I know you are busy, so trust me when I say there is no judgment in this question: how often do you read product labels when food shopping? I completely understand that it becomes one more thing to do, and how many of us want to spend more time in the grocery store?

The problem is a food label can often be the key to treating illness, from a minor ache to a major health concern. Often there are hidden ingredients that can trigger a headache, cause an allergic reaction or contribute to inflammation and many other ailments. Eating healthily is the first step in treatment of disease and a food label can hold many answers to a lot of questions.

After I created this video I watched an episode of the Dr. Oz show. I was excited to listen to him share his concerns about trans fats just as I do in the video. Dr. Oz taught at my nutrition school so now you know I’m a good student, right? I pay attention so I can provide you with the most important and most up-to-date research so you can look and feel your best and live your best life.

Let me know what you learn from the video. And, of course, let me know if you have any questions.

You may be thinking I’ve lost my mind, that I’m encouraging you to eat bags full of Halloween candy and allow your children to eat the sugar and processed chemicals in candy. No, that’s not what I’m suggesting.

But, I got to thinking: if you act like a “meanie” and take the candy away from your kids they are not going to be happy. And who wants unhappy children? As an aunt who adores my nieces and nephews, I never want them to be unhappy.

Here’s a thought – use this Halloween as an opportunity to teach your children about the importance of self-care. Help them to understand why it is so vital to their well-being to take good care of themselves and make healthy food choices. Have them think about how they feel when their throat hurts and they have a fever (great time to talk about their immune system). Or, when their belly aches (how about that digestive system?!). Of course, they may not comprehend everything, but let’s face it, children are really smart and they will begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Then, make a deal with them. Don’t just take away the Halloween candy, buy it from them so they can save money for the item they’ve been asking for or “exchange it” for something they want that will last longer than the candy. An iTunes gift card? A new sweater from their favorite store? New doll or action figure? New app for their iPhone?

You can determine any price range that is comfortable for your budget. The important message is that healthy choices are paramount for their well-being and sugar and processed food can compromise those efforts.

This Halloween you don’t have to be mean. Be the greatest parent ever and give your children the wisdom and knowledge they need to be their best and reward them for taking wholesome actions.

(After you’ve bought or exchanged the candy, throw it away. You don’t want to compromise your immune system with lots of sugar, do you? )

About a year ago, I was told I was borderline hypothyroid. Although I didn’t like hearing that, it did help to explain some of the things going on inside my body. I also knew it meant I needed to do a lot of research and find out what foods would nourish my thyroid and what foods might contribute to the uncomfortable symptoms. Today I’m going to focus on soy.

Soy has goitrogens which can negatively impact thyroid function when consumed in high amounts. Maybe some tofu once a week is OK. The problem is that with soy in virtually all processed food, it is very easy to consume “high amounts” and not even realize it.

Another major concern is that approximately 99% of soybeans are genetically modified and contain the highest percentages of pesticide contamination. Soybeans also contain phytic acid which can block the absorption of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Adding insult to injury, soy also has enzyme inhibitors that can reduce the effects of enzymes necessary for proper protein digestion.

I knew I wanted to eliminate soy from my diet and told myself I would “try.” Yep – I was setting myself up for failure. As Yoda said in Star Wars, “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” I promised myself I would stop eating the “healthy” protein bars with soy protein “tomorrow” and that the cup in my hand was the last Starbucks soy latte I was going to drink. This continued for way too long, I’m embarrassed to admit.

Finally, I asked myself, “Jodi, what would you tell a client to do if they were “trying” to eliminate soy from their diet but weren’t succeeding?” Light bulb moment: I would coach my clients about making the DECISION to eliminate soy and that’s what I needed to do! And so I did. On August 30 I made a decision that as of September 1 I was eliminating soy from my diet. It’s now October 5 and I have not had a soy latte since the end of August and I haven’t eaten the protein bars that I know have soy in them.

Last week when I wasn’t feeling well, I couldn’t sleep and went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. I boiled the water and pulled out a random bag of tea from the cabinet. It wasn’t a brand we usually have around and I’m really not sure where it came from. It was green tea and I wanted to be sure there wasn’t any sweetener added. The good news, no sweetener. The bad news- it contained soy! Oh the irony – I’m avoiding soy lattes but there’s soy in the tea in my apartment! Fortunately, I had plenty of tea to choose from and skipped that bag of green tea.

But, it got me thinking. Is there soy in the other teas in my cabinet? Oh that would really make me mad! I looked at my box of Tazo Zen tea (which I also always drink at Starbucks since I’m no longer ordering a soy latte). It listed natural flavors and I started to freak out thinking that could mean soy. While steeping my tea in the middle of the night, I went online and sent a message to Tazo asking about soy. I received an email response less than 24 hours later assuring me there was no soy or lecithin in Tazo teas. Whew! Relief.

Valuable lesson re-emphasized: read food labels. It is imperative you know what is in the food you are going to eat. The ingredients have a huge effect on your body and your life.

What decision can you make, today, to positively impact your health and well-being?

Next Steps:

1. Make one decision today that you’ve been thinking about or trying to do for a while.
2. Notice the effect the decision has on your life and well-being.
3. Read food labels so you know what you might be eating.
4. Take good care of yourself and begin boosting your immune system so you are prepared for cold/flu season.

This assignment will empower you to make changes you know you want to make for your health and well-being. If you are concerned about the foods you eat and want to discuss how you can live a healthy, more vibrant life, contact me at jodi@bravowellness.com or call 413-282-7286. At Bravo! Wellness, I work with my clients to create manageable lifestyle changes so they are able to reach their goals and maintain a healthy and fulfilling standard of living.

“I’m not making wheatgrass here. If I could put an agave plant and some limes on a shelf I would. [The Skinnygirl Margarita] is as close to nature as possible, while still being a shelf-stable product. … We were bound to piss someone off and everyone loves to try to tear down a success. This is a non-event. I haven’t lost even a wink of sleep.” - Comments made by Skinnygirl Margarita Founder and former Real Housewife of New York Bethenny Frankel after it was reported that Whole Foods had removed her product from their shelves because it contained a preservative that does not meet the chain’s quality standards.

Two issues immediately came to my mind when I read about this situation: 1) Why was the product described as “all natural” and “no preservatives” when it contains a preservative; and 2) Yes, people do try to knock down a success and is this what this matter is about?

Well, Bethenny’s Skinny Girl Margarita isn’t the only product being accused of false claims. Kashi Co. is the target of a federal class action lawsuit for mislabeling their products as free of artificial ingredients, even though they knew that some of their GoLean and TLC products are “composed almost entirely of synthetic and unnaturally processed ingredients.” The problem with these erroneous claims is that consumers are paying their hard-earned money to buy food they believe is “good” for them. In reality, the food may not be healthy and may, in fact, cause a reaction or illness. Perhaps Bethenny could have used other words to describe the SkinnyGirl Margarita knowing it contained sodium benzoate (a preservative so it can stay on shelves, according to a rep from SkinnyGirl); her “people” should have known better. As for Kashi, shame on then for using a hefty advertising budget to dupe consumers into buying unnatural, processed food.

I don’t want people I care about being confused about the food they eat. I love taking some clients through the supermarket and examining food labels to explain why one product may be healthier than another. Food shopping is baffling and that’s what manufacturers count on – consumer confusion so that buyers will rely on product claims (which are often false).

So are the reports about SkinnyGirl Margarita because people really care about what they are buying and eating, or is this a ploy to embarrass Bethenny Frankel because she “made it big” and got very rich? It’s hard to say and maybe it is a combination of the two. I don’t watch The Real Housewives of New York, but I did listen when my sister gave me updates on the women and their lives. And yes, I was curious to follow Bethenny’s rise to fame and fortune. She is a natural foods chef and a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health and I appreciated her references to healthy food and nourishing lifestyle.

Fear of success held me back as I worked hard to establish Bravo! Wellness. “What would people think,” I wondered. “Would they be mad at me,” I asked myself. But then I realized each and every one of us can live our dreams – the knowledge and power is within us – and I recognized my role in the process is to empower others to live their best life through healthy nutrition and lifestyle choices.

My hope for Bethenny is that this matter is a bump in the road and that people can, in fact, celebrate her success. If there is sodium benzoate in SkinnyGirl Margarita, she needs to admit that and either remix her cocktail without any preservatives, or explain what the purpose of the preservative is and let consumers decide for themselves if they wish to use a product that contains such an ingredient – just don’t mislead them.

Next Steps:

1. Read food labels – know what you are eating and make educated choices about the food you buy.
2. Drink alcoholic beverages in moderation, if at all. Don’t convince yourself that “low-calorie” means the alcohol isn’t going to affect your body.
3. Believe in yourself, your goals and your dreams.
4. Celebrate your successes!

These steps will help you live a healthy life by making nourishing food choices. Cultivating a strong belief system for a balanced life is also crucial to your success (in weight management, health, family and business). If you are concerned about your eating habits, mindset and lifestyle choices and want to discuss options for change, contact me at jodi@bravowellness.com or call 413-282-7286. At Bravo! Wellness, I work with my clients to create manageable lifestyle changes so they are able to achieve their greatest potential in life, health and business.

I get questions from a lot of people this time of year: What is the best food to send for school lunches and snacks? What should I send to school so my child will have energy throughout the day? What if my child doesn’t like healthy food?

I was going to answer the questions myself, but I thought it would be fun to create a video with my niece. We were talking about healthy food over dinner at one of our most favorite vegan restaurants, Candle Café, when she was in New York City recently and I asked her to join me on camera.

My sister has been a vegetarian for years and is now vegan. My niece is being raised a vegetarian and has never eaten fast food (you know the places I’m talking about). Even at a young age, she understands the value of eating nutritious food and appreciates the time and care my sister gives to preparing food the family. My niece is a great help to my sister in the kitchen and enjoys the process of food preparation.

Though I’m not a mom, I know the benefits of taking time to educate children about healthy food choices. The younger you start eating healthily, the better off you are. I love working with my clients to introduce more nutritious options to their children. Indeed, there are so many varieties of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains and finding different ways to prepare them is a wonderful family activity.

[Just a note – We went back to Candle Café for lunch the next day. If you are in New York City, it’s a must for a great, healthy meal]

The food court at Woodbury Commons doesn’t offer many options for a gluten-free, vegan like me. I did have a Pure Bar to eat as a backup, but thought I was safe with a plate of black beans and vegetables (what I ate a year ago while taking a break from shopping). As I approached the Desert Moon counter to order, I was focused on making sure the black beans were vegetarian. They were last year, but I know that ingredients and preparation often change (note to remember: you can’t control what other people prepare for you to eat).

I was assured the black beans were vegetarian so I decided to go with the tried and true: black beans and vegetables. After we placed the order, I noticed a brochure with allergen information and took a copy to peruse. The headline read: The Fresh, Healthful Alternative to Fast Food and I was curious to read more about the food being prepared behind the counter. And I thought that it was very cool that the chain was concerned about its customers to have the information readily available on site.

As I ate, I reviewed the brochure and the “coolness” factor wore off very quickly – check out how long the list of ingredients is for black beans. Argh!!! I was so worried about the vegetarian factor I didn’t even consider the beans would be made with high-fructose corn syrup, modified corn starch and more sugars. Seriously? A “fresh, healthful alternative to fast food” – No way!

I sneered and snickered when I read the testimonials in the brochure: “I still can’t believe that something so delicious can actually be good for you, too!” and “Everything is always so fresh…I feel great when my kids eat here, and we love it as well.” Interestingly, the quotes weren’t attributed to anyone so they might have been written by a clever copywriter in the marketing department.

My portion wasn’t very big (thank goodness). I realized I was practically finished eating when I felt that pit in my stomach. If I could be tricked into eating food loaded with sugar and preservatives, many others are getting duped as well, and that just isn’t fair to the consumers. They are being lured to Desert Moon under a false pretense – that it is healthier than “fast food” (think: McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, etc.)

Of course, Desert Moon is not the only establishment marketing food full of sugars and preservatives as healthy alternatives. McDonald’s has been advertising its “real fruit” smoothies. Here are the ingredients in the McCafé Mango Pineapple Real Fruit Smoothie:

Mango Pineapple Fruit Base
Water, clarified demineralized pineapple juice concentrate, mango puree concentrate, pineapple juice concentrate, orange juice concentrate, pineapple puree, passion fruit juice, apple juice concentrate, natural (botanical source) and artificial flavors, contains less than 1% of the following: peach puree, cellulose powder, peach juice concentrate, pear juice concentrate, xanthan gum, pectin, citric acid, colored with fruit and vegetable juice and turmeric extract, ascorbic acid (preservative).

Ice
Ice

Low Fat Yogurt
Cultured Grade A reduced fat milk, sugar, whey protein concentrate, fructose, corn starch, gelatin. Contains active yogurt cultures.

CONTAINS: MILK

Do you know how healthy the food you eat really is? At speaking engagements, I often use this analogy and it gets a powerful response. I believe it is appropriate here:

Think about when you walk into a house of worship (synagogue, church, mosque, a place of honor for your religious and/or spiritual beliefs). Would you walk in and throw your garbage on the floor? I’m guessing the answer is no. Now think about your body. It is a place of honor, isn’t it? Treat your body as you would a place of honor and eat whole, natural, healthy food. Ignore the marketing lingo and make educated decisions about the food you eat. Aren’t you worth it?

I’ve learned a lot about making well-informed choices this week. The next time we go to Woodbury Commons, I’m bringing my cooler with homemade food.

Next Steps:

1. Take a look in your refrigerator and pantry and read some of the food labels.
2. Send me an email with any questionable ingredients (like the ones you can’t pronounce) and I will provide you with information.
3. DECIDE that you are worth eating healthy, natural, whole foods.
4. Begin to substitute your favorite brands with healthier options, one by one or two by two. It doesn’t have to be all at once and overwhelming.

These steps will help you to determine if you are eating healthy, whole foods to truly nourish your body, mind and spirit. If you are concerned about your eating habits and want to discuss options for change, contact me at jodi@bravowellness.com or call 413-282-7286. At Bravo! Wellness, I work with my clients to create manageable lifestyle changes so they are able to achieve their greatest potential in life, health and business.

A spring detox does not have to be full of rules and restrictions. It doesn’t have to mean green drinks or daily water fasts. It can be anything you want it to be with a specific health, wellness and/or self-care goal in mind.

As I mention in the video, it can be as “simple” as reducing the amount of coffee you drink daily, or the amount of sugar you add to your cup of coffee. Making these changes for about two weeks will allow you to see that it is possible to make healthy changes without feeling deprived. After all, you still have your coffee (and your sugar as the case may be), but you are on your way to making changes to better support your overall well-being. Once you start eliminating some of the foods and drinks that may be sabotaging your health, you can continue to reduce the amounts and then add in healthier options, such as green tea for some caffeine.

The important thing is to look at your life and your goals – nutrition and health, career, relationships, family, physical activity and spirituality. Think about what you need to do to achieve your goals and then make a choice to engage in activities that support you.

And remember, this is about YOU. Your friends, family or co-workers may have goals they share with you, but you are a unique individual. Don’t feel pressured into signing up for an expensive cleanse or program if you are not certain it will fulfill your needs. [Having said that, I don’t want to discourage participation in structured events if there are any that call to you. There are some great programs and I’m happy to refer some to you if you are interested. Email info@bravowellness.com [with SPRING CLEANSE IDEAS in the subject line.]

Let me know what you choose to “cleanse” this season and how I can support you.

I know you are busy, so trust me when I say there is no judgment in this question: how often do you read product labels when food shopping? I completely understand that it becomes one more thing to do, and how many of us want to spend more time in the grocery store?

The problem is a food label can often be the key to treating illness, from a minor ache to a major health concern. Often there are hidden ingredients that can trigger a headache, cause an allergic reaction or contribute to inflammation and many other ailments. Eating healthily is the first step in treatment of disease and a food label can hold many answers to a lot of questions.

After I created this video I watched an episode of the Dr. Oz show. I was excited to listen to him share his concerns about trans fats just as I do in the video. Dr. Oz taught at my nutrition school so now you know I’m a good student, right? I pay attention so I can provide you with the most important and most up-to-date research so you can look and feel your best and live your best life.

Let me know what you learn from the video. And, of course, let me know if you have any questions.

Now, I get the shakes when I see Peeps in the stores. Years ago, I couldn’t wait for spring when they’d be out on the shelves before Easter (now they’re available almost all year!). And, if Easter was too close to Passover, I’d buy the Peeps and wait until it was “OK” to eat them. The best was the day after Easter when the Peeps would be 50% off. Seriously…this is what I used to think about.

Don’t I sound like an addict? This is not a joke – I was addicted! To sugar. Doesn’t seem like a problem since sugar is in almost all food sold in supermarkets and everyone eats it, but for me it became a BIG problem. I craved the high from sugar because I was missing something vital in my life: self-love.

Fearing judgment from others, working tirelessly to live up to others’ expectations, trying so hard to be perfect – all of this work took its toll on me and I did not appreciate me. I negated all of my value and forgot about my strengths. I was lonely inside but put on a happy face to the world. It worked for a long time, practically my whole life, until I crashed in my mid-30’s.

Back to the Peeps for a minute…look at the ingredients! They might as well put some coke (and I’m not talking about cola) on store shelves and sell it legally. It’s the same high and the same, dangerous addiction. And please don’t be fooled by the “gluten free” and “fat free” distinction. Gluten free doesn’t mean healthy. It means the product doesn’t contain gluten, but the amount of sugar in this candy is dangerous to all. Here’s a tip: when a label says “fat free” it means there is added sugar and other artificial sweeteners to add flavor.

I feel truly blessed that I have been on the journey of my life. There have been many, many wonderful times and some down-and-out moments as well. I was fortunate to get support when I needed it and have been guided to create a life I love, without the assistance of a sugar high. On this Valentine’s Day, I encourage you to stand in front of a mirror and say to yourself, “I Love You.” This unconditional love is the best gift you can give to you and others, because when you show up 100% for you, you can then truly give 100% to those you love.

Serves 6

Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 medium-sized carrots peeled and cut in turned pieces
• 1/2 TBS fresh chopped parsley
• 1 TBS fresh chopped mint
• 1 TBS coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds
• 2 TBS lemon juice
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring lightly salted water to a boil in steamer with a tight fitting lid.
2. Steam carrots in basket until al dente (slightly crunchy inside).
3. Chop rest of ingredients and toss with carrots when done.

Healthy Cooking Tips:

Check doneness of your carrots by inserting the tip of a sharp knife into the center. You want them tender on the outside with a slight crispiness in the center.

Recipe source: whfoods.org