Not a Fan of Cooking? Try a Simple Cinch Recipe!

Cooking always serves to be a messy and sometimes fatal endeavor, but it can be fun as well as healthy for the whole family.

If you know me, you know that I do not care to cook, have no interest in cooking, and quite frankly don't even know where to start!  For those few times that I do feel like providing a home cooked meal for my husband and daughter I hunt for a recipe with few ingredients, 30 minute or less prep time, and something that I already have most of the ingredients for on hand in my own kitchen.

A couple of weeks ago I was at my Mom's house picking up my daughter and asked her for a few simple recipes.  She immediately turned to her Cinch Inch Loss Plan recipes through Shaklee among the dozens of cook books she has in her home.  I quickly scanned the ingredient list - I had all but two of them!  I looked over the nutritional information - healthy, packed with protein, and enough calories to refuel my body from the day.  I thanked her, jumped in my Tahoe, raced to Harris Teeter without speeding, and bought a box of cornflakes and a bag of pecans.

I spend less than 15 minutes preparing the chicken, popped it in the oven and moved on to throwing a couple of ears of corn from my friend's garden on the grill and slicing up a juicy watermelon from the Farmers Market.

My husband was impressed and so was I!  When I cook a delicious meal all on my own, I feel like I just earned an A on a test!

From my family to yours, I hope that you will enjoy a delicious family meal!

INGREDIENTS:
1/4t   salt
1/4t   pepper
2lb    chicken breasts, skinless (4 oz each)
1/4c  honey
2T    dijon mustard
3/4t   paprika
1/8t   garlic powder
1 1/4c   crushed cornflakes
1/2c   chopped pecans
cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over chicken; set aside.  Combine honey, mustard, paprika, and garlic powder in a small bowl; stir well.  Combine cornflakes and pecans in a shallow dish; stir well.  Brush both sides of chicken with honey mixture; dredge in cornflake mixture.  Place chicken pieces on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Lighly coat chicken with cooking spray adn bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until done.

Makes 8 servings.
Calories:  294/serving

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:
30g protein
23g carbohydrates
9g fat
315mg sodium
78mg cholesterol
2g fiber

Can What WE Eat Affect Our Kids??

By Dr. Stephen Chaney
Distinguished Professor at UNC-Chapel Hill
Biochemistry Department
Also teaches Nutrition classes to Medical students

Most of us have been taught in high school and college that all genetic information resides in our DNA.

During conception, we picked up some DNA from our dad & some from our mom, and that DNA was what made us a unique individual.

We knew that environmental influences could affect our health personally, but never dreamed that the effects
of those environmental influences could be passed on to our kids.

But today we know that environmental influences can actually modify our DNA and that those modifications
can be passed on to our offspring - a process called epigenetics.

Which brings me to the question I posed today: "Can what we eat affect our kids?"

According to two articles that appeared this month in The FASEB Journal, the answer just might be yes!

Previous clinical studies had shown when mothers consumed high-fat, high-sugar diets during pregnancy,
their children were more likely to have a preference for high-fat, high-sugar foods - which would likely
predispose them to obesity latter in life.

But with humans, it is really difficult to sort out how much of that effect was caused by what the mom ate
during pregnancy and how much was caused by how the family ate as the kids were growing up.

So both of these studies were done in rodents.

In the first study (Ong & Muhlhausler, FASB J, 25: 2167-2179, 2011) female rats were maintain on either
standard rat chow or a "junk-food diet" high in fat and sugar during pregnancy and lactation. The weanling rats were then separated from their moms and exposed to a variety of foods and allowed to choose what they wanted to eat.

Both the male and female offspring of the "junk-food" moms showed a marked preference for high fat foods.

They also showed alterations in hormones of the opiod and dopaminergic central reward pathways that may have been pre-conditioned them to require higher intakes a fat to experience pleasure from eating.

In the second study (Jousse et al, FASEB J, doi: 10,1096/fj.11-181792) female mice were maintained on
either standard mice chow or a low-protein diet during pregnancy and lactation.

In this case the offspring of the low-protein fed moms had a lower body weight and less adiposity throughout
their life.

But what made this study particularly significant was that the investigators were able to show that the low-
protein diet in the moms resulted in a specific modification in the DNA of the leptin gene in their
offspring.

This DNA modification led to a greater expression of leptin following a meal in those offspring compared to
the offspring of the moms who consumed regular mice chow during pregnancy & lactation - which makes sense because leptin inhibits appetite.

Thus, this study not only shows that the diet of the moms influenced the eating behavior and body composition
of their offspring, but that this change in eating behavior was caused by a permanent modification of
their DNA.

So what is the bottom line for you?

In the first place, the science of epigenetics is relatively new and these particular studies were done
in rodents, not in humans. It will be many years before we will be able to make specific recommendations as to what your diet should be like during pregnancy and lactation if you wish to make beneficial modifications
to your baby's DNA.

In particular, I certainly do not mean to suggest that a low protein diet would be beneficial during pregnancy
& lactation. No responsible nutrition expert would make that recommendation.

However, I did want to make you aware that what you eat during pregnancy & lactation may influence the health of your children - not just at the time of their birth - but throughout their life, and that a "junk-food" diet
just may not be your best choice.

This is a new paradigm. Most prenatal nutrition advice is currently based on what it takes to have a healthy
baby - not on what it might take for your child to experience better health throughout their life.

What about your diet before conception - and what about guys?

Those studies have yet to be done, but I would not be surprised if we find out that what we eat affects our
DNA as well.

So, a good diet prior to conception is likely to be important too. And since both men and women contribute
DNA to our children this advice may apply to all of us.

Winning the War Against Cancer

Winning the War Against Cancer Begins with Your Personal Choices 

 

You can do a lot, right now, to significantly decrease your cancer risk. Even the conservative American Cancer Society states that one-third of cancer deaths are linked to poor diet, physical inactivity, and carrying excess weight. So making the following healthy lifestyle changes can go a very long way toward ending the failure-streak and becoming one less statistic in this war against cancer:

1. Normalize your vitamin D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure. This works primarily by optimizing your vitamin D level. Ideally, monitor your vitamin D levels throughout the year.
2. Control your insulin levels by limiting your intake of processed foods and sugars/fructose as much as possible.
3. Get appropriate amounts of omega-3 fats.
4. Get appropriate exercise. One of the primary reasons exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.
5. Have a tool to permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. My particular favorite tool for this purpose, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique.
6. Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means eat as many vegetables as you are comfortable with. Ideally, they should be fresh and organic. Cruciferous vegetables in particular have been identified as having potent anti-cancer properties. Remember that carb nutritional types may need up to 300 percent more vegetables than protein nutritional types.
7. Maintain an ideal body weight.
8. Get enough high-quality sleep.
9. Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
10. Reduce your use of cell phones and other wireless technologies, and implement as many safety strategies as possible if/when you cannot avoid their use.

Simplify Your Cleaning Products and Go Green!

Simplify Your Cleaning Products and Go Green!

I read a really great article today in the Boom! Magazine about cleaning out your current, more toxic cleaning products for safer alternatives - safer for you and for the planet.  Now that I've become more aware of products that are  harmful to the health of my family and our planet, I pay much closer attention to anything regarding going green!

So, how often do you clean your home?  The norm is probably once a week, right?  Now, what percentage of your time is spent indoors rather than out?  According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) we spend 90% of our ti me indoors rather than out.  Another interesting fact is that stay at home moms are 54% more likely to develop cancer than women who have jobs outside of the home.  The EPA conducted a study over a five year period and the results concluded that the concentration of 20 harmful chemicals was 200 times higher in our homes and offices than outdoors.

 How we keep our homes clean is extremely important to the our own health as well as to the health of our children, pets, and planet.  The question is, how do we know which cleaning products are safe and which are harmful?  Or, which claim to be safe, but really are not so?  Have you heard of the new term called "greenwashing"?  Greenwashing is a fairly recent term that refers to the marketing and branding of products as green or good for the environment, when the company has done nothing or very little to make their products better for you or the environment.  Beware of claims and marketing on the front of the product with words like "natural" or "organic".

Safe cleaning is not just better for the planet, avoiding harmful chemicals is critical to your health. The number of people with multiple chemical sensitivity is on the rise with one trigger thought to be very low-level chemical exposure. A myriad of information is available online and in bookstores to help you clean safely, and save you money in the process. Here are some basic steps to get you started.

Here are some basic tips to help you get started:
Step One: Look through your current products and make three piles. Pile one is for products that you use often and feel are safe to continue using. Pile two is for products you rarely use, or may be more dangerous. Store these products in a location away from your main living areas and out of reach for small hands. Pile three is for products to dispose of safely. Don’t pour chemicals down your sink, your toilet, or in your trash. Check your city’s public works website for what to do with unwanted chemicals. (See “How To Read Labels” below for help on ingredients to avoid.)

Step Two: Rethink your cleaning needs. No doubt you now want to buy some new products to replace those you’ve discarded. Remember to once again read the labels. You are looking for “Non-Toxic” and “Biodegradable.” In other words, you want products that are safe for you and safe for the planet. Even sponges can harbor chemicals. Look for natural cellulose sponges without triclosan or other antibacterial chemicals. Then pop them into the microwave or top rack of your dishwasher regularly to disinfect.

Step Three: Consider reducing or eliminating chemical cleaners and use commonly found products around your home. You can basically handle any cleaning task with lemons, salt, vinegar, baking soda, vegetable oil, essential oils (for fragrance), and even tea and tomato sauce.

How to read labels

Look on the back of the product for the ingredients. If a company is not transparent about their ingredients, that’s a red flag. Here’s a short list of what to avoid or use with care.

• The words: WARNING, DANGER, or POISON
• Ammonia
• Butyl glycol, ethylene glycol, monobutyl
• Chlorine Bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite)
• Monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA) triethanolamine (TEA) 
• Nonoxynol, octoxynol, nonylphenol, octylphenol, nonylphenol, ethoxylate
• Phenols
• Phosphates
• Phthalates,“Fragrance”
• Triclosan

The following is from Dr. Steve Chaney who established and teaches nutrition in the University North Carolina Medical School.

Beware of Cut Rate Vitamins!

Dr. Stephen Chaney, Ph.D.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is taking inexpensive vitamins. Mail-order vitamins offer fantastic “deals” and are worth just about what you pay for them.  NEVER buy these vitamins or supermarket/pharmacy brands without checking them out first.

Cut-rate products often contain addictive ingredients, food allergens, sugar, artificial food coloring and flavoring.  Many are coated with shellac, or contain potentially hazardous chemicals like cholorine.

Potency and purity can vary widely from pill to pill and bottle to bottle.  A study at Duke University examined 13 bottles of one popular supplement.  These samples showed they contained 60% or less of the amount of nutrients claimed on the label!

Another problem is freshness.  The FDA does not require expiration dates on supplement bottles so many companies don’t include them.  Calcium and some other nutrients can last for a year, while others, like vitamin B and C are unstable.

Shaklee performs up to 176 separate tests for purity, freshness, potency, and safety on the raw ingredients for a single product.  Products undergo as many as 262 separate quality assurance tests throughout the manufacturing process as well.  In addition, all product label claims have documented substantiation.

Cause in point, Shaklee stopped production of its Asian Ginseng, dispite the huge demand for the product, due to contaiminants like herbicides and pesticides found in raw ingredients after floods in China.  They will not resume production until they have a proven safe and pure source for the product.  Many brands at the supermarkets, health stores, and mail order companies are still selling Asian Ginseng! Scary, isn’t it?

Some things to look for in a multivitamin/mineral supplement:

• Biotin—an extremely important but expensive B Vitamin
• 100% of the DV for all B vitamins
• More than 100% of all the antioxidants Vitamins C & E
• Trace minerals—needed to fight oxidation, regulate blood sugar, and help build bones, critical for brain function and essential for growth and development.
• Fast Dissolving = better absoption (drop it in water; how long does it take to dissolve?)

Shaklee Vita Lea has been the best nutritional insurance you can buy for over 40 years. Vita Lea provides the most comprehensive, balanced supplementation available, with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.  Independent laboratory tests have showed the disintegration time of Shaklee vitamins at only 17 minutes, while some take hours!

Marathon Season - Training Nutrition

1.    Before, during, and after events, you should look to hydrate with cool liquids in small amounts, early and often.  Sports drinks can be especially helpful here but should first be tested in training before using in competition.

2.    Light meals like sandwiches, salads, and Shaklee Cinch Meal or Snack bars are best consumed 2-4 hours before exercise.  More rapidly absorbed liquid nutrition including Cinch Shakes, Meal Shakes, or similar food products may be consumed as little as 1 hour before an event depending on how quickly one digests certain foods and one's comfort level after eating. 

3.    Nutritional bars, gel type products, and rapidly digested foods such as bananas may be consumed in addition to fluids during events if the event lasts an hour or more.

4.    Post-event nutrition including protein, carbohydrate, and fluids should be consumed as soon as possible after exercise to maximize the energy restorage, muscle repair, and muscle rebuilding that occurs post exercise.  Physique has been proven to enhance the anabolic body building state and recovery post-exercise and is a key component of any natural sports nutrition program that requires daily or more than once-a-day training sessions. 

For over 30 years, elite athletes have trusted their health, well-being and athletic performance to smart training, sound dietary regimens, and nutritional counsel and products from Shaklee.   For example, since 1993, Shaklee has been providing NASA with a customized rehydration beverage for use by Space Shuttle astronauts. The U.S. Ski and U.S. Snowboarding teams, and other Shaklee-powered athletes, have won over 100 gold, silver, and bronze medals, including Billy Demong, first-ever US winner of a Nordic Combined event,  the 2010 Winter Games gold medal in Vancouver.

Producing high quality, safe, and efficacious products is a longstanding commitment and a key strategic priority.  To accomplish this, Shaklee sources the finest nutritional ingredients to create products that are free of artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors, or added preservatives.  Tens of thousands of quality control tests and quality audits are conducted to guarantee absolute identity, purity, and potency of ingredients.  Shaklee partners only with reputable ingredient suppliers and contract manufacturers and follows Good Manufacturing Practices to guarantee that what is listed on the label is exactly what’s in the bottle. 

To ensure safe use of Shaklee nutritional products by its athletes, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) International Prohibited List WADA is regularly monitored to ensure that all product ingredients do not include any WADA prohibited substances.  To this end, Shaklee does not formulate any nutritional product with substances listed on the 2011 WADA List (updated September 18, 2010).  

Shaklee also has a tradition of scientific research that includes over 100 published studies and abstracts in peer-reviewed scientific journals and many of these studies support their sports nutrition products. 

Megan Huber 

Shaklee Director

919-906-0753

hubershaklee@gmail.com

How to Identify Processed Foods

The newest generation of children will be the FIRST generation that will have a shorter life span than their parents - astonishing news for 2011.   Childhood obesity has become the latest American epidemic and it's time that we all take responsibility.  

Fast Facts: 

• The number of overweight  children and teens has DOUBLED in the past10 years   
• Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents already appears to be a sizable and growing problem among U.S. children and adolescents.
• One out of every thirteen school aged children has asthma
• Kids miss an average of eight days of school due to health related issues
• Poor nutrition negatively impacts bone growth and overall physical development
• French Fries:  the most common vegetable source for kids today
• 69% of 19-24 month olds eat candy or dessert on any given day
• Most 8 year olds drink soft drinks daily and each 12 oz. serving contains 9 tsp. of sugar
• 25% of calories on a typical school day comes from junk food

So what's the culprit and how to we change the common American lifestyle of microwavable, frozen, and preserved?  Educating parents and young people must come first.  Despite the fact that processed food is becoming widely recognized as unhealthy, many people still have a flawed understanding of food quality and don’t know how to differentiate the good from the bad.  Many times, foods that are marketed as healthy are often not.  People tend to trust and believe that if a product is being placed on a shelf for purchase it must be safe enough to eat without leading to devastating health results.

4 Simple Ways to Classify Food

All Natural

It's a fairly bold assumption to that people can outsmart nature and invent our own diets.  Typically, the safest and healthiest choices are those that can be taken straight from nature, brushed off, and eaten without any modifications.  Examples include organically grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs, eggs from pasture raised hens, and raw milk from pasture raised cattle.

Natural and Minimally Processed 

A truly healthy diet should consist of mainly natural whole foods.  It is hard to steer clear of any processing at all unless we decided to start eating road kill as our meat source!  Meats do go through processing in order to be made ready for sale at the market or grocery store.  

Fruit, on the other hand, CAN be eaten in it's original form.  It is important to keep in mind that many fruits arrive from foreign countries and are being handled and transported for hours prior to landing in your fruit basket at home.  Be sure to wash fruits, and vegetables, thoroughly before consumption.  It is important to mention that fruit juices, even if freshly squeezed are not 100% natural - the fiber is lost which is used to slow down sugar absorption.

Other examples of healthy foods that require some level of processing include raw nuts, seeds, whole grains, dairy products derived from milk, fermented fruits and vegetables, and some oils.  Cooking is also a form of processing and can destroy nutrients if cooked/heated for too long at too high a temperature.  By microwaving, virtually all nutrients are lost.

Natural but Poor Quality

Nowadays, the produce we consume is being grown on nutritionally deficient soil full of toxic pesticides and genetically modified seeds.  Many often times then not, livestock are raised in inhumane conditions and are fed antibiotics and hormones to accelerate growth all on top of being fed a poor diet.  To avoid foods that have been farmed improperly, choose organic produce, pasture raised meat,  and fish with minimal contamination.  Visit your local farmer's market for the best quality foods and BUY LOCAL!

Unnatural and Extensively Processed

This type of food contains a handful of ingredients that you won't be able to pronounce, many of which are synthetic chemicals.  Unnatural and highly processed foods will usually contain sugar as one of the first ingredients listed on a label, or will have a few less noticeable forms of sugar listed throughout the ingredients. Tricky!  Flour is also no better than all of that sugar.  Other artificial additives to avoid include sweeteners, flavors, coloring and preservatives.  Unnatural and highly processed foods almost always come in some type of packaging that makes all kinds of misleading statements about its benefits. 

Check these out:

1.  Fruit Loops:  A great way to keep kids healthy

2.  DanActive will boost your immunity

3.  Sensible snacking with fig newtons

4.  Soft, Delicious, and nutritious whole grain Wonder Bread

5.  All Natural 100% Juicy Juice

6.  Weight Watchers Endorsed Popcorn

The bottom line is that if foods had to be invented and not grown, stay away from them.  Food manufacturers use the cheapest ingredients available to produce these foods and capitalize on marketing fads such as all natural, low fat, fat free, sugar free, whole grain, and high fiber to add appeal. Some of the less obvious foods that fall into this unhealthy category include bread, pasta, bagels, cereal, granola bars, protein bars, flavored yogurt, crackers, and frozen dinners.

Tips:

1.  Eat what was available 10,000 years ago

2.  Any item with bold claims on the packaging or on television is more than likely unhealthy

3.  Shop along the perimeter -  fruits, vegetables, fish, meat