| Fall Philosophy |
"The people who say they don’t have time to take care of themselves will soon discover they are spending all of their time being sick."
~Patricia Alexander |
Featured Recipe |
DELICIOUS GLUTEN FREE BROWNIES
By: Julie Kniess
Makes: 16 Brownies
Gluten-Free often is code for gross…but not these brownies! They are fantastically moist and fudgey! And the high protein content is great for balanced blood sugar! You will never know they are from beans and neither will anyone that you make them for so shhhh.
Ingredients
12.7 oz adzuki beans, cooked
4 oz organic coconut oil
6 oz organic chocolate (milk or dark depending on desired sweetness)
4 eggs
6 oz sugar or agave nectar to taste (Remember, ¼ cup Agave Nectar = 1 cup of sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
Directions
Melt coconut oil and chocolate together in double boiler over low heat. In food processor, puree beans until smooth. Beat eggs with mixer and balloon whisk until foamy. Gradually add sugar or agave nectar while mixing on high speed.. Beat in vanilla. Stir pureed beans into melted chocolate and add chocolate mixture to eggs, folding until smooth. Scrape into prepared 8" x 8" pan. Bake in center of 350 F oven until cake tester inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging, about 35- 45 minutes depending on your stove. Let cool in pan on rack and ENJOY the most delicious, guilt free brownies EVER!
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Fall Back With Mindfulness
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 The crisp, clean air and brittle, crunching leaves of Fall offers an incomparable experience during outdoor exercise. But, before stepping outside in November, be mindful of all changes that accompany our new season. Recent findings from two professors at Carnegie Melon University in Pittsburg show that the risk for pedestrian deaths at 6 p.m. in the month of November is by far the highest than any other month. We are three times more likely to be struck and killed by cars than before we set our clocks back for daylight savings. This translates into approximately 37 more U.S. pedestrian deaths around 6 p.m. in November compared to October. The scientists suspect that it is not the darkness itself but the adjustment to earlier darkness that is causing the problem. Fortunately, in December, the risk drops 21 percent. Does this mean stay cooped up in the gym in November and miss Fall’s beauty? Absolutely not. Instead, take care of yourself like your mom took care of you before she sent you out trick-or-treating on Halloween. Wear illuminating, reflective clothing. Travel in well lit areas, off of main roads, and preferably where there is a side walk. And, if it’s possible, carry a flashlight. Of course, if you are a driver, pay extra attention on your drive home from work. Try to drive a little slower, roll the windows down just a touch, and enjoy the passing beauty of this short season before winter sets in.
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Fabulous Fall Fruit – PaleoReds |
Delicious fruit is a universal symbol of our summer season. As our season transforms from Fall to Winter, our organic, local grown fruit supply diminishes substantially. Despite this decrease in availability, the infinite vitamins, antioxidants, flavanoids and phytonutrients found in brightly colored fruits continue to be an important aspect of nutrition. A great tasting organic fruit supplement that combines over a dozen fruits and vegetables is ideal during the colder months. One serving (one tablespoon, 33 calories) of Paleoreds has equivalent antioxidant activity to four servings of fruit.
Benefits:
- The risk of most common cancers is lowered by consumption of fruits and vegetables. Consumption of fruit has been associated with a 6% reduction of breast cancer compared to low consumption in multiple studies.
- A diet high in antioxidants may protect against the free-radical-damaging effect of environmental toxins or cigarette smoke
- A large study has shown that young children with asthma experience significantly less wheezing if they eat a diet high in fruits rich in vitamin C.
- Women receiving high amounts of nutrients from fruits and vegetables have less risk of cervical dysplasia.
- A reduced risk of stroke is associated with a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
- Homocysteine has been shown to be lowered effectively by eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables containing folic acid, beta-carotene, and vitamin C.
- Low blood levels of antioxidants are correlated with a high risk of cataracts.
- Low fruit diets are associated with blood vessel fragility (easy bruising, spider veins, varicosities, etc).
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Vitamin D Featured In Fall |
Vitamin D used to be recognized only for preventing rickets, a disease that causes soft, weak bones in children. Presently, it continues to gain popularity as a preventive measure for a growing list of health concerns. If you aren’t familiar with vitamin D, make a google appointment with your computer and educate yourself. If you have never checked your Vitamin D status, make an appointment with me. It could very well be the missing step on your path to optimal wellness. Vitamin D is speculated to be associated with depression, heart disease, endocrine dysfunction, osteoporosis, certain cancers, chronic pain, and chronic fatigue. Even rheumatoid arthritis with morning stiffness, a common symptom of Fibromyalgia, has been linked to vitamin D deficiency. Particularly now, as our sun exposure (our source of most of our vitamin D), is declining with the winter months, our vitamin D status should receive special attention. Remember, don’t run out to your local drug or health food store, grab a bottle of Vitamin D, and think you’re covered. A high quality, pharmaceutical grade, absorbable supplement from a trusted company is the only way to ensure you are getting what you are paying for.
Here are a few recent studies:
- Research recently published from London from a meta-analysis of 18 separate trials, involving 60,000 patients, suggests that intake of vitamin D supplements seems to be associated with a decrease in mortality. They found that those who supplemented vitamin D had a 7 percent lower risk of death. Previous research suggested that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, but these new findings have created even more excitement for this vitamin.
- A number of studies have found protective effects from cancer with higher intake of vitamin D. In October, researchers reported in The Journal of National Cancer Institute that people with higher levels of vitamin D have a 72 percent reduced risk of dying from colorectal cancer compared to those with low levels of vitamin D. Colorectal cancer kills about 50,000 people annually in the United States alone. Wouldn’t it be nice to prevent a large percentage of this with vitamin D?
- A study released in September in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism shows that vitamin D status may be important to prevent pre-eclampsia during pregnancy and promote neonatal wellbeing. Pre-eclampsia is a disorder that begins with high blood pressure and can lead to seizures, kidney failure or stroke. It slows fetal growth and can be fatal for both the mother and baby. In the study, women who developed pre-eclampsia during pregnancy had vitamin D concentrations that were significantly lower early in pregnancy compared to woman with normal pregnancies.
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Fall Breakfast Breakdown |
Have you ever looked at what you were putting in your body, I mean REALLY looked close. Sometimes you’re not only choosing options that will make you fat and sick, but you are PAYING MORE for them than you would if you invested in a nutrient dense, health-promoting medical food powder (pictured).
BREAKFAST |
NUTRITION FACTS |
POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS |
APPROXIMATE PRICE PER SERVING |
Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Muffin and Medium Coffee (with light cream and Sugar) |
720 cal, 32 g fat,
56 g sugar |
Insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity |
$4.00 |
Starbucks Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte |
410 calories, 17 g fat, 48 g of sugar |
Insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity |
$4.40 |
Panera Cinnamon Crunch Bagel (with reduced fat cream cheese) and Medium Coffee (with cream and sugar) |
730 calories, 25 g fat, 40 g of sugar |
Insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity |
$4.00 |
UltraMeal Protein Shake*
(pictured) |
160 calories, 2 g of fat, 0 g of sugar |
Promotes the loss of body fat and maintenance of lean muscle, supports healthy heart function |
$2.20 |
*Enjoy this month’s 10% discount on any order of medical food with the mention of this article. |
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