Humans aren’t designed to sit for long periods of time. According to a meta-analysis involving over 800,000 subjects, people who sit the most have a 2-fold increase in diabetes, 2.5-fold increase in heart disease, 90% higher risk of death from heart disease and 50% higher risk of death from all causes compared to people who sit the least.

There are many desk jobs in modern society. Given the alarming increase in disease that accompanies sitting all day, these 3 health tips are well-worth implementing.

1. Give your workstation a makeover and get a treadmill desk AND/OR standing work station.
2. Take breaks: Get up and stretch every hour even if it’s for 1 minute (you can set a popup reminder on your computer calendar). Getting up to get some water will help prevent dehydration, boost circulation, and get you off your booty.
3. So sitting is bad for you. Guess what else? Too much bright light and blue light ESPECIALLY after the sun has gone down. Light disrupts melatonin, which is a powerful cancer suppressor. 
   Work when it is light outside and limit or eliminate evening screen time. If for some reason this isn’t an option, install software to dim your computer screen so blue light doesn’t interfere with sleep as much. Unfortunately, the apps for iPhones and iPads only work if you jailbreak your phone. However, you can dim the brightness on most devices.
   Having more time spent in the dark after the sun goes down helps balance hormones, trim fat off your waist, and could even reduce your appetite and cravings (especially at night). Specifically, we need darkness to make Vitamin D, melatonin, and reduce levels of prolactin and cortisol (both of which increase hunger, cravings, blood sugar levels, and fat deposition). When melatonin is low and prolactin high–the adaptation that happens when we get lots of light at nighttime-the hormonal switcheroo decreases leptin (the hormone that tells us to stop eating) and increases neuropeptide-Y (the hormone that tells you to keep eating).
   The great thing is that when you dim or turn out the lights at night, the increase in melatonin production will make you sleepy so you’ll go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. So really, the computer time you’d spend at night can be traded for morning screen time…and you’ll be healthier to boot!

In our modern, tech-addicted world, it is easy to forget that we are designed to move around and not have constant access to light and food. For millions of years, we evolved under very different circumstances. Considering this, it isn’t surprising that our bodies are more disease prone when we violate these fundamentals. Taking some initiative to “get back to our lifestyle roots” is the next step in our survival.

Keeping blood sugar levels consistently in the 80-89 mg/dL range is associated with all kinds of health benefits including lower risk of heart disease (lower triglycerides, fewer small LDL particles, improved HDL), diabetes, less belly fat, normal blood pressure ranges, and more.

Some clinics have adjusted their “acceptable blood sugar ranges” to reflect the mounting research that blood sugar levels over 90 mg/dL is a biomarker for coronary heart disease risk.

Referring to a study on 47,000 Kaiser Permanente patients,

“The study, published in the American Journal of Medicine found that blood sugar, blood glucose (BG) levels in the 95-99 range more than doubled a person’s risk of becoming diabetic.  In fact, for every point over 85 mg/dL the risk of becoming diabetic increased 6%, even when they controlled for other factors.”

Whether you are eating wheat or a gluten-free alternative, virtually all bread has a significant increase on blood sugar levels. Amylopectin A, the starch in wheat, raises blood sugar more than table sugar. Gluten-free flours such as tapioca starch, potato starch, cornstarch, and/or rice starch are also awful for your health and jack blood sugar levels up.

Some grain alternatives for sandwiches and snacks

If you are still eating high-carb tortillas and/or bread, try some of these healthier alternatives instead:

• Improv’eat pure wraps: made with coconut meat, coconut water & Himilayan sea salt

• Lettuce: wrap up burgers, meat and/or cheese sandwiches in crispy, organic lettuce
• Meat: roll it up and eat it by itself or use it to roll up cheese, bell pepper, tomato, etc.
• Protein “bread”
• Golden flax bread (click for recipe)

Test your blood sugar at home

The only way to ensure that your blood sugar levels stay within the awesome range of 80-89 is to test! A simple glucometer is inexpensive (under $20 usually). I recommend testing yourself upon waking and then again an hour after breakfast. If your levels rise above that 89 mark, you’ve got some adjusting of your carbs to do (protein and fat aren’t going to raise blood sugar or insulin levels much, if at all). Experiment with different breakfasts until your levels are within that awesome range and then proceed to testing your levels at lunchtime and dinner, following the same steps as you did for breakfast.

If you get overwhelmed, take a couple days off and take some deep breaths, but don’t give up. It is unfortunate that our food supply has gotten so unhealthily out of hand that it is making us sick or killing us–that’s not your body’s fault. Learning how you can eat delicious foods that don’t make you sick and spike your blood sugar is worthwhile and could very well save your life.

For plenty of blood sugar balancing recipes, click here.

I’m not gonna lie: I LOVE chocolate. I eat it almost every single day and I consider it to be a contributor to my great health. In order for me to give chocolate a thumbs up, however, I’ve got some standards.

Chocolate snob requirements

1. It must be over 70% cocoa. Why? First, it’s richer in flavonoids & secondly, it’s lower in sugar. These plant-based compounds exert numerous benefits on our health. A recent meta-analysis of 24 studies conducted at Harvard showed that flavonoids can reduce risk of heart disease and diabetes for several reasons, including:

• Boosting HDL cholesterol (the lipid taxi that returns cholesterol back to the liver for recycling)
• Stopping the oxidation of LDL cholesterol
• Helping thin the blood (reducing the potential for dangerous blood clots)
• Enhancing the function of red blood cells
• Reducing inflammation
• Reducing insulin resistance

2. Short ingredient list (with easily identifiable, quality ingredients) AND no soy lecithin. Soy lecithin is an emulsifier and so is used to enhance texture, but who are we kidding–soy is in friggin’ EVERYTHING. I don’t want it in my chocolate and I don’t find that soy lecithin-free chocolate is lacking in great texture. Avoid chocolates made with Dutch cocoa (they use some nasty chemicals to make this & the process reduces the antioxidants by half), preservatives, and/or trans fats.

Why chocolate is a superfood

Aside from the high levels of flavonoids, some of the greatest benefits of chocolate are the result of its potent antioxidant activity. Raw cocoa powder is off the charts high in antioxidants, but dark chocolate rocks too. In a recent article by Kelly Herring of Healing Gourmet, she explains that

“The best measure of a food’s antioxidant power is called the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Foods that have a higher ORAC score have a greater ability to neutralize free radicals, the unstable molecules that damage cells and DNA and contribute to aging, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and more. The ORAC score of raw broccoli, for example, is 1,362. That’s pretty good. But it’s nowhere near blueberries, which rank near the top of all fruits and vegetables at 6,552. However, even blueberries don’t come close to cocoa, with an ORAC score of 80,933!”

Chocolate is good for your brain

As if we needed any more reasons to love chocolate, it turns out that cocoa is also rich in a natural chemical called epicatechin. According to The Journal of Neuroscience this compound helps to stimulate blood vessel growth and nerve development in the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning.  Epicatechin was also found to turn on genes that are important for cognitive function, while turning off the genes that play a role in inflammation and neurodegeneration. How awesome is that?!

Some brands I love

Navitas Naturals  OR Divine Organics raw chocolate powder~this is my staple for hot cocoa, chocolate whipped cream and homemade ice cream

Alter Eco, the Dark Blackout 85% is my fave!

Equal Exchange Chocolates, their 80% Panama Extra Dark is amazing! Plus they are organic and fairly traded. Bonus!

Divine, fair trade cocoa from Ghana, 85% dark is truly divine!

Endangered Species, Extreme Dark 88% deeelicious

Dolfin Belgian Chocolate, Chocolate Noir 88% smooth and dark

Green & Blacks, 85% dark

Lindt, because you can get it almost anywhere & they offer plenty of high cocoa content options…and it is super tasty. However, double check the ingredients (the 90% cocoa one has Dutch cocoa, which drastically reduces the antioxidant load).

References

Journal of Neuroscience (Society for Neuroscience), May 30 2007, Volume 27, Issue 22. “Plant-Derived Flavanol Epicatechin Enhances Angiogenesis and Retention of Spatial Memory in Mice” Authors: H van Praag, MJ Lucero, GW Yeo, K Stecker, N Heivand, C Zhao, E Yip, M Afanador, H Schroeter, J Hammerstone, and FH Gage.
Maron DJ. Flavonoids for reduction of atherosclerotic risk. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2004 Jan;6(1):73-8.Knekt P, Kumpulainen J, Jarvinen R, Rissanen H, Heliovaara M, Reunanen A, Hakulinen T, Aromaa A. Flavonoid intake and risk of chronic diseases. Am J Clin Nutr 2002 Sep
ORAC Report 2007, USDA
American Heart Association’s Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism/Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention 2011 Scientific Sessions.
Shrime MG, Bauer SR, McDonald AC, Chowdhury NH, Coltart CE, Ding EL.Flavonoid-rich cocoa consumption affects multiple cardiovascular risk factors in a meta-analysis of short-term studies.J Nutr. 2011 Nov;141(11):1982-8. Epub 2011 Sep 28.

Before digging out your old cookie recipe that’s full of sugar and flour that’ll send your blood sugar through the roof (and make you more likely to catch whatever nasty cold is going around), consider this: A completely healthy cookie recipe that TASTES just as delicious….maybe even more delicious. Send your excuses packing (i.e. “I don’t make cookies that often so I’ll just eat the “good ones”", “Those healthy cookie recipes aren’t as good”) and kindly stop and listen. You can enjoy delicious tasty treats that are also good for you. This recipe, modified from Maria Emmerich’s Nutritious and Nutritious Journal, is a great way to start!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter (preferably grassfed and/or organic) OR coconut oil
• 1 egg
• 1.5 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1-1.5 cups Swerve or Just Like Brown Sugar (I used 1 cup and it was perfect, but I like things less sweet)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 3 ounces of your favorite chocolate, chopped into chocolate chip sizes. I used 1/2 bar each of Lindt 70% cocoa and Lindt 90% cocoa. You can also used ChocoPerfection Bars which are sweetened with chicory root.

How to:

1. Cream butter in large mixing bowl with electric mixer.
2. Add egg, vanilla, and sweetener and blend thoroughly.
3. While mixing, add in the rest of the ingredients (chocolate last).
4. Preheat oven to 325.
5. Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls and push flat (3/4 inch thick) on parchment paper covered cookie sheets.
6. Bake for 17-20 mins or until golden brown. Cool completely.

These cookies were so super delicious–and even better that they don’t have an immunosuppressant effect OR send your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride to Lethargy-ville like treats with sugar and flour. Makes about 24 small cookies. Enjoy with some full-fat raw or organic milk

I lucked into this yummy recipe this week. I was feeling a bit bored with my usual breakfasts, started experimenting and voila! Primal Porridge! Delicious and satisfying, unlike carb-based cereals, this porridge will actually satiate appetite for 4 hours!

Oh and by the way, did you know that wheat is FREAKING ADDICTIVE?! I’m reading Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis and am learning some crazy stuff, such as: Wheat crosses the blood-brain barrier (a central nervous system mechanism which protects us from bad guys) and stimulates morphine receptors in the brain (gluteomorphins). Crazy! When we eat wheat, our body breaks down the gluten into smaller polypeptides.  “Because the polypeptides look to the brain’s receptors like endorphins (the naturally-produced proteins that produce “runner’s high” and act like opioids), the wheat polypeptides bond readily to the brain.”  Even crazier is that these gluteomorphins respond to the opiate-blocking  drug naloxone! People who took naloxone for a wheat experiment experienced reduced appetite & consumed over 30% fewer calories at lunch and over 20% fewer calories at dinner. They weren’t trying to get high off of wheat-based carbs.

Aren’t you excited to try this wheat-free breakfast alternative now?

Ingredients & How To:

• 2 tsps. chia seeds
• 2 T ground flaxseed (also called flax meal)
  
• 1/2 cup raw or organic full-fat milk
• Optional, also add 1/4 cup raw or organic cream if your body feels better when you eat more fat.
• 1/4 cup finely shredded coconut, unsweetened
• Handful each of pecans, pumpkin seeds, and goji berries (or any nuts, seeds and berries you love).
• 3-5 drops hazelnut (or plain) stevia

In a cereal bowl add chia seeds and flaxseed.

Right away, add milk and cream so that the seeds start to gel, making a thick, porridge-like consistency. I like a lot of fat, so I use more raw cream than milk, but do what works for you. Full-fat coconut milk is also great if dairy doesn’t agree with you.

Next,  shredded coconut (finely shredded works better than flakes in this recipe) and your favorite nuts, seeds, and berries. I used soaked/dehydrated nuts and seeds because they are more digestible, higher in enzymes and protein, and lower in anti-nutrients such as phytic acid. Check out this video to learn how to do this.

Stir in stevia and enjoy! The slower you eat it, the more liquid the chia and flax will absorb, so you may want to add a little more milk and/or cream if it becomes too thick.

SUPER tasty, loaded with healthy fat, calcium, fiber, Omega-3′s, and antioxidants.

I’d long since given up pasta when a friend of mine introduced me to kelp noodles. My initial thought was “they’re probably not healthy” followed by “I don’t miss pasta anymore”, but I was intrigued when I learned more about them. Kelp noodles are virtually free of carbs and calories, provide calcium and iron and are a culinary chameleon (i.e. they’ll absorb the flavor of whatever you cook them with).

Kelp is a sea veggie. Kelp noodles contain kelp, salt extracted from brown seaweed, and water.

My favorite way to enjoy kelp noodles is with a meat sauce and topped with plenty of Parmesan cheese. Oh yeah. This has become a weekly family favorite.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of kelp noodles, drained and cut in half
• 1 large 24 oz. can (or glass bottle) of tomato sauce or strained tomatoes~either texture is yummy. If you are using canned tomato sauce, I really like Muir Glen Organic sauce.
• 1 pound grass-fed ground beef
• 4 italian sausages, sliced (pastured pork OR grass-fed beef)
• 1/2-1 lb “pet food” (ground beef and ground organ meats). This ingredient is optional, but I kid you not, it makes the sauce AWESOME and you can’t tell there’s organ meats in there but you get all the benefit (huge dose of iron and fat soluble vitamins). I order mine from U.S. Wellness Meats and keep it in the freezer to add to meatloaves, hamburgers and any meat sauces.
• 1 can black olives (preferably without ferrous sulfate in the ingredients)
• 1 tsp. ea rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil
• 1/4 tsp. fennel seed (optional)
• Garlic and onion are optional

How To:

1. Brown ground meet and sliced Italian sausage in a large pot on medium heat with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. If you are using garlic and onion, add to the mix when about halfway cooked, approx. 5 mins.
2. Add tomato sauce and spices.
3. Drain kelp noodles and cut in half on a cutting board. Add noodles to the pot, separating them from each other a bit as you go. Stir so that noodles are covered with meaty sauce.
4. Drain and add olives then cover with a lid and reduce heat to med-low. Simmer for 20-30 mins until noodles are tender.
5. Serve with Parmesan cheese over a bed of spinach or your other favorite veggie. Salt and pepper to taste.

Having grown up with an Italian family and eating A LOT of pasta over the years, even though I’ve happily given up grain-based pastas for my health, I’m stoked to have this kelp noodle spaghetti bolognese option. I hope you enjoy it too!

Last year’s challenge was such a success that I’ve decided to host it again!!

All you need to do to participate is follow the guidelines below (there’s no official enrollment or fees involved). Publicly committing to the challenge via my blog here or on Facebook is greatly encouraged since it not only solidifies your commitment, but may motivate others to join you in this worthwhile journey.

Why take this wellness challenge?

Because without good health, you won’t be fully enjoying all the rest of the great stuff life has to offer. Plus this challenge rocks and you’ll feel good about yourself.

The details

I’m inviting you to take a 30 day “Love your body, love your health” wellness challenge! From Jan 16th till Valentine’s Day (aw, how sweet), commit to:

1. Eating foods and amounts of foods that you know are nourishing, satisfying, and don’t sabotage your health. And be honest. You’re doing this for you, after all.
2. Incorporate movement you truly enjoy at least twice a week.
3. Get 6-8 hrs of sleep every night.
4. Drink 20+ ounces of clean water daily.
5. Say 1 affirmation daily (i.e., “Wow, my butt is looking pretty good today” or “I scrambled that egg like a pro”).

For some of you, this will be easy and for others, incredibly challenging. Do it anyway.
Please post your comments or questions here on the blog or on Facebook. Let’s support each other and do something truly nice for ourselves at the same time!

P.S. You can start this challenge right this minute even though the official start date isn’t till the 16th.

Enjoy feeling healthy and awesome!

A surefire way to stay motivated is by getting results. I meet people everyday who had the best intentions when they started a workout or nutrition program only to give up before ever getting results. What’s the problem?

Most health and fitness goals fail for one reason: Misguided effort.

Imagine 2 cars both wanting to drive in the same direction. One car goes through the steps to start the car, accelerate forward, and steer to avoid obstacles. The other car spins its wheels. Both cars exert energy, but only one goes anywhere. The analogy here is that you can fill your days with plenty of things that will leave you exhausted by the end of the day, yet you haven’t really gotten any closer to your goals.

The answer isn’t more exercise

Let’s apply this concept to your health and fitness aspirations. Do you want to lose weight? And if your answer is yes, are you putting most of your energy into exercising? If yes, there’s your problem. Most permanent weight loss can be attributed to dietary changes, not exercising more. Am I saying exercise isn’t important? Of course not! But as far as weight loss is concerned, exercise will not negate the damage caused by poor diet.

The million dollar question…

If I asked you, “If I give you a million dollars to reach your ideal weight this year, what would you change in your diet?”, you’d find yourself coming up with some honest answers. It’s a great question to rule out half-hearted excuses and mis-perceptions like “My diet is pretty good.” When clients tell me that they don’t know why they haven’t lost weight, by the time we walk through their dietary choices for the day/week/month/year, they realize how much those spontaneous deviations add up and leave them smack dab right where they were (even though they may have worked out every single day!).

The million dollar answer…

To get results and stay motivated to continue to enjoy those results for the rest of your days, stop spinning your wheels and putting 99% of your effort into 1% of your results. Lifelong healthy dietary choices will yield you 99% of your results, so put your effort where it counts. What you eat, how much you eat and how you eat it matters a whole lot more than how many calories you burn on a treadmill.

For more information about how you should specifically change your diet and fitness plan, email rebecca@choosinghealthnow.com.

Add these three recipes under “Healthy Holiday Fun!”.

Strawberry Santas

1. Remove stems from strawberries by slicing it off (that way the Santas have a flat, balanced surface). Cut the tip off of the strawberry.
2. You can use either whipped cream or cream cheese as filling. If desired, sweeten to taste with stevia or your favorite healthy sweetener. Optional: add a flavor extract such as vanilla, coconut, or maple. Fill strawberries and add the tip back on with a dollop of cream on top (you can use fancy frosting tools or do it old-school by cutting the tip off the side of a sandwich bag and squeezing the cream out that way).
3. Add cream buttons and chia seed eyes (or black sesame seeds, chocolate chips, or even small blueberries).

Spicy Nuts

1.  Soak your favorite nuts in a glass bowl with filtered water and a dash of sea salt (water should be an inch or two above nuts) for 7 hours or overnight.
2. Drain nuts in strainer for 5 minutes.
3. Pre-heat oven on lowest setting, between 170-225 degrees.
4. Spread nuts evenly on cookie sheets, preferably ceramic or glass rather than teflon. Try to prevent lots of overlap for faster cooking time.
5. Add your favorite spices: plain salt, spicy blend (cayenne pepper, thyme, rosemary), or sweet spicy (cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander or cardamom) and bake for 8-12 hrs. They’re done when they are crunchy and crispy (not chewy at all).

Gingerbread Cookies

We tried these gingerbread cookies on my Mom’s birthday and LOVED them. We slightly modified Maria Emmerich’s recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vanilla whey
• 3/4 cup almond flour 
• 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil
• 3-4 drops plain stevia extract
• 1-2 TBS water (just enough to hold dough together)
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

How to:

1. Add all the ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Melt butter on low heat and add to other ingredients.
3. Mix until well combined (I just used my hands), then slowly add water just until the dough is soft, yet able to roll out. Form into a tight ball and cool in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper, then top it with another piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough out into about 1/4 inch high. Cut the dough with cookie cutters, and place onto a baking sheet (preferably ceramic).
5. Bake the cookies for 7 minutes, or until light brown. Then turn off the oven and leave the cookies in for an additional 10 minutes to create crispy cookies. Makes 12 cookies.

We frosted our gingerbread cookies with cream cheese with vanilla stevia extract and allspice (to taste). You could also add raisins for buttons and eyes if you wanted to, but we didn’t want all that sugar. They were so delicious!

Happy & Healthy Holidays!!!

It’s great to have some new recipes to try over the winter season…and even better when they’re healthy makeover versions of comfort foods we love. I make chicken soup A LOT. And I truly love it…however, these coconut flour dumplings provided some tasty variety that the whole family enjoyed.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut flour
• 2 TBS psyllium husk fiber
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

How to:

Mix all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Shape into dumplings with hands. Drop into simmering broth and cook for 20-30 mins until they feel firm OR freeze them for the next time you feel like soup.
Compliments of Maria Emmerich (she’s such a rock star).