Category: Health and Fitness

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ShiftCon: Small Steps to Better Health

Halloween Candy from UnReal: No artificial colors or preservatives - and I think their version of M&Ms tastes better than the real thing.
No GMO Labeling
Regardless of the science, I see no harm in labeling foods containing GMOs, so we can decide for ourselves whether or not we want to buy.

Leah Segedie is a force of nature. After helping hundreds of women lose weight through her Mamavation website and programs, she decided to tackle the larger problem of toxins and other substances in our industrialized food chain. The result was the creation of the ShiftCon conference, which held its second annual gathering this past weekend in Manhattan Beach, California. And Leah was kind enough to invite me to take part with a complimentary blogger’s registration.

I don’t get out much any longer to events like this. My day job marketing for a local IT company has left me with very little creative energy to keep my multiple blogs going — and lately, every time I attempt to get my blog freak back on, I fizzle out before I get to the second paragraph.

But I believe in what Leah is doing. We’ve interviewed her on our MOMocrats  podcast when GMO labeling measures have been on state ballots, and I predict we’ll be revisiting that issue again. More importantly: I continue to search for ways to live a healthier lifestyle and want to know what’s in the food I’m buying for my family.

No confusion here over what organic means.
No confusion here over what organic means.

So Thursday afternoon, I broke away from work to see what Leah had put together at ShiftCon. Unfortunately, I am swamped at work right now, producing several events of my own — so I was unable to come back over the next couple of days to catch panels on topics like “How One Nutrient Can Change Your Life” and “Creating a Toxic Free Future.” I didn’t get to hear the keynote from Stonyfield Chairman Gary Hirshberg or the panel on “Shifting Perspectives in Food, Words & Commerce.”

I will have to search out the recaps for these online.

But at least, I was able to check out ShiftCon’s Expo, showcasing some of the many healthful products available now. And it blew me away – beginning with registration, when along with my badge I was handed a fresh loaf of multi-grain, organic “killer” bread. And then THREE swag bags, filled with all kinds of yummy samples.

There were a dizzying array of natural foods and products on display for the ShiftCon attendees: The expected grocery stores, snack foods, organic farmers collectives, all kinds of dietary supplements and aromatherapy products were all on display. But there were also folks touting natural cleaning products, pest control, and initiatives to rid the environment of glyphosates.

Lundberg Rice and Grains
I am already a regular user of rice and grains from Lundberg Farms.

Expo Highlights

I was delighted to talk to representatives of products I already buy on a regular basis, like Lundberg Farms (delicious whole rice and grains), Barbara’s, (cereals and snacks), Food for Life ((maker of Ezekiel sprouted grain and gluten-free breads), Numi (organic teas), and Nature’s Path.

But it took a visit to ShiftCon to learn that a company like Nutiva sells a lot more than just coconut oil: Their exhibit included hemp oil, red palm oil and a second brand of coconut oil with the coconut flavor removed (so all you get is the goodness of the oil). They’ve also got chia seeds, hemp protein shakes, and a vegan buttery spread. They also gave me a coconut-oil based lip balm that’s the best I’ve ever tried.

But the real revelation were the products that were new to me: Such as Leaf & Love Organic/Sugar-Free juice boxes. With a kid in college, I may be out of the juice box years – but the sugar-free lemonade I sampled is a drink I may buy for myself.

Uncle Matt's Orange Juice
Uncle Matt’s sells an orange juice variety that is not just organic, but lower in sugar and carbs.

I love orange juice but rarely drink it any longer. So I was delighted with the taste of Uncle Matt’s Orange Juice – organic, lower in sugar and carbs, and delicious.

While at ShiftCon, I discovered new sources for fresh eggs, raw cheese, and grass-fed beef.

I’ve been dabbling in veganism again, so I had an interest inprotein drinks and almond milk from Orgain – and was surprised that they did not taste bitter, like the brands I have been buying.

Whole Foods Market was there to promote their Whole Kids Foundation, which helps fund gardens and salad bars in schools, as well as nutrition education for teachers.

FarmBoxLA was also there. They’re another one of those farmers’ collectives that delivers fresh, organic food you order to your home on a regular basis. I love this concept in theory – but when I’ve tried similar services, I’ve found that I could not get through everything in the box while it was all still fresh. Now that there’s just two of us at home, I usually shop for food on a daily basis. It’s a pain in the butt – but there’s less wastage.

Halloween Candy from UnReal: No artificial colors or preservatives - and I think their version of M&Ms tastes better than the real thing.
Halloween Candy from UnReal: No artificial colors or preservatives – and I think their version of M&Ms tastes better than the real thing.

I am, however, intrigued by Thrive Market, which is kind of an Amazon.com for organic and natural food – and promises prices that are 30-50% lower than supermarkets. Thrive Market is a membership site (similar to Amazon Prime Fresh) but is socially responsible: The annual membership fee is just $60 (compared to $299 for Amazon Prime Fresh) – and for every paid membership, Thrive Market donates a free annual membership to a low-income American family, so they can also have healthy, organic products delivered straight to their homes.

There was a lot more to look at and sample at the ShiftCon Expo: Natural skin care, hair care, health care… Pet foods… Pest Control.

I wish I could have carved out more time to talk to more of the companies and stay for the sessions. But I have a feeling that in my current (over-worked and over-stressed) state, I would have ended up too overwhelmed to put together a write-up.

So I will leave this as it is. If you are at all intrigued, check out ShiftCon on Facebook. That’s a great place to get the news on the next ShiftCon.

 

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Brighter: The Dental Insurance Alternative

sponsorship statement

Brighter offers Southern Californians a simple, free dental insurance alternative – giving you access to discount cleaning, whitening and even orthodontia. This is something you should care about, because you don’t want to turn out like me.

#Ad Brighter is a Free Alternative to Dental InsuranceIf you’ve read my blog for any bit of time (or just follow me on Twitter), you have probably seen me complain of being in “dental hell.” I’ve been cursed with soft enamel and a mouth that’s really good at creating mass quantities of tartar. I’ve been through so many torturous dental procedures that I’m pretty sure I could write a pretty convincing horror movie about it.

The sad thing is, much of my dental torment was self-inflicted: I once went three years without visiting the dentist. This had more to do with my fear of traffic near his downtown office than it did with his dental practice. But there was fear involved, too – a fear of starting over with some other dentist who did not know me or my history or who might inflict more pain on me than necessary.

Avoiding the dentist isn’t something anyone should do, because tooth decay isn’t something that just stops on its own. And scraping tartar off your own teeth isn’t advisable, either. Eventually, you WILL need to make the time for that dental visit and if you delay for too long, I guarantee that your experience will be WORSE. I should know: because by the time I accepted the fact that I simply needed to find a dental office close to my home, I needed a lot of new work done. A lot of expensive, somewhat painful, expensive work.

Did I mention that skipping your dental checkup can be expensive?

Here’s where Brighter comes in. Their network of certified dentists are making dental care affordable for everyone – even if you don’t currently carry dental insurance.

Their website touts low-priced check-up and cleaning services, fillings,  in-office teeth whitening … and even deals on some of those tortuous services I alluded to above: Periodontal deep cleaning, root canals and crowns at the same prices you would pay with dental insurance.

Of course, if you go in for your regular affordable checkups you probably won’t need any of the scary stuff (let me tell you: “deep cleaning” is a great idea for your bathroom. NOT something you want to have to do on your teeth.)

Brighter’s pre-screened, certified dentists are committed to helping patients understand what your treatment options are and spelling out exactly what your costs would be… ultimately helping you maintain better dental health (thus avoiding the dreaded deep cleaning).  And working with them is super-easy: just go to Brighter.com and enter your zip code. The website will give you a list of certified Brighter dentists in your area, along with their price for a check-up and cleaning. You can even schedule your appointment right there on the site.

What I really like about Brighter is how there are no premiums, co-pays, waiting periods, exclusions or plan maximums. Just pre-negotiated reduced rates that allow you to manage and save money on your own dental care.

If you live in Los Angeles and have been putting off a visit to the dentist, I hope you learn from MY mistakes. Make an appointment. NOW. And check out the low-cost rates at Brighter. Your mouth will thank you.

 

 

 

 

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Hankering for Frozen Greek Yogurt

#ad Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt Flavors
#ad Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt Flavors

HealthyChoice

I have been on a self-improvement kick for… well, my entire adult life. And since I hit middle age, that has meant focusing on weight control and eating a healthy diet.

Those two directives are not always the same thing. I lost 56 pounds a few years ago on an extremely restrictive diet that may actually have resulted in doing more damage to my metabolism than it was already suffering through menopause. This is hard to explain to friends who have never had to struggle with their weight, so I’ve stopped trying. I just go about my business and like any other junkie (and yes, I think my love of good food makes me an addict), I try to take it one day … one meal… and one snack at a time. That means lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, fewer starchy carbs and a lot more cooking from scratch.

But there are days when that isn’t possible. And that’s why I also keep a stash on hand of healthy convenience foods.

#ad Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt
#ad The Vanilla Bean was my favorite Healthy Choice Frozen Greek Yogurt flavor. But only because I couldn’t find any of the chocolate swirl!

During our recent heat wave, I discovered the new line of Greek Frozen Yogurt from Healthy Choice. Non-fat Greek yogurt has really taken off in the last few years, undoubtedly due to its protein content and thick, rich texture — which makes you think you’re eating something a lot more indulgent. It turns out that healthy frozen Greek yogurt desserts from Healthy Choice have the same affect. I discovered that any yen I might have for ice cream could be nipped in the bud with one of these babies.

And since I have a problem with portion control (especially if I’m eating something as luscious as a frozen dessert), I appreciated the fact that Healthy Choice’s Greek Frozen Yogurt comes in perfectly apportioned 100 calorie tubs, with 4g of protein in every serving. They look really small, but they pack a big punch — I found them really filling.

#ad Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt Flavors
#ad Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt Flavors

My favorite grocery store stocked four flavors and I tried all of them: Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberry (all blended with real fruit) and my favorite – Vanilla Bean (with real flecks of vanilla bean that you can actually see).  But I have a feeling I would also like the Honey and Chocolate Swirl flavors, too (the latter was the winner of Shape magazine’s 2013 Snack Awards for “Best Night Bite,” as a healthy fix for a late night craving for chocolate).

My only complaint about Healthy Choice’s Greek Frozen Yogurt is that it is packaged with just three tubs in a box. Maybe they can come out with an assortment featuring two samples of each. I would definitely be up for that.

Healthy Choice wants you to try their new line of Greek Frozen Yogurt so badly that they’ve got an online offer for you on their website, which will get you $1.00 off on the flavor of your choice. Check it out.

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Serious As a Heart Attack

heart attack anatomy
heart attack anatomy (Photo credit: gandhiji40)

I’ll get to the point as quickly as possible:

1. Yes, I spent Friday night in the hospital.

2. I am fine.

After spending Wednesday and Thursday picking up the pieces from my delayed trip back from Denver, I was finally set to work on Friday. You would think that all the notes I take would make it easy to write up a report on the conference I attended… but I’m an excruciatingly slow writer and I was only about a third of the way through at noon, when the pain hit.

The attacks began when I was in high school: A vague feeling of discomfort would turn into an intense, unrelenting ache deep inside my mid-section, and there was no escape. Laying in a fetal position would alleviate it for short bursts of time before it would come back in strength and I would have to try something else. The pain would usually hit late at night and last for hours, until I finally got to sleep… and when I’d wake up, it would be gone.

The stomach aches came with increasing frequency when I was at UCLA, and I took advantage of the student health services to get completely checked out. Test after test after test turned up no physical source of the pain. I came to the conclusion that they were related to stress (even though I could never pinpoint any one thing that served as a trigger; in fact, they usually occurred at times when I was not overly anxious about anything). After I transferred back to CSUN and was living at home and the pain would hit, my mom would slip me one of her Valiums, which would put me to sleep and make the pain go away.

I gradually stopped having these attacks, and by the time I got married, they had stopped entirely.

Until two weeks ago, when that familiar, awful pain hit me on a Saturday night and kept me awake into the wee hours of the morning. In desperation, I popped a Vicodin left over from last year’s broken toe episode.

And then it hit me again on Friday. And there was something different about it.

The pain wasn’t just in my belly. I felt it in my back, my left shoulder and arm… and in my chest.

Now, any of these pains could be just normal wear and tear on my middle-aged body; the difference could just be because I’m not 17 any more. But because I’m not 17 any more, it actually could have been something way more serious, according to the American Heart Association:

Heart Attack Signs in Women

  1. Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
  2. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
  3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
  4. Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
  5. As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

If you have any of these signs, don’t wait more than five minutes before calling for help. Call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.

Something similar happened to one of the other bloggers who attended the Lifesavers Conference in Denver. I commented on her post. I wondered if the pain I was feeling was just the power of suggestion. But I also remembered my grandmother, who had her first heart attack at 50 and a stroke at 55. I lost a lot of weight a few years ago and since menopause, have gained a lot of it back very rapidly. That’s not good for your heart.

I decided to get myself checked out and drove myself to the ER. In hindsight, that was a stupid thing to do, because there were moments during the drive when the pain was so bad I thought about pulling over and calling 9-1-1 after all.

When you check into an emergency room complaining of chest pain, they don’t mess around. It did not take long to get me on a gurney and hooked up to monitors. I was given nitroglycerin. They took a lot of tests, including an ultrasound of my chest. The technician thought it looked good. I was relieved and expected to be released.

And I felt foolish, for wasting everyone’s time and scaring my family.

“You did the right thing in coming here,” the ER doctor assured me.

In fact, there was one test that came up negative, indicating a possible blood clot in my lung. I was admitted overnight for observation, and I underwent a cardiac stress test the next morning.

The cardiologist’s conclusion was that the chest pain was heartburn (also common for overweight people my age). He prescribed Prilosec and told me to reduce my caffeine intake. I was released late Saturday and am following orders and am seeing how much I can get done without my coffee fix. In the meantime, I now know my heart is strong and I can stop worrying about inheriting my grandmother’s cardiovascular problem — and focus on doing all I can to keep myself from developing one. I started a daily walking regime last month; I am going to step that up.

As for the weight: I’m at my wit’s end. But as long as I stick with food that is heart healthy, I should be OK.

 

 

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Easy Organic Eating with SPUD

119_4329Over the last year, I’ve looked on with envy as friends have posted photos of gorgeous organic fruits and vegetables delivered right to their door. Envy, because most home delivery services I was familiar with did not venture into the northernmost reach of the San Fernando Valley (where I reside). And because I was convinced that such a service would not work for my family’s unpredictable meal schedule. And because I was convinced that such a service would be too expensive.

But it’s January, when the year is young and I am open to trying new things. I already committed to jumping into New Age-y mumbo jumbo by creating a dream board, which included a goal of adopting healthier practices. And my friend Yvonne of MomsLA asked if I would be interested in writing a review of SPUD.com (the appropriately acronymed Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery company). As this would be a review, there would be no payment (as you would have in a sponsored post); just a credit to purchase some of their products so I could see for myself how the service works — and then write it as I see it.

So once we determined that SPUD.com does indeed deliver to my neck of the Valley, I was in.

SPUD offers weekly “harvest boxes” of pre-selected seasonal produce at a flat rate. I have lots of friends who subscribe to this service, which accounts for the number of calls for recipes on Facebook when they receive vegetables they’ve never before tasted. Since my husband and daughter are picky eaters, I decided this was NOT the best option for me. SPUD also gives you the ability to customize your harvest box by indicating the items you would like to have — as well as those you abhor.

I figured I would keep this in mind for future deliveries.

SPUD also offers special juicing boxes, and is even offering a January special that includes free produce if you buy their high-end juicer.  I’m not ready for this, and don’t know if I’ll ever be. I’ve seen lots of diet fads in my lifetime, and this just strikes me as another one of those things I would be all gung-ho about at the beginning and then peter out after a few weeks (and a $359 investment in equipment). Maybe I’ll sample what’s available at the juice counter at Whole Foods and see if I like it.

119_4335

Fortunately, box subscriptions are not the only option for customers of SPUD. It’s a full-featured website offering a wide range of the same products you find at your local supermarket, with an emphasis on organic and/or locally grown produce and products — with the convenience of once-a-week delivery.

So I went in and selected the items I was pretty sure I’d be able to use within a week. This included:

1. The largest heads of organic cabbage and cauliflower I’ve ever seen

2. A couple of ruby red grapefruits and some lemons

3. Satsumas

4. Bananas

5. Russet and Fingerling Potatoes

6. Green onions

7. Rosemary and Basil

8. Fresh ginger

9. Avocados

And since SPUD offers other kinds of grocery items, I also picked up several bags of my salt & vinegar Kettle Potato chips (a favorite snack of my husband and daughter), some organic canned goods, and some of the Amy’s frozen vegan entrees my husband likes.

There are other items I could have ordered; some I should have ordered. This is something I always say whenever I get groceries online; I am always wishing I’d thought to ask for one more thing. Then again, this happens to me all the time when I do my IRL shopping, so I guess that’s just par for the course.

The groceries were not cheap – but they were not outrageously expensive, either. I expect to pay a premium for organic, as well as for the convenience of delivery.

And I actually used the produce, which scotched my fear of letting any of them go to waste:

Day 1: I made my favorite recipe for roast chicken with potatoes (with lemon and rosemary). I realized I could have also ordered an organic chicken from SPUD.

Day 2: I cut up the grapefruit and avocados and added them to some greens I had on hand for a fresh take on salad.

Day 3: I cut up that huge cauliflower and the rest of the russets and roasted them for this Indian spiced recipe with a bit of that fresh ginger.  I added some of the green onions for color. It smelled divine and tasted even better.

Day 4: The ginger and the fingerling potatoes got used in one of our favorite dishes, which also included the canned organic chickpeas I ordered from SPUD. (Next time, I will make sure to add more carrots and onions to my order).

Day 5: I made stewed cabbage:

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, very finely sliced
chopped parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
5 whole cloves
3 1/2 cups chopped green cabbage
salt and pepper
2/3 c vegetable stock or white wine and water mixed (I usually use the latter)

Heat the oil in a pot and gently cook the onion, carrot, bacon, herbs and cloves for about 15 minutes. Season the cabbage with salt and pepper, then add it along with the liquid (stock or wine/water mix). Mix all the vegetables thoroughly, cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove lid and simmer another 5-10 minutes to reduce excess liquid before serving.

The original recipe is from this cookbook, and calls for butter (instead of oil) and bacon. This is the vegan version, and is nearly as tasty (because everything is better with bacon).

Ordering from SPUD was easy, convenient — and forced me to do some actual cooking. And now that I’ve depleted my initial order, I’m trying to decide what to get the next time.

I might even reconsider that juicing thing.

DISCLOSURE: I was not paid to write this post, nor did I make any guarantees that the review would be a positive one. I did receive a one-time credit for my first order, so that I could fully experience the service for the review.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In an Epidemic, It’s Not Too Late to Get a Flu Shot

flu shotIt’s official: the CDC has declared an epidemic in the 2013 flu season. 7.3% of all deaths last week were attributed to pneumonia as a result of flu. And as alinsertways, Americans are advised that the best defense against the virus is to get a flu shot.  Flu vaccines no longer require a special trip to the doctor: here in Southern California, they’ve been advertised widely at all the major drug store chains; even the pharmacy inside our local Ralph’s, so getting one is super-convenient.

And Obamacare gives you one less excuse: If you have insurance, you may be able to obtain your vaccine for free, as they are now covered by most plans with NO co-pay.

The one excuse I don’t use any more is that I’m afraid it will hurt. This one was debunked for me a few years ago, as you can see from this video:

I knew all of this. So why did I wait until this week to get mine? The usual reasons: I’m too busy. I’m too lazy. It will still be there next week…

… which were all valid excuses until the news media finally started reporting how bad this flu season was starting to look. I’m not sure why it took until THIS WEEK to hear those stories, but soon after that, the reports also mentioned that the vaccine supplies were starting to run low.

And THAT’s what got me off my butt and into the nearest Rite-Aid during a lunch break on Thursday — and not a moment too soon.

“Joe – do we have any FluZone back there?” the pharmacy clerk shouted at her co-workers.

They had three doses left.

“We’ve had them for five months, but all of a sudden, everyone wants one. We ran out a couple of days ago and had to get more from another store,” she said.

This did not bode well for my plan to get my daughter vaccinated after school.

“Call us ahead of time,” I was advised.

I was too lazy to do that. I had my kid captive in the car and whisked her off to the shopping center at Porter Ranch before she could complain that she had too much homework. She’s good at making the “I’m too busy” excuse, too.

Our first stop was the aforementioned pharmacy at Ralph’s. They were all out.

So we hit the CVS store next door, and they had plenty of vaccines. The only problem was, they were not one of the providers that are contracted with our insurance plan. I did not want to spend the afternoon hunting for a covered vaccine and did not want to risk going another day without getting some protection for my daughter, who told me some of the kids in her class had already contracted flu. The cost of the shot was $36. That is money well spent to avoid the misery and expense of getting sick. I paid for the shot.

Then I called my husband and advised him to get one too, before it was too late. He got his on his lunch hour yesterday.

I realize that our vaccinations are no guarantee that we will avoid coming down with the flu. It takes two weeks for your body to develop enough antibodies to effectively fight an infection. Plus, this year’s vaccine is only 62% effective. But if we do come down with influenza, the vaccination may result in symptoms that aren’t as bad. And a 62% chance of immunity is better than none.

On top of that, by getting the vaccine and NOT getting sick, you can help keep the epidemic from getting worse.

Do it. Now.

DISCLOSURE: I received no compensation for this post, nor do I have any business relationship with the companies or brands listed in this post. The embedded video was shot four years ago. At that time, I received a free flu shot from CVS. No other compensation was given me.

 

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