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Dr. Samantha’s Top Ten Tips for Healthy Eating on Vacation

By Dr. Samantha Brody, On April 24, 2012

A few weeks ago I was chatting with a patient about my upcoming vacation. She said “you’re going to really enjoy yourself, right?” I asked her what she meant and she said she supposed I would just eat whatever I felt like eating because I was on vacation.

I answered yes, I do eat whatever I feel like eating when I’m on vacation, but after years of eating things that don’t make me feel well, I now pretty much always feel like eating food that makes me feel vital, energetic and incredibly satisfied. Even on vacation.

Here’s the deal. On occasion I eat something that isn’t “healthy,” but across the board I stay away from foods that don’t agree with me. Yes, it’s sometimes challenging logistically but I’ve worked out the details over time and I know how to navigate vacations so I can take care of myself. Here are some tips so you can too.

1.     Book an apartment or a suite with a kitchen instead of a hotel room. Often it’s no more expensive but even if it is, you can usually make up for the price difference by by cooking a few meals in instead of going out to eat. I’ve had (mostly) great luck on airbnb, usually paying 30-40% less than I would have on a decent hotel room with more space as well as a place to cook. VRBO is another good option.

2.     If you do end up in a hotel, make sure the in-house restaurant can accommodate your needs. A quick phone call to the kitchen will get that answered for you. Often they are happy to take care of you. If not, there is usually another hotel option nearby.

3.     Also, if you end up staying in a hotel, ask them to put a small fridge in the room before you arrive for restaurant leftovers and a few things you may pick up at the store (cereal, milk, etc.) Many hotels have these available for free. You can always empty out the honor bar in a pinch.

4.     Scout out grocery store locations before you get to where you’re going. Where do you usually shop for healthy foods at home? The perimeter of a regular grocery store? Costco? The health food store? Trader Joes? There’s a good chance you’ll find something similar where you’re going.

5.     Pack some healthy snacks to go. If you have special foods you may not be able to find when you get to your location, bring them along.

6.     Scout out restaurants before you go as well. There’s no harm in looking at reviews before you even head out, regardless of dietary needs. Almost all restaurants have menus on line these days and you can get a pretty good idea of what may or may not work. Just like when you’re at home, choose your meal not just by what sounds good, but by what sounds good AND is good for your body.

7.     Consider your ability to eat healthfully and get exercise as part of your choice of destination. For example, if you know that on a cruise you will eat too much and not get enough exercise, skip the cruise and go to a city that’s good for wandering.

8.     If you’re visiting family, let them know ahead of time that you’ve made some changes to your diet and you’re feeling great. If they can’t accommodate you, or you don’t want to ask, no problem. Take care of your own food, or do the best you can. There is a great deal of harshing going on these days toward people who choose to avoid certain foods because it’s a ‘fad.’ I say stand firm in your knowing that you are choosing to eat in a way that makes you feel well and is in integrity with what you want for your body and for your health. If people don’t understand that, it’s their problem.

9.     You may choose not to be as strict as usual when you’re on vacation but vacation doesn’t mean throwing your progress away.  Spend some time thinking before you go about why you have made the diet changes, and why you might (or might not) want to stick with those changes while you’re on vacation. Getting clear about this before you go can be very helpful.

10.  Do your best and don’t stress. It’s not what you do some of the time, but what you do most of the time that counts. These are just some ideas to support you, but take it easy on yourself. It’s vacation after all.

Do you have any to add?

Enjoy!

-Dr Samantha

 

 

 

Hormone Health and Balance for Women in their 20s and 30s: LECTURE

By Dr. Samantha Brody, On April 17, 2012

I’ve got a LECTURE tomorrow WED APRIL 18th, 7pm at New Seasons Market on Division. Hormone Health and Balance for Women in their 20s and 30s.

Mood and sleep disturbances, PMS, fertility issues, headaches and migraines, digestive problems, painful periods and other cyclical symptoms are often signs of a hormonal imbalance. It is typical for young women to be given few options, other than birth control and anti-depressants to address them. Dr. Samantha explains the nuts and bolts of your hormone health and offers practical strategies to help you gain hormonal balance and take control of your body- and your life.

Give a call to sign up if you can 503.445.2888, or just show up. It’s looking like a pretty good sized crowd. Come join us and bring your friends!

It’s Spring: To Detox or Not to Detox?

By Dr. Samantha Brody, On April 14, 2012

This may draw the wrath of my colleagues but I’m not the biggest fan of a detox. Mostly because “detox” so often comes with the idea that there is something that needs to be purged from the body.* You overdo it with foods and habits that are harmful to your health, then do some strict plan and go right back to where you left off when it’s over. I’m not all that sure there’s much benefit in that, to be honest.

Detox programs can be extreme, forcing low blood sugar or purging the digestive tract with laxatives. You may feel better when doing this kind of detox, but often this improvement is because you are avoiding unhealthy foods, fast foods, sugar and alcohol.

Now, that said, spring is a great time for new beginnings and I think that instead of a “detox” spring is a great time for a “reboot.”

Almost every year in the spring my husband and I take a month (or so, depending on our goals) to avoid all of the foods that may be hard on our bodies and focus on treating ourselves well, inside and out. This includes increasing our dedication to our self-care regimens and committing time and space to the things we do that serve to improve the health of our bodies, minds, and spirits.

There are some aspects of a spring reboot that are beneficial to everyone: avoiding dairy, gluten, soy, and other foods that may produce an immune response or sensitivity. Also, everyone benefits from avoiding alcohol, coffee, and sugar. But when I suggest a spring reboot to my patients, I focus on a plan that meets their specific health goals and needs. For some patients I focus on an anti-inflammatory program, others gut healing, and others liver support. And some really just need to address the emotional issues that come up when they stop eating sugar every day (this is no small task, I may add.)

Then, when the month is over, foods can be reintroduced one at a time and you have the opportunity to experience how your body really feels in response to each food. (The metaphor I use is that if you hit yourself on the head all day with a hammer, after a while it won’t hurt so much, you’re used to it. But if you stop hitting yourself for a month and then start again, it may hurt even more.) And, perhaps more important than reintroductions, the spring reboot offers the opportunity to choose not to reintroduce things that you know don’t serve you, be it something you’re sensitive to or simply things that no one should be eating such as hydrogenated oils and corn syrup.

This spring, consider taking some time to look at your health goals. Are you eating in a way that works for you? Are you ready to finally stop messing with diets and figure out what foods are right for your body? Do you think that eating more healthfully would help you feel better? Yes? A spring reboot is a great place to start.

You in?

-Dr Samantha

*There are cases where people actually do have a build up of heavy metals or other chemical toxins but this should be diagnosed with testing and treated by a qualified physician.

Cook This: Easy Taco Dinner (Gluten-free, Dairy-free)

By Dr. Samantha Brody, On March 25, 2012

I’m not much of a prepackaged mix kind of cook but for tacos I’m all about that package. When I was growing up we had tacos often and when I found a health food-ish version of the mix my mom used, I added tacos to my grown-up comfort food list (along with hot dogs and beans with melted “cheese” but that’s another post.)

There are several brands of taco mix available at the health food store and I have settled on Bearitos (wow, that may be one of the most dated websites I’ve seen in ages) as my favorite. Again, it might not actually be the best one but it is the one that most approximates my childhood favorite.

The great thing about this dinner is it’s easy. And it can be quick depending upon how many different toppings you want to have available. I also offer my boys a choice of taco meat on salad greens (low carb), baked corn chips, soft corn tortillas or fried taco shells. Usually  it ends up being some combination for my kid, soft tacos for me, and salad for my husband.

There are a few options for what kind of meat to use. We tend to do buffalo, but I also recommend grass fed and finished beef, or you can even use chicken or turkey. When we ate soy I used to use half beef and half firm tofu that had either been frozen/crumbled or had the water squeezed out with a cheese cloth. You could probably also cut the meat with tempeh but that is an acquired taste so go for it if you know what you’re getting into. The package will have directions and I usually use about 3/4 of the package instead of the whole thing because it’s pretty salty.

Toppings: shredded romaine hearts, fresh or drained canned OG tomatoes, avocado, marinated onions, jalapeños, sliced olives, or whatever strikes your fancy. We don’t eat cheese but there is a non-dairy non-soy cheese called Daiya that we really like and sometimes I’ll melt this over the chips or meat before  I serve it.

The really fun thing about this meal is that everyone can build their own dinner. Oh, and don’t forget to serve it with a side vegetable. Always a side vegetable.

Enjoy!

-Dr Samantha

Cook This: Massaged Kale with Almond Butter Dressing

By Dr. Samantha Brody, On February 27, 2012

I’ve been cooking healthy food for 20+ years. I’ve worked in a macrobiotic restaurant. I’ve worked at the deli at a health food store. I’ve worked catering gigs. And I’ve taken countless classes in vegetarian cooking. But I have never, ever, heard of massaging kale.

My husband, who can barely cook his way out of a paper bag (ok, with the exception of whole grain scratch pancakes- he can totally rock those suckers), came home from visiting a friend of ours in Seattle and announced that he had learned a great new way to prepare raw kale. I was suspicious at best. He explained that she had him massage the kale for 10-15 minutes, squeezing it as hard as he could and the result was soft and yummy kale salad.

Within 24 hours I was set up in my kitchen to give it a try, partly because it seemed so ridiculous. But sure enough cowboy, it worked! And even better, I suspected it would go more quickly and easily if you actually massaged oil into it. Bingo!

Now to decide how to dress it. I remembered a pretty decent dish that I learned how to make about 25 years ago when I was following some absurd detox program. It was shredded carrots and celery with a dressing of almond butter and apple juice. But I don’t particularly like celery so the recipe settled into the recesses of my mind, until now. The dressing would work well here, I was certain.

The first time I made it I used regular kale, boxed OG apple juice and roasted almond butter. The second time I made it I used lacinato kale, raw almond butter and unpasteurized apple juice. The second round was tastier but I’m not sure if it was the different kale or the quality of the ingredients that made the difference. I’ll see if I can work that out. Please give me your feedback if you try it both ways.

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized head of kale
• 4 medium carrots
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup almond butter
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup apple juice
• Optional one inch piece of ginger
• Pinch or two of salt if your almond butter was unsalted

Instructions

1. Clean kale, remove tough center rib and rip into pieces.
2. Grate 4 carrots.
3. Pour oil on kale and massage it for about five minutes as if you’re kneading dough or giving someone a really deep back massage. You can add a little more oil here if you like. The pile should reduce in size by about 50% by the time you’re done.
4. Add grated carrots to kale.
5. Mix apple juice, almond butter and salt together with a fork. If you want the dressing a little thinner you can add some water. Here is where you would grate (on a ginger grater) ginger and squeeze the juice in if you go for the ginger part.
6. Pour dressing over kale and carrots and toss well.

I’m on a kick to eat a head of kale every 2-3 days. This is helping.

 

Enjoy!

Dr. Samantha

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cook This: Meatoaf Muffins- Gluten and dairy free goodness

By Dr. Samantha Brody, On February 14, 2012

A patient recently told me she made up a recipe for “buffaluffins.” Buffalo meat muffins. Brilliant, I thought. And look what was sitting in my fridge- a pound of grass fed grass finished beef waiting to be made into burgers. Forget it! Muffins it is. The first round was good. Not great. I tweaked the recipe a bit to add more veggies and took out a few things I threw in there that didn’t work (flax seeds for one- not sure what I was thinking.) Bingo.

Note: this recipe includes cooked quinoa which I would recommend making the night before so it will be cool for mixing into the meatloaf. Here is a great link for instructions on cooking it. I take a simpler approach and just go 2:1 (ish) with water to quinoa but her instructions lead to a better result texturally.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb grass fed/grass finished ground beef
• 1-2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 medium onion: minced
• 2 medium or one large carrot: minced
• 2-3 cups of chard cut into tiny strips- packed tightly into measuring cup
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 egg
• 2 TBSP tomato paste
• ¼ tsp salt
• pepper grinder with whole pepper

Instructions

1. If you haven’t cooked quinoa, do so now. See above.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. While quinoa is cooking heat 1 TBSP oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot add minced onion. Sauté about 5 minutes or until onion is soft and starting to brown. Add carrots. Cook until just soft. Add chard and cook until soft. Please note at any time if you need a little more olive oil, feel free to add it.
4. Remove from heat and put in large bowl to cool. When it’s slightly cool add quinoa, tomato paste, egg, salt and a few turns of pepper to the bowl. Mix well. I use my hands.
5. Add meat. Mix.
6. Add egg. Mix.
7. Roll into balls and drop into muffin tin. This recipe made 8 muffins for me.
8. Cook 15-20 min until cooked through.

You can serve with red sauce or ketchup. A good side dish with this is sautéed spinach or kale. And a salad. Of course.

Here’s a nutritional breakdown per muffin. Calories: 179, Carbs: 9g, Protein 13g, Fiber 2g, Fat 11g.

Enjoy!

-Dr Samantha

 

Seriously, HOW did you get your kid to eat that?

By Dr. Samantha Brody, On February 12, 2012

 

Simple. Start from the beginning. Of course there are some kids that no matter what you give them they won’t have a taste for healthy foods, but in my experience that’s the very rare exception. Naturopaths who have an emphasis on nutrition most often have children who eat a wide range of foods including varied vegetables, spices, whole grains, game meats, healthy fats, and even take herbs, fish oil, vitamins and other remedies without batting an eye. What’s so different about how we feed our kids? We give them healthy foods. Period. And call me a zealot but I say kids should get healthy foods and healthy foods only for as long as you can possibly manage it.

Children’s palates are a blank slate. They learn foods as they eat them. Now that said, some children do have an immediate dislike for certain textures or tastes. My friend Michelle posted a video on her blog a few years ago that proves this point swimmingly (please do not try this at home, folks.) But even if your child rejects a food, try it again every few weeks, you’ll be surprised at how your child’s tastes change.

A child who has never had white bread will be satisfied with whole grain. A child who hasn’t had food smothered in cheese won’t ask for mac and cheese for dinner. Oh, and by the way, dairy isn’t a nutrient, calcium is, vitamin D is, but your child will be fine if she doesn’t eat dairy on a regular basis as long as she’s getting enough calcium and vitamin D. But I digress.

 

Here are some tips to start your child off right. And trust me, the earlier you start the better off you’ll be.

 

ETA: I just read this post to my husband and he pointed out I should add that another healthy tip is to skip dessert entirely. Just because you’re used to dessert, there is no reason to give it to children. Dinner can be complete, should be complete, without a sweet ending. How many adults wish they hadn’t developed that habit of wanting something sweet to eat at the end of a meal?

43 is the new 35

By Dr. Samantha Brody, On February 8, 2012

A few months ago, around Halloween, I started to have some shoulder pain when I was working out. This wasn’t terribly unusual for me so I ratcheted it back a bit but it kept getting worse. At the end of December I broke down and made an appointment to see the orthopedist. As a physician, I try not to self-diagnose so I played dumb at the appointment but my suspicion was also his suspicion- a SLAP lesion. I’ll spare you the details but let’s just say it’s not pretty. The first week of January I had an MRI done at Siker Imaging in Portland* and the result was as we expected. Oh, there were also a number of more minor issues- fraying, partial tears, fibrosis or tissue thickening, and inflammation. Not a terribly big surprise but a drag to hear, nonetheless.

As I was fully expecting the orthopedist to schedule surgery I was practically giddy to hear him say that he thinks aggressive PT might very well take care of my symptoms. It was almost enough for me to let slide his comment “Well you’re not 35 anymore.” True, that, but really, doesn’t he know that 43 is the new 35?

Anyway, in addition to the exercises, my PT wants me icing my shoulder for 15 minutes 5x a day.  It’s not how I would do it if I were in charge but I’m leaving it up to her (did I just hear you gasp?). In order to facilitate the icing I bought a shoulder ice pack, which thankfully was available in a youth size for little league pitchers. Apparently my shoulder girdle is the size of a 12 year old’s.

I’ve also put myself on a bunch of anti-inflammatory supplements and I’m about to start a 6-8 week anti-inflammatory diet. I’m already a very healthy eater. No wheat, no dairy, very little soy, little sugar, no artificial anything (excepting a very occasional bag of sour patch kids- the dentist told me it was better for my teeth than eating lemons), and only ethically raised meat. But we’re digging in a little deeper for the next few months. No gluten, cooked tomato, peppers, pork-that one is a biggie for me, bread of any kind, potatoes, noodles, or other high carb items.

I’m actually pretty excited to have to put aside some of our standard fare and try some new recipes. We just bought 2 new cookbooks The Primal Blueprint and Well Fed, both paleo cookbooks with lots of very interesting recipes.

Oh, I had my first fail this morning with a smoothie: D’Adamo’s type O protein powder, hemp milk, frozen banana and greens powder. Gag. I’ll be back to post the recipes that actually work.

 

*As an aside I was shocked to find that I absolutely loved being in the MRI machine. It was weirdly soothing. I seriously could have spent the entire day in that tube.

Navigating Superbowl Sunday

By Dr. Samantha Brody, On February 5, 2012

Tomorrow is Superbowl Sunday. We’re just over a month into 2012 and already I’m seeing that the gym isn’t quite so full of all of the resolution folks. But if you resolved to make healthier choices this year (or you have a healthy eating theme) and you are having trouble figuring out how to navigate in a world where most people don’t make healthy choices, Superbowl Sunday is a great opportunity to put your values into action.

These ideas aren’t specific, of course, to Superbowl parties, but can be used at any party. It just seems for some reason that a gathering around sports is more likely to include crappy food. What’s up with that?

1. Pick a designated driver. OK, that’s not a food choice but tomorrow ranks high in traffic fatalities due to alcohol. Don’t drive even after a few drinks, it’s not worth it. You never know how impaired another driver will be and you need your reflexes intact.
2. Decide ahead of time how much you want to drink, and really, if you want to drink at all. It’s remarkable when you’re in a room full of people drinking beer how your hand just always seems to have a beer in it. Not to say you shouldn’t have beer, but it’s empty calories and you just might be engaged enough in the game that a glass of water would suit your needs just fine.
3. Call ahead. If you are wondering if the host will have healthy food available, give a call. A simple “Hey, I’m curious to know what’s on the menu tomorrow.” can go a long way to helping you make your game plan.
4. Bring a dish to share. Depending upon how well you know the host you can ask about bringing something or just bring it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve brought something healthy to a party full of junk food and have had person after person tell me they’re so glad to have it available.
5. Eat first. I do this all the time. I’ll eat a big salad with some protein on it, leftovers from the fridge, or in a pinch I’ll stop and grab something to eat on the way. That way I can skip eating at the party, or just graze. A little bit of unhealthy food is way better than a lot of unhealthy food.
6. Bring your own food. I recently attended a wedding with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole grain bread in my purse. And an auction with whole grain crackers in my coat pocket. I’m not whipping it out in front of everyone but if it’s a priority to eat healthfully, what’s the harm in slipping out for a sec? No harm at all, I say.  You know what? Now that I think of it there are plenty of times (at a casual gathering) I do just bring my own food and load it up onto a plate instead of loading up what’s on the buffet table. Again, I wouldn’t do that at a wedding but a Superbowl party? Sure.

Enjoy! (and go Giants!)

-Dr Samantha

12 Healthy Changes for 2012

By Dr. Samantha Brody, On January 1, 2012

Is 2012 going to be the year you make sweeping lifestyle changes for a healthier you? Great! Find the support you need to identify your goals and make a path to get there. If that’s too much, think about small changes. They add up quickly if you can stick to them. Here are some ideas for the coming year. One a month? Pick 3 this year? Think about what your goals are and which of these will help you get to where you want to be.

I’ll be fleshing all of these out on the blog over the coming year. Comment with your successes and ideas!

1. Move your body. We have more than ample information now that proves that even increasing your movement by 30 minutes a day can have a profound effect on your health.
2. Increase your vegetables. Eat 3-4 cups of low carb vegetables a day.  Make it at least a cup of dark leafy greens. Eat roasted veggies for snack. Have 2 servings of veggies with dinner. At least a cup per veggie. Try new recipes if you get bored.
3. Get enough sleep. 8 hours is ideal. 7 is minimum. I need 9 and know many other folks who do as well. If you think you’re rested enough with 6 or 7, cut out coffee and see if you’re still ‘well rested.’
4. Cut down on TV time. The average American watches over 4 hours a day of TV. Once we add screen time it can easily double or triple. We just finished a challenge of no TV for 6 months. It’s not as hard as you think.
5. Drink more water. And green tea, it’s water with added benefits.
6. Take vacations. Even if you can’t afford to get away, take a break from your day to day.
7. Increase your fiber intake. Fiber is important for healthy digestion. And yes you should have a BM at least once a day.
8. Eat 3 meals a day. Or more if you prefer smaller meals. Eating regularly leads to healthier eating as you don’t get famished and compromise what you know is a good choice.
9. Plan ahead for meals. If you plan ahead you’re much less likely to grab junk. Period.
10. Take time for yourself every day. Many of us spend the greater part of our lives taking care of others. It’s a good thing, in my opinion, but if you don’t take care of yourself then it’s too easy to burn out and either become resentful or simply too exhausted to manage.
11. Stretch. Flexibility is an important part of good health. It prevents injury and helps you retain a sense of balance into your older years.
12. Breathe. Every hour take 3 deep breaths. Set your phone alarm to go off every hour as a reminder.  You’ll be amazed at how this resets the tone of your day.

• Samantha Brody, ND LAc

  

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