Tag: food sensitivity

The BEST Guilt-Free Honey Sweetened Chocolate
I am not a stalker usually… but last week I was.

I overheard a mom with three children explaining to someone else at Whole Foods that she makes her own yogurt and her children follow a pretty strict Paleo diet. As she was speaking, one of the children was asking “mom does this have corn in it?”

We needed to be friends.

As a health coach mom with a child who is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, corn free and junk free, sometimes our restrictions can be alienating. Meeting another family able to keep up with the lifestyle with THREE kids… I was impressed to say the least.

As we walked away I whispered to my daughter “Lily, those kids eat like you do!” She quickly turned and said “I want to meet them!!”

The good news is that when you become a mom, stalking someone in a grocery store because your daughter wants to meet them is a little more acceptable than without children.

I am very glad that we were stalkers that day because as it turns out Julie was one of the founders of Pure 7 Chocolates and I have fallen in love with their chocolate and their story.

After visiting Julie & Carrie, the co-owners of Pure 7 Chocolates in their local kitchen I asked if I could interview them to share their story. Check it out!

Q: As 2 busy moms, what prompted you to want to start your own chocolate company?

A: When we first started our company together, we had 7 children ages 8 and under. Our youngest were still toddlers so it was a very busy and crazy time to start any new project, let alone a start-up company. But, we are both driven to feed our families healthy and nourishing food and we saw a need in the market (and in our families) for a healthy chocolate.

Q: Why not just eat the healthy chocolate already out there?

We needed a chocolate that was honey sweetened with no additives or fillers.

When Julie’s son was diagnosed with autism she went through many different iterations of a healthy diet to support her son. A gluten free, dairy free diet showed huge improvements but she soon realized they were still addicted to the Standard American Diet (SAD) just without the gluten and dairy.

The SCD diet came next with even better results as his eye contact and presence returned. After about 6 months they switched to the GAPS diet and this made the most drastic difference! Julie’s son & daughter both stopped stimming after 2 weeks on the diet. They stayed on the GAPS diet and followed the stages with a GAPS practitioner for 2 years. They currently follow a Paleo type diet now.

(For more details about their journey and GAPS you can read Julie’s blog here)

Although they were able to follow their plan consistently, they missed CHOCOLATE! Chocolate is allowed on the full GAPS diet but nobody was making a GAPS legal chocolate and Julie was a strict follower of the diet. All the chocolate at the stores were filled with sugars, fillers and artificial flavors!

That is why we started making Pure7 Chocolate!

[image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Ginger-Newtrition-chocolate-almond.png” raw=”true” alignment=”left” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”10″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ link=”http://www.pure7chocolate.com” target=”_parent” width=”300″ height=”300″]

Q: What was the biggest hurdle or hardest part about starting your own business.

A: Everything was hard in the beginning. We first had to figure out how to make honey sweetened chocolate which we were told over and over could not be done. It literally took us a year of research and experimentation in the kitchen until we finally figured out the exact recipe and how to temper honey-sweetened chocolate. Once we had a product, we had to figure out all of the other details of starting a business from the ground up. We just networked and took notes and relied on advice from people who were in start-up food businesses.

If you have a product that you love and you can stand behind 100%, I think people can see that and success happens organically.

Q: What makes your chocolate so awesome?

A: We make handcrafted Raw, Organic & Fair Trade honey-sweetened chocolate. Our bars are unprocessed, unrefined and free of chemicals, dairy, soy, gluten and refined sugars. Just Pure!

Because our bars are sweetened with honey, the texture is smooth and creamy…almost like a milk chocolate in its texture. Our bars are all 85-87% cacao…but because they are sweetened with honey, they are not bitter like a lot of other dark chocolate.

Pure7 Chocolate has been a HUGE hit for the Paleo, GF, DF, SF & raw diets!

We believe PURE ingredients are naturally nutritious and simply taste better. That’s why we are committed to hand making our bars in small batches without the use of chemicals, dairy, soy, gluten and refined sugars.

Q: Where can we find your product?

A: We are in gourmet/specialty stores in New England and New York City as well as Whole Foods in New England but you can also purchase our chocolate online. We are expanding quickly so for a list of all of our most up-to-date locations, check out our website at www.pure7chocolate.com.

This is what I hope you take away from this post:
- If you have children and are struggling with getting them the best food for their situation, know that you are not alone. Keep it up and know that you will be setting them up for a lifetime of health.
- If you see a need for a product in the market that can help families live healthier, happier lives… go for it!!
- Go get some chocolate!! This stuff is delicious and supports fabulous people! pure7chocolate.com
Are you following us on Instagram? Check us out: gingernewtrition. We are doing a giveaway soon of this fabulous chocolate. I don’t know about you, but I would hate to miss free chocolate!!
December 23, 2014
What is the Perfect Diet?

“I eat really healthy food.”

I hear this a lot. Depending on who I am talking to, this could mean they follow a Paleo, Vegetarian, Atkins, The Zone, Body Ecology, Vegan diet or it could mean their meals consist of low-fat or sugar-free products.

So what is “healthy” anyway? The only person who knows that is you. Your perfect diet will be different than your neighbor’s. It depends on your genetic makeup, where you live, the time of year, season of your life and the amount of stress you are under. Your perfect diet might be different in 6 months than it is now.

The key to optimum energy and ideal health is to listen to the clues that your body is telling you. Do you eat “really healthily” but can’t seem to lose weight, have a horrible sleep cycle or have depleted energy? If you have a food intolerance or your body doesn’t know how to digest a food that you eat daily, no matter how healthy it is, this food could be a constant source of inflammation. Pay attention to your body.

As I was traveling all over the US this summer and eating with many different kinds of people, it was very apparent to me that there is not one perfect diet for all types of people. That said, there are some basic concepts that everyone could benefit from. These are included in the following “Back to the Basics” principles:

Ginger Newtrition’s “Back to the Basics” Principles for Healthy Eating:

1)   Eat fresh, whole fruits & vegetables in their natural form. Local is best. Choose organic produce if it is on the dirty dozen list. If organic foods aren’t in the budget, get a veggie wash to reduce exposure to the pesticides.

2)   Soy is not a health food unless it is fermented. Miso, tempeh and tamari are all fermented and are the best choices if you are going to consume soy. Soy is one of the top 5 food intolerances and it is highly genetically modified, so watch for reactions. One of my clients recently figured out that the soy yogurt she was eating daily for a year was the cause of her incredibly painful face acne.

3)   Fat-free is never a good choice, unless it’s a naturally fat-free product. Let’s face it, pull the fat out of something and it tastes bad. The blah taste of Fat Free products is often covered up with more sugar.

[image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Ginger-Newtrition-Egg-Yolks2-300×281.jpg” raw=”true” alignment=”left” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”8″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ width=”210″ height=”197″]4)   Eat the Yolks. If you eat eggs, then make sure you are eating the whole egg. The majority of the nutrients are in the yolk, they are delicious, and they yolk contains lecithin, a fat emulsifier which helps your body break down the cholesterol in the egg.

5)   Partially hydrogenated oils such as margarine or Crisco shouldn’t be consumed… EVER. We have all heard that trans fats are not good for us and the majority of that comes from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. A product can claim NO trans fat as long as it has less than 0.5 grams. Look at the ingredients for partially hydrogenated oils instead of the claims on the front of the can or box.

6)    Lose the blue, yellow & pink packets. Artificial sweeteners are also hiding in “light” products such as yogurt.

7)   Food dye is not a necessary ingredient in any food. If you want to know what effect food dye can have on a person, come over to my house an hour after my daughter is given blue jelly beans. It… is…. Scary. Before you chalk your child’s unstable behavior up to genetics, make sure you have removed the dyes, additives and chemicals from their food.

8)   MSG (monosodium glutamate) can wreak havoc on your neurotransmitter balance. Yes, this is still in foods & restaurants and it can be especially detrimental to children.

[image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Ginger-Newtrition-Good-Fats1-300×209.jpg” raw=”true” alignment=”right” margin_left=”6″ margin_right=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ width=”225″ height=”157″]9)   Eat more good fat. Think nuts, avocado, fish, coconut, olive and flax oil. Did you know that you need dietary fat in order to make all of your hormones?

10)   Avoid all fried foods especially with seed oils, canola oil, or in a restaurant where they are reusing the oil. If you really have a craving for a fried food, make it at home in coconut oil.

11)   Drink more clean water.

12)   Eliminate white sugar and sweeteners.

13)   Limit alcohol.

14)   Gluten, Corn, Dairy, Eggs & Soy are the top 5 food sensitivities. Make sure you test how these foods make you feel by removing them for 1-2 weeks and slowly adding them in one at a time.

15)   Eat something fermented daily. For example sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir, miso or kombucha (if it agrees with you!).

So instead of sticking to this diet, that plan, or believing that this food is good and that food is bad, remember the basics. Try something and see how it works for you. Keep what works, throw away what doesn’t. Your perfect plan will always be evolving.

August 25, 2014
Gluten Free Flours for Baking

Many of my client’s discover through an elimination diet or food sensitivity testing that gluten is not their friend. For someone who has Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity, removing gluten is critical for their health. This can be very difficult because that tricky little ingredient, gluten, is in EVERYTHING.

As the food industry is catching on to the popularity of “gluten-free” there are an abundance of foods out there with this label. Although this may be very convenient in a pinch for someone with a gluten intolerance, these foods are often not healthy and just as highly processed as the foods they are replacing. A daily gluten-free muffin or cupcake is not a part of a balanced diet.

Instead of using gluten free products, try to eat foods that are naturally gluten free. Have you ever tried making a wrap or burrito in a collard green? How about spiral noodles out of a zucchini or spaghetti squash instead of pasta?

For special occasions when a collard green birthday cake is not going to fly, here are some flour alternatives for gluten-free baking .

For All Flour Recipes

To make a flour blend, thoroughly combine all of the ingredients, and store in a covered container in the refrigerator until used. You can double or triple these recipes to make as much flour mix as you need.

Note: If you purchase a commercial flour blend, read the ingredient list carefully. Some blends contain salt and xanthan or guar gum. If so, there is no need to add more.

All Purpose Flour Blend

Use this blend for all of your gluten-free baking.

½ cup rice flour

¼ cup tapioca starch/flour

¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch

High Fiber Flour Blend

This high-fiber blend works well for breads, pancakes, snack bars, and cookies that contain chocolate, warm spices, raisins, or other fruits. It is not well-suited for delicately flavored recipes, such as sugar cookies, crepes, cream puffs, birthday cakes, or cupcakes.

1 cup brown rice flour or sorghum flour

½ cup teff flour (preferably light)

½ cup millet flour or Montina® flour

²/₃ cup tapioca starch/flour

¹/₃ cup cornstarch or potato starch

High Protein Flour Blend

This nutritious blend works best in baked goods that require elasticity, such as wraps

and pie crusts.

1 ¼ cups bean flour – chickpea is a fabulous choice

1 cup arrowroot starch, cornstarch, or potato starch

1 cup tapioca starch/flour

1 cup white or brown rice flour

Self Raising Flour Blend

Use this blend for muffins, scones, cakes, cupcakes, or any recipe that uses baking powder

for leavening.

1 ¼ cups white sorghum flour

1 ¼ cups white rice flour

½ cup tapioca starch/flour

2 teaspoons xanthan or guar gum

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

How to Use Xanthan or Guar Gum

Gum (xanthan or guar) is the key to successful gluten-free baking. It provides the binding needed to give the baked product proper elasticity and keep it from crumbling.

Add ½ teaspoon xanthan or guar gum per cup of flour blend to make cakes, cookies, bars, muffins, and other quick breads.

Add 1 teaspoon per cup of flour blend to make yeast bread, pizza dough, or other baked items that call for yeast.

Note: If you purchase a commercial flour blend, read the ingredient list carefully. Some blends contain salt and xanthan or guar gum. If so, there is no need to add more.

August 10, 2014
5 Cheap At-Home Health Tests That Don’t Require A Doctor

Have you been searching for a reason that things aren’t quite right or wondering why those annoying symptoms keep popping up? Or do you feel great but are curious how you are doing on the inside? These 5 tests are a great place to start as you search for clues and gather information. The cost of functional lab work that we use to check hormones, detoxification, intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and food sensitivities can cost a lot of money! Although they are often needed, why not start with the basics? Read on to find out how to use these cheap (or free) tests in the comfort of your home. Great tools for monitoring your own progress!

To test at home: Blood Sugar Levels

Did you know that balanced blood sugar is the common attribute of people who live to be over 100? Keeping blood sugar from fluctuating is extremely important to health and longevity. Monitoring your levels can give insight into how your body reacts to the foods you eat.

1)   Buy an inexpensive glucometer. Glucometers can be really expensive and the strips can be even more expensive (I pay $1.00 per test strip since I didn’t have this handy information before!). Amazon has the Tru 2 Go for only $13.25 and the test strips that go with this are $17.50/100 (17.5 cents ea).

2) For 7 days – test your blood sugar first thing in the morning before having any food (ideally 12 hours since your last meal) for your fasting blood sugar level. An ideal level is less than 86 mg/dL. Although this is not the number that is considered “normal” at the doctor’s office, this study shows that a person with a fasting glucose level of 90-94 has 49% greater risk of developing diabetes compared with a level less than 85. While testing, I highly suggest that you keep a detailed food journal to watch the patterns. For my more advanced testers you can check blood sugar levels 1,2 & 3 hours after a meal to see how you are reacting to a food. If you want more information about this topic Chris Kresser has an awesome article Why your “normal” blood sugar isn’t normal (Part 2).

To test at home: Food Sensitivities

An elimination diet is a good test to find out if you have a food sensitivity. According to Dr. Mercola, food and chemical sensitivities are estimated to affect up to 50% of Americans. Sensitivities are much harder to pinpoint than a true food allergy, because sensitivities cause a slower and more subtle response. The top 5 Food sensitivities are corn, soy, gluten, dairy and eggs. But, your sensitivity could be to any food. If your gastro-intestinal tract is compromised or has been under attack for a long time, you might have devolved sensitivities to many foods. To test: Remove most common food sensitivies corn, soy, gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, and processed foods, alcohol, sugar and anything else that you suspect might cause a problem (I also have my clients remove most beans & grains since this can be hard on digestion for many people) for 2 weeks. Add one new food back in every 2 days and watch for any reaction. Reactions can include digestive problems, skin issues, headaches, or low mood and energy. A food journal of mood as well as physical symptoms is imperative in this process.

To test at home: pH

An Acid-Alkaline balance in the body is an important factor for your health.   Just as we know it is important to keep your pool at a certain pH or funky things will grow, this is the same within your body. Cancer thrives in and acidic environment but cannot survive in an alkaline environment. Maintaining a proper pH will help the body be able to detoxify and will increase our immunity.

6 days in a row

1)     Buy pH strips from your local drug store or health food store in the supplement section

2)     Upon waking (before eating or drinking anything) put one strip in your mouth to test your saliva

Should be 6.8 to 7.2

3)     Test 1^st urine between 5 am and 8 am – this should be more acidic because during the first 4 hours of sleep your body removes acid from the joints.

4)     Test 2^nd urine (before eating if possible) – This is the most important reading to give you a good baseline of where you are for the day

Should be 6.8 to 7.2

To test at home: Candida

6 days in a row

Spit in a glass of water 1^st thing in the morning when you wake up before eating, drinking or brushing your teeth. Check the glass over 45 minutes. If after 45 minutes your spit is floating on the top, you are good to go. If the spit has formed legs and traveling down, we need to work on your balance. If the spit has completely dropped to the bottom, then candida is planning a major takeover and we need to take care of the candida to improve your health.

To test at home: Thyroid Health

3 days in a row

Take your temperature first thing in the morning when you wake up. Put your thermometer under your armpit and then get back into bed for 10 minutes. You can also take your temperature before you go to bed and 20 minutes after each meal. If you are consistently under 97.4 then you might have a sluggish thyroid.

June 10, 2014