Recipe: Coconut Apple Crisp

I adapted this apple crisp recipe from a recipe by Nourishing Meals (www.nourishingmeals.com) to replace some of the ingredients with coconut options (you can learn more about the health benefits of coconut products in my article: Coconuttyliciousness). This dish smells absolutely divine while baking, infusing your kitchen with the delicious scents of coconut and cinnamon and baked apples. Have it baking while guests arrive and you'll get their appetites warmed up!

Filling Ingredients:
4-6 baking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin (1/8 inch)*
2-4 tbsp honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar
1 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon

*you can substitute some of the apples for other fruit such as pear, or berries; just make sure to fill the baking dish pretty well right to the top, as it will cook down from there.

Topping Ingredients:
1.5 cups rolled gluten-free oats
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup melted virgin coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Place filling ingredients into a 7 x 11 inch baking dish. Gently stir together with a large spoon.
   
3. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt.
   
4. Add the oil and vanilla and stir together with a fork.
   
5. Using your hands, crumble the topping evenly over the filling.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling up and topping is lightly browned.
   

Coconuttyliciousness!

I looooooooooove when I find food that tastes like a treat, and is super fantastic for your health. Coconut is one of those foods! Woohoo! Plus doesn't this picture just conjure up memories of being on a relaxed vacation in the Carribbean? Ahhhhh, sweet. And we do tend to think of coconut as very sweet due to the highly sugar-fied version that we buy at the grocery store. But really, natural coconut has a mildly sweet and nutty flavour. So let's hit it, how is coconut so good for us? Let me count the ways....

1. youthful skin and hair; helps with skin problems like psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema
   
2. stress relief
3. maintaining cholesterol levels
4. weight release
5. strengthen immune system; antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant
   
6. supports digestion
7. supports metabolism and thyroid
8. relief from kidney problems
9. reduces high blood pressure and supports heart health
10. helps manage blood sugar, good for diabetics
11. dental care
12. bone strength
    

In my books that qualifies as a SuperFood!

So what are the sources of coconut, and how does coconut do all that?

• Coconut oil is a "medium chain fatty acid" (MCFA) and so while it is highly saturated, it differs from the saturated fat from an animal source. Your body will process it more like a carbohydrate than a fat, used as a quick energy source rather than being stored as body fat. So in fact, you can eat more coconut oil fat than other fats, and give a boost to your thyroid and metabolic rate overall.
  
• Coconut oil and coconut milk contain lauric acid, capric acid, and caprylic acid which gives it properties that are antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant. Killing off stomach bacteria, it helps boost your immune system.
• Coconut milk contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals, especially calcium, potassium, chloride, Vit A and E. This makes it excellent for reducing blood pressure, regulating blood sugar, and improving bone and dental health. A dairy free option to milk products!
• Use coconut oil topically for a great skin soothing moisturizer, helping prevent sagging and wrinkles
• Coconut flour is a great alternative to glutenous flours, containing loads of fibre and even a source of protein, making it a great choice for those seeking to release excess weight. It's ideal for baking!
• Coconut sugar is a fantastic alternative to regular sugar, as it has a low GI (35 - meaning, it doesn't affect your blood sugar negatively), making it an ideal choice for hypoglycemics and those seeking to manage their weight and energy levels. It is full of essential minerals as well!
• Coconut water is a natural isotonic beverage. Think of it as a natural Gatorade! It has the same electroytic balance as our own blood. This makes it a great post-workout choice to replenish all those electrolytes you sweated out! AND, it can help raise your metabolism, promote weight release, boost your immune system, detoxify and fight viruses, cleanse the digestive tract, etc!
  

So, given all of that, how could a food so good for you have gotten such a bad reputation? Well, I already address the concern about it being a saturated fat (first bullet above, re: Med-chain fatty acid). The other concerns that have been raised about coconut oil come mainly from some flawed studies that were done over four decades ago, that were based on HYDROGENATED coconut oils.

Hydrogenated oils of any sort are TRANS-FATTY ACIDS. You know those "trans-fats" that are literally poison to your cells? It doesn't matter if the oil is olive oil, flax oil, vegetable oils... no matter the oil, if it's hydrogenated, it's a trans-fat, which means their original molecular composition has been altered in such a way that they mimic and replace natural essential fats that make up your cellular membranes, causing them to close off their receptivity to vitamins and minerals while trapping in cellular wastes and toxins. Hydrogenated oils from any source are one of the most harmful substances for your health in all ways, and should be avoided. The studies done so many years ago that found coconut oil to be deemed dangerous for your health were actually based on studies of hydrogenated coconut oil. This is not a fair representation of the effects of non-hydrogenated virgin or extra-virgin coconut oil.

Convinced yet? OK one more plug: It's soooo yummy!

Here's some ways to use coconut products everyday:

• use it for stir frying or frying anything on the stove top
• use it in place of butter in all your baking
• use coconut spread on toast
• put a tbsp in your smoothies, or use coconut milk as a base for your smoothies
  
• ditch the nasty microwave popcorn. Go old school, and believe me, it only takes about 5 minutes to make popcorn on the stove: Use 1 tbsp coconut oil, let it heat up and melt, and then add 3 Tbsp organic popcorn kernals, put the cover on the pot, and shake-a-shake Jiffy-pop style until you don't hear any more poppin' goin' on. Sprinkle with sea salt, cinnamon, or brewer's yeast (for a great vegetarian source of B12 with a somewhat "cheese-like" flavour).
  
• get one-serving tetrapacks of coconut water (make sure it's chilled, much tastier that way) and drink after your workouts
• use coconut milk to make a curry-dish
• bake with coconut flour and coconut sugar
  

And here's a recipe for a Coconutty Apple Crisp you can make for your holiday dinner get togethers!

Enjoy! Muah!

References
Dr Mercola
WebMD
OrganicFacts
HealthMad
Shirley's Wellness Cafe
The Nourishing Gourmet

Sorry 'bout that David

A bit of cultural news for a welcome change.

After a two year tour in North America ,
Michelangelo's David is being returned to Italy .

His Proud Sponsors were:

Let's all go to the lobbyyyyy.... and get ourselves a heart attack

Not such a catchy tune when we put it that way, eh? Well, yesterday and today reports are all over the news about the amount of calories and saturated fat in the typical movie theatre popcorn and pop combo, and it is enough to make even a die-hard fan think twice. Take a read of this story and then come back for a few different perspectives from yours truly:

Some movie theatre popcorn full of fat: Study

OK, so kinda gross right? For many of us, the calories in a large popcorn and regular pop are the equivalent of an entire day's caloric needs, and certainly several days worth of saturated fat. This is not something we need to eat on any regular basis, not for our hearts, or our waist-lines.

I do want to comment on one thing in the article though. It mentioned that AMC is using the highly saturated coconut oil to pop their popcorn and that this isn't a good choice because it is so saturated. Back in the 90's headlines were made on this very topic, because all theatres were using coconut oil back then. The attention of the news reports pressured them to change to a polyunsaturated oil (usually canola, which is touted as being healthy).

In reality, coconut oil, while being highly saturated, is extremely health supportive on all levels. The body doesn't process saturated oil from a plant source in the same way it does from an animal source (due to the different length of the chain of fatty acid molecules). Medium Chain Fatty Acids like coconut oil are processed more like a carb (for energy) than a fat (stored as body fat much more easily), and it has been shown to actually boost the metabolism, and support the thyroid as well. There are many benefits of coconut oil and coconut products, and I'm going to spend some time in my next article (or two) outlining those.

In regards to popcorn, if I'm going to subject my body to eating any movie theatre popcorn, I'll choose the AMC coconut oil popcorn over any canola-popped corn... IF they are using a non-hydrogenated (aka: trans-fat) version. Coconut oil is highly stable, and when being heated to the high levels they use for large batches of popcorn, it is less likely to become a "trans-fat" or damaged in the heating. Canola on the other hand is a highly processed oil (not naturally occurring) which creates inflammation in the body. As well, being less stable, through the process of heating to high temperatures, the oil becomes a trans-fat, which is extremely damaging to our health (Health Canada has stated that daily recommended intake of trans-fats should be less than 1% of daily caloric intake - as little as possible).

So there you have it, another treat spoiled by your friendly neighbourhood nutritionist. Sorrrrrrry! But you know I'm not going to leave you without some healthy alternatives, because what's a movie without snacks? So, here's what I've been known to take with me:

• home-made Kale Chips (yes, really)
• a handful of nuts (cashews, pistachios, almonds, walnuts...), mixed with raisins and/or a small amount of chocolate chips
• cherries or grapes
• brown rice crackers, sometimes I'll also bring some hummus in a small container for dipping
• brown rice chips like Rice Works - super tasty but pretty high in calories so don't eat the whole bag!
• Kashi granola bar
• chocolate covered almonds (not too many)
  
• And for a beverage, I'll have water (plain or soda water), or a nice peppermint or other herbal tea.

Ok, I know, it's not the same as a nice big bag of salty buttery movie popcorn. But that's just what we've been conditioned to want by marketers and by habit. You can break that association, and learn to find healthier options that feel like a treat. And really, isn't it worth it, when you consider the impact to your heart, your brain, your skin, your energy, and your figure?

Somebody stop the train! 7 Key Strategies for Coping with Stress

Lately I've been having conversations with my friends about how quickly time seems to be going. We all seem to be having the same experience of time just FLYING... It feels like even in just the last 3 months, someone flicked some cosmic switch and just put us all in warp speed. Do you feel it too? There is just sooo much to do, and we feel perpetually "on"... busy beyond busy, yet a feeling of never really making a lot of progress. And, while friends are on our minds, and we still feel connected to each other, a month can easily pass without so much as a phone call... maybe a quick email exchange here or there, but no real face time or even phone time. When we speak, we pick up where we left off, but as we're talking, we catch ourselves referring to things that have happened in our lives as if the other person knew about them... when we realize we hadn't talked since before "X" happened, we are snapped into the reality that "holy crap, we really haven't talked in a while, eh?" I'm glad to know this isn't just me feeling this way, and the fact that we're all going through this together is somewhat comforting, and allows us to give each other the breathing room without anyone taking the lack of contact personally. But shoot, it's exhausting isn't it? AND... I miss my peeps! AND... dun dun duuuuuun... we're only about to go into the holiday season! Let the madness begin! Sigh. Anyone else getting a headache? I need a nap.

At times like this, we may be feeling a multitude of effects of being in the "Warp Zone." For example:

• Physically - tired & depressed, or alternatively tired & "wired," headaches, difficulties with digestion, having an increase in appetite or cravings for sweet & fatty foods, feel like you can never get enough sleep, perhaps catching colds or sore throats more easily
  
• Mentally - low mood/apathetic, or anxious, irritable, and time-pressured, problems concentrating or remembering things
• Spiritually - somewhat disconnected, perhaps you look back at your day (or even just what you were doing in the last hour) and it's all just a blur... especially activities involving interacting with other people, if you look back on it a couple of hours later, does it feel like it was way earlier in the day or like several days have passed since the interaction?

These (and there are more) are all signs of chronic stress. Stress is the absolute #1 underlying factor in the development dis-ease and lack of vitality and wellness. Short of adding more hours to the day or physically slowing time down, there are some things you can do for yourself - body, mind and spirit - to help mitigate the effects of stress:

1. Breathe. Get PRESENT. Ever notice how when we are kids, a day feels like a week, a week, is like a month, and summer feels like it goes on forever, but it seems like the older we get, the faster time speeds by; A day is nothing, in fact we wish we had more time... a week flies by like a day used to feel, and the summer... it's what we were looking forward to back in March and April a the first signs of spring, but suddenly in autumn we're looking back and realizing it's gone already and we didn't even take advantage of it. This happens because as adults, we are always focusing so much on the future - what we have to get, want to get done, need to get done, or "can't wait for." When your head is always in the future, your body and soul go with it. You are no longer present in the here and now, so you don't experience it fully. Bring your focus back to the present moment. Remind yourself to do this several times a day. Give yourself even just 2 minutes to take some deep breaths, look around and notice the sights, sounds, smells... look out a window (or better yet, go outside), talk to someone and get back in the moment, and regain some perspective.
2. 
   Honour your body's need for sleep and rest. If you aren't getting enough rest, you are going to burn out, mentally and physically. When you're under periods of stress, your body needs more recovery time, and your brain needs a break. You're going to crave sugary and fatty foods, you're going to feel depressed or anxious, and let's face it, you're not going to be nearly as productive or as effective in anything you do. Your workouts will suffer, your work performance will suffer, and your motivation to do much outside of work will suffer. This makes it harder to do the next step.
3. 
   Stay organized. Make lists, and prioritize. Recognize there ARE only so many hours in the day. Take the pressure off to be a super hero, take a stand for your "only human" self, and give yourself a break. If you have a tendency to run a to-do list in your head all the time, do yourself a favour and just write it down. Use electronics to your advantage; for example, you can use the "tasks" function in Outlook to remind you of important tasks - when something comes up that you need/want to follow up on, schedule a task for that date/time and let it pop up to remind you. Or use a dayplanner and do the same thing. And, please make sure you put at least ONE thing on that list EVERY DAY and EVERY WEEK that is fun, relaxing, and rejuvenating for YOU.
4. 
   Eat a well balanced, nutrient-dense diet that is nourishing to body and soul. Much like getting enough rest, your body, mind and spirit cannot go on well without getting adequate nutrition to support the demands you're making to keep going at that pace. Eat more fruits, veggies, whole grains, and beans and legumes. Eat a little less animal protein. Eat grounding foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips and beans. Soups and stews are easy to digest and comfort the body and soul.
5. 
   Take B-vitamins and Vitamin C. These vitamins are depleted under periods of high stress. B-vitamins in particular help your body cope with stress, and boost your energy and support digestion and metabolism of carbs, fat, and protein. Vitamin C helps as well, and supports the immune system which can become compromised by excess stress.
6. 
   Take adrenal support supplements and/or 5-HTP. The adrenal glands are the body's stress-glands. They product stress hormones that help your body release extra energy to keep you going. But they can become overworked and fatigued when stress goes on too long. A nutritious diet, b-vitamins, and adequate rest are important. Avoid caffeine, it adds more stimulation to the adrenals. Try "adaptogenic" herbs (adrenal supporting, helping your body adapt to stress) such as Relora, Rhodiola, or even adrenal glandular formulations. 5-HTP is a hormone that supports serotonin production, so if you are feeling depressed, this can help. However, consult a doctor before taking it if you are already taking SSRI medications for depression.
7. 
   Less screen time, more face time. The relationships in our lives are what make life worth living, aren't they? So while life seems to have sped up with more and more demands on our time, remember, you will never on your death-bed wish you'd spent more time at the office, or catching up on your tv shows, or playing internet games or surfing the net. Time spent connecting with friends and loved ones and colleagues alike is ALWAYS time well spent, and help us get present and reconnected to ourselves. Make sure you take some time EVERY DAY to connect with at least one important person in your life, even if just for 10 minutes (the more the better).

As the holidays approach, use these strategies and CONSCIOUSLY CHOOSE how you want to spend your time, and how you want to remember them. Be present, take the pressure off, and prioritize yourself, your health, your relationships, and your enjoyment of the time that you have. I know it feels like it's not possible and not in your hands to choose how your time is spent. If that's the case, then perhaps the first priority for you is in fact to prioritize YOURSELF. No one else - and certainly no job - will do this for you. You have to own it, and make it happen. The reward is priceless.

Deep Immune

This is my first "product plug" since starting this blog. I'd like to preface it by stating that I am in no way getting any kind of kickback from this company. But when I find something that works, I want to share it with everyone! And in this cold & flu season, this is one product I really want to let you know about.

About ten days ago, I started to get a sore throat. I'd be fine all day, but in the evening it would start to hurt to swallow. This happened for about three days, and then it started to become an all day dry/sore throat. I started taking echinacea (simply because I had it on hand, although I never find it help me much... it's great for some people, for others it's not very effective). I was using a throat spray form, as well as some supplements throughout the day. But, not surprisingly, it wasn't getting better, and I was starting to develop a bit of a dry cough. I could feel the onset of a cold, and frankly I just do not have time to get sick. So, on Tuesday night, I stopped by the Big Carrot Dispensary (they have EVERYTHING there, and very knowledgeable sales reps to help you out) to pick up some throat lozenges (do you know how hard it is to find throat drops that are not filled with sugar? I finally found one called HerbOn that are made with zylitol for the sweetener), and while I was there I askeda bout anything that might help since echinacea isn't doing it for me. That's when I was introduced to St Francis Herb Farm: DeepImmune herbal tincture. I used it Tuesday night, 3 times on Wed, and a couple times on Thursday, and by Thursday I was already feeling like the sore throat is about 99% gone. Fantastic stuff! You simply take about 1-2 droppers full in a small amount of water between meals (at least 30 min before eating, and 2 hours after).

Ingredients:

Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) - Although more evidence is needed, one of the way astraglus is thought to work is by increasing the production of immune cells. It may also have mild antiviral activity and help with the prevention of colds. May also help lower blood pressure. NOTE: People with autoimmune conditions should not use it unless under the recommendation of a qualified healthcare practitioner.

Codonopsis (Codonopsis pilosula) - has blood building qualities, making it especially good for people who are weakened due to illness, and is extremely effective at relieving chronic fatigue. It is also useful for those who wish to strengthen their digestive and respiratory functions. It is especially useful for peopel who tend to become short winded or cough easily due to deficient lung energy and for people who become congested after a meal or who digest inefficiently.

Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) - Regular consumption of red Reishi can enhance our body's immune system and improve blood circulation, thus improving overall health. Generally Reishi is recommended as an adaptogen, immune modulator, and general tonic. Red Reishi is also used to help treat anxiety, high blood pressure, hepatitis, bronchitis, insomnia, and asthma.

Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) - in Chinese medicine, used to prevent respiratory tract infections, cold, flu, and to provide energy and vitality. Also used for stamina and energy for Olympic Athletes.

Ligustrum (Ligustrum lucidum) - stimulates the immune system, decreases inflammation, and protects the liver.

Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) - Among other things, schisandra is claimed to be beneficial against PMS, helpful in arousing immune protection, facilitate recuperation after surgeries, stabilize blood sugar and blood pressure, provide additional energy during anxiety and tension, and improve vigor.

White Atractylodes (Atractylodes macrocephala) - used to treat physical and mental fatigue, diarrhea, edema, dizziness and vomiting. Has long lasting diuretic effect, and has ability to lower blood sugar levels. In traditional Chinese medicine, used as a tonic, and to support the functions of kidney, bladder, and digestive system.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.) - an adaptogenic herb, meaning it helps people during stressful times and recovery from illness and fatigue. Stimulates adrenal gland and activation of the body's energy reserves. Leads to increased energy, mental and physical performance. This response can deplete the body after a while, and can increase heart rate and blood pressure, so used in moderation. Also contains substances that regulate blood sugar, helping enhance energy. A demulcent - an agent that coats and protects mucosal surfaces. In the respiratory tract, licorice decreases cough, speeds removal of mucus, and helps to heal the tract. In the stomach and intestines DGL licorice protects the lining from ulceration. Also has anti-inflammatory properties and weak estrogen hormonal balancing activity.


References
Astragalus, Codonopsis, Reishi , Eleuthero, Ligustrum, Schisandra, White Atractylodes, Licorice

The Four Year old McDonald's Burger & Fries

So think a burger and potatoes you fry up at home, and imagine leaving it on your counter for a week. What do you think would happen? Within a few days, they would become dried out and you'd soon start to see green stuff growing, right? Bacteria would be having a feast! Well, not if you'd left a McDonald's burger and fries on your counter. Check out this video: The Four Year Old McDonald's Burger

Now, the woman in the video (who in fact has released 130 pounds of excess body fat) states that the fact that it isn't breaking down is a sign that it doesn't break down in your body. That isn't exactly true. First your teeth, tongue and saliva would do their part to start the digestion process. In your stomach the hydrochloric acid would disintegrate the remaining chunks of food into a lovely sludge-like "chyme" which then in the small intestine, with the aid of pancreatic enzymes would be further broken down to break the food particles into individual, absorbable molecules.

That said, the fact that the McDonald's "food" isn't being attacked by bacteria outside the body is a sure sign of a dead food. It is so filled with preservatives and fillers that even bacteria cannot thrive. Some of the preservative effect can be attributed to high salt content (do we really need that much salt? Excess sodium is a cause of hypertension and upsets the electrolyte balance in the body), but much of it is synthetic. Synthetic preservatives are toxic, and many are carcinogenic. Most will impact the nervous system and therefore affect mood, behaviour, and memory. Some will impact reproductive health and hormonal balance, and others can weaken the immune system. Of course these impacts don't happen immediately upon ingestion - every food has only a small quantity. But over time, consistently eating processed and fast foods that use preservatives and additives (to cut costs and extend shelf life) will have a cumulative effect in the body. There is only so much your poor little liver can process.

Do your body a favour, and eat as much LIVE food as you can. They come with their own live enzymes that help you digest and absorb the lovely goodness of the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients they deliver. Dead foods do nothing by suck the life out of you (not to mention the earth).

Footnote:
While McDonald's advertises that they use "100% pure beef" that does not mean the patty is 100% beef (just like fruit flavoured beverages will advertise that they use 100% pure fruit juice, it is only a portion of the ingredients, and it is mainly sugar and water), nor that the quality of the beef is high. In fact McDonald's pretty well owns the beef industry, as they order so much of it that they dictate the farming practices to produce quantity over quality. See the documentary Food Inc to learn more about this, it's eye opening.