Health Chef Alex Blog and Message Board

Congratulations to the winners of February's Contest!

Well, it's official - the 2 winners of Sarah Kramer's new "Vegan A Go-Go" are Jillian A of Kansas City, MO and Bethany M of Denver CO. Yay! Enjoy the books! 

If you entered but didn't win ( that's over 150 of you readers!) you can still buy Sarah's book at www.govegan.net.

Keep reading my newsletters, as I'll be announcing a new contest every month with chances to win amazing health, food and simply fantastic products that I love!

Be well, Alex

Worms and dirty bugs - how getting sick can help the body fight MS

I'm the kind of mom who lets my kid get dirty - and eat dirty things that get dropped on the floor. Call is lazy or irresponsible, but I think the body needs a chance to encounter germs, dirt and bits of "yuck." I don't let the little man eat dog poop or pick up snacks that fell on the Brooklyn sidewalks, but I'm not toting around anti-bacterial spray or clorox wipes, either.

Jane Brody's New York Times article this week on intestinal worms, bugs and bacteria is a fascinating spotlight on this issue - could a few intestinal illnesses actually help the body deal with MS, IBS and asthma? 

I think it's worth looking into!

PERSONAL HEALTH

Babies Know: A Little Dirt Is Good for You

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/health/27brod.html?_r=1&ref=views

By JANE E. BRODY

Published: January 26, 2009

10 Antidepressant Alternatives Proven to Work

One of my favorite online resources, www.mercola.com, has another great little article listing 10 easy, inexpensive alternatives to traditional antidepressants.

I would also add to the list:

1. reduce or eliminate refined sugars

2. reduce or eliminate caffeine

3. allow yourself a really juicy, confident sex life!

4. sunlight every day possible for 15-20 minutes

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/01/29/10-antidepressant-alternatives-proven-to-work.aspx

Gum and Mints - what's good?

Q: Hi Chef Alex - First off I wanted to let you know I'm currently reading your detox book and loving it.  I had a question and I was wondering if you had the answer.  I have been trying to stay away from fake sugar even since before beginning the book and while giving up things like diet soda and no sugar added ice cream etc.was OK,  I always hit one stumbling block - mints and gum!   I was purchasing Vermints for awhile, an all natural mint but they do have cane juice, I believe in them, so maybe not a healthy alternative and I've also found some all natural gums but with the same problem.  The most healthiest mass produced mint, I feel, are Altoids, but they contain gelatin, something else I do not want to ingest.  Any tips of a natural way to freshen your breath?

T.

A: Sure! First, get yourself a tongue scraper and use it every day to help clean your mouth. If you still want gum, try the Xylichew  gums. Some health food stores carry it, or you can order it cheaply at www.luckyvitamin.com.

Best, Alex

 

5 ways to eat "green" and healthy at work!

Here is a great, short article offering 5 quick tips on how to eat green and healthy at work - leave a copy in the kitchen at your office to inspire change!

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-ways-to-eat-green-at-work.html

Alex

2009 - 5 Cheap, healthy and easy meals for the new year!

A new year - a new motto! 

Getting back to work full-time while raising a 2 year old and still finding time to center myself has been the ultimate challenge of 2008. So in 2009 I'll be focusing on ways to keep myself healthy while saving time and money. 

I've (finally) joined the famous Park Slope Co-op. This members-only grocery store requires that I work 2.75 hours a month, but I can see from my grocery bills that I'm spending 40-50% less on food already - and it's all the high quality, organic products that I am committed to buying. 

*Find out if there is a food buying club, CSA or co-op in your area by entering your zip code at www.localharvest.org.

 

I'm also focusing on healthy meals that take less time, but add superior nutrition to my diet and keep my growing toddler full of energy.

Here are some of my favorite ideas:

1. Cook a large pot of whole grain twice a week and keep in the refrigerator in a sealed container. This way I'll have an easy base to quick, healthy meals any time of day. Leftover rice heated with rice milk, cinnamon and raisins for breakfast is easy and filling, especially if you add some chopped nuts or crushed flax seeds. 

2. Make a soup or stew on Sunday - and lots of it! This way I'll have yummy leftovers throughout the week to toss in a thermos for those long rides on the subway. I can also add a cup of leftover grain to some leftover soup and call it a meal!

3. 2 cups grain + 1 can vegetarian chili + 1 avocado + 1/2 cup salsa = delicious mexican meal for 2 for under $5!

4. Keep the Veggies coming! That's right, eating more vegetarian based meals can save you a lot of money as well as improve your health. The USDA (ever the bastion of forward thinking health consciousness) reports that the average price for all vegetables is $.12 a serving, while the average serving of beef for October 2007 was $1.30. That's quite a difference!

1 can chickpeas + 1 clove minced garlic + 1 head broccoli, steamed + olive oil + salt = dinner!

5. On the go? Stop into a deli or grocery store, hit the refrigerated section and pick up a bag of baby carrots, a container of hummus and some olive or whole grain crackers - easy, healthy, yummy, done.

Here's to a great, healthy, crazy-free 2009!

Be well, Alex

Reader Question: Cooked Vegetables - yay or nay?

Dear Alex,

    I am re-reading your detox book which I really like.  Does cooking vegetables reduce their nutritional benefit? 

        MH, Sierra Madre, CA

A: There are different opinions on wether cooking vegetables (and/or for how long and at what temperature) reduces their nutritional benefits. Raw foodists only heat foods to a maximum of 118F. They believe that higher temperatures destroy too many enzymes, nutrients and can create negative aspects to occur in foods. The trade-off of a totally raw diet is that you may not be able to eat as many raw vegetables as you can cooked veggies. 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are many imbalances and conditions that are considered "cold" which will only be exacerbated by too much raw food. Conversely, there are other imbalances that are considered "hot" which will be greatly helped by a diet with more raw fruits and veggies.

Do some more research on these ideas - read some raw food literature and websites, and check out Paul Pitchford's classic "Healing with Whole Foods" from your library, health food store or Amazon.com.

Be well, Alex

FDA finally admits that silver-mercury fillings are dangerous!

It's about time! 

The FDA has begrudgingly admitted that silver/mercury fillings are dangerous! 

Read a little snippet here:

“Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses"

You can read more at: 

http://www.prisonplanet.com/fda-reluctantly-admits-mercury-fillings-have-neurotoxic-effects-on-children.html

Worried about silver amalgam fillings you already have? So was I - find yourself a qualified, experienced, holistically minded dentist to remove your old fillings properly and have them replaced with something safer. 

I can also recommend that you consider checking your blood levels of mercury and other metals to see if you might need to do a detox via chelation therapy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelation_therapy

Be well, Alex

Freezing your food for a month!? Great Idea - some tips...

 

Q: I just finished reading your book and I absolutely loved it. I have began to look at ways I can implement the principals you spoke about into my daily life. As of now I eat out consistently just due to time constraints (and a bit of laziness, which I partially attribute to being tired all the time) but it's because of this that I think it would be very difficult for me to cook each meal. I came across an article about freezer cooking, in which you cook all your meals for a month in one day and then freeze them, I really think this is something that could work for me but to do this involves freezing the food in plastic, preferably vacuum sealed, bags. I'm wondering if the plastic from the bags will leach into the food and if the freezing and reheating will somehow compromise the nutrition and detoxing powers of the food. Did you have any thoughts about this?

 

Thank you for any incite!   M.

A: I wouldn't freeze them in plastic - perhaps individual glass containers? Recycled pickle/pasta sauce jars are great.
Please never microwave food in plastic - yes, chemicals can leach into your food. Go glass!

Had a great time at the annual Holistic Moms Network Conference!

October 18th - New Jersey

I was loaded into a mini van with 4 other members of the HMN and heading west towards New Jersey. I didn't know what to expect from the day - it was a lovely fall day with a crisp breeze and bright sun rising over JFK. 

The conference was held in a large hotel/conference center which beckoned through the fall foliage to the 400 or so HMN-ers who made the treck. Started in New Jersey in 2003 (http://www.holisticmoms.org/) this group of savvy, dedicated women has created a movement, passionate focus and an army of health-focused moms ready to tackle their issues and concerns. 

The guest speakers this year were author Annie B. Bond (a personal hero of mine) and Barbara Loe Fisher, founder of the http://www.nvic.org/, National Vaccination Information Center. Their talks were inspiring and sobering. I immediately went home and told Morgan that we were only sending his dry-cleaning to the organic cleaners from now on!

If you think you might be interested in finding a chapter new you, go to the website, find a local chapter, and join in - the discussion boards are fabulous and informative, the community unique and strong, and I am so proud to be a member.

Be well, Alex

www.holisticmoms.org