Anti-Inflammatory Healthy Breast Daily Diet Guide

This anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, nutrient-dense daily diet includes healing foods that help prevent breast cancer or the recurrence of breast cancer, such as omega-3 fats, fibre, probiotic-rich fermented foods, sea veggies, phytonutrients, and cancer-busting phytochemicals.   

• Pre Breakfast: Glass of green veggie juice: kale, carrots, bitter greens, beets, apple, lemon
• Breakfast: Plant protein smoothie, kefir, ground flax/chia/hemp, flax oil, turmeric, cinnamon
• Snack: 1 cup berries/apples/cherries (remember to eat the 'rainbow')
• Lunch: 1 cup beans/lentils, dulse, raw veggies, sauerkraut, kimchi, pumpkin seeds, sprouts
• Snack: 1-2tbsp raw pumpkin seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds
• Supper: Wild salmon, whole grains, stuffing mushrooms, leafy salad with avocado, brassica veggies
• Liquids: Green tea, herbals teas - dandelion, milk-thistle or ginger,  clean water. Reduce/eliminate coffee!

Inflammation is at the root of disease so by increasing your consumption of these anti-inflammatory foods on a daily basis, the better protected you will be from developing breast cancer or from breast cancer recurrence. 

Grains ... Are they Messing with your Health?

Warning: Read This BEFORE You stock-up on those bran muffins!

Do you remember being told what a good source of fibre bran muffins, whole grains, and cereals are?

Well…. That might be true, but it may not be the whole story.

According to a growing number of experts, including Dr. Loren Cordain, a professor at Colorado State University and an expert on Paleolithic lifestyles, humans are NOT designed to eat grains, and doing so may actually be damaging to our gut and our long-term health.

Dr. Cordain explains: 

"There's no human requirement for grains. That's the problem with the USDA recommendations. They think we're hardwired as a species to eat grains.

You can get by just fine and meet every single nutrient requirement that humans have without eating grains. And grains are absolutely poor sources of vitamins and minerals compared to fruits and vegetables and meat and fish."

Ironically, the high-fiber bran portion of grain – a key part that makes it a whole grain and is meant to be so healthy for us – actually contains anti-nutrients.

Two of these anti-nutrients are protein substances called gliadin (it's what gives wheat bread it’s dough texture) and lectins (a built-in survival mechanism by which plants protect themselves from being eaten).

However, both these protein substances can interfere with our absorption and digestion processes and may alter the bacterial make-up in our gut, leading to gas, bloating, cramps and other chronic health issues, such as autoimmune diseases. (1)

So be your best judge.  Do you feel bloated, gassy, suffer from abdominal cramps, headaches, aches and pains or just don’t feel yourself after eating your morning muffin or lunch-time bagel? If so, you may want to stop eating grains and seek guidance from a nutrition professional. 

References

(1) http://scorecard.goodguide.com/health-effects/explanation.tcl?short_hazard_name=immun

How to Go to the Next Level of Living with Performance Nutrition

When people hear the term performance nutrition, they will often confuse it with either sports nutrition or think of it only as something competitive athletes need.  In fact, performance nutrition is for anyone.  That is, anyone who wants to get the most out of life.  You see, in order to get the most out of life, you will need to get the most out of yourself.  Performance nutrition can help you do that.

I define performance nutrition as the strategic planning and tactical use of food and supplements to help you improve both your work and adaptive capacity. 

What does that mean for you? 

Well, having a great work capacity means you will be able to get more done.  Whether in the gym or at work, you will have the energy you need to thrive at a higher level of productivity.  Having greater adaptive capacity means that your body can take on more demands, continuing to be healthy without breaking down. 

For example, with training, it isn’t so much what you do in the gym that helps you improve your performance.  It is how your body adapts to the demands of training that will ultimately determine your rate of performance.  And if you are not adapting to the demands you place on your body, well, that just ends up likely becoming an injury. 

Performance nutrition is a mindset shift in which you focus your intake of food and supplements to help you feel and perform at your best in all you do. 

In my two decades of working with some of the world’s top performing teams, Olympians and business professions, there is a common thread with how most people think about nutrition.  The typical thought process is, "how can nutrition help me look better and loose fat."  This pattern typically plays out like this.  Food choices and dietary planning is focused around changing your body composition so you can look better.  More often than not, this ends up making you not feel good and ultimately robs you of your performance and your health. 

I propose taking a performance nutrition mindset in which you focus on what will help you feel your best, so you can perform at your best.  And when you perform at your best, you will end up looking your best, without compromising your long-term health. 

Performance nutrition is made up of what I call the inner zone and the outer zone.  The inner zone is what you do before, during and after a workout to help your body energize, repair and protect itself for the demands of training.  The outer zone is what you do the rest of the day to maximize your energy, resilience and adaptive capacity. 

Specific strategies that are typically employed when following a performance nutrition approach include determining your energy balance equation, strategic nutrient timing and leveraging the use of supplements to help you get what your body needs and nothing it doesn’t.  

As an example, we can look specifically at the post exercise part of the inner zone of performance nutrition.  Right after you workout, your body is primed for repair and restoration of the energy you expended while working out.  This is a crucial window that your body uses specific nutrients to help build stronger, healthier and more resilient tissues. 

The two most important macronutrients during this post exercise time are carbs and protein.   Protein to help with rebuilding stronger, leaner muscle tissue, and carbs to replace depleted energy stores.  This post exercise window last about 30 minutes but I recommend you take a combination of protein and carb right after you stop training. 

There is a strongly held believe out there that not having anything after a training session will help your body burn more fat and this is a myth.  In fact, studies have proven that maximizing this recovery window with protein and carbs can increase your body’s ability to burn more fat and help you feel better all day long. 

I recommend pre-formulated supplements that are created specifically for this recovery window.  They are more convenient and ready to use without any preparation. 

This is a small glimpse of how performance nutrition can help you get the most out of yourself each and every day. 

For more information visit, www.feelingprettyremarkable.com or to check out the full line of CrossFuel high performance supplements, visit www.mycrossfuel.com

Hot Summer Looks: Nails

PAINT THE TOWN RED... OR PINK... OR ORANGE...

With the warmer weather, it’s time for pretty open-toed shoes and that means, nail polish! 

According to the David Suzuki Foundation 2010 report, 80% of nail polishes contain at least 3 chemicals linked with health and environmental concerns, including cancer, reproductive disorders, asthma and severe allergies.

There are  3 toxic chemicals/main offenders we need to watch out for:

• DBP (Dibutyl phthalate)  - Used as a solvent for dyes and as a plasticizer to prevent nail polishes from becoming brittle, this phthalate is classified by the EU as a suspected endocrine (horomone) disruptor and as toxic to reproduction. 
• FORMALDEHYDE – Used as a nail hardener, The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen.
• TOULENE - According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, toluene is a moderate skin irritant that can cause dermatitis with prolonged contact. It is also a developmental toxicity hazard and has been identified in human milk. 

SO WHAT'S A GIRL TO DO? 

Below are 5 companies that got rid of these 3 toxic chemicals and now market their brands as '3-Free' so you can feel better about what you are painting on your nails:  

• BUTTER LONDON (my personal fav). Find it at Whole Foods, Noah’s Health Food Store or www.well.ca 
• PIGGY PAINT FOR KIDS (Also water-based). Find it at www.well.ca 
• SCOTCH NATURALS - Scotch Naturals water based nail polish is vegan, gluten free, fragrance free, toxin free, paraben free, hypoallergenic, and biodegradable. They also have a safe and fun Kids line called Hopscotch Kids. Find it at www.well.ca
• ZOYA – Find it at selelct Wholefoods or at www.nailpolishcanada.com/categories/zoya.html
• DEBORAH LIPPMAN (also they don't do animal testing). Find it at Sephora or at www.deborahlippmann.com

BRIT BEET Tip:  If you are thinking of acrylic nails - think twice.  Acrylic nails are popular due to their longevity but they contain Toulene (one of the 3 toxic chemicals we have already identified) and may also contain MMA, a chemical banned by the FDA. Due to a lack of industry regulation however, this chemical could still be used at your local salon. What you need to know is that It can cause respiratory problems, eye and skin irritation and neurological issues.  Worth thinking twice about... probably. 

Turn Back Time. Battle-Ready Foods To Combat Aging Skin

Do you look in the mirror and wish you could turn back time (thanks Cher)? You’re not alone. We all want to keep our skin looking as youthful as possible. However when we look truth right in the eye (pun intended) we soon discover that the production of collagen - the protein responsible for our youthful appearance, declines as we age, starting around our last thirties (oh no), and again after menopause (oh great). This decline in collagen basically means finding sagging skin, lines and wrinkles, something we ALL dread seeing in the mirror.

Of course there’s always the Botox route.  But if you’re like me and you’d rather stay away from injecting botulinum toxin into your body, then you’re going to be relieved to find out there are some powerful natural weapons within easy reach. And the best part is you can find these battle-ready foods ready to deploy at your local grocery store.  

GREENS

We are always being told to ‘eat up our greens’, well just add ‘stop the sag’ as another one! Greens are an excellent source of vitamin C, which functions like your dependable foot soldier on the front lines of anti-aging, helping to produce and maintain collagen.  A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition{1} found that eating foods that contain higher levels of vitamin C are associated with a lower likelihood of wrinkled, dry and sagging skin. But that’s not all! Greens also contain a hefty supply of vitamin A, which promotes elasticity and rebuilds the skin’s cells, keeping it looking healthy and smooth. Unlike synthetic vitamin A that appear in pricey cosmetic items, our bodies can utilize the vitamin A from food far more effectively, getting it into the body in the areas it needs to go. BRIT BEET tip: Because vitamin C is destroyed by heat, try cooking your greens the ‘healthy way’ by steaming for just 3-5 minutes so they retain this valuable nutrient.
Best choices are: Broccoli, spinach Swiss chard, collard greens, beet greens and kale

OMEGA-3 FATS (AKA the GOOD fats)

Despite your fears, eating Omega 3 fats is NOT going to stop you from fitting into your favourite skinny jeans and are essential to your overall health. You can think of them as one of your anti-aging ‘special forces’. They protect the membrane of our cells, like a ‘boot camp seargent’. They stop harmful agents from entering the cells, allow waste products to move in and out of the cell and bring our must-have skin nutrients in to ‘feed’ the cell. 
Best choices: Cold water fish (mackerel, salmon, trout), Flax seeds, walnuts, sardines and unrefined canola oil (GMO free and for cold use only i.e: salad dressings)

FRUIT

Fruit comes armed and loaded with vitamin C which we now know produces and maintains collagen. It also contains powerful antioxidants that protect the skin cells from free radical damage that can speed up the aging process. Need I say more!
Best choices: Papaya, strawberries, pineapple, Kiwi fruit, oranges and avocadoes

VEGETABLES

Never one to shirk away from my veggies, I was really happy to discover they are right up there in our fight against the ‘sag’. Why? These glorious veggies are full of vitamin E, another battle-ready  antioxidant that works as a synergistic 'fighting force' with vitamin C and A, protecting the skin from that free radical damage.
Best choices: Broccoli, bell peppers, asparagus, turnip greens

NUTS AND SEEDS

Into our 40’s, and especially as we transition through the menopause stage, hormonal aging brings with it an increase in ‘mirror shock’!  Wrinkles and dry, sagging skin creeps up on us as estrogen levels, that were once part of our collagen production line, start to wane. But wait, help is on the way! Nuts and seeds are armed with phytoestrogens - plant compounds that help replace estrogen levels, slowing down that aging process (thank goodness).
Best choices: Sunflower seeds, almonds, pumpkin seeds

BONE BROTH

As the current media darling of youthful skin and weight loss, you may have already heard of the proclaimed benefits of bone broth. According to Dr Kerryann Petrucci, New York Times best-selling author of 'The Bone Broth Diet', "When you eat bone broth, you’re really eating cooked collagen. This is a powerful way to restore collagen in your skin and make those wrinkles disappear. Sure, you could find a lot of products with "collagen" on the label, but dietary collagen is more potent — it mainlines collagen to your cells. Additionally, the gelatin derived from the collagen you get in bone broth heals your digestive tract which is a surefire way to prevent inflammation and aging skin."   Another devotee of bone broth is Julia March, New York City's 'skin-care wizard and well-known facialist.  "I highly recommend bone broth to everyone who wants clear and firm skin. It  contains minerals that nourish the skin cells, and they calm inflammation in the body—and consequently on the face as well.”

Making and consuming bone broth is also taking a nose-to-tail approach that honors the entire animal, reducing the waste by creating nourishing products from different cuts. So go ahead and cook up a big batch of bone broth to help repel the invasion of wrinkles, lines and sagging skin and bring back that youthful glow. Not sure how, I've created a simple and easy recipe that will hit the skin sweet spot. Get recipe >>

So next time you look in the mirror, remember that you have army of food outfitted to combat aging skin and you don't even have to petition parliament to deploy it. It's just steps away in your own kitchen. 

References
{1}: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/4/1225

What Is Cleaning Your Beautiful Face?

It’s a night-time ritual that has been played out on the silver screen time and time again.  A beautiful lady sits down at her boudoir table and proceeds to take off her make-up. Outside of Hollywood, it’s not as glamorous but the scene is still the same – the night-time face cleansing remains a staple routine of women today – we like to feel ‘clean’ and ready for bed, having wiped away the memories of the day. 

Although the ritual has stayed the same, facial cleansing products have evolved over generations; Perhaps you remember watching your grandmother layer on the the Ponds cold cream or your mother lather up the Pears soap – I only have to smell Pears soap to be instantly transported back to my youth.

Today there is a plethora of facial cleansers all proclaiming to make us look more beautiful. If you choose to buy your cleanser from the supermarket or pharmacy you may be paying for more than you bargained.  Ingredients coat or cover the skin, interfering with its own natural function and can contain artificial fragrances, artifical colours, parabens and other toxic chemicals that can contribute to system toxiciity, allergies, cellular level changes and have even been linked to cancer.   

Luckily, there are other options. You can side-step all the chemical muss and fuss and go straight to a natural brand.  One of my favourites brands is ‘Evan Healy’ whose name is behind the plant-based skin care range, free of synthetic and artificial ingredients. It costs around $33.00 and  one bottle last me around 6 months.  The brand also claims:

• Field to farm and fair trade practices,
• Certified organic ingredients,
• Vegan and not tested on animals,
• Free of GMO’s,  parabens and gluten
• Ingredients sourced from family-owned farms and women’s cooperatives. 

 Most impressive to me though is that it the brand received ‘Best Rated' by EWG Skin Deep – a database launched in 2004 by Environmental Working Group to create online safety profiles for cosmetic and personal care products.

I'm a big fan of their Rose Cleansing Milk which is for 'mature' skins (never thought I would be in that bracket but rather that, than the alternative). According to its description on the evanhealy website, Rose Cleansing Milk is:

• A wax free, plant based milk with the gentle cleansing action of natural soapbark.
• It contains regenerating plant oils and purifying white kaolin clay which leaves the skin feeling clean, relaxed and refreshed. 
• It is used for all skin conditions but especially skin with oily/dry areas (me!)

Why I like is that it has that lingering rose scent, and feels smooth and soft on my skin, with a very gentle cleansing action.  My skin does feel radiant and fresh after I use it at night. Honestly, I don't need it to do much more so I am keeping it in the night time routine until I discover the next best cleanser. Keep watching this space....