Posts Tagged ‘Diet’

A Detox Excursion at We Care Spa

Thursday, September 30th, 2010
By Jenna

Every once in a while you will experience something that will change your life. Not because it just happens, but because it’s meant to happen. That’s what We Care Spa is dedicated to: helping you change your life by teaching you and helping you eliminate toxins and chemicals through a 6-step solution of detoxing. (Don’t let that word shy you away.) What they are doing is educating you on how to listen to your body and understand what kind of stress you put it through, making you feel and look better in everyday life. It’s no wonder why celebrities flock here to take advantage of We Care Spa’s detoxing methods.  I was lucky enough to take part in the juice fasting and activities at We Care Spa in Palm Springs for just one day—and I got a very mind opening and relaxing experience. Why? Because in a world of fast food, you need to give your body a break to detox and revitalize mind, body and spirit.

What it is

We Care Spa is a 60-acre spiritual retreat located about 10 minutes from Palm Springs Airport. Their program has been carefully refined—and in action helping guests—for over 25 years. They stress that additives, preservatives, and toxic chemicals found in every breath, beauty product, bite and drink you take will start to affect your body, preventing it from functioning properly.  They treat the symptoms of digestive toxicity such as bloating, constipation, painful swelling of joints, tiredness, low energy, depression, lack of clarity, skin breakouts and rashes. They incorporate the notion of juice fasting in the desert to achieve total mental and physical clarity. We Care Spa is surrounded by gorgeous desert scenery and equipped with ancient Indian practices, medicine wheels, Jacuzzis, saunas, a labyrinth and relaxing tools. They also have full-service spa treatments, which I can assure you are more than anyone could ask for.

The 6-step program to help you feel and look better:

  1. 1. Stop eating solid foods and embark on a juice fast.
  2. 2. Use the energy you’ve freed up from digesting foods to release toxins by powering up the 5 organs of elimination.
  3. 3. Use colon hydrotherapy to flush out the toxic waste– you know what I’m talking about.
  4. 4. Add therapeutic treatments to support the body – massages and spa treatments.
  5. 5. Mix in educational classes that are designed to build your character and detox your thinking.
  6. 6. Experience the work of healers to detox your psyche and spirit.

What the experience is like

If you’re like me, when someone says detox, you want to run far away because last weekend you weren’t very nice to your liver. After taking a class from the founder/guru herself Susana Belen about detox and revitalizing yourself, I was put at ease. Ok, maybe it isn’t that bad. Maybe taking one day a week to cleanse isn’t so hard to do. Next was my favorite part, a thai massage, which was just what the doctor ordered, followed by a tour of the property. The treatment rooms and resort as a whole is very rustic mixed with ancient native America mixed with naturalist qualities. Every amenity has a specific function to help you. Unexpectedly, the desert really is the perfect oasis and environment. Last we enjoyed a good old-fashioned cooking lesson from Susana. Not traditional cooking! This involved education about what cooking tools are classified as safe to use and everything you can make with a high powered magic blender. This wonder machine literally made milk from almonds and sunflower seeds. With this, you’re making all of your own meals, dressings and anything else all with an easy button and natural substitutes. After fasting all day and exploring different detox methods, a little solid food and delicious salad was the perfect way to end the day.

The real lesson to take away from We Care Spa is that we were meant to live with nature and eat what nature provides you. Things that we think of as convenient like fast and pre-packaged food, not to mention our fast-paced lifestyles, will eventually break our bodies down and harm us. It’s not a matter of “will it happen?” but a matter of when. Cancer didn’t just come out of nowhere. We created it, but thankfully there are places like We Care Spa that will help us tune up our bodies. Changing your life style is right around the corner. If the benefits outweigh the bad, then why not?

Look Hot at the Beach

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

by Amy Shapiro

Amy Shapiro

With bathing suit season around the corner images of dressing rooms, fluorescent lighting and itty-bitty bikinis come to mind.  For most of us, there isn’t anything more dreadful.  But no matter how you spin it, every year after a long, cold winter spent bundled up in sweaters and long pants comes spring…time to face the truth.  No you can’t wear sweatpants to the beach!  So how do you shed those extra pounds (thank you mac & cheese, juicy burgers and soothing cups of hot chocolate) along with those layers of clothing?  It’s not as hard as it seems.

As a columnist for www.SkinnyintheCity.com–the ultimate online destination for the best health and nutrition news and trends…with a stylish twist—I have the 411 on how to get in bikini ready shape…NOW!  You may already know that it’s important to up your intake of fruits and veggies and that lean proteins and low-fat dairy products will help you to stay full on the fewest calories.  But, are you stuck on what else you can do to slim down without compromising your lifestyle?  Luckily, this plan doesn’t include drinking watery concoctions until you’re ready to float away.  Nope, these are realistic health and diet tips you can start applying TODAY.  And get this, even if you only implement a few (although incorporating them all into your life will get you the best results), you’ll still be well on your way to strutting your stuff on the beach, snowsuit not required! (more…)

Better Pet Health: Eliminate Grain-Filled Commercial Foods

Friday, May 21st, 2010

by Dr. Christina Grant

Dr. Christina Grant

Holistic care is as important for your animals as it is for you. Dogs and cats are unwitting victims of the fast-food industry, ingesting biologically imbalanced processed foods. These foods contain grains such as wheat, rice, and corn, by-products and other additives such as soy, preservatives, colorings, and flavorings.

When humans eat like this, they become obese and eventually diseased, with symptoms ranging from diabetes and arthritis to cancer and heart disease. It is the same with our animals. Obesity and joint conditions are common. Many animals have poor teeth and gums, and emit a foul odor. They suffer with internal and external parasites and inflammation resulting in skin rashes, itching, and joint pain.

People are convinced that processed kibble from the grocery store is healthy for their pets because commercials and labels tell them so. Words such as “all natural” help persuade buyers toward brands filled with grains and other unnecessary additives. As a result, most dogs and cats are eating substandard food. (more…)

Healthy Raw Pecan Pie Recipe

Monday, April 26th, 2010

by Kimberly Snyder

Pecan pie always conjures up memories of being made and given with love. There is something very nurturing, and loving, about pecan pie!

Crust:

  • 2 cups walnuts
  • 2 cups Pitted Dates
  • 1 cup coconut flakes, finely ground

Pit the dates yourself, extracting each pit and discarding them. Add the dates, coconut flakes and walnuts to your food processor and mix on high until thoroughly mixed.

Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a pie tray. Set to the side.

Filling:

  • ½ cup unrefined coconut oil
  • 1 cup raw pecans, soaked about 15 minutes
  • 1 cup organic Thompson raisins
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. Celtic sea salt

Blend all ingredients together in the blender until smooth. Pour onto the crust of the tray, and garnish with fresh, raw pecans.

Set in freezer overnight, or for at least 5 hours before serving. Slice up and share with loved ones!

Kimberly Snyder is a celebrity health, nutrition and beauty expert who shared her top 10 health tips with us.

Fonio: A Superfood Grain

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

by Valerie Orsoni
Fonio is grown organically in Africa where it has formed an integral part of the local diet and culture.

The best way to cook fonio as a grain – to substitute couscous, for example – is steaming or boiling for about 20 minutes. It can also be used in a variety of other ways, such as ground and mixed with other flours to bake bread, popped and brewed for beer, or as a substitute for semolina in making pasta.

Free of gluten, fonio is a great alternative for gluten-intolerant people, in particular those suffering from Celiac Disease. Due to its high fiber content, this grain is also recommended for the elderly, and for people suffering from digestive problems. Moreover, because of its insulin secreting properties, sellers of fonio products have found that diabetics are their key customers.

Fonio is richer in calcium, magnesium, zinc and manganese than other grains. This grain also contains high levels of methionine and cystine, amino acids essential to our health which our body cannot produce on its own.

Available in health food shops and for purchase over the internet, fonio is more than just another exotic food; fonio is an important staple in the quest for a balanced and healthy diet.

Valerie is an entrepreneur, wellbeing expert, celebrity coach, author, contributing editor, mom and survivor. She created LeBootcamp, a fitness and weight-loss website. She is also the worldwide image of the Nintendo Wii My Body Coach, which launches in the US in spring 2010. She lives with her husband of 20 years and her teenager in the Silicon Valley.

Opt for Agar-Agar instead of Gelatin

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

By Valerie Orsoni

Valerie Orsoni

As a wellness and weight loss coach, I like everything natural…so today let’s search your pantry to find foods with gelatin. It will probably be more prevalent than you think: Gelatin is found in any yogurts that list “kosher gelatin” in the ingredients, the vast majority of products that are creamy but claim to be diet-friendly, some cakes and cookies, as well as ready-made meat marinades.

Did you know? Food gelatin is the settled remains of boiled tissue, cartilage, bone, and other animal flesh which we don’t always know the source of. After viewing food gelatin from this perspective, need I say more?

Kuquat jelly made with agar-agar

Is there a solution to replacing food gelatin? Well, your coach likes to say that there is a solution to everything ;) And once again, we can turn to nature: our oceans provide the famous red algae, called Kanten in Japan, or Agar-Agar. Agar-Agar is considered the queen of gelling agents, and is completely odorless, colorless, and does not leave an after-taste, so you can use it for all your culinary needs.

To obtain Agar-Agar, purchase red algae from a health food store or national grocery chain and rinse the algae with water in order to withdraw the impurities from the sea as well as the salty taste. Once dried, place the algae in boiling water and it will transform into a mucilage which dehydrates and reduces to powder form.

Agar-Agar is really very simple to use; like food gelatin, its purpose in cooking, and in particular, pastry making, is to gel food into a convenient solid form for easy molding. The Agar-Agar is simply dissolved into a little liquid and then added to the rest of the ingredients.

Agar-Agar cannot be used cold; it is necessary to dilute it in hot water – higher than 85°C – in order to create a solid form. Once dissolved in hot liquid, the Agar-Agar can be combined with the rest of your ingredients!

Agar-Agar is naturally rich in calcium, phosphorus and iron, just like its source, the algae. It also has a weak glycemic index, i.e., it has little effect on your blood sugar level, and contains detoxifying properties, so it removes toxins from our bodies during digestion. Agar-Agar is a champion of our pantries!

Valerie is an entrepreneur, wellbeing expert, celebrity coach, author, contributing editor, mom and survivor. She created LeBootcamp, a fitness and weight-loss website. She is also the worldwide image of the Nintendo Wii My Body Coach, which launches in the US in spring 2010. She lives with her husband of 20 years and her teenager in the Silicon Valley.

Healthy, Clean Food

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

One of the things that I drone on about to family and friends is how important it is to eat a clean diet for healthy living; this means limiting the amount of processed foods we eat. I wasn’t always this way — only after I discovered I have celiac disease and have to avoid gluten. It got me looking at packages and ingredients all the time, and logically, I just started to think how our bodies weren’t designed to process all these chemicals that are added to foods today.

Since changing my diet, I’ve noticed a measurable improvement in my mood and how I digest foods. And living a gluten-free life is now as natural as speaking English as a first language or whatever — you get my point. And one thing that I love love love is how often people recommend foods, restaurants and brands that I should try. (Believe me, there’s a lot of caca out there when it comes to gluten-free foods, but there are also some gems.) One such treasure that was recently recommended to me is Clean Cravings. It was founded by Shelly Malone, who basically created this brand of delicious (and I mean delish!) foods to fill the void she found when trying to eat a clean diet. So she developed foods that are free of artificial, man-made ingredients as well as gluten-free, vegan and have zero trans fats.

One of the things I miss most is pizza — sometimes I just need a slice of New York style pizza. Wahn wahn wahn. At least I can find a yummy alternative and I can order it online. Check out Clean Cravings offerings and shop online now.

More Diet-Friendly Food Tips

Friday, January 15th, 2010

Valerie OrsoniWe asked Valerie Orsoni (right), creator of LeBootCamp®, to share some healthy eating tips for the New Year. See the first installment here. Here is the second installment of the best detoxifying foods you can put in your body.

Artichoke

I love it! Blended with a little yogurt sauce, there’s nothing so divine! It’s easy to cook and kids enjoy it too.

Artichoke increases the production of bile. Since one of the purposes of bile is to transport toxins to the intestines before they will be excreted, the more artichoke you eat, the better! Recent studies found that the quantity of bile increases by more than 100% in less than 30 minutes after the consumption of an artichoke. Interesting fact, isn’t it?

Remember that cooked artichokes (and cooked broccoli for that matter) cannot be kept in your refrigerator for the next day. Cooked artichoke doesn’t stand air and light. In fact, it may become toxic!

Banana

Here’s another fruit that’s both easy to find and is affordable! Even organic bananas are affordable since worldwide consumer demand is so high.

Bananas are an excellent source of potassium, which helps regulate the level of fluids in the body, and subsequently, prevents water retention. The equation is simple: more fluids retained in the body = more toxins trapped; less fluids in the body = less toxins in the body.

Cress

A slightly spicy green, (not recommended for people with kidney problems), cress remains a wonder of nature.

It’s not always easy to find, but once you’ve secured a supplier, keep him close!
Cress contains chlorophyll, which aids in the regeneration of healthy red blood cells, which in turn, helps boosts circulation in the blood.

Cress also helps our bodies produce more enzymes, which in turn promotes the power to detoxify.

In a recent study conducted on smokers, it was shown that subjects who ate cress every day (one serving per day), excreted a much higher level of carcinogens in their urine samples. Remember, carcinogens are agents that are capable of provoking cancer. So best get rid of them!

Beets

Here is another excellent detox food that is both affordable and easy to cook.

I prefer beet salad to cooked beets, but that’s just me!

Beets contain the two powerful active ingredients methionin and betanin.
Methionin helps the body purify waste, and betanin helps the liver metabolize fatty acids. This serves to alleviate the liver’s role in the body, so it can concentrate on more dangerous toxins.

Prunes

They are often compared to blueberries, well known for their antioxidant properties.Yes, prunes are an excellent source of antioxidants, so don’t deprive yourself of them. They are also rich in sugar, so no more than 5 per serving, ok?

Nature never ceases to astonish me: On one side we have tartaric acid, which is a natural laxative, and on the other, powerful detoxifying antioxidants (components which help the intestinal tract). Basically, the faster we eliminate waste, the more likely we will prevent toxins from being reabsorbed.

Cruciferae

The cabbage or cruciferous family is a group of vegetables named for their cross-shaped flowers. Examples are cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and collards to list a few. They’re easy to find and easy to prepare.

Cruciferae neutralize nitrosamines, toxic agents produced by cigarette smoke. So for each cigarette smoked, eat some cabbage!

Brussel sprouts prevent the onset of aflatoxins, a toxic mold linked to liver cancer.

Whether you eat them cooked or raw, both forms have a positive effect on your health!

Valeire is an entrepreneur, wellbeing expert, celebrity coach, author, contributing editor, mom and survivor. She is also the worldwide image of the Nintendo Wii My Body Coach, which launches in the US in spring 2010. She lives with her husband of 20 years and her teenager in the Silicon Valley.

Healthy Eating Tips for the New Year

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Valerie

Valerie

We asked Valerie Orsoni, creator of LeBootCamp®, to share some healthy eating tips for the New Year. In this first installment, she names some of the best detoxifying foods you can put in your body – check back later this week for more super-foods that we should all incorporate into our diets.

Members of my LeBootCamp weight loss program are encouraged to begin their wellness journey with detoxification: A detoxified body has more energy, perspires less, and has glowing skin. Technically our body is equipped with its own garbage disposal, the liver, but sometimes it can use a little help due to prevalent factors such as toxin-producing stress, environmental pollution, and the ingestion of alcohol and foods containing harmful preservatives, colorings and flavors. There’s no need to go for supposed “cleanse cures” (which can end up being harmful to the body) to help liver function: Instead we can incorporate some basic foods into our daily diet to help our liver fulfill its detoxifying functions by increasing its excreting power.

Aim to consume at least two of the detox foods listed below per day. For an even more effective boost, go for a consistent “detox day” and enjoy meals comprised of 75 percent detox foods once a week.

Garlic

garlicBest eaten when crushed, make garlic an integral ingredient in your salads and cooked meals. You can also cut a head of garlic in half and bake it for 20 minutes at 250 degrees – it’s delicious!

The active constituents in garlic are alliin and allicin. When garlic is chopped, a chemical reaction occurs, converting alliin to the more pungent, allicin. It is the allicin, a sulfur-containing compound that has strong antibacterial, antifungal, anti-clotting, and lipid-lowering effects. Sulfur helps the body remain alkaline (and not acidic), which helps combat nicotine cravings during the quitting-smoking phase. In addition, this component, similar to sulfur, eliminates toxins (mercury, colorants) and helps the intestines excrete them.

Avocado

AvocadoYes, the avocado is rich in fat, but rich in good fat, so a half-avocado won’t hurt once in a while. Try fresh avocado garnished with a few shrimps and a little soy-based mayonnaise for a delicious snack.

The avocado is rich in the important antioxidant glutathione, which zaps free radicals in the body. Free radicals promote aging and chronic diseases such as cancer. Glutathione specifically blocks intestinal absorption of certain fats that create free radicals.

It was also discovered that elderly people who consumed a lot of avocado showed a lower tendency to suffer from arthritis. Needless to say, I’d rather tackle the issue before it becomes a problem in my old age!

Apple

AppleOne of the best and cheapest of our Top Detox Foods, the apple proves how accommodating nature can be! Opt for organic apples; this will reduce your risk of ingesting harmful pesticides and those other chemical additives we are so desperately trying to eliminate!

Apples contain Vitamin C and pectin. Apple pectin is an indigestible, soluble fiber; it is a general intestinal regulator. Pectin helps the body excrete heavy metals (pollution, mercury, lead), preservatives and other food additives, including tartrazine, which is linked to hyperactivity, migraines and asthma in children.

Grapefruit

GrapefruitThe champion is… Grapefruit! The grapefruit provides vitamin C in abundance. Powerfully oxidizing, this vitamin is able to capture free radicals and toxins and eliminate them from the body, and it is for this reason that I classify grapefruit among the top detox foods.

It contains carotenoids which are powerful oxidants just like vitamin C, as well as soluble fibers which help in the reduction of bad cholesterol (LDL) and regulation of intestinal transit.

It also contains flavonoids which help prevent digestive tract cancer: More numerous in the white membrane than the pulp, the flavonoids also decrease bad cholesterol (LDL) while increasing good cholesterol (HDL), and strengthening the blood vessels.

Grapefruit contains limonoids – phytochemicals responsible for the bitterness and tartness of the fruit, which have antioxidant properties that destroy cancerous cells in the body. Grapefruit also contains antiproliferative agents: studies have highlighted a clear reduction in cancer in relation to the amount of grapefruit consumed by patients.

Auraptene, also found in other citrus fruits, decrease the production of cancerous cells and growth of tumors.

With a low glycemic index of 3 per 100g, grapefruit plays a role in the prevention of hyperglycemia.

Nutritionally, in addition to being a good source of vitamin C, grapefruit contains a significant quantity of copper which helps in the formation of hemoglobin, as well as Vitamin A, which protects the body from infection and the skin from UV exposure, and Vitamin B5, which assists in the production of neurotransmitters.

At 50 calories per 100g, grapefruit is an ideal food for weight loss, and therefore, I call it the champion of them all!

Valeire is an entrepreneur, wellbeing expert, celebrity coach, author, contributing editor, mom and survivor. She is also the worldwide image of the Nintendo Wii My Body Coach, which launches in the US in spring 2010. She lives with her husband of 20 years and her teenager in the Silicon Valley.

Celebrities and Skinny Water

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Skinny Water

Skinny Water

It’s official: I’m obsessed with Skinny Water. A little background about diet drinks and me: we don’t get along. I hate them – I’ll take a sip of them, make a vomitational expression and say something like, “I’d rather eat poo.” You get the point – I REALLY don’t like them. So when I received a box of Skinny Water, I was ready to pass it all over to Sarah (who can stomach them much better than I can!).

Source Flickr user Celebrisee

Source Flickr user Celebrisee

So I looked to my inner Anthony Bourdain, which always says go ahead and try anything once. And…drumroll…I actually really liked it! (Sarah tried the Goji berry one and it smelled and tasted like feet, so we say skip that one. But the others are delish.) Each flavor is devoted to a different “need,” such as Wake Up Orange Cranberry Tangerine for energy, Raspberry Pomegranate Crave Control to suppress hunger and Peach Mango Mandarin XXX-Detox to flush toxins from the body. The key ingredient they have is EGCG, which is the antioxidant in green tea that helps with weight control. After drinking one, you definitely have a burst of energy and I find I’m not hungry for a while after one. I guess there’s a reason Rachel Bilson, Fergie and Kristen Bell reportedly drink it!

But here’s what I really dig about it: it doesn’t taste chemical-y, it has zero calories (and zero guilt!) and it’s $1.49/bottle. Unfortunately for Sarah, she’s getting a lot less to sample than previously offered. But she can pop to Target or buy it online here.

–Meg