Author: Kim

Breast Cancer Awareness Part II – RISK FACTORS!

Hi friends! In a continuing effort to bring more real awareness to breast cancer.. I’m going to shine a light on some of my “aha moments” as I’ve come to learn why I cancered in the first place.. keep in mind.. I’m NOT a doctor or nurse.. I’m NOT here to diagnose, prescribe or treat.. I’m simply sharing what I’ve learned.. in hopes that my journey may open your eyes to some possible risks in your own life.. 

I flash back to the shocked looks on so many peoples faces when I first told them I had cancer.. and their instant response.. “but KIM! You are one of the healthiest people I know!! How could YOU get cancer?”.. and honestly.. I felt the same way.. 

I had cleaned up my diet about 4 years prior to diagnosis and was eating (still am) an almost exclusively organic (grass fed/pastured/wild caught) diet that follows a clean eating “mediteranian diet” approach mostly .. I worked out 5 days a week.. did yoga.. and was actively seeking out ways to minimize chemicals in my life by using natural household cleaning and skin care options. (I still do all that stuff btw..) 

Funny thing is.. now that I’m part of the cancer community.. I find there are LOTS of women out there that fit that same description.. so how/why DID we cancer?? 

My first clue was at the initial diagnostic ultrasound, mammogram and biopsy.. wherein.. ALL the techs and doctors kept saying the same thing.. “well you do have VERY dense breast tissue”..  (I’d always known this.. but had NO clue that dense breast tissue is a risk factor for breast cancer.) The thing of it is… the size of our “girls” is irrelevant.. a woman can have an A cup and still have dense breast tissue.. there is nothing anyone does to “cause” the density.. it just is.. so ladies if you have been told you have DENSE BREAST TISSUE.. just know it’s a “check” on a list of risk factors.. 

As diagnosis hit me like a sucker punch to the gut.. I went into classic Kim mode and dove in to learn everything I could possibly learn about cancer.. why what how when etc.. 

This is where sucker punch two came in to the picture.. which is ALCOHOL.. (yep I’m going there.. its a HUGE risk factor!).. did you know that drinking alcohol of any type of any amount more days during the week than not increases the risk of breast cancer by at least 37%??? (EEEK!) I look at our social lives.. happy hours, birthdays, football parties, bbqs, girls night out, plus of course that glass of wine or three at dinner… and lets not forget the free glass of something when we get our nails painted.. ugh.. it ALLLLLLL adds up to yes.. alcohol more days a week than not.. sooo.. as HARD as it is.. we gotta stand back and decide what’s more important.. easier said than done.. but important! (Im speaking to myself here too! Cuz while I was REALLY good about staying away from alcohol during treatment..(dear lord my poor liver had enough to contend with the chemo).. now that I’m out of treatment… I still struggle with this EVERYDAY!) 

From there I did some more looking and discovered a few interesting tidbits (keep in mind that science and what we know is ever evolving.. ) for now tho.. it appears that red meat is actually not as bad as its made out to be.. however the SOURCE of that meat can be VERY problematic.. in that commercially raised cows (feed lot cows) are LOADED with chemicals, antibiotics and hormones.. the meat is literally poison to our bodies.. and should be avoided at all costs.. (this includes pork, chicken and fish too.. its important for SO MANY REASONS.. to make sure your meat is sourced from grass fed (cows & dairy products), pastured (pigs, and chicken/poultry/eggs) and wild caught fish.) On top of all this.. is the topic of GRILLING (& those who know me, know I’m married to the GRILL MASTER!) … sadly.. its those CHARRED ENDS OF THE RED MEAT that are very problematic in setting up a cancer driver.. so as much as I know ya’ll love those crispy ends and blackened tips.. cut them off.. don’t sear them that hot.. cook the meat at a lower temp.. your health literally depends on it. 

In addition is the question of ALKELINE vs ACIDIC (Acidic conditions in our body drive cancer) and most commonly people turn to Alkeline water.. at first I was drinking it by the gallon (literally).. but I’ve since learned that drinking the water doesn’t do much good. However our bodies will naturally alkalinize when we eat lots of fresh green veggies and steer clear of sugars and simple carbs.. (cool huh? Cuz that’s one of the best things you can do for your nutrition for lots of other reasons too!) You can also cut coffee (yeah I know.. but honestly that was the easiest thing to do! I switched to tea and have never missed the coffee!) and also you can squeeze fresh lemon into your water glass (which is good for lots of stuff including helping your body to alkalinize!) 

Since I mentioned it above.. I’ll take this opportunity to highlight SUGAR as a MAJOR driver of cancer! Sugar comes in EVERYTHING and is TOXIC to our cells.. it overloads our bodies and creates an imbalance everywhere.. this creates a prime environment for cells to mutate and fall to the cancering process.. and then of course… the sugar is a favorite source of fuel for cancer cells.. In conversation with friends, family and clients, this topic comes up constantly as people do not realize how much sugar is in food! There is an entire blog titled “lets chat about sugar” on my website that I encourage you to read through so you can start to see and understand how to identify sugar and keep it on the down low. Basically you don’t want to exceed 24g of sugar in a day.. this includes fruit, juices, energy or hydration drinks.. heck even bbq sauce and salad dressing is full of sugar! Simple carbs like chips, bread, cookies, tortillas etc also trun to sugar almost instantly and have little to no nutrition.. so steer clear of those too (AND DON’T TURN TO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS (aspartame and sucralose)! They are even worse than sugar! Stevia and Monk fruit are safe natural sources of sweetness with no calories.) 

Now I’m going to drop a bombshell on you.. did you know that STRESS is actually one of the biggest drivers of cancer?? Yep! Stress has this fascinating effect on our body.. part of which is the increase in cortisol.. which in turn does several things.. including getting our organs to produce excess GLUCOSE! (aka SUGAR!) .. and we recall the dangers of bathing our cells in sugar right? 

so basically.. if you are not getting enough restful sleep (7-8 hours a night) this is stress!, if you rush to get out the door and drive in rush our traffic  to work or hustle the kids to school or have a disagreement in the morning with a family member.. (all stress), then have a long day sitting (stress), worry about finances (stress), worry about aging or ailing parents (stress) have a boss who breathes down your neck or co-workers who don’t see eye to eye with you (stress), or work at home and are lonely (stress), or have a house to clean and not enough time to clean it (stress), or eat fast food on the go for lack of time (stress) or go to the gym and work out HARD to burn off stress but don’t stretch properly (or at all) or don’t drink enough water (stress), or don’t drink enough water thought out the day (stress), or get home and take advil for the headache/body aches (stress), or drink alchohol  (stress), or have a rush to get everything done for the next day before bed (stress) or have difficulty going to sleep (stress) so you take a sleeping pill (stress).. and don’t get a good restfull night of sleep…………………… 

Can you hear me screaming? Stress surrounds us.. EVERYWHERE..  Mediating that stress is so critical! Mediation, yoga, making healthy changes in what you eat, going to counseling or working with a life coach to shift to healthier more productive less stressful patterns in your day to day.. getting outside for a walk in the sun, gardening, listening to music.. all of these are ways to get your body back into the rest and digest mode.. where cortisol is calmed and your body is given a break! 

The last area I will touch on is genetics.. specifically GENE MUTATIONS (aka SNPs) .. I will start this section with the knowledge that your genes are NOT your destiny! (Read “Dirty Genes” by Dr Ben Lynch to learn more about this) .. we CAN inherit genes but that doesn’t mean they have to be “activated” .. and even if they are turned on and become “dirty”.. there are ways to balance them so that they don’t cause you grief (working with a trained naturopathic doctor that understands all this is valuable) .. Its fascinating to me that the western medical world “Only” looks for mutations in the BRCA gene.. (which certainly has value as there are definite links to breast cancer and BRCA.. in fact.. if you have family members who are BRCA.. you may want to consider getting yourself tested.. if you are positive for the gene.. there are many women who choose to have preventative mastectomies and even hysterectomies.. as the BRCA gene carries significant risk for breast cancer as well as uterine/ovarian cancer) Further to these tests tho.. there is an entire another world of genetic mutations that western med doesn’t even KNOW about ! MTHFR and COMT are two very common ones. And two that yours truly is positive for (yay me!).. interestingly these two (and several others that I carry..) have links to breast cancer! When I look back on my life before cancer.. the food I ate.. the chemical exposure I was open to, and the extreme levels of chronic stress I was exposed to for YEARS.. its obvious why those genes got “turned on” and got “dirty”.. and is a likely prime reason why I cancered.. 

The best test I’ve come across so far to determine these SNPs for YOU.. is something called Nutrition Genome.. It’s a one time test that comes back with the results along with about 60 pages of info.. including what foods to eat and avoid in support of your specific SNPs. Supplements can be helpful to get balanced also.. I’m in a cancer coach certification training program currently and will have access to a discount very soon.. so if you would like to run this test for your self.. reach out.. I’ll help you get access to it……. And in fact, I’ll be able to read it for you once I’m done with the training ☺ 

There are other tests that can be ordered as well.. The DUTCH test and the Great Plains lab Mycotoxin tests have been two of my favorites.. The DUTCH looks at all your hormones and cortisol over an 18 hour window.. this shows the ebb and flow of each and identifies where imbalance lies.. it also shows how your hormone pathways are functioning which is helpful in identifying areas that can be addressed with food, supplements, sleep etc .. the Mycotoxin test identifies mold that should NOT be in your body… (yes we all have mold in our body.. however our normal metabolic process should remove the ones that are harmful and don’t belong there.. if your metabolic process aka detox pathways are not working properly (return to genetic mutations/SNPs) your body can “hold” mold and THAT my friends is a PROBLEM! (I discovered that thanks to MTHFR (which means I don’t detox properly among other issues).. I was in fact holding 3 bad molds .. and you guessed it.. 2 of them are CANCER CAUSATIVE!) now knowing this.. I’ve been working with my integrative oncology naturopathic dr to detox that stuff out.. its been stubborn.. but its moving out slowly ☺ ) 

Of interest is the potential connection to hypothyroidism and or autoimmune thyroid/hashimotos … I’m just reading now that there may be a link and interestingly enough, I was diagnosed with a slow thyroid about 5 years before my cancer diagnosis.. my integrative oncology ND now thinks I’m actually mildly hashimotos (autoimmune).. I’ve been on assorted thyroid meds to balance it since diagnosis. Mostly porcine based (more natural) for a time though, I was on a synthetic med. (and as part of my reading, there seems to be a connection between breast cancer and that type of thyroid medication too? hmmmmm)

At the end of the day.. as I now know all this.. I can easily see that despite my healthy eating and lifestyle.. I was still basically a ticking time bomb for cancer.. 

1) Very Dense Breast Tissue

2) Years of chronic stress

3) Alcohol more days a week than not

4) Charred red meat 

5) Genetic mutations (SNPs) that are known to be linked to breast cancer

6) Cancer causing mold trapped in my body (thanks to the MTHFR)

7) Hypothyroid/Hashimoto  

The way I am mediating all this now to reduce future risk is be ever aware of my stress response…when I feel my heart start to race to instantly turn to deep belly breathing to calm it back down, to keep myself out of stressful situations, to cool it on the alcohol, to eat red meat rarely and when I do make sure its grass fed sourced and not charred, and to continue to work with my doctor to ensure I’m supporting my SNPs (diet and supplements) and that I’m vigilant on keeping the mold gone (we all get exposed all day every day to that stuff) .. Naturally I continue with my thyroid meds (compounded porcine based), healthy organic eating, natural cleaning and skin care, and regular exercise.. I seek joy and positivity to keep my spirit light and thank God every day for the opportunity to live this glorious life! 

My list is not complete.. as I know there are SOOO many variables and risks.. but this will give you a good start to identifying some areas in your life that might be problematic…… If you would like to make some healthy changes in your life.. or have interest in pursuing some of the testing reach out ! As your coach I’ll work with you to find the best ways so that you can reach your goals! 

I say again.. I am NOT a doctor or nurse or nutritionist.. I will refer you to the health care providers as needed to fill those roles. I am however a Nationally Board certified Health and Wellness Life coach soon to also be certified as a Terrain Advocate (cancer) coach under the tutelage of Dr Nasha Winters author of the Metabolic Approach to Cancer.. as such.. I’m here for you! 

PS.. Breast cancer is NEVER ANYONES FAULT.. I know I didn’t cause my cancer.. however.. I’m eyes wide open now.. so I’ll do everything I can to prevent its return and I’ll do everything I can to shine the light on this topic in hopes it is helpful for others! 

Breast Cancer Awareness is important all year long (not just in October)

Good Morning and Happy October 1!

For many, this day starts a month long “pink” party.. ribbons, tutu’s, t-shirts, etc..

For many others however, this month is a frustrating or painful or thoughtful reminder of our fight because while there is so much “awareness” and money raised and LOTS of pink.. there is still not a real cure.. or better yet.. prevention.

I am one of those warriors. I am a Triple Negative Breast Cancer survivor. Having endured 5 long months of chemo (15 rounds), two surgeries and a month of daily radiation.. I am now celebrating just over one and a half years of “no evidence of disease”.. (and praying it stays that way for the rest of my long healthy life!)

The “Pink Washing” of October breast cancer awareness doesn’t cause me pain .. but it does make me much more thoughtful than it used to.. because now I understand so much more about the truth behind the pink ribbons.

Given this, I am going to attempt to share some tips, insight and ideas throughout this month to help you identify any risks you might face of developing cancer.. to share suggestions on how you can support friends and family who might be fighting cancer now.. and even some really neat organizations that if you are led to donate.. will be much better served with your donations than the huge machines that make more money off your donations than they spend on real research.

Today.. I will begin the conversation by saying that YES.. early identification is indeed very important..

So how to safely watch your body? Self checks and mammograms are the prime way.

That being said.. there is ALOT of controversy surrounding mammograms, in that… the radiation they put in our bodies is indeed mildly carcinogenic by itself.. BUT.. mammograms are the ONLY scan that can pick up on “micro-calcifications”.. which are for lack of a better term, “pre-cancer” and if left alone will likely lead to cancer. So.. it is valid to have yearly mammograms.. and 3-D at that (because you can see more).. and ladies.. if you are in your 20s or 30s. and have ANY risk factors.. you may want to SERIOUSLY consider starting your self checks and even scans sooner rather than later.. (I say this as there are SO many YOUNG women in my brest cancer support groups! BC is NOT just for “women over 40” anymore..)

Ultrasounds are an option too.. the benefit is they don’t cause radiation exposure.. the downside is.. they dont see micro-calcifications.

If you have implants, MRIs are an important scan to fold into your yearly looksies too (every 3 years or so).. because they can “see” things beyond and under and behind implants that mammograms and ultrasounds cannot. And yes.. you’ll want contrast.. because that makes even the smallest tumor “light up like a Christmas tree” (had I had contrast in March.. my tumor would have been visible)

Thermography is an emerging option… while at first blush it sounds like the perfect scan option.. as there is no radiation and it covers alot of area.. However, I’ve personally known too many women who had thermography scans.. and were given the “all clear” .. only to discover shortly thereafter (a month or two) that they did indeed have breast cancer. One friend actually had known and diagnosed breast cancer.. and was curious if the thermography scan would pick up on it… so had the scan done.. and was told… “all clear”.. (I say again.. she knew she had breast cancer.. knew where the rumor was.. yet the thermography scan did not “see” it).. so this method is obviously flawed. Perhaps in time it will become more reliable.

Ultimately.. Mammograms really are the best bet… so if you have not had one in a while… you may want to go get scheduled and make it a yearly habit. (btw.. there are integrative methods to protect against radiation exposure.. reach out if you would like to know how.. )

In addition and in fact monthly.. is the critically important practice of doing self exams.. the idea of “feel it on the first” is a great habit to get into..

Self breast exams are easy to do in the shower.. and is in fact how I found my tumor.

(I had a 2D mamogram in January (clear), a MRI (without contrast- clear) in March, and I found my lump the end of July.. by the time I was ultrasounded in August.. it was 3cm. Had I not known my body.. I would not have recognized the tumor as “something wrong”.. given how fast it was growing.. the cancer would have been everywhere by the time my next annual mammogram was scheduled. As it was.. I found it “just in time” as the cancer had not yet entered my lymph nodes)

Given this.. my missive to all women is to know your body & wash your body with your hands (not a sponge, loofa, washcloth.. ) and if something doesn’t feel right.. go get it checked out asap

So ladies.. (and guys too.. cuz yeah.. men get breast cancer too).. please take today (& every first of the month) to give your breasts a good self exam.. and if its not already on your calendar.. go get your mammogram scheduled!!

Ps.. if you are in the fight already, or know someone who is.. please consider me a resource.. I have so much information on how to fight the demon cancer.. and am happy to support you in any way I can. I am also in training to be a certified cancer coach.. so in short order.. I’ll have even MORE options available to serve you!

Pss to continue the discussion on breast cancer awareness please read “Risk Factors”

Let’s Chat about Sugar….

It seems I’ve had a conversation about sugar in some form with just about EVERYONE I’ve talked to recently!

The biggest driver is questions surrounding  “what’s ok” and “what’s’ not”.. there is also a lot of confusion about how carbs and sugar go hand in hand.. what type of sugar comes from what source.. and how all this plays in with the micro biome (gut health) and inflammation within the body.. so.. since I suspect there are LOTS more of you out there with these same questions.. lets dive into it!

Sugar by itself is NOT BAD! In fact it is the driving force of energy within our bodies! The problem comes in when we pump our bodies with TOO MUCH ADDITIONAL sugar.. and sadly .. our mass produced .. (Intentionally engineered to be addictive) food supply is LOADED with WAAAAYYYYY TOO MUCH SUGAR!

So.. YES.. you have to be VERY AWARE of EVERYTHING you put in your mouth..

How much is too much? This part is easy.. the guiding number is 24 g.. as in.. do everything in your power to not exceed 24 g of sugar in a day (that’s 6 teaspoons).. more than that and you will begin to introduce toxic loads to your system.. (ie.. your cells cant function with too much sugar.. )

So where does sugar in our food come from ? Well obviously we all know about table sugar, cane sugar and the incredibly evil (I’m not kidding)  high fructose corn syrup (more on that later)  and we all know about reading nutrition labels and seeing how much “added sugar” is in a product.. and really.. that’s your first step..  READ THOSE NUTRITION LABLES.. every single one.. if its in a bag, box, jar, can, bottle or some other container.. it should have a label.. and its your job to READ IT! 

Once you start reading those labels.. and I’m going to remind you here and now that the nutrition label part is not the only thing to read.. because the cold hard truth lies within the INGREDIENTS LABLE!!! So READ THAT TOO! Once you start reading all those labels… you will begin to realize the scope of what we are dealing with here.

Example.. 1 8oz serving of orange juice (pick the brand, pick the quality..) ONE serving contains 23g of sugar!!! (HELLO! THAT’S AN ENTIRE DAYS WORTH OF SUGAR IN ONE GLASS!!!!)

Example.. The first ingredient in “Louisiana” brand cocktail sauce (good quality brand right?) is HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (wait.. Kim.. you said that stuff was pure evil?!?! And it’s the FIRST ingredient?? EEK!).. but WAIT.. there’s MORE.. one serving of cocktail sauce is ¼ cup.. and that contains 17g of SUGAR! (lord have mercy all I’m doing is dipping my shrimp and I’m almost maxed out on sugar for the day again?) Double whammy!

Example 3.. (and this one still blows my mind!) One medium McDonalds vanilla shake contains SEVENTY TWO g of sugar.. and worse even (can it get worse? YES) .. Their seasonal “shamrock shake” (comes out in march..) contains no less than NINETY THREE g of sugar in ONE medium shake!!!!!!!!!!! That is INSANITY!!!

So when I tell you that sugar is EVERYWHERE.. I’m not kidding! Read your labels!

Here’s another sad truth.. because our delightful food manufacturers are just itching to keep us addicted.. they are adding sugar to “healthy” food too.. things like fruit yogurt, almond milk and salad dressing and so much more!. guess what.. all LOADED with sugar!

Its ok tho.. I PROMISE! There are SAFE and DELICIOUS alternatives to all of the above that do NOT have added sugar! You just have to be intentional and read those labels!! For example.. PLAIN ORGANIC Greek Yogurt, UNSWEETENED ORGANIC Almond Milk.. and certain brands of salad dressings are just fine! (I like Annie’s brand among others.. or better yet. MAKE YOUR OWN!!)

Anyway.. I think you get the idea…..

“BUT” (you excitedly say) “I don’t eat/drink anything with extra sugar Kim.. I ONLY get “sugar free”, “diet” “zero calorie etc..”so I don’t have to worry about any of that”!! J

Sorry to burst your bubble..  we now enter huge massive enormous monster problem number two..  because when you see that packaging.. or if you see “0 sugars’ on the nutrition label.. I want you to send your eyes to the ingredients label (remember that cold hard truth part?) well.. there it is in black and white..  I’ll be willing to bet you’ll find “ASPERTAME” or “SUCRALOSE”.. (aka splenda, sweetNlow, and equal)

Sometimes you’ll get lucky and see “stevia” or “monk fruit” (these are both FINE AND SAFE! More on that later)

The other two tho (aka “artificial sweeteners”… aspartame and sucralose).. are right there in the PURE EVIL category with High Fructose Corn Syrup!

The biggest (and this is a BIG deal).. the biggest issue with artificial sweeteners.. is that while they are marketed to “leave the body unchanged.”.( so supposedly they don’t ‘do anything” inside the body) the reality is that as they pass through the intestinal tract (where all our very important “good guy” bacteria lives.. ) .. the artificial sweeteners KILL OFF ALL THIS SUPER IMPORTANT GOOD BACTERIA!!!

 (why do I care Kim? Well.. since you asked.. the nutshell is that this Good gut bacteria is CRITICAL to how our bodies metabolize, absorb and use the nutrients in our food! Without this GOOD gut bacteria we literally cannot function like we’re supposed to.. we cant make the vitamins and hormones that our body needs without this good gut bacteria!!! And furthermore, since nature abhors a void.. BAD Gut bacteria will over populate and proliferate and take over .. and guess what? This BAD bacteria.. is REALLY bad.. because.. not only does it NOT do the job that the Good gut bacteria is supposed to do.. but it also sends up CRAVINGS FOR MORE SUGAR & MORE PROCESSED REFINED JUNK FOOD!!!

I may have hit a nerve there for some of you? YES GUT HEALTH IS SO IMPORTANT!!! If you experience sugar cravings.. or cravings for junk food..  Id be willing to bet your gut bacteria is out of whack!

So.. a SUPER important component of helping to get your gut health on track is to absolutely refuse and I mean NEVER EVER ingest, drink, eat or chew on ANYTHING with artificial sweeteners. (yes.. that means your diet coke! KICK IT TO THE CURB!!!)

“But But BUT!!! I “NEED” my diet coke!” (or whatever other product you are addicted to)..

My friend.. I’m gonna stop you right there.. cuz the truth is .. 1) you DON’T need it.. an 2) those “diet” products make you gain weight (yup).. make you crave more junk (hello unstoppable munchies.. )… and create inflammation in your body that wont ever stop till you clean up what you are putting into your mouth… sorry kids.. that’s your truth..

Now.. lets move onto some SAFE ways to sweeten your life!

Remember how I mentioned Stevia and Monk Fruit? Well.. guess what? They are both PLANTS! In fact I grow stevia in my herb garden.. and WOW are those leaves SWEET! (like putting a mint leaf in your mouth.. its SOOO MINTY! Well stevia is the same experience. You put a leaf in your mouth and WOW! ITS SOOO SWEET!)

For stevia (granules, liquid etc).. the extraction process requires some distilling.. which creates a “slight’ aftertaste that does not exist in the plant itself..  for monk fruit there is no aftertaste.. however its EXTREMELY Sweet. (even more so than stevia) so a little goes A LONG way!!! Both work great as substitutes for sugar and are commonly used in healthier products as an alternative to sugar. Happily both Stevia and Monk Fruit do no affect the glycemic index and so the label will read “0 sugar”.

Moving forward lets look briefly at a few other safe sweeteners.. these all do affect the glycemic index tho and so should be used mindfully.. (remembering that no more than 24 g of sugar in a day bit)

Honey – Raw, unfiltered (try to get it from local farmers markets and or seek out organic) because unfortunately there are a lot of unscrupulous manufacturers out there that will put all sorts of things into a bottle and label it “honey”.. so stick with   the real stuff.. that’s actually good for you! (assorted vitamins and amino acids abound in honey not to mention all the anti allergy help if its local!) I personally use honey in my coffee, make salad dressing with it, and top my musleix/kefir and blueberries with it (just a teaspoon at a time and not every day)

Maple syrup – again.. I’m talking about the “REAL” stuff (not log cabin!) nature makes its own sugar so why not take advantage of it? You can cook with this, put it in your coffee.. all the places you would use table sugar!

Agave Syrup – this one is a little bit of a double edge sword so you have to be more cautious.. Agave can be used like sugar, honey, maple syrup.. its got a slightly different sweetness and so works well when sometimes the others don’t.. From what I gather..  Agave syrup originated somewhere in the desert reaches of central America.. Basically its from a cactus.. and the sweetness has been extracted to make a tasty syrup.. (and tequila!) ..  the locals  in these areas used agave syrup as their sweetener for generations.. and then somewhat recently.. the north American manufacturers figured out that more and more people are looking for “healthy” alternatives and so started making this stuff and selling it.. Here enters the problem.. and you may have already picked up on this.. American manufacturers do NOT have our best health in as their priority.. they have profit as their priority.. and so these manufacturers have figured out how to over process and over refine this simple natural sweetener into something the body does not recognize (just like high fructose corn syrup! EEEK!) .. so.. I DO use and support the use of Agave Syrup.. with the caveat that it be organic (no chemicals) .. and as minimally processed as possible..

Xylitol and erythritol are two other names that pop up constantly.. these are “sugar alchohols” and as such teeter on the edge of not so great.. further that.. Xylitol if its NOT organic is made from GMO corn which is loaded with glyphosate (roundup) and is therefore on the NEVER EVER eat list.. (glyphosate is showing up in non hodgkins leukemia patients.. so avoid anything made with GMO corn and all the  other mass produced crops like the plague!) Sugar alchohols don’t affect the glycemic index and so are “0 sugar”.. the biggest issue with these is that they “trick” the brain into thinking its super sweet sugar and so cravings get created for more excessively sweet sugar.. in addition, these sugar alchohols also trick the brain into thinking that it hasn’t eaten.. and so the hunger hormones persist and people end up eating more than they need….. all of  that is obviously a very slippery slope.. Xylitol and Erythritol do bake pretty well .. so I do use ORGANIC (no chemicals/no glyphosate) Xylitol to make things like buttermilk pie and peach cobbler .. these are also better than the alternative options for people who are dealing with diabetes.. (Stevia and Monk Fruit are much better options tho!)

So now that we have a list of “KIM APPROVED” sweeteners.. lets hit the list of  RUN SCREAMING IN THE OPPOSITITE DIRECTION if you see these on the ingredients label..

The top of the chart is HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP.. (just keep “pure evil” in mind when you see it!) .. this stuff starts out life as corn.. (duh).. but the type of corn that is inedible.. because its engineered to grow specifically for corn by-product processed ingredients. (I actually have a book with a list of over 200 ‘things” that this type of corn is made into.. things like dextrose, xantham gum and caramel color are all corn derivatives! But I digress).. these corn crops are also engineered to be “round up ready” .. as in the fields are sprayed / drowned in roundup in order to keep the weeds at bay.. while the crop grows on.. the roundup absorbs into the meat of the plant and becomes part of it.. so issue number one with HFCS (and any other ingredient that comes from this type of corn).. is that you are filling your system with glyphosate! (as mentioned above.. this is showing up in cancer cells.. and there is a dramatic increase in this type of cancer as well..) Issue number two is that the body has NO idea what this over processed, over refined, chemical filled substance is.. and so as it passes through the body.. our immune system reads it as an “invader”.. and attempts to protect the body by surrounding the molecules of HFCS with inflammation .. which creates an environment of systemic inflammation..  (aches/pains, insomnia, brain fog, stubborn weight, autoimmune conditions, skin issues, allergies  etc are all influenced by this type of inflammation) naturally HFCS also affects the microbiome supporting and feeding the growth of “bad gut bacteria”.. AND it also “Tricks the brain” as its way more sweet than our systems know how to process and so our brain wants MORE of this sweetness at the same time that the bad gut bacteria is sending up cravings for more junk food..

Now that we have the granddaddy of evil food exposed.. I’ll touch on other not good sugar..

Table sugar being the most obvious.. sadly .. what started out as a good product (hey cane sugar is a plant too right?) has become something bad. This because unfortunately those food manufactures got their hands on it and bleached it, chemicalized it, refined it, processed it, and stripped it of anything recognizable as “natural”.. leaving a product that the body has no idea how to identify and once again.. you are set up for systemic inflammation.. so given all the other easy “better/good” sweet options out there.. just stop using the stuff.. it is not serving your body..

Brown sugar/cane sugar are basically less bad than white table sugar. They have not been refined as much and so are slightly more recognizable to the body.. but still not great options.. if my only choice is white table sugar or brown sugar.. I’ll go with the brown every time..

What about all those other “sugars” that I see Kim?

You are right! Nature is FULL of sugars naturally.  It is the “energy” of the system that it comes from..

Glucose is the sugar that the human body needs for energy.. it is created within our systems from the carbohydrates that we ingest.. carbs can come from “simple” sources like bread, cookies, crackers, simple pasta, white rice, tortillas, chips etc.. These sources have no nutritional value and break down to sugar upon entering the body.. creating a load of sugar that the body does not need and setting up for toxic levels and systemic inflammation.. so you are best off not eating these things or at a minimum limiting yourself to rare occasions.. Added sugar falls into this category.. so candy and other overly sweet things should be very limited.. the body after all only needs so much glucose.. excess gets stored as fat and who needs that?

Complex carbs on the other hand are NOT BAD and are in fact NEEDED! Things like sweet potatoes, organic oats (non organic are packed with chemicals! So get organic only!) Brown rice (not white!), quinoa etc are all great sources of these good carbs.. they have lots of fiber within them as well which is also very important for good digestive health.. the fiber helps to slow the digestion which helps slow the sugars so your body is not overwhelmed with too much too fast.

Fructose is Fruit sugar… lets jump back to that glass of orange juice.. when you drink the juice it is extracted from many pieces of fruit.. with none of the fiber that is in that fruit.. so all you get is the sugar.. alternatively.. if you eat an orange.. yes you are eating the fruit sugar contained within that ONE orange (vs many). however you are also getting all the fiber.. which helps the body to digest it all more slowly and so the sugar does not have the same crazy affect on the body..  furthermore.. not all fruit sugar processes in the body in the same way.. things like blueberries and cantaloupe have much lower glycemic index affect.. while grapes and mango are much higher.  So YES eat your fruit (vs drinking it).. just limit how much and when.. 2 or so servings of fruit a day is excellent.. preferably in the earlier part of the day (so your body has time to use all the sugars as energy!).. Smoothies are great because you get all the fiber in the fruit .. The rest of your “fruits and veggies” ought to focus on the veggie side.. (it is recommended that our daily intake should be 7-9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day!)

Lactose is “milk sugar” – so when you buy milk.. or dairy of any kind.. you will see naturally occurring sugar.. this is not bad.. what is bad is when the manufacturer has “added sugar’ which you will be able to see on the nutrition label .. when you see that. Put the container down and find a different brand with “no added sugar”..

People who are “lactose intolerant’ do not have the enzyme needed to break this type of sugar down.. so some people are better off with out dairy. Others can tolerate it but may chose to avoid dairy anyway (the dairy industry is rampant with chemicals too.. so if you do drink milk, eat cheese, yogurt, ice cream , butter etc.. ) seek out organic (no chemicals), grass fed/pastured cows (these are happy cows that are raised in humane ways in a sustainable way..) better for your body.. better for the cows <3

So here we are.. a little brain weary and probably craving some chocolate? J

(btw.. small amounts of occasional Dark chocolate 85% or greater is actually “good” for you!)

Ultimately the point of this message is to give you some clear direction to help your body help itself! So much chronic illness is tied to too much sugar.. don’t you think that’s an easy problem to solve??

So your challenge, if you choose to accept it..  is to read your labels, kick all the artificial, processed and simple sugars to the curb, seek to stay at or under 24g of natural sugar a day and eat your veggies!!!

If you would like some accountability in making these changes in your own life.. contact me! As your healthy life coach we can uncover where your bad habits lurk, the cause of them, how to break those old habits while we seek to understand and cure the causes and then create new awesome healthy life happy life habits!!!

Lifestyle shifts to naturally lower blood pressure

I’ve talked with so many people who are dealing with elevated blood pressure.. so I felt that perhaps there are more of you out there looking for some ideas to get your own blood pressure under control! 

I just wrote this list of ideas for an upcoming workshop and am sharing it with all of you here too.. read on for all sorts of easy ideas!

Ask if you have questions.. I’m here for you! 

(PS.. working with me as your own personal health coach is a great way of figuring out how to make these lifestyle changes permanent in your own life! 🙂 ) Contact me and lets talk about how I can partner with you!

<>Diet is a key element in lowering blood pressure.. & following “clean eating” standards is the first step. 

Clean Eating naturally removes “simple carb” sources, encourages minimally processed whole grains, seeds and complex carbs, as well as healthy fats , lean meat choices and of course includes eating lots of veggies (7-9 servings per day!) The Greener and the Leafier the better (see the blog titled Clean Eating 101 on this site for more specifics)

“Clean Eating” also supports the DASH recommendations “which may help prevent or help normalize high blood pressure”. DASH also encourages a diet low in sodium, and rich in foods containing potassium, calcium and magnesium.

(*if  you are on the medication warfarin(Coumadin), make sure to double check with your doctor on potential drug/food interactions.. Warfarin (Coumadin) is the only anticoagulant that has these drug/food interactions. The other (newer) anticoagulants available do not have any food restrictions. )

In keeping with all of the above and the idea that “food is medicine” there are specific foods that naturally help to balance and lower blood pressure too!

  • Salmon (wild caught)
  • Olive oil (extra virgin organic)
  • Beets and Beet juice (organic no sugar added)
  • Pomegranates and pomegranate juice (organic no sugar added)
  • Flax seed
  • Pistachios
  • Hibiscus tea
  • Berries (organic)
  • And DARK CHOCOLATE!! (Like 70% or more “dark”.. get at sprouts or central market as they have a good selection) 

*watch the sugars in the beet and pomegranate juice.. consider drinking half a serving or less to keep sugar intake low

To help balance salt/potassium in your body seek foods that are particularly high in potassium which include:

  • Vegetables, especially leafy greens, tomatoes, potatoes and sweet potatoes
  • Fruit, including melons, bananas, avocados, oranges and apricots
  • Dairy, such as milk and yogurt (grass-fed cows)
  • Tuna and salmon (wild caught)
  • Nuts and seeds (raw, no salt added and sprouted seeds)
  • Beans (soaked and rinsed)

As a reminder, Clean Eating also points to lessening your sugar intake to 24 g or less per day .  (so watch sugars in all foods/drinks including fruit.. of note, melon and berries are lower glycemic index fruits)

And the marker for salt is to keep sodium intake less than 2300mg/day is key.  (less is even better! In fact, some guidelines point to less than 1500mg/day)

*(read those nutrition labels and pay attention to serving sizes .. Salt & Sugar is in EVERYTHING!)

<>If you are not already, incorporate physical activity into your life. 30 minutes of walking a day is a good example of level of effort and quantity of time to aim for at a minimum.. more is always a good thing!  Water aerobics & swimming are excellent low/no impact exercises. (Whatever you choose, just remember to work it at a level that gets your heart rate up!)

<>Managing stress is a BIG DEAL.. the truth is that its very seldom that we can do anything to change the source of many stressors in our lives.. however we CAN change how we process and deal with that stress! Meditation, yoga, deep belly breathing & journaling are all super methods to look to.. or how about listening to calming music on that 30 minute walk each day? J Find what works for you and make it a regular habit..  

<>Weight is another area.. and this gets more and more difficult with age.. however a loss of even 5% of your excess body weight has a big affect on lowering blood pressure! Happily… regular physical activity, decreased sugars and refined foods, and increased whole natural foods all help move toward healthy weights.. so this becomes a win win! J

<>Alcohol is an issue in elevated blood pressure.. and no.. drinking more alcohol is not a healthy way to deal with stress!!! So limiting your alcohol consumption will help to get your blood pressure levels back to a health range (120/80 or less)

<>Quitting smoking will naturally help lower blood pressure (as well as helping your entire body’s health!)

<>There is evidence that a healthy gut microbiome helps to balance blood pressure.. (honestly, a well balanced microbiome is critical to so many body system’s proper function that its worth your time and effort to help it along!) To get there, the first step is to understand that you just cannot ingest artificial sweeteners anymore.. (sucralose, aspartame, splenda, equal, sweetnlow etc).. these are all conclusively linked to killing off good gut bacteria and feeding bad bacteria.. to have “even a little artificial sweeteners“ will undo so much good work that you have done.. its just not worth it! To help your gut bacteria get healthy look to add in probiotics to your life.. whether by supplement *, food or both.

Sources of food that contains probiotics are “fermented foods and drink” .. like REAL sauerkraut and pickles (not vlasic! I’m talking about the home made kind!), kimchee is another source and also fermented dairy like kefir and yogurt (you can get coconut based of both if you are dairy intolerant) and drinks like Kambucha.. Also add in prebiotics (which feed the good gut bacteria) like onion, garlic, artichoke, asparagus, leeks, bananas, apples, oats,  flax seed & seaweed to name a few).

*If you would like trusted sources of pharmaceutical grade probiotic supplements please see the resources tab on this site as I have 3 professional accounts that all offer excellent probiotics, plus other supplements and vitamins.

This is a “short list” of ideas .. while nothing is a guarantee… by following these suggestions.. you will be giving your body a fighting chance at healing in so many ways!  I’ve taken all of this information from a myriad of sources and tried to condense it down for you. If you have questions, please ask!.. While I am NOT a doctor, nurse or dietician.. (& I encourage you to discuss any changes that you want to make with your doctor.) I AM a certified health coach and as such am available to you to be your sounding board, your accountability partner, your mirror and your guide as you seek to set goals and make these healthy shifts in your life!  Call me! Lets talk!

Ps.. Some of the reference sources I used are:

Previous training from the Institute of integrative Nutrition Medicalnewstoday.com – 15 ways to naturally lower your blood pressure Healthline.com – 13 foods that are good for high blood pressure Hopkinsmedicine.org – natural ways to lower blood pressure

Find Your Drishti

“Find your Drishti”… I kept hearing that as I was attempting Eagle pose, or rotated standing split .. or Tree.. or Warrior III.. or.. well you get the idea.. I was basically an amazon giraffe wobbling on one limb trying really hard to not fall.. and look all yogi graceful all at the same time.. (God love the teacher and fellow classmates for not bursting into laughter!!)

I was REALLY new to Yoga.. (and at 47.. taking up something like that.. at 6ft tall with a 36” inseam is not a simple task!) But there I was .. Wobbling and sweating away with everyone else.. Learning the poses by name as the teacher gently guided us with the descriptions of each..

I kept hearing that “Drishti” word.. (no idea what they were talking about??) Until one day.. a new instructor said.. find your focal point.. find a spot ahead of you that isn’t moving that you can focus on.. Find your DRISHTI!!! AHA! Said I..so I did find.. I think it was a dark spot on the wood floor a few feet in front of me.. and I’ll be snookered.. I stopped wobbling as much! I was able to hold the pose (breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out..) for the duration! I was able to relax into what I was doing and do it better (not great.. but at least better!).. WOW! Was it me.. was I getting stronger and more balance? Hmm.. or was it that Drishti thing?

Next class.. “FIND YOUR DRISHTI”.. (I got this now.. I found.. I think, the reflection of a chair leg in the mirror in front of me.. I discovered over time.. it didn’t matter what it was.. except that it wasn’t moving! And so I was able to find my balance faster and more easily! I was able to do the called for pose with more ease and more effectively.. and actually enjoy what I was doing!) I also discovered, that the more intentional I was with the direction of my focus.. the better my balance, coordination & ability to maintain the pose became!

So now my mind is running with this idea as I’m feeling strong in reverse Warrior II or stretched in triangle.. Finding a focus in LIFE kinda does the same thing doesn’t it?

I’ve since learned.. the true meaning of Drishti in Yoga is to focus on specific points that the eye naturally gazes toward in each pose.. your third eye.. your navel.. your hands or sometimes looking toward a specific direction.. up, or to the direction of your twist…. etc.. Regardless all are fixed points that don’t move.. focal points to help focus your attention.. As one article describes it.. “Drishti is a gazing technique that develops concentration—and teaches you to see the world as it really is”…. “The practice of drishti gives us a technique with which to develop single-pointed concentration of attention.” (I’ll paste the full article below for those who would like to learn more about the full intention of drishti in yoga.. )

But my question to myself.. to you.. and the purpose of writing this little blurb.. is to ask.. How can we make fixed points that don’t move.. like gratefulness, personal growth goals, taking actions in the love of others, and daily habits like setting intention and mindfulness for the day.. how can we make those our Drishti in our day to day?? Because.. as in yoga.. having that intentional focus can help us to balance our lives, to see the good through the maze of our full days.. and to continue to move and grow toward that which we are focused on.

So what is your Drishti??

(Ps.. As a Certified Life and Health Coach.. I am always available to you if/when you would like to explore finding the answers to questions like this in your own life! We can then work together to get you on the road to making these healthy changes! Holistic health is about whole being including finding BALANCE in your life! 🙂 When you are ready.. contact me and lets get you started on your journey!

 

 

 

(in the interest of appropriate reference.. here is the article that I mentioned.. and took two quotes from 🙂 )

Yoga Journal

See More Clearly By Practicing Drishti

DAVID LIFE AUG 28, 2007

The practice of drishti is a gazing technique that develops concentration—and teaches you to see the world as it really is.

We humans are predominantly visual creatures. As every yoga practitioner has discovered, even during practice we find ourselves looking at the pose, outfit, or new hairstyle of the student on the next mat. We stare out the window or at the skin flaking between our toes, as though these things were more interesting than focusing on God realization. And thwack! Where our eyes are directed, our attention follows.

Our attention is the most valuable thing we have, and the visible world can be an addictive, overstimulating, and spiritually debilitating lure. The habit of grasping at the world is so widespread that the spiritual teacher Osho coined a term for it: “Kodakomania.” If you have any doubt about the power of the visual image and the value of your attention, just think of the billions of dollars the advertising industry spends on photography every year!

When we get caught up in the outer appearance of things, our prana (vitality) flows out of us as we scan the stimulating sights. Allowing the eyes to wander creates distractions that lead us further away from yoga. To counteract these habits, control and focus of the attention are fundamental principles in yoga practice. When we control and direct the focus, first of the eyes and then of the attention, we are using the yogic technique called drishti.

The increasing popularity and influence of the Ashtanga Vinyasa method of yoga, taught for more than 60 years by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, have introduced drishti to thousands of practitioners. On a simple level, drishti technique uses a specific gazing direction for the eyes to control attention. In every asana in Ashtanga, students are taught to direct their gaze to one of nine specific points.

In Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog Pose), for instance, we gaze at the nose tip: Nasagrai Drishti. In meditation and in Matsyasana (Fish Pose), we gaze toward the Ajna Chakra, the third eye: Naitrayohmadya (also called Broomadhya) Drishti. In Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose), we use Nabi Chakra Drishti, gazing at the navel. We use Hastagrai Drishti, gazing at the hand, in Trikonasana (Triangle Pose). In most seated forward bends, we gaze at the big toes: Pahayoragrai Drishti. When we twist to the left or right in seated spinal twists, we gaze as far as we can in the direction of the twist, using Parsva Drishti. In Urdhva Hastasana, the first movement of the Sun Salutation, we gaze up at the thumbs, using Angusta Ma Dyai Drishti. In Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose I), we use Urdhva Drishti, gazing up to infinity. In every asana, the prescribed drishti assists concentration, aids movement, and helps orient the pranic (energetic) body.

The full meaning of drishti isn’t limited to its value in asana. In Sanskrit, drishti can also mean a vision, a point of view, or intelligence and wisdom. The use of drishti in asana serves both as a training technique and as a metaphor for focusing consciousness toward a vision of oneness. Drishti organizes our perceptual apparatus to recognize and overcome the limits of “normal” vision.

Our eyes can only see objects in front of us that reflect the visible spectrum of light, but yogis seek to view an inner reality not normally visible. We become aware of how our brains only let us see what we want to see—a projection of our own limited ideas. Often our opinions, prejudices, and habits prevent us from seeing unity. Drishti is a technique for looking for the Divine everywhere—and thus for seeing correctly the world around us. Used in this way, drishti becomes a technique for removing the ignorance that obscures this true vision, a technique that allows us to see God in everything.

Of course, the conscious use of the eyes in asana isn’t limited to the Ashtanga Vinyasa tradition. In Light on Pranayama, for example, B.K.S. Iyengar comments that “the eyes play a predominant part in the practice of asanas.” Besides its use in asana, drishti is applied in other yogic practices. In the kriya (cleansing) technique of trataka, or candle gazing, the eyes are held open until tears form. This technique not only gives the eyes a wash but also challenges the student to practice overriding unconscious urges—in this case, the urge to blink.

Sometimes in meditation and pranayama practices the eyes are held half-opened and the gaze is turned up toward the third eye or the tip of the nose. In the Bhagavad Gita (VI.13) Krishna instructs Arjuna, “One should hold one’s body and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose.” When using the inner gaze, sometimes called Antara Drishti, the eyelids are closed and the gaze is directed in and up toward the light of the third eye. As Iyengar puts it, “The closure of the eyes … directs the sadhaka (practitioner) to meditate upon Him who is verily the eye of the eye… and the life of life.”

Drishti Tips

As with many spiritual techniques, with drishti there is a danger of mistaking the technique for the goal. You should dedicate your use of the body (including the eyes) to transcending your identification with it. So when you look at an object during your practice, don’t focus on it with a hard gaze. Instead, use a soft gaze, looking through it toward a vision of cosmic unity. Soften your focus to send your attention beyond outer appearance to inner essence.

You should never force yourself to gaze in a way that strains your eyes, brain, or body. In many seated forward bends, for example, the gazing point may be the big toes. But many practitioners, at certain stages in their development, must take care not to create such an intense contraction of the back of the neck that this discomfort overwhelms all other awareness. Rather than forcing the gaze prematurely, you should allow it to develop naturally over time.

In general, practitioners should use the various bahya (external) gazing points during more externally oriented yoga practices, including asanas, kriyas (cleansing practices), seva (the service work of karma yoga), and bhakti (devotion); use the antara (internal) gaze to enhance contemplative and meditative practices. If you find yourself closing the eyes during any practice and focusing on the dramas or perplexities of life instead of being able to maintain a neutral, detached focus, re-establish an outer gaze. On the other hand, if the outer gaze becomes a distraction to your concentration, perhaps an inner-directed correction is necessary.

A fixed gaze can help enormously in balancing poses like Vrksasana (Tree Pose), Garudasana (Eagle Pose), Virabhadrasana III (Warrior Pose III), and the various stages of Hasta Padangusthasana (Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose). By fixing the gaze on an unmoving point, you can assume the characteristics of that point, becoming stable and balanced. More importantly, constant application of drishti develops ekagraha, single-pointed focus. When you restrict your visual focus to one point, your attention isn’t dragged from object to object. In addition, without these distractions, it’s much easier for you to notice the internal wanderings of your attention and maintain balance in mind as well as body.

Drishti—The True View

Throughout the history of yoga, clear, true perception has been both the practice and goal of yoga. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna tells his disciple, Arjuna, “You are not able to behold me with your own eyes; I give thee the divine eye, behold my Lordly yoga” (11.8). In the classic exposition of yoga, the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali points out that in viewing the world, we tend not to see reality clearly, but instead get deluded by the error of false perception. In Chapter II, verse 6, he says that we confuse the act of seeing with the true perceiver: purusha, the Self. He continues, in verse 17, to say that this confusion about the true relationship between the act of seeing, the object seen, and the identity of the Seer is the root cause of suffering. His cure for this suffering is to look correctly into the world around us.

How are we to do this? By maintaining a prolonged, continuous, single-pointed focus on the goal of yoga: samadhi, or complete absorption into purusha. The practice of drishti gives us a technique with which to develop single-pointed concentration of attention. The hatha yogi uses a kind of “x-ray vision” comprised of viveka (discrimination between “real view” and “unreal, apparent view”) and vairagya (detachment from a mistaken identification with either the instrument of seeing or that which is seen). This basic misidentification is called avidya (ignorance), and its counterpart, vidya, is our true identity.

The bhakti yogi uses drishti in a slightly different way, constantly turning a loving, longing gaze toward God. Through imagination the vision of the Divine appears in the form of Krishna, and the whole world becomes prasad (holy nourishment). In both cases, drishti provides a kind of enhanced yogic vision that allows us to see past outer differences (asat, in Sanskrit) to inner essence or Truth (sat). If we remove ignorance through these practices, we can then see through deception and delusion.

When we charge our eyes with yogic vision, we see our true Self. As we gaze at others, we perceive our own form, which is Love itself. We no longer see the suffering of other beings as separate from our own; our heart is filled with compassion for the struggling of all these souls to find happiness. The yogic gaze emerges from an intense desire to achieve the highest goal of unitive consciousness, rather than from egoistic motives that create separation, limitation, judgment, and suffering.

Like all yogic practices, drishti uses the blessed gifts of a human body and mind as a starting place for connecting to our full potential—the wellspring that is the source of both body and mind. When we clear our vision of the covering of habits, opinions, ideas, and their projections about what is real and what is false, we gaze beyond outer differences toward the absolute Truth.

David Life is the cofounder of Jivamukti Yoga.

On the Topic of Smoothies !

A lot of people talk about Smoothies .. cuz they are “trying to get healthy” and so smoothies logically fits into that right?

Well.. if the smoothie is loaded with nothing but fruit, and has a poor quality protein powder… it’s no more “healthy” than a piece of fruit cake!

While fruit has lots of great micro nutrients.. and is an important part of our diet..  it should be in MODERATION! The prime reason for this is that Fruit is LOADED with sugar!! (& too much is toxic to our systems!!) Couple that with Poor quality protein powders which are LOADED with chemicals, heavy metals (true!) and assorted processed fillers.. none of which are “healthy”.. plus the protein itself is not especially bio available..and you have a ‘recipe’ for failure! 

The trick to smoothies is more veggies than fruit, and high quality ingredients..

Think leafy greens.. celery, cucumber, beets, carrots.. get creative with things like fresh Mint or other herbs..

(Keep in mind.. the 7-9 servings of veggies per day rule of thumb.. )

Berries (in moderation) are perfect smoothie additions.. low glycemic index, loaded with antioxidants.. and add a great sweet taste

The recipe for my ‘famous breakfast smoothie” is mostly vegetables (both in fresh green leafy form and also dehydrated form).. with a little fruit for sweetness. A variation I’ve been enjoying recently  has almost all organic “power greens” (kale, spinach,chard etc) a cup of organic frozen blueberries, fresh mint from the garden and an excellent organic plant based protein powder (Sun Warrior Warrior Blend).. plus almond milk.. it’s a quick easy delicious HEALTHY meal!!

Think on this as you plan your next smoothie!!

Check in with me if you have questions or need some ideas 🙂 we’re all on this journey together after all!

Kim’s Yummy Breakfast Smoothie!

(I’ve had it for lunch and dinner too.. it really is a meal in a cup!)

Roughly a large handful (or two cup-ish) of a baby spinach/baby kale (or                               power greens) mix  (buy a large container, and freeze it so it will last.. )get organic if possible

Roughly 1/2 cup-ish of frozen mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries,                                                                        blackberries, strawberries, pomegranate are all great and loaded with                                                             vitamins – they are super foods!) Get organic if possible

1 Tbs ea (I use a big kitchen spoon) – each of Flax, Hemp &                                                                     Chia seeds (loaded with all sorts of good for you things. Look them up!)

A Heaping gloppy tablespoon or two (call it 1/4 cup) of PLAIN Greek yogurt  (packed with protein! and makes the smoothie creamier!)

A measured scoop of protein powder – chocolate or vanilla. (Find one that you                                             are willing to pay for.. there are lots of protein powders out there.. compare                                                        calories and carb counts, price, and overall protein count.. and REALLY avoid artificial sweeteners/ingredients. (Sucralose, Aspartame, and the like are HORRIBLE for you!! Stevia, Xyletrol are safe no cal sweeteners) Also, Try to find the one with the highest protein and the lowest calories/carbs! I have tried several varieties and have settled on Sun Warrior Warrior Blend.. its a plant based protein powder that is organic, non gmo and rates well for high quality protein with limited fillers etc. It also tastes good! There are a lot of different types of protein, look them up, learn about them and find one that works for you!.) If you want to try Sun Warrior… go to the “resources tab” on this website and follow the link to SunWarrior.. or click here! Sun Warrior (the link will get you a discount 🙂

A scoop of fiber.. Mine comes from melaluca.. or you can use Konsyl                                                                    (available OTC at Wal-Mart/pharmacies etc) take ½ tsp – 1 tsp also                                                                   remember this acts as a thickener in liquid.. so if you use fiber.. you will                                                         need to drink your smoothie fast! Fiber helps to regulate body sugars,                                                           intestinal fortitude, & gives a sense of fullness, lots of good stuff! Start with a                                                        ½ tsp and work up to 1 if you want to. (If you want to try the fiber I use, let me know and I’ll send you a link so you can create an account and order it)

1 cup of almond milk – look for the 30 calorie version or the 60 calorie organic version. This stuff is loaded with calcium and other “Good for you stuff”

1 cup Coconut water (or regular water) use as needed to help smoothify your smoothie.. (Coconut water is also loaded with vitamins, minerals, potassium, all sorts of good for you things plus its very “hydrating”! (it does have calories and carbs tho.. so if you are really cutting. just use water)

Put all of this (roughly in the order above) into your vitamix or other good quality blender and blend on smoothie setting (or the setting that will liquefy the berries) (add coconut water as needed to get it liquidy & drinkable. add a few cubes of ice if you want it to be colder.)

I also add ~ 1 tsp each of Bee Pollen, Camu Camu powder, Maca powder, Acai Berry Powder, Chaga mushroom and Reishi mushroom powder, moringa powder, green tea and a chlorella, spirulina, wheat grass, barley grass blend. (Oriya greens) These are all superfoods (look them up). They are not ‘musts’ but are certainly good additions! I get them all on amazon for best prices (except the green blend.. which I get at Central Market) or www.oriya.com and the green tea which I get at Costco

This smoothie truly is a “Meal in a cup”! (seriously.. not just on macros, and micro nutrients.. but also on calories and carbs.. so keep that in mind.. you DO NOT NEED to eat more when you have this smoothie!) – also this recipe will make 2 large drinks.. so to make one drink reduce all ingredients in half (except the protein powder!)

Make sure you drink it all up fast (because its better cold, and the fiber will thicken it if you let it stand)….It tastes like chocolate (or vanilla) berries, its really good for you, and This is all you need to be full til your next meal! Cool huh?

Shopping tips..

  • I like the plastic box of mix baby spinach/kale because I can just put it in the freezer as is and the leaves don’t get squashed on themselves. I also like the Bagged “power greens” at costco.  It freezes really well too
  • The baby kale/spinach/power greens, berries (“mixed organic berries”) , greek yogurt, almond milk, and coconut water (Zico 100% coconut water) can all be found at Costco- I get Organic of all of the listed
  • The seeds are least expensive at costco or amazon
  • The protein powder I use (Sun Warrior Warrior Blend) is locatable at Sprouts, Central Market or on their website (go to the “resources” tab on my website and follow the link there to Sunwarrior.. or click here! the link will get you a discount!

Clean Eating 101

Clean Eating 101

In our busy lives, we are surrounded by mass marketing, mass production, fads, and countless buzz words.. (Paleo, Keto, Whole 30, vegan, intermittent fasting, master cleanse, detox, all natural, cabbage soup diet, low fat, zero calorie, sugar free, grass fed, organic, NON GMO, wild caught, pastured, gluten free) … its so confusing! And while some is good and useful .. much is just marketing at its finest .. In the midst of it all.. Its VERY difficult to know what is good and what’s actually bad for you! Further to that.. we are all uniquely made in that what works for one person, may not be right for you! Nutrition is a tricky science in that virtually every ‘diet’ or otherwise can be proven and disproven in almost the same breath.. so as a holistic (that means whole body) health coach, what I support is lifestyle eating that fits YOUR bio-individuality!

Clean eating has become a “buzz word” too. When in reality, the basics of clean eating have been around since the dawn of time up until about the time of our grandparents. (think 1940s..)

Sadly, the way most of us were raised.. that food is food and is basically good and safe.. is no longer the truth. Its pretty easy to recognize soda, fast food, potato chips and lunchables as ‘processed’.. the truth however is far more sinister.. “processed food” is almost EVERYTHING now!!! Our food is artificially grown, chemical sprayed, refined and bleached, picked unripe and shipped to us from around the world in a synthetic fake environment that depletes it of its original nutrients and fills it with ingredients that make us sick. (The commercially grown animals that we eat are treated in equally horrifying ways). Plus we are being lied to by every commercial, picture & marketing gimmick.. its enough to make your head spin!

Keep in mind.. We are literally what we eat.. in fact EVERY CELL in our bodies is re-made at least once every 7 years.. and the make up of our cells comes directly from what we eat and drink. SO a return to how our grandparents & great grandparents ate (clean eating in its truest sense!).. is a must..

In the journey toward being holistically healthy.. one of the easiest most logical places to start is CLEAN EATING, truly the foundation of a HEALTHY LIFE! If you think about it.. the healthier you are .. the easier it is to do the things you like to do, with energy, pain free and not bogged down by drs and medicine.. which is the makings of a HAPPY LIFE!

  • Clean eating is a LIFESTYLE.. its NOT a diet.. it’s a filter to put all the buzz words through… a way to grocery shop and order out at restaurant..
  • Clean eating principles can be applied to literally any method of eating that you choose.. Paleo, Mediterranean, whole 30, Keto, vegan, etc and can also be applied to specific meal plans that your trainer or nutritionist may put you on
  • Clean eating is a pure, simple “old school” return to feeding our bodies.. thus functioning in concert with the natural food sources God and nature provide for us.
  • Please Note: Clean eating IS NOT a foolproof way to loose weight (because you can still eat too many calories even if they are “clean”.) That being said.. by following the basic rules of clean eating.. and getting away from the “Standard American Diet” .. most/many people will loose weight just by cutting out the refined artificial junk.. tweaking what you eat and when to meet your bio-individuality will further aid weight loss and whole body health.

(Its important to note that true health comes from many facets of life.. nutrition/clean eating of course, but also exercise, and that all important personal, work, spiritual balance.. if any part of that is “off” it wont matter how much kale is eaten.. a person cant be truly healthy.. for example, it’s a known fact that chronic stress and lack of sleep are leading causes of many disorders! Dehydration and CRAP FOOD are also leading causes! The answer to what ails you lies in taking this holistic approach. As a health coach, I work with people to find imbalances in their lives and develop plans to correct them)

“What is Clean Eating”?

A proper approach involves crowding out the bad with the good

  • Making a lifestyle of eating and drinking only whole, natural, unprocessed foods and drink truly produced by God and nature. This also means seeking and eating Organic (veggies/fruit), Grass Fed (beef/dairy), Pastured (chicken, eggs, pork), Wild Caught (fish) and Organic/Non GMO products as much as possible. Let your goal be to eat food made from a green plant vs a cement plant! (Since organic regulation does not permit “GMO” crops .. going organic cuts glyphosate (roundup) & other chemical sprays out of your food.. this is a critical element in our health.)
    • To help with organic veggies/fruits, look up the dirty dozen/clean 15 list of veggies and fruit and let that be your guide to what organic foods to get for sure. (YES you will EAT the foods on the dirty dozen list! Just ensure they are organic!.. The foods on the clean 15 list are ok to eat non-organic. This all has to do with which absorb chemical sprays
  • Work on lowering sugar intake. A healthy goal is no more than 6 tsp (24 g) of sugar per day.
    • Substitute sweeteners to healthy choices like honey, stevia, agave, satisfy you desire for sweet w/fresh fruits, sweet veggies, some dark chocolate & fruit/avocado based deserts
  • Eliminate processed man made chemical artificial NON FOOD (this includes things like fast food, nitrate/nitrite bacon, lunchmeat, sausages etc (uncured no nitrite/nitrate is fine) – question EVERYTHING in a box, bag, jar, can or other store-bought container. If you don’t understand what the ingredient is, neither does your body! So don’t eat it!!!
    •    This means looking for ingredients labels with whole ingredients and no   artificial ones
  • Seek to avoid completely bad fats (trans fats, margarine, shortening, anything fried) and vegetable oils (they are heavily over refined and known to cause inflammation)
    • Instead go for real butter, ghee, olive, avocado and coconut oils.
  • Work on eliminating “white carbs’ (AKA simple carbs) This includes normal bread, chips, cookies & crackers etc (all made with refined flour), processed cereal and oatmeal, refined white rice, potatoes, refined flour and corn tortillas and tortilla chips etc.. These are all processed so much that any “whole grain’ that grew has been smashed, bleached, chemical bathed and reformed into something that the body cannot use nor does it recognize.. products made with these ingredients just become sugar and instigate inflammation ..
    • look for truly whole grains.. brown, wild, & long grain rice, quinoa, barley, amaranth, oats, couscous which are fine although should NOT make up a large part of your diet.. moderation is key here.. ..also home made bread and other baked goods made with whole grain and organic non gmo unrefined flour, and alternative sweeteners like honey and applesauce and known non gmo ingredients are fine.. tho again in MODERATION (small amounts! The sugars and inflammation are not worth it!) .. also some whole real potatoes that are not deep fried or bathed in butter and other calorie laden toppings are fine IN MODERATION! In truth.. sweet potatoes satisfy the same need and have far more nutrients! That all being said.. The safest way as you begin your journey.. is to avoid the above all together until your new lifestyle has become a lifestyle. This allows your body and microbiome to reset. And The “taste’ for these things will shift to other more healthy nutrient dense options and you wont “crave” it anymore.. when that happens.. having a little every now and then is fine. Just keep it clean!!

 

  • Drink more water! ½ your body weight in oz/day is a good rule of thumb. Proper hydration is needed for cellular function and your body to properly use all the nutrients that you feed it.. its also critical in flushing out the build up of waste and toxins and other bad stuff.. plus when you are properly hydrated, you are less likely to feel hungry when you don’t actually need food.

 

  • Attempt to eat at home/cook at home as much as possible.. fast food is obviously an issue.. and sadly even eating out a ‘nice restaurant’ means no knowledge of the ingredients, way too many calories, sugar, salt and carbs that you have no means to control and portion sizes that are double and triple what is good for your body.

“Why do I care”?

There is a direct correlation between the increase of obesity and the increase in type II diabetes and it all starts in the early 80s when the advent of fast food and processed food began its rapid rise in our society as “the norm” in how we eat.

Our bodies don’t know what to do with all the artificial ingredients, and so it triggers our immune system to flare up.. this causes systemic inflammation, bacterial imbalance in our gut, the liver and kidneys to go into hyper over drive and the adrenal/thyroid balance to get out of whack causing out of control weight gain, type II diabetes, GI distress, achy painful bodies, autoimmune disorders and a “I’m sick all the time” norm.

A word about sugar.. The extreme quantities of refined foods in our diets.. as well as excess simple carbs along with ALL the SUGAR (that is in EVERYTHING!) all lead to toxic levels of sugar in our systems (keep the rule of “no more than 24 g of sugar a day” in mind.. then go look on some of your ingredients lists for sugar count! Think about how carbs break down into sugar.. Think about how much fruit you eat (loaded with sugar).. Going with “sugar free’ products is not good either.. because the additives that are used to make something sweet in the absence of natural sweeteners are even worse than the sugar itself (go back to the problems associated with artificial ingredients)!

That all being said.. The excess sugar and chronic inflammation is toxic to our systems causing systemic stress (GI tract, heart, liver, kidney, thyroid in particular) as well as many seemingly unrelated conditions to show up.. weight that is easy to gain but stubborn to loose, sleeplessness, allergies, skin conditions, brain fog, mood disruption, lack of energy even asthma, autoimmune conditions, thyroid conditions and cancer.

Now that I’ve totally freaked you out.. here are some huge positives to focus on!!

Benefits of eating clean

  • Lower systemic & Musculoskeletal inflammation
  • Weight loss
  • Clearer smoother skin
  • Reversing chronic pain
  • Better Mood
  • Balanced hormones
  • Lower health risks for diabetes, obesity, and other
  • Lower PMS and menopause symptoms
  • Better PH balance in body helps lessen chronic infections and candida overgrowth
  • Fights adrenal fatigue and exhaustion
  • Combats sleep disorders and insomnia
  • Feeling more empowered and energized
  • Save time meal prepping and money on eating out
  • Build a stronger body and mind

(please note: If you are suffering from diagnosed health conditions.. the information provided here are NOT guarantees.. that being said, making the shift toward clean eating (in whatever dietary protocol you have to follow – Paleo and autoimmune Paleo are very affective for many) along with good exercise, life balance (stress mediation etc), and working with medical providers according to condition has been successfully used by countless many to over come, and even reverse a variety of debilitating conditions.)

“How can I incorporate clean eating into my life”?

 Remember you are CROWDING OUT the bad with all the good!

So start with what you CAN Enjoy!!!

Fresh whole foods.. green leafy veggies and all the “rainbow” of other fresh veggies, lean meat, fish, eggs, greek yogurt, sweet potatoes, whole ancient grains in their pure form, nuts, dark chocolate (moderation!) fruit (moderation),

Beverages in addition to water.. homemade veggie smoothies and juices (yes they are delicious! Use minimal fruit due to the sugars), Kambucha, Kefir, natural tea (hot and cold)

Sweeteners like raw organic honey, stevia, agave (maple syrup and xylitol are ok too)

Healthy fats like real butter, ghee, coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil

Wonderful herbs and spices in your meals add flavor and also have amazing superfood benefit! (Onion, Garlic, Turmeric, Ginger, cayenne, paprika, cumin, coriander, oregano, rosemary etc)

Using lemon juice, salsa and mustard as your primary condiments and home making your salad dressings with things like olive oil, apple cider vinegar and honey.

Consider working with a health coach (that’s me!) to create plans and goals that work for you.

A few simple shifts in your home include

 1.Clean out your pantry of anything that might not fit into the Clean Eating category. Or make a pledge to buy “clean eating” pantry items as you run out of the ones you have on hand.

2. Meal-prepping is one of the smartest things you can do when you’ve made the choice to eat clean. Take one or two days a week as you have time.. and pre-prepare the meals that you know you won’t have time to make otherwise. This way when you get home from work you are not tempted to order out or eat out.. or when you are at work you wont dive into the buffet of white carbs but will instead enjoy the meal that you brought from home.

3 Drink more water! This is one of the Golden Rules of Clean Eating that makes such a difference. Having enough water helps your body release excess weight and manage cravings better. Strive to drink half your body weight in oz a day.. figure out what cups and bottles hold what amount and then count it up! How many of these cups or bottles do you need to drink in a day?

4. Avoid drinking your calories – soda and sugary drinks can be replaced with lemon water, tea, kambucha and sparkling water with lemon or lime.

5. Limit sweets including fruit due to the high sugars.. low glycemic fruits like berries & melon are great (still in moderation tho!)

6. Read the ingredients lists on the labels before you purchase packaged foods. If you can’t pronounce it, don’t recognize it or know its artificially made, don’t bring it home.

7. Learn how to prepare your own food at home more than eating out.

8. Eat smaller meals throughout the day and try to stop eating 2 hours before bed.

Take the next step!

And that’s it! Learning all of this and realizing its value to you.. is the first step of your journey! The next step is up to you!

Maybe this info is an eye opener for you and you realize that its time to make some big changes in your world.. Or maybe you are already following many of these principles of clean eating yet you recognize there are a few more changes you can make in your life to get really clean!

As you work through it all.. finding what changes meet your needs, I encourage you to ‘look it up’ and run whatever you read or hear or learn through this “clean eating” filter. There is A LOT of information out there! If you visit my website, and go to the “books” tab, there are several excellent books on eating that may serve you well. The Paleo Approach and The Wahl’s Protocol are both very informative (both have super cookbooks too.. and all are available on Amazon). In addition, you will find several helpful links on the “resources” tab on my website.. clean food crush offers a ton of great info and recipes (you don’t have to “buy” anything to access the recipes and free info emails). There is also a link to a good Keto webpage as well as links to good supplements and protein powder. And on the internet. I like the articles from Dr Mercola, Livestrong, and Dr Axe (yes, they are all “Selling things” .. no need to get caught up in the hype.. just read the info and see how it fits your life!)

Keep in mind that you may hear something.. but you don’t really “own it” till you look up the info yourself! In addition to looking up topics of interest, another interesting tactic is to google “nutritional benefit of (insert food name)”.. you’ll be surprised how much yummy goodness is out there! (celery and cucumbers were big surprises for me!) So .. look it up and find what works for you.. just keep it clean!

If you would like an accountability partner, sounding board or personal goal setting plan making guide as you continue your journey.. consider working with me. I am a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and ICF trained life coach. (which means I know what I’m doing and could very possibly be of great service to you! Contact me and lets talk about it!! )

For more information on the services I provide, and how to contact me please visit my website.

www.uniquely-made.com

You can also like and follow me on FB @uniquelymade12 for holistically healthy ideas, recipes and tips.

Thanks for coming with me on this little mental journey into Clean Eating! I’d love to work with you as your coach on your personal journey of holistic health!

Kim

TK 4.18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I grew up on Fast Food

Actually I grew up as “fast food” was growing up.

I remember when the very first McDonalds in our town was built.. I’d never seen one before..

prior to that..

I remember when virtually ALL meals were made at home.. We went out to a restaurant exactly 4 times a year.. one time for each member of our family’s birthday dinner. I remember when “fast food on the go” was a sandwich we made at home, wrapped up and taken with us along with some fruit and water knowing it would be a while before we could get home and make food again..

I grew up when the milk man actually delivered the milk to our house (yes really) which also meant it came from real cows who lived locally.. I remember going to the farmers market on the weekends to buy what was in season to eat that week.. and the butcher shop to get the best cut of the meat they had in that day.

As the years progressed.. I fell into the modern way of eating the “Standard American Diet” (SAD for short.. appropriate don’t you think?) Fast food, processed this, artificial that.. chemical infused, boxed, preserved, NON FOOD!

Now in my “middle age years”.. My body has screamed back NO MORE! Through uncontrolled weight gain.. body aches and pains.. thyroid dysfunction.. falling out hair and sleepless nights.. (plus more we don’t need to talk about here!)

Through seeking understanding and knowledge I have learned where it all went sour…. (which was specifically in that SAD diet!!) and have thus turned away from “the modern way”..

Instead, I have returned to those early ways of my youth.. and its really not that hard.. and it really doesn’t cost that much more if you pay attention and buy what’s on sale.. and its really much better tasting and much more fun to make.. Whole, fresh, natural foods.. prepared with fresh herbs and spices and olive oil and love..

And YES! It WORKS! my body is happy.. the weight has been lost.. the aches and pains are improved.. my thyroid is being cared for.. my hair is growing.. and I am sleeping soundly once again! (and those other “things” .. yeah they are better too!) (plus,  I’m not the only one.. because everyone I know and everyone I see who lives like this.. has the same kind of  results!)

Knowing what I’ve been living the past few years is my inspiration to inspire others. my own family as well as all I connect with.. to understand the fundamental benefit of returning to what God and nature has designed us to do.

& Sorry kids.. none of that is served from McDonalds either.. J

Join me on the journey!

(TK 8.10.17)

KALE how do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

HI! Kim here! This is my very first official post on our journey together..& I felt it fitting to post about KALE!

I know many of you are KALE skeptics.. and thats ok.. there are ways to learn to love it (really! it CAN happen!) As we go along I’ll throw in some ideas to try it out (like.. start with BABY KALE in your smoothie or a salad.. you’ll be stunned how yummy it is!)
and of course.. i’ll always encourage you to seek out what ways of getting more KALE into your belly works best for you!

But first.. you kinda need to know WHY KALE is so lovable. (I mean.. it is only like the MOST nutrient dense amazing source of EVERYTHING super food EVER!) and really to the point.. the more you know and understand (about kale and all the other amazing foods out there!) .. the more you will be likely to want to go get the benefits into you!

So here is a little article I found.. (via one of my most favorite search techniques which is to type into any search bar “nutritional content of.. (name the food.. in this case.. ) of kale”.. (try it sometime.. you will learn so much!) anyway.. check this out.. and always remember.. “ITS ALL ABOUT THE KALE!!!” 🙂

10 Health Benefits of Kale Of all the super healthy greens, kale is the king. It is definitely one of the healthiest and most nutritious plant foods in existence. Kale is loaded with all sorts of beneficial compounds… some of which have powerful medicinal properties. Here are 10 health benefits of kale, that are supported by science.

1. Kale is Among The Most Nutrient Dense Foods on The Planet Before we get to all the benefits, let me briefly explain what kale is… Kale is a popular vegetable, a member of the cabbage family (Brassica oleracea). It is related to cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens and brussels sprouts. There are many different types of kale. The leaves can be green or purple in color, and have either a smooth or curly shape. The most common type of kale is called curly kale or Scots kale, which has green and curly leaves and a hard, fibrous stem. A single cup of raw kale (about 67 grams or 2.4 ounces) contains (1): Vitamin A: 206% of the RDA (from beta-carotene). Vitamin K: 684% of the RDA. Vitamin C: 134% of the RDA. Vitamin B6: 9% of the RDA. Manganese: 26% of the RDA. Calcium: 9% of the RDA. Copper: 10% of the RDA. Potassium: 9% of the RDA. Magnesium: 6% of the RDA. Then it contains 3% or more of the RDA for Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Iron and Phosphorus. This is coming with a total of 33 calories, 6 grams of carbs (2 of which are fiber) and 3 grams of protein. Kale contains very little fat, but a large portion of the fat in it is the omega-3 fatty acid called alpha linolenic acid. Given the incredibly low calorie content, kale is among the most nutrient dense foods in existence. Eating more kale is a great way to dramatically increase the total nutrient content of your diet. Bottom Line:Kale is very high in nutrients and very low in calories, making it one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet.

2. Kale is Loaded With Powerful Antioxidants Like Quercetin and Kaempferol Kale, like other leafy greens, is very high in antioxidants. This includes beta-carotene, vitamin C, as well as various flavonoids and polyphenols (2). Antioxidants are substances that help counteract oxidative damage by free radicals in the body ( 3). Oxidative damage is believed to be among the leading drivers of aging and many diseases, including cancer (4). But many substances that happen to be antioxidants also have other important functions. This includes the flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol, which are found in relatively large amounts in kale (5). These substances have been studied intensely in test tubes and animal studies. They have powerful cardioprotective, blood pressure lowering, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-depressant and anti-cancer effects… to name a few (6, 7, 8). Bottom Line: Many powerful antioxidants are found in kale, including quercetin and kaempferol, which have numerous beneficial effects on health.

3.It is an Excellent Source of Vitamin C Vitamin C is an important nutrient. It is a water-soluble antioxidant that serves many vital functions in the body’s cells. For example, it is necessary to synthesize collagen, the most abundant structural protein in the body. Kale is much higher in vitamin C than most other vegetables, containing about 4.5 times much as spinach (9). The truth is… kale is actually among the world’s best sources of Vitamin C. A cup of raw kale even contains more vitamin C than a whole orange (10). Bottom Line: Kale is extremely high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that has many important roles in the body. A single cup of raw kale actually contains more vitamin C than an orange. 5

4. Kale Can Help Lower Cholesterol, Which May Reduce The Risk of Heart Disease Cholesterol has many important functions in the body. One of them, is being used to make bile acids, which are substances that help us digest fats. The liver turns cholesterol into bile acids, which are then released into the digestive system whenever we eat a fatty meal. When all the fat has been absorbed and the bile acids have served their purpose, they are reabsorbed into the bloodstream and used again. Substances called bile acid sequestrants can bind bile acids in the digestive system and prevent them from being reabsorbed. This reduces the total amount of cholesterol in the body. Guess what… kale actually contains bile acid sequestrants, which can lower cholesterol levels (11). This should lead to a reduced risk of heart disease over time. One study found that daily consumption of kale juice for 12 weeks increased HDL (the “good”) cholesterol by 27% and lowered LDL levels by 10%, while also improving antioxidant status (12). According to one study, steaming kale dramatically increases the bile acid binding effect. Steamed kale is actually 43% as potent as cholestyramine, a cholesterol lowering drug that functions in this way (13). Bottom Line: Kale contains substances that bind bile acids and lower cholesterol levels in the body. Steamed kale is particularly effective. Advertisement Advertisement 6

5. Kale is One of The World’s Best Sources of Vitamin K Vitamin K is an important nutrient. It is absolutely critical for blood clotting, and does this by “activating” certain proteins and giving them the ability to bind calcium. The well known anticoagulant drug Warfarin actually works by blocking the function of this vitamin. Kale is one of the world’s best sources of vitamin K, with a single raw cup containing almost 7 times the recommended daily amount. The form of vitamin K in kale is K1, which is different than vitamin K2. K2 is found in fermented soy foods and certain animal products. It helps prevent heart disease and osteoporosis (14). Bottom Line: Vitamin K is an important nutrient that is involved in blood clotting. A single cup of kale contains 7 times the RDA for vitamin K. Advertisement 7 6. There Are Numerous Cancer-Fighting Substances in Kale Cancer is a terrible disease, characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells. Kale is actually loaded with compounds that are believed to have protective effects against cancer. This includes sulforaphane, a substance that has been shown to help fight the formation of cancer at the molecular level (15, 16, 17, 18). It also contains a indole-3-carbinol, another substance that is believed to help prevent cancer (19). Studies have shown that cruciferous vegetables (including kale) may significantly lower the risk of several cancers, although the evidence in humans is mixed (20, 21). Bottom Line: Kale contains substances that have been shown to help fight cancer in test tubes and animal studies, but the human evidence is mixed. Advertisement Advertisement 8

7. Kale is Very High in Beta-Carotene Kale is often claimed to be high in vitamin A, but this is false. It is actually high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that the body can turn into vitamin A (22). For this reason, kale can be an effective way to increase your body’s levels of this very important vitamin (23). Bottom Line: Kale is very high in beta carotene, an antioxidant that the body can turn into vitamin A. 9

8. Kale is a Good Source of Minerals That Most People Don’t Get Enough of Kale is high in minerals, some of which many people are deficient in. It is a good, plant-based source of calcium, a nutrient that is very important for bone health and plays a role in all sorts of cellular functions. It is also a decent source of magnesium, an incredibly important mineral that most people don’t get enough of. Eating plenty of magnesium may be protective against type 2 diabetes and heart disease (24). Kale also contains quite a bit of potassium, a mineral that helps maintain electrical gradients in the body’s cells. Adequate potassium intake has been linked to reduced blood pressure and a lower risk of heart disease (25). One advantage that kale has over leafy greens like spinach, is that it is low in oxalate, a substance found in some plants that can prevent minerals from being absorbed (26). Bottom Line: Many important minerals are found in kale, some of which are generally lacking in the modern diet. This includes calcium, potassium and magnesium. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 10

9. Kale is High in Lutein and Zeaxanthin, Powerful Nutrients That Protect the Eyes One of the most common consequences of ageing is that eyesight gets worse. Fortunately, there are several nutrients in the diet that can help prevent this from happening. Two of the main ones are lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoid antioxidants that are found in large amounts in kale and some other foods. Many studies have shown that people who eat enough lutein and zeaxanthin have a much lower risk of macular degeneration and cataracts, two very common eye disorders (27, 28). Bottom Line:Kale is high in lutein and zeaxanthin, nutrients that have been linked to a drastically reduced risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. 11

10. Kale Should be Able to Help You Lose Weight Kale has several properties that should make it a weight loss friendly food. It is very low in calories… but still provides significant bulk that should help you feel full. Because of the low calorie and high water content, kale has a low energy density. Eating plenty of foods with a low energy density has been shown to aid weight loss in numerous studies (29, 30). Despite the low amount of calories, it does contain small amounts of protein and fiber. These are two of the most important nutrients when it comes to losing weight. Although there is no study directly testing the effects of kale on weight loss, it makes sense that it could be a useful addition to a weight loss diet. 

Take Home Message Fortunately… adding kale to your diet is relatively simple. You can simply add it to your salads or use it in recipes. A popular snack is kale chips, where you drizzle some extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil on your kale, add some salt and then bake in an oven until dry. This tastes absolutely delicious and is a great, crunchy and super healthy snack. A lot of people also add kale to their smoothies in order to boost the nutritional value. At the end of the day, kale is definitely one of the healthiest and most nutritious foods on the planet. If you want to dramatically boost the amount of nutrients you take in, consider loading up on kale. Copyright © 2005 – 2018 Healthline Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Healthline is for informational purposes and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment recommendations.

https://authoritynutrition.com/10-proven-benefits-of-kale/