Category: Water

Immune Boosters for Kids (Podcast Episode #20)

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Immune Boosters for Kids

Hi friends! Corinne and I are fighting cold and flu season, so what a great time to chat about how to boost kids’ immune systems!? Yep, your kids are going to get sick this season, it’s gonna happen. But what are the ways you can keep germs at bay and their bodies fighting things off quickly and quietly? Take a listen to Episode 20 or check out our tips below!

7 Ways to Boost Your Kids’ Immune Systems:

  1. Help them get lots of healthy sleep. Get those kids to bed. Sleep is an immune-booster… let them get the rest they need to fight off the icks.
  2. Keep them hydrated. When it’s chilly out and they’re not sweating all the time and feeling thirsty, it’s easy to get dehydrated. Push water just like you do on the summertime soccer field.
  3. Get them their flu shots. It can’t hurt, and may keep your child from getting super major sick this season. And if you have kids with autoimmune diseases like I do, flu shots are a must.
  4. Pull back on sugar and fatty garbage. Oh the Halloween candy and the holiday parties! Ration, trash, and skip altogether if you can. Foods that aren’t good for your heart are also great at weakening your immune system.
  5. Push the multivitamins. A few extra milligrams of vitamin C and zinc can’t hurt. Get your kids on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule can keep the vitamins on a realistic schedule.
  6. Feed them more veggies. Now’s the time of year when veggies like canned pumpkin can go in every baked item, sauce and pancake. Even if it’s too chilly to chomp on raw veggies, sneak them into every warm dish possible. The fiber and antioxidants are just what little bodies need to stay healthy.
  7. Get them outside more. There are very few conditions where you can’t bundle up and head out into the backyard or to a playground for an hour or two. Bring a thermos of hot chocolate and get them some fresh air. The germs are actually INside, not OUTside, and it’s all the time inside that gives the colder months a bad rap for sickness.

Stay tuned for next week’s episode with immune boosting tips for adults. Until then, happy veggie eating!

xo, Jen & Corinne

Detox Day 5: So Much Pee, So Little Time

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Gavins Point Dam Release, Photo by: Omaha USACE

I know you’ve been saying it… “Didn’t I *just* pee?” You did! And you love it! Happy Day 5, potty partners. How did we get here so fast?!?

Frequent peeing is good. REALLY good. Here’s why: You’ve been dehydrated. When that happens, your body holds back water like a Dam. It thinks you’re in a drought situation, so it clings onto as many ounces as it can as a means of survival. This translates into a slower metabolism (body panic mode), inefficient kidneys, bloating, water retention, and a really bad holistic poker hand.

SO, by scarfing down tons of raw foods rich in H2O and drinking herbal tea and water all day long, every cell of your body celebrates. The Dam is lifted and away goes the bloating, body sadness, and the toxins that are purging themselves from your person while you detox. Guess I shoulda put toilet paper on the Detox shopping list!? You’ll also note that your pee is very light in color. Another reeeally good sign. You’re hanging on to the good nutrients and flushing your system of the bad. Hurray!

For more hydration excitement, check out one of my most popular posts from the past: The Water Solution: Younger Skin, More Energy, and Less Flab.

So, drink up. Tomorrow is the 2nd last day! Keep up the fabulous treatment you’re giving your precious body, and keep sharing your experiences! xoxo

Raw Food 3-Day Starts Tomorrow!

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Image by: Manitoba Harvest

Image by: Manitoba Harvest

A totally raw diet has been on my to-do list for a super long time. While I eat lots and lots of raw foods every day — sometimes 75% of what I eat is raw — I’ve never gone completely 100%. Actually, after looking at this raw meal plan, I know why I’ve waited so long! But, you can do anything for 3 days, right? This time around, I’m not going to do anything fancy or extreme. No sprouting or specialized products beyond hemp hearts for making raw hemp milk, and no specialized equipment beyond my juicer, Vitamix blender, and oven to act as a dehydrator running at 115 degrees. I *am* going to try and replicate those pricey kale chips that are coated with “cheesy” raw cashews. Keep an eye out for that final product. So, here goes: Starting tomorrow! With me?

Breakfast: I plan to start the day with herbal tea and a hearty Green Smoothie containing fruits (banana, berries), veggies (greens), raw almond butter (newly found at Trader Joe’s), and raw hemp milk (see recipe below). I’ll continue my philosophy that a healthy high-calorie breakfast will bring you nothing but glory throughout the day. Many raw foodists eat an entire watermelon and 15 bananas for breakfast. That sounds dreadful. Other ideas that sound way better (to me at least…):

Snacks: I plan to chow on raw nuts, fruit, veggies, and my Pulp Crax dipped in raw hummus or spread with mashed avocado. Perhaps some dried fruit or a Larabar.

Lunch: Large fresh veggie salad topped with raw seeds, cold-pressed olive oil (raw foodists like this brand, although I’ll probably stick with the cold-pressed one in my pantry for this 3-day experiment), a teeny tiny bit of apple cider vinegar (can’t find any other easy-to-find vinegars that are raw), and sea salt.

Dinner: Raw soup, warmed up with the spin of the Vitamix. Check out all these raw soup recipes. The Carrot Ginger and Cream of Mushroom look especially tasty. Or, I may go for Skinny Dish’s very own Gazpacho a la Shepherd Street using apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar, omitting the croutons, and doubling up on the avocado. Plus, some raw almonds on the side or crumbled on top.

Dessert: 1 or 2 dates stuffed with raw almond butter. Divine! I tried this recipe for Raw Cookie Dough SHAPE Magazine a while back using raw agave instead of honey & maple syrup. It totally rocked!

Night-time Snack: I have one of these every night, and I can’t imagine that that urge is going to go away with the powers of a raw diet, although I’m totally open to being surprised. I will *plan* on having some fruit and a mini “trail mix” of dried fruit and raw nuts along with my herbal tea.

Doesn’t sound too bad, right? Raw diets claim to give you more energy, better clarity, greater euphoria, better sleep, and even better sex.

For today, happy green foods and St. Patrick’s Day! I’ll see you tomorrow for more green and more raw 🙂

hemp milkRaw Hemp Milk

1 cup raw hemp hearts
4 cups chilled water

Blend for 30-60 second until milky white and smooth. Store in fridge for up to 7 days. Makes 4 cups.

Detox Day 6: Time to Start Thinking About Day 8

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Mmm! A half-plate of veggies

Happy Day 6! What’s the latest? Still feeling good? Sleeping well and feeling energized? Now is a perfect time to start thinking about what happens the day after tomorrow. Will you go back to your pre-Detox eating? A modified version? Take today and tomorrow and make a plan for what you’d like to do long-term. Here are some popular, healthy, and realistic post-Detox modifications to consider:

1. Go back to drinking the morning cup of coffee you missed, but with vanilla almond milk instead of cream and sugar. Try this creamy, dairy-free concoction. Or, enjoy green, white, or black tea as your morning caffeinated beverage.

2. Continue eating the level of fruits and veggies with a giant heaping of cooked veggies at either lunch or dinner, and a giant serving of raw veggies at the other meal. Shoot for HALF your plate being veggies (either raw or cooked) at mealtime.

3. Continue with shakes or smoothies in the morning, but add a protein powder such as this hemp seed one from Trader Joe’s. High in protein, fiber, and essential amino acids, and makes your morning drink more filling.

4. Add a more substantial morning meal such as gluten-free oatmeal (Trader Joe’s has amazing gluten-free oats that seem exactly like traditional rolled oats) with a handful of dried cranberries for sweetness, raw cashews, cinnamon, and cooled down with a dash of unsweetened non-dairy milk. Or heat up a cup of cooked quinoa from the previous night’s dinner with dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon, and non-dairy milk.

5. Enjoy a raw food bar in the afternoon to satisfy your sweet tooth–they’re easy to keep on hand, easily survive life in the bottom of bags, and can be stepped on without changing shape. Examples: Larabar, Pure Energy, and KIND. These can all be found in any old grocery store, TJ’s, or Whole Foods.

6. Continue with the Detox as your constant (developing your own menus using the guidelines), and veer from the Detox for special weekend days, when you go out to eat (trying your best to keep with the guidelines, but allowing yourself those treats you may have been missing), have potlucks, or attend parties.

7. Do the Detox 1-2 days per week or 7 days a month, and a modified version on the other days.

What else will you do to carry on the healthy changes you made once the Detox is done? Hopefully you’ll all continue drinking all those energizing fluids!

Enjoy this day and the new, healthy you! XOXO

Detox Day 3: Fluids and Raw Foods IN, 10 Times More Pee OUT

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Gavins Point Dam Release, Photo by: Omaha USACE

Pee Angels!

I’ve seen you in my crystal ball, and you are doing some SERIOUS peeing! Do you love it or hate it? Well, it’s good. REALLY good. Here’s why: You’ve been dehydrated. When that happens, your body holds back water like a Dam. It thinks you’re in a drought situation, so it clings onto as many ounces as it can as a means of survival. This translates into a slower metabolism (body panic mode), inefficient kidneys, bloating, water retention, and a really bad holistic poker hand.

SO, by scarfing down tons of raw foods rich in H2O and drinking herbal tea and water all day long, every cell of your body celebrates. The Dam is lifted and away goes the bloating, body sadness, and the toxins that are purging themselves from your person while you detox. Guess I shoulda put toilet paper on the Detox shopping list!? You’ll also note that your pee is very light in color. Another reeeally good sign. You’re hanging on to the good nutrients and flushing your system of the bad. Hurray!

For more hydration excitement, check out one of my most popular posts from 2011: The Water Solution: Younger Skin, More Energy, and Less Flab.

Now for Day 3: If you’re following the Detox meal plans exactly, know that this morning’s Shamrock Smoothie is one of my absolute favorites. It’s green, it’s better than great, and you can freeze leftovers in popsicle molds or rinsed-out yogurt containers with popsicle sticks or chopsticks (strategically placed in the middle) for scrumptious frozen treats later on. Who said no dessert on the Detox? 🙂

You’re almost halfway there–Keep up the fabulous treatment you’re giving your precious body, and keep sharing your experiences! XOXO

The Bitchin’ Best of 2011

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Healthy Eating is Fun!

In case you missed these top posts in 2011, there’s still time to catch up before next year. Happy healthy eating!

Most Viewed Post: Back to School: Bag Lunches for a Dietitian’s Kindergartner 

Top Video Post: SuperBowl Sunday: Chips, Dips, and No Fat Pants!

Top Weight Loss Tips Post: 5 Mindless Ways to Drop Calories

Top Health Post: The Water Solution: Younger Skin, More Energy, and Less Flab

Most Viewed Recipe Post: You’ll Never Believe What’s in These Brownies!

Favorite Recipe: Donut Pop-Ems for Hot Bodies

And a HUGE 2011 THANK YOU! Thanks to you and Cooking with Trader Joe’s, my book, Cooking with Trader Joe’s Cookbook: SKINNY DISH!, which released in October has sold over 10,000 copies and remains in the Top 100 on Amazon.

What’s in store for 2012? Cauliflower Chocolate Chip Cookies, 10 Ways to Drop Your Cholesterol in 30 Days, and… another book? You tell me!

Have a happy, fun, healthy, and blessed New Year! XOXO

The Water Solution: Younger Skin, More Energy, and Less Flab

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Photo credit: Greg Riegler Photography

Most people (90% of the US population) are dehydrated. While you might not be exhibiting serious signs like vomiting at random and walking around as grog central, your body is still not operating at optimal capacity, your energy level is much lousier than it could be, and you’re storing fat and making wrinkles at mach speed. Health Unicorns, let’s get this under control. No more excuses. Here’s why you need water, how much, and tricks for getting it:

WHY WATER

  • Your skin needs constant hydration. Raisins are dehydrated grapes. Do you like the way raisins look?
  • Discourage chunkiness. Without enough H2O, your kidneys stink at their crucial jobs and your liver picks up the slack… and your liver can no longer do it’s main job of breaking down fat, which encourages fat storage and cellulite on your rumpus.
  • Better sleep, faster metabolism, more energy. Your body is more at peace when it gets enough agua. Without it, you’re restless, slowed down, and strung out. And people notice.
  • Detoxification Nation. Toxins (anything from pollutants, food additives, and heavy metals) can’t white water raft the river out if there’s no river.

CALCULATING HOW MUCH YOU NEED

  • Method 1: Half your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 162 lbs, you need 81 oz of water per day (~2.5 liters).
  • Method 2: The Replacement Method. You lose 1.5 liters in urine, and 1 liter through breathing, sweating, and BMs each day. Your super healthy diet is ~20% water, so get at least 2 liters per day.
  • Method 3: The Man/Woman Approach. Men: 3 liters per day. Women: 2 liters per day (pregnant or breastfeeding women: 3 liters per day).

HOW TO DO IT

  • Drink 8 oz at the start of each meal or snack. Make sure it’s filtered.
  • Get the coolest looking refillable bottle at the most posh store. Keep it at your desk and refill it every time you come back from the loo.
  • Drink water while you’re waiting for your coffee to brew, pasta water to boil, and child to stop asking for a second dessert.
  • Seltzer it or add cucumber slices, or lemon, lime, or orange wedges for a new spin. Add a dash of cayenne pepper to increase it’s detoxifying power.
  • Herbal teas count, and some give you better digestion (ginger, peppermint), better sleep (chamomile), and whiter teeth (I’m sure there’s one).
  • Avoid diet sodas and artificial sweeteners to meet fluid needs. They leave your body wondering why it didn’t get any sugar out of the sweet-tasting beverage, causing you to eventually crave and scavenge for sugary treats.
  • Caffeinated beverages actually aren’t “negative fluid” if you’re a regular user. You get 80-90% of that fluid. But nothing is as good as straight-up filtered H2O. Did you read recently about how too much caffeine can make you hear voices, specifically Bing Crosby singing White Christmas?
  • Take more showers and get it through osmosis. Ha! Don’t you wish?!
  • If none of these tricks work, just bite the bullet and chug. You might like how you feel after a few days!
Other secrets to staying hydrated? And did you know hot water weighs less than cold?