Can Autism Be Prevented?

Photo: Subhadip Mukherjee

One of the staggering facts I shared with the Expectant Mamas' Group on Monday was that the
Center for Disease Control now claims that 75% of all healthcare spending goes towards the treatment of preventable diseases - most of which are linked to diet.

In a world where women are usually responsible for, well, everything - from birthing to bringing home the bacon (and then making sure that it's perfectly cooked) - hearing that we are also responsible for preventing disease can just add another layer of stress.

If you're like me, one way of dealing with that added pressure is to ignore it. That's what I did, for years, until my body literally shut down and forced me to listen.

As women, we tend to put others' needs before our own. I put the needs of my job wayyyy before my own, and it finally caught up with me. My body didn't appreciate my work hard, play hard lifestyle.

But I couldn't (or didn't want to) face the prospect of adding even more tasks to my plate. Working out, food shopping, cooking ... these things take TIME. And time is a precious commodity these days.

Luckily, what I've learned since then is that taking better care of myself wasn't really as hard as it seemed. Which brings me back to my current stance on disease prevention: why bother kicking the can down the road when you can take small actions now that will help your health later?

A great time to do that is when you're pregnant, because it's so much easier to justify taking care of someone else instead of yourself.

Studies suggest that pregnancy super-nutrient folate can prevent autism - even when consumed BEFORE conception!

The tricky thing about folate is that supplements usually include the synthetic version, folic acid. Folic acid has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, maternal infection, and low birth weight infants. In addition, an estimated 40% of the population has a genetic variant that prevents the metabolism of folic acid.

A better choice is true folate.

In supplements, that means 5-methyltetrahydrafolate (or 5-MTHF). The prenatal supplements I like contain this kind of absorbable folate, but you can only order them through a practitioner (head to my store to check them out).

Luckily, absorbable folate is found abundantly in beans and greens, among other food sources.

The bottom line? Choosing folate-rich foods and taking a high-quality prenatal vitamin are two easy steps you can take to help prevent autism. There are many other factors in the development and prevention of this disease, but starting with small, easy modifications is the best way to make lasting change.

As Benjamin Franklin said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." While it's not easy to add prevention to your list of things to do, these simple steps have a potentially powerful outcome.

And hey - we might even be able to change those CDC stats.

How to Dine Out ... and Stay Healthy

Photo by Andreas Krappweis

Dining out is an integral part of a busy person's schedule. Between work, errands, and raising a
family, it's an easy way to make life easier while giving yourself a little 'treat.'

That said, it's well-known that dining out isn't always the most healthy or affordable option. Many people turn to cheap takeout like pizza or even fast food restaurants to ease the burden on their wallets, but those kinds of places are usually the least healthy to eat.

So what's a health-conscious person to do?

There's no perfect answer, but here are four easy steps I take to make sure I can enjoy a night out without sacrificing my healthy eating:

1. Refuse the bread basket. When you're hungry and it's in front of you, it's impossible to resist. It's much easier to tell your server no, and have them take it away. Remember: refined carbohydrates like those found in bread spike your blood sugar and signal your body to store fat! (Not to mention the problems caused by gluten sensitivities). Just say no!
2. Always start with a healthy salad. Make sure you get your vegetables!!! This is so crucial. Leafy greens are excellent, but the other night while I was out, I enjoyed a raw shaved beet salad that was divine, too. If there is a seasonal option, go for it. But even if it's just the standard iceberg and tomato salad that the local pizza joint offers, GO WITH IT. It will fill you up with healthy complex carbohydrates and lots of good-for-you nutrients. Sure, cost-wise it may seem counter-intuitive, but think about it this way: you'll eat less after you've finished a salad. For example, after my beet dish, I was happy to finish my meal with just another appetizer. So my dinner bill was actually about the same as if I had only ordered an entree.
3. Order a side dish of vegetables. Yet another great and yummy way to get in your greens or a seasonal veggie. And have you noticed how delicious they always sound? We had a brussels sprout side dish the other night that was amazing. What if your takeout place doesn't offer side dishes? You can always try adding veggies to your order - for example, pizza topped with mushrooms, olives, peppers, onions and tomatoes.
4. Choose fish. Fish is usually the healthiest option on a menu - unless it's a fried fish-wich or fish & chips, that is. If you don't like fish (like me!), head for grilled chicken or pork. Those are lean options that are guaranteed to be hormone-free.

Got other ideas on how to eat healthily while you're dining out? Leave a comment on the Facebook page to share your best tips!

Happy holidays!

9 Ways to Heal PCOS

Photo by Nossirom

There are lots of baby-blocking health issues out there these days: low sperm count, endometriosis, nutritional deficiencies, toxins ... and I'm passionate about helping you find natural solutions to each of them.

Yet another common reproductive syndrome that can screw with your fertility is polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. According to the Mayo Clinic:

PCOS happens when your pituitary gland and ovaries overproduce certain hormones. Because those hormones can interfere with the production and release of eggs, PCOS is a common cause of infertility and may be the reason you have difficulty becoming pregnant.

Ugh. Hormones strike again.

In today's world, we have more exposure to hormones than ever before. And hormones must be in balance for your baby-maker to properly function. Unfortunately, our environments, diets, and lifestyles can sometimes cause us to inhale, absorb or ingest excess hormones that may be partially responsible for fertility issues.

Luckily, there are lots of really easy ways to reduce your exposure to hormones and get your reproductive system back on track:

• Eliminate dairy foods like cheese, butter, milk, and cream. According to one Harvard scientist, dairy accounts for 60-80% of all estrogens consumed! If you must indulge, seek out organic, pasture-raised, or raw milk from small farms, whose cows are likely to have fewer hormones.
• Eat organic - especially meat (and dairy). It's illegal for farmers to use hormones on hogs and poultry, so if you can't afford organic, pork & chicken are better options than conventional beef. Pesticides can have estrogenic effects, and many conventional animals are injected with hormones that disrupt our hormonal balance when we eat them.
• Support your liver. The liver detoxifies and regenerates estrogen. So treat it well by avoiding drugs and alcohol. Even prescription and over-the-counter drugs can negatively affect the liver (e.g., Tylenol). Support your liver by eating bitter foods, cruciferous vegetables, and taking a good, absorbable multivitamin (you can purchase my favorite via my store). Drink lots of filtered water, too.
• Avoid soy. Soy is a phyto (plant) estrogen, so many natural fertility experts recommend that couples avoid it. Perhaps an even more compelling argument for eliminating soy is that over 91% of soy is now genetically modified - and GM soy and corn have been found to decrease fertility in animal studies.
• Stay away from xenoestrogens (chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body). Some common xenoestrogens are pthalates, parabens, BPA, food coloring, birth control pills, PCBs, and DDT. These chemicals are most commonly found in canned foods, plastic-packaged foods, cosmetics, personal care products, and household cleaners. READ LABELS! Your safest bet, food-wise, is to eat organic, fresh foods. Avoid eating large fish, as PCBs accumulate in their fat. And don't store or reheat your food in saran wrap or plastic containers like Tupperware. As for cosmetics, personal care & cleaners, check out Pretty Healthy for tips.
• Balance your other hormones: practice stress-reduction techniques and gentle exercise to lower cortisol, get a good night's sleep to regulate melatonin, and get your thyroid checked to ensure proper function. Hormones work in concert with each other, so by helping one, you benefit them all.

In terms of PCOS specifically, there are a few additional risk factors to address:

• Stabilize blood sugar. Elevated insulin (the hormone that's produced when blood sugar rises) plays a huge role in many cases of PCOS. Keeping blood sugar stable will help prevent insulin spikes. Reduce refined carbohydrates like bread, pasta, flour, and all sweets - including soda and fruit juices. Eat healthy fats & avoid low-fat foods. Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks daily, and make sure each has clean proteins and healthy fats.
• Lower inflammation. Try an elimination diet to see if you have an undiagnosed food sensitivity that is creating an inflammatory response. Eat anti-inflammatory foods and spices such as salmon, veggies, turmeric, ginger, and cayenne. Avoid polyunsaturated cooking oils: use olive or coconut oil when you're cooking at home and, when at a restaurant, ask your server if they can cook your food in olive oil or saturated fat.

The final, and perhaps the easiest way to start healing PCOS?  

• Detox with a whole-foods cleansing program like the New Year Cleanse! Everything but the cooking is done for you, and you'll get to become part of a wonderful group of people who are also committed to health. It's a fun, challenging way to kick off the New Year. The program begins January 1, but the price goes up on December 1, so sign up now for just $29!

Though my tips seem pretty easy when you read them, they aren't always as simple to implement on a consistent basis. More than just information, you need support and accountability to make lasting change that can transform your health. And that's where I come in. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with me to discuss how to put the above recommendations into action.

'Til then, I wish you all the best. Happy Thanksgiving!

In A Pickle: The Art of Selecting Fermented Cucumbers

Originally written for Can Can Cleanse.

The other day, I picked a fight with my mom over pickles. Specifically, "real" pickles.

I know what you're thinking: is it really worth arguing about pickles?

Well, as a certified nutrition consultant, I believe that it is. You see, pickles have immense health value - but only if they're real.

What do I mean by "real" pickles? 

Real pickles are cured over a matter of weeks in nothing more than water, salt, and optional pickling spices. The fermentation process creates lactic acid, which is responsible for that sour pickle-y taste. This method also preserves the pickles and, perhaps most importantly, brings the benefit of naturally-occurring probiotics.

Probiotics are "friendly" gut bacteria that help nourish our gastrointestinal tract and protect against bad bacteria. They are found in naturally fermented products like real pickles, real sauerkraut, real tofu, yogurt and kombucha. And in this day and age, our GI systems need all the help they can get. (Note how many I had to qualify as "real"? That's a good reminder to always read labels.).

As for fake pickles? They are made with vinegar. No fermentation, no lactic acid or real pickle-y taste, no probiotics, no natural preservation. And far fewer health benefits.

What started our discussion the other day was a menu item at a local restaurant that claimed, "Homemade pickles - in their own brine." I had to ask the waitress - just to be sure - if they were real pickles or if they were made with vinegar. Sadly, while I suppose they were technically homemade, they were most certainly not made in "their own" brine, as they were simple vinegar pickles.

(I know, I know - I'm an annoying dinner companion.)

My mom and I subsequently began discussing the merits of real pickles versus the fake kind, and she suggested that sometimes, throughout history, things get easier for a reason. And new pickles are arguably better because they're easier, faster, and cheaper. 

I agree with her when it comes to some things. For example, I'm glad that our internet connections and computers are faster now than 15 years ago when it took a solid 30 minutes to rip a song off Napster. And my iPhone makes my life easier in myriad ways.

But when it comes to food? Making things faster and easier is usually not better. Artificial sweeteners, baby formula, and McDonald's can all illustrate my theory. Then again, sometimes we make our food more difficult than it needs to be (GMOs, pasteurized almonds, and refined white flours come to mind).

The bottom line for me & my clients is nutrient density. I recommend eating foods that will provide the most healthy nutrients - to keep energy up, protect against health problems, and feel good.

Fake pickles simply don't provide much benefit, especially when compared to their nutrient-rich real counterparts.

Next time, though, maybe I'll be less salty about it.

A Nutritionist's Top 4 Weight-Loss Strategies

Originally written for Can Can Cleanse.

Since becoming a nutritionist, the most common question I hear (hands-down!) is, "How can I lose weight?" But that's actually only half of the question. There are plenty of crash diets or that eliminate extra pounds almost instantaneously, so the important - yet unspoken - part of the question is, "And how do I keep it off?"

Therein lies the difference between healthy and unhealthy diets: long-term effectiveness. Unhealthy diets aren’t sustainable, so they only work temporarily. And what do you do when you’ve tasted the sweetness of weight loss, only to gain all the weight back? Well, if you’re not completely discouraged and ready to give up altogether, you try another quick fix. This is yo-yo dieting, and it can actually slow down your metabolism over the long run. 

Healthy diets, on the other hand, aren’t just a temporary eating pattern, but a whole new way of life - forever.

Sounds like a really big commitment. 

And that’s why people get scared or stuck.

But the truth is, small changes are easier to stick with in the long run, and they can really make a difference. As someone who has fluctuated between healthy & unhealthy weights myself, perhaps I hear these questions often because I seem to have finally figured out the formula that works for me.

About me: I'm not a dieter. The one time I did diet was before my wedding, when I pretty much ate lettuce for six weeks. It worked, but it wasn't sustainable. I gained back most of the weight on my honeymoon! Aside from that one diet, my past weight losses were typically side effects of various illnesses. Not a great way to lose weight.

Nowadays, I have left crash diets and chronic illness behind. My new weight loss plan is simple, sustainable and I don't ever feel deprived. Plus, it works - I’m almost back to my high school weight! 

Sound too good to be true? It's not. In fact, I’m happy to share my top 4 weight-loss tricks with you below. You too can lose weight easily - and keep it off - using these 4 guidelines, but there is one catch: you'll have to be patient.

It's not easy to change, especially when you don't receive immediate gratification. But I guarantee that if you commit to these 4 changes, you will see lasting results in a few months. Not as quick as a crash diet, but much more rewarding when it comes time for your next reunion.

Step 1: Kick refined carbs to the curb.

This is the hardest step, but it's so necessary. Instead of focusing on all you have to cut out of your diet (sugar, bread, pasta, cake, cookies, etc.), figure out what to replace these items with. Perhaps it's a fruit smoothie instead of ice cream, or zucchini 'noodles' instead of spaghetti. Getting your blood sugar back in balance is a crucial step towards permanent weight loss.

Step 2: Don't go hungry! 

Yes, definitely treat yourself to a seasonal juice fast. But otherwise, don’t let yourself get hungry. This is my favorite step: you can actually eat more to weigh less! Hunger is the enemy of healthy eating because it has the power to completely derail a healthy diet. Ever been so hungry you'd eat anything - and then felt guilty about it later? Don't let hunger ruin your weight loss plans. Arm yourself with a large variety of healthy snacks: nuts, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, even leftovers! Enjoy a small snack between meals, and never skip a meal. It may seem counter-intuitive, but it really works.

Step 3: Move your body. 

Sure, you can lose weight without exercising. I did. But once I started exercising regularly, the pounds really started to melt away. I was amazed by the results - and the change in my mood & energy levels. There are really too many reasons to exercise not to just do it.

Step 4: Enlist support.

Partner with someone who will help you succeed - someone to whom you will be held accountable for sticking to your new regimen. It's much harder to make changes when you're on your own. A health coach is a cheerleader, teacher and boss rolled into one, so you will know what to do, be held accountable, and get recognized for your progress.

Perhaps most importantly, if you slip up, don't give up. Take it one day at a time and keep at it! And before you know it, people will be asking YOU how you managed to lose all that weight and keep it off for good.

My baby has arrived!

No, not a real baby (yet) - my first online self-study program! Yes, it's true: Priming the Bump: A 14-Day Fertility Prep Program is finally here!

This Fertility Prep program helps you boost your fertility naturally & improve your baby's chances of being born healthy & smart - without spending a fortune or risking dangerous side effects. It nourishes your reproductive system with fertility-enhancing foods while cleansing your body of toxic substances that could prevent you from conceiving (or lead to birth defects & developmental disorders like autism).

I'm so excited about this new addition to my services. One of my personal goals is to provide health counseling to everyone who needs it, but not everyone can afford my one-on-one coaching rates. That's why the Prep Program is so awesome - you get all the juicy goodness of working with me 1:1, but at a much lower out-of-pocket cost. And I'm offering it at a special introductory rate for a limited time. There's no better time to join in the fertility-boosting fun!

Here's what people are saying about Priming the Bump's 14-Day Fertility Prep Program:

"This is all excellent material and a well thought-out program."

"I'm really enjoying the daily emails, they're informative, yet simple and concise. Love!"

"There is so much good stuff here! Excellent flow of materials and info."

"This is awesome and so informative!"

Want to learn more? Head on over to the Priming the Bump page to check out all the details. And tell your friends & family, because this introductory rate won't last forever.

Get ready to prime YOUR bump!

Maintaining a Healthy Diet Without Cooking Every Day

Originally written for Can Can Cleanse.

Have you seen the news? Recently, Yale researchers identified a high-salt diet as a potential factor for autoimmune diseases like MS, asthma and eczema. 

It seems that every day, more and more research like this emerges, supporting the notion that most illnesses - even those with a genetic factor - are preventable with proper diet and lifestyle.

Unfortunately, proper diet and lifestyle require something that most Americans are short on: time & energy. Time for menu planning, food shopping, cooking and cleaning, not to mention an hour a day for exercising. 

But cooking is crucial because it gives you control. When you can control what goes into your food, you have much greater control over your health. Since prepared foods aren't as fresh as those that you make at home, they require additives like salt, sugar, and preservatives to maintain a good taste. As we see with the Yale study, it's additives like these that can be so detrimental to good health.

OK, so maybe you’re convinced that attention to what we eat and how we live is necessary. But in our busy lives, is it sustainable? What if you're working, or have children at home? How can you maintain a healthy diet without cooking & cleaning every single day, three times a day?

A few tips:

1. Preparation: Dedicate one of your days off to menu planning, shopping, and preparing as much as possible for the week ahead. Wash & chop veggies, make hard-boiled eggs, prepare dressings or sauces ... you can even cook meats ahead of time and gently re-heat them in the sauce pan.
2. Hire help: a natural chef is an investment, but it can be a time- and sanity-saver. If you have the extra cash flow, hiring a natural chef to help out at home a few days a week can remove the burden of healthy cooking. 
3. Mix it up: find a few healthy pre-made "cheats" (for example, the salad bar at your local grocery, a pre-roasted whole organic chicken, or the cup of soup from the corner bistro) and pepper them into your weekly menu for the sake of simplicity.
4. Read labels: Avoid anything with added sweeteners, added salt, artificial ingredients, or words you don’t understand. 

In terms of salt specifically, potassium can help balance excess sodium intake. Potassium is found in bananas, yes, but even more so in leafy greens like swiss chard and spinach, mushrooms, papaya, and many other vegetables & fruits.

A juice fast is also a tasty way to reset your sodium/potassium balance and help prevent the health issues associated with high salt intake. 

It can be a challenge to worry about preventing autoimmune problems before they begin, but addressing them now not only helps you avoid them, but also boosts all areas of your health. By eating a proper diet, you give your body the best chance at maintaining a healthy weight, delaying the signs of aging, and preserving your energy.

Energy you’ll need - for the kitchen.