%.  I have always heard that strawberries is one of the most important fruits to buy organic.  However, when you cannot afford the more expensive organic strawberries I would like to offer an alternative.  Organic or not, I always soak my strawberries in water mixed with apple cider vinegar.  The vinegar helps to get those berries extra clean and seems to make them last longer.  Watermelon is one of my favorite foods to eat in the Summer and has a water content of 92%.  The most frustrating thing about watermelon is how messy it is and how annoying it is to cut.  I have found  a number of ways to cut and eat watermelon on Pinterest and highly recommend checking them out.  Pineapple is another one of my favorites and has a water content of 87%.  It is also high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.  I also recently read that with pineapple having such a thick layer of skin, it protects the fruit inside from pesticides and harmful chemicals.  This is not a comprehensive list of all the foods that offer a high water content.  I tried to focus on ones that are commonly eaten and sought after by consumers.  I mainly wanted this post to open eyes and bring awareness to the fact that water is not only something we get from drinking a nice cold glass, but is also found in a variety of food we eat.

http://bembu.com/23-hydrating-foods/

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http://www.bphc.org/whatwedo/healthy-eating-active-living/sugar-smarts/be-sugar-smart/Pages/Health-Effects-of-Sugary-Drinks.aspx

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What’s in your kid’s cup?

Sugar is a common ingredient in many drinks we and our kids consume.  Sugar comes in many different forms, some of them are; sucrose, dextrose, evaporated cane juice, cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, beet sugar, malt syrup, rice syrup, honey, fructose and crystalline fructose.   Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey analyzed data from 2011-2014.  The study examined the number of times adults and kids drank SSB (sugar sweetened beverages) and then summed the number of calories.  Data showed that children, age 2-19 (64.5% boys and 61.3% of girls) drank at least one SSB a day.  This was an alarming fact for me, but even more alarming is that approximately 30% consume 2 or more a day!  So why should we as parents care?  Consuming SSB is linked to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cavities and high cholesterol and this is not a comprehensive list of all the ailments.  The American Heart Association suggests that children consume no more than 6 tsp of sugar a day.  Another study published in the Journal Circulation recommends that children limit their SSB intake to 8 ounces a week. I do agree that this might be a dramatic change for some and probably not feasible for many individuals.  Especially if we have already let our children consume far more than this on a weekly basis.  However, I do believe that it is extremely important that we start limiting the amount of SSB our kids consume.  According to Dr. Miriam Vos, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University, “sugar-sweetened beverages are still the top sources of added sugars for children in the U.S. and cause unhealthy weight gain.”  It seems to me that it is our job as parents to help curb this problem.  So what are some things we as parents can do to help?  Below are some ways that parents and even the Government can help.

Parents can make sure their schools limit the sugary beverages offered at lunch and in vending machines.  We can demand our schools are equipped with water bottle filling stations.  We need to encourage our children to drink water multiple times throughout the day, try sending them to school with a water bottle.  Quit regularly stocking our fridge with soda, fruit punch, energy drinks, or other SSB.  I am in no way saying to completely ban all these products, but I believe it is very important that we limit the intake of these beverages for both our children and ourselves.  

Something the Govt can do:

Require companies to list the total nutrition facts per bottle or container, rather than per serving.  The Government could consider something similar to a soda tax, but include sugary beverages containing above a certain amount of added sugar.  The Government already taxes other harmful substances, such as; nicotine and alcohol, SSBs also cause detrimental health effects to the population.

So next time your kid asks for something to drink, consider the information you read above and help guide them towards a healthy choice.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/26/health/sugary-drinks-children-cdc-study/

http://www.bphc.org/whatwedo/healthy-eating-active-living/sugar-smarts/be-sugar-smart/Pages/Health-Effects-of-Sugary-Drinks.aspx

[supermelann-blog]

I really enjoyed your post. Thank you for sharing something so close and personal about yourself and your family. I have had family members diagnosed with cancer, but have never had an immediate family member diagnosed. I can’t imagine the feelings you experienced at such a young age.  I have often heard that certain foods or eating habits cause cancer, but didn’t really know what to and what not to believe. Thank you for sharing the link in your post, it was very insightful.  By the way, I also eat my fair share of sugar. 

Food.Doesnt.Cause.Cancer.

In my last blog post I discussed how food can help you combat cancer. In this post I want to go over something that has bothered me since my mother was diagnosed with cancer when I was 7 years old (almost 20 years ago);

Food does not cause cancer.

Now, to clarify, I’m not saying that food can’t exasperate cancer. But eating that cheeseburger from McDonalds isn’t going to spontaneously cause stomach cancer. When my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer I can specifically remember, while sitting in the waiting room with my grandparents during one of her many surgeries to remove the tumor, overhearing some woman talking to my grandmother ask if it was because my mother didn’t eat very well. My mother was young, with two kids under ten, and the way she said it made me very angry. Apparently it made my grandmother angry too because she told me years later she almost smacked the woman.

Firstly, understand that cancer isn’t a man-made disease. You hear all the time about how people are only getting cancer now because of all the processed foods and chemicals and preservatives and blah blah blah. Yet, “It was described thousands of years ago by Egyptian and Greek physicians, and researchers have discovered tell-tale signs of cancer in a 3,000-year-old skeleton. It’s even been discovered in dinosaur bones.” If this doesn’t say ‘cancer has been around forever’ I don’t know what does. The main reason that we believe that cancer is only now an issue is because we’ve developed better ways of detecting cancer. So of course it is going to seem like it is a big thing now compared to the 20th century; medical advances are at a rapid, all time high.

This is a subject that has caused me a lot of grief just from what people have told me I should and shouldn’t be eating. When it wasn’t “you need to eat more kale to cure your genetic disorder” it was “you eat too much sugar and that is why you have a genetic disorder that causes cancer.”

Yes. Exactly.

But I’ve done my research. Even before this class I was concerned that maybe there was something that I was doing wrong with my diet. Now, I’ll be the first to admit I do eat to much sugar, but that isn’t going to cause my cancer. It is just going to make me unhealthy and, if I do get cancer, will make it harder for me to get through the chemo and recovery.

While doing my own research I came upon a great website that goes over all of the myths about food and its link to cancer. Check it out if you want to get a whole lot of great information.

http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2014/03/24/dont-believe-the-hype-10-persistent-cancer-myths-debunked/

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I can’t imagine having a food allergy to eggs! Honestly, I can’t really imagine have a food allergy period. Because I have never had a food allergy, nor does anyone in my house, I often forget how many people out there suffer from some type of food allergy. I think it is great that you shared the french toast recipe and other substitutes for common food allergies. I also think it is awesome that you and your roommate work together to make meals you can both eat. 

Eating Healthy With Allergies

           Being in a health profession major means that I’ve heard a lot about nutrition and how to eat healthy. However, we often do not discuss how to alter healthy recipes and guidelines to accommodate allergies or food preferences. I’m allergic to eggs so I get to miss out on some of the best food I’ve ever had. The hardest meal to avoid eggs is breakfast. Everyone I’ve ever talked to about what to have for a healthy breakfast says to have eggs, and then when I tell them I can’t have them without getting extremely sick and ending up in the hospital they don’t really know what to say besides “oh that’s horrible, I’m sorry” or telling me to have oatmeal or a breakfast bar. As a gal who loves breakfast and all the amazing foods that are associated with breakfast, this advice doesn’t appeal to me. I’ve had to experiment a lot on my own with trying to find healthy breakfast alternatives. The best recipes I’ve discovered that work for common food allergies are vegan or vegetarian options. This week I tried a new recipe for French toast, which has been my hardest thing to give up since I discovered my egg allergy.

Vegan Blueberry French Toast Breakfast Muffins:

           1 cup Milk

           1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

           1 tablespoon almond meal

           1 tablespoon maple syrup

           1 teaspoon vanilla extract

           1 teaspoon cinnamon

           2 teaspoons yeast

           ¾ cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)

           9 slices of soft bread

Crumble topping:

           ¼ cup oats

           1/3 cup pecans

           ¼ cup coconut sugar

           3 tablespoons butter at room temperature

           Dash of Himalayan pink salt *

*I did not use this form of salt because it is hard to find and has higher sodium than regular salt.

To see instructions for baking go to 

https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/vegan-baked-blueberry-french-toast-breakfast-muffins/

I don’t often follow the whole recipe exactly because I’m not vegan or vegetarian so I don’t want to limit myself to that extreme. For example, most vegan recipes call for cashew or other nondairy milk; I only follow this guideline when I also make food for my lactose intolerant roommate. She does the same for me, whenever she uses vegan or vegetarian recipes she will use eggs instead of the replacement, or she will add eggs into the recipe.

Instead of using vegan or vegetarian recipes, sometimes it’s easier to just use a substitute. The most common allergies I’ve come across are to milk, wheat, and eggs.

Milk

This is the easiest to substitute since you could use dairy free milk or if you are out and need milk right away you could substitute 1 cup of milk with 1 cup of water or equal parts of water and fruit juice.

Wheat

Cooking with a gluten free recipe can be very difficult, especially if you don’t have premade gluten-free flour. To substitute 1 cup of flour you could use 7/8 cup rice flour, 5/8 cup potato starch flour, 1 cup soy flour and ¼ cup potato starch flour, or 1 cup corn flour.

Eggs

You can buy Egg Replacer in the gluten-free/organic isle of supermarkets, and these usually are a powder that you mix with water. However, this is fairly expensive and it is often easier to use common household ingredients. To substitute one egg you could use:

·      1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon vinegar

·      1teaspoon yeast dissolved in ¼ cup warm water

·      1 ½ tablespoon water, 1 ½ tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon baking powder

·      1 packet of gelatin, 2 tablespoons warm water (Do not mix until ready to use)

The Food Allergy Research & Education website is very helpful with finding ways to avoid allergies. For those with peanut, tree nut, soy, fish, shellfish, etc allergies this site also has information about how to not expose yourself and work around these allergies in a variety of different settings. 

https://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/peanut-allergy

References

DeSantis, Sophia. “Vegan Blueberry French Toast Breakfast Muffins.” Veggies Don’t Bite. Veggies Don’t Bite, 03 Jan. 2017. Web. 

“Managing Food Allergies at Home - Food Allergy Research & Education.” Managing Food Allergies at Home - Food Allergy Research & Education. Food Allergy Research & Education, 2017. Web.

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Your post was eye opening. I try very hard to prep my own lunches and bring them for work to avoid the temptation of eating out. I admit that I have done this to try and eat healthier, but have never considered the environmental factor. I also try to cook dinner for my family on a regular basis but this time of year seems to pose a bit more of a challenge for me. I work at an accounting firm and we are currently in our busy season, tax season. I often work longer hours and have less time to shop or prep home cooked meals. With that being said, I have recently tried HelloFresh. I have found this to be a convenient way to continue providing my family home cooked meals. However, I have not considered the environmental factor of this option. I don’t think it differs that much from me going to the store and buying these ingredients from there. I am sure that it is a better option than eating fast food or pre-packaged frozen food.

The Cost of Convenience

Americans LOVE convenience, in whatever form it has to offer us.  Why? Why do we rush through everything for the sake of “convenience”? What is it we are gaining?  When asked most people would say that they seek out convenience for time saving purposes.  This reveals itself in so many different forms of American culture.  We, as a society, are constantly demanding faster, easier routes instead of stepping back, taking a deep breath and collecting our thoughts.  While convenience can have its Pros, no doubt, there are also Cons that have consequences we don’t always realize. This craze has a price tag that most people are willing to face, from the effects on the environment to the cost of healthcare.

How is it that living a life of convenience is going to lead you to higher healthcare costs you ask?  Opting for a meal from a fast food restaurant for lunch can provide you with all (and often more) than the recommended calorie count and fat for the entire DAY! In one meal! Brown bagging it with a home made sandwich on whole wheat would be around a quarter of that fast food meal and significantly cheaper to make.  Those added calories and fats add up at rate that can incredibly difficult to work off and the added poundage can eventually lead to chronic diseases such as Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and more.  Not to mention the effects on the brain of the added sugars and preservatives that made fast foods and other quick meals so dangerous for us.  So on the day that you skip packing your own lunch and decide to stop by the drive through, remember your $10 bill is going to end up being significantly pricier down the road.   That bill doesn’t just cost more in Doctors visits but there is an environmental price as well.  Every time we buy an individually packed product whether it be gas station nachos in their little compartmentalized plastic container or an individually plastic wrapped frozen burrito, we have to consider the environmental impact that product has.  The plastic nacho container and the wrap the burrito came in are not recyclable and go immediately to the trash once after the one time use.  It’s a complete waste of energy and resources.  This excessive obsession with plastic and packaging could be avoided by making and prepping meals at home with reusable products.  I made a dozen burritos at a time and freeze them in reusable silicone bags.  All I have to do is thaw them the night before and I can just heat them up in the morning without a single piece of packaging to discard.   By just taking the time to make my own, I have saved hundreds of pounds of waste from polluting out planet.  For some it can feel daunting to make everything yourself and for those folks, I would just recommend starting small, making little changes until you’re suddenly living a life without waste.

If the cost of healthcare or the environment are not enough motivation for you, consider the sense of accomplishment and pride that comes from making your own.  Suddenly for me, conventional yogurt has nothing on my homemade version.  And I can made a pot of dry beans better than any canned around.  Make it a game to see how many things you can make yourself as opposed to buying the more convenient version.  There’s a sense of therapy with making your own too. Not just that it tastes better but the going through the motion of creating something delicious is well worth the time invested.  

In the spirit of the slow food movement; slow down, take your time and make your own.  Over time you’ll see not only does it benefit the world around you but you’ll feel better too!