Invest in Your Health

A recent radio newscaster used the word, “capitulation,” when describing today’s investor in the stock market. Capitulation, in the stock market, is when the investor gives up and pulls out entirely. He or she does not ride out the economic waves, but is gun-shy about investing further in a volatile instrument. My first reaction to this news spot was, “What better time but to invest in yourself?” When everything else feels like it is failing you, you have the most control over your body and mind. Make it as healthy and sharp as possible.

In thinking about the theme of this article, an old cartoon popped in my head. In this cartoon, an out of shape and not so healthy looking individual sits on an examination table, while the physician stands directly across from and converses with this patient. The physician says, “You can consult with a registered dietitian and learn about nutrition and weight loss to help your condition, but this is most-likely not covered by your insurance.” The physician continues to tell the patient, “Or, you can undergo radical surgery, and that is most-likely covered completely by your insurance.” The patient quickly responds, “I’ll take the surgery.”

Funny as it sounds, it is pretty sad. Our politicians have plenty of ideas for fixing our healthcare system, but no one has ever entertained a tax or penalty for those who do not take care of their mental or physical health. Even “preventive” health plans give very little incentive for undergoing nutritional care and mental health services as a means to avoiding unnecessary visits to the doctor, expensive medications and radical surgeries.

Dr. Dean Ornish pioneered the heart reversal diet, low in fat and low on the food chain. Heart Reversal programs began to pop up around the country, costing a few thousand dollars in exchange for longevity. Initially, his approach was criticized and labeled as “radical” by other healthcare providers and the media. Dr. Ornish regularly posed the question, in his presentations, “What is more radical: drugs and surgery or eating healthy?”

For more than 40 years, T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. has been at the forefront of nutrition research. His legacy, the China Study, is the most comprehensive study of health and nutrition ever conducted. In The China Study, Dr. Campbell outlines the connection between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and also its ability to reduce or reverse the risk or effects of these deadly illnesses. The study was the culmination of a 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine.

The findings of this study showed that individuals who ate the most animal-based foods developed the most chronic disease. Individuals who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease. The problem that most people find in eating healthy is the increase in their grocery bills. What if you looked at your increase in grocery bills as saving money later on your bill of health?

Some corporations, such as Johnson and Johnson, have developed incentive based health plans, where employees get certain bonuses for regular check ups, and penalties for ignoring their health. Other employer groups have carved out nutrition and exercise coverage in their health plans.

On the other hand, we spend thousands of dollars on education and activities for our children, but ignore the necessity of addressing prevention and treatment of destructive behaviors. In my eating disorder practice, I see bright individuals who have achieved academic honors, but yet will never be able to function on a job unless they take their recovery seriously. And then there are those families who choose to brush these illnesses under the carpet, ignoring the value of addressing one’s mental health.

So, if you are thinking about a special gift this holiday season, for you or someone you love, spend it on the gift of health. If you are looking to make a serious renovation to your house, renovate your inner house. Happy holidays!

How to Enjoy Thanksgiving Without Going Overboard!

Thanksgiving tends to bring up anxiety for many struggling with weight and issues around food. With a main dish of lean poultry and a dessert made from squash, you would think that mindful and conscious eating would be easy. However, studies show that on Thanksgiving, individuals consume double to triple the amount of calories more than their body requires.

Nevertheless, there is much room for making Thanksgiving dinner lighter and even tastier. With emphasis on the much more healthful side dishes, you can leave the table feeling satisfied but not uncomfortable. Let’s take a look at scrumptious and nutritious dishes that you can serve, along with strategies for balancing food intake and keeping your guests happy.

SUPERSTAR THANKSGIVING CHOICES

Cranberry Sauce: Cranberries are a good source of vitamin C and high in antioxidants. Just make sure that you purchase a fresh and whole cranberry sauce vs. one loaded with high fructose corn syrup, as this will sabotage all of your nutrient benefits.

Chutney: When was the last time you had chutney? Chutney is a strong relish from the cuisine of India. It is usually eaten in small amounts to add flavor or to accent a meal. Ground freshly on the curry stone, chutney consists of a paste of raw ingredients, such as fresh ginger, mint, coriander (cilantro) leaves, sour fruits, Indian mango and/or coconut. These ingredients are considered “stimulating or refreshing to the palate.” Chutney also has a range of medicinal properties including relieving indigestion.

Sweet and White Potatoes: Sweet potatoes are loaded with nutrition. They’re an excellent source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Because sweet potatoes are “sweet,” why pile on the added sugar? Use cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to bring out the natural flavor of your sweet potato casserole. White potatoes are also loaded with potassium. Do your mashed potatoes need extra salt? Try Celtic salt to give you added minerals beyond your typical table (iodized) salt.

Pecan Pie: Fresh, raw pecans provide a good source of monounsaturated fats, which are heart-healthy along with fiber, vitamin E, and zinc. Pecans ranked #14 in the USDA’s study on antioxidant rich foods. However, go easy on the butter and eat mindfully, as this dessert can put you over the top!

Homemade Apple Pie: One medium-sized apple contains only 80 calories and has zero grams of fat. Apples are a great source of soluble fiber, which helps to stabilize your blood sugar and lower cholesterol. Again, watch the amount of butter added to this recipe!

Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin is a type of winter squash, which is also low in calories and fat free. Pumpkin is a wonderful source of fiber, beta-carotene, potassium, and antioxidants lutein and beta-cryptoxanthin. Lutein helps reduce the risk of macular degeneration and beta-cryptoxanthin helps fight arthritis.

WAYS TO TRIM THE FAT AND CALORIES FROM YOUR BANQUET

• Fill up on fresh vegetables and cut fruit as appetizers.

• Baste your turkey with vegetable stock. Male gravy with fat-free broth or purchase fat-free gravy off the store shelf.

• Enjoy turkey without the skin, as the skin is where the majority of fat is hidden.

• If you traditionally serve turkey at your Thanksgiving dinner, try “free range” turkey that has not been adulterated with hormones or other chemicals and is raised in sanitary conditions. Or, try “Tofurkey,” a soy based turkey.

• Use nonfat or soymilk vs. butter for mashed potatoes.

• Prepare sweet potatoes with regular marshmallows, but half the amount your normally use. Use spices mentioned previously instead of sugar or use diced apples and raisins for sweetness.

• Reduce calories in pumpkin pie by using non-fat evaporated milk instead of cream.

• Remember to get some physical activity, before and/or after dinner. You will feel much better if you move!

Most hosts will go out of their way to accommodate a guest with a food allergy. Accommodating someone with a dietary restriction due to a medical problem such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, is just as important. Also, don’t take your health for granted.

Many health professionals do a disservice to their clients when they tell their clients that it’s “OK” to splurge at the holidays. Visits to the emergency room are highest at Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Fourth of July, Birthdays, and Anniversaries. This has been linked to overeating at these special occasions. What happens is that individuals with high cholesterol and plaque build-up in the arteries “binge-out” and cause their plaque to rupture. This can lead to chest pain or heart attack.

Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude. Try and prepare food by hand, preferably without machines, and in silence. Simple preparations are great. (Such as peeling an orange or making a simple salad). Take your time, breathe, move slowly. As you prepare your food, appreciate it with all five senses.

Once prepared and ready to eat, sit down with your feed in front of you. Place both feet on the floor and consciously connect with the ground. Bring the palms of your hands over your food, and notice if you feel its vibration. With your palms here, give gratitude for the food and the experience.

Healthy Recipes: November 2008

Sweet Potato Pie

• 4 large potatoes, raw

• 1 large potato, cooked and mashed

• 1 tsp. lemon juice

• 3 organic eggs

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1/4 tsp. pepper

• Dash cinnamon

Grate the raw potatoes or process them in a food processor. Add lemon juice. Mix in remaining ingredients, stirring well. Pour into baking dish and bake at 400 for 1 hour or until top is slightly brown.

Acorn Squash

• 3 small acorn squash

• 1 1/2 cups pineapple chunks in its own juice

• 1 apple, diced

• Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon to taste

• 2 Tbs. Olive oil

Wash squash and cut in half, leaving seeds and stem intact. Place squash, cut side down, in baking dish. Pour about inch of boiling water over them. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until almost tender.

Remove seeds and discard them. Drain pineapple chunks, reserving the juice. Mix the pineapple with the apple and spices. Fill the squash cavities with the fruit mixture a dot of olive oil. Place the filled squash in a baking dish and bake, uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes, basking occasionally in the reserved pineapple juice.

Nutrition: October 2008

Have you ever wondered why many “health conscious” individuals think of foods such as diet soda, artificial sweeteners, and TV dinners – with names like “Health” or “Lean” as a part of their brand name – to be “healthy foods” despite their ingredient panel containing a long list of unnatural or artificial ingredients?

Since the 1950’s, America has seen a tremendous growth in its food supply. In the mid 1980’s, this country saw an enormous increase in the number of available diet and artificial foods, intended to promote weight loss and “health”. However, since then, our country’s population has been getting heavier and increasingly wrought with chronic disease. We are consuming food that truly is not food, and our bodies do not know how to process these many foreign substances!

Slow Food is a breath of fresh air. Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat: where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

Slow Food members around the world work to build relationships with producers, campaign to protect traditional foods, organize tasting and seminars, encourage chefs to source locally, nominate producers to participate in international events and work to bring taste education into schools. Most importantly, they cultivate the appreciation of pleasure and quality in daily life.

Slow Food is good, clean and fair food. Slow Food members believe that the food you eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or your health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work.

Carlo Petrini, an Italian journalist dismayed by the opening of a McDonald’s in Rome, stated, “Pleasure is a way of being at one with yourself and others.” Slow Food recognizes that the best place to preserve biological and cultural diversity is not in museums or zoos but on our plates.

Slow Food is a great adjunct to Mindful Eating, which you may have heard about recently as a way to slow down and appreciate what you are eating. Mindfulness is being aware of what is present for you physically, emotionally and spiritually in each moment. Mindful Eating is:

• Allowing yourself to become aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities that are available through food preparation and consumption by respecting your own inner wisdom.

• Choosing to eat food that is both pleasing to you and nourishing to your body by using all your senses to explore, savor and taste.

• Learning to be aware of physical hunger and satiety cues to guide your decision to begin eating and to stop eating.

If weight management is primarily your interest, bringing awareness and attention to how and what you are eating can help you eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. If everyone in this country practiced this rule, weight loss diets would be obsolete! Here are some other ways to practice mindful eating:

• Bring the palms of your hands over your food, and notice if you feel anything from it. With your palms here, give thanks for the food and the experience.

• Journal what is coming up for you at this moment

• Begin to eat. Again, appreciate the food with all five senses. Chew slowly and completely, keep your eyes closed. Can you chew each mouthful 30 or 50 or even 100 times? Explore the full flavor and the variety of tastes that make up this food.

• Explore the food with all of your senses:

Sound – Does the food have a vibration or sound?

Smell – Odors, familiar smells that bring up memories, feelings

Visual – Color, presentation

Taste – Describe taste

Texture – Describe all sensations

How can you support the Slow Food movement?

• Reduce your intake of processed foods

• Eat lower on the food chain

• Eat locally grown and organic produce as much as possible

• Cook more meals from scratch vs. dining out

• If cooking is not your forte’, try the “meals to go” in whole and organic food stores

A “slow” approach to dietary changes will pave the way to long-term changes. The “slow” approach to making life long dietary changes involves a comprehensive nutrition assessment. This assessment is an important first step in order to peel back the layers and pave the way for a successful nutrition counseling experience.

Many individuals expect to transform themselves in one meeting with a registered dietitian. They want to learn and internalize everything in less than an hour of time. Just like any other credible healthcare profession, you are not healed in one visit to your healthcare provider, whether it be your physician, psychotherapist, physical therapist, occupational or speech therapist.

Learning how to make healthy and wholesome food choices, over time, will give you much more clarity vs. loading up on sugar and junk food. This is how you create balance and move away from the “all” or “nothing” approach.

Healthy Recipes: August 2008

Betsey’s Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

6 tablespoons pureed prunes or plums

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

3 cups rolled oats, uncooked

1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray. Combine prunes/plumbs, brown sugar, sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until well blended. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add to sugar mixture; mix well. Stir in oats and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets; cool on wire racks. Store in tightly covered container. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Fruit Smoothie

1 10 ounce package lite, silken tofu

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 banana

2 cups pineapple-orange juice

Blend until smooth. Serves 2.

Recipes: July 2008

Grilled Veggie Kebabs

Soak your favorite vegetables for 30 minutes before threading and grilling.

For each kebab:

• 6 large cut vegetables
• Pesto vinaigrette for basting vegetables

Vinaigrette:

by Chef Annabel Cohen

• 2 Tbsp. prepared pesto
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Heat grill to medium-high. Soak mushrooms in water for 30 minutes. Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.

For each kebab, thread 4-6 vegetables on an 8-inch or longer skewer (if using bamboo skewers, soak them in warm water for an hour before using).

Place the kebabs on the hot grill and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until tender, brushing with the vinaigrette every few minutes. The vinaigrette is sufficient for basting up to 12 kebabs. Serve hot.

Paella a la Valenciana

by Connie Jason and Regina Jarandilla

Paella was meant to be grilled on high heat.

• 1 pound firm tofu, cut into cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 10 ounce package frozen peas
• 1 9 ounce package frozen artichoke hearts
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 11/2 cup basmati rice
• 2 tsp. salt
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• pinch of saffron

In a paella pan, brown tofu, garlic and onions in oil on medium to high heat. Add tomatoes, peas, artichoke hearts, paprika and rice and cook until rice is well coated with oil. Add salt, broth, saffron and cook uncovered until the rice tender. Garnish with pimientos and olives. Serves 6.

Nutrition: Shedding Heavy Foods for the Summer

Summer is a great time to think about eating lighter meals. A growing amount of individuals are interested in experimenting with a vegetarian diet or eating more vegetarian meals during their week. Just like any food plan, the key to a healthy vegetarian diet is simple—eat a variety of foods, which are nutrient dense, and limit junk foods. If you base your diet around junk food, whether you are a carnivore or a vegetarian, you will be missing out on many key nutrients.

What should individuals be concerned about regarding proper nutrition if contemplating a vegetarian diet? Iron deficiency anemia is still a widespread problem. However, studies show that anemia is no more prevalent in vegetarians than in carnivores. Although the iron in meat products is more readily absorbed, good non-meat sources of iron include beans, green leafy vegetables, fortified cereals and dried fruit.

On the other hand, a vegetarian diet may be useful in treating heart disease and diabetes. Over 50% of individuals with diabetes develop heart disease at some point in their lives, which can be prevented or abated by prudent food choices. Dr. Dean Ornish has done groundbreaking research in the area of lifestyle and heart disease prevention. He has demonstrated that the blockage of arteries can actually be reversed without surgery or drugs using a low-fat, vegetarian diet in conjunction with exercise and stress management. Since even small improvements in arterial blockages can significantly improve blood flow to the heart, this is a wonderful option for anyone who has considered surgery to be the only choice.

In addition to heart disease, meat is a contributing factor in the development of kidney failure due to it’s high protein content, along with stroke, and increased vulnerability to infectious diseases. Too much fat is also a problem in the diet of women. Dietary fat, mainly of animal origin, influences levels of various hormones in the body, thereby increasing one’s risk of cancer.

Calcium is another concern in terms of osteoporosis prevention. In the first few years of menopause, women can lose up to 30% of their bone mass. However, osteoporosis is not a disease of calcium deficiency—but a disease of calcium loss. Many women are routinely on diets or are on the go, guzzling down caffeine and/or diet pop, both which cause calcium loss from bone. Caffeinated soft drinks enhance this bone loss. The issue may not be that women are not taking in enough dairy products, but consuming products that are leaching their calcium stores.

Americans, vegetarians included, eat four times as much protein than they actually need. High protein diets promote calcium loss from the bones. Although dairy products contain large amounts of calcium, they also contain a large amount of protein, which causes calcium to be excreted from the body. Non-animal sources of calcium, which would be lower in protein and therefore better retained by the body include green leafy vegetables, beans, tofu and other soy products.

For anyone contemplating a vegetarian diet, you don’t have to embark on the “all or nothing” approach. Finding what works for YOU is the key to any successful diet and lifestyle change. Any change is a step in the direction to feeling healthy.

Here are some steps you can take:

• Eat less red meat and switch to chicken or fish.

• Reduce poultry and fish consumption to three times per week or less, while having at least two to three meatless meals per week emphasizing legumes, soy products, whole grains, and vegetables.

• Don’t worry about “complementing” your proteins. Many people feel that eating vegetarian is “hard work.” This misconception may exist because it was once thought that in order to derive high quality protein from grains and vegetables, proteins needed to be “complemented” (i.e., legumes with seeds, seeds with grains, grains with legumes, etc.) at the same meal. It is now known that you do not have to combine foods in a special way at the same meal to obtain all of the amino acids together. This is usually done naturally during the course of the day with the meals normally eaten.

• Decrease or eliminate consumption of dairy foods. Substitute soy or rice products for milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream.

• Limit refined grains such as white rice, white bread, and white pasta. Choose instead brown rice, whole grain breads and other whole grains.

• Increase your intake of fruit and vegetables to load up on antioxidant vitamin and minerals. Have at least three pieces of fruit a day and try a variety of colorful salad greens such as romaine, green and red leaf, spinach, and bibb, not just iceberg or head lettuce.

• Eat more foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your heart, bones and help fight depression. Vegetarian sources of omega-3 fatty acids include flax seeds, wheat germ, tofu, walnuts, and green, leafy vegetables.

Healthy Recipes: June 2008

Quiche a la’ Anne

Crust:

• ¾ cup amaranth flour
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon trans fat free margarine
• 4 – 5 tablespoons cold water
• ½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and margarine. Blend with a pastry blender until flour and margarine are mixed and form little beads or coarse crumbs. Sprinkle cold water over flour mixture, l tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork or pastry blender until particles are moistened and cling together. Form dough into a ball. Roll out on a floured pastry sheet or wax paper into a 11 – 12 inch circle.

Place in a 9 inch pie pan. Flute edges. Prick bottom of crust with a fork. Bake about 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

Filling:

• 1 small zucchini, sliced and partially cooked
• 1 onion, sliced and partially cooked
• 3 carrots, peeled, sliced and partially cooked
• ¾ cup chopped cauliflower, partially cooked
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• 3 organic eggs
• ½ – 2/3 cup soy or low fat milk
• ½ cup Mozzarella Cheese (soy, rice or regular), shredded
• ½ cup Monterey Jack Cheese (soy, rice or regular), shredded
• 1 tablespoon barley flour

Mix the seasonings, egg, milk and barley flour together. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture over the bottom of the pre-baked pie crust. Spread vegetables evenly over cheese and crust.

Place remaining cheese over vegetables. Pour milk mixture over cheese and vegetables. Bake 35 – 40 minutes until quiche is set and golden brown. If a knife is inserted in center, it should come out clean.

Yields 6 servings.

Spelt Pizza

• 1-8 inch spelt pizza crust
• Olive oil
• ½ cup marinara sauce
• ½ onion, sliced and partially cooked
• ½ cup chopped fresh broccoli, partially cooked
• ½ red pepper, julienne sliced
• 5 oz. shredded Mozzarella Cheese (soy, rice or regular)

Brush crust with lightly with olive oil. Spread sauce over crust. Sprinkle ½ the amount of cheese over sauce. Evenly distribute onions, broccoli, and pepper over crust. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and begins to brown.

Yields: 4 slices

Nutrition: Reconnect with Food

Are you having a difficult time shedding those last ten pounds? Have you tried every diet with no avail…even after following it to the letter? Do you ever wake up with swollen joints, headache, brain fog, gastric distress or overwhelming fatigue?

Medical Research has shown that food, and food additives, can be involved in a wide array of painful symptoms and chronic health problems, along with ideal weight attainment and maintenance.

A look at food sensitivities

Food sensitivities are a common cause of many chronic conditions and affect approximately 15-20% of the population. Symptoms provoked by food sensitivities occur when your immune system begins perceiving foods in the same way it perceives bacteria and viruses. There are many reasons why the body reacts in such a way, but this “mistaken identity” causes the immune system to release chemicals called “mediators” such as histamine, cytokines, and prostaglandins. The release of these mediators starts the inflammatory processes which result in painful symptoms.

Why do food sensitivities make it difficult to lose weight? The inflammatory processes cause your cells to retain water along with slowing your metabolism. Other chronic conditions resulting from food sensitivities may include:

• Depression

• Heartburn

• Muscle weakness and fatigue

• ADHD

• Insomnia

• Brain fog

How are food sensitivities different than food allergies?

Although food allergies can affect the gastrointestinal system just like food sensitivities, food allergies generally affect skin and the respiratory tract. Some individuals are born with food allergies and eventually outgrow them, while others develop food allergies over time. In some cases, when you are exposed to certain foods over and over again, your body eventually rejects these foods and you can develop an allergic reaction. In addition, a weak immune system can be the cause of many food allergies or intolerances. Common allergens include wheat, milk, corn, soy, yeast and mold, as these are foods that are commonly used in our food supply. It is important to strengthen the immune system through proper diet, exercise and stress management in order to avoid reactions to common foods.

Wheat –An allergy or intolerance to wheat can develop when you eat the same types of foods day in and day out. In this country, we overuse wheat, which is commonly found in breads, cereals and pastas. We ignore all the other grains, such as quinoa, barley, spelt, millet, amaranth and kamut that are rich in B-vitamins, protein, fiber and trace minerals.

Milk – Many children are born with a milk-protein allergy, which can cause severe intestinal problems. If left untreated, permanent damage to the intestinal lining as well as lactose intolerance can occur.

If a soy allergy is not a concern, try soy milk, soy cheese (including soy cream cheese), soy sour cream and soy yogurt. If a soy allergy is a concern, rice milks, cheeses, desserts and other rice products are available. Major grocery store chains are now carrying soy and rice products.

Corn and Soy – Have you taken a quick tour of your grocery store or food pantry? Many processed foods contain corn or soy-based additives such as high fructose corn syrup and hydrolyzed vegetable protein, respectively. Read your labels carefully or start shopping at a natural foods/organic market.

Yeast and Mold – Leavened breads and cake mixes contain yeast. Mushrooms, vinegar and vinegar-containing condiments, soured dairy products, alcohol, and aged foods contain yeast-like substances as well as mold. You may think of mold as being an environmental problem only. However, mold-containing foods also include dried fruits, cheeses, and pickled foods.

People who are allergic to yeast and molds often develop chronic sinus infections and tend to be treated with antibiotics. The overuse of antibiotics can cause an even greater weakening of the immune system along with build up of yeast growth and chemical sensitivity, commonly known as Candida Albicans generally found in chronic fatigue syndrome. In addition, recent studies have shown that individuals who have a mold allergy or sensitivity and are repeatedly exposed to offensive foods/ environmental conditions have a tendency to suffer from depression.

Testing for Food Allergies and Food Sensitivities

Food allergies may be tested by serum radioallergosorbent testing (RAST), where a blood sample is placed on an absorbent disc that contains specific food proteins. Immunoglobulin level determination, allergy serum injections or scratch testing also assesses food allergies and their extent.

Mediator Release Test© (MRT©) is used to assess food sensitivities in order to isolate safe foods for individuals. Although MRT eliminates the guesswork to give you definitive answers, it can be expensive and many health plans do not cover this test. Once this test is performed, an eating plan can be developed and tailored to the needs of the individual.

Often, an individual’s innate wisdom can determine his or her food sensitivities upon working with a specialized registered dietitian. A registered dietitian, trained in food allergy and food sensitivity management, can help an individual hone in on offending foods, develop a proper elimination and rotation plan, and help the individual feel better once and for all.

Wine Review: Syrah’s – No Wimps Allowed

By Leith Jarjosa, Red Wagon Wine Shoppe

Syrah is not a wine for the wimps. Most of the Syrah’s deliver a big and blustery fruit with immense character. They generally have great richness and fruity muscle with great tannins. There are two great Syrah’s you should look for:

’05 Rosenblum Cellars Syrah – Rominger Vineyard

This wine is firm, ripe and intense, with a complex range of mineral, wild berry and blackberry flavors that lean toward jammy without being too excessive. The long, persistent finish repeats the fruit themes. Drink now through 2011. This wine was rated 91 points by Wine Spectator.

’05 Neyers Syrah – Old Lakeville Road

The 2005 Syrah Old Lakeville Highway from the Sonoma Coast reveals plenty of bacon fat and black olive characteristics in its aromatic, outgoing personality. Medium to full-bodied, deep, rich, and pure, it is best consumed during its first 4-5 years of life. It was good to see longtime wine enthusiast, national sales rep for Kermit Lynch Importers, vineyard owner and wine producer, Bruce Neyers create this fine wine. Neyers, who utilizes the services of Ehren Jordan of Turley Win Cellars as his winemaker, hits a home run here.

Robert Parker rates this Syrah 90-92.

You can purchase this bottle for around $30.

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