1. Eat Breakfast Later and Dinner Earlier

Intermittent fasting continues to be popular, and many protocols exist. However, fasting for an entire day can be difficult for many people. In that case, you may want to consider time-restricted feeding.

In a small pilot study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science, 13 people ate breakfast 90 minutes later than normal and dinner 90 minutes earlier than normal. After 10 weeks, they lost twice as much body fat on average compared with a control group that didn’t change their meal timing.

Again, fasting isn’t for everyone, but if you are interested and need to eat every day to function at your best, this could be a strategy for you.

2. Go Nuts at Snack Time

Don’t shy away from nuts because they are calorically dense. Having nuts rather than chips, fries, or dessert may help you lose weight, researchers shared at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2018. Eating one ounce of nuts or two tablespoons of nut butter daily was associated with less risk of weight gain over four years, as was having nuts instead of a less-healthy snack.

Just be sure you watch your serving size. An ounce of nuts is about 23 almonds, 18 cashews, 49 pistachios, 21 hazelnuts, 8 medium Brazil nuts, 12 macadamia nuts, 14 walnut halves, or 19 pecan halves.

3. Weigh the Pros and Cons of a Low-Carb Diet

How’s this for confusing: Last February, Stanford researchers published a study concluding that a healthy low-fat diet and a healthy low-carbohydrate diet can both lead to about the same amount of weight loss. Then in November, a study published in BMJ concluded that following a low-carb diet (with 20 percent of your calories from carbohydrates) during weight maintenance may help you burn 250 more calories a day, compared to eating a high-carb diet (with 60 percent of your calories from carbs). As a bonus, low-carb diets may help improve artery flexibility—but only in women, University of Missouri scientists discovered.

The bottom line is: Going low-carb may help, but only if you can stick to the plan. If cutting back on carbs makes you sluggish, then you won’t stick to that diet. No matter your carbohydrate intake, focus on nutrient-rich carbs such as sweet potatoes, whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruit.

Related: Should You Try the Keto Diet?

4. Shift Your Mindset

Before you sit down to have a meal or snack, think about the health effects of what you are about to eat. This pause may help you naturally select less food, according to a Germany study published in the journal Appetite.

Researchers asked participants to focus on the expected pleasure, their intention to stay full until the next meal, or the health effects of the food while choosing the serving size of their lunch. Compared to a control group, the fullness group took larger portions, while those thinking about health helped themselves to smaller servings. That’s the power of mindfulness.

The post The Best New Science for Weight Loss in 2019 appeared first on Sonima.

1. Drink black tea.

Green tea is not the only beverage that may aid in weight loss. According to a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition last September, black tea may help boost metabolism and promote weight loss by changing gut bacteria. It turns out that both green and black tea appear to be prebiotics, substances that good bacteria in your gut feed on and contribute to good health. So drink whichever you like, but keep in mind that drinking tea alone will not melt away excess pounds; you must also subscribe to healthy eating, in general, and regular exercise.

2. Eat eggs after exercise.

University of Illinois researchers recently discovered that the protein found in whole eggs is better than just egg whites at building muscle. In the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in October, men ate 18 grams of protein from either whole eggs or egg whites after completing a resistance workout. Those who ate the equivalent of about three whole large eggs had about 40 percent greater muscle-protein synthesis than those who ate only egg whites. After your next workout, try this healthy recipe from Sonima’s new resident chef Amie Valpone.

Scrambled Egg Lettuce Cups

Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 head Bibb lettuce
1 carrot, peeled and shaved
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 tablespoon slivered almonds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional

Directions
1. Pour olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Crack eggs into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Transfer into the warm skillet. Use a spatula to pull and fold eggs across the pan from side to side until thickened and no visible egg liquid remains. Remove from the heat.
2. Place lettuce leaves on a flat surface. Place scrambled eggs inside the lettuce “cup”. Top with remaining ingredients, fold, and serve immediately.

Yield
2 servings

3. Try intermittent dieting.

You may not need to cut back on calories day-in and day-out to lose weight. In a study published in the journal Nature in August, 51 obese men followed two diets: Half cut their caloric intake by a third for 16 weeks, while the other half cut their calories by the same amount for two weeks, then took a two-week break from the diet. The latter group followed this pattern for a total of 32 weeks, which means they also dieted for 16 weeks total. At the end, the on-again, off-again dieters lost more weight and kept off an average 18 pounds more than the steady dieters six months afterward. The researchers believe intermittent dieting changes your metabolism. If you are interested in intermittent dieting or fasting, talk to your doctor first to be sure it’s right for you. Warning: Fasting is not recommended for those who are hypoglycemic or diabetic.

Related: Is Personalized Nutrition the Future of Dieting?

4. Consider going vegetarian.

If you need another reason to shift to a plant-based diet, consider the results of a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition last June: Seventy-four adults with type 2 diabetes followed either a typical anti-diabetic diet or a vegetarian one. Not only did those on the vegetarian diet lose almost twice as much weight, they also lost subfascial fat and more intramuscular fat. Subfascial fat has been associated with insulin resistance, while intramuscular fat may help improve muscular strength and mobility. Well-balanced vegetarian diets tend to be lower in calories and fat, and higher in filling fiber, all of which may help with weight loss. However, this diet is no guarantee. Vegetarians may struggle to avoid junk food and poor lifestyle habits just as much as omnivores do.

5. Join an online weight-loss community.

Most things tend to be easier when you’re not alone, including weight loss. A study published in the Journal of Interactive Marketing last November found that participating in virtual support communities and posting about both successes and setbacks makes people more likely to reach their weight-loss goals. Sharing your photos and what works for you helps keep you accountable and motivated, and can be particularly helpful if you don’t have friends or loved ones who are also trying to lose weight. Just be sure to join a community where you feel welcomed and encouraged. Any bad feelings are a red flag that the group isn’t right for you.

Photography by Amie Valpone

The post The Best New Science for Weight Loss in 2018 appeared first on Sonima.

How Ayurveda Views the Menstrual Cycle

It’s helpful to understand how this ancient holistic health system sees the reproductive stages of a woman’s life. In Ayurveda, a woman’s lifespan is divided into three sections, each dominated by a different dosha, or biological energy. The first stage, from birth until the first menstruation, is dominated by kapha, the energy of water and earth. The middle part of life, or the childbearing years, from around ages 15 to 50, is ruled by pitta, the fire energy. The last stage of life is governed by vata, or the air energy. Of course, the exact ages vary from person to person, but these are the three general stages of life.

A healthy menstrual cycle runs like clockwork. This can only happen if, primarily, the pitta energy is healthy since it’s the energy that generally most influences the menstrual cycle. Ayurveda says the nourishment that the female body receives is divided between two secondary tissues—breast and uterine—before reaching the rest of the body. When a woman is reproductively active, these two tissues are nourished based on her conception or non-conception.

When a woman conceives, more nourishment material in the form of lymph and plasma is directed to the breast and uterine tissues. When a woman is breastfeeding, most of the nourishment goes to her breasts for milk production. When she stops breastfeeding, the body resumes sending most of the nourishment to the uterine tissue, which, in turn, is converted to blood and moves out of the body via menstrual flow at the end of the cycle. This whole process of transformation is regulated by pitta, while vata is responsible for moving out the blood from the uterus. Most PMS symptoms are due to aggravation of pitta and vata.

Prevent PMS Before It Starts

In general, the best way to treat PMS is by regulating your cycle. It’s actually more beneficial to address the issue throughout your monthly cycle (meaning every day) than only when you’re experiencing the symptoms—such as bloating, digestive issues, skin breakouts, and mood swings—associated with PMS. Living a healthy lifestyle daily with a well-regulated diet, quality sleep, and consistent exercise habits is truly the optimal plan to treat, or better yet, bypass these symptoms altogether.

Menstruation As Detox

It is also worth noting that Ayurveda looks at menstruation as a natural detox process for the female body. It says that a woman should facilitate the process of letting go all of the menstrual blood to an extent where no physical strain is exerted. That’s why if you look at Ashtanga yoga, during the women’s menstruation days, there’s no yoga practiced. The reason: they don’t want women to exert any physical energy when the body is undergoing a detox process.

In order to facilitate the process, you might just do pranayamas and very light stretching instead of intense yoga. This concept applies similarly to all areas of life, from physical exercise to your job. Ideally, you’d have some lower stress days at work during menstruation in order to facilitate detox. In short, mental stress and physical strain should be avoided when menstruating, if possible.

For some women, it is also consoling to know that the detox process is not always easy and can, occasionally, be painful. This is why menstrual cramps are to be expected. Sometimes, knowing and accepting that a small amount of pain is normal during menstruation can lessen its impact.

What About Western Medicine to Ease the Pain?

Nobody should have to suffer, if you can help it, which is why so many people reach for over-the-counter pain medicine so quickly. OTC painkillers, in the long term, are not particularly healthy because they have a significant amount of side effects, including an elevated risk of heart attack, reports a new study published in the British Medical Journal in May. One should avoid taking them as much as possible. Of course, if the pain is not tolerable, then it’s fine to use OTC medications sparingly. Just make sure you’re taking the proper steps before your next cycle to mitigate these symptoms more naturally.

Related: 5 Natural Remedies for Period Pain and Symptoms

Natural Ways to Manage PMS

If you’re on top of your diet, sleeping patterns, and overall lifestyle, this is the ideal way to regulate your cycle. However, not all life situations are the same. If it’s not possible for you to make lifestyle changes, there are some things you can do while you’re menstruating to make yourself feel better. You’ll notice that most of them are related to the digestive system since all three doshas are regulated there. The Ayurvedic approach is that if you can control the doshas at the level of the digestive system, they will not disturb the menstrual cycle.

1. Stay hydrated. If you want to limit your prevention plan to just one tactic, make it this: Drinks lots and lots of water. Lack of fluids in your body will exacerbate PMS. You need to facilitate the elimination of heat from the body, which can be done through urination.

2. Keep your digestive system on track. Another way to eliminate heat from the body is to have regular bowel movements. This can be done in a number of ways, from taking triphala capsules to making a soup with dark leafy greens, which can help kickstart your digestion. You can also try drinking milk with coconut oil at nighttime with a little bit of turmeric and saffron. When the bowels are regular, the pitta and vata are naturally balanced.

3. Spice up your diet. Cumin is great for removing excess pitta from the lymph or plasma and keeping it from getting deposited in the uterus or sweat-carrying channels. It also helps eliminate heat by promoting urination. Dill is one of the of the best remedies for lower back pain during the cycle. Also, the plant fenugreek can reduce swelling and cravings. Soak it in water overnight until it becomes soft and fluffy, then chew and swallow it first thing in the morning with some hot water. Lastly, here is a recipe for a commonly-used tea that women drink on their menstrual cycles in India.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp dill seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1.5 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon molasses, coconut sugar, or coconut nectar (optional)

Directions:

Dry roast the seeds on a pan until aromatic. Once they are roasted, use a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle to crush them into a coarse powder. Then, heat up 16 ounces of water and put the seed powder into the water. Boil for two minutes, and while boiling, add the ginger. Turn off the heat and strain the mixture. Add molasses or coconut nectar/sugar, mix, and then drink in the morning after breakfast.

The post Ayurvedic Remedies for PMS That Really Work appeared first on Sonima.

1. Basil

Pass the pesto, please. Several recent studies show that basil may help suppress the rise in blood glucose after a meal. Scientists say these findings could eventually lead to an effective treatment for people living with diabetes in the near future. This yummy herb is also really low in calories and high in nutrients including beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are all good for the eyes. It also contains vitamin K for bone health, and antioxidants orientin and vicenin. In one small study published in DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, a cream containing basil extract was found to moisturize skin and reduce wrinkles. Maybe that’s why Madonna was taking a basil bath in April?

2. Peas

Peas are a legume, which makes them another potential diabetes fighter. For a study published in Clinical Nutrition this March, researchers analyzed more than 3,300 people at high risk of cardiovascular disease but without type 2 diabetes. After four years, they discovered that those who ate more than 3 weekly servings of legumes (including lentils and beans) had a 35 percent lower risk of developing diabetes compared to those who ate only 1.5 servings a week. A high-fiber food, peas slow down the digestion of sugar, which is good for diabetics and people with pre-diabetes. Peas are also high in a polyphenol called coumestrol. A Mexican study reported that 2 micrograms of coumestrol daily may help prevent stomach cancer. A cup of peas has at least 10 micrograms.

3. Wild Blueberries

Wild blueberries are easiest to find at farmers’ markets. These remarkable berries are considered a super-fruit and have been shown to have a host of potential benefits, including inhibiting the growth of breast cancer, reducing cholesterol, and blood pressure, alleviating hypoglycemia, and protecting against Alzheimer’s. Most recently British scientists asked healthy 65- to 77-year-olds to consume a concentrated blueberry juice or a placebo daily. Those who drank the supplement showed improved activation in brain areas associated with cognitive function.

Related: A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Your Own Food

4. Radishes

These peppery, anti-inflammatory veggies give you a big nutritional bang for your caloric buck. An entire cup of sliced radishes has a mere 19 calories and nearly a third of your recommended daily vitamin C. This serving size also contains 7 percent of both your potassium and fiber. In Chinese medicine, radishes are believed to eliminate stagnant food and toxins in the digestive track. And back in 19th century Europe, people added radishes to rich meals to regulate the production and flow of bile, which helps your body digest fattier meals. Try different varieties, such as watermelon, which looks like the fruit when sliced, for new flavors and colors.

5. Summer Squash

Bumper crops of zucchini and yellow and grey squash—often in heirloom varieties—show up at farmer’s stands this time of year. Take advantage of all the tasty options. Summer squash are rich in leutin, a carotenoid shown to fight cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. In addition to keeping your eyes healthy, squash is also high in potassium. Your body uses this essential electrolyte to build muscle, break down and use carbs, control the electrical activity of the heart, and more. Try this delicious summer squash soup recipe chilled or warm.

Creamy Summer Squash Soup

Ingredients
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 medium yellow summer squash, seeded and cubed (about 3 cups)
1 1/2-2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/8 teaspoon black or white pepper
1 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
2 teaspoons shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Directions
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until soft. Add garlic and cook a minute longer.

2. Add the squash and saute for 3 minutes.

3. Stir in broth, salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes or until squash is tender.

4. Transfer soup to a blender and mix until smooth. Return all to the pan.

5. Stir in lemon juice and hot pepper sauce, if using; heat through. Sprinkle each serving with cheese, if desired, and lemon peel. Serve warm or chill and serve cold.

Yield
Approximately 1 quart, or 2-4 servings

The post The Best Foods to Buy at the Farmers’ Market This Summer appeared first on Sonima.

The Basic Principles of Eating According to Ayurveda

For this reason, food is a celebration in Ayurveda. Nourishment is given the utmost respect, especially considering that what we consume influences us on three distinct levels: there is a 1) physical effect on the body, 2) a psycho-emotional effect, which is experienced through the sense organs and the mind, and 3) a spiritual effect that has the power to uplift our consciousness and spirit.

Today, food is something that is often taken for granted in certain parts of the world. In the U.S, for example, Americans eat anywhere and everywhere without giving consumption much thought. This way of eating does not correspond to Ayurveda guidelines, which are largely based on one key rule: You should not approach food with greed. This is a fascinating concept because every time you ingest food, greed innately takes over. Ayurveda says that you have to check yourself mindfully to take away that greed and attachment to food. When you eat, you should be in a very peaceful state of mind and atmosphere.

Related: 7 Realistic Ways to Approach Mindful Eating

Another vital rule is that you should completely focus on the act of eating. You should sit, settle down, and give respect to what you’re about to consume. Then, you can bring your attention to utilizing all five senses while you eat. The tongue is the most important because it tastes and mixes the food. Sight is equally valuable, so take a moment to study your meal. Is it colorful? It should be. Also, use your hands to eat instead of utensils. Touching the food is crucial for having the complete experience. Lastly, smell the food and listen to the different sounds that are made while eating. In this way, all five sense organs are put into play.

The Age-old Battle: Quality vs. Quantity

The fundamental difference between Ayurvedic diet principles and modern dietetics is that we give a lot of significance to quality opposed to quantity of food. What I mean is that we don’t use calories as the governing principle of food. In Ayurveda, we don’t eat to achieve a certain number of calories per day, but rather, we eat food for its physical and, more importantly, for its psycho-emotional effects. Think about it this way: If you eat chocolate, you’re probably not eating it because of the number of calories it has. You’re eating it because of how it makes you feel. Quantity is given importance, but the whole networth of food has to do with certain attributes like taste, texture, and temperature—not how many calories are in it.

Other food qualities to consider are location and season. Ayurveda says that food needs to be consumed seasonally because your body processes food differently depending on the time of the year. Preference is also given to whatever is available in your local region. Ayurveda says that whatever is grown locally is very well-understood by the body. Funnily enough, the “eat local” movement is very Ayurvedic.

The Classification of Food

There are several ways that Ayurveda divides foods into groups. One is by physical qualities, such as whether a food is dry, oily, heavy, light, hot, cold, soft, or hard. Every sensory input is measured in terms of the physicality of a substance, and these physical traits have physical impacts on us.

Taste, on the other hand, goes beyond the physical. There are six different tastes that food can have in Ayurveda: sweet, salty, sour, pungent, astringent, and bitter. These six tastes are given a lot of importance because they go a layer deeper. Whereas the physical qualities of food have an impact on the body, taste has a physical impact and can influence the mind.

For example, if someone is having a stressful week at work, they may want to eat something that’s heavier and more grounding. That means they may gravitate toward something that’s sweet, salty, or oily. Oily is a physical quality that creates a sensation of being taken care of or consoled, whereas sweet and salty tastes ground nervous energy and, in turn, the mind. So when people are stressed out, they gravitate towards these qualities and tastes because it helps to balance them. In this way, you can see how food is deeply and subconsiously connected to emotions. Below is a guide to the different tastes, which may surprise you.

Sweet: Rice, wheat, milk, fruit, honey, sugar

Salty: This category only contains salt, but there are different classifications depending on where it comes from, i.e., Himalayan pink salt, sea salt, mineral salt, and lake salt.

Sour: Lime, lemon, sauerkraut, fermented foods, yogurt

Pungent: Cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, chiles, black pepper, ginger, wasabi

Astringent: This taste is often confused with sour, but it really means anything that makes your mouth dry and pucker. This includes lentils, green leaves, and turmeric.

Bitter: Arugula, escarole, bitter melon

How Digestion Works

Food should be consumed when there is enough hunger to warrant it. This is difference between consuming food for physical and emotional needs. Ayurveda says that food should always be consumed for physical needs. When you are physically hungry, the agni, or ability to digest food, is stronger. When the agni is weak and food is just consumed for the sake of eating, then food becomes toxic to the body. When your stomach is growling and you can feel your own peristalsis (the movements your digestive system makes), then the wind energy, or vata dosha, is dominant. It’s almost like a nervous energy, which sends a signal to the brain that says it’s time for food.

If you’re very hungry, you should start your meal with a little bit of something sweet, because it satisfies this wind energy. Dessert comes first in Ayurveda, but instead of a cookie or cake it’s just a small piece of date or apple or something similar. After that, you consume something salty and sour, usually food that is fermented, which always brings a sour taste. Then, the main course of the meal you eat something mildly sweet, astringent, and pungent and salty like some grain with lentils or meat with vegetables. Lastly, you might want to eat something slightly bitter and astringent, like a salad.

This approach is for when a person is really hungry, and this order is reversed when a person is not very hungry. Then, activating the physiology of digestion is given more importance than appeasing it. As you can see, the rules of Ayurvedic eating are flexible; nothing is totally mandated.

Any Food Can Be Ayurvedic

One major misconception is that Indian food is Ayurvedic food. In fact, every food is Ayurvedic (even Lean Cuisine) as long as we apply the right principles. The fundamental difference is that most food, including Indian cuisine, is driven by taste and pleasure. Ayurvedic food is driven by taste and health. Health is given a lot more importance than pleasure in the Ayurvedic diet. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your food when you eat in an Ayurvedic style, but rather, you acknowledge that what you eat has the power to nourish your body, mind, and spirit, thus, helping you achieve your best possible health.

The post Guidelines for Eating the Ayurvedic Way appeared first on Sonima.

If you’re sniffling more than smiling about the warming temperatures, consider adding these four foods to your diet to help ease the irritation. They’ve all proven to potentially fend off seasonal allergies. Although they will not help you in the midst of an allergic reaction, they can help your body feel less inflamed and, therefore, less susceptible to allergies over time. It doesn’t hurt that these ingredients are all delicious and good for you, no matter how you’re feeling.

1. Onions

Onions are so common in recipes that we often overlook their nutritional powers. They’re actually “the most studied food products in relation to their anti-allergic properties,” scientists wrote in a review published last May in the journal Molecules. Much of this research is on quercetin, a strong flavonol found in onions. Quercetin is a bit of an unsung hero: It stimulates the immune system, fights inflammation, and inhibits the release of histamines, which are chemicals that cause allergic reactions. If you are allergic to onions or don’t like them, apples, broccoli, and berries are also good sources of quercetin.

2. Broccoli Sprouts

These days you can find various types of sprouts in most grocery stores. Consider trying broccoli sprouts, which many people say taste like radishes. In a 2014 study published in Food & Function, UCLA researchers first exposed 29 adults to diesel exhaust particles (DEP) and recorded how their bodies reacted. Then, after those people took a broccoli sprout extract daily for four days, they were exposed to the DEP again. This time, their white blood cell response was 54 percent lower. Researchers say eating broccoli or broccoli sprouts may help reduce the impact of particulate pollution on people with allergies and asthma. Added bonus: These little sprouts have shown to help the body detoxify unwanted materials and have even been associated with down-regulating cells that move our bodies in the direction of cancer. Credit a powerful antioxidant called sulforaphane.

Broccoli sprouts are easy to add to any salad and great on top of tuna or avocado toast. I also have a patient who makes a broccoli sprout sandwich: Spread a romaine or butter lettuce leaf with your favorite condiment and add broccoli sprouts, shredded carrot, and/or shredded jicama.

Related: Do Homeopathic Allergy Treatments Work?

3. Turmeric

Turmeric has long been used in the Ayurvedic medical system to treat seasonal allergies, and there are thousands of studies demonstrating its efficacy. Much of this focuses on curcumin, an anti-inflammatory substance in turmeric. For example, taking curcumin capsules improved airway obstruction for 77 patients with bronchial asthma in a 2014 study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. Curcumin’s ability to reduce inflammation also helps with our body’s natural reaction to allergies.

Many people will add turmeric to scrambled eggs, soups, and beans. Simply add as much as pleases your taste buds. My favorite way to use it is in a tea:

Turmeric-Ginger Tea

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Healthy turmeric drink in blue mug on table

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons fresh or powdered turmeric
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• Natural sweetener (optional)
• Fresh lemon juice (optional)

Directions
1. Simmer turmeric and ginger in 12 to 16 ounces of water for 10 minutes. Then cover and let steep a few minutes.
2. Strain, adding sweetener and lemon juice, if desired. (Some hard-core turmeric-ginger tea drinkers prefer not to strain their tea and eat the spices. This is more therapeutic, but not for everyone.)

Yield
1 serving

4. Pineapple

Bromelain, a mixture of enzymes found in pineapple, has been analyzed for its anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antiedematous, and antithrombotic properties. In animal studies, Eric Secor of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine discovered that bromelain reduces the immune system’s reaction to allergens and limits airway inflammation. Naturopaths have used high concentrations of bromelain for decades as a first-line of defense before using NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Some surgeons even prescribe it for patients post-operation because it can make a remarkable difference in swelling.

The post 4 Foods That Fight Seasonal Allergies appeared first on Sonima.

1. Eat plant protein.

Plant protein has been gaining popularity in recent years, and now there’s even more reason to enjoy it. In a study published last fall in Food Nutrition Research, researchers fed 43 men three different breakfasts: a high-protein patty made of legumes, a high-protein patty made of veal and pork, or a low-protein patty made of legumes. The men who ate the first patty reported feeling fuller, and they ate 95 to 105 fewer calories at lunch. Researchers say the combination of fiber and protein in the legumes helped provide those feelings of satiety. This isn’t to say that plants are necessarily “better” than meat, but rest assured, you won’t starve if you eat plant-based meals.

Try this recipe featuring chickpeas that a friend of mine shared with me a decade ago. You can modify it how you like, adding raw onion instead scallions, various of your favorite spices, apple cider vinegar instead of umeboshi (pickled Japanese plums) vinegar—make it your own!

Chickpea Tuna

Ingredients
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
1/4-1/3 cup small diced celery stalk
1-2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon umeboshi vinegar (this makes it taste more like fish)
Spices to taste, optional (black pepper, cayenne, thyme; Himalayan sea salt)

Directions
1. Place chickpeas in a food processor and pulse two or three times to roughly chop. The texture will resemble tuna if you keep the chickpeas in bigger pieces.
2. Add remaining ingredients and pulse two or three times more to incorporate.
3. Serve on bread with lettuce like a tuna sandwich or as a dip with crackers.

Yield
3-4 servings

2. Add probiotics to your diet.

Although a lot has been said about the connection between probiotics and gut health, we’re now learning how they may play a role in weight management, too. A study published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe at the beginning of this year reported that our gut bacteria may help or hamper our diet efforts. Scientists found that people consuming the standard American diet have less diverse gut microbiome. This means that when you switch to a lower-calorie, plant-heavy diet, it may take longer to reap the rewards. So don’t give up if you don’t see the benefits of a better diet right away.

In an unrelated, meta-analysis of 25 studies, Chinese researchers discovered a connection between taking probiotics and reduced BMI and body weight. The best results seem to happen when you take more than one strain of probiotic for more than two months.

The research on probiotics, such as fermented foods and supplement pills, and weight loss is just beginning, but I am an enormous fan of probiotics. Even if you don’t lose weight, what you often will lose is inches. The number on the scale may be the exact same, but suddenly your pants will zip up easier because probiotics improve digestion and reduce gas and bloating. Each person has to experiment with probiotics, as certain strains are good for certain people at certain times. Our needs change, and so should the probiotics we use.

Related: The Profound Health Benefits of Probiotics

3. Embrace healthy fat.

As much as we all keep saying fat doesn’t make you fat, some people still fear this macronutrient. However, in a study published in The Lancet, researchers put more than 7,000 men and women on one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, or a low-fat diet. Everyone lost weight, but those in the olive oil group lost about a pound more than the low-fat dieters. They also gained less belly fat. The researchers say these results show it’s best not to restrict the intake of healthy fats if you are looking to maintain your weight.

Healthy fats are known to balance blood sugar and slow down digestions, which keeps you more satisfied. That can help you eat less overall and lose weight. Include some healthy fat in every meal. Try my go-to vinaigrette. This is another recipe you can customize. You can add Dijon or whole-grain mustard. For those who like sweet dressings, you can add a teaspoon of honey, and you can use lemon in place of vinegar (you’ll need the juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon).

Mason Jar Vinaigrette

Ingredients
1 cup cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic, apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar
Seasonings to taste (granulated garlic, fresh thyme, fresh oregano)
Himalayan sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Directions
Place all ingredients in a mason jar. Shake well. Keep in the refrigerator.

Yield
6-8 servings

4. Keep your metabolism going strong.

The jaw-dropping weight loss results seen on NBC’s hit show “The Biggest Loser” can make it seem like ultra-low-calorie diets and hours of intense exercise is the only way to drop pounds, especially if you want to slim down fast. Don’t believe everything you see on TV: Scientists followed up with 14 “Biggest Loser” contestants and found that, after six years, they had regained 68 to 90 pounds and their metabolic rate (how many calories they burned at rest) had slowed.

It’s proven that the long-lasting, less-stressful way to lose weight is slow and steady. No matter what diet you choose to follow, if you follow it consistently and exercise regularly, rather than doing anything extreme, your metabolism will balance itself out and stay there. So be inspired by “The Biggest Loser”, but don’t try this at home.

5. Don’t worry about your genes.

If you have the fat gene, also known as FTO, it doesn’t mean you are destined to carry excess bodyweight for life, according to a study published in British Medical Journal in September. Newcastle University researchers analyzed eight studies that looked at how effective different weight-loss methods (diet, exercise, drugs) are for people with the FTO gene. They found that the gene didn’t affect how much weight someone lost, no matter what method they used to slim down.

I’m not surprised by this study. Truth is, we can down-regulate many of our genes. That means if you have a healthy lifestyle, you can reduce the production of certain genes. This gives you some power and control over your weight fate—to a degree. No matter what’s in your family medical records, focus on creating good-for-you habits and being the author of your own health history.

The post The Best New Science for Weight Loss appeared first on Sonima.

Researchers at Loughborough University studied healthy, college-aged women on a calorie-restricted diet and discovered that they ate an additional 300 calories, on average, at dinner compared to the control group, who ate three standard meals. The reason for consuming more may be because they had higher levels of ghrelin (a hormone that makes you feel hungry), and lower levels of peptide YY (a hormone that suppresses appetite). Odds are, if you’re feeling ravenous, you will go hog wild when it’s finally time to chow down.

Related: Is Your Relationship with Food Actually Harmful?

Another study published in Cognitive Neuroscience examined the brains of chronic dieters, and found that those with higher body fat percentages had a weaker connection between two areas in the brain: the part that manages executive control, and the reward region. They concluded that it may be harder for people to override temptations, making them at a greater risk of becoming obese. Some other studies, however, have shown that you can develop greater self-control through practice. Willpower, like any form of strength, must be developed over time. But rather than put all your efforts in your willpower to get healthy, consider focusing on a nutrition strategy designed to help you “reset.”

A reset is a new beginning—one that gets your digestive system and your body’s “clearing house” (the liver) in tip-top shape. Your liver is your body’s largest solid organ, and it’s chiefly responsible for eliminating toxins that can pollute your system and erode your health and well-being. All day, every day, food, stress, pollutants, and other toxins accumulate in your body. Although your liver is built to handle this, sometimes it gets behind schedule (like when you eat too much junk food or are under extreme stress), which causes inflammation in our body. This inflammation puts a strain on your metabolism and leads to weight gain, especially around your belly. The best way to reduce the inflammation and help your liver function at its best is to give the digestive tract a bit of a vacation—like this five-day reset.

The good news about this meal plan is that it’s just five days long. It won’t leave you hungry, and it will set you up to continue eating right because it helps reset your tastebuds, too. When you enjoy fresh vegetables seasoned with spices and herbs, you learn to appreciate their flavors more and no longer desire as much excessive sugar or salt. The meals in this plan also leave you feeling lighter, yet still satisfied, so you feel energized and not in a food coma. Many people who have tried this reset also say they feel less stressed. One remarkable thing about the body is that as our digestion rests and relaxes, so does our mind. During these five days, I recommend you try meditation, too. Here are a few guided meditations to get started.

This five-day reset plan below includes lots of fresh vegetables―full of the vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and polyphenols your body needs to perform at its best. Choose organic produce when possible to avoid harmful herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides. Also, be sure to drink water throughout the day to stay properly hydrated and curb cravings. We often confuse dehydration with hunger, so drinking more H2O may help keep you out of the kitchen at odd hours. You can flavor your water with fresh lemon juice and also enjoy lemon balm, green, and oolong tea as often as you’d like it. If you feel like noshing between meals, be sure to add light, easily digested proteins to help keep you fuller for longer. Soft-boiled eggs, poached chicken and fish, or cooked lentils are good options. Try not to eat too much at any one time, however, because the goal of this reset is to clear out your digestive system.

DAY 1

Blended Vegetable Soup

Start to reset by enjoying a blended soup of zucchini, parsley, celery, green beans, and any green leafy vegetables you enjoy three to four times a day. This simple soup, called Bieler’s soup after the doctor who created the recipe, is incredibly nourishing. Unlike juicing, which removes fiber, blending lightly steamed vegetables retains the fiber, so you feel fuller longer. Fiber also keeps your digestive track running smoothly. Between meals, snack on bone broth or, if you’re feeling hungry, more Bieler’s soup.

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Ingredients

3 medium zucchini, sliced
1 handful (1/3 pound) green beans, ends trimmed
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bunch parsley, tough stems removed
2 cups water
1-2 teaspoons olive oil or 1/2 teaspoon grass-fed butter
Himalayan or preferred salt
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Spices: granulated garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and/or cayenne (optional)

Directions

1. Place the vegetables and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Skim any foam on the surface.
2. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Puree soup in the pot with a handheld blender or in standalone blender in batches.
4. Serve with olive oil or butter, salt, pepper, and spices to taste.

Yield

2-4 servings

DAY 2

Mixed Steamed Vegetables

Use your bone broth and blended vegetable soup as snacks, and begin eating meals of steamed vegetables, such as zucchini, broccoli, onion, cauliflower, and leafy greens—pick your favorites. Lightly steaming vegetables helps retain their nutrients and is easy and fast. Serve your vegetables drizzled with olive oil to taste. Healthy fats helps you absorb more vitamins and minerals from the vegetables.

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Ingredients

1+ cups mixed vegetables, chopped
1-2 teaspoon(s) olive oil
Himalayan salt
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Spices of choosing (optional)

Directions

1. Steam vegetables for about 5 to 8 minutes, until soft.
2. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with seasonings to taste.

Yield

1 serving

DAY 3

Lemony Fish

Add lighter proteins such as steamed, poached chicken breast or cold-water white fish or wild salmon to your steamed vegetables and continue with the same snacks. The protein will help you feel more satisfied and is essential for maintaining muscle, which helps you burn more calories. Season your protein with herbs and spices for a boost of flavor as well as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits. I like AllRecipes.com’s take on Lemony Steamed Fish (make it tonight!).

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DAY 4

Quinoa Pilaf

Today, you can repeat Day 3’s meals, or enjoy complex carbs such as quinoa, organic brown rice, or wild rice as part of your evening meal. Complex carbs have more vitamins, minerals, and fiber than refined carbohydrates such as sugar, white pasta, and white bread.

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Close-up of healthy quinoa salad with goat cheese, olives, goat cheese dressed with olive oil on desk in office.

Ingredients

1/4 cup quinoa
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
Himalayan salt
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Herbs and spices of choosing (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and add seasonings to taste.
3. Serve with your protein and steamed vegetables of choice.

Yield

1 serving

DAY 5

Colorful Salad

Start today’s his meal plan with the blended vegetable soup and hot tea for breakfast. Follow this up, with soup or salad and a two- to four-ounce grilled, steamed, or poached chicken or fish for lunch and dinner. To switch things up at the end of the day, swap out the last meal for quinoa and steamed vegetables. Snack on bone broth when you feel hungry between meals.

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Ingredients

Mixed lettuce (the more color, the more nutrition)
Any raw vegetables you enjoy
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
Fresh lemon juice
Herbs and spices
2-4 ounce chicken or fish, grilled, steamed or poached (optional)

Directions

1. Combine lettuce and vegetables.
2. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs and spices to taste.

Yield

1 serving

The post Reset Your Body with this Easy 5-Day Eating Plan appeared first on Sonima.

Historically, sulfites have been used since ancient Roman times to sanitize wine vessels and were introduced as a food preservative in the 1600s. Sulfites are often added to wines to protect them against oxidation and microbial growth. “Without them, [long-term] preservation of wine would be impossible,” says Jeremy Fisher, sommelier at The Frog and the Peach in New Brunswick, NJ. “A 1961 Bordeaux would taste like vinegar.” The fermentation process produces small amounts of sulfites—not enough to preserve wine indefinitely. “Transporting wines around the world without sulfites would be impossible, according to most winemakers,” says Fisher.

In addition to wine and dried fruit, you’ll find sulfites added to many foods, such as some canned seafood and white potatoes meant for frying. You might also see them in dried vegetables, pickled onions, fruit juice, vinegar, lemon and lime juice, fruit bars, gravy, pizza dough, deli meat, shrimp, lobster, and gelatin. In cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, they may turn up in hair dye, tanning lotion, anti-aging cream, bath gel, perfume, blush, and certain medication such as anti-fungal and corticosteroid creams and some antibiotics. Some people say that sulfites impart a bitter taste to food and drink, but that’s up for debate.

Sulfites occur naturally at low concentrations in some foods, such as grapes. If the sulfites occur or are added in excess of 10 or more parts per million (ppm) in a finished product, you’ll see a “contains sulfites” label on the package—a mandate by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because sulfites are a known allergen.

How Do Sulfites Affect Your Health?

You may have heard that the sulfites in red wine can make your head pound. But there’s no verdict on whether red-wine-related headaches are due to sulfites or other compounds. What we do know: Sulfites can cause itchy skin, low blood pressure, abdominal pain, and diarrhea—as well as life-threatening anaphylactic shock and asthma attacks.

However, you have to be sensitive to sulfites to see these reactions. About 1 percent of people have a sulfite sensitivity. “This sounds like a little—but in the U.S. alone, this would amount to more than 3 million people,” says Vincent Pedre, M.D., author of Happy Gut and an internist at Concierge Choice Physicians in Rockville Centre, New York. When you’re considering asthma suffers, between three and 10 percent are sensitive. “Sulfites are only bad for people that have a known sensitivity, because of the uncomfortable feelings they will develop,” says Pedre.

Related: What Does It Mean to Have Food Sensitivities?

Aren’t sure if you’re sensitive to sulfites? You can visit an allergist for a skin prick test or blood test. The Mediator Release Test is one recommended blood test that can determine food sensitivities. If you’re not an asthmatic, you can try the DIY test. Pedre suggests avoiding wine for a month, then having wine with a significant amount of sulfites. If you notice any unusual symptoms after drinking the wine, you might have a sulfite sensitivity.

Measuring Your Exposure to Sulfites

Sulfite-free wine doesn’t actually exist, since all wines contain at least some sulfites. If you see a “contains no detectable sulfites” on the label, that means it has less than 10 ppm sulfites. In this case, “there are still some sulfites present, although in minimal amounts that are deemed incapable of causing an allergic reaction of any kind,” notes Fisher.

How many sulfites does your glass of wine contain? U.S. wine isn’t allowed to contain more than 350 ppm, and most wines end up with less than 150 ppm. Italian and French varieties tend to contain fewer sulfites and typically max out at 250 parts per million.

Red wines generally contain fewer sulfites than whites and roses. While sulfites help preserve light colors, the natural tannins in red wines also do this. Sweet dessert wines have a much higher sulfite level, up to 500 ppm, to stop the sugars from continuing to ferment in the bottle.

Organic wines contain fewer sulfites than conventional, but the distinction in labeling is important: U.S. labeled organic wine must contain less than 10 ppm added sulfites—and wine labeled “made with organic grapes” needs to have 100 ppm or less sulfites. Estate-bottled wines and biodynamic ones are likely to have lower sulfite levels, too.

Even though wine gets a bad rap when it comes to sulfites, many foods have much higher levels. “Sulfite levels are much higher in food than wine, up to ten times higher,” says Fisher. Foods that have more than 100 ppm sulfites include bottled lemon juice, dried fruit other than raisins and prunes, sauerkraut, and molasses. If you’re sensitive to sulfites, you might be better off dehydrating your own fruit and squeezing fresh lemon juice.

While fresh green and fruit salads are no longer allowed to contain added sulfites, all grapes contain some naturally occurring sulfites. The organic version should contain less, as conventional ones are treated with sulfites to prevent fungus growth.

You can also reduce sulfites by filtering them out. Products like Ullo act as a wine purifier to remove sulfites from drinks (but aren’t recommended for champagne, since they remove some carbonation, too). They’re expensive, running around $80 for a purifier and four single-use filters. “That seems like a lot of money to spend,” says Fisher. When it comes to removing sulfites from produce, you can attempt this yourself: Soak vegetables or fruit that might contain sulfites in electrolyzed water that has a pH between 9 and 11, such as AQUAhydrate. “Alkaline water is very effective in removing pesticides and additives,” says Pedre.

The post Are Sulfites Bad for Your Health? appeared first on Sonima.

In the past, the only vegan cheeses on the market were the equivalent of celebrity impersonators—a sad, disappointing excuse. Most had a rubbery texture and plastic taste, and they were made from ingredients like palm oil, starches, and gums. But today there’s an increasing number of artisanal non-dairy cheeses on the market. Ones that, if you served them at a wine tasting and didn’t tell your friends, they might not even realize they’re eating vegan.

“More people than ever want to reduce their intake of animal products,” says Michael Schwarz, founder of Treeline Cheese, which produces cheeses made from cashews. “I think it’s due to a combination of the revelation of what does on in dairy industry, health issues, and climate change. But they still want to be satisfied in having a really nice thing to eat instead of dairy cheese.” Enter nut cheeses.

Related: How to Make Vegan Zucchini Lasagna

Each company makes their cheeses slightly differently, but most start with fresh or soaked nuts because their high fat content results in a creamy, cheese-like consistency. They break the nuts down until they resemble a cream. Then the cream is cultured with good bacteria (probiotics), which interacts with the nuts and produces lactic acid. This lends a cheesy flavor and makes the cream firmer. Some cheeses are then aged for a few weeks for an even firmer texture. “It’s a fairly simple process, but the devil is in details. You have to pay attention to how it’s cultured. It’s a live product and requires great care,” Schwarz says. Several companies also add herbs or spices to naturally flavor their products.

So what do they actually taste like? Schwarz says to keep one thing in mind: “People who make brie are not claiming to make Camembert—they make brie. Similarly, we don’t sell ‘vegan cheese.’ We sell ‘nut cheese,’ which stands on its own merit. Don’t think these cheeses will taste exactly like a cheese you’ve have before.” Kaitlyn Misheff, director of education for Matthew Kenney Culinary, says even people who eat dairy enjoy the treenut cheeses served at Matthew Kenney restaurants. “It’s just really good.”

To see how good nut cheese really is, we asked a few non-vegans, including Yuri Weber, cheese buyer for Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn, New York, to sample a few artisanal vegan cheeses. Below are Weber’s reviews of the top picks. (If your local natural foods store or Whole Foods doesn’t carry these cheeses, you can buy them all online at VeganEssentials.com.)

Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheese Aged Cashew Nut & Hemp Seed Cheese

Made from just four ingredients—organic cashews, organic hemp seeds, acidophilus (bacteria), and Himalayan pink sea salt—Weber said this cheese tasted the most like dairy cheese out of the 14 we taste tested. “It has a mouthfeel similar to real cheese,” he said. Eat it with crackers and a tart jam, like red currant, he suggests.

Punk Rawk Labs Dairy Free Nacho Nutmilk Cheese

If you like a little heat, try this cashew-based cheese. It also has carrots, to naturally give it an orange color as well as some nice crunchy texture, chili pepper for spice, and green onions. Make a roux and add this to create a sauce or dip (after all, it is nacho flavored).

Treeline Treenut Cheese Classic Aged Artisanal Nut Cheese

Hickory smoked salt adds a subtle smokiness to this cashew cheese. Weber found it to be very nutty and silkier in texture than the Dr. Cow, and he suggests eating it with something sweet, like chestnut honey.

Miyoko’s Kitchen Aged English Smoked Farmhouse

Miyoko’s adds chickpea miso to most of its cheeses, and the flavor is quite pronounced in this tart, richly flavored cashew cheese. The smoke flavor is much stronger than in other cheeses because the cheese is smoked, rather than having flavors added to it. Add it to chili or a sandwich.

Kite Hill Soft Ripened

This cheese fooled many non-vegans it’s so close to a brie. Made from almond milk, salt, enzymes, and cultures, this aged cheese even has a soft rind (which is edible). Kite Hill says it’s best served out of the fridge, but one vegan tester said she’d bake it.

Of course, you can also make your own nut cheese at home. Cashews are a common base since they have a subtle flavor, but Misheff says macadamias are also great because they’re harder, which adds body. “Or use a 50-50 combination for a firm cheese that’s bit creamy in center,” she suggests. Soak your nuts overnight to soften them, then rinse and drain before processing. A high-speed blender is best for making nut cheese, because the machine needs to be strong enough to chop your nuts into a cream.

If you’re making a fermented cheese, Misheff stresses to be sure everything is sterile—so follow common sense and be sure your hands and all equipment are clean. This way you won’t get any mold on your cheese. “Mold will only happen if there’s bad bacteria [i.e. something other than the probiotic] in the environment,” she explains. And be sure you’re fermenting in a spot in your home where the temperature is pretty consistent.

Give it a go with this recipe from Misheff for macadamia chevre. You can serve this on crackers, or make beet carpaccio by slicing beets super thin and marinating in a mix of olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Then top with the cheese. (If you don’t want to try fermenting, simply blend the nuts, water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt for a ricotta-like cheese.)

Ingredients
2 cups macadamia, soaked, drained, and rinsed
1/4-1/2 cup water (use more or less as needed)
2 capsules acidophilus powder (find this in health food stores)
1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh herbs (such as rosemary and thyme), minced
1 teaspoon spices, ground or whole (optional)

Directions
1. Blend macadamias, water, and acidophilus powder in a food processor until completely smooth. Place mixture in a square of cheesecloth and tie up the ends of the cheesecloth. Place cheese in a strainer, and set over a small bowl to drain. Check cheese after 24 hours. If you live in a humid environment, it may be ready. If it doesn’t smell sour enough yet, let it go another 24 hours.

2. After cheese has fermented, fold in nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt, adjusting seasoning as desired. Form mixture into a log shape using parchment paper, twist the ends tight to form a tight cylindrical shape, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 2 days or until firm. Once cheese is firm, remove from parchment, and roll in minced herbs or spices of your choosing to form a layer around the outside of the cheese. Place macadamia chevre in a fresh piece of parchment, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

The post 6 Vegan Cheeses So Good You Won’t Miss the Real Thing appeared first on Sonima.

Food sensitivities are different from food allergies and intolerances. Both food allergies and sensitivities are overreactions of the body’s immune system. “But that’s where the similarities end and the differences begin,” says Ryan Whitcomb, R.D., C.L.T., a dietitian in Jersey City, New Jersey. Whereas food allergies involve immunoglobin E (IgE) antibodies, which your body produces in excess when it overreacts to an allergen, food sensitivities involve overreactions to several types of antibodies, including immunoglobin G (igG) and/or immunoglobin M (igM). The immune system’s T cells or complement proteins may be involved. When an overreaction happens, it can cause inflammation in your body and symptoms such as migraines, congestion, or diarrhea. And food intolerances have nothing to do with the immune system—they happen when your body is missing a specific enzyme needed to process a food.

Food sensitivities are typically caused by exposure—often overexposure—to a food or chemical. But it could have nothing to do with what you eat. “It may be caused by the mother’s microbiotia during pregnancy,” says Patenaude. Some experts believe that certain cases of infant eczema may be caused by food sensitivities.

While food allergies may be life threatening, food sensitivities aren’t. They are, on the other hand, annoying and can significantly decrease quality of life by causing symptoms like headaches, abdominal pain, and brain fog. “Over time, people learn to cope with their issues—whether a stuffy nose, a funny stomach, or fatigue—because they’ve had them for as long as they can remember,” notes Whitcomb. These symptoms can take anywhere from 45 minutes to three days to show up. And then there’s the chance that you might not have any symptoms if you eat a small amount of a food. “If you’re sensitive to apples, the apple juice in the granola bar you eat might not cause an adverse reaction, but eating an entire apple might,” says Whitcomb.

Food sensitivities may be to blame, at least partially, on technology. “The technical and agricultural revolution is definitely [moving] too fast for our body’s evolution,” says Mark Pasula, Ph.D., an immunologist who created two of the major food sensitivity tests. “Our immune system is not evolving as fast as technology.”

How to Get Tested for Food Sensitivities

There are a handful of food sensitivity blood tests out there, including the IgG Food Antibodies Assessment, the Antigen Leukocyte Antibody Test (ALCAT), and the MRT. The latter is considered the best of these tests.

Several decades ago, Pasula moved from Poland to the United States. “After a few years of living here, I developed very strange allergy-like symptoms that were very, very difficult for me to cope with,” he says. “I decided to help myself and create a test that would identify my problems.” After years of experimentation, Pasula patented his first test, the ALCAT, in 1982. That test worked by identifying white cell reactions to food extracts. But Pasula calls it a “first attempt,” noting it worked decently but not as well as the next generation, the MRT, which tests not just if the blood reacts to a food or chemical—but how and to what degree the body dislikes the food. “The ALCAT test is still around, but it represents very old technology, versus today’s test,” says Pasula.

As for the IgG test, Pasula says it shouldn’t even be on your radar. “The IgG test is generally tells you which foods you consume,” he says. “If you, for instance, eat beef every day, the test very likely will show a high level of IgG to beef.” Authors of a position paper in the journal Allergy agree with this, stating that IgG testing is not helpful for determining food sensitivities.

Related: Is Personalized Nutrition the Future of Dieting?

Depending on where you live, testing with nutritional counseling could cost a few hundred dollars or more—and sometimes will be covered partially or fully by insurance. Anyone who can order blood tests, including doctors and some dietitians, can order the MRT test.

The MRT test assesses 120 common foods and 30 chemicals. It might grow to include more foods and chemicals—but adding an item will cost at least $30,000 on the development side, says Patenaude, so growth will be slow. If you’re looking to get tested, you can search the database on HealthProfs.com to find a dietitian licensed to treat sensitivities.

However, some health professionals have doubts about the accuracy of food sensitivity testing. “There is no validated test for food sensitivities,” says Julie Kuriakose, M.D., founder of Hudson Allergy in New York City. “By validated, I mean the test should have documented evidence that provides a high degree of assurance that a specific test will consistently produce a result. The tests can yield false negatives and false positives.”

If you decide to get tested, Patenaude suggests doing so through a certified LEAP therapist (CLT), as anyone with this credential has gone through advanced training on managing adverse food reactions and sensitivities. LEAP is an acronym for Lifestyle, Eating, and Performance, a nutrition therapy that involves eating a restricted diet sans any foods the MRT test shows you’re sensitive to. “[Other professionals] will not understand the diet protocol based on the results,” says Patenaude.

If you don’t want to get tested, you can try a simpler, much slower road. “Food diaries are useful to narrow a list of offending foods,” says Sezelle Gereau M.D., an integrative otolaryngologist at the Blum Center for Health in Rye Brook, New York. “The best and gold standard way to determine if one has a food allergy or sensitivity is to eliminate the foods strictly for three to six weeks and then reintroduce them in small amounts, one by one over a series of days and observe for reactivity.”

How to Treat Food Sensitivities

Because food sensitivities develop slowly over time, it also takes time for them to resolve. And not all of them do resolve. With nutrition therapy based on the MRT test, dietitians help patients with food sensitivities lose their defenses to certain sensitivities. “Think of the immune system as the bouncer at a swanky night club,” says Whitcomb. “Overexposure to a food or chemical can cause the bouncer to think that a food or food chemical is no longer safe, which is what causes the symptoms.”

Using the LEAP protocol, a dietitian will create an elimination diet based on your test results. You’ll start with a small number of foods, then add new foods slowly to make sure you don’t react to foods for which you didn’t get tested. Such elimination diets are shown to be helpful with conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), found a review study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Several months down the road, you’ll be able to reintroduce foods you test sensitive to back into your diet. If you have a reaction, you might need to avoid the food for several more months—or much longer. “The immune system has memory, and each white blood cell has a different span of memory,” says Whitcomb. “Depending on the cell or cells that are reacting, you might be able to get one food back in a few months, a few years, or never.”  Whitcomb, for example, tested sensitive to wheat, chocolate, and peanuts. By avoiding those foods for a year, he was able to get them all back. But his sensitivity to soy and chicken remained unchanged. “With chronic sensitivities, specific types of cells called lymphocytes get involved that are long-living cells and can cause sensitivities that can last for years,” explains Pasula.

While you may outgrow a food allergy, you won’t outgrow a food sensitivity. You might, however, regain tolerance to some of the foods you’re sensitive to—meaning you can have some, but you run the risk of having symptoms when eating the food if you overdo it.

The post What Does It Mean to Have Food Sensitivities? appeared first on Sonima.

Curious to know what nutritious foods people will be going nuts for next? Chances are they’re already in your supermarket, you just haven’t discovered them yet. I asked my nutrition pro colleagues to weigh in on the items you are bound to be seeing (and eating) a lot more of soon.

Puffed Amaranth

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Amaranth is an ancient grain that’s been around forever, but not many people know you can “pop” it like popcorn in a covered pan over medium-high to high heat. Amaranth packs a hefty dose of protein and fiber, in addition to calcium phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. And, it’s the only whole grain known to contain vitamin C. You can eat it plain, top it like a cereal with yogurt, or use it to make your own granola or dark chocolate bark!”
—Elizabeth Ann Shaw, MS, RDN, CLT of Shaw’s Simple Swaps

Jackfruit

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This tropical fruit is native to Southeast Asia but it’s also commonly grown in parts of Africa and South America. In the U.S. it’s typically sold canned or vacuum-packed, though the fruit may also be found whole in ethnic grocery stores. It has a subtly sweet flavor but mainly picks up on the flavors of whatever you cook it with, and because of its taste and texture the fruit is best known as an all-natural meat substitute for pulled chicken or pork dishes, like barbecue sandwiches. Jackfruit is a good source of iron, calcium, and B vitamins, and using it as a replacement for meat helps you cut calories and saturated fat from your diet. However, it should be noted that jackfruit has a much lower protein content compared to meat, at 2.8 grams per serving versus around 21 grams, as well as 31 grams of sugar per cup, sliced.
—Diana Rice, RD, staff dietitian and recipe editor for Meatless Monday

Sorghum

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This is the year sorghum will take off. The nutrient-rich ancient grain is grown in the U.S. and is known for being sustainable as it requires less water than other grains to grow, plus it’s gluten-free. Sorghum is a good source of protein, fiber, B vitamins, and potassium, and it’s extremely versatile: you can cook it like a whole grain, use it as a flour, pop it, and even use it as a sweetener (when boiled down). Try it as a substitute in recipes for brown rice or quinoa.
—Sharon Palmer, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian, author of Plant-Powered for Life

Freekeh

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Freekeh is a young green wheat that has a just-right chewiness and an intriguing, slightly smoky flavor. Although somewhat new to American cuisine, this ancient whole grain has historically played a role in Middle Eastern diets. Freekeh is nutrient-rich, packed with both protein and fiber, and works as a prebiotic to boost good bacteria in the gut. You can find it at natural food stores, like Whole Foods Market, and you can serve it as you would generally eat rice, quinoa, or bulgur wheat. One inventive way to prepare freekeh is shown in this recipe for vegetarian Italian freekeh “meatballs.” 
—Jackie Newgent, RDN, culinary nutritionist and author of The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook

Jicama

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Jicama looks like a big, bulbous brown root vegetable, but inside the tan skin is a crunchy, creamy, juicy white flesh. Jicama is grown in California and Mexico in the fall months, and it contains about 40 percent of the calories and carbs of a potato, yet it’s rich in filling fiber. It’s a prebiotic, which helps stimulate the growth of ‘good’ bacteria in the gut, and jicama also contains potassium, a nutrient 97 percent of us don’t get enough of, as well as vitamin C. Jicama “chips” are on the rise as the next kale chip, as are jicama fries. Jicama can also be eaten raw in a salad or by itself (it’s sweet like an apple) or she turns jicama sticks into fries as a super side dish.
—Lindsey Pine MS, RDN, CSSD, CLT, owner of Tastybalancenutrition.com
—Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD of Nutrition à la Natalie

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For those who are unfamiliar, wild farming is a method of cultivating and harvesting indigenous plant life. It’s how wild blueberries, for example, are grown. “Wild blueberries grew where nothing else really wanted to grow—and our farmers moved to the plant, rather than the plant moving to the farmers,” says Mike Collins, spokesperson for the Wild Blueberry Association of North America. “We’re mother nature’s helpers. We clear the trees around our fields so the plants can spread through their complex underground root system.”

These wild foods are gaining popularity in the United States. They’re grown in locations where they happened to simply land, so tend to be resistant to most diseases and pests and thus are traditionally grown free of pesticides, herbicides, and other pollutants.

Related: Understanding the Science and Controversy of GMOs

Besides being better for our planet, wild fruits and vegetables offer more nutrition—with an intense and fuller flavor—versus conventionally grown produce. “We modern humans are rediscovering ancient foods,” says Dina Falconi, author of Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Cookbook. “Wild foods generally contain greater amounts of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and other health-promoting chemical constituents such as essential oils.” Because wild foods haven’t been bred to create a uniform crop, they tend to be packed with more nutrition and flavor.

These wild foods are collected by foragers or harvested by wild farmers. To confuse matters, most of the time wild foods are simply wild. But they can also be organic, depending on how the farmer chooses to farm his land—both organic wild rice and organic wild blueberries, for example, are available. If you’re comparing straight wild to straight organic, both are very good for you, but wild foods may pack more flavor and nutrition than organic.

Some of these wild foods (for instance, wild rice from Lundberg and wild blueberries from Wyman’s of Maine) are sold at your local supermarket or natural grocer—and others you’ll need to pick up from a local farmer’s market or trusted forager. When not shopping at a grocery store, it’s extremely important to purchase from an experienced and conscientious source “so you know you have the right species that has been harvested at the right time of growth and that the foraging is done with ecosystem health in mind,” says Falconi. She suggests getting to know your food purveyor or vendor to understand that the food was gathered in a way that doesn’t hurt a plant population during foraging, is harvested at the right time of growth, and that (most importantly, especially with mushrooms!) you’re offered the right species. Now, expand your palate by giving these wild foods a go.

WILD RASPBERRIES

A cup of wild raspberries offers up to 44 percent of a woman’s daily need for satiating fiber, whereas the same amount of traditional berries contains up to 36 percent. Wild raspberries also contain a little extra immunity-helping vitamin C and bone-benefitting calcium.

Eat it: Wild raspberries come in many colors, including red and black. The black variety has a mildly sweet taste that’s tangy and rich versus the sweeter and less robust conventionally grown ones, Falconi says.

Related: How to Be a Conscious and Responsible Omnivore

WILD RICE

Providing a plethora of minerals, wild rice contains 83 percent more immunity-boosting zinc than brown rice. It also provides 44 percent more protein with 6.5 grams per cup of cooked rice. Additionally, wild rice offers at least 2.6 times more cholesterol-lowering phytosterols than brown rice, reveals a study in Nutrition Reviews.

Eat it: Wild rice is native to North America and grown across the U.S. It’s expensive to grow (and buy) and thus is often mixed with white or brown rice. Dry wild rice keeps well in an airtight container because it’s low in fat and unlikely to go rancid.

WILD BLUEBERRIES

These blue gems are potent little pellets of antioxidants. Researchers from University of Alaska found that wild blueberries have more than double the antioxidants than conventional blueberries and more antioxidants than strawberries, plums, or raspberries, per a study in the International Journal of Circumpolar Health. A regular diet of antioxidants may help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Eat it: Since wild blueberries are only available fresh in short supply in summer (mostly from Maine and Alaska), they’re sold frozen, canned, and as an ingredient in products such as juice year-round. While the University of Alaska study found that heat-processed foods, like as canned berries, containing wild blueberries had a third less antioxidants than the unprocessed variety, they still have more antioxidants than many other fruits.

WILD PLUMS

A cup of wild plums provides 12 percent of your daily need for blood-pressure-helping potassium—more than twice the amount in conventional plums. Wild plums also offer 40 percent of your daily need for eye-benefitting vitamin A—that’s almost 10 times the amount found in its conventional counterpart.

Eat it: Wild plums are available fresh in the summer and range in yellow-orange to purple in color and have a tart taste. Eat fresh or preserved in jams or jellies.

WILD MUSHROOMS

When wild mushrooms were studied in India, researchers found they have more nutrients than conventional shrooms: Nine ounces of wild mushrooms (about two to three cups) boasts up to 29 percent of your daily calcium need, up to 116 percent of your daily need for iron (important for transporting oxygen throughout the body), and up to 46 percent of your daily need for zinc, per a study in Food Chemistry. The same amount of white mushrooms contains up to 8 percent of your daily calcium need, up to 16 percent of your daily need for iron and zinc. Note, however, that the wild mushrooms have slightly less protein.

Eat it: Wild mushrooms have unique tastes and include lobster mushrooms, which have a mild lobster taste, and chicken of the woods, which “really does taste like chicken,” says Alan Muskat, a forager in Asheville, North Carolina. Other varieties include chanterelles, which faintly smell like apricots, and maitake mushrooms, with a nutty flavor.

WILD CRANBERRIES

This berry has about 75 percent more potassium, as well as more than four times the amount of iron, versus traditional cranberries. It also boasts more cholesterol-helping fiber, with 86 percent more, and close to three times as much calcium.

Eat it: Originally called “sassamanash” by the Native Americans (who used them medicinally and for food), wild cranberries are just as sour as conventional cranberries and are grown in regions ranging from the mountains of Georgia, Canada, and Minnesota.

Related: A Meditation to Manage Food Cravings

WILD ONIONS

Containing high amounts of iron, this wild veggie also provides manganese, which can help control blood sugar levels, shows research by Russian scientists. While conventional onions supply manganese, they’re fairly low in iron.

Eat it: Wild onions are harvested in the fall and winter and can be used to replace chives in recipes. This onion is uncommon and can be difficult to identify, so it’s best to buy from a trusted forager.

WILD BLACKBERRIES

This wild fruit contains more than two times the anthocyanins than traditional blackberries, shows a study in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Eat it: Typically tasting sweeter than conventional, wild blackberries were enjoyed by Native Americans for thousands of years—and still grow throughout the United States.

Photo by Hailey Wist

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The skin is our largest organ, impacted by various factors, including lifestyle and hormones. Acne is a disease that affects the skin’s oil glands, causing inflammation, blocked pores, and pimples. The condition can be worsened by factors such as use of progestogen-only contraceptive pills, the natural hormonal shifts associated with menstruation and pregnancy, and certain medications. Thankfully, there are tried-and-true tips and methods that offer healing—soothing natural remedies that don’t just minimize symptoms, but diminish causes as well.

1. Mindfulness

Stress has been proven to impact hormonal balance, which in turn affects the skin. While it might not seem like a quick enough fix, embracing a simple breath practice can do wonders for cultivating calm and staving off the stress and anxiety that can influence breakouts. A foundational practice such as alternate nostril breathing is a great way to build resilience for a lifetime of balance and stress reduction.

2. Diet

What we eat has an impact on our skin. Studies have shown that when we cut high-glycemic foods (carbs such as those found in white foods—wheat, rice, potatoes—sugars) symptoms can decrease. When we’re rushing or overtired, we tend to resort to comfort carbs that are easier to grab on the go. Plan for these moments by preparing healthy snacks—vegetable sticks and hummus/bean dip, a handful of low-sodium nuts, or an apple are great easy foods to pack for the day. When planning meals, be sure to include cruciferous vegetables—broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, and cauliflower. These vegetables offer fiber, phytochemicals, and are packed with nutrients, especially Vitamin A, which is a powerful defense against acne and sebum production.

Erin Casperson, Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant and Kripalu Yoga Teacher, says that, from an Ayurvedic point of view, acne signifies an excess of pitta (heat) in the digestive system. “The pitta-aggravating foods to avoid are ones that are acidic/sour, overly salted, overly fatty, and overly heating: processed salty foods, fried foods, fermented foods, cheese, alcohol, sugar, and caffeine. Choose fresh vegetables, whole grains, sweet fruits, legumes, lean meats, and water (at room temperature),” says Casperson.

3. Probiotics

Research demonstrates that healthy intestinal flora plays a big part in our overall wellness. New findings suggest that the health of the gut flora can also affect acne, meaning probiotics can be a solid internal intervention for dealing with the causes of acne. “The probiotics will line the gut and create a healthy, sealed barrier that prevents inflammation that can trigger acne or rosacea,” according to Whitney P. Bowe, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York.

Related: The Profound Health Benefits of Probiotics

4. Tea tree oil

Tea tree essential oil has been found effective in treating acne, but use caution. This oil needs to be prepared and used properly. Use a store-bought preparation if you’re unsure about quantities or reactions, in order to prevent topical irritation. There is a fairly high incidence of allergic reaction with tea tree oil, so one must tread carefully. That being said, many find it effective. Janet Zand, a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine and author, says, “There are recipes online for dilution and use of tea tree oil, but it can be too drying, so start slowly and test to see what works for you.”

5. Omega-3s

Omega 3 fatty acids have been found to reduce inflammation, and this can ameliorate acne symptoms. This nutrient can be found in supplements or in foods such as wild fish (particularly salmon), avocado, and walnuts.

6. Chamomile

This calming herb has been used for centuries to soothe digestive distress, insomnia, and anxiety. There are DIY applications for chamomile uses online, or you can buy a pre-made formula. Suki brand carries a blue chamomile balancing oil that has been known to stop breakouts once they start. This is a soothing anti-inflammatory with an aroma eases the nerves. Zand notes, “Chamomile is a soothing, non-irritating herb for treating acne. Combine with calendula if you tend to have redness, as both of these are anti-inflammatory.”

7. Don’t touch

When we squeeze, poke, and prod, we add days to the lifespan of an outbreak. Our urge is often to try to get rid of something right away but sometimes, poking and pushing only makes things worse. If you have an irritation, do what you can to let it be. Acne, and especially cystic acne—a painful variety of under-the-surface dermal inflammation—can be increased and spread by squeezing. Resist the urge and sometimes pimples will shrink without getting worse.

8. Ayurvedic skin treatments

Face Scrub: Try this recipe for a homemade face scrub containing Ayurvedic herbs that will cool down excess heat in the skin.
1 cup chickpea flower
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon neem powder
1 tablespoon brahmi powder
1 tablespoon hibiscus powder
1 tablespoon triphila powder

Combine all ingredients. Mix 1-2 teaspoons of the powder in the palm of the hand with a small amount of water until it makes a paste. Gently massage the paste into the skin for 1-2 minutes twice a day. Avoid the delicate eye area.

Mask: to use the mix as a mask, mix 1 tablespoon with water and gently massage into the skin. Leave on until the paste dries. Rinse with cool water. Again, avoid the delicate eye area.

Face Oil: Mix a teaspoon of brahmi with a tablespoon of coconut oil and massage your face with the mixture in the show. Afterward, gently pat dry with a towel. Says Casperson, “The Western method of treating acne is to dry out the skin. It is counterintuitive to use oils, but it works. Take it from someone who has had acne her whole life: oiling my skin actually made my acne goes away. For good.”

The post 10 Effective Natural Remedies for Acne appeared first on Sonima.

“A salt-sensitive person will lower his or her blood pressure if he or she eats more potassium and/or less sodium,” says Jerry Yee, M.D., division head of nephrology at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. “[These minerals] may be equally important, but society is concentrating on the sodium side right now. If too much dietary sodium is taken in, the blood pressure increases [for salt-sensitive people]. Salt sensitivity is greater in Asian populations and African Americans.”

Most potassium in the body is located within the cells. A small amount takes residence outside of those cells and is influenced by the potassium you get in foods, hormones such as insulin, and excretion from the kidneys. Eating foods rich in potassium may have a greater impact in regulating blood pressure when consumed with sodium. In a 2014 study published in the Clinical Journal of American Society of Nephrology, subjects with hypertension who increased their potassium intake and also ate a diet rich in salt saw a drop of 9.5 mmHg for systolic blood pressure (top number) and a decrease of 6.4 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure.

Related: 50 Healthy Foods to Add to Your Grocery List

In addition to regulating blood pressure, potassium intake may also help improve exercise performance. Potassium is an electrolyte, which means it has the ability to break apart into charged molecules, resulting in the electrical surges that help power the body. Its role as an electrolyte is what helps it move into the interstitial space of the skeletal muscle during exercise. Potassium is the major charged molecule within the cells while sodium is the major one outside of the cells. The relationship between the two minerals is maintained by something called the sodium-potassium pump, occurring in all cells. The pump moves sodium out of the cell while simultaneously bringing potassium into the cell. When the body’s potassium levels are depleted, blood pressure increases.

“Populations that ingest more potassium-rich diets of fresh fruits and vegetables have, on average, lower blood pressures,” Yee says. “Some populations were almost devoid of hypertension, even among the elderly, until their diets were Westernized and saltier.” Getting enough potassium could lower incidence of high blood pressure in Americans by 17 percent—and increase life expectancy by more than five years, estimates the American Heart Association.

How much potassium do you need to stay healthy? The Institute of Medicine recommends taking in 4,700 milligrams of potassium daily. Of that amount, the average American only gets 3 percent per day. Here are some easy ways to up your daily intake of potassium. One thing to keep in mind: Eating more potassium doesn’t give you the green light to overdo it in on salt.

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