One Week Unplugged At Rancho La Puerta

Can you unplug for a week? It's not easy.

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Just What the Doctor Ordered
A few months ago my son Vaughn suggested that we do a little mother-son bonding at a in spa where we could get some rest and relaxation. He found a beautiful 3,000 acre property in Tecate, Mexico called Rancho La Puerta. 

Vaughn had been working furiously at his job for a while and really needed some time away. I had been recovering from pneumonia and working hard on 10 different projects and badly needed to disconnect. My husband Doug needed a break too and joined us mid-week. This was the perfect place for us to enjoy each other while resetting our busy lives.

Night Night Little iPhone
The first thing they hand you is a little sleeping bag for your cell phone. There are no TV's in the rooms. On the entire 3,000 acres, there are only a few places to get a WIFI signal and a newspaper but they are not well advertised. So we were totally disconnected!

This was a welcomed break for me as I've become a news junkie. I start every day reading two newspapers cover to cover and then have the radio or TV with some news show on in the background while I do my work. I watch news shows while I workout on my exercise equipment. By the end of the day, I'm totally aggravated and often in a negative state of mind, depending on how crazy a news day it was. I know this isn't healthy but it is hard to disconnect, especially with all the things happening in the world right now.

The grounds were filled with cactus and other native plants.

Sculptures were woven throughout the landscape.

One Week Unplugged
It's amazing how many positive things you can do when you aren't on your computer or phone or reading about or watching  the news. Rancho la Puerta offered a large selection of hikes, classes, and lectures every hour so we got to do lots of new things and hopefully we can continue to do some of these now that we have returned home.

Signs throughout the campus help
guide us to our next class or activity.

My Take-aways from the Ranch
Here are some take-aways that I got from the ranch that I want to share because many of these things can be done without going to a spa. 

#1 - Learn Something New
Probably the most fun part of this week was being exposed to all kinds of new things and getting reintroduced to others.
Vaughn took Cardio Kickboxing and Pilates. 
Both Doug and Vaughn joined me for some dance classes, like Zumba and Hot Latin Cardio.
Doug was also introduced to Pilates and Postural Therapy. 
Doug and I played Pickle Ball for the first time and are now completely addicted to the game!
I took a number of Feldenkrais classes which I've been wanting to do for some time.

Me and my son Vaughn (right) with our
Hot Latin Cardio Teacher, Manuel (center)

#2 - Sound Heals
This past week I was made aware of how sound effects our health and moods.
I listened to Gary Malkin talk about the power of Music and how some music can heal, deepen and enrich our lives while other music might have more negative effects. 

I also took a class on Sound Healing where they use the tones of quartz crystal singing bowls for healing and meditation.
Besides music and crystal bowls, I enjoyed the sound of the many water fountains throughout the campus. 

Crystal glass singing bowls used in sound healing.

#3 - Mindfulness

Perhaps the best experience I had this week was what I learned from the monk, Thich Phap Hai. I not only learned about mindfulness from the classes he taught, but I also learned something about stereotyping people.

I met this tall Australian on the bus on the way to the ranch. Head shaved and sporting a long brown robe and a fairly expressionless face, I couldn't imagine striking up a conversation with him. I knew he was one of the speakers but was a bit skeptical about taking a class from him. I cannot sit still so I've never taken a liking to meditation, so when Vaughn dragged me to the monk's lecture, I warned him that I would bolt if turned into a meditation. But the talk was incredibly interesting. The monk had an amazing sense of humor. He made me see things in a different light. I wanted to know more about Buddha and his teachings. He reminded me how important it is to be present - to truly experience each moment. 

The next day I attended another one of his classes. I was a bit concerned about going to a mindfulness class wearing my Nasty Women tee shirt but the monk made a point of walking up to me to tell me that he was a follower of the Nasty Buddhist Women Facebook page. At this point I decided that this guy is the coolest dude I've ever met! So the lesson here for me was that my first impression of seeing a monk in a long robe, someone so different from me,  someone that made me feel a bit uncomfortable, turned into a person whom I admired, respected, and grew to like a whole lot. There's an obvious lesson to be learned here.

#4 - Nature

Most of the hikes at the ranch started at 6:15 in the morning. Vaughn and Doug enjoyed these early hikes so much that by the end of the week, I willed myself to get up and go on a shorter hike that started at 7:00. Had I known how incredible this experience would be, I would have gone sooner and more often. 

But hiking, especially in Northern California, is easy to do and now I'm inspired to get out there and enjoy the air, the stillness, the wild life, and the mountains. 

Morning hike in Tecate, Mexico.

#5 - Feed our Body, Feed our Soul

The food at the ranch was all local, organic, mostly vegetarian food with a sprinkling of seafood throughout the week. This healthy diet was life changing for some of the visitors at the ranch but to us, it was how we eat every day. Even so, it was great not having to worry about going on vacation and then going on a diet when returning home. One thing they did at every lunch and dinner was to start the meal with a small, mostly blended soup. This is a great way to get lots of veggies in your diet and curb your appetite. I must remember to do that every day.

The dining hall had indoor and outdoor seating.

They had two nutrition speakers last week. One was Dr. Victoria Maizes who is the executive director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. I've heard her speak before at Andrew Weil's annual Nutrition Conferences that I've reported on in this blog. The other speaker was Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Eat to Live and creator of the Nutritarian Diet.

Dr. Maizes was pretty chill and nonjudgmental. She believes, like I do, that one diet does not fit all. Dr. Fuhrman, on the other hand, pretty much dictated that everyone should eat his diet with the guarantee that you would never suffer a major disease. And if you did get sick, it wasn't because of his diet, it was because of some underlying issue that needs to be addressed. I'm paraphrasing of course, but I will say most of the crowd was pretty put off by his rigid message. Food is meant to be part of a daily celebration, to be shared, to be enjoyed. Yes, it should be healthy, packed with nutrients and free of toxins, as Dr. Furhman prescribes, but if you only view food as fuel and criticize others for not following as rigid a diet as you do, well, that's not healthy either. 

Lunch of roasted vegetable salad with turnips, sweet potatoes, new potatoes, eggplant, corn, zucchini, curried garbanzos, broccoli, mushrooms, and caramelized pecans.

#6 - Self Care

Last but not least, I was reminded to take the time to get a massage. Sometimes a year or more will go by and I'll forget to get one. Massages are not just for pampering - they are incredibly important for mobility, lymph drainage and release of toxins, stress reduction and more. Again, this is something I can do at home and for a lot less money than what they charge at a spa. Must remember to schedule a monthly massage!

Take the Challenge!

Try disconnecting for a week. Too tough? Start with a day. Put your phone aside. Only check your email once or twice a day. Don't look at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. Take all that time you would have wasted on social media and take a walk, sign up for a class, cook a new healthy recipe, book a massage, play some healing music instead of listening to the news, write in your journal (or start one), read a book, meditate or do yoga. My goal is to do "mindful social media". I'm not isolating myself from the world but I'm drastically reducing its hold on me. Let's hope it lasts.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find a pickle ball court!

A Review Of Cashew, Almond And Coconut Yogurts

There are many non-dairy yogurts to choose from.

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In Search of Dairy-Free Yogurt
Quite a few people have given up or reduced their consumption of dairy. Many are either lactose intolerant or allergic to milk proteins, some are vegans who avoid all animal products, and others may be trying to reduce their cholesterol intake. Whatever the reason may be, the downside is giving up this probiotic-rich food. But luckily today there are many non-dairy options.

Two years ago I posted a recipe on how to make Thick, Creamy Vegan Yogurt with an Instant Pot or Yogurt Maker with 5 Minutes Prep Time. This is one of my most popular posts with over 20,000 views! So I know that lots of you enjoy yogurt and understand its importance in our diet. 

My most popular post - making soy yogurt.

But this particular recipe, that includes no thickeners or added sugar, is soy based and some of you do not consume soy. I don't like making yogurt with other non-dairy milks because they usually come out more like Jello as they require added gums and thickeners. Recently, however, I've tried several ready-made, non-dairy yogurts that are soy free that are absolutely delicious. And although they contain some thickeners, they are super creamy. Here are a few that I recommend.

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ORGANIC FORAGER CASHEW YOGURT
This cashew-based yogurt (they call it Cashewgurt) is absolutely divine. 

Forager ProjectCreamy Dairy-free Cashewgurt

Cashew Yogurt Nutrition

One cup provides:

170 calories

11 g total fat

2 g saturated fat

0 mg cholesterol

5 g protein

14 g carbohydrates

2 g sugar

1 g dietary fiber

15 mg sodium

2% calcium

19% iron

Pros
It's organic
Very creamy mouthfeel
Flavorless, so you can add to salad dressing, soups, and other recipes
Low in sugar and sodium
Good source of iron
Dairy, soy, and gluten free - vegan
Has 6 live cultures

Cons
High is calories and fat
Not very tart like some yogurts
Contains "natural flavor" - whatever that means

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KITE HILL ARTISAN ALMOND MILK YOGURT
I love all of Kite Hill's products and this one is no exception.

Kite Hill

 Almond Yogurt Nutrition
(The container serving size is only 5.3 ounces so I've converted it to a cup for consistency.)

One cup provides:
211 calories
6 g total fat
3 g saturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
9 g protein
1.5 g carbohydrates
0 g sugar
0 g dietary fiber
0 mg sodium
0 % calcium
0% iron



Pros
Very creamy mouthfeel
Flavorless, so you can add to salad dressing, soups, and other recipes
Contains zero sugar and sodium
Dairy, soy, and gluten free - vegan
No artificial colorings or preservatives
Good source of protein

Cons
High is calories
Not very tart like some yogurts 
Not organic although the almonds are non-GMO
Only 4 live cultures

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SO DELICIOUS COCONUT MILK YOGURT ALTERNATIVE

You will enjoy this silky yogurt if you enjoy the flavor of coconut.

So Delicious Coconut Milk yogurt alternative.

Coconut Yogurt Nutrition

(The container serving size is only 5.3 ounces so I've converted it to a cup for consistency.)

One cup provides:

106 calories

7.5  g total fat

6.8 g saturated fat

0 mg cholesterol

0 g protein

10.6 g carbohydrates

0 g sugar

3 g dietary fiber

45 mg sodium

30% calcium

45% vitamin D

53% vitamin B12

0% iron

Pros
Very creamy 
Dairy and gluten free - vegan
Low in calories
Has 3 g of fiber per cup
Fortified with calcium, vitamin D and B12
Has 8 live cultures
Low in sugar
Contains organic coconut milk

Cons
Plain flavor is not flavorless - tastes like coconut
High in saturated fat from the coconut
Not very tart
Contains zero protein

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SUMMARY
These three plain, unsweetened, non-dairy yogurts are all exceptionally tasting, unlike many I've tried in the past. The only disappointment is that none of them had the tartness that I enjoy in a yogurt. When I make my own soy yogurt, I can control the tartness by leaving it to process a bit longer. Also, they all contain some kind of gum and/or starch to thicken them. Once again, home made soy yogurt only contains soy beans, water, and live culture. But I still highly recommend each of these, especially if you are trying to avoid soy and you want to purchase, rather than make, yogurt. 

Instant Pot Helps Make Perfect Breakfast Fried Potatoes With Less Oil

Use your Instant Pot for perfect breakfast potatoes.
Make a healthier breakfast for your Valentine!

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Breakfast Potatoes
I must have been Irish in another lifetime because I adore potatoes. Baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, and especially fried breakfast potatoes. Fried breakfast potatoes, however, can take a lot of oil with added calories. They also take a long time to cook, and who has that kind of time in the morning? But the Instant Pot comes to the rescue to help with both of these problems. 

So if your want to make your Valentine some healthy fried breakfast potatoes to go with a tofu scramble or his favorite egg dish, here's a quick recipe for the potatoes. You can always jazz this recipe up by frying some onions or peppers before you add the potatoes, but I like my potatoes as they are.

To save even more time in the morning, you can make the Instant Pot potatoes the night before, refrigerate them, and fry them the next morning.


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Breakfast Fried Potatoes
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 3 to 4 servings]

Requirements
Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker with steamer basket and rack
Large Non-stick Fry Pan

Ingredients
3 cups (1/2" -3/4" inch diced) Yukon Gold potatoes with skin (~ 1 pound)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Place the steamer rack and 1 inch of water in the Instant Pot.

Spread the diced potatoes evenly in the Instant Pot's steamer basket. Place on the rack.

Secure the lid, making sure the top vent is closed. Press the "Manual" button and set for 4 minutes at high pressure. When done, do a quick release, carefully open the lid, and immediately remove the potatoes from the Instant Pot. The potatoes should be almost cooked, but a little al dente. They will continue to cook in the fry pan.

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick (I like enamel coated), fry pan on medium heat. Add the potatoes and spread evenly in the pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender but crispy and brown on both sides, flipping over occasionally, about 10 minutes. 

Serve warm.

Nutrition
Per serving (3): 155 calories, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 49 mg omega-3 and 487 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 3 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, and 3 g dietary fiber. 

Per serving (4): 116 calories, 3 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 37 mg omega-3 and 366 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 2 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, and 2 g dietary fiber. 

Make Your Own Antibacterial Foaming Hand Soap!

This homemade foaming soap avoids toxic
ingredients and is just as effective.

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Why you should Stop Buying Antibacterial Products
Everyone should be washing their hands often during flu season. It's one of the most effective ways of avoiding colds and flu. But you shouldn't be using store-bought antibacterial soaps. Here's why.

Most liquid antibacterial soaps, as well as certain bar soaps, wipes, hand gels and more, contained the chemical triclosan. Although this chemical has been used for many years, it wasn't until last September that the Food and Drug Administration banned its use in hand soaps. It gave companies until September, 2017, to remove this chemical from hand soaps and it banned 18 other antibacterial ingredients found in soap products. Triclosan is still used in some body washes, antibacterial dish soaps, and Colgate total toothpaste.

Triclosan can act as endocrine disruptors. Animal studies have shown that this chemical can interfere with the regulation of thyroid hormone. In humans, triclosan could possibly cause infertility, obesity, and even cancer. 

As we have seen time and time again, the overuse of antibiotics can lead to superbugs. The overuse of antibacterial soaps may also contribute to this problem. 

In addition, triclosan containing products are bad for the environment and are frequently detected in streams and some water supplies.

Soap and Water Just as Effective
There is no evidence that these expensive and toxic antibacterial soaps are any more effective that plain old soap and water. So why not use them? Today I'm going to show you a super easy way to make your own foaming hand soap that is safer and just as effective in protecting you and your family from germs.

Essential Oils
Adding essential oils to your liquid soap can boost its a ability to fight germs. There are quite a few that have this ability. Here are a few that I used in my soap today.

Tea Tree Oil has antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties. It has been used for treating staph wounds and can eliminate MRSA from the skin. 
Thyme Oil is a powerful antibacterial agent and is effective is protecting against MRSA and staph.
I like adding Lavender Oil to the soap. After all, the name itself comes from the Latin word "Lavare", which means "to wash". But it's also has antibacterial and antiseptic properties and has a lovely scent.
Peppermint Oil also has a nice smell and has antibacterial, anti fungal, and antiviral properties.

Other essential oils that have antibacterial properties including basil, bergamot, cinnamon, clover, eucalyptus, lemongrass, oregano, and rosemary. So mix and match as you will with regard to the selection of essential oils and the amounts. 

Moisturizing Properties
When making hand soap, you can also add moisturizing ingredients that can soothe, heal, and soften your skin. This recipe adds a touch of jojoba oil and vitamin E. 

Jojoba oil is one of my favorites. It's actually a liquid wax and resembles sebum, which is produced by our skin glands. Because of this property, it acts as a natural skin conditioner. 
Vitamin E, an strong antioxidant, fights free radicals that damage your skin. Used in this liquid soap, it will help soften and moisturize your skin.

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Antibacterial Foaming Hand Soap

Ingredients
1 BPA-free liquid hand soap dispenser with foaming pump
Scant 3/4 cups filtered water
1/4 cup natural soap (such as Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap)
1 tablespoon jojoba oil
1/2 teaspoon vitamin E
5 drops lavender oil
5 drops thyme oil
5 drops tea tree oil
5 drops peppermint oil

Directions
Place the water in the soap dispenser (water ALWAYS goes in first.)

Add the soap, jojoba oil, vitamin E, and essential oils. 

Screw on the pump and shake well to combine all the ingredients. You will have to shake it each time you use it.

Finishing Salts - Not Just For Steak

Finishing salts don't necessarily increase your salt intake.

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Finishing Salts
I received a beautiful collection of finishing salts for Christmas. I haven't had a lot of experience with them, other than a few unique ones my friends brought me back from Iceland last year. So it's been a lot of fun to experiment with them.

First of all, let's answer the question, "what is a finishing salt?" A finishing salt is an unrefined salt that is generally used on top of food, not cooked into food. They have various textures, some really big and chunky and some more delicate. Finishing salts can be infused with various flavors and can be used on top of every kind of food imaginable. I used to think that finishing salts were just used on top of steak and other meats, but they can be sprinkled on top of grains, potatoes, eggs, fruits, vegetables, even ice cream. My favorite dark chocolate truffle is topped with a chunk of sea salt.

Flavory's Essential Gourmet Finishing Sea Salt Collection came with six different salts. At first, I began to read up on what to do with each one, but I finally just put them all out on our dining table and started experimenting.

Place your finishing salts on the dining table
and start experimenting.

I found that most of the flavored salts were very subtle, except the smoked salt. What I enjoyed more than the flavors, were the different textures. I loved the big chunky ones, especially the Black Pyramid that gave me a surprise crunch and burst of flavor as I enjoyed it on my baked potato. 

Black Pyramid on a baked potato with Tofutti

These fun salts are from Iceland

The blueberry finishing salt from Iceland is excellent on ice cream.

Blueberry finishing salt on coconut Bliss ice cream

But Isn't Too Much Salt Bad For Me?
Sodium is an important mineral that your body needs to regulate body fluid, blood pressure, blood volume and acid-base balance. It is required for muscle and nerve conduction. If you don't get enough, you could experience low blood pressure, muscle cramps, dizziness and nausea. But many Americans use too much which could lead to hypertension and water retention.

The recommended daily allowance for sodium is 2,300 mg, about 1 teaspoon. Those at risk for heart disease are cautioned to keep their daily intakes of sodium down to 1,500 mg or less. 

But using finishing salts could actually lower your salt intake if you:
* Cook your food or recipe without any salt. 
* Then, top your dish evenly with a modest amount of finishing salt. 

The taste and texture of the finishing salt will dominate and you will not notice the absence of salt from your cooked dish!

Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts And Carrots

Cooking veggies in an Instant Pot can be tricky.

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Instant Pot and Veggies
Once you have an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, you almost forget you've got other pots and pans, even though it's sometimes just as easy to cook something in your normal repertoire of pots and pans. 

One of the biggest challenges for me, with my Instant Pot, is cooking vegetables. If you get the timing wrong, your crisp veggies can easily turn to mush. So it's a matter of experimenting and getting to know your individual pot and each individual vegetable.

I suggest you keep a little notebook and experiment with different dishes (this goes for grains and beans too). Once you've perfected the timing for each of your favorite vegetable, you can then attempt to cook several of them together.

The easiest pairings are those foods that aren't that picky, like mushrooms. You can throw them in with anything and they will be just fine. But other veggies are a bit more tricky.

For example, Brussels sprouts and carrots. Brussels sprouts take a bit longer to cook than carrots but if you cut the Brussels sprouts in half and cut the carrots in larger slices, you can cook them together in 2 minutes. And if, after your cooking time, the veggies aren't cooked enough, don't turn the pot back on - just place the lid over the pot and wait a few minutes. 

But the key is experimentation. I have watched broccoli turn to mush in a single minute because I cut the florets too small so now I leave them in bigger pieces and only cook them for one minute. You can also play with the pressure, cooking them on lower pressure instead of higher pressure.

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Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts and Carrots
Vegan or Vegetarian, Gluten Free
[makes 6 servings]

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Brussels Sprouts
4 large carrots
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/3 to 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon Earth Balance or ghee*

*ghee is not vegan but is lactose and casein free.

Directions
Trim the ends off of the Brussels sprouts and cut in half. Rinse and place in the Instant Pot.

Peel the carrots and cut thick slices on the diagonal. Place them into the Instant Pot together with the remaining ingredients and stir.

Hit the "Manual" button and set for 2 minutes at high pressure. When done, hit quick release and carefully open the lid. If the vegetables are not yet cooked, just set the lid back on top and wait a minute or two.

Stir and serve.

Nutritional Information
Per serving: 73 calories, 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 112 mg omega-3 and 100 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 4 g protein, 14 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, and 160 mg sodium.

Are You Getting Enough Iodine?Sea Vegetables Are A Great Source!

Kombu is a great source of iodine and easy to use.

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Iodine Deficiency on the Rise
Studies show that nearly three quarters of adults may not be consuming enough iodine. Many people now enjoy sea salt and other fancy salts that do not have significant iodine content but even those labeled iodized table salt may not contain sufficient quantities to support optimal health. The avoidance of salt, in order to protect against high blood pressure, adds to this problem. 

Several other factors contribute to us not having adequate dietary iodine. For one, eating a lot of soy and cruciferous vegetables can inhibit the absorption of dietary iodine, especially when eating cruciferous vegetables raw. The environmental toxin, perchlorate, pervasive in ground water and food supplies, can also block the thyroids ability to absorb of iodine. 

Why we Need Iodine
Iodine is needed for the production of thyroid hormones and is required in order to have a healthy thyroid gland and achieve optimal health. The thyroid control's your metabolism, regulating many body functions such as heart rate, body temperature, and more.

When you produce too little thyroid hormone, you have a condition called hypothyroidism. Symptoms of Hypothyroidism include:
* a slow metabolism
* lower heart rate
* unexplained weight gain
* dry skin and hair
* hair loss
* constipation
* always feeling cold
* weakness
* muscle aches
* fatigue
* depression

Inadequate iodine consumption can cause cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline and certain forms of cancer. 

Pregnant women with iodine deficiency may have babies with a form of mental retardation know as cretinism.

Sea Vegetables as a Source of Iodine
Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine. But take care not to overdo their consumption, especially if you have hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), or an autoimmune thyroid disease, as dietary excess can worsen these conditions.

The RDA for iodine is:
* 150 micrograms per day for adult men and women
* 220 micrograms for pregnant women
* 290 micrograms for lactating/breastfeeding women

The amount of iodine in commonly found seaweed:
* One inch of Kombu has 1,454 mcg
* 1 tablespoon of Main Coast Kelp has 595 mcg
* 1 tablespoon of Agar Agar has 120 mcg
* 1 tablespoon of Wakame has 82 mcg
* 1 tablespoon of Main Stage Dulse has 68 mcg
* 1 sheet of Nori has 40 mcg

Ways to Consume
Cooking with Kombu: An easy way to introduce iodine-rich sea vegetables into your diet is to add a strip of kombu into a pot of beans, soup, or grains when cooking, especially when using your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker. When your dish is cooked, you can either remove the kombu or, if it's nice and soft, cut it up and stir it back into your dish.

Kombu

Seaweed Salad: I love seaweed salad, especially when dining at Japanese restaurants. However, many restaurants buy this salad in bulk which often contains food coloring, such as yellow #4 and blue #1. So always ask if they make their own and what they put in it. When serving it at home, I like to buy mine from Vital Choice. It's pricey but you get at about three small 2-person servings in each 8 ounce tub. Of course you can make your own but I have yet to find the authentic "stringy" dried Hiyashi Wakame seaweed used to make it. 

Vital Choice's seaweed salad has no additives, preservatives, heavy metals, radionuclides, or synthetic food coloring

Wakame: 
You can also just use regular wakame for a seaweed salad but it will have a different texture. I prefer to throw pieces of wakame in soup or beans, as I described above with kombu. It's typically found in miso soup, when you order it in a restaurant.

Dried Wakame

Nori: My grandsons can go through a case of Kirkland's Roasted Seaweed snacks like a swarm of locusts. Sushi rolls are another way to enjoy nori. You can easily make your own sushi at home. Check out my recipe for Brown Rice Sushi with Roasted Eggplant, Peppers and Shiitake Mushrooms.

Nori snacks

This Nori comes with a bamboo mat for making sushi

Brown rice sushi

Dulse Flakes: You can sprinkle dulse flakes on your food with products from Eden Organic and others.

Dulse flakes

Agar Agar: Commonly used in vegetarian cooking as a thickening agent, it can be purchased as flakes or powder. 

Agar agar flakes

Kelp: Bragg's makes a nice Kelp general purpose seasoning that combines kelp flakes with rosemary, onion, garlic, thyme, red bell pepper, carrot, tomato, black pepper, basil, EVOO, parsley, tarragon, lemon and orange peel, apple cider vinegar, celery and dill seed, oregano, savory, she, ginger, coriander, bay leaf, and turmeric. Sounds amazing, no?

Bragg's Kelp Seasoning

I hope I gave you a few ways to increase your iodine consumption using delicious sea vegetables. But remember, don't overdo it!

4 Easy Tips For Healthy Weight Loss

How to lose weight sensibly.

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Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a great holiday. We certainly did, as we surrounded ourselves with good friends and good food. 

As I do every January, I set my goals for the year. Of course we never know what Mother Nature has in store for us, but a goal to stay healthy is always on my list. One way for all of us to stay healthy is to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. For some, this involves losing a few pounds and for others, it may involve losing more. Whatever your weight loss goals are, here are 4 easy tips to accomplish them.

Weight Loss Tip #1 - Set Reasonable Short Term Goals
You may have a long term goal of losing, let's say, 25 pounds. That may seem overwhelming. But if you take it one step at a time, it will seem much more doable.

The short term goal to achieve your 25 pound weight loss in a year is only 1/2 pound a week or 2 pounds a month! It's best to focus on that. 

Have more to lose? The short term goal to achieve a 50 pound weight loss in a year is only 1 pound a week or 4 pounds a month. 

Have less to lose? If you have a smaller weight loss goal, say 10 or 15 pounds or less, you may plan to achieve that in only 5 or 6 months instead of a year. The short term goal to lose 10 pounds in 5 months is only 1/2 pound a week or 2 pounds a month. 

Slower weight loss is better and more sustainable so don't try to lose too much too soon.

Weight Loss Tip #2 - Develop a Plan
Let's say you've set your goal to lose a half pound a week or two pounds a month. Let's do the math. You can lose one half pound by: 
* Eating 1,750 less calories, or
* By burning 1,750 extra calories, or 
* A combination of calorie reduction and exercise. In this case, eating 875 less calories and burning an additional 875 calories. I encourage a plan that includes both. 

Let's say we've selected the combination plan of eating less and exercising more. Now, how are we going to do that?

To eat 875 less calories a week means reducing your daily calorie intake by only 125 calories. That's not so bad. You can do that by eliminating the non-nutritious food in your diet: Here are some examples:

* One 5-ounce glass of wine (125 calories)
* One 12-ounce can cola (136 calories)
* An ounce of plain corn tortilla chips (138 calories)
* A 12 oz Starbucks soy latte (162 calories)
* One small glazed doughnut (124 calories)
* One small side order of McDonald's French Fries (209 calories)
*  One half chocolate Power Bar (124 calories)
* 20-ounce Gatorade (150 calories)
* One half cup vanilla ice cream (137 calories)
* One McDonald's chocolate chip cookie (160 calories)
* One half slice of Pizza Hut pizza

If everything you eat is already nutritious, then you will need to cut down on your portion sizes.

To burn an extra 875 more calories a week, you just need to burn an extra 125 calories per day. Calories burned will vary with your weight, but let's use a 155 pound person as an example: According to the Calorie Control Council Get Moving Calculator, a 155 pound person can burn 125 calories by:

* 18 minutes of aerobic exercise
* 22 minutes on a stationary bike
* 13 minutes of outdoor bicycling at 12-14 mph
* 27 minutes of brisk walking
* 35 minutes of weight lifting
* 13 minutes of singles tennis
* 15 minutes of jogging
* 21 minutes of intense dancing
* 21 minutes on an elliptical machine

You don't have to do any of these exercises all at once. For example, you can walk 15 minutes in the morning and another 12 to 15 minutes in the evening.

Weight Loss Tip #3 - Journal, Journal, Journal
Journaling can sometimes be a pain, however, it is the most effective way to achieve your weight loss goals! Sign up for MyFitnesspal.com or any of the other journaling programs or aps. 

Journaling makes you mindful of what you eat. Knowing you will be recording your every bite you take will make you think twice about popping a piece of candy in your mouth. Most importantly, it will educate you on the nutritional value of the foods you eat. Through time, you will learn what is in your food and will allow you to naturally make better selections. 

Recording your exercise will motivate you to exercise more, especially knowing that you will reach your weight loss goals more quickly. 

Your achievements are nicely graphed which can really be exciting when you see the graph pointing to your ultimate goal!

Weight Loss Tip #4 - Avoid Fad Diets
You are probably getting bombarded with ideas for fad diets this time of year. But you should really avoid them. Eating pre-packaged meals or shakes doesn't teach you how to eat in the long term. As soon as you stop their programs, weight will undoubtedly return. 

Learning to cook healthy food is the best way to guarantee long-term weight loss and ensure good health and longevity for you and your family. It will also set a good example for your kids. I watched my family cook healthy, Mediterranean meals when I was young and when I had a family of my own, they watched me cook too. They grew up and now cook like that for themselves and for their families. But if your kids are watching you pick up take out for dinner, they will probably do the same thing in the future. That's why I created the tagline:

“Health, excellent or ill, is passed to our children not just 

through our genes but primarily through our recipes.”

For a start, you can try the recipes in my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen.

Once again, I wish you very happy and healthy 2017. I will do my best to keep posting healthy recipes and nutritional articles to help you and your family stay healthy and fit!