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3 Ways to Transform Your Kitchen for Better Health and Nutrition

As 2022 nears, people will feel inspired to get their health back on track, and the key to doing so is reinventing their ideal diet. It’s long-held true that the key to good health starts in the kitchen, so it’s important to take the time to revamp your space so that it supports your journey to better health.

Whether you’re reorganizing, restoring, or renovating, the benefits of a refreshed kitchen are plentiful. Not only can it support your physical and mental health, but it can also be a wise financial decision in the long run. If the new year has motivated you to take back your health, here are three simple ways to transform your kitchen for better wellness.

1. New appliances

Are you using decades-old appliances? Believe it or not, old ovens, microwaves, and refrigerators can deter you from trying new recipes and making healthy meals. Plus, the new capabilities of appliances today present more opportunities than ever to make nutritious, tasty, meals efficiently and successfully.

 

While some devices can be on the expensive side, the investment is more than worthwhile; installing them can add significant value to your home and earn you some of your money back should you plan to sell one day. For the most home value, explore energy-efficient appliances as these will also help you save money and energy on your journey to better health.

 

Other appliances to consider for easier and healthier living and cooking include:

  • Refrigerator with water filtration systems
  • Reverse Osmosis water system with re-mineralizer
  • Steamer
  • Blender/Food Processor
  • Vegetable spiralizer

2. Storage solutions

When you come home from the grocery store and start unloading, you might find that there is very little space to put your items. Especially for more nutritious foods like produce, these should be at the forefront of your kitchen and mind. The more you see fruits and vegetables, the easier it is to remember to incorporate them into your meals. Also, if you see them aging, you can be sure to utilize them for that day’s meal to make sure they’re not wasted, along with your money.

 

Wired baskets adhered to the wall are great storage solutions for produce. Open shelving also helps make those healthier choices visible and gives you more storage room for tighter kitchens with little counter space. You can also utilize drawers in existing cupboards or islands to put smaller, less frequently used food items.

3. Organized pantry

Your pantry is also a location that can help you streamline your healthier dietary habits. Plus, scientists claim that there are numerous health benefits of staying organized. However, many families pile every spice, canned food, and snack into the pantry wherever they can fit it for the sake of time. Many of these items get lost in a closet full of goods where they inevitably expire.

To help maximize and organize your pantry, start with putting food items in clear bins to make them easier to find and use. Put older items closer to expiring in the front so you know to use them first, and push newer items behind them. Lazy susans can also help you access harder-to-reach foods. In addition, don’t be afraid to use the back of your pantry door. Hanging organization systems are extremely helpful in adding usable storage space. Remember that organization saves time and energy that can be put toward those healthy habits!

When it comes time to set those New Year’s resolutions, make your overall wellness a priority by paying closer attention to your kitchen. Even small changes to your kitchen can make it significantly easier to follow a healthy diet and exercise routine. Swap out those ancient appliances, take advantage of usable space, and get organized!

For more ways to practice better nutrition, consider one of my 2022 cooking classes and explore some of my healthy recipes. Happy New Year!


Are Eggs Healthy to Eat?

How do I shop for the best quality eggs? Read More

Tips for a Healthy Heart

February has been named heart health awareness month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US and has been for many years. Globally, it accounted for 18.6 million deaths in 2019. Contributing factors are a poor diet consisting of highly processed, low fiber foods, obesity, stress, and physical inactivity. A recent study showed that 22% of the population gained what is being coined the “quarantine 15.” That’s a lot of extra weight.

Doctors & scientists have been looking at several causal factors for cardiovascular disease for over 60 years now.

Back in 1953, a physiologist named Ancel Keys coined the diet-heart hypothesis – which incorrectly linked dietary fats and cholesterol to heart disease. This theory stuck for decades and has been a dietary dogma since.

Today we have a large meta-analysis of prospective studies involving close to 350,000 participants that found no association between saturated fat and heart disease. A Japanese prospective study that followed 58,000 men for an average of 14 years found no association between saturated fat intake and heart disease and an inverse association between saturated fat and stroke (i.e., those who ate more saturated fat had a lower risk of stroke). 

In recent years, cholesterol has been demonized. But, cholesterol is needed and protective. It makes sex and stress hormones, fuels the brain, soothes inflammation, provides a protective membrane around EVERY cell in the body, and helps with Vitamin D production. Cholesterol is the band-aid sent to protect blood vessels. However, if we need too many “band-aids” then we have a problem with build-up and blockages.

With the demonization of saturated fats and red meat, people started to eat more chicken. But, chicken is higher in omega 6 fatty acids. Grass-fed beef has a better nutritional profile, more zinc, heme iron, B12, more conjugated linoleic acid (a potent antioxidant and protects against heart disease), and 2-5 times more Omega 3’s than grain-fed beef! Grass-fed beef also contains lower proportions of palmitic and myristic acid, which are more likely to raise cholesterol. This is why grass-fed and pasture-raised animal meats/eggs are superior for our health.

3 Tips for Heart Health:

  1. Eat PFF meals – Make sure each meal contains a lean protein, fiber from vegetables, and a healthy fat (olives, nuts/seeds, avocado, fatty fish, olive oil)
  2. Add antioxidants to your daily diet (kale, berries, dark chocolate, pecans, beets, spinach, and artichokes are examples)
  3. Move your body daily. Movement of some form is crucial for cardiovascular health.

 

7 Predictors of Heart Disease_copy1 

7 Predictors of Heart Disease:

Inflammation – not cholesterol – is the MAIN predictor of heart disease. Inflammation is caused by high BP, high insulin, advanced glycation end products, heavy metals, mold, hormone imbalance, nutrient deficiencies, and more. The test to measure this is hs-CRP. Elevated levels show a direct correlation with a heart attack. The optimal range is <1.0

Homocysteine – When you have MTHFR gene variants, homocysteine levels can rise. You can feel weak, dizzy, fatigued when levels are high, have low B6, B12, and low folate. High homocysteine can be treated simply with supplementation!

High iron is another risk factor – oxidation in the body – high iron can occur in postmenopausal women. Comes from cookware, water, foods we eat, and even supplements. Make sure you measure your hematocrit, ferritin (iron stores), and hemoglobin levels annually.

Fasting insulin – overproducing insulin as a response to chronic stress or a higher carb/sugar diet can result in inflammation and weight gain. This is a fantastic marker for insulin resistance and more sensitive than the A1c measure for diabetes. Any value over 5 mlU/L means inflammation and insulin resistance are here and lifestyle changes are needed.

Hemoglobin A1c – typical blood test to measure RBC over the last 3 months to look for how one is controlling their blood sugar. Levels should be below 5.6%.

Advanced Glycation End products are sticky molecules that clump together in your tissues and can travel and create blockages and blood clots in blood vessels! The A1c test is also a good measure of AGE’s in your blood. Levels should be below 5.6%.

Cholesterol (Lipid Panel) – You should test far away from surgery, a wound, high stress, injury as cholesterol levels vary daily in response to internal messages.

A complete lipid panel includes something called a VAP. It looks at particle size and number, LP-A  - an indicator of risk. Low cholesterol can be as detrimental as too much. Don’t forget: Cholesterol is so essential to good health that it’s found in almost every human cell. Levels below 160 mg/dl may indicate anemia, infection, and excess thyroid function, as well as memory and cognition issues. Good total levels can be 160-210.

To learn how to eat for a healthy heart, join me for a live online class on February 27, 11:00 am. I’ll talk about these factors in more detail and show you how to make foods that support healthy heart function. Find out more at www.UnlockBetterHealth.com


4 Ways to Manage Blood Sugar Levels

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is helping people achieve their health goals and even better when they work in conjunction with their doctor and can come off medications.
Lifestyle meds like metformin, high blood pressure meds, and statin drugs (for high cholesterol) can often be replaced with a healthy diet of whole foods, movement, and certain supplements. You must work with your doctor to do this, but I love supporting my clients through the process to free them of this burden.
One factor of health that you can have a lot of control over is your blood sugar levels.


Insulin is a hormone that gets secreted when your body sensing something sweet entering the bloodstream. It acts as a shuttle to move glucose into the cells.


Currently, close to 50% of Americans have high blood sugar levels that fall within the pre-diabetic and diabetic ranges! This is something we can control with diet, exercise, and improving nutrient status. (I'm talking Type 2 here)

Blood sugar is measured by Hemoglobin A1c levels that look at blood sugar levels from the past 2-3 months.

The sugar in your blood is called glucose. When glucose builds up in your blood, it binds to the hemoglobin in your red blood cells. The A1c test measures how much glucose is bound.

Red blood cells live for about 3 months, so the test shows the average level of glucose in your blood for the past 3 months. A level of 5.7% - 6.4% is considered pre-diabetic, with diabetic levels over 6.5% and more. Some integrative doctors don't even like to see A1c levels over 5.6%.

Things you can do to improve blood sugar:

1. Lower your simple carbohydrate intake. Simple carbs break down into glucose within about 30 minutes. If you have too much intake or insulin-shuttling problems, this can create higher blood sugar levels. So remember, bread, cereal, pasta, cookies, crackers, bagels, muffins, croissants, and donuts are simple carbs - mostly glucose - and we don't have a nutritive need for any of them. This is not to say you can't ever eat these foods, but they shouldn't be a staple or mainstay in your diet. (Think about that morning daily cereal habit!)

2. Eat more fiber. Fiber helps to slow down the absorption and digestion of sugar and carbs. Vegetables, fruits, and legumes can support this function. In fact, in studies, soluble fiber has been shown to improve blood sugar management. Psyllium and beta-glucans are soluble. A 1/4 tsp of psyllium powder in 8 oz of water every morning can be helpful. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4950069/)

3. Move your body daily. Exercise can help increase insulin sensitivity - meaning it helps your cells be able to use the available sugar in your bloodstream. Exercise also helps your muscles use blood sugar for energy and muscle contraction. Lifting weights is great for this. Even small handheld dumbells can be helpful here.

4. Stay hydrated with WATER! Most clients I speak with don't drink enough water or they drink too many dehydrating beverages like coffee, soda, and caffeinated teas. Pure, filtered water can help your kidneys flush out excess sugar through the urine. Proper hydration moves hormones throughout the bloodstream and can prevent high blood sugar levels. Adults need about 50-80 ounces of water daily, more if you exercise daily. Filter your water with a carbon block filter or reverse osmosis and try to limit your exposure to drinking out of plastic water bottles.

These are just a few tips to help you and they are quite basic, but most people are meeting these basic needs. If you struggle with high blood sugar levels, please set up a free 20-minute consultation with me.