Three Branches Healthy Living

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2010-10-14T15:29:00.000-05:00

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Healthy Child, Healthy World Gala Tonight in L.A.!

2010-10-14T15:18:00.000-05:00

Kelly and I are spending our quick layover in Oakland, CA working furiously before our laptops run out of batteries...so I'm going to make this short!...Read More

Eggplant: Buy, Cook, Order...Soon!

2010-10-12T11:52:00.000-05:00

Eggplants are one of those foods that taste and smell wonderful when served at a restaurant but tend to evade our grocery store lists. Their daunting size and tough skins make us shy away from cooking them as a regular side dish. But I'm here to tell you that, while they might require a bit more attention, Eggplants are so delicious and healthy that they're worth the extra effort!...Read More.

Frozen Yogurt: Not So Healthy!

2010-10-12T11:50:00.001-05:00

Many of us have been deceived by the health claims of frozen yogurt companies. I'm not here to place them all under one umbrella or dispel the touted benefits of individual manufacturers, but all in all, this stuff just isn't good for us. And, no, we don't believe that "low calorie", "no-fat" and sugar-free" are necessarily good things. Many healthy whole grains have high calorie content, after all, and avocados and coconut oil, although high in fat, are wonderful for our bodies. As for "sugar-free", this is one of the most misunderstood claims. Artificial sweeteners like Splenda, Sweet-N-Low, Equal, etc. contain harsh, toxic chemicals...Read More.

2010-10-12T11:50:00.000-05:00

Three Branches Worst Nightmare: The Luther Burger

2010-10-08T15:09:00.000-05:00

Fried chicken on a stick, foot-long corn dogs, funnel cake sundaes, deep-fried twinkies, deep-fried oreos, deep-fried snickers...pretty much anything deep-fried...and many more concoctions of flour, salt, sugar, and fat is what I found myself surrounded by as I walked through the Mississippi Sate Fair last night. Read More

The Low-Down on Antioxidants

2010-10-06T13:49:00.001-05:00

What are Antioxidants?

We hear this word thrown around quite a bit, but do we really know what they are? Antioxidants are nutrients that occur naturally in food (real, whole food, that is!) and can prevent or slow down our body's damaging oxidative process. When our cells use oxygen, by-products called free radicals are produced. For instance, when our bodies break down food or when we're exposed to environmental toxins. They can...Read More

100% Pure Beeswax Candles

2010-10-05T15:59:00.000-05:00

While browsing through a little Fair Trade store in Jackson, Mississippi, I was thrilled to come across some 100% pure beeswax candles. I have some great candle sticks that have stood empty-handed for a little while now because I just had not gotten around to getting quality candles and I know how horrible most candles can be for your health.

It's ironic that candles are mostly burned in people's homes or offices to create a sweet or fresh smelling aroma, and yet candles are one of the biggest pollutants to indoor air quality. Unfortunately most candles...Read More

Melanie Makes Three Branches Necklace!

2010-10-05T12:47:00.001-05:00

Thanks to our dear friend, Melanie Pritchett in Los Angeles, Three Branches enters the world of fashion and design! Inspired by TBHL, Melanie designed and created an amazing piece and named it "Three Branches". It is the latest of the Lemel Designs collection and is obviously our favorite piece! Melanie is super talented, so you won't regret checking out her stuff, which is featured on Etsy, as she makes all of her jewelry by hand. Click here to see for yourself!...Read More

Three Branches on Daily Candy

2010-10-05T12:46:00.000-05:00

Check out Three Branches on DailyCandy Dallas! For those of you who may not know, DailyCandy is an online publication that serves as "the insider's guide to your city". DailyCandy is a "handpicked selection of all that's fun, fashionable, food related, and culturally stimulating in the city you’re fixated on (and all over the Web)."

Three Branches was featured on Sunday as the website of choice for their "Surf" section, found in the Culture category! Click here or on the image to see what they had to say!...Read More

Eric Schlosser Reveals Hard Truths About Food

2010-10-01T11:26:00.001-05:00

A few weeks back, we blogged on the Progressive Forum event (held at the Wortham Center in downtown Houston) that featured Eric Schlosser as last night's guest speaker. For a refresher, Schlosser is the author of Fast Food Nation, a book that started a revolution in how Americans think about what they eat. He also co-produced and co-starred in Food, Inc. What an amazing man! Listening to him speak (in such a matter-of-fact, eloquent and knowledgeable tone) last night was truly inspiring. I wanted to share some of the highlights of his talk, the facts and ideas that really...Read More.

Salt Flush for Constipation

2010-09-29T12:15:00.000-05:00

Bowel movements. Yes, I said it. Everyone has them...or, should I say everyone should have them! And that's what the topic is on today.

I can't tell you how many people ask me (some less discreet than others) what to do about maintaining regularity. For some of us, having a B.M. just comes naturally and we wonder why everyone else gives two "poops" about it. But for the unfortunate rest, its inconsistency (and absense!) can dictate our mood, make or break a day, and leave us feeling groggy, bloated and...Read More.

Easy, High-Protein Dinner...and Leftovers!

2010-09-28T11:39:00.000-05:00

We've blogged a lot about quinoa. Once considered "the gold of the Incas", quinoa acts and looks like a grain, but is actually a high-protein seed and member of the same family as swiss chard. Go figure! It supplies a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine of the essential amino acids. It's great for tissue growth and repair and a wonderful source of manganese, iron...Read More

How to Avoid GMO Foods

2010-09-28T11:38:00.000-05:00

With gentically engineered or modified foods on the rise, it is up to us as consumers to become educated on how to avoid buying GMO foods. Learning the difference between the PLU codes for GMO foods and organic foods is the first step.

GMO PLU codes have five numbers that...Read More

Christopher Gavigan Speaks at New Living

2010-09-24T13:05:00.000-05:00

Kelly and I got the unique opportunity to hear Christopher Gavigan, CEO of Healthy Child, Healthy World (HCHW, one of our favorite organizations) speak at New Living Hardware in Houston last night. For those of you unfamiliar with the organization, HCHW is a non-profit committed to protecting young children from harmful chemicals. We have referenced it quite a bit and have a special place in our heart for their video, A Wake-Up Story. It's worth the couple of minutes and really gives a wonderful, inspiring view of their....Read More

Home Depot's "Green" Initiatives

2010-09-23T12:34:00.000-05:00

An article came out in the Houston Chronicle yesterday touting Home Depot's entrance into Houston's green building market. Their initial goal was to build 5,000 "healthy" homes around the nation in 5 years with a $30 million dollar budget. They are a third of the way through.

"As part of [their] program, Houston Habitat for Humanity will build 70 affordable homes during the next year," says Cafarelli, the president of the Home Depot Foundation. "[They will be built] to conserve water...Read More

Power Couples

2010-09-21T11:48:00.000-05:00

While on our beautiful drive from Aspen to the Denver airport, I browsed through a Women's Health magazine and came across an article entitled "Power Couples" that made me think of our readers. Marilee has imparted some food combining knowledge on Kelly and me over the years, but this article gave some recommendations that I hadn't heard of. Next time you're in the grocery store aisle, debating between this or that, maybe these "power couples" will...Read More

A True Taste of Aspen

2010-09-20T13:30:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! We hope you had a great weekend. We can't complain about ours since we had the privilege of going to Aspen, Colorado for our friend's wedding. Not to make you too jealous, but the weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky and lots of crisp, clean air. We got to enjoy taking beautiful hikes up the mountain and Saturday morning we strolled through the local Farmer's Market. (You know we were excited about that!) It turns out they had a lot to offer for such a small community. There were...Read More

Quick, Healthy Breakfast

2010-09-16T12:43:00.003-05:00

People are always asking us for quick, easy breakfast ideas. One of our favorite items is the Ezekiel line of sprouted grains, found at most grocery stores. You can choose among the different kinds of english muffins, breads and crunchy cereals they offer. When rushed in the morning, I'll simply pour hot water or almond milk over 1 cup of the Ezekiel almond cereal, sprinkle some cinnamon on top and be out the door! Since I crave hot, mushy consistencies in the morning, I usually let is sit a few minutes before I eat it so it's more like oatmeal. Read more...

FDA Finally Cracks Down on Antibiotic Use

2010-09-15T14:11:00.003-05:00

People often ask me, "Do you eat meat?" Or, if someone finds out I do eat meat, it's followed by a shocked, "You eat meat?!" The truth is, I really enjoy a good quality serving of goat, lamb, quail, buffalo or even steak. (Because I'm blood Type A, it's harder for me to digest steak, so I usually avoid it. Read more...

ERIC SCHLOSSER in Houston

2010-09-14T15:21:00.008-05:00

A dear friend invited us to a speaking event in Houston that's coming up in a couple of weeks. The event is part of Houston's Progressive Forum and the speaker is Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation and co-producer of Food, Inc. We think it's sure to be informative, education and really eye-opening. We purchased our tickets last night and found that there aren't many seats left, so if interested, get your tickets ASAP!

Eric Schlosser

Author: Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

Thursday September 30 at 7:30
Wortham Center, Cullen Theater

Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation (2001) helped start a revolution in how Americans think about what they eat, remaining on The New York Timesbestseller list for two years. The Times said, “It will not only make you think twice before eating your next hamburger, but will also make you think about the fallout that the fast food industry has had on America’s social and cultural landscape.” Schlosser also co-produced and starred in the Oscar nominated documentary, Food, Inc. (2009), which exposes America’s industrialized agricultural system and its effect on our environment, health, and worker rights. Schlosser is one of America’s top investigative journalists who said, "Meaningful change … is going to come from people who realize that there's a direct link between the food they eat and the society they inhabit. Changing your eating habits can send ripples far and wide in support of agricultural practices that are humane, diverse and sustainable." Schlosser will sign books and greet fans at the end of the evening.

Exercise...in Intervals!

2010-09-13T09:39:00.003-05:00

We have yet to blog about exercise, but WOW, is it important! Besides the fact that it's medicine for our heart and the best means of burning calories and creating muscle mass, it also enhances nutrient uptake. Yes, you heard us...exercise and you might be reaping more benefits from the nutrients you're consuming, whether through quality food or food-based supplements.

While practices like yoga, tai chi and pilates are wonderful and we strongly encourage people to integrate them into their weekly workout regimen, interval cardio training is truly a breakthrough discovery in the exercise world. The best part is that it can be practiced by anyone at any level of fitness.

According to the New York Times article, A Healthy Mix of Rest and Motion,

Doing bursts of hard exercise not only improves cardiovascular fitness but also the body’s ability to burn fat, even during low- or moderate-intensity workouts, according to a study published this month, also in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Eight women in their early 20s cycled for 10 sets of four minutes of hard riding, followed by two minutes of rest. Over two weeks, they completed seven interval workouts.

After interval training, the amount of fat burned in an hour of continuous moderate cycling increased by 36 percent, said Jason L. Talanian, the lead author of the study and an exercise scientist at the University of Guelph in Ontario. Cardiovascular fitness — the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to working muscles — improved by 13 percent.

It didn’t matter how fit the subjects were before. Borderline sedentary subjects and the college athletes had similar increases in fitness and fat burning. “Even when interval training was added on top of other exercise they were doing, they still saw a significant improvement,” Mr. Talanian said.

So what does this interval training look like?

I couldn't explain it better than one of today's Dr. Mercola articles written by Darin Steen. Check it out here and watch the short video for an even better understanding!

Three Branches wants to recommend that if you are doing interval training indoors, try to find a healthy environment in which to do it. Breathing heavily and taking in tons of air is one of the most important times to make sure that air is quality. For instance, getting on a treadmill just after someone has sprayed it with a toxic cleaning product is not a good idea! We encourage you to use a stop watch and go outside in the fresh air or, once you've practiced for a while with a watch, hit the pavement and let your legs rely on memory!

We LOVE You!!!

2010-09-10T10:50:00.001-05:00

Currie Rice: A Match Made in Heaven!

2010-09-10T10:12:00.006-05:00

Yes, I know it's spelled "curry", but when deciding to make this dish, I realized that it harbored a striking nominal resemblance to my beautiful friend Currie Miller who was recently engaged to the lovely lad, Tripp Rice. She will soon bear the name of one of my most favorite dishes, Curry and Rice! So, Currie, this one's for you!

I found this recipe on one of my most favorite blogs, Nourishingmeals.com, written by Ali Stegersen and her husband, Tom. I absolutely love what this woman can cook up without using the conventional ingredients that we think are necessary to make a yummy dish. From main meals to smoothies and desserts, she is a talented and devoted mother of three who prides herself on gluten-free fare. I've adapted this recipe a bit, but stuck to the basic ingredients.

Any variety of veggies will work here and Ali suggests trying walla walla onions, cauliflower, cabbage, green beans or even mushrooms. I found the kaffir lime leaves, thai basil leaves, curry paste and coconut milk in the Thai/Asian section at Central Market, but I'm sure these can be found cheaper at an Asian Market. The plus side is that the canned goods can be stored in the fridge and used later.

Ingredients: (all organic, if possible)

1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil or olive oil

1 medium onion, cut into crescent moons

4 medium carrots, sliced diagonally

4 to 5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 can coconut milk

1 cup water, chicken stock, or fish stock (I used water here and it turned out great!)

4 kaffir lime leaves (I used canned kaffir lime leaves by Thai Kitchen)

4 teaspoons Thai Kitchen red curry paste

2 tablespoons Thai Kitchen fish sauce (I didn't use this because I couldn't find one without sugar added to it)

2 medium zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise and then cut into rounds

2 small red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium ripe garden tomatoes, diced small

1.5 to 2 pounds fresh Halibut, skin removed and cut into cubes

large handful of fresh Thai Basil leaves, chiffonade (sliced thinly) (again, I used canned)

In an 11-inch skillet or other large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and garlic and saute a few minutes more.

Then add the turmeric, coconut milk, water, lime leaves, and red curry paste. Stir to incorporate the curry paste. Simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes or until carrots are partway cooked.

Then add the zucchini and bell peppers. Note: if you are using green beans, you will want to add them earlier. Simmer until the veggies are crisp-tender then add the tomatoes and cubed fish and simmer for an additional 3 minutes or so. Be careful not to stir too much otherwise the fish will fall apart. Top with Thai basil and serve hot!

Pets need good oil, too!

2010-09-08T15:28:00.005-05:00

We recently got a German Shepherd (Heidi) who has quickly become both the love of our lives and the bane of our existence. She is quite the handful! I will go into length on a later blog about her diet, but for now wanted to share with those of you who have pets that oil is truly a must for their diets. And not just any oil. Good quality fish oil like Cod Liver Oil from a reputable source (there are many oils out there that are not worth the money as they are from a low-quality source and will do vary little in terms of health benefits) is really the best way to go.

So, why is it so important for pets to get good oils? (This applies to humans, too!)

It's essential for pets with inflammatory diseases (including allergies, arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease and cancers) to have good-quality oil in their diet. It also has shown anti-depressant effects as well! It's also very effective in pets with allergic skin disease and can help with their itching. Fish oil has been shown to slow down the growth of cancer and many conventional veterinarians are now recommending that oil be added to dogs' and cats' diets.

Shawn Messonnier, DVM, says fatty-acid supplementation makes up the "baseline" of his recommendations.

Dr. Messonnier says, "In my opinion, any pet may benefit from fatty acid supplementation. While we don't always have hard "proof" that they work in every case, the science is there to show how they work and suggest their usage any time inflammation may be a problem."

For those pet owners doubtful of adding oil to their best friend's diet because of weight issues, don't fret. Fatty acid supplements don't contain many calories and are unlikely going to affect your pet's weight.

How much oil should you give your pet?

Dr. Messonnier recommends you start with 2-4 times the label dose when treating a disease or health issue. If you're simply wanting to add oil for preventative measures or to strengthen your pet's coat (which it will do), you can use the dose recommended on the bottle.

Personally, we give Heidi Cod Liver Oil which we have put in a squirt bottle and keep by her food. We simply squirt about a tablespoon into her food each evening. We prefer buying the liquid, not the capsules, because of this.

Source:

www.K9-1.com

Neurotoxins and ADHD: Connecting the Dots

2010-09-06T21:41:00.011-05:00

While my husband worked avidly on his Fantasy Football team, I sat supportively on the couch next to him and surfed some of my favorite blogs. Healthy Child Healthy World is one of them. After losing their 4-year-old daughter to a tumor caused by pesticide exposure, Nancy and James Chuda started a movement that inspires parents to protect their children from harmful chemicals. Below is one of their guest blog posts, written by Annie B. Bond of the Huffington Post.

We are passionate about informing people of the harmful chemicals found in conventional cleaning products and pesticides. (And how fitting is it that KD-Gold is this month's special!) It is hard to make links between things we use/are exposed to every day and symptoms that seem common or that we acquire years later. This article makes the link between chemicals and ADHD, a connection that is becoming undeniable. It also gives simple steps that you can take to lessen your and your family's exposure to chemicals.

Neurotoxins and ADHD: Connecting the Dots by Annie B. Bond:

My friend Sally used to corral her three teenage children to clean their house every Saturday morning. I was envious of her chutzpa to demand this of her kids, but the part of the story that was always tragic to me was that every Saturday afternoon without fail, Sally's son Sam was sent to his room for hyperactive, "out of control" behavior.

Looking at the cause and effect of the son's behavior through my lens of awareness of how neurotoxic many cleaning chemicals are, I could see it would make sense that the son's central nervous system and brain could be reacting to these chemicals. Symptoms of neurotoxicity include lack of concentration, personality changes, depression, hyperactivity and the mimicking of psychiatric disorders.

Not being particularly "green," the cleaning products Sally would buy for her kids to use were the standard store-bought fare readily available in supermarkets. Examples of neurotoxins found in such products include VOCs (furniture polish can contain VOCs), neurotoxic disinfectants, petroleum distillates,fragrances (scented products are notoriously neurotoxic,) and waxes (VOCs again in the solvents), to name a few.

Pesticides take front seat in the arsenal of poisons that hurt the central nervous system and brain. After all, they are designed to kill. A new study reported in the June issue of Pediatrics, published online May 17, links organophosphate pesticide metabolites found in urine to a much higher incidence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

"Each 10-fold increase in urinary concentration of organophosphate metabolites was associated with a 55 percent to 72 percent increase in the odds of ADHD," study author Maryse F. Bouchard, PhD, of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Montreal, told Medscape Psychiatry.

Another example of subtle neurotoxic exposure children suffer through that most adults miss is to the solvents in markers in art class. When my daughter was in school, one year the math class was the period after art class, and she said that the kids were always "off the walls" in math class. What a tragedy, and one that could so easily be avoided if schools stopped allowing neurotoxic art materials to be used. How many kids thought they were bad at math when the culprit was the colored markers?

I've often wondered why the dots haven't been connected by most people between neurotoxic chemicals and ADHD-type behavior. After all, if a neurotoxic chemical is known to cause depression, for example, and that chemical is being used, why do so few people (and almost no psychiatrists) say, oh my gosh, let's remove the neurotoxin?

At least one thing parents can do is to remove neurotoxins from the home. Here are eleven quick solutions:

Yes to "green" dry cleaning using C02, no to dry cleaning with perchlorethelene (and hanging clothes in bedroom closets);
Yes to water-based markers, no to solvent-based markers;
Yes to natural furniture polishes or simple jojoba oil (a natural wax), no to furniture polish made of volatile organic chemicals;
Yes to organic produce, no to highly processed foods.
Yes to food with natural food coloring, no to food with FD&C dyes;
Yes to safe integrated pest management, no to synthetic pesticides;
Yes to cedar and herbs for moths, no to moth balls;
Yes to natural essential oils for fragrance, no to synthetic perfumes and fragrances;
Yes to vegetable-based Free and Clear detergents and cleaning products, no to cleaning products containing volatile organic chemicals;
Yes to efficient heating systems, no to kerosene, open gas, or other systems that could leak carbon monoxide;
Yes to educating yourself about lead paint and other sources of lead, no to hoping for the best if you live in a house built before 1978.

Simple steps such as these can make a big difference. Being away from neurotoxins helps you have more serene sleep, babies are less fussy, children concentration is improved, people are calmer and the lifestyle helps you have a better sense of well-being.

KD-Gold: The Ultimate All-Purpose Cleaner

2010-09-02T11:39:00.005-05:00

ONE product for basically EVERYTHING? No....It can't be?!

That's what you would think, right? But KD-Gold is seriously a wonder that should be in every household across the country. If you've seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, then you understand why our friends joke with us that KD-Gold is like his version of Windex. You get a cut? Spray KD-Gold. You find a stain? Spray KD-Gold. You have an ant problem? Spray KD-Gold. You...and it always works! Heals wounds and cleans laundry? Yes. Dishes, counter tops, bug bites, rashes, acne, head-lice, baby shampoo, dog shampoo, urine remover, creaky doors....the list goes on.

And the best part is....NO harmful chemicals!

Now that I've sounded like an infomercial :) I'm telling you, friend to friend, to seriously consider replacing all of your household cleaners, detergents, and de-greasers with KD-Gold. With all the harsh chemicals in conventional products linked to dizziness, fatigue, migraines, memory problems, etc., don't wait any longer to make your home cleaner and healthier.

It makes us happy when we know more and more people are using harmless cleaning products so we're offering a free 16 oz. KD-Gold All-Purpose Cleaner when you purchase a gallon or a 32 oz. bottle of KD-Gold Concentrate. This will last through the whole month of September so tell those you know, especially those that are sick or have little ones running around, to get on the site and read more about KD-Gold.

Look closely and you'll see that our new office suite now fills an old Windex bottle with KD-Gold. I couldn't help but post this when I noted the Windex bottle after I wrote the post :)

Roasted Sea Salt

2010-09-01T15:46:00.005-05:00

To make your salt easier to digest and less harsh on the kidneys, try roasting it! (Our Pink Salt is not a burden on the kidneys, however, and can be eaten raw.) This is great to do for salts kept at the table or used in salad dressings. It doesn't take long, and you can store it indefinitely just like regular salt.

Start off with 1 cup of good quality salt. (For more about the difference between conventional and real salt, see the post I wrote a while back called "Sea the Difference".) Heat a skillet to medium heat on the stove, add the salt, stir and dry roast until the salt releases an aroma. This usually takes about 3 minutes. Remove salt from the skillet, spread it out on a glass baking dish and let it cool completely before storing it in a glass jar. It must be fully cooled before putting it in a jar to prevent condensation.

Sprinkle away and enjoy!

Alicia isn't so clueless anymore...

2010-08-31T12:58:00.003-05:00

So we really like thekindlife, Alicia Silverstone's blog that's dedicated to everything happy and healthy. Especially a post that she wrote yesterday about Mary Cordardo, one of Marilee's dearest friends who is a fellow Bau Biologist (a program that Kelly and I are in right now that studies how our built environment affects our health and the environment) and on target with our beliefs about chemicals, EMF's and diet. In a nutshell, she gets it and we love her!

Mary used to sell organic mattresses (the one I sleep on right now is from her!), but now just sells air and water purification systems. We sell the same air cleaners that she recommends (Austin Air) and when asked about water purification, refer our inquiries to her. Her whole-house system is the way to go. Expensive? yes. Worth every penny? YES. What's more important than clean air and water, we ask?!

For more information on Mary Cordaro, please visit her (awesome!) new website which is full of great resources.

I mean, if Alicia uses Mary to "diagnose" and "heal" her home, making it "not just green, but healthy green," we can only trust that she's top notch!

And to futher back up our recommendation...

2010-08-31T11:40:00.005-05:00

...of paying the extra cost for organic eggs...and trying your best to avoid conventional ones...

Take a look at, "Those half-billion salmonella eggs came from a very nasty place" on gawker.com which sites the FDA and Los Angeles Times when reporting that manure, maggots and rodents were among some of the things found at Wright County Egg the day before their eggs were recalled.

This is not to say that all conventional farms are similar to this one, but we do believe that getting your eggs from organic farms significantly reduces the risk of such contamination.

While gawker's tone comes off as very sarcastic (and includes occasional fowl language...), their information here is worth the read!

Organic Eggs = Egg-cellent Choice

2010-08-30T10:16:00.004-05:00

In case you haven't heard, eggs are at the forefront of the news as hundreds of illnesses in June and July can be attributed to a salmonella outbreak. Now, more than a dozen major brands are included in a nationwide egg recall.

Wed MD said, "“The brand names included in the recall are Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, and Kemps. Recalled eggs are in six, dozen, and 18-egg cartons.”

Although we'd rather not think about it, the conditions from whence most conventional eggs come is not too pleasant. Many conventional egg farms house up to half a million chickens, each given about a sheet-size paper area to "roam," according to Dr. Mercola.

"Subsequently, he says, "these cage-raised chickens have to be given routine doses of antibiotics and other drugs, all of which have serious health implications for you, the consumer."

Salmonella can be contracted by two methods: from an outside source (as the shells are porous and bacteria can make its way into the egg) or internally (from the chicken passing on the bacteria from her infected ovaries, which can be caused by eating contaminated feed or rodent droppings.)

Needless to say, farms that contain the most birds are the ones that are most likely to produce contaminated eggs.

The conditions at an organic or free-range/cage-free farm are much cleaner. The chickens are able to roam, eat pesticide-free grass and spend ample time in the sun, all of which make healthy chickens, and, thus, healthy eggs.

Dean Dickel, a medium-scale organic egg producer says, "Feed is probably the number one factor affecting egg quality and the cost of production.”

We think it's worth the extra cost to assure that your eggs aren't contaminated with pesticides, hormones or other unnecessary chemicals added to conventional chicken feed and, therefore, likely to be found in small quantities in their eggs.

As for me, I love eggs and eat them quite a bit. In fact, we're planning on whipping up some breakfast-for-dinner this very night! But I can't remember the last time I let my hankering for some good ol' scrambled eggs get the best of me when conventional was the only option available. For me, it's worth the extra cost at the grocery store and extra effort put forth to find restaurants that serve only grass-fed, organic eggs. (If you're in Houston, head over to Ziggy's which has amazing, hormone-free omelettes!)

Info Sources: Mercola.com, Rodale Institute
Image Source: deltacrossfit.typepad.com

Woods and Branches All Around

2010-08-26T17:15:00.010-05:00

Our friend Clare Wood is one of the most creative, talented and trendiest people we know. She keeps up an amazing blog called "Step Into the Woods," where she writes about various things going on in her busy life.

Today her feature post is about THREE BRANCHES! She is a customer of ours and tells all about how much she uses and loves the products we've recommended and sold to her.

Check out her post and you may just find another great blog to add to your list while you're at it! Read "My Friends at Three Branches"

Thanks Clare for so eloquently presenting our company, it's mission, and our products! :)

Congrats to Jamie Oliver!

2010-08-26T11:23:00.003-05:00

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution won an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program. Way to go Jamie!

Something Seems Rather Fishy About This One

2010-08-26T10:47:00.005-05:00

We just received an intriguing/disturbing update from a friend on a new, upcoming genetically modified fish. You have to read this satirical version of the story for yourselves....

"You Could Be Eating This "Frankenfish" in 18 Months"

Quick-N-Easy Quinoa

2010-08-24T11:27:00.006-05:00

Between going to the gym and catching a movie, my husband and I only had a small window for dinner last night but still wanted to eat something healthy and avoid restaurant prices. I also wanted to keep the kitchen as mess-free as possible. So I decided on a one-dish dinner of high-protein quinoa and high-mineral veggies. (For me, a one-pot-wonder means adding a bunch of vegetables and greens like kale, bok choy, etc. into the main bean or grain pot to avoid extra dish cleaning!)

I apologize for the lack of pictures as I didn't think I'd be posting on this, but I'll describe it as well as possible!

The stuff (all organic):
1 cup quinoa
2 cups filtered water
1/2 chopped white onion
1/2 purple onion
handful of chopped mushrooms (I like maitake, but any would work!)
1/2 bag frozen green peas
about 1 cup chopped greens of your choice (bok choy, kale, spinach, collards, etc.)
1 TBSP Coconut Oil (or olive oil)
1/2 tsp Pink Salt (see post on the difference between conventional and quality salt!)

The action:

Sautee white/yellow onions and mushrooms in a deep skillet with the coconut oil until the onions are translucent and the kitchen smells like an Italian restaurant!
Add the quinoa, water, greens and Pink Salt (the salt helps you digest the grains. You can also soak the quinoa in water for at least 6 hours to make them more digestable and cut the cooking time. Simply throw them in a bowl covered with water before work!)
Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Just before it's done (and still very hot!), add the chopped red onions (best eaten raw and add a sweet crunchy flavor) and frozen peas.
Sprinkle Pink Salt and Nutritional Flakes to taste.

(My husband is literally obsessed with Nutritional Flakes. He claims that it can make any healthy dish taste amazing and has sworn he'll eat whatever I put in front of him as long as the flakes are on it! They're nutty, delicious and an amazing source of protein and B vitamins!)

Note: You can mix and match any combination of your favorite veggies. Sautee cabbage, zucchini or summer squash with the onions and mushrooms, add corn instead of peas, use less onions,be creative!

Not All Supplements Are Created Equal

2010-08-23T08:38:00.004-05:00

After having a blood analysis done, my sister recently discovered that she is quite deficient in iron, and was given a doctor's prescription for Fergon Iron Supplement. After she asked for my opinion on this brand, I did a quick Google search for the ingredients. This is what I found:

One Tablet: Iron 27 mg; Ferrous Gluconate; Sucrose; Corn Starch; Hypromellose; Talc; Maltodextrin; Magnesium Stearate; Silicon Dioxide; Titanium Dioxide; Polyethylene Glycol; FD&C Yellow #5 (Tartrazine) Aluminum Lake; Polysorbate 80; Carnauba Wax

This is a great example of how all supplements are not created equal. We always try to encourage people to become ingredient savvy for reasons like this. Why would you want to take an iron supplement that had all these additives in it? Who wants added sugars, chemicals, and petroleum derived products with their iron?! Companies add these things to their supplements in order to expedite the production process and reduce costs. Many of these unnecessary (and sometimes even harmful) ingredients are called "binders" because they are used to "bind" the ingredients during production.

We believe that taking whole food supplements is the way to go. Doing this, your body can get iron from the all-food-based supplement in a more concentrated form versus from an isolated form that is made in a lab.

I invite you to look up each of the ingredients above to learn more about them. One easy to read description on FD&C Yellow 5 Aluminum Lake can be found here, and you can click here to read a short description of talc.

Check out the article "Hidden Hazards of Vitamin and Mineral Tablets" as well. I hope this topic of fillers and binders will encourage you to become a strict judge about the supplements you put in your body!

(My sister is now taking Blood Builder by Premier Research Labs, which contains their "Iron Elite" recipe to provide the bulk of the iron.)

For men, it seems to be a no-brainer!

2010-08-20T10:50:00.004-05:00

Two recent studies based on the latest brain scan technology outlined the role that hormones have on the female brain. While women may be deemed the more emotional, prone-to-over-react of the two sexes, these studies reveal that we may have just cause!

A study done by the National Institute of Mental Health focused on the stress response differences between men and women, seeking to discover why the latter is twice as likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.

The answer lies in corticotrophin releasing factor, or CRF, which attaches to cell membranes in the brain during stressful periods. This causes mental arousal. It seems to take much more CRF for men to become agitated than for women.

As if that's not enough...

According to another brain scan study (this one done by Pain's September issue on 64 Tawainese women), women who suffer from menstruation cramps also have changes in their brain chemistry. These adaptation make them even more susceptible to pain!

So, for all you women who think they just needed to "tough it out" and not be so sensitive, it must feel good to know that science is beginning to back up the female's susceptibility to stress, depression, anxiety and pain!

Source: aolnews.com

Greens Mix: Perfect Place to Start

2010-08-19T14:27:00.005-05:00

We can't thank everyone enough for all the compliments we've received on the site! It makes us very happy to know that our followers are pleased with the way it turned out. However, we have to admit, the supplement section can be a little overwhelming....so many to choose from and not enough time to read every description! (And if you're anything like us, you'll want every product after you do read them all.)

We wanted to tell you, a great place to start is Greens Mix. It's not just the product of the month by chance. It really is one of our all-time favorite products. It takes the place of a daily multi-vitamin and provides all the vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes you need. It's the perfect all-in-one product to make your life a little simpler.

So why buy it from us and not just pick up any other greens product on the shelf? In short: quality. The quality of the source, the production facility, and the packaging all play a role in making PRL's Greens Mix our favorite. You can read the Greens Mix description to learn more about the source (rich, organic South American soil), but I can tell you first hand that the quality standards at the manufacturing facility are as high as it gets. Before starting Three Branches I worked at Premier Research Labs and had the opportunity to see the production in action. This stuff is 100% goodness and 100%pure!

Hope this helps streamline your supplement search.

P.S. The powder really is not bad when you gulp it down with some water or juice! I prefer the powder but capsules are often times more convenient. I usually end up keeping a powder at home and a bottle of capsules in my purse. (Men, you can throw some capsules in your pocket.)

Greens Mix at work with me :)

Munchies: Satisfied!

2010-08-18T12:42:00.005-05:00

With the website launched, Kel and I are working frantically to get our new office in order. We're so excited to finally have a real place of work, instead of setting up in home offices which seem to be transient and aren't exactly on the UPS man's daily route!

We're pretty stoked about our 6th floor window, and while Houston's San Felipe St. isn't exactly the perfect outlook, it'll do because natural light is abound!

Also, the building is just equidistant between our two houses so it's easy to run home for a quick lunch, check on my new puppy (yay!) or take a quick jump in the FAR Infrared sauna that I'm so blessed to have available!

The past few weeks have been action packed. Three Branches hit me with post-honeymoon reality as Kel and I hit the ground running in order to make our launch date. Too distracted by our typical home office setting, we hopped from Starbucks to Starbucks, laptops in tow, setting up anywhere we could get a wireless signal (which the monster coffee chain finally offers for free!).

We'd try to take breaks in order to run home and grab a healthy bite or make some fresh juice, but sometimes we'd have to resort to what was avilalbe in Starbucks. Needless to say, Kelly and I were beside ourselves when we discovered that one of our favorite brands, Two Moms in the Raw, has delicious granola snack packs for sale in most Starbucks stores.

By far the healthiest snack available at this coffee chain, Two Moms in the Raw makes a wonderful dairy-free, wheat-free and gluten-free granola bar that's 100% raw and organic. And did I mention delicious?!

So, even though we've moved on from out Starbucks hop, Kel made a detour on the way to our office this morning to pick up some healthy sustenance as we set up our inventory elfa shelves...

(We forgot our camera and were forced to use the PhotoBooth on my MacBook so excuse the fuzzy and reversed images!)

Image Source: Thanks, snaksnak.com! We couldn't resist the picture they took of these little snacks. Because they're brand new to the Raw line, they don't have images on their site yet. C'mon, Two Moms!

Three Branches Website is Up and Running!

2010-08-17T10:31:00.002-05:00

The website is finally "live"...and very expansive! We hope you aren't too overwhelmed with the many "branches" of the site but encourage you to browse the information-packed articles, the categories in the learn section and, of course, the diverse repertoire of products available at the click of your mouse!

With respect to the article section, we recognize that it is a bit overwhelming, and we are working on a more organized flow. We highly encourage you to first browse the "Learn" section and let the site take you from there.

Just like the inception of any large endeavor, there are always going to be glitches and shortcomings in the beginning. We ask you to bear with us as we work hard to make Three Branches Healthy Living run as smoothly as possible. There are sure to be articles that aren't formatted perfectly, sections that are "coming soon" and products that aren't listed yet. While we could have continued to put off the launch date, it was our amazing fans and followers who encouraged us to go ahead and go "live" despite possible loose ends so that information could be accessed and products more easily purchased.

It is the long-awaited dream of the three of us to bring you information, articles and products that will empower you to create a healthy home and body. We hope you enjoy your time spent browsing the site and would love any feedback you have the time to give us.

Thanks for your patience during this process. We have had so much fun creating Three Branches and look forward to helping you attain a healthier lifestyle!

www.threebrancheshealth.com

A few small glitches...

2010-08-16T07:39:00.004-05:00

We're sorry everyone, but we seem to be having a few unforeseen technical difficulties. I know many of you are excited to finally see our site, so we are working diligently on getting these issues fixed for you to do just that! If all goes well, the site will be launched later today! Stand by and cross your fingers! :)

Rest up...the time has come!

2010-08-13T09:27:00.007-05:00

Well, folks, here we are a mere three days away from launching our website. It's hard to believe it's almost here and we are getting so excited! We know that all the hard work and support we've gotten will pay off as Three Branches is sure to whisk its viewers away to the land of healthy living!

As we work hard to meet our "Go-Live" deadline, Kelly and I are reminded of how important good sleep is for the body. Even just a few hours less than our usual slumber time leaves our bodies deprived and aching for more.

In its article titled "Deep into Sleep", a 2005 issue of Harvard Magazine said, "Sleep researcher Eve van Cauter at the University of Chicago exposed sleep-deprived students (allowed only four hours per night for six nights) to flu vaccine; their immune systems produced only half the normal number of antibodies in response to the viral challenge. Levels of cortisol (a hormone associated with stress) rose, and the sympathetic nervous system became active, raising heart rates and blood pressure. The subjects also showed insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition that affects glucose tolerance and produces weight gain. “[When] restricted to four hours [of sleep] a night, within a couple of weeks, you could make an 18-year-old look like a 60-year-old in terms of their ability to metabolize glucose,” Czeisler notes. “The sleep-deprived metabolic syndrome might increase carbohydrate cravings and the craving for junk food.”"

We'll trust this Harvard Study and rest assured that sleep not only dictates the way we feel during the day, but how our brains and metabolisms function...and perhaps how we eat!

So, have a great weekend and get quality rest, knowing that you'll wake up Monday morning to the real Three Branches Healthy Living!

Image courtesy of: www.lincolnstationers.com

From earth to (violet) bottles

2010-08-12T10:40:00.012-05:00

While in the Maldives on my honeymoon, I splurged one day and indulged in a full-body Himalayan salt scrub at the Four Seasons spa (above). Yes, it was amazing.

But what made it a truly unique experience was the lack of artificially-scented lotions and harsh chemicals. They have a no-chemical policy in the spa, using indigenous aromatic oils and spices for all the treatments. My 90 minutes started off with a foot scrub, made up of a mixture of Indian herbs, salts and soothing oils.

I tell no lies when I say it was the most unbelievable hour and a half. Although I'm not a connoisseur of spa treatments, I've never felt so refreshed and revitalized after being scrubbed, exfoliated, massaged and moisturized with such wonderful salts, oils and creams.

As I was sipping my after-treatment detox drink (a cold concoction of green tea, cinnamon, honey and ginger that was, in itself, worth the price of admission...well, maybe not...), I was looking around the small lobby area where they were selling terrycloth robes and herbal teas. Because most of the ingredients they use in the spa are straight from mother earth, not many skin and body products were available for sale. Except one line...

Meet Sodashi, my fellow followers. It's an exquisite line of Australian-based skin care products that prides itself in using the purest of ingredients.

"Sodashi's absolute commitment to working in harmony with naure is reflected across all areas of the business. Not a single synthetic chemical, preservative or fragrance is used in the manufacturing process..."

They're so "clean" that even their workers and facilities are banned from wearing synthetic perfumes or using conventional cleaning products. Their bottles are made of violet glass which has natural light-filtering properties to keep the products at tip-top shape during shipping and storing.

I highly recommend you browse their website to look at the huge range of products available. Yes, they're expensive, but I really do believe their high-quality ingredients are worth the extra money. Unfortunately, I think you can only purchase them through their website...or visit one of the spas listed on their site.

"Soy Can Be Dangerous" by Dr. Blaylock

2010-08-11T09:52:00.003-05:00

Soy often gets touted as a healthier alternative for milk, protein powders and more, but it has the ability to mess with our hormones and potentially cause problems. Most people don't always recognize an association between foods and things like their mood or libido, but it's always a good idea to make correlations between what you eat and how you feel.

Dr. Russell Blaylock, M.D., is a nationally recognized board-certified neurosurgeon, health practitioner, author, lecturer, and editor of The Blaylock Wellness Report. Read his article "Soy Can Be Dangerous" to find out what he has to say about soy and health.

Parisians know how (not what) to eat!

2010-08-10T11:03:00.006-05:00

I'm back...and having some major withdrawals from the best two weeks of my life! I am left envious of those who are not yet married and have a honeymoon to look forward to in the future. They're amazing, no matter where they take you. Will and I were fortunate enough to get a taste of some very different cultures. From Paris to the Maldives (islands off India) to the English countryside, we were blessed with some unforgettable memories and way too many pictures.

But no matter how far away, my mind was naturally reeling with things I wanted to share with you all and hopefully I'll be able to convey some of the things I learned and witnessed through a few honeymoon-related blog posts.

I want to start with a short but sweet reminder of how portion control and unhurried eating is truly the way to go. While in Paris, I was overwhelmed by the types of foods eaten in the cafes by the leanest of men and women. Items such as crepes, cheese and crackers, chocolate croissants, white flour baguettes, nuts, etc. seemed to be the only things available, and the smell of fresh pastries literally permeated the entire city. People drank wine, chardonnay and beer like it was water. I truly have never seen anything like it. Needless to say, trying to maintain our typical healthy fare was not so easy for Will and me!

The fattening foods paired with fine physiques perplexed me to no end so I started watching these Parisians as they sat for hours in street cafes.

For starters, the amount served is way less than the typical American meal. And, on top of that, very few people cleaned their plates. (I think the idea of a "happy plate" is actually very sad!) There was always a few bites and a few sips left over. Seconds of food and drink seemed to be an anomaly. Lastly, these people know how to sit and enjoy their meals. When we Americans get our food, the table usually quiets down as we scarf every last bite. In Paris, the conversations seemed unaffected by the waiter's arrival with the food.

At around 4 o'clock one weekday afternoon, I watched a table of model-like women at the famed Cafe Les Deux Magots (where Hemingway was many times inspired!) share a plate of cheese, a bottle of red wine and small chocolate croissants as they smoked their cigarettes. I thought to myself, if only we could combine our healthier food options with Parisian-style consumption, we'd have the key to true health.

So, in a nutshell, I'm not a huge fan of the typical French fare, but I think their eating habits are worth noting and mimicking!

Images courtesy of:
paris.org
yumsugar.com

Healthier Convenience in a Bar

2010-08-06T15:24:00.006-05:00

I have to admit, I haven't tried it yet, but I recently learned that Cliff Bar has a bar that is made with a short list of natural ingredients! I always disliked how Cliff Bars had such long ingredient lists with added proteins and flavors, but the Cliff C Bar is 70% organic and made with fruit, nuts, and sea salt!

Since Cliff Bar is a brand that isn't too hard to find, this seems like a snack option to keep in mind when you want something convenient but with whole food ingredients!

It comes in 4 flavors: apple, blueberry, cherry pomegranate, and raspberry. I would recommend apple and raspberry as the top two choices sine they don't have evaporated cane juice like the other two. (Evaporated cane juice is like sugar but not processed as much as refined sugar.)

Here's an example of the ingredients for the Apple flavored bar:
Organic Dates, Almonds, Organic Apples, Macadamia Nuts, Organic Apple Juice Concentrate, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate, Organic Cinnamon, Sea Salt (Real Salt®), Natural Vitamin E (Antioxidant). Click here to see other flavors and ingredients.

A Glance at the Latest Issue of Delicious Living

2010-08-03T11:14:00.013-05:00

I just read through the most recent Delicious Living and, yet again, loved it and want to brag about it. I discovered this magazine several months ago, and I continue to get excited every time a new issue is published. Especially since I get it for free at a health food store I frequent :)

This issue is the Annual Health & Wellness Guide and is full of interesting and informative topics.

I love the advertisements. It's nice to flip through a magazine and see ads that focus on health, safety, and quality.

There are always some quick and easy tips like the ones found in this issue's "Better Breakfasts in Minutes."

I think the "tripletake" section is a great idea. There is always one question on a topic such as back pain, allergies, or in this case tendinitis, and they ask three different professionals to give their opinion. It's nice to get multiple opinions. This question on tendinitis gets answers from an exercise physiologist, a naturopath, and an orthopedic massage therapist.

There are always great, healthy recipes to try, and if you need to you can tweak the ingredients here and there to fit your specific dietary habits.

The feature articles are always very informative. This issue is on the top 25 foods found on the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) developed by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD, author of Eat for Health. The ANDI is a "comprehensive nutrient-per-calorie ranking system" and can be used as a guide to eating a well-rounded, nutrient-dense diet.

There is a helpful article that discusses 5 essential vitamins, minerals and herbs to take. I love that they always recommend taking naturally derived vitamins and minerals over synthetics.

I love this very useful chart on how to substitute sweet alternatives when a recipe calls for sugar!

Another fantastic article in this issue is about getting kids interested in healthy cooking. While learning about label reading, making good food choices, gardening skills, cooking techniques, as well as history, cultures, and geography, kids can develop an appreciation for quality foods.

And finally, the last main article in this issue is about the quality standards for personal care products. This section, "think about it," is always very concise and enlightening. I remember the last issue's was on pesticides in the home and gave some sources to learn more about healthier alternatives.

All in all, I'm a big fan of this magazine and suggest you become a reader. You can find all the articles mentioned above online at www.deliciouslivingmag.com. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Hello again!...Today's news on household cleaning products

2010-08-02T13:27:00.009-05:00

Thank you for standing by as we took some time off from blogging! Allison is still enjoying her honeymoon with her new husband, but she'll be back next week!

Before I share an interesting article with you, I have to show you a picture of the beautiful bride! Here's a shot of all three branches at the wedding...

Stunning bride, huh?! (And the crown she's wearing was not her "something blue." :) It was one of many costumes that came out when the band got started! So fun!)

Now for an interesting article from MedPage Today...Household Cleaning Products Still Pose Risk to Kids. Lara B. McKenzie, PhD, MA, of Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and colleagues analyzed childhood injuries from cleaning products and share their findings. Although the overall number of injuries has gone down, they suggest it is likely because of better child-resistant packaging.

Unfortunately, it is not because the products are safer. While the article recommends properly locking up the cleaning products so they are not in reach of children, Three Branches recommends getting rid of them all together and using non-toxic cleaning products. Even when the traditional toxic cleaners are stored away, they can still cause health concerns from inhalation.

While you should still keep non-toxic products away from children, if you use a "human safe" cleaning product then there is no worry if the product is accidentally ingested. (Another reason why we love KD-Gold so much!)

Even if you don't have children around, you can still apply this information for adults when you consider the chemicals found in these cleaners as poisonous. A few statements from the article that make me confident about using "human safe" cleaners are as follows:

"Cleaning products are consistently in the top five causes of pediatric poisoning exposure, given the amount of time young children spend in the home, the researchers noted.

In the current analysis, bleach represented the most common culprit (37.1%).

The next most common source of injurious exposure (30.4%) was from low-molecular weight hydrocarbons such as those found in pine oil products and spot removers; acids and alkalis, such as oven cleaners and toilet bowl cleaners; and dish or laundry detergents."

Read the full article here.

2010-07-28T12:40:00.001-05:00

Why Late Night Eating isn't the Best Idea

2010-07-20T10:57:00.006-05:00

At some point in our lives, most of us have probably heard something along the lines of, “Don’t eat right before you go to bed. It’s not good for you.” But even though we hear this, and maybe even believe it, it’s still difficult to do sometimes. Refraining from late night eating can be challenging, especially during summertime when you may be traveling more and you are off of your normal routine. But perhaps it will help if you have a better understanding of why it’s not so good to eat soon before you go to bed. (And “soon” is unfortunately 3 to 4 hours before bedtime.)

If you’ve been following us for a while, you know how much we stress the importance of sleep. Sleep is when your body is supposed to rest and repair. That’s why sleep is often the best medicine when you’re not feeling well or trying to recover from illness or injury. After working hard all day long, your body needs a bit of a break so it can recuperate and be energized the next day. When you eat late at night, however, your digestive system is activated and your body is forced to use energy for digestion. This can often make falling asleep, and sleeping well, more difficult, and additionally can create the potential for bloating or cramps in the morning from improper or incomplete digestion. If you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) or heartburn, it is even more important to avoid eating soon before bed since lying horizontally can worsen your symptoms.

I realize it’s not realistic to think we can refrain from eating 3 to 4 hours before bed every single night. However, if you can eat dinner earlier and then eat something easy to digest, like fruit, as it gets closer to the time you go to sleep, then you will be doing your body a favor. And the most important time to remember this rule is when you are sick. You’ll want to spend your energy on repairing rather than digesting!

Check out the following article as well. You might find it to give you even more motivation! Eating at night linked to greater weight gain than daytime snacking: study

Image Source: Levine/Getty image from www.nydailynews.com

Alkaline vs. Acidic

2010-07-19T10:38:00.005-05:00

What is pH?
pH (or potential of Hydrogen) is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The higher the pH reading, the more alkaline and oxygen rich the fluid is. The lower the pH reading, the more acidic and oxygen deprived the fluid is.

Why is pH important?
Our bodies prefer to be in an alkaline (versus acidic) state. Most food in its natural form (fresh fruit and vegetables) is alkaline-forming. But our typical diet is full of acid-forming processed foods such as meat proteins, cereals and sugars. Other high acid-forming foods include stimulants such as tobacco, alcohol, coffee and tea. These things can leave our bodies compromised since we maintain our best health when our diet is comprised of at least 60% alkaline-forming foods. In fact, if our bodies are in an acidic state, alkaline minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium become depleted, making us more prone to chronic and degenerative disease.

Our body's acidic can also occur from emotional stress and toxic overload. Really, any process that deprives our cells of oxygen and other nutrients places us in a compromised state. Our bodies then try to compensate for this acidity by using its alkaline minerals. If we don't have enough minerals available (naturally or from the diet), our cells build up acidic walls and acidosis can occur. It can cause problems such as:

Cardiovascular damage
Osteoporosis
High blood pressure
Weight gain
Bladder and kidney diseases
Acceleration of free radical damage
Slow digestion and elimination
Yeast/fungal overgrowth
Loose, painful teeth
Mouth and stomach ulcers
Excess stomach acid
Indigestion and acid reflux
Easily stressed and depressive tendencies
Loss of drive, joy, enthusiasm
Leg cramps and spasms
Pale complexion
and more...

As you can see, maintaining a healthy pH level is very important!

How do I test my pH?
You can find out how your body is working to maintain the blood's ideal pH by testing the acidity/alkalinity of your urine. Purchase litmus paper (for very cheap at your local health food store) and test your first-morning urine. This will indicate the alkaline and acid metabolic cycles and the efforts that your kidneys, adrenals, lungs and gonads are exerting to regulate your proper pH.

Urine pH can vary from around 4.5 to 9.0 in extremes, but the ideal range is 6.0 to 7.0. If your urinary pH fluctuates between 6.0 to 6.5 first thing in the morning and between 6.5 and 7.0 in the evening before dinner, your body is functioning within a healthy range.

What are examples of alkaline-forming foods?

Vegetable juices
Vegetables such as parsley, raw spinach, broccoli, celery, garlic, carrots, beets, zucchini
Fruits such as figs, raisins, dates, grapes, papaya, kiwi, berries, apples, pears
Herb teas, lemon water

Simply squeezing a few lemon slices in your water before eating will help to neutralize the acid-forming tendencies that a high-protein or sugar-containing meal can have on the body.

Source: www.trans4mind.com

Step Away From the Junk Food

2010-07-16T11:30:00.004-05:00

Weekends are a time when we might indulge in foods we try to avoid during the week, so that's why I want to give you two studies that will hopefully help you remain strong before you reach your hand into that Doritos bag or dip that Oreo into your glass of milk.

The first one comes from researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington DC. They concluded that feeding pregnant rats high fat, unhealthy foods puts the rats' daughters and granddaughters at a higher risk for breast cancer. In addition, the risk remains to be increased even if the daughters themselves eat healthy. And men can pass this risk along as well because according to the study the risk appears to not only extend from mother to daughter and granddaughter, but also from mother to son to granddaughter. Sonia de Assis, the lead researcher, says a fatty diet may cause "epigenetic" DNA modifications that can be passed on to future generations.

The second study comes from the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida and "suggests that obesity and drug addiction have common neurobiological underpinnings". Paul Johnson and Paul Kenny found that rats fed junk food elicited similar addictive behaviors to those of rats addicted to heroin. Johnson fed the experimental rats a diet full of Ho Hos, sausage, pound cake, bacon and cheesecake. Not too surprisingly, these rats soon developed compulsive eating habits and became obese. After just five days on the junk food diet, the rats' behavior suggested they were habituated to the food, as they demonstrated "profound reductions" in the sensitivity of their brains' pleasure centers and therefore had to eat more food to get the same amount of pleasure. "Just as heroin addicts require more and more of the drug to feel good, rats needed more and more of the junk food."

There you have it...two substantial reasons to choose healthier snacks over processed junk foods! Try more nutritious snacks like carrot sticks and hummus, apple slices, blueberries, and various raw nuts. (Hummus and nuts are "good fats" that contain essential fatty acids necessary for a healthy body.) Summer provides tons of produce options that will not only help you avoid the risks of cancer and addiction but will keep you hydrated and cool during the summertime heat. Melons, cucumbers, grapefruits, berries...these will all help you "keep your cool."

Happy Friday:)

Sources:
"Junk Food Turns Rats Into Addicts" - ScienceNews
"Breast Cancer Risk Tied to Grandmother's Diet" - Georgetown University Medical Center
"Rats on Junk Food Pass Cancer Down the Generations" - NewScientist

PBS "Trade Secrets"

2010-07-15T11:29:00.004-05:00

In 2001, Bill Moyers of PBS aired a show called "Trade Secrets." It focused on chemicals used in our crops and consumer products, the extent to which our bodies are absorbing them and their effects on our health. The show earned its name due to the lengths to which industries go to keep consumers and the government agencies in the dark about their "proprietary" ingredients and business practices.

Moyers himself agreed to participate in a study conducted by Mount Sinai School of Medicine in NYC concerning pollutant loads in the human body. It analyzed Moyer's blood and urine, a list of which can be found here on the Environmental Working Group website. One can see from the report that the following were found:

48 cancer-causing compounds
52 chemicals linked to reproductive and child developmental damage
17 chemicals associated with heart disease
21 chemicals known to disrupt the endocrine system, causing a host of diseases including diabetes
23 chemicals linked to gastrointestinal damage
16 chemical toxic to the urinary systems, including the kidneys (relates to blood pressure regulation)
25 chemicals that can affect the nervous system, causing muscle weakness, tremors, dizziness, confusion, memory loss and cognitive deficiencies
20 chemicals that may affect reproductive fertility and pregnancies
The list goes on...

Needless to say, these results, indicative of the chemical burden on his body, shocked Moyers. For more information on this particular study, go to the PBS website devoted solely to this topic. It's really informative and easy to follow, in my opinion!

This might leave one wondering, "What's in my body and how do I get it out and keep it from growing?!"

And that, my friends, is why Three Branches Healthy Living exists. We are not only selling products (starting in mid-August!), but are here to provide information that will help you understand which products to avoid and great alternatives to stock up on. The "Trade Secrets" website also provides recommendations on how to avoid everyday chemicals.

As for getting the chemicals out? God has given us unbelievable recovery mechanisms that naturally work to rid our bodies of toxins once we place ourselves in a cleaner environment. This could simply mean replacing household cleaning products, switching to a safer laundry detergent, throwing away perfumes that have permeated our bedrooms, saying no to pesticides and eating organic whenever possible.

As we always say, making simple changes can produce huge results because every step we take in the right direction is reducing our total "body burden."

Sources:
"Toxic Bedrooms: Your Guide to a Safe Night's Sleep" by Walter Bader
http://www.pbs.org/tradesecrets/

Would you like hempseed on that?

2010-07-14T10:20:00.003-05:00

If you haven't ever eaten hempseed before, I suggest now is the time you start! These amazing, little, power-packed seeds are full of nutrients, including all the essential amino acids needed for a healthy body. They can be used in simple ways like sprinkling them on your salad or in recipes like hemp burgers, hemp hummus, and hemp ice cream.

Nutivia Organic Shelled Hemp Seeds is what I usually buy, and most of the time I keep it simple. I sprinkle them over vegetables, greens, you name it - anything on my plate. Like ground flax seed, they are also great in a bowl of yogurt and fruit. And they are a great source of easily digestible protein, so you won't feel like you have to have meat for every meal in order to get your protein in!

Here's what Nutivia has to say about "The Amazing Hempseed"...

A Nutritional Powerhouse
Hempseed is considered by leading researchers and medical doctors to be one of the most nutritious food sources on the planet. Shelled hempseed is packed with 33 percent pure digestible protein and is rich in iron and vitamin E as well as omega-3 and GLA. A recent report funded by the Canadian government states that hemp protein is comprised of 66 percent high-quality edistin protein, and that hempseed contains the highest percentage of this of any plant source. Hemp also contains three times the vitamin E contained in flax. Unlike soy, hemp is not genetically modified, and it doesn't contain the anti-nutritional qualities commonly found in soy.

Got Your EFAs today?
Because the human body produces no Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), it is important that EFAs be consumed on a regular basis. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of Americans take in too little of one of the most important EFAs--omega-3--which is found in flax, walnuts, deep-water fish, and hempseeds. EFAs are the "good fats" that doctors recommend as part of a healthy, balanced diet. The quality of omega-3 is vital, and can be diminished by oxygen, heat, and light. Thus consume the freshest seeds possible and store them in a dark, cold environment such as a refrigerator. Nutiva obtains its seeds exclusively from Canada, and we date all our products. Great nutrition never tasted so good.

So, as you can see hempseed is a great addition for a healthy, balanced diet. And just to note, the technical term for hemp is Cannabis sativa L, and although it originates from the same plant genus as marijuana, the strains of the plant are much different. :)

The lowdown on pasteurization

2010-07-13T07:49:00.004-05:00

Pasteurization is the process of heating food to a specific temperature for a certain amount of time and then quickly cooling it. This kills certain bacteria that would have otherwise naturally grown during the food's (or liquid's) fermentation process. It was named after Louis Pasteur in the mid 1800's, a chemist who first applied this technique to beer and wine.

Today, the pasteurization process has evolved as ultra-high temperatures are now used which not only kill microbes, but also allow foods such as cheese, creams, eggs, canned goods, etc. and liquids such as milk, OJ, soy sauce, alcohol, vinegar, etc. to have a longer shelf-life.

But high temperatures don't just kill the bad stuff. Many people oppose the pasteurization process because it destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin C content, B12 and B6, kills the good bacteria, and promotes pathogens. It's also been associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, osteoporosis, arthritis heart disease and cancer. In fact, calves fed pasteurized milk do poorly and many die pre-maturely.

The Weston A. Price Foundation has launched a campaign called Real Milk to educate consumers about the health benefits of raw dairy and the dangers of pasteurization.

Most doctors warn pregnant women to avoid non-pasteurized products during pregnancy to avoid passing on any bacteria to the fetus. However, many women argue that the enzymes and other benefits from raw milk (and cheese) far outweigh the risks of its consumption. In Canada, the sales of raw milk are illegal and many farmers and chefs are battling the government on this issue.

Dr. Ted Beal, a 76-year-old pathologist from the University of Michigan, is an anomaly amongst fellow physicians. He has spent his career studying infectious diseases and he and his wife, a nutritionist herself, drink fresh, unprocessed milk. They feel strongly that the risks are low and the benefits high.

Our stand? Well, it's hard to even come by unprocessed milk and cheese these days as the government has a tight rein on what can be sold. And, quite frankly, I wouldn't trust raw milk products after they've spent time in cartons on the store shelves. But, we feel that unprocessed dairy products are definitely the way to go when the source can be traced. Your local farmer's market is a great place to find unprocessed, nutrient-packed items such as milk, yogurt and cheese. For instance, Kelly and I set up a bi-monthly delivery with a place in Austin called White Egret Farms who makes unbelievable goat cheese and yogurt. For those of you who've never tasted the real stuff, we think you'd be blown away by its freshness and flavor!

Information sources: www.thedoctorstv.com, www.wikipedia.org,

Image source: www.infoniac.com

Your Body Will Thank You for Skipping the Soft Drink!

2010-07-12T12:22:00.007-05:00

When I heard a guy on the radio the other day say that he quit drinking soft drinks and lost eight pounds in two months just from that alone, I thought "I need to share that on the blog." I've heard other stories too, from people I know, that have kicked their soft drink habit and seen great results in their figure.

Dr. John Briffa says, "This type of beverage is particularly hazardous, because it contains so much sugar (nine teaspoons of sugar in an 11-ounce can is typical), and that this glut of sugar can be consumed so quickly. The rush of readily available sugar into the system can induce biochemical changes (specifically, the secretion of insulin) that can lead to weight gain. Also, the higher levels of insulin that come after downing a sugary drink may, in the long term, increase the risk of other conditions including type 2 diabetes too."

We have to remember that excess sugar is stored as fat and that diet soft-drinks aren't any better when it comes to weight. Sharon P Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio found that for each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person's risk of obesity went up 41%. The following results are from eight years of data:

For regular soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:

26% for up to 1/2 can each day
30.4% for 1/2 to one can each day
32.8% for 1 to 2 cans each day
47.2% for more than 2 cans each day.

For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:

36.5% for up to 1/2 can each day
37.5% for 1/2 to one can each day
54.5% for 1 to 2 cans each day
57.1% for more than 2 cans each day.

So, I'd say it's best to avoid drinking any kind of soft drink. Aside from weight gain, soft drinks can contribute to all kinds of health problems overtime. Don't let the lack of experiencing immediate health effects fool you into thinking they're okay for you. Try switching to unsweetened fruit juices and drink more water. If you've been a soft drink consumer for a while now, just remind yourself that the beginning of kicking the habit will be the hardest part, but it will be worth it in the end!

"Eat them alone or leave them alone"

2010-07-09T09:18:00.004-05:00

Cantalopes, watermelons, honeydew, oh MY!

Because melons consist of 90% water, they digest very easily and very quickly. The nutrients in melons decompose much quicker than those of other fruits. (Stick watermelon juice in the fridge and you'll see how different it looks/tastes after just ten minutes. OJ can stay the same for days!) In fact, they require almost no work from your body to break down, passing through the stomach and then the small intestine with ease...

if eaten alone...

But when eaten with other foods (that, themselves, require much more complex digestive action to take place), the melons have to "wait" in the stomach, and then intestines, as the other food is broken down. Because their nutrients have already broken down (fermented), melons can putrefy while sitting stagnate and produce...you guessed it!...GAS! (Sorry for the grim details.)

So, next time you're in the mood for a juicy watermelon, wait 'til after you've digested your hotdog. Or eat it for a meal like Kel and I sometimes do: cut a cantalope in half, grab a spoon and scoop out the goods!

Image courtesy of www.worldcommunitycookbook.com

Eating fish can get fishy...

2010-07-08T11:30:00.008-05:00

Dr. David Williams is an alternative medical practitioner and author of Alternative, a popular monthly newsletter for natural health that is subscribed to by over 300,000 people. Dr. Williams travels the globe in search of highly effective herbal cures and treatments and has seen enormous benefits from the omega-3s and other nutrients we derive from fish. Omega-3s have been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease and also are a great source of Vitamin D, calcium, B12 and protein. While fish is a wonderful alternative to low-nutrient entrees like processed meats and white pastas, we would gain from more knowledge on which fish is best before choosing this "healthier" option.

When searching for healthy fish, Dr. Williams follows 3 simple rules:

1. Dine on fish low in mercury. "In general," says Williams, "the larger and older the fish, the greater the methyl mercury toxicity." He recommends smaller fish like sardines, salmon, trout, flounder and tilapia.

2. Make sure your fish has been tested for contaminants. Wild is the way to go! Farm-raised fish are kept in pens that can have diseases. Many times, they are fed antibiotics, which transfer to our bodies upon consumption and grains, an alternative to their natural diet of algae, which is rich in omega-3s.

3. Pay close attention to the canning process. Fish like sardines, salmon and tuna can be found in cans atop the grocery store shelves. And these can be very quick, healthy options of getting a delicious, high-protein meal! But, not all canned fish is equal. Companies like Wild Planet get their fish from clean waters and once sealed in the can, allow the fish to cook in their own juices at the strictest temperature and time standards. The result? No fishy taste! So look for cans that have no added preservatives or oils like soybean. (Extra virgin olive oil is great.)

Is Your Bug Spray Safe?

2010-07-07T10:10:00.004-05:00

When packing for a trip to the lake or to the hiking trails, one item you don't want to forget is bug spray. No one likes to be covered in mosquito bites! But have you ever thought about what you are spraying on your body and if it could be harmful to you and not just the bugs?

Nearly every commonly used mosquito repellent, such as OFF! products, uses the chemical deet as it's active ingredient. However, the safety of deet is highly questionable.

A study published last year in the journal BioMed Central Biology, found that deet is in fact toxic to the central nervous system. They found that deet inhibits the activity of a key central nervous system enzyme, acetylcholinesterase, in both insects and mammals.

In addition, Duke University Medical Center pharmacologist Mohamed Abou-Donia spent 30 years researching the effects of pesticides and discovered that exposure to deet causes neurons to die in several parts of your brain -- including areas that control muscle movement, memory, concentration and learning. Abou-Donia says rats given small doses of deet for 60 days had a harder time accomplishing even the easiest tasks, things as simple as walking.

Heavy exposure to deet and other insecticides can cause eye and skin irritation, memory loss, headaches, weakness, fatigue, muscle/joint pain, nausea, tremors and shortness of breath. And symptoms can appear months or even years after use. So be aware that just because you may not get a headache or feel nauseous immediately after application (though some people do) does not indicate that you are not being effected.

In addition, researchers have no idea what the effects are when deet is combined with other chemicals, whether in the same product or when mixed on your skin with sunscreen or body care products. (And remember, the skin is your largest organ. Things you put on your skin can be absorbed in your bloodstream, so you don't have to swallow bug spray for it to effect you.)

So if you are wary of the safety of typical bug repellents (or if I've scared you enough) choose a non-toxic bug spray that does not contain deet or other hazardous chemicals. Fortunately, there seem to be more available today than ever before. Here's something I found that might be helpful: 7 Natural Insect Repellents. You can always ask a staff member at a health food store if they know of any to actually work well.

I personally use KD-Gold to keep the bugs away and to relieve the itching if I do get bit. (Yet another use for this amazing all-purpose cleaner! E-mail us threebrancheshl@gmail.com to inquire about KD-Gold.)

Note: You will need to apply natural repellents more frequently than deet containing products since they don't last quite as long.

Basic Cake, revised...

2010-07-06T10:39:00.008-05:00

We posted a cake recipe last week, warning that it might not turn out like the ones we're used to eating. (It didn't rise properly and lacked the fluffiness of a typical birthday cake.) Well, it turns out that "folding" the eggs whites is an actual technique, not just a fancy way of saying "add." As you might have guessed, Kelly and I aren't the experts when it comes to baked goods! So, if you, too, are a bit confused about how to properly fold egg whites into a mixture, turn to YouTube for a demo video as we did!

As many of you know, I'm getting married in a couple of weeks. I'm wanting to do a few layers of my wedding cake made with these ingredients so that I can enjoy a non-processed, healthy dessert on my wedding day! My mom followed the recipe and took a cake over to the famed Frances Walsh of World Catering here in Houston. She is phenomenal and known for her unbelievably tasty and beautiful cake creations. She tasted it and was shocked by how great our healthy alternative tasted. Walsh had doubted that a cake made without conventional ingredients would "hold up" and be able to ice as well and look as good as the cakes she makes. But after seeing and tasting this one, she is assured that it will be a great alternative. Perhaps this cake will be offered at World Catering in the future! For now, it's a special request that Walsh is more than happy to accommodate.

Needless to say, we are so excited, not only because I can use it as part of my wedding cake, but because it's such a wonderful alternative to the typical birthday cakes, which are highly processed and contain tons of sugar. And what's a birthday without a tasty cake!?

So, follow the below recipe and rest assured that it will rise, taste and look like the beloved birthday cakes that we don't ever want to give up!

BASIC PLAIN CAKE

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cup spelt flour (sifted) (avoid white spelt)

1 cup maple syrup

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup grapeseed oil

1 cup almond milk or rice dream milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 organic eggs (separated)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Blend and sift dry ingredients

3. Mix melted butter, milk, vanilla, egg yolks (be sure melted butter is somewhat cooled)

4. Add dry to wet ingredients – mix well

5. Beat egg whites until stiff on high speed with an electric beater

6. Fold egg whites into batter

7. Pour into two 8” round cake pans

8. Bake 35-40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean

MAPLE ICING

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups maple syrup

4 organic egg whites

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Bring maple syrup to a boil (use big pot because it will expand)

2. Keep at low boil about 30 minutes until it gets to the soft ball stage

3. Beat egg whites until stiff

4. Add salt to maple syrup

5. Pour fine stream of hot maple syrup into egg whites as you continue to beat them.

6. Icing will form stiff peaks to make a fluffy icing.

What's in Your Beer?

2010-07-02T10:53:00.008-05:00

If you are a beer dinker, do you ever think about what is in your beer before you take that first sip? Since it is not required by law for ingredients to be listed on beer labels, you never really know what you are drinking. In Lee Janson's book, Brew Chem 101, he states that "commercial brewers are allowed to add, in any combination, over seventy-five chemicals, dyes, and additives to beer without informing the consumer."

This is why we like to drink beers made in smaller, local breweries or imported beers from somewhere like Germany. (Interesting fact: Germany beers tend to adhere to the German Purity Law or Reinheitsgebot of 1516, that says beers in Germany can only legally be produced using the core ingredients of water, hops, yeast and malted barley or wheat. So no added chemicals there!) Drinking some beers can actually have health benefits (in moderation of course) when the ingredients are quality and simple...the way beer was originally made.

I know, I know with America's birthday approaching, it may seem like it's only appropriate to drink Bud Light or Coors Light, but why not support the smaller American breweries and very likely feel better the next day?! The additives and the high fructose corn syrup found in commercial beers may be adding to that not so pleasant feeling the day after consumption! Allison and I like to use the analogy that commercial beers (Bud, Coors, Miller, etc.) are like the McDonalds or the fast food of beers. Try avoiding these and see if you notice a difference in how you feel.

Just to note...the Center for Science in the Public Interest reported in 1982 that Miller Lite contained propylene glycol alginate (a seaweed extract), water, barley malt, corn syrup, chemically modified hops extracts, yeast, amyloglucosidase, carbon dioxide, papain enzyme, liquid sugar, potassium metabisulfite, and Emka malt (a food coloring). And that was in 1982. With the way the food and drink industry has gone (according to documentaries like Food Inc.), who knows what cheap additives could be added now. I can't make any claims myself, but I have talked to a friend who is opening a brewery and thus has toured many existing ones, and according to him, he will never drink a commercially made beer again.

So, yes the prices are higher and it's not always as convenient, but if you want to make healthier drink choices, choose quality beers made in local breweries when you can. With so many options available today, it can be fun to try different ones. A few of our favorite beers that are more well known include Abita Amber, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Shiner Bock, and St. Arnold Fancy Lawnmower. But like I said, there are many options, including organic, wheat free and gluten free. Have fun experimenting until you find one you like! But remember, moderation is key :) Check out "How to Choose Natural Beer" for more tips and intriguing facts about beer if you're interested.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Summer Challenge: Join a Co-op!

2010-07-01T09:09:00.005-05:00

Considering how prevalent food co-ops have become, how easy it is to join and the benefits you get from tasty, healthy fruits and vegetables, this should not be a challenge!

We encourage you to search for co-ops in your city and start stocking your refrigerator each week with organic produce. For most co-ops, you can either buy a day pass for about $1 or a membership for about $24. You can choose how much food you get each week, but a typical box usually includes a mix of leafy greens and assorted fruits and vegetables.

Typically, you place your order (online) by a certain time each week and your goods are ready for pick-up a few days later! Some co-ops even offer shipping directly to your house. It couldn't be easier and it's a great way to avoid the higher grocery store prices. For instance, at Houston's Central City Co-op, a "Small Mixed Share", which includes leafy greens, a mix of 3-6 different vegetables and 2-4 different fruits, is only $17.

So take advantage of this summer's sweet fruits and high-mineral veggies by scoping out the co-ops available in your city!

Vote for Lisa's Healthy Home Makeover Show

2010-06-30T10:46:00.006-05:00

Bau-Biologist and founder of Green Nest, Lisa Beres, is trying out for Oprah's Search for the Next TV Star and needs your vote. With her knowledge and passion for creating healthy living environments, people all across the country could learn how to make their homes cleaner and safer! Her concept is to go into homes and do a healthy extreme home makeover by looking at the air quality, water quality, cleaning products, and more. So vote for Lisa by clicking here and help more people become aware of healthful changes they can make in their home! (Who knows...maybe us three branches could be guest hosts on the show one day! Ha Ha. Just kidding.)

Linda's Chicken

2010-06-29T09:05:00.004-05:00

Today we're taking you step-by-step through my future mother-in-law, Linda Evans', Monday Night Chicken recipe. I've mastered rice, bean and veggie dishes, but am only a month away from cooking dinner for two so want to add animal protein to my recipe reprotroire! I love this dish because it's simple, healthy and incredibly delicious...

Ingredients:

1 whole organic chicken (this is one of the most important things to buy organic as conventional ones have added hormones and antibiotics)

Olive Oil

Pink/Sea Salt

Pepper

Spices of your choice (garlic, red peppers)

Root veggies of your choice (onions, carrots, potatoes, etc.)

Cooking time: About 1 hour

Servings: About 4

Directions:

1. Set oven to Roast at 475 degrees. If you don't have Roast, then Bake at 475.

2. Clean chicken inside (gizzards, liver, etc.) and out (feathers, large fat pieces)

Linda's tip: Place excess pieces of chicken in a plastic bag and put in the freezer until the trash day. Leaving this in the trash, especially in the heat, can attract maggots, etc.

3. Place chicken in pan (glass pyrex, cast-iron Le Creuset, etc.)

4. Pour enough olive oil to cover the chicken, especially the highest parts that will be closest to the oven's heat.

5. Sprinkle chicken with Sea/Pink Salt and spices of your choice (we did red pepper and garlic) but cumin adds a great "Mexican" flavor.

6. Place chicken in the heated oven for 15 minutes, uncovered. It should look brown and crispy like this...

7. Chop up vegetables (onions, potatoes, carrots, etc.) while the chicken is baking.

8. Remove chicken and place vegetables around the dish.

9. Put chicken back in the oven, covered with either tin foil (like a tent on top) or, if pan has a lid, cock it on top.

10. Lower oven to 425 and cook chicken and vegetables for 40 minutes.

11. After 40 minutes, remove chicken and tilt the pan. The juices running out should be brown and clear (see picture below). If they are pink (a hint of blood), place chicken back in the oven. Continue to check every couple of minutes.

12. Serve with vegetables! Although not shown, it's important to pair animal protein with greens (spinach, kale, collard greens, etc.) as these high-mineral veggies help your body digest the meat.

13. Enjoy! We'd love for you to tackle this recipe at home and tell us how it tastes!

A Truly "Green" Way to Freshen Your Air

2010-06-28T09:57:00.009-05:00

On average, we take over 20,000 breaths and breathe about 35 gallons of air a DAY. So, it only makes sense for our health that the air we take in everyday is as clean as it can be, right?

One way to help get cleaner air inside your home or office is by bringing a taste of outdoors, indoors. Plants have the incredible ability to filter out toxins and thereby naturally purify the air.

NASA conducted a study on over 50 houseplants plants and came up with a list of the top 10 plants for removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air. A friend sent me this link to eartheasy, which briefly explains the study and gives helpful information on each of the top 10 plants. Check out the link to see if getting a few indoor plants is something you are interested in doing.

I think it is a great idea because even if you don't have known, high levels of chemicals like formaldehyde and benzene in your home, chances are they are higher than you think. With all the building materials, furniture, mattresses, and more being manufactured with formaldehyde and countless other chemicals, and everything we track into our homes on our shoes and clothing, chances are your indoor air may not be as clean as you would hope. So what more aesthetically pleasing way to help filter some of that out than some beautiful greenery?!

And you don't need a green thumb to have indoor plants. There are numerous plants that are fairly easy to care for. I visited a local gardening store a while back with the top 10 list in hand and, with the help of a friendly staff member, found 5 different plants to take home with me that required minimal watering. Just don't go overboard and fill your whole house up! If so, you could find yourself having a mold problem down the road from all the moisture buildup.

(Eartheasy also has some tips on organic gardening for you readers who do have a green thumb.)

Study finds girls reaching puberty at age nine

2010-06-25T10:48:00.005-05:00

We found this article written by staff writers from news.com.au, an Australia-based website. It's short and informative, pointing to the links between diet, environment and hormonal anomalies. Enjoy!

Scientists believe obesity, junk food and increased meat consumption could be responsible for a growing number of girls reaching puberty before the age of ten.

A study of 1000 girls conducted in Denmark showed that breast development started at an average of nine years and 10 months – a year earlier than a similar study conducted in 1991. The study backs data from America which has also shown the earlier onset of puberty.

“We were very surprised that there had been such a change,” Anders Juul, head of the Department of Growth and Reproduction at the University hospital in Copenhagen, a world leader in the study of hormones and growth told the Sunday Times.

“If girls mature early, they run into teenage problems at an early age and they’re more prone to diseases later on. We should be worried about this regardless of what we think the underlying reasons might be. It’s a clear sign that something is affecting our children, whether it’s junk food, environmental chemicals or lack of physical activity.”

A study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition last Friday showed a link between high meat consumption and earlier puberty in girls.

Researchers at Brighton University found 49 per cent of girls who ate meat 12 times a week at the age of seven reached puberty by the age of 12, compared with 35 per cent of those who ate meat four times a week or less.

For original image and article, click here.

The Eggs Have Arrived!

2010-06-24T11:30:00.008-05:00

What better topic to follow up a post on bacon than a post on home-raised chicken eggs, right?! Back in April I posted on my sister's pet chickens and told you I would keep you updated when they laid eggs. (Click here to read the post.) Well, the time has come!

This is their first egg, laid last week by their chicken, Bevo. (My brother-in-law is an alum of the University of Texas :) As of now Bevo is the only one laying but hopefully the others won't be too far behind. She lays one egg a day around the same time every afternoon.

My sister is like a proud mama with her small collection of eggs! This is a shot she took to show them off.

When she cracked open her first two eggs, she got a little surprise...two yolks in one egg! Supposedly this happens sometimes when the chickens are just starting to lay eggs. One superstition is that it means good luck. I don't know about that, but according to my sister the eggs tasted great. She has made scrambled eggs and potato salad so far and said she thinks they have a richer, fuller taste because they are so fresh.

So, there you have it. That's the update on the backyard chickens. Take it as inspiration for eating more cage, hormone, and antibiotic free eggs!

The ultimate mystery meat

2010-06-23T06:47:00.008-05:00

We all know that bacon is pretty high in fat and should be avoided by those watching their weight, but many overlook the other main reason we should think twice before beggin' for bacon.

Bacon contains nitrates which are perservatives added to items such as sausage, cold cuts and hotdogs to help them retain their color. When brought to high temperatures during cooking, these harmful additives form Nitrosamines, known carcinogens that can lead to pancreatic cancer.

According to a 2005 study done by The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, people who ate the highest levels of pork or red meat have a 50% higher risk of pancreatic cancer than those who eat the least.

But, as hard as it is to imagine, bacon just entered a whole new level of bad. "Genius" (as he has been so fondly referred to) Neil Caldwell has introduced colored bacon to the market. As if not bad enough, this nutrient-robbed breakfast meat has been adorned with artificial coloring agents in order to get stubborn kids to produce "happy plates" before heading off to school. The secret to Caldwell's invention? Due to proprietary reasons, it's being kept under wraps. Yikes...

If you are going to eat bacon, at least make sure it's unprocessed and nitrate-free. It might appear a bit paler since there are no preservatives used in the curing process. Check out places like Laverstoke Park Farms for tasty, high-quality alternatives.

Images of dyed bacon courtesy of Bacon Today.

If I'd known you were comin'...

2010-06-22T11:38:00.005-05:00

A party isn't a party without a cake...and a girl's weekend isn't a girl's weekend if you just buy it. So here's our healthy spin on a typically unhealthy splurge!

Kelly and I tasted this cake a few years back when Marilee's friend made it for a birthday party. We were shocked at how "normal" it tasted, considering that every ingredient is pure and actually good for you. Unlike conventional boxed cakes, it contained no artificial preservatives, food colorings, sugar or dairy. Yet, it was light, fluffy and absolutely delicious.

So we attempted to recreate it this past weekend. Although it still tasted wonderful (even according to those who are used to "regular" cakes), it didn't rise to that fluffy creation that we so fondly remembered. Instead, it was more dense and bread-like.

While we're on a hunt to figure out what we did differently, we wanted to share the recipe in the meantime because it still satisfied all of our sweet cravings and know it will do the same for you!

So what is in it?

3/4 cup grapeseed oil

1 cup maple syrup (we recommend the sweeter grade B)

3 organic eggs

2 cups spelt flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

½ cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Any fresh fruit for the topping

How to make it:

Remove yolks and beat the 3 egg whites. Set aside.
Mix remaining wet ingredients in a bowl.
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
Mix wet and dry ingredients together.
Fold in the beaten egg whites into the wet/dry mixture.
You can use either two rounds or one sheet cake.
Cover the pan(s) with coconut oil and lightly flour (spelt).
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a toothpick, stuck in the center, comes out clean.

Now for the maple syrup icing...

(This gets a bit trickier and we apologize for the lack of photos!)

In a medium-sized sauce pan, simmer 1 cup of maple syrup for about 10-15 minutes.
Drop a little of the heated syrup in cold water. If it dissipates quickly, it's not ready. You want the syrup to coagulate a bit in the water. This is called the "softball stage"
Beat 3 egg whites together with an electric beater and slowly add the heated syrup.
Beat continually until the icing "peaks". Hot maple syrup cooks the egg whites.
Let the cake cool, ice it, place fruit on top and enjoy!

Friday Night's Pizza Party

2010-06-21T11:44:00.009-05:00

Well, with fresh organic vegetable pizza and organic wine, Friday night's dinner was quite a success! Allison and I decided a few weeks ago we wanted to have a pizza party, where everyone could make their own personal pizza, but we weren't exactly sure how they would turn out. We had never done this before, but we decided to give it a try anyway....and we're glad we did!

The whole process was very much a group effort. We started out by cutting up fresh bell peppers, red onions, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, and eggplant and placed them each in their own bowl. We also had mushrooms, artichoke hearts, arugula, spinach, mozzarella, and feta cheese for additional topping options. Most of us loaded ours up and piled on a little bit of everything! (Side note: We sauteed the eggplant and mushrooms in olive oil with salt and pepper for a short time before they were added to the pizza so they would be fully cooked. This turned out to be a smart choice.)

Then we prepared the dough (which I was not very good at!) into mostly little personal size crusts and a few larger ones. We didn't go all out and make the dough from scratch, but instead got frozen pizza dough (both gluten free and wheat options) to make life a little easier on ourselves. (We didn't make our own pizza sauce either since Eden Organics fortunately makes a great one in a BPA-free can!)

It was quite a fun activity and the pizzas turned out really delicious! I wish I had a picture to show you one fresh out of the oven so you could see just how good they looked. For now, here are a few of the moments we captured. (Check back soon if you want to see more. I'll post more pictures after I get everyone's sent to me.)

Callin' Baton Rouge!

2010-06-18T08:57:00.007-05:00

For those of you who don't know, one of the branches is getting married!

Allison will soon become Mrs. Will Evans when she marries her high school sweetheart next month. We're currently in Baton Rouge where I'm hosting her bachelorette weekend and want to include you in on some of the healthful fun! Times like these aren't typically the picture of perfect health, but we're doing our best to put a healthy spin on the weekend...starting with a trip to the grocery store.

Of course Allison couldn't refrain from shopping for her own party!

Hopefully this will feed 16 of us.

And of course we soak the grapes before we freeze them...

Check back Monday to see how the weekend goes. Happy Friday!

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

2010-06-17T08:34:00.004-05:00

Michael Pollan's book In Defense of Food really hits the nail on the head. He argues that our over-obsession with our diets and getting the right amount of nutrients has skewed our view of eating real food. Instead, we scan packaging that indicate the benefits of the food inside, avoiding the fresh produce section all together.

Pollan's 7-word motto is: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." This book goes onto explain what exactly real food is, how much is too much and the abundant benefits of a mostly plant-based diet.

Pollan had me at the introduction...

"What is driving such relentless change in the American diet? One force is a 32-billion-dollar food-marketing machine that thrives on change for its own sake. Another is the constantly shifting ground of nutrition science that, depending on your point of view, is steadily advancing the frontiers of our knowledge about diet and health or is just changing its mind a lot because it is a flawed science that knows much less than it cares to admit. Part of what drove my grandparents' food culture from the American table was official scientific opinion, which, beginning in the 1960s, decided that animal fat was a deadly substance. And then there were the food manufacturers, which stood to make very little money from my grandmother's cooking, because she was doing so much of it from scratch - up to and including rendering her own cooking fats. Amplifying the "latest science," the managed to sell her daughter on the virtues of hydrogenated vegetable oils, the ones that we're now learning may be deadly substances."

He flogs the typical Western diet, citing a trend in the early 20th century when overseas workers gave up their traditional eating and adopted the Western diet only to find that diseases, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer were soon to follow.

From the importance of enjoying the culture of food and eating to the effects that aimless snacking and lack of chewing has on our bodies, In Defense of Food hits every angle. We highly recommend it to everyone!

Read more about Michael Pollan at his blog.

Safety First

2010-06-16T11:19:00.011-05:00

Today, we're switching gears a bit from food and want you to take a look at why green building does not always equal healthy building.

If you've been following us for a while, you know how we feel about people taking comfort in the word "green." Unfortunately green does not always mean safe or healthy or non-toxic...or whatever you want to say. With an emphasis on energy conservation, green building practices often fail to ensure the health aspect of a building, mainly in terms of indoor air quality. Many green products contain biocides, mildewcides, formaldehyde, etc., which can all have a negative impact on the occupants' health. And that's why we're all about about safety first.

Fortunately, we have Environment and Human Health, Inc.* to back us up. They say that the current LEED certified green buildings give a false-sense of safety when it comes to health. EHHI recently released a report titled, LEED Certification Where Energy Efficiency Collides with Human Health., and we're hoping it will help to bring about some changes in the future.

Take a quick look at the summary report to get a better understanding of how green building standards do not make health a priority. (It may look like something you're tempted to brush off at first, but I promise it doesn't take long to read and it's really interesting!)

*Environment and Human Health, Inc., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to protecting human health from environmental harms through research, education and the promotion of sound public policy. Environment and Human Health, Inc. is made up of doctors, public health professionals and policy experts committed to the reduction of environmental health risks to individuals.

Tropical Treats

2010-06-15T10:29:00.005-05:00

What better time to venture out of your habitual fruit-eating habits than summertime when the selection is prime for the picking?! Tropical fruits are wonderful this time of year, packed with nutrients, antioxidants and fiber. It really is hard to believe that something so tasty can be so medicinal!

Here are a few tropical fruits that are most frequently seen in the U.S. and their abundant healthy properties:

Mangoes

Vitamin C: one serving has 95% of the daily recommended value
Beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that blocks the effects of harmful free radicals; one serving has about 75% of the recommended value
Fiber: one serving contains 6 grams, more than you get from a cup of oat bran cereal! This helps stools (and the toxins they carry) to move through the body more quickly

Papayas

Best source of carotenoids, an antioxidant that gives fruits and vegetables their pretty pigments. Studies show people who eat carotenoid-rich foods have a lower risk of getting heart disease and cancer
Contains papain, an enzyme that assists in digesting proteins and can help an upset stomach
Known to prevent ulcers

Guavas

Contains more lycopene than a tomato
Lycopene, one of the strongest antioxidants, is known to block the growth of lung and breast cancer cells
A Harvard study of 48,000 men showed that those with more lycopene in their diets had a 45% lower risk of developing prostate cancer
Fiber: 9 grams per cup, more than an apple, apricot, banana and nectarine combined!

So, next time you're at the store, venture out and stock your cart with antioxidant- and fiber-rich fruits! Be sure to keep them in a cool, dark place as air and sunlight reduce the Vitamin C content of the fruits.

Information Source: Yeager, Selene. The Doctor's Book of Food Remedies, pg. 537-9.

Image Source: http://ayeshahaq.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/guava.jpg

Amazing Properties of Food

2010-06-14T10:21:00.002-05:00

As I flipped through the Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine while sitting on a plane this past weekend, a great article on the benefits of certain fruits and vegetables caught my eye. Read the fun little facts for yourself and try to add more of these health-boosting foods to your diet!

"Natural Selection"

New studies reveal why better health starts from the ground up.

Summertime and eating is easy, especially with the bounty of fresh fruits and veggies filling up grocery store shelves nationwide. So why not substitute that bag of greasy potato chips in your shopping cart for a handful of sweet, juicy berries or a bundle of crisp asparagus? Here’s why your body will thank you.

Beets
Best For Boosting endurance
If you’re feeling sluggish, trade that can of cola for beetroot juice. Guzzling 17 ounces of the reddish-purple beverage may increase the time you spend exercising by up to 16 percent, according to researchers at the UK’s University of Exeter. The study cites the vegetable’s high nitrate content for the boost in endurance. Nitrates help create nitric oxide in the bloodstream, which helps promote blood flow and decreases the amount of oxygen uptake needed to stay alert. Better make it a double.

Asparagus
Best For Curing a hangover
Asparagus as a hangover cure? We’ve heard stranger things. Turns out that the plant’s extracts help alleviate the effect of cellular toxicities (like booze) in the bloodstream, according to researchers at the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto and Jeju National University in South Korea. In other words, the green stuff your mother force-fed you will help ease that awful feeling you get the day after. An added bonus: Those same extracts help protect liver cells once the damage is done.

Melons
Best For Reducing blood pressure
Juicy melons are a staple of summer barbecues. Lucky for you, they’re also a good source of potassium, a mineral that protects your cardiovascular system. Nutritionists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center found that eating melons like cantaloupe and watermelon lowers blood pressure. If left untreated, hypertension can lead to heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease-three more reasons to compete in the watermelon seed-spitting contest at the company picnic.

Broccoli
Best For Breathing easier
Before you turn your nose up, consider this: UCLA researchers found one more reason why broccoli should be on your grocery list. In addition to helping prevent heart disease, cancer, and cataracts, it can also alleviate asthma, allergic rhinitis, and other respiratory conditions that keep you wheezing. Studies show that sulforaphane, a chemical found in broccoli, caused a more than 100 percent spike in antioxidant production in nasal airways, curbing the free radicals found in pollution, pollens, and smoke.

Black Raspberries
Best For Fighting cancer
Looking for a quick way to improve your natural defenses? Tart, sweet, and loaded with antioxidants, black raspberries add punch to just about anything they touch, including your immune system. Researchers at Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center found that anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid found in black raspberries, can prohibit the growth of cancerous cells in the esophagus. Cancer Prevention Research, a publication of the American Association of Cancer Research, reported the findings.

Garlic
Best For Trapping free radicals
Next time you order the shrimp scampi, don’t ask the chef to go easy on the garlic. Allicin, the compound that gives garlic its distinct flavor and aroma (and gives you bad breath), is also a powerful antioxidant, according to researchers at Queen’s University in Canada. For centuries, garlic has been known for its medicinal qualities, like lowering blood pressure and fighting cancer, but researchers found that it also helps trap free radicals, which destroy cells and can lead to premature aging.

Source: http://www.spiritmag.com/click_this/article/natural_selection/

Food + Plastic = Think Twice

2010-06-10T12:09:00.007-05:00

Many of us - especially the more health- and money- conscious who try to avoid eating every lunch at a restaurant - pack snacks and meals to go. And many of us throw them in a plastic tupperware container. But we urge you to think twice before introducing your food to plastic before putting in your mouth.

Plastics and Our Health

Many plastics contain toxic additives such as pthalates and Bisphenol-A (BPA) that are used to soften the product, making it more malleable. While this is one of the things that make them so appealing, these additives often leach into our food, especially when heated, which expedites the outgassing process. These toxins can affect children's development, specifically targeting their hormones, reproductive system, allergy responses and metabolism. Canada has already phased out the use of BPA in baby bottles and our own Environmental Protection Agency is likely not far behind as the facts of their adverse health affects are surmounting and undeniable.

But, although the government is getting smart and beginning to scrutinize the use of these harmful plastics, why wait for their warning? We think taking action and prudently avoiding their use when possible is the way to go.

Great Alternatives

Using glass is ideal. We love our pyrex containers and are constantly filling them with leftovers or meals on the go. You can buy them online and they come in sets of all different shapes and sizes. They last forever and are worth the extra few pounds that come with carrying glass versus plastic.

We also recommend stainless steel. There are more and more options appearing on the market, but we've recently become privy to LunchBots, a new company making stainless-steel to-go containers with stainless-steel lids. And they come in some pretty fun colors (ahh to be the envy of onlooking classmates and co-workers!)

The Container Store is also a great place to stock up on glass and stainless-steal options.

Happy (Safe) Eating!

"Domestic Detox"

2010-06-09T09:05:00.007-05:00

Photo credit: Evan Sung of the New York Times

As many of you know, Kelly and I are in the process of attaining our Bau-Biologie (or "Building-Biology) Environmental Consultant certification. A three-part course that focuses on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), Electromagnetic Pollution and Healthy Building & Remodeling, this program is wonderful for anyone wishing to acquire a greater depth of knowledge on environmental pollutants and how they affect our health. Once certified, we're able to go inside people's homes and offices and assess the quality based on mold counts, water quality, electromagnetic pollution, toxic-building materials and more.

So, needless to say, we were ecstatic to see one of our fellow classmates, Matt Waletzke, performing a typical Bau-Biologie home consultation in a New York City East Village apartment. The fabulous New York Times article takes you step-by-step through his assessment and gives you tidbits of advice that could be applied to your own home or office space. Although some are more extreme, the suggestions are worth noting as each contributes to the health of your home, and thus, the health of your body!

Our first suggestion? Purge your air of toxic cleaning products and harsh fragrances from candles and perfumes.

But we'll let Matt take over from here...

Read "Domestic Detox: Extreme Home Cleaning" by Penelope Green.

Be sure to check out the 14-point slide show as it will give you a better idea of the instruments he utilizes.

Burger, Anyone?

2010-06-07T16:13:00.004-05:00

With summertime cookouts on the rise, here are some ways we’ve found to give burgers a healthier twist.

Try replacing your typical, white flour buns with organic sprouted buns by Alvarado St. Bakery or Food for Life. Sprouted grains are considered living foods. They provide more minerals and vitamins than heated and processed flour products, along with living enzymes that make digestion a lot easier. This, in turn, leaves you with more energy.

Also try out one of these “Six Bikini Friendly Recipes” we came across in Women’s Health Magazine. But remember, the quality of the ingredients can make all the difference! Choose fresh, organic and preservative-free ingredients as much as you can, and also remember you can always alter the recipe a bit. Try replacing butter with ghee, sautéing onions instead of caramelizing them, and choosing organic olive oil over vegetable oil or canola oil.

Enjoy!

"No place like home for babies to collect toxins..." by Liz Szabo of USA TODAY

2010-06-04T07:45:00.003-05:00

"...and their exposure to chemicals is more likely to lead to cancer."

This article goes hand-in-hand with the previous two posts regarding toxins and their effects on babies. Whether a mom-to-be, a new parent or just a curious citizen, this is information we feel all should be made aware of.

The Full Article

A crawling baby learns about her world with every step, building her muscles as she discovers the difference between smooth bathroom tiles and squishy living room rugs. To her burgeoning taste buds, both taste great.

But research shows that babies pick up more than new skills as they explore their environments.

Infants may take in two to five times as much household dust as adults, even though they weigh only one-eighth as much, says Alan Greene, a pediatrician at Stanford University's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Because of that dust, babies are more likely to be exposed to pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals inside the home than outside, he says.

Children younger than 2 are also more vulnerable to toxins than adults because they're still developing, Greene says. On average, children that age who are exposed to a carcinogen are 10 times more likely than an adult to develop cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

"It's a sound assumption that we should be 10 times more careful with children," Greene says.

Pediatrician Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, suggests parents open their windows to ventilate the air once a day, if weather permits. He notes that indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air, partly because of solvents and other chemicals found in paint, flooring, rugs, furniture and dry cleaning.

Yet toxic exposures often start long before babies can crawl. Babies today are typically born "pre-polluted," exposed to potential carcinogens even before birth, a report by the President's Cancer Panel said in May.

In a study of umbilical cord blood by the Environmental Working Group, researchers found 180 carcinogens in babies and 217 chemicals that were toxic to the brain or nervous system.

The American Cancer Society estimates that about 6% of cancer deaths — nearly 34,000 a year — are caused by environmental pollutants.

Because so little research has been done on cancer and the environment, it's possible the true number of pollution-related cancer deaths is actually much higher, the President's Cancer Panel says.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/LIFE/usaedition/2010-06-03-cancerandchemicals03_st_U.htm

"Born Toxic?"

2010-06-03T09:16:00.007-05:00

See CNN's "Exposed before birth" to learn more about six of the more than 200 chemicals found in newborns' cord blood.

Don't Miss CNN's "Toxic America"

2010-06-02T12:25:00.002-05:00

Starting tonight, CNN is airing a two part investigative report, where Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains how toxic chemicals are affecting our health.

Part one airs tonight at 7pm CST and reveal the broken chemical safety system by focusing on the environmental health and justice problems plaguing the community of Mossville, Louisiana.

Part two of the series, airing tomorrow night, will feature Ken Cook from the Environmental Working Group along with Jim and Nancy Chuda, the founders of Healthy Child Healthy Nation. They will be showing the video "A Wake-Up Story" that we posted on the blog a while back and revealing the effects that toxins in our environment have on unborn babies.

It sounds very informative and eye-opening. I think it is something everyone needs to see!

O so Cool!

2010-06-02T09:37:00.003-05:00

Meet my favorite "pick-me-up."

After just a few sips of O2 Cool, I feel refreshed and a little more clear-headed, along with a boost in my energy and mood. Although I can't promise that everyone will feel this way, I can't help but urge you to try it!

O2 Cool has eight times the oxygen of ordinary water and comes in a glass bottle to retain the oxygen (it will leak out of plastic). It's made with spring water, is a good source of magnesium, and naturally helps to make the body more alkaline (which is a good thing since the multitude of chemicals we are exposed to everyday tend to make the body more acidic, an environment that bacteria and viruses thrive in).

If you're sitting at your desk and getting a little tired, or you are driving long distances, try a bottle and see if you notice any benefits. Two or three bottles a day is optimal, but can get expensive. I would say when you first try it, though, start off with drinking 2 bottles a day. If you do feel a little "lift," how much better for you is oxygenated water than synthetic and/or sugar-filled energy drinks?!

Most Whole Foods carry O2 Cool or you can order it online and receive free shipping. The Houston Mountain Valley distributor is a big fan of O2 Cool, so if you live in the Houston area and have Mountain Valley delivered to you, simply add it to your order.

Forgive me for sounding like a salesman...I just love O2 Cool that much! But apparently, I'm not the only one. Many people report that they feel energized after a bottle, and studies have been done showing enhanced sports performance for athletes drinking oxygenated water. Others report that their headaches and migraines disappear.
Click here to read more testimonials.

The Bottom Line on Sunscreens

2010-05-31T09:44:00.004-05:00

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently carried out a study on 500 different beach and sport sunscreens. The results? Disheartening. Only 39 (or 8%) passed their safety test.

The article states, "The EWG has again flagged products with oxybenzone, a hormone-disrupting compound found in about 60 percent of the 500 beach and sport sunscreens analyzed. The chemical penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream: biomonitoring surveys conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have detected oxybenzone in the bodies of 97 percent of Americans tested."

Want to read more about the EWG's 4th annual sunscreen guide? Click here.

So what sunscreen is safe? What should I stay away from? Click here to find out.

Is the sunscreen you currently use OK? Click here to find out.

Source of information and image: www.ewg.org

Neti-Pot by Kelly Hunsaker

2010-05-27T10:11:00.005-05:00

The following post is courtesy of Kelly Hunsaker, one of our devoted health followers. Thanks, Kelly!

Do you suffer from seasonal allergies or post-nasal drip? Do you annoy your loving friends by sniffling all the time? Have you tried a Neti Pot? If not, this post may revolutionize your life.

I have lived in Austin for five years. Since moving to Austin, my allergies kicked into overdrive. Between pollen, oak, hay, and cedar, I have lived in a haze of allergens that cloud my ability to function. I looked endlessly for a fix that would not impair my senses of taste or smell. Finally, a friend recommended that I try Neti Pot treatment. While I was wary of pouring water through my nasal passages, I bucked up and tested the Neti Pot out for a week. The Neti Pot was a success!

For those of you that have not tested the Neti, Neti Pots originated in the orient. The Neti Pot is a mechanism to rinse nasal passages with saline solution. By rinsing nasal passages with saline solution you embrace a holistic method that treats allergies, colds, sinus problems and post-nasal drip.

The nasal passages trap dirt, dust, and pollen. By trapping impurities, the nasal passages prevent impurities from traveling down the throat and into your stomach. While the nasal passages greatly benefit the body by trapping crummy particles, the nasal passages are vulnerable. If impurities linger in the nasal passages, the mucus lining the nose may become fertile ground for bacteria and viruses. Therefore, using a Neti Pot to cleanse the nasal passages may prevent impurities from entering the body and stave off colds.

Benefits of the Neti Pot include:

1. Soothing dry nasal passages,

2. Gently washing away dust, pollen, and environmental irritants,

3. Offsetting the effects of breathing dry indoor air,

4. Removing excess mucus,

5. Helping you breathe more freely when practicing yoga or mediation.

In order to abate concerns about how to use the Neti Pot, I want to provide some tips for you all. First, if you buy prepackaged saline solution, start out using half a packet in each passage. Then increase to one package of saline solution for each passage. Second, use luke warm water to dilute the saline solution in the Neti Pot. Third, tip your head parallel to the sink. Fourth, breathe through your mouth. If you sense water accumulating in your throat, maintain a calm focus on your breathing and ignore the water. This is normal. Fifth, when all the water empties from the Neti pot, blow your nose . . . and BREATHE FREELY! Enjoy!

Picture courtesy of: http://www.theherbalist.com/media/neti_pot_pic.jpg

Do you wear perfume or cologne?

2010-05-25T18:23:00.006-05:00

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is not only a good resource for lessons on lessening pesticide exposure, but they're helpful in showing why fragrances are something to avoid as well. In a recently released study of 17 name-brand fragrances co-authored by EWG and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, they found that the frangrances contain secret ingredients (chemicals not listed on the label) with troubling hazardous properties.

They found 38 unlisted chemicals in their testing, with the average fragrance containing 14 of them. Among these are chemicals associated with hormone disruption and allergic reactions, and many substances that have not been assessed for safety in personal care products by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the industry's own safety panel.

In 1973 Congress passed the federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, which requires companies to list cosmetics ingredients on the product labels, and it specifically exempts fragrances. Since then, the vague word "fragrance" is all you'll find on the label. But if there's anything to be grateful for, it's that "fragrance" is a recognizable word that can easily be avoided by avid label readers.

Why avoid fragrances? Because, like EWG states, "A rose may be a rose. But that rose-like fragrance in your perfume may be something else entirely, concocted from any number of the fragrance industry’s 3,100 stock chemical ingredients, the blend of which is almost always kept hidden from the consumer."

They continue on to point out that "many scents are actually a complex cocktail of natural essences and synthetic chemicals – often petrochemicals." Of their the 17 name brand fragrance products they tested in a lab, American Eagle Seventy Seven had the highest hidden ingredients with 24, then Chanel Coco with 18, and Britney Spears Curious and Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio with 17. Read more to see the results of the other 13 brands tested and learn why these chemicals are dangerous. Hopefully you will then want to choose essential oils over conventional perfumes and colognes!

Image taken from report done by EWG and Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

How to Ingest Less Pesticides

2010-05-25T07:42:00.006-05:00

With the recently released study that shows a link between pesticides and ADHD, it is important to know ways we can reduce our exposure to harmful pesticides. (This is especially good to do since ADHD is not the only health effect that has been associated with pesticide exposures. Some are unfortunately a lot more severe.)

Environmental Working Group (EWG) has made it possible for us to be smarter consumers with their updated Shopper's Guide. The guide lists 12 conventional fruits and vegetables that are heavily sprayed (The Dirty Dozen) and 15 that are lowest in pesticides (The Clean 15). Watch below as Dr. Andrew Weil explains how to practically use this helpful and informative list.

A Day's Look at a Healthy Diet

2010-05-24T10:59:00.002-05:00

An article written in Women's Health Magazine called "A Body Cleanse That Isn't Crazy" states the downsides of popular detox diets and touts the benefits of simply sticking to a healthy eating plan. I agree with most of the article - many modern day detox programs can be dangerous and should be done with caution - however, when done properly juice fasts are an unbelievable way to give your kidneys, liver and digestive system a break and eliminate unneeded toxins. (We will do a post soon on the unparalleled benefits of a vegetable juice fast. It can do absolute wonders to your body.)

For now, though, I want to share with you the plan written by Camille Noe Pagan of Women's Health Magazine. I'm impressed with the sample diet she wrote up, as it includes completely proteins and hearty nutrients.
Note that she sticks to the basic principles of proper food combining by not mixing fruits with other foods (except to start off the day with freshly-squeezed lemon juice which is wonderful for the digestive tract.) Fruits also go well with nut butters (i.e., apple slices and almond butter.) I also love her snack options: half a sweet potato, lightly salted, is a wonderful option OR a citrus fruit.

We highly recommend that eggs are hormone-free (and think egg yolks are great, too), vegetables and fruit organic when possible and meat of the highest quality.

Happy Eating!

The Plan

Breakfast
• 8 oz water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Scrambled egg whites with chopped fresh herbs (such as basil or oregano), topped with a dollop of salsa, and 1 slice whole-wheat toast, dry
or 1 cup cooked oats or cooked oatmeal topped with ½ cup berries or 2 Tbsp nuts
• 8 oz decaffeinated green or herbal tea

Snack:
• Sliced apple with 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter
or 1/3 cup natural trail mix

Lunch
• 1 cup fresh spinach or lightly sautéed spinach or kale, squeezed with fresh lemon or orange juice
or 1 cup asparagus with 1 tsp olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice
• 4 oz grilled, baked, or broiled salmon, chicken, or pork tenderloin, seasoned with spices such as lemon pepper
• 1/2 cup edamame beans, steamed
• 8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea
• 8 pecan halves

Snack:
• 1/2 sweet potato or one citrus fruit (orange or grapefruit)
• 4 oz low-fat yogurt

Dinner
• Large spinach or romaine salad with vegetables. Dress with 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil mixed with lemon juice or vinegar (any variety)
• ½ cup to 1 cup asparagus or artichoke hearts, steamed
• 4 oz lean chicken with spices, baked or grilled
• ½ cup brown rice, barley, bulgur, or quinoa
• 8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea

Snack:
• ¾ cup to 1 cup blueberries
or ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• 4 oz nonfat Greek yogurt
or low-fat organic yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese

Source: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/detox-diet?page=1

Homemade Cleaning Products

2010-05-20T21:16:00.011-05:00

Asbestos, mold, pesticides, radon...the list goes on for the topics we covered today at our Indoor Air Quality seminar. But our favorite section of the day? Organic and inorganic compounds because it included a lesson on homemade cleaning and disinfecting products! We made simple and non-toxic versions, the way they used to be. It's kind of a fun thing to do and it is not only better for your health, but easy on your wallet too.

A few of the basic ingredients: Borax, baking soda, and white distilled vinegar. The hydrogen peroxide was there as an example of a disinfecting agent. (Note: Do not keep hydrogen peroxide in a clear bottle and/or in the sunlight. Also, the strength decreases with time so don't keep it stored away in the cabinet for years and then use it for a heavy-duty disinfecting job.)

A fellow classmate and I made the first batch. We started by mixing the following ingredients together:

1 cup water
2 T while distilled vinegar
1/2 t pure vegetable liquid soap
2 drops of essential oil (optional)

Tea-Tree oil was our scent of choice.

Then we poured it from the pot to back to the measuring cup for easy transfer into the spray bottle. It was as simple as that! In minutes we had a safe and effective soap to clean counter tops, walls, floors and windows with. For tough jobs warm the mixture to boost cleaning power, and if you want to make something for glass and windows, just omit the soap from the recipe. Vinegar and water alone get the job done. Finally, to make it an even safer and healthier cleaning product, choose a stainless steel spray bottle over plastic.

We also learned how to make homemade soft scrub too for tubs, tiles, sinks, ovens, pots, and pans. Here's how you do it...

Simply mix the following ingredients together:
1/2 cup baking soda
2 T pure vegetable liquid soap
1 T vegetable glycerin
few drops of essential oil (optional) together.

Put them in a jar. And now you have a non-toxic, creamy soft scrub that will last two years! If the mixture dries, just add a few drops of water.

Lesson Learned: High formaldehyde levels found in car

2010-05-19T22:20:00.011-05:00

One of our labs on the third day of Bau-Biologie’s Indoor Air Quality conference was to familiarize ourselves with a colorimetric pump, a meter used to measure formaldehyde. The testing ground? Our rental car. The results? Shocking. But, first, let’s run through the basics of this toxic chemical...

Uses
For those of us unfamiliar with formaldehyde, it is a pungent gas used to manufacture millions of products: carpeting, particleboard, insulation, preservatives, adhesives, clothing, dyes, plastics, pesticides, foam cushions, cosmetics and more. The smell you breathe in when entering a new construction or remodeled home or building? Probably formaldehyde-related. It’s also prevalent in automobile interiors, especially those with cloth or cheap leather interiors. Formaldehyde is found in most indoor air environments at low concentrations (less than 0.01 ppm).

Effects

Symptoms from formaldehyde exposure can include upper respiratory irritation, asthma, headaches, depression, fatigue, watering eyes, short-term memory loss and central nervous system problems. It has also been identified as a probable human carcinogen.

One of our classmates, Erich Fraede is a former painter and general contractor. He calls himself "a construction site survivor." He says, "Formaldehyde is the opposite of getting a cut and feeling the pain instantly. Instead, it has a slow, debilitating effect."

For Fraede, fatigue, brain fog, excessive hunger and weakness were his main symptoms. Since he has prudently avoided excess formaldehyde exposure, Fraede says, "I'm a different person. I have a new life."

Limits

California has set their allowable limit for formaldehyde in the indoor air at 0.02 ppm, a restriction that will hopefully force even green builders to re-think their materials once the law is enforced in 2012.

Testing

So what better place to test for formaldehyde levels than a low-mileage (new) rental car?! Although we requested that Avis not use harsh cleaning products on our rental car, we forgot to specify that we wanted a car with some mileage, one that had been aired out a bit. This proved to be a huge mistake on our part. We’ve had the windows rolled down as much as possible to dilute the “new car” smell, but left them up for a few hours prior to testing so that the lab results would most closely reflect the formaldehyde level coming from the car.

We won’t go into the details of how we gathered the measurements, but basically we took five slow (90 second) draws into the colorimeter pump. We tried to attain them by standing outside and placing the meter through a cracked window to avoid inhaling the enclosed air, but a classmate ended up getting in the back seat to get a more accurate reading.

Results
The results were shocking: 0.4 ppm of formaldehyde inside the car. This is 20 times higher than the allowable limit in California (0.02 ppm).

Conclusion

Well, to begin, we’ll never rent a brand new car again...unless it’s a convertible and the weather is perfect! (We have heard that Volvos and BMWs have the best air quality of any cars available and used ones are even better.) But we’re in high hopes that the laws set in California with regards to formaldehyde will encourage the rest of the country to follow suit. Until then, we recommend avoiding those “new” smells whenever possible. Educate yourselves on formaldehyde sources and even try to make connections between personal exposures and subsequent symptoms. Sometimes we just have to get our wheels rolling (no pun intended) to draw our own conclusions about chemicals and their relationship to our health!

First picture from: www.gasdetection.com
Information from International Institute for Bau-Biologie & Ecology

Drinking clean water: Easier said than done

2010-05-18T19:21:00.008-05:00

Is bottled water better than tap? Is drinking out of plastic bad? What is the best type of water filter?

There are so many factors to consider when it comes to drinking good, clean water. Today, we put our high school chemistry lab skills to work and tested six samples of water, all from different sources. We checked the chlorine, phosphate, nitrate/nitrite, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and pH levels of each sample without knowing where each came from. It was really interesting to compare the results and then discover the sources - a flowing river, a still pond, straight from the hotel sink, last night's rain, bottled water, and well water with a Reverse Osmosis filter. Without going into too much detail, let's just say that the well water with the Reverse Osmosis came in first, while the bottled water and tap water from the sink were not all that different from each other.

With documentaries like "Tapped" and books like Inside the Bottle: Exposing the Bottled Water Industry, it's becoming apparent that now's the time to quit buying the bottled water and go for a filter instead.* And as much as we'd like to say "______ is the best filter," unfortunately, it's not that easy. The best filter is the one that specifically goes after what is found in your city's water. A reliable filtration company should recommend filters based on the water quality report for your area.

Please note that all minerals are removed in the distillation process, so if you ever drink distilled water (not recommended) you need to take mineral supplementation.

We also took an inside look at a Brita filter today. It uses carbon as it's main filtration system and therefore does reduce chlorine as well as larger contaminants. So while it may not be the most efficient water filter available, it seems to be better than doing nothing at all to the tap water. The only downside is that the water sits in plastic (but there's probably an innovative way to get around that...we'll leave that up to you). It should also be noted that carbon filters can be a breeding ground for bacteria if left in a warm, moist environment, so always keep Brita filters in the refrigerator.

The bottom line, though, is that our water supplies are polluted with a lot of contaminants nowadays, everything from pharmaceuticals to pesticides, and tap water needs to be filtered. "Flushed Away", a recent Time Magazine article, states that pharmaceuticals are, in fact, detected in our water. Although they are found in small amounts, there is no research on long-term consumption and/or on the interaction of multiple drugs.

Finally, as an ironic side note, we heard on the Grand Rapids News just this morning that Erin Brockovich is taking on a new investigative case involving water. A small town in Michigan believes that their community's health problems are due to contaminants from the local Birds Eye Foods processing plant. These are just more reasons to find out what's in the water you drink every day!

*The exception? Glass-bottled Mountain Valley Spring Water, bottled since 1871. It's straight from a protected Arkansas Spring where no activities are allowed on the 2,000 acres surrounding the source to prevent possible contamination. Their analysis far exceeds the required testing for municipal tap water. This water is actually healing for the body. You can buy it online, set up a regular home distribution (like us!) or purchase it from most Whole Foods.

It's all about barrel draining...

2010-05-17T17:10:00.004-05:00

The first day of our Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) seminar started with an analogy that Bau-Biologie (Building Biology) commonly uses to help explain the cumulative effects that pollutants can have on our health. It makes it a little easier to visual the concepts of accumulation and elimination and is taken from Dr. William Rae, Directory of the Environmental Health Center in Dallas. His analogy suggests that our bodies are like a rain barrel, collecting the pollutants found in the air we breathe, water we drink and food we eat. We have natural processes of elimination: urine, bowels, sweat, CO2. But, if these organs of elimination (kidney, colon, skin, lungs) can't keep up with the pollutants they're bombarded with, or our "barrel" isn't draining properly, we can have a back-up and symptoms can occur.

Another factor contributing to this overflow is that some of these pollutants are fat-soluble and are therefore stored in our bodies' fat tissue, or adipose tissue, instead of being eliminated. (Women's breasts, for example, are made up of mostly adipose tissue, and are the site of much chemical storage.)

Bau-Biologie's goal is to reduce this barrel load - to keep the pollutants from building up, overflowing and leading to health problems. So, that's why we're here - to learn more ways to "lessen the load" by implementing healthy indoor air quality principles.

One tip we learned today:

Keep the area around your return air ducts as clean and chemical-free as possible. This is the air that is taken up and spread throughout your entire house or apartment, so you don't want it to be exposed to a highly polluted area.

Travelling With The (Two) Branches Again

2010-05-16T19:25:00.005-05:00

We're off for another IBE Building Biology seminar, this time in Battle Creek, Michigan! You might have followed us on our last trip back in February to Rancho Cucamonga, CA which was focused on Natural Building and Remodeling.

This time we're here to learn about indoor air and water quality - factors to consider, testing methods, remediation techniques, and more. All week we'll update you on interesting things we learn and healthy daily activities we partake in.

Let's take today for example...

Since we knew we would be without a kitchen and good restaurants for six days, we had to make prior provisions. (Battle Creek, also known as "Cereal City", doesn't offer too many food options besides the Kellogg's factory outside our window that makes the whole town smell like Baskin Robbin's waffle cones...literally...it's hilarious.) We did our due diligence and found there was a (huge) Whole Foods just off the freeway, so we filled up our compact rental car with delicious, healthy goods to tide us over.

We were daunted at first by the thought of finding enough food that requires no cooking and little preparation, and wondering if it would all fit in our room's mini-fridge! But Whole Foods made this challenge a breeze. The menu for the week includes hearty salads, turkey sandwiches, sweet snacks, canned beans and canned wild fish (which is surprisingly great).

Our grocery list:

Vegetables: carrots, beets, sprouts, avocados, lemons, and lettuce
Fruit: cantaloupes, mini-watermelons, tomatoes, and dates
Grains: Alvarado St. Bakery Sprouted Sourdough Bread and Bob's Red Mill Rolled Oats
Protein: Raw almond butter, Eden canned beans, freshly sliced turkey from the deli, and wild salmon

We were pleased to find a good-sized fridge to store all of our fresh goods, so thankfully we are set for the week! Oh, the lengths we'll go to eat well. But we wouldn't have it any other way!

After we got settled in, we found a great walking path just a few blocks from the hotel so we could stretch our legs after a long day of sitting on airplanes and riding in the car.

And that pretty much concludes the major experiences of our travels today. We'll keep you posted on how our first day goes!

Stay Informed, Stay Healthy

2010-05-14T07:44:00.012-05:00

"Pesticide regulations in the U.S. are well behind much of the rest of the industrialized world," says What's on my food?, a searchable database that provides information on our food's toxicity levels.

"This is mostly because agrichemical corporations like Monsanto have too much influence in Washington, but also because pesticide regulation in the U.S. does not adequately account for things like additive and synergistic effects. Synergistic effects are when one + one = much more than two because the effect of the second chemical amplifies the effect of the first (a.k.a. "Chemical cocktail effect")."

What's on my food? is brought to us by Pesticide Action Network (PAN), whose purpose is to eliminate highly hazardous pesticides. You simply type in the name of the food you're interested in and the pesticide residue, along with the chemical's toxicology data, pop up. This allows us to easily detect whether the food we eat every day are high or low on the "toxic" list.

On their website, the toxicity statistics are broken down into four different categories: Carcinogenicity, Neurotoxicity, Developmental or Reproductive Toxicity and Endocrine Disruption.

For instance, I searched "blueberries" and found that there are a whopping 52 pesticide residues found by the USDA Pesticide Data Program, 8 of which are known/probable carcinogens. Twenty-four are are suspected hormone disruptors.

This is a great tool if you're debating whether or not to splurge and go for organic. While this option still doesn't guarentee completely pesticide-free, it's a much healthier choice and the toxic residues are significantly lower.

What's on my food? has even come out with a free iphone app so download it today and start making more informed grocery purchases!

Quick & Easy Breakfast Idea

2010-05-13T09:09:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd share my breakfast with everyone since it looked and tasted so delicious and it only took me about 8 minutes!

I simply put some organic olive oil in a (non-teflon) skillet, turned it on medium-low, and cracked open two organic, antibiotic- and hormone-free eggs. I let them cook a bit, added a dash of pink salt (sea salt) and flipped 'em over. Then I placed them on a rice tortilla.

Since I didn't want to wash two skillets, I added a tiny bit of water to the same skillet and threw in some fresh arugula. which I cooked for just a few minutes. (I would have used spinach if I had it, but the arugula actually turned out great.) I put the greens on top of the eggs, finished the dish with some organic salsa and...Voilà! A delicious breakfast taco!

I also heated up the tortilla, but, again, since I didn't want to clean another skillet, I just stuck the whole concoction straight into the skillet to warm it up. You could even do this before you cook the eggs or while the eggs are cooking, using a separate skillet or the oven. I also love steaming tortillas in a steam basket as this method avoids drying them out, making them moist and delicious!

This also makes for a delicious breakfast-for-dinner meal!

Note: I used a rice tortilla but I would suggest using an Ezekial sprouted corn or grain tortilla, both vailable in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods or other health food stores.

The Latest Food Trends

2010-05-12T10:21:00.005-05:00

We're quick to stay tuned and follow the latest news, current fashions, hottest songs and most innovative technology. In fact, whether we consider it "work" or not, it's a full-time job just keeping up with what this ever-changing world has to offer. If we don't, we're sure to fall behind (unless, of course, the trend actually recirculates and we find our mom's denim leggings are "in" again. Yikes.)

If only we treated our diets with the same respect as the most recent fad, we'd reap endless benefits. By eating foods that are "in" (season, that is), we'll profit the most from their nutrient value.

Today, almost all foods are available year-round without regard to their growing season.

"The next time you reach for a tomato in December, look at the label. Imported tomatoes travel an average of 1,569 miles, whereas one grown in your region in season may have traveled just 60 miles," says Terry Walters, author of the seasonal cookbook Clean Food.

Flash freezing, modern food processing, world-wide distribution and preservatives make following food's seasonal trends seemingly impossible. Why would you choose a juicy tangerine over ruby red strawberry in the heart of november?!

Because it's the healthier choice. According to Brian Halweil, author of Eat Here: Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket, “If you harvest something early so that it can endure a long distance shipping experience, it’s not going to have the full complement of nutrients it might have had.” Not to mention, transporting produce long distances often requires irradiation, or zapping the food to kill germs.

It turns out God wasn't playing a mindless game of "eeny, meeny, miny, moe" when deciding which foods to grow where and at what times.

In a post back in April, we cited Lisa Turner's article, "Beginner's Guide to Seasonal Eating." The piece explains this process perfectly:

"The body naturally needs different foods during specific times of the year—foods that protect us from the effects of seasonal changes—say experts such as Elson M. Haas, MD, author of Staying Healthy with the Seasons (Celestial Arts, 2004). Haas’ recommendation draws on nutritional wisdom from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and natural medicine. For example, in TCM, spring is associated with the liver—one of the body’s primary detoxification organs. Synergistically, it’s also the time when dandelion and other greens are fresh and available. “Young, bitter-tasting greens support the liver’s function and its ability to cleanse the blood,” says Rebecca Wood, author of The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia (Penguin, 2010)."

So what are the trends for this season, and in particular, this month?

Vegetables

asparagus

leafy greens like spinach

artichokes

green beans

cabbage

carrots (year-round)

cilantro

iceburg lettuce

sweet onions

green onions

parsnips

potatoes (red, russet)

radishes

Fruit

cherries

grapefruit

grapes

melons (cantelopes, watermelons)

oranges

peaches

tomatoes

As summer approaches, the list of fruits will continue to expand. Stay tuned for the latest seasonal trends!

Image: http://www.pottery.co.za/house_&_garden.htm

President's Cancer Panel

2010-05-11T11:53:00.006-05:00

A recent New Times article, U.S. Panel Criticized as Overstating Cancer Risks, keeps us up to date on where our government is trying to go in regards to regulation and research on environmental causes of cancer...and it's quite exciting (even though this article highlights the criticism).

The President's Cancer Panel is trying to increase the focus on how much our environmental exposures likely play a role in cancer rates. Members Dr. Leffall and Dr. Margaret L. Kripke, a professor emerita from the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston composed a 240-page report that says "the proportion of cancer cases caused by environmental exposures has been 'grossly underestimated.' It warns of 'grievous harm' from chemicals and other hazards, and cites 'a growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer.'"

What is so great about the report is that it covers so many different areas of exposure to toxic chemicals, including food, water, building materials, plastic, etc., as well as electromagnetic radiation sources. This is exactly what Three Branches is all about....looking at the whole picture. As we've stressed before, we have to consider diet AND environment if we really want to be the healthiest we can be and have the best chance at healing from disease.

And that leads me to comment about Dr. Michael Thun's, an epidemiologist from the American Cancer Society, concerns noted in the article above. Dr. Thun said, "Suggesting that the risk is much higher, when there is no proof, may divert attention from things that are much bigger causes of cancer, like smoking." He went on to say, "if we could get rid of tobacco, we could get rid of 30 percent of cancer deaths," adding that poor nutrition, obesity and lack of exercise are also greater contributors to cancer risk than pollution."

In my opinion, smoking is something that needs to be addressed but it's also something that was not proven to be hazardous until after a lot of people got sick. In addition, it is hard to have clear cut proof on environmental influences when we are surrounded by so many different exposures all day, every day. Therefore, we should take a precautionary approach, which the panel advises, and our government should not wait for so many to fall ill before making regulatory changes. Furthermore, I do not think you can state poor nutrition and obesity as contributors that are independent of pollution. They go hand-in-hand since poor nutrition includes chemical pollutants in our food and water and obesity includes storing chemicals in fat cells. When you lose weight you don't just get thinner, you detoxify internal pollutants.

If you have the time, skim through the report (link is in the NY Times article). It's actually very interesting and educational! It starts off with a cover letter to the president, which concludes with "The Panel urges you most strongly to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our Nation’s productivity, and devastate American lives." ....Doesn't that make you want to keep reading?!

Dilution is the Solution to Pollution

2010-05-10T11:39:00.003-05:00

The EPA states that our indoor air is 6-10 times more polluted than our outdoor air. Pretty unbelievable. But, if you think about it, this makes perfect sense. Sure, factories, car exhaust, etc. add to the ambient air we breathe but let’s ponder the ingredients in the chemical soup found right inside our homes: cleaning products (Chlorox, Windex, laundry detergents, dryer sheets), body care products (most perfumes, hairsprays, lotions, aftershaves contain harmful chemicals), pesticides (sprayed around our homes’ baseboards), building materials (contain highly toxic paints, resins, glues, sealers, etc.), carpet and upholstered furniture (many have flame retarding chemicals)...the list goes on...

In fact, studies show (and Kelly and I measured this ourselves!) that by just opening your room’s windows for ten minutes will substantially decrease the level of CO2 in the home because fresh(er) outdoor air is allowed to dilute the more chemicals-laden indoor air.

What we’re getting at here is that dilution is the solution to pollution!

It only makes sense that when chemicals are present in smaller, more confined spaces, they have the most impact on the air quality. While there are a plethora of highly toxic agents in the outdoor air, the sky is the limit as to where they can go (literally). The ratio of clean air to chemicals outside is much safer than the ratio inside.

So let’s take this a step further. Can you think of a very small, tightly sealed area that we spend a ton of time in every single day? Our cars! There are the obvious measures that we can take to keep from being overly exposed to toxins as we drive like avoiding car air fresheners (see the post on the toxicity of the famous “tree” fresheners!), but what about our everyday activities that may be leaving us drained and depleted by the time we arrive at our destination? For instance, picking up freshly dry-cleaned clothes, getting our nails done, spraying perfume and hairspray, buying shoes, furniture, etc. with that plastic “new” smell. All of these things contribute to our car’s air quality.

And, the ultimate perpetrator? A new car! Before you deeply and delightfully inhale that “new car” smell, think about what you’re breathing: new vinyl/leather/carpeted seats that are treated with a number of chemicals.

So, try rolling down your windows to dilute the air and increase circulation, especially if your car is new or you’re carrying around something you think contains chemicals that are harmful to our health.

It’s best to try this while driving and not sitting in stop-and-go traffic where the car exhaust outside is much higher. You might be surprised at how much better you feel when you get out!

Image: http://www.glutenfreeway.info/foodlists.html

Check out Chipotle Chicken

2010-05-06T13:18:00.006-05:00

We wanted to raise a toast to Chipotle, the home of our favorite on-the-go meal! Yep, that's right, we absolutely love the taste, price and ingredients in their chicken "burrito-in-a-bowl." You won't even miss the tortilla, cheese or sour cream when you order a big bowl of rice, black beans, tomatoes, jalepenos, onions, corn and chicken topped with extra guacamole. Yum-my!

Since we avoid conventional chicken (which is usually farm-raised, eats pesticide- and additive-laden food and given artificial hormones), we were ecstatic when the news came out that this Denver-based chain restaurant uses naturally-raised chicken, free of hormones. Chipotle also strives for organic produce and hormone-free dairy products. In fact, in 2001, Chipotle released a mission statement called Food With Integrity, highlighting its efforts to increase their use of these foods. What a breath of fresh air!

So, next time you're in a hurry or just craving a quick, cheap and delicious meal, pull over at the nearest location and give this meal a try!

Image courtesy of: www.healthytastycheap.wordpress.com

Rest Assured at Restaurants

2010-05-05T08:05:00.003-05:00

I love eating out. Since most of my time is spent in the kitchen, soaking, chopping, washing, steaming, sauteeing, serving...and, of course, cleaning, having others do this for me is a real treat!

The only thought that leaves me uneasy is, "What's really going on back there?! How is the food I'm about to consume being prepared?" The following offer a few ideas that will help reduce the "unknowns" and ensure that you're getting the most out of your meal.

The first is the easiest and most obvious: order right!

Avoid fried foods. High temperatures like those reached in frying destroys the benefits of oils and create harmful byproducts for the liver, arteries and heart. Fat molecules in the food are altered and can interfere with our cell function.

Avoid rich, creamy dishes. Flour-based dishes are heavy and hard to digest and virtually void of nutrients. For this reason, we avoid pasta-based meals, casseroles, quiches, etc. Most of these choices contain creams, among other hard-to-digest ingredients.

Go for the best source. We do not advocate a vegan diet, recommend cutting out meat, or say no to all dairy. Instead, we believe that each person is different and depending on their blood type, digestive capabilities, etc., can benefit from certain foods more than others. So, our "blanket" advice when ordering is: go for quality! Find out which fish is the freshest (usually wild-caught, and not from the Gulf of Mexico!) or if any of the meat options are grass-fed, pesticide- and hormone-free. The more uncommonly-available animals (goat, mutton, quail, etc.) are usually "cleaner" because they are raised with less-invasive methods. "Specials" sometimes offer the freshest choices.

Pile on the veggies. You'll want to load up on good vitamins and minerals, both of which are jam-packed into vegetables, especially greens like spinach, swiss chard, kale and collard greens. These nutrients will assist in digesting the rest of your plate!

Once you've decided on your order, it's best to further specify its preparation.

Choose the right oils. I like to request that my food be cooked in olive oil, as most others (like the typical, cheap vegetable oil) can cause harm when consumed. Coconut oil is another wonderful option, but less common and most likely not an option when eating out. Canola oil has become popular and even deemed a "healthy" option by many. Canola is genetically engineered from the rapeseed plant and according to AgriAlternatives, an online magazine for farmers, "By nature, these rapeseed oils, which have long been used to produce oils for industrial purposes are...toxic to humans and other animals." Canola oil is a trans fatty acid, which has shown to have a direct link to cancer. So, think can't-ola oil!

Many dishes are cooked with butter and other dairy products, which can contain added hormones. While clarified butter, known as "ghee", is a wonderful alternative, it's usually not available at restaurants. Therefore, I like to stick to good ol' olive oil!

Specify the method of cooking. Raising oils to higher temperatures can result in negative effects. To avoid this concern, I specify that I want my food steamed, boiled or lightly sauteed instead of grilled, fried, pan-seared or blackened. When ordering fish, I usually ask for poached or baked.

Lastly, and most importantly, before taking my first bite, I ask that God would bless my food. If there is anything harmful that would work against my health, He can strengthen my digestion so that my body eliminates the bad and reaps only the benefits present.

Well, this should be a good start! Hope this makes your dining experience more enjoyable, as you can rest easy knowing that you're getting the most out of your meal.

Bisphenol A (BPA)

2010-05-04T09:44:00.010-05:00

Baby bottle: B and G Images; others by Jim Wehtje/Getty Images

We want to share an editorial published in today's Houston Chronicle on Bisphenol A (BPA), which is used mainly to make hard plastics and the liners in canned foods. We mentioned it recently in the post on Eden Foods canned beans since Eden does not use bispehnol A, but we didn't really explain why they don't use it. BPA is something you want to avoid as much as you possibly can and articles like the one below help to remind us that, unfortunately, we have to be the ones to make the extra effort to know what goes into the things we use everyday. Only then can we can make safer choices for our health.

Is this good for you? Are you eating bisphenol A?
Houston Chronicle
May 3, 2010

Sorry to break this to you, but the odds are awfully high that bisphenol A, an estrogen-like chemical, is sloshing around in your body.

According to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the chemical shows up in the urine of an astounding 93 percent of Americans.

How much should that worry you? Nobody is quite sure yet. But recent studies have linked the chemical to a host of health problems, including heart disease and cancer.

And both the FDA and a panel convened by the National Institutes of Health have expressed “some concern” about its effect on fetuses' and babies' brains.

And still, bisphenol A is all around us.

It's used in plastic food containers and water bottles. It's in the lining of metal food cans. It even lurks in babies' rubber duckies.

Wait, you say. Doesn't the federal government regulate toxic chemicals?

The answer is: Barely. In 1976, Congress passed the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), a weak sibling of clean-air and clean-water legislation. Since then, says the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Coalition, the Environmental Protection Agency has been able to require testing of 200 chemicals, a fraction of the 80,000 made and used in the U.S.

“Over the years,” EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has said, “not only has TSCA fallen behind the industry it's supposed to regulate, it's been proven an inadequate tool for providing the protection against chemical risks that the public rightfully expects.”

That weak law explains why American plywood can carry levels of formaldehyde that are not allowed in China — never mind the European Union or Japan.

And it's why American manufacturers often don't even know exactly what chemicals their products contain. Their downstream suppliers aren't required to reveal what's in the raw materials.

This all needs to change. A wide array of groups — ranging from environmentalists and disability-rights groups to The American Chemistry Council — agrees that the TSCA needs to begin living up to its name.

And we agree. We need to be sure of the safety of chemicals that are ending up in our bodies — and in our kids'.

"Is BPA in Your Bottle? The FDA and studies warn about Bisphenol A - how should you handle the news?" is another article I suggest skimming through. Be sure to read through the facts on the left side to see common sources of BPA and ways you can minimize your exposure, as well as Dr. William Lee's explanation of what BPA does in the human body.