The REAL Fountain of Youth

The REAL Fountain of Youth

It is amazing the speed at which people will part with their money for the promise of a youthful glow.  Magic wrinkle creams and miraculous weight loss equipment are what keep the shopping network in business.  It is the creams that particularly amuse me.  Are we forgetting that everything we see on our body – skin, hair, and nails – is ALREADY DEAD?  How effective is that cream really going to be?  Cream manufacturers are starting to get smarter.  The newest advertising phrases include things like “DNA repair and renewal”.  This is on the right track.  We know that the key to aging well lies in the protection and maintenance of our DNA.  But back to the same point – is it really worth repairing the DNA of skin that is already dead?  And why just repair skin DNA?  How can I get my heart, lungs, and liver in on the action as well?

The answer is rather simple and boring: EAT MORE PLANTS.  There is an abundance of research demonstrating that key compounds in plants interact directly with our DNA.  They can turn on genes and they can turn off genes.  Genes matter because they produce proteins, and it is these proteins that are responsible for everything else that happens in our bodies, from our skin to our brains.  I would like to be more specific, but I can’t.  It is not because I am wrong – it is because nutrition is a very new science.  We still can’t even identify all of the compounds that make up an apple, let alone understand how they interact with our body after digestion.  But what we do know with a large degree of certainty is that people who eat plants are less prone to cancer, a disease characterized by damaged DNA that has the wrong genes turned on.

So, how do I protect the DNA in my living cells, and thus retain my youth and health?  You do it from the inside out by eating more plants.  Here is one of my favourite ways to increase my raw veggie intake:



You cannot bottle the nutritional punch of raw veggies and homemade salad dressing in a pill or a cream. A quick note:  DO NOT skip the salad dressing because you think you are doing yourself a favour by eliminating calories.  The oil is necessary for the body to absorb all of the wonderful fat soluble vitamins, like A, D, and K found in the veggies.  I have seen gourmet health salads sell for upwards of £10-20.  Using my method below, you can make and store a week’s worth of salad using organic produce, for under £8.

Directions:

Salads are all about the right combination of textures and flavours!   In my experience, I have found that almost any raw vegetable can be eaten -and enjoyed- when finely chopped.

Here is the rubric for making an outstanding salad:

1) Colourful mix of veggies
2) Intensely flavoured cheese (the stronger the flavour, the less you need to use; my personal fav is goat feta)
3) Sprinkling of any type of nut or seed
4) Balanced dressing

Once a week, I load up on fresh veggies.  I wash and dry them, and then slice them up in my food processor.   Pretty much any combo will work, but the key is to get a variety of textures and colours. For example, combine Swiss chard, red cabbage, shredded carrots, and sliced radishes.  I also like to add in some onions for flavour.  I mix it all in a massive Tupperware container, and then store it in my fridge.  By choosing thicker, rougher leaves, like kale, Swiss chard, and collard greens, and staying away from traditional lettuce leaves (like spinach, romaine, etc), your salad will last the entire week.   All you will have to do is plate it and add the nuts, cheese, and dressing! 

PS. Have your photo ID handy!

Tangerine Infused Salmon

Tangerine Infused Salmon

Following on the theme of six packs and fish oils from my previous blog, here is a delicious and natural way to get those all important Omega 3's!  I love mixing sweet and savoury.  This is my absolute favourite way to prepare salmon!

Tangerine salmon prepared for the oven

Salmon 101

People often have questions about what kind of salmon you should look for in the shops.   Essentially, there are two categories: wild salmon, which is often labeled Alaskan, and farmed salmon, often labeled Atlantic.  Wild salmon generally tends to be firmer, and less fatty than farmed salmon, due to differences in diet.  Wild salmon is also has deeper coloured flesh and is richer in taste.  Nutritionally, the difference between wild and farmed salmon in terms of protein and fat content is quite small.  However, different countries have different fish farming regulations, and there can be problems with fish developing in waters highly polluted with waste and antibiotics.  I am a huge supporter of sustainable fish farms when done responsibly, and it is fine to let personal budgets and taste dictate whether you buy wild or farmed.  Personally, if budget weren’t an issue, I would buy Coho salmon (wild variety) as often as possible.  This is because it is a smaller fish than wild Alaskan salmon, will therefore contain less PCB’s.   The best thing to do is to strike up a conversation with your fishmonger, and ask about the life of the salmon you are about to buy (origin, freshness, have any dyes been used, etc).  If they don’t know, then move on.

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 7 min

Ingredient/Tools:
• 4 fillets (4 oz) of fresh, wild caught salmon
•3 tangerines
•1 tbsp brown sugar
•cinnamon (to taste)
•garlic salt (to taste)
•pepper (to taste)

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to broil

2.      Arrange salmon on a baking sheet lined with foil for easy clean up

3.      Peel the tangerines.  Using the segments from the first 2 tangerines, squeeze the juice over the 4 fillets

4.      Spread the 1 tbsp of brown sugar evenly among the fillets, then sprinkle with cinnamon, garlic salt, and pepper to taste

5.      Place the used tangerine segments and the fresh segments from the third tangerine on top of the fillets

6.      Place fillets in the over for 7-8 minutes close to the source of heat.  Do NOT over cook

Enjoy!  That six pack is on the horizon!

Kale Crisps

If you don't like vegetables, it is because you are making them wrong...

Kale Crisps

I don’t use the term “crisps” here lightly.  These actually rival the crunch and taste of the traditional potato crisps, but dominate in terms of nutrition.  I knew these were a winner when my husband started monitoring me in the kitchen to ensure I didn’t sneak too many before plating – he wanted his full portion!

Prep time: 5 min (plus at least an hour drying time)

Cook time: 12 min

Ingredient/Tools:

2 baking sheets

1 bunch of Kale

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

Garlic salt to taste (approx ¼ tsp)

 Directions:

1.    Process kale: break into smaller chunks, remove thick portions of veins, and wash well

2.    Dry thoroughly – you can spread kale out over paper towel, air dry for an hour or more, or pat dry.  This step is important as wet kale won’t produce the desired crisping effect in the oven.

3.    Place kale in a large Tupperware container or bag.  Add the olive oil and garlic salt (don’t overdo the garlic salt; you can always add more at the end).  Shake, shake, shake!

4.    Lay the kale flat on the baking sheets.  Try not to overlap

5.    Place kale in an oven preheated to 190°C/ 380°F/gas mark 5

6.    Turn kale over after 6 minutes, and put back in for another 6 minutes.  They are done when they are crispy

7.    Enjoy!

Stef's Nutrition Manifesto

Stef’s Nutrition Manifesto

1. EAT!!!

Stefanie Reid, World Record Holder

Severely restricting calories is the WORST way to lose weight. Our metabolisms are too smart for that. If we eat too little, our metabolisms simply slow down. You need to “eat yourself lean”. This means eating small meals every 3 hours.
2. Protein
Include a source of protein in every meal, such as chicken, eggs, nuts, milk, tofu, beans, etc. Protein is vital to building muscle, and building muscle is the best way to lose fat. Muscle requires more energy to maintain, so the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolism will be
3. Right Kind of Fats 
Eating fat does NOT make you fat. Fats are vital to the health of every cell in your body. The trick is to pick foods with the right kind of fats, such as mono and polyunsaturated fats, and especially omega 3s. Good fats include nuts, avocados, coconut,& fish. Limit the intake of saturated fats and never eat trans fats.
4. Portion Control
Properly portion your meals – counting calories is overrated. The best guideline is your hand: your protein source should be the size of your palm, your carbohydrate should be the size of your fist, and the rest of your plate should be loaded with veggies
5.  Carbohydrates
Pick carbohydrates that are high in fibre. Replace boring white rice and pasta with more exotic choices such as pearl barley, quinoa, spelt, or bulgur wheat
6. Training 
Introduce interval training to your workouts. Instead of running at a slow, steady pace for 45min, run full out for 30 sec, and jog for 90sec - repeat 10 times. The key to burning fat is to work your body at maximum intensity.
7.  Treats
When you do indulge, do it right. Every healthy diet should allow for a cheat meal at least once or twice a week. Don’t waste this on a bag of crisps or prepackaged cookie. Bake a deliciously rich cheesecake and share it with friends. Not only does the amount of effort involved deter you from doing it often, you will be eating a cake full of fresh, wholesome ingredients.