Trader Joe’s has gluten-free mixes available now and I had the opportunity to test the pancake & waffle mix! Check out the detailed product review with a few tips.

Trader Joe’s Gluten-free pancake mix review

Okay, I had to write this post regarding gluten-free not necessarily meaning healthy. I get so sick of new products being introduced to the market as gluten-free, but only to find in the ingredients list that it is made with a bunch of hard to pronounce ingredients that are crap for the body! Time and time again, I have heard so many people say, “It’s gluten-free so it’s healthy.” This is a huge, huge assumption.

I am gluten-free and a healthy conscience eater. I do not eat foods with artificial flavorings and try to stay with the gluten-free whole grain flours, etc. So, it’s more than just about eating gluten-free, it’s about eating healthy first. That’s the most important thing and I wish that manufacturers would stop trying to just “get in the game” by making products with unhealthy ingredients and look to make gluten-free products that are healthier for the body! So, in the event that this doesn’t happen soon, we must take charge and make the right decisions for our total well-being. Don’t just get so happy when mainstream manufacturers launch a gluten-free product. Do your due diligence and read the labels and make sure that the product has healthy gluten-free ingredients.

Click to Read more

OMG, this morning was one of those darn mornings!!!!!!!!!!! I got up with all intentions of exercising but I was due for a weigh-in prior to the workout. So, I took off all of my heavy garments so I didn’t have any extra stuff adding to the fat, and as I stepped on the scale I was excited because I had been eating well and reducing the late healthy snacking. I knew that I hadn’t exercised in a couple of days, but I hadn’t been eating like a pig either. Well, as I stepped on that scale, confident that I was going to be a few inches closer to my 1 pound loss per month goal, I was surprisingly shocked at what I saw! I gained 1.6 pounds in 5 days!!!!!!! I was UPSET, angry, disappointed and sad. What happened? So, rather than exercising at that moment, I decided to meditate and pray to remain calm and optimistic that I will get better—one day I will loose all of the weight that my body is holding on to due to an out-of-whack thyroid. I felt better, but I did feel the need to post my feelings as a status update on my twitter and facebook page and I did get a few comments confirming the same thing.

After my sadness, I decided that I will not stress out about this gain, but instead try to remain calm. I think what has been happening is that I have been under quite a bit of stress with my business and volunteer activities. So, rather than stress about my 1.6 pound increase, I am going to keep repeating my affirmations and keep expecting the best in terms of my health! I spoke with Mary Shomon, a thyroid activist and author, over the weekend and she said that it is likely that my adrenals are low and that my body is likely going through other hormonal changes since I am… hmmm, getting older.

I am waiting on the test results from a recent saliva test and allergy test that I took a week ago. Even though I was calm that day, I would not be surprised if my adrenals where crazy! I’ll share with what happens!

PART 2: I Survived…
I survived today and I felt so much better after writing out my feelings and taking a step back to think about life. Of course, my mom had to give me a little shake too to remind of these things. So, as I close out my day to prepare for the next day, I’m feeling great about life despite the setback with this crazy, hormonal, autoimmune disorder!

Throughout my teen and adult years, my mom has always encouraged me to eat bananas.  In fact, she would always say, “Eat a banana to get your potassium.”  So I ate the banana even though I didn’t know why potassium was good for me and I’m not sure that she even knew why either.  All I knew was that “mom’s always right!”  Well, recently, mom did it again, she reminded me to eat my banana, but unlike the past, I decided to find out why I needed to have this banana!  Needless to say, mom was indeed right to encourage me to get my potassium.

Through my research, I learned that potassium is one of three major minerals, called an electrolyte.  The functions of potassium include the following¹:

• Assist with regulating fluids and mineral balance in and out of the cells
• Assist with maintaining normal blood pressure by blunting sodium’s effects on blood pressure
• Assist with transmitting nerve impulses/signals
• Help muscles to relax

As you see, if you have challenges with high blood pressure or if you eat a lot of foods high in sodium, then you should definitely start to boost your potassium.  So how much potassium is necessary daily for men and women to achieve these benefits¹?

• Ages 9 – 13                        4500mg
• Ages 14 and up                   4700mg
• Breast feeding women          5100mg

Potassium can be found in almost all foods; see the table below to find out what foods have potassium; these foods are ranked from highest to lowest.

I absolutely love baby bananas. A friend told me about these petite delights at the end of 2008, but I was I unable to find them until  few months ago at Super Wal-mart! I was surprised when I saw them but I knew instantly that these were the bananas that she told me about many months ago. I could not wait to peel this wonderful, tender fruit when I got into my car! I must admit that when I first tasted it, I did taste a slight difference than the familiar taste of  the “regular” or mature banana. The biggest difference was that  it was much sweeter than the mature banana.

Baby bananas are typically grown in more humid climates like South America or Central America. Many of the baby bananas that I have seen come from Ecuador and sold by Chiquita or Dole.   These delicious bananas are about 3 inches long and are sold in about 10 to 12 in a bunch.  Sometimes they are also known as lady fingers or baby fingers.  In addition to Super Wal-mart, these bananas are sold at Whole Foods or at most ethnic grocery stores, especially those focused on Latin/Spanish cuisine.  You will pay twice as much for these wonderful delights (~ $1.49 – $1.99/lb), but they are worth it!

Also, baby bananas are awesome when darn brown with a few yellow areas and used in a smoothie.  So, if you can’t eat them fast enough, have no few, just save for use in a smoothie!  Click picture below to watch the food review video!

(click to play video)

Okay, I am sure that you have seen several varieties of tea at the supermarket that range from bagged tea leaves to loose tea leaves to bottled teas to herbal teas, like mint, chamomile, jasmine, etc. There are so many types that it may be hard for “neo-tea drinker”s to choose. I used to be one of those neo-tea drinkers, but after traveling to China, my appreciation for tea grew tremendously! Not only did I learn about the history, I learned what to look for when selecting tea and how to steep the perfect cup of tea! In fact, my first tea party was in Shanghai, China!

One of the biggest things that I learned is that full tea leaves that are mostly sold loose are far better than the crushed tea leaves that you get in most bagged tea. The flavor profile is far more intense and you get more of the wonderful antioxidants.

My recommendations for selecting green tea:
1. Select a green tea that is 100% green tea leaves or green tea leaves mixed with other tea leaves or natural herbs/spices such as mint leaves paired with green tea leaves. Avoid the tea that is mixed or infused with flavors such as vanilla, caramel, etc. The tea will lose more of its natural properties as these flavors are processed and added to the tea leaves.

2. Stay clear away from those bottled green teas that have a long list of ingredients that includes high fructose corn syrup and food coloring! This is not good for the body.

3. Purchase loose green tea leaves at least once to experience its natural flavor. You will need to purchase a tea ball or a cup with a basket to hold the leaves as the tea steeps or else you will have leaves floating in your cup, which is how it is consumed in China!

My top 3 favorite brands of tea when I am not drinking Longjing Green Tea from China are as follows:
1. Revolution® Tea – full-leaf tea; available in silk bags or loose in several varieties.
2. Mighty Leaf® Tea – full tea leaves; available in a proprietary silk Tea Pouch™ or loose in several varieties.

Both of these brands can be purchased from selected grocery stores/specialty stores or ordered online. If you unable to purchase these brands then I recommend that you purchase Tazo® tea. This tea is also available both full leaf and in regular tea filter bags. Though it did not make my top list it is in 3rd place.

1 teaspoon loose green tea leaves (or 1 tea bag)
1 cup water
½ teaspoon raw honey or raw agave nectar (optional)

Add tea leaves to a tea ball or strainer and place in a large ceramic cup.  Bring water to a boil (be careful not to allow the water to come to a rolling boil). Pour hot water over tea ball and let steep 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove tea ball and serve.  If desired, add honey or agave nectar to tea.

There are so many different types of tea accessories available that you can purchase to make sipping on a perfect cup of tea enjoyable.  When I first started drinking tea, of course it was in the tea bags, but later I transitioned to full leaf tea and for that I needed something to hold the leaves.  So, I found a number of accessories, which include stainless steel tea balls, infusers, mesh strainers, etc.  Which should I choose?!  Everyone has their own preference, but over time, I began to favor those accessories that would allow me to have the full flavor of the tea after steeping.  So, my favorite tea accessories are the mesh balls and strainers.

Tea accessories can be purchased anywhere tea is sold, as well as online http://bit.ly/J9vmy.

Green tea originated in China thousands of years ago and was used for medicinal purposes. Botanical studies indicate that India and China were among the first countries to cultivate tea.¹ Tea is made from the leaves of a single plant species called Camellia sinensis.² There are three main varieties of tea—green, black and oolong. The differences between them are the processing techniques. Green tea is the least processed made from non-oxidized leaves whereas black and oolong tea leaves are fermented (oxidized).

Tea, especially green tea, is packed with lots of wonderful benefits such as antioxidants, EGCG—epigallocatechin gallate, that have been known to reduce high blood sugar, lower risks of heart attack, lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and to slow cancer growth. Green tea naturally has caffeine that ranges between 30 and 35mg per cup (black tea has about 40 to 60mg per cup) and coffee has 100 to 150mg per cup.² So as you see, not all caffeine is bad for you! In fact in 2006, The Journal of the American Medical Association published that by drinking green tea you may prolong your life! Now isn’t that worth a cup of tea?!

Studies have shown that women who drank 5 or more daily cups of green tea benefited most, decreasing their heart disease mortality risk by 31% compared with women who drank one cup or less per day. Men who drank the most tea also did well with a 22% risk reduction.

¹“Green Tea.” Wikipedia. July 15, 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_tea. July 15, 2009.
²Chappell, Mary Margaret. “What’s Brewing.” Wildoats. January/February., 2007.

At least once a week someone asks me about  the differences between whole grain and whole wheat.  Because I kept getting that question, I thought that maybe I should just share the answer with all of you just in case you were wondering the same thing.  First of all, grains (also known as cereal grains) are grasses that are cultivated for the edible components of their fruit seeds¹.  A whole grain is the entire edible part of any grains.  A list of grains includes the following:

• Wheat
• Barley
• Spelt
• Corn
• Oats
• Rice
• Buckwheat*
• Rye
• Quinoa*
• Millet
• Amaranth*
• Sorghum
• Teff

*not real grasses, considered as pseudocereals

The entire (whole) edible parts of the grain include the following²:

1. Bran:  the outer layers of the grain that supplies antioxidants, B vitamins, trace minerals, and dietary fiber.
2. Endosperm: the inner part of the grain with most of the proteins and carbohydrates and small amounts of vitamins and minerals.
3. Germ:  the small but very important part; it sprouts, generating a new plant.  It is rich in B vitamins, vitamin E, trace minerals, antioxidants and essential fats.

As you see, most of the fiber and vitamins/minerals come from the bran and the germ parts of the grain.  When the grain is milled, the germ and the bran are stripped away leaving behind the endosperm, which is how white flour is produced.  Because this flour does not contain any vitamins or minerals, the government has required that iron and B-vitamins are added back in to the flour, hence the name “enriched wheat.”

So how do you select which bread to choose?  Here are some tips:

1. Look at the ingredients label on the product.  Look for the words “whole grain”, “whole wheat”, or “100% whole grain.”  You would want to purchase this product.
2. If you see the word “enriched” or “wheat flour” do not purchase.  Wheat flour is another name for white flour!  Do NOT be fooled by the words on the package—it’s just advertising!
3. Beware of breads labeled as “7-grain” or “multigrain” as these may or may not be true whole grains; it could just be a marketing ploy.  The only way to know for sure is to read the ingredients label.
4. Pay attention to the amount of dietary fiber on the label; if the product is a whole grain, it will be high in dietary fiber.

So the bottom line to this article, in terms of nutrition, both “whole grain” and “whole wheat” are great for you!  In fact, whole wheat is a type of a whole grain.

¹“Cereal.”  Wikipedia. May 23, 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereal>.  May 28, 2009.

²Duyff, Roberta Larson.  Complete Food and Nutrition Guide.  New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006.