Tag Archive for functional nutrition

Food Into Fuel

March 27, 2021 No comments
How do our bodies produce energy from the food we eat?
How do our bodies turn FOOD into FUEL?

How does our body turn food into fuel? As a functional nutrition practitioner, this is an ongoing question I consider when helping people support their best health. Why? Well, we need good nutrition to build tissue and run every biochemical function in our body. Specifically, we need minerals, vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, sugars, fiber, water, and oxygen. Each has its purpose. We affect body function when we compromise good quality raw materials.

Food quality makes a huge difference!

It’s important to eat good quality food in the first place, of course. The best we can source, prepared from whole food ingredients. There’s room for individual difference here. Due to unique metabolic needs, we don’t all thrive on the exact same eating style. That said, a whole foods Mediterranean-style eating plan offers a foundation that helps modulate inflammation, while supporting both cardiovascular health and microbiome balance. Many of us can start from that base and make individual adjustments to suit our personal needs.

But what if you’re already eating a pretty good diet and still have some health issues? This happens frequently. It’s possible to do really well in one area and miss something else. We may underestimate the physiological impact of a big “oops.” Like compromised sleep quality, or an unintended toxin exposure, unmanaged stress, and so on. And when we’re under extra stress, it’s easy to skimp on food quality, despite our best intentions.

The food into fuel process involves Digestion and Distribution of key nutrients

Digestion and distribution of nutrients in the body help us turn food into fuel.
Turning Food into Fuel involves a synergistic
cooperation between the digestive system
and the circulatory system. These functions
are mediated by our response to stress.

These very common factors can impact the two “D’s” of nutrient utilization: Digestion and Distribution. In plain language, we need to be able to break down our food into small particles that can be absorbed into the circulatory system. And then our circulatory system needs to be up to speed (literally) in order to deliver those nutrients to our individual cells.

Any time we have unwanted symptoms present, somewhere behind the scenes there is a breakdown in function. Symptoms as diverse as severe body discomfort, blood sugar regulation issues, mood disturbance, difficulty sleeping, bone health issues, or significant immune failure can all be linked to something as simple and ultimately resolvable as low stomach acid.

Bottom line: Too much of the elements we don’t want [toxins, infection, metabolic waste] coupled with too little of certain elements we do want [nutrients including oxygen, delivered in a timely manner to the cells where they are needed] is a deal-breaker for optimal health. Habitual movement patterns can also keep us stuck in mechanical and energetic disharmony.

Energy production inside our individual cells

Nutrients are required for cellular energy production!
Nutrients are needed for cellular energy production.
This is metabolically where we turn Food into Fuel!

Our bodies largely run on energy that is produced inside the little cellular powerhouses of our individual cells. This process requires good quality materials in proper balance. It’s overly simplistic to think that cellular energy production is the only factor impacting the health of our tissues. It’s not. But it is an important factor, and it’s nutrient-dependent.

“Mitochondrial energy production then powers growth, healing, as well as the complex processes required for adaptation to the changing environment.”
Picard et al. (2018)

In a recent publication on the role of nutrients to enhance cellular energy production after critical illness, a group of researchers from the Netherlands (Wesselink, et al., 2019) identified certain nutrients essential for mitochondrial function. Specifically, their research looked at B Vitamins, ascorbic acid, alpha tocopherol (component of vitamin E), selenium, zinc, coenzyme Q10, caffeine, melatonin, carnitine, nitrate, lipoic acid, and taurine.

It’s interesting that in addition to considering individual nutrients, they also look at the synergistic aspect of combined deficiencies. Cellular energy production is a multi-step process. If we support one particular nutrient while leaving a downstream nutrient deficient, then the outcome may still not be optimal.

Identifying nutrient imbalances

It can be tricky to tease out exactly which nutrients are adequate and which are not. It’s not as simple as running a blood panel or taking a multi-vitamin. There are many considerations and we’re all unique. Many functional practitioners, given this puzzle, look at the person’s symptoms and history in combination with results from a nutrient test (either Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis or blood micronutrient panel), standard lab-ordered blood work, and urinary Organic Acids testing.

Wesselink and colleagues (2019) explain, “Furthermore, it is questionable whether plasma levels of nutrients reflect actual availability in mitochondria. Plasma nutrient levels may be low during critical illness due to increased losses through body fluids and increased permeability of endothelium, redistribution, altered protein binding, and inadequate intake. As a consequence, their plasma levels do not likely reflect tissue storages of micronutrients during critical illness.” (Emphasis added.) Note: the term “endothelium” refers the inner lining of the blood vessels. Inflammation, an inherent factor in critical illness, damages the endothelium.

It is very good to see this research. While there are still many questions, the fact that researchers now consider this type of inquiry worth conducting is quite encouraging!

The essential role of oxygen

Oxygen, specifically, limits the amount of energy produced in any given time and place. Like other nutrients, we must first take oxygen into the body in adequate and consistent quantity. Then our circulatory system must deliver it to the tissues. Most of the energy production inside the cell (Adenosine Triphosphate / ATP) occurs as the result of a series of biochemical steps known as the Electron Transport Chain (ETC), or Respiratory Chain. Picard, et al. (2018) state, “As its name implies, the respiratory chain consumes oxygen.”

Oxygen is essential for cellular energy production. It helps us turn food into fuel.
Oxygen can be considered an essential nutrient.

Oxygen intake must first be robust. It can be compromised under certain conditions — functional impairment of the lungs, high altitude, sleep disordered breathing, and obstructive face coverings are examples. So first things first. Assess, and then if found lacking, address or consider a supplementary source. Oxygen is not optional.

Systemic or localized disruption of the microcirculation as occurs in a significant inflammatory response, toxin exposure, sympathetic nervous system arousal (stress response), departure from the earth’s electromagnetic field, low nitric oxide state for any other reason, compromises oxygen delivery to the tissues.

Aerobic vs. anaerobic energy production

When oxygen is readily available, the body produces energy through an efficient process known as oxidative phosphorylation (aerobic). If oxygen is limited, then a signaling molecule known as Hypoxic Inducible Factor (HIF) builds up. As our body reaches a threshold of HIF, the cell switches to a different metabolic process known as glycolysis (anaerobic).

The process of glycolysis is not only inefficient, it also creates unfavorable byproducts and changes gene expression in the involved tissues. As such, it’s associated with a number of challenging health conditions characterized by non-resolving inflammation or suppressed immunity — such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, atherosclerosis, and tumors.

How stress interacts with metabolism

Let’s briefly consider stress, and the impact it has on our body’s efforts to convert food into fuel. When faced with a stressor of any sort, we are innately designed to adapt to it. It doesn’t matter what the stress type. Our bodies will begin the adaptation response if we have a challenging day at work, eat a food that doesn’t agree with us, ingest a toxin, have a short night of sleep, get exposed to a “bug,” speak or think about ourselves unkindly, set a new personal best for the 50 yard dash, or any host of other life events.

What does it mean to adapt? Adaptation calls for a variety of basic and complex functions.

Our cells are command central for stress adaptation. They use available materials for basic and complex metabolism, including communication, creation of substances, and removal of waste.
In adapting to stress, our cells use available nutrients
to produce “heat energy” for basic operation, communicate
needs or shortages, create substances such as
hormones and neurotransmitters, and remove waste.
The healthier we are to begin with, the better we adapt.
  • We may need to think of a new solution.
  • Remember how to find our way home.
  • Run from a predator or dangerous situation.
  • Cool our bodies when they’re overheated or warm them up if we’re exposed to frigid conditions.
  • Laser-focus our eyesight on one particular point or scan the broadness of the whole landscape.
  • Move extra oxygen-carrying air quickly through our lungs.
  • Inactivate a stealth “bug” that hitched a ride on our salad greens.
  • Remove metabolic waste and other unneeded material from our bodies.
  • Form a clot to stop bleeding.
  • Heal tissue.
  • Grow new cells.
  • Instruct our cells how to survive in the absence of enough of a needed element. Say oxygen, water, or certain nutrient minerals.
  • Stop an infection.
  • Perceive the difference between safety and danger.
  • Inspire hope in a friend or loved one.
  • And so much more.
Adapting to stress requires a lot of energy!

As we are actively adapting to stress, our energy demands increase. As Picard et al. (2018) state, “Even though, in fact, basic life-sustaining biological functions also require energy for their maintenance, the energy requirement for stress responses is above the basal needs of the organisms; hence, the emphasis here on the link between stress and energy.”

Sometimes, we may have too much stress to handle at once, or over a period of time. As this happens, our bodies are no longer able to adapt successfully. Our ability to turn food into fuel is inadequate. We begin to experience disease or metabolic dysregulation. This can be a complex situation that involves trouble keeping blood sugar balanced, significant mood issues, cognitive issues, disruptions to our sleep / wake cycles, fatigue, cardiovascular disease, formation of tumors, joint and tissue degeneration, immune-mediated challenges, premature aging and so on.

This is a brief introduction to a rather involved topic. We’ll return to it again in future posts. Optimizing adaptation to stress is the essence of functional health care, whether it comes from a nutritional perspective or a medical one. The strategy I take in my functional nutrition consulting is, generally, to decrease stress inputs while we balance nutrients, enhance nutrient delivery, build microbiome health, and explore certain lifestyle factors like mindset and sleep quality. Ultimately, our intent is to become more adaptable and resilient.

Next steps — turning food into fuel

In coming posts, we will explore both Digestion and Distribution of nutrients separately, along with some guidance on the approaches that can make a difference toward enhancing these critical functions. We’ll also be taking a deeper dive into the functional effects of Stress on both these systems. If you would like to explore personal guidance in applying these strategies to your own situation, check out my Functional Health Consulting page, where you will find contact information. I would be happy to hear from you!

Resources:
Resources, continued:
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The “Functional Process” of Functional Health

April 27, 2020 No comments

“We investigate functional process. The systems that affect efficiency of your cells, tissues, and organ systems. How is stress affecting your body? Are you able to break down your food and use the nutrients? Does your particular mix of gut bacteria favor an efficient metabolism or a clear mind? How well does your body deliver nutrients to the cells and remove metabolic waste? How are you being affected by environmental toxins? Do we see any evidence that your immune system is challenged? And so on.” This is how I answer when people ask what a functional health practitioner does.

Functional process underlies our symptoms.
Seeking stability in functional process

Visible symptoms

We’ll often use the image of an iceberg to describe how function relates to symptoms. On the surface, we notice problems: trouble sleeping, low energy, crummy mood, foggy thinking, sore back. The symptoms are often what gets our attention. But the symptoms are not the main problem.

How well does your body manage stress?

The issue is underneath. Below the surface — in the functional process. This is completely individualized. Two people can have a similar symptom — say, trouble sleeping through the night — for very different reasons. One may have sluggish circulation that causes their oxygen levels to drop; another may have trouble balancing their blood sugar. Someone else may have a disordered metabolic response to stress. A sleeping pill may knock them out for the night (their sleep will be non-restorative), but it won’t solve any one of the underlying issues. Which, if left unresolved, will lead to further trouble.

As another example, what role does your digestive system play in supporting your state of health? Are you able to break food down well to get the nutrients you need? Do you have the best mix of bacteria to keep your gut lining intact, maintain robust metabolism, protect you from anything unintended (toxins, opportunistic bacteria or other “bugs”) that comes in on your food, and keep inflammation levels down? Your circulatory system and immune system both depend on robust gut function in order to work well. Your brain and your gut communicate back and forth with one another — all day long. Gut health impacts both mood and cognition, and your brain’s alert or calming response impacts gut health.

There’s really no body system that is incidental to the health of the whole. Where would you be without bones? Muscles? Lungs?

Just like with the iceberg, though, we often don’t know what’s going on beneath the surface. We can’t feel our circulation. The reason for our acid reflux, skin rash, low energy, or other issues remains a mystery. We may even think we’re “ok” and yet be careening unaware toward trouble. It’s easier to turn things around before they get bad.

Where do we start?

So how do we take stock of where we are? This is where we’re so fortunate! There are state-of-the art functional lab tests to reliably assess functional processes such as digestive health, hormone balance, nutrient sufficiency, and the effect of environmental toxins on a person’s state of health.

From taking these assessments into consideration alongside the individual’s personal story, we can uncover specific areas where we’ll likely have the greatest impact. As those insights appear, we work out an individualized plan to begin taking manageable steps toward the goal of greater resilience.

As Dr. Jeffrey Bland says, “Function can move both forward and backward. The vector of change in function through time is, in part, determined by the unique interaction of an individual’s genome with their environment, diet, and lifestyle. “

Finding resilience

Moving Into Wholeness
Feel the path beneath your feet…

We start with small steps. Targeted nutrients, eating style, sleep, lifestyle habits, circulation support. And eventually, when we gaze back at the road we’ve walked, we find that we’ve landed in a calmer, more resilient place.

More info here: Functional Nutrition Consultation

Reference:

Bland J. Defining Function in the Functional Medicine Model. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2017;16(1):22–25.

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Whole Foods Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwich

January 2, 2019 No comments
Whole Foods Lunch: Egg Salad
Egg Salad on a Rice Cake (plus extras)

Did you ever have one of those days? You’re committed to serving a whole foods lunch. Of course you’re going to eat your veggies! Wheat is in your dietary doghouse. And yet sometimes a person just has the vibe for an egg salad sandwich. What to do?

How to increase veggies and eat your egg salad sandwich too!

Sometimes when people take the first steps to move into a more healthful eating style, their intentions are great! But they just don’t know what to eat. If you’re someone who’s been eating a sandwich for lunch for decades, what are you supposed to do? Well, you could just buy a loaf of gluten-free bread and make your sandwich on that.

Let’s be candid. That may do in a pinch, but on its own, it’s really not a very healthful meal. In fact, there’s been some interesting research showing that people who commence a gluten-free diet, unless they select the right alternative foods, can actually decrease populations of healthy gut bacteria (1, 2). If you think that’s detrimental to increased healthfulness over the long term, you’re right!

The solution you’re looking for is to change the composition of your plate. More plant foods will provide the fiber and nutrients you need to support those beneficial bacteria, create a healthy gut environment, and support general health.

Make vegetables the star attraction of your lunch plate!

Egg salad add-ins
Egg salad add-ins: small beets, a clove of garlic, pickled radish, and turmeric

First things first. The egg salad. Here’s a little rule of thumb I try to live by. Add vegetables everyplace you can. Even into your egg salad. I was following my “what’s in the fridge” rule of thumb when I started rustling around for ingredients. What did we have on hand? Small beets (golden and red) left from the fall garden harvest, a clove garlic, and some brine-pickled (fermented) radishes. If there had been a carrot handy, a chunk of that could have gone in as well.

I just chopped the veggies up fine in my handy chopper. So easy! And added a bit of turmeric for its anti-inflammatory benefits. Then added the chopped hard-cooked eggs (4 this time) and mixed it together with a spoonful of organic mayo. Feel free to use an alternate product. So already, we’ve got small quantities of four different vegetables right in the egg salad! Small quantities do count. Especially if you make enough to serve again.

But wait. Aren’t we making a sandwich?

Sure, sometimes I’ll do a green salad for lunch. But it’s January right now, and I live in the north. We’re out of season. I’m always on the look-out for something to stack sandwich fixings on top of. I’ve used slices of cold baked potato and recently planned-over latkes. But in a pinch, I generally keep a bag of rice cakes on hand. They work perfectly, and I don’t mind eating them occasionally. So today, that’s what’s on the plate.

Then you’ll want some toppers. Depending on what you have on hand, you could use avocado slices, sliced tomato, shredded greens, baby greens, veggie slaw, pickled beet slices, beet relish, or do as I did today and grab the jar of homemade pickled red onions. They’re delicious and oh-so-colorful.

I added another 5 veggies to the count with today’s toppers: three baby greens from a bagged greens mix, red onion, and raspberry (a formerly secret ingredient in my pickled onion recipe).

Do you spy a side salad?

Depending on your appetite and what you have on hand, you could serve two of the topped rice cakes and call it good. I’ve done that for sure. But for this meal, there was a special treat. I’d just made a batch of this Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing, to which I’d added some chopped red cabbage. It’s quickly become a favorite around here! So I served up a scoop of that yummy deliciousness as a side salad.

That adds broccoli, red cabbage, garbanzo beans, sunflower seeds, and cranberries (5 plant items) to the plate. The salad has red onion in it as well, but we’ve already counted that once. Fair is fair.

The final plant count

In place of an old school egg salad sandwich, we’ve created an abundant plant-focused plate of goodness that features 15 different plants, counting the rice in the rice cake. Add a piece of fruit and count 16. Not bad!

Whole Foods Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwich
Egg Salad with added veggies step by step.

References:

  1. DePalma, et al (2009). Effects of a gluten-free diet on gut microbiota and immune function in healthy adult human subjects. British Journal of Nutrition. 2009 Oct; 102(8):1154-60 .
  2. Jackson (2010). Effects of a gluten-free diet on gut microbiota and immune function in healthy adult human subjects – comment by Jackson. British Journal of Nutrition 2010; 104: 773.

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Wellness Images offers functional nutrition testing and consultation. If you’d like to optimize your gut health, check out our program offerings. Contact me for a free 15-20 minute conversation to see if we’re a good fit to work together.

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Latke Tacos: Nourish your microbiome

December 29, 2018 No comments

Latke Tacos

Latke Tacos: vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free
Latke Tacos with Pickled Red Onion garnish

One day last week, I got the idea to make Latke Tacos. I’d never made latkes before, but a friend started talking about them and… What can I say? My creative muse took over. The next day, I set out to use only items on hand to whip up a batch of Latke Tacos.

Quick summary of the back story. In addition to the functional gut work I’ve been offering for several years now, I’ve lately been studying the human gut microbiome in some depth. We’ll discuss this separately, but let’s just quickly mention that bacterial diversity in the gut is really good for your health. It’s possible to fairly easily determine where you stand with respect to good bugs / not-so-good bugs. Who is present in your gut? How do the numbers look? How does the balance look? What’s to be done to improve upon it? (We can answer these questions for you as an individual if you’re intrigued and want to optimize your health.)

Whole Plant Food Diversity

For the last several months, I’ve been playing a little game with myself (and a few friends, and a few functional nutrition clients). Our goal is to consume, on average, 40 distinct whole plant foods in any given week. No single food is off limits, though some of us do have select foods that we avoid or keep to a minimum for one reason or another.

From there, it’s not hard to develop a simple supplementation strategy to skew the balance in your favor. Food choices have a lot to do with how well this all shakes out. Specifically, eating a diversity of whole plant foods.

In addition to diversity, I’ve been considering a few other factors. Polyphenols. Resistant starches. Whenever possible, I’m creating more complex dishes, including reds, purples, and dark colored foods, and looking for opportunities to eat some of my starches at room temperature or cooler. (Think potato salad, rice pudding, leftover refried beans.)

“If we had leftover latkes,” was my thinking, “then we could make tacos on top of them! Latke tacos! And the latkes themselves would be resistant starch.” Brilliant! (My creative muse has a funny sense of humor.)

Important note!

You’ll notice that this isn’t exactly a “recipe.” It’s some thoughts on how to creatively craft a diverse plant food dish. Let your muse out and have some fun!

Step 1: Make the Latkes

My first step was “Only items on hand”. It was the day after a major holiday and snowing. Grocery shopping was not high on my agenda. But I do keep a fairly well-stocked pantry. Here’s what went into the latkes (yield = 15 latkes):

  • Two good-sized red potatoes, shredded with food processor
  • A couple of onions from last summer’s garden, minced
  • Diversity add-ins (Let your mind go wild — I had a chunk of daikon and a red carrot in the fridge, so I shredded them with the potatoes. Other ideas are beet, sweet potato, turnip, kohlrabi, or something else of a similar texture. The more the merrier!)
  • Two eggs. For an egg-free or vegan version, I think “flax eggs” would work. If you try this, please leave a comment and let me know.
  • Two Tablespoons of “flour”. I used chick pea flour. Any type of flour or thickener should do the trick.
  • Salt to taste (optional)

Putting the latkes together:

You’ll want to get some of the moisture out of the veggie mixture. Put the potato / onion / add ins into a square of cheesecloth and hung it over a bowl for ten minutes or so. Then squeeze out as much moisture as you can, discard that, and place the squished veggies into a mixing bowl. Mix in the eggs, flour, and salt.

Baked Latkes
Latkes ready to pop in the oven.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. If using parchment, check the box to see what temperature your brand is rated for. Mine said 420 F.

Latkes are usually fried on the stovetop. I’m not a big fan of that cooking method. Plus I wanted to leave the door open for room-temperature leftovers (resistant starch) and I didn’t think a fried version would work very well in that situation. I baked them.

Spread a little butter or coconut oil on parchment paper with just-washed fingers. (Or use a glove or spatula.) Put that on a baking sheet. Then scoop out 1/3 cup of the mixture and flattened slightly. See the pieces of red carrot? Festive, eh? Bake 15 minutes on one side, then remove from the oven and flip them. Bake 10 minutes on the other side.

Baked vs pan-fried latkes
Two latkes on a plate. Left = baked; right = pan-fried.

I wanted to see if the stovetop version would be better than baked. I put a little butter into a frying pan and pan-fried a few test latkes. Here is a sample of each. The baked latke is on the left, and pan-fried on the right. The pan-fried latke looks more moist. Once they were topped with the taco filling, I couldn’t tell the difference. It’s up to you how you want to cook them.

Step 2: Make the taco topping mixture

Latke Tacos
Taco topping mixture

Next make the topping mixture. This will make your plain latkes into Latke Tacos! Keep in mind I was using only items on hand. Here’s what went into the mixture:

  • Dried beans. I used 1/3 cup black beans and 1/3 cup red beans for diversity. Other options would be garbanzos, great northern, or navy beans. You’re aiming for about 2/3 cup of dried beans. Pre-soak, then cook (about an hour) — preferably ahead of time. If you’re in a hurry, use a can of pre-cooked beans.
  • Organic canned corn — I had this in the cupboard. If your family doesn’t use corn, I would substitute chopped red (or green, or a mixture) cabbage.
  • Diversity ingredients: You could add additional shredded vegetables here. Zucchini, carrots, or parsnips come to mind. Maybe beets. I’ll bet that a bit of cooked / pureed pumpkin or winter squash would be delicious, especially if you use a less saucy tomato product than I did.
  • Tomato — I had home-canned tomato paste from garden tomatoes. An 8 oz jar. It’s a bit saucier than commercial paste. In the summer, I would use fresh tomatoes. Sun-dried tomatoes should be really nice! If your family doesn’t do well with nightshades, try a combination of well-cooked and pureed beets + pumpkin instead. Let me know if you try it!
  • Pepper — one dried Anaheim (left from the summer garden).
  • Chopped onion (left from the summer garden).
  • Chopped garlic (left from the summer garden).
  • Seasonings: 1/2 – 1 teaspoon each of cumin, chili powder, oregano, and salt, to your family’s taste. If you like cilantro and have some on hand, add that as well.

How to put it together:

In a medium frying pan, warm some coconut oil (or whatever you prefer to use). Saute the onion, garlic, and cabbage if using. When they’re softened, then add remaining ingredients and heat through.

Step 3: Plate and top your Latke Tacos

For each adult serving, put two of those yummy baked or pan-fried latkes on a medium plate and spoon taco topping on top. You’ll probably also want a garnish. Here are some ideas:

  • Pickled red onion — I’d made this previously and had it on hand in the fridge. Pretty festive, eh? Will post the recipe separately.
  • Guacamole and olives — Oooh, oooh. This was such a yummy variation with some of the leftovers. Yep, I had a ripe avocado on hand. Mashed it up with a little lemon juice, a clove of minced garlic, and some salt. Yum.
  • Avocado chunks — in case you don’t want to make it into guacamole, just cut an avocado into chunks.
  • Tomato chunks — in season, I might cut up some cherry tomatoes as a topper
  • Sour cream / cheese — for those who enjoy dairy, this might be just the thing. Let me know if you try it!
  • Let your creative muse inspire you. Leave a comment below & share your ideas!

So there you have it! Latke Tacos! This batch yielded 4 hearty servings + extra latkes. Serve with a side salad or slaw if you like.

Plant Food Diversity Update

In my original version, my count came to 12 plant foods. (I’ll share here that there is a secret ingredient in the pickled red onions — garden raspberries from the freezer. Oh yum.) Substituting guacamole and olives on the leftovers round added two more plant foods to the week’s tally.

If you’d like to get in on the Whole Plant Food Diversity experience, follow the WellnessImages Facebook page for updates. Also, if you’d like to learn more about what’s in your own gut, along with individualized strategies to balance things out in your favor, consider one of the functional nutrition testing / consultation options you’ll find on the Wellness Images website.

Happy feasting!

Latke tacos topped with guacamole and green olives
Latke Tacos topped with guacamole and green olives
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What’s in your gut? Wheat sensitivity?!

December 19, 2018 No comments

What’s in your gut?

In a lot of cases, part of the answer is “inflammation.” Gut inflammation may influence other parts of the body. That’s how I got into studying functional nutrition. Neuromuscular therapy clients started showing up with what appeared to be systemic inflammation. Bodywork can’t fix that. It’s nutritional. Sometimes, wheat sensitivity may be involved.

As we talked, people began asking questions like this: “Could gut upset be part of my situation even if my symptoms are somewhere else in my body (joint stiffness, mood issues, headaches, fatigue, and so on) and I poop like clockwork every morning? Where does it come from? What can we do?”

The answer: “It depends.” We explore it case by case.

What's in your gut?
Beautiful wheat fields can be found all over North Dakota!

I now live in the state of North Dakota, having moved here from metropolitan Detroit 17 years ago. I work with functional nutrition clients from this local area as well as from other parts of the US.

One thing I probably don’t have to mention about North Dakota. Agriculture is the primary industry here. The primary commodity crop is wheat. In fact, according to the North Dakota Wheat Commission, 9 million acres of our state are planted in wheat crops each year.

Wheat!?

Today, let’s look at one piece. Wheat sensitivity.

I know a lot of wheat farmers. They’re awesome people who mean you no harm. I mean them no harm by sharing this information. The truth is a lot of people do not tolerate today’s wheat-containing food products very well. Even some of the wheat farmers.

Fortunately, objective testing is available. If my clients want to know whether their body has an immune reaction to wheat (hellooo inflammation), it’s pretty easy to find out.

Objective Testing for Wheat Sensitivity

The test results pictured are from someone whose main health concern was a GI issue. I honor their courage in wanting to find out the effect that wheat might be having on their system.

Wheat sensitivity. Gluten sensitivity
Objective testing for wheat sensitivity shows multiple immune system responses.

Here’s what we learned from running a test called Wheat Zoomer. First, all the celiac disease markers came back negative. My client was happy to hear that! Next, intestinal permeability is an issue. (These markers are not illustrated.)

In addition (see graphic above):

  1. They registered an immune reaction to wheat germ.
  2. Five of the six gluten peptides explored on the test triggered an immune system reaction.
  3. They registered an immune reaction to all five of the additional non-gluten wheat proteins measured.

Bottom line: In order to tame the fire in their gut, this person needs to strictly avoid both wheat (even wheatgrass juice / powder) and gluten (including barley and rye). It’s an adjustment. Fortunately, awareness of wheat sensitivity is becoming much more common, and the social aspect of trying to explain to Aunt Tilly that you can’t have a piece of her birthday cake is getting easier.

If you suspect that gut challenges may be slowing you down, I offer two suggestions:

#1. Pot luck tip: Contribute something you can eat!

Roasted vegetable medley
Roasted veggies are nourishing and delicious!

#2. Need help figuring out what’s in your gut? We offer functional health testing and consultation. Check it out.

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Potato-broccoli salad – 18 plant foods!

October 19, 2018 No comments

Potato-broccoli salad – 18 plant foods!

This is the potato that inspired my salad:

It went in to bake on a Wednesday evening after I’d cleaned up the kitchen from dinner. I wasn’t sure exactly what would happen next, but my plan was to invent a salad that allowed me to consume the potato cold and therefore take advantage of its resistant starch.

I’m eating for microbiome health. Championing plant food diversity. Of course I’d also like my food to taste good, look good, and keep me satisfied from one meal to the next.

I’m playing around with different ways to increase the number and variety of plant foods I consume within any given week. One strategy, since I cook for one, is to make a dish with many ingredients and make enough quantity to have leftovers for a few days.

But I’m also cooking for you. You with a family to serve. A family who probably doesn’t want to eat the same supper four nights in a row. A family with different taste and texture preferences. So I’m also playing around with dishes that have fewer ingredients, that may be finished up in one sitting, that can be combined in different ways.

And let’s get real. It’s mid-week. My weekend food prep items were running low. I needed something to tide me over without running to the store. Something that could be prepped ahead of time and served quickly, since I work right up to mealtime on weekdays.

Enter the potato. Now known as future potato-broccoli salad.

Potato broccoli salad resistant starch

Soon to become a potato-broccoli salad side dish.

On Thursday after supper, I opened the fridge. What did I have on hand? Some broccoli and a couple of carrots from the supermarket. Small onions and dill seed from the garden. Beets from the farmer’s market. Plus salad greens, eggs, and some pantry items.

First things first. Let’s honor our star, the potato (previously cooked). It was respectfully chunked and placed into a glass mixing bowl. Then I chunked and lightly steamed the carrots and broccoli, minced the onion, and added dill seed, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt. (4 plant foods, not counting dill) Mixed everything up. Potato salad done!

Resistant starch

Potato broccoli salad resistant starch

Ta da! Potato broccoli salad from items on hand on a Thursday night. 🙂

Let’s have a word about cooked and then cooled potatoes. Since we’re eating for microbiome health, it’s useful to talk briefly about resistant starch. Basically, cooked and then cooled potatoes contain a particular type of starch that escapes digestion in the small intestine, and is instead broken down in the colon. There are some good things about this. They feed the microbiome. Basically they form a substrate that supports certain beneficial bacteria that produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including butyrate — which supports healthy gut tissue.

And since they’re metabolized slowly, they provide a longer-term energy source without raising blood sugar to the same extent as starches that the body consumes in the small intestine. Isn’t that great?

More variety, please. What about those beets?

At this point, I’m aiming to consume 40+ distinct plant foods in any given week. The potato-broccoli salad was cool, but not enough. And I had beets on hand. Beets are rich in polyphenols, those bright colors that also do your gut a world of good.

I quickly recalled a recipe for beet tapenade from one of the specialty cookbooks I picked up a number of years ago: Pestos, Tapenades & Spreads. Its main ingredients are beets, walnuts, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt. (2 plant foods) It’s very easy to prepare, and so I did. Between the beets themselves and the balsamic vinegar, this flavor is a bit sweet. It’s a nice contrast with the potato salad, and so colorful!

Legumes, any one?

Legumes provide additional benefits as a bacterial growth substrate, and I’ve been including them, when possible, every day. The easier-digesting ones, like garbanzo beans, great northern, black beans, maybe a few pintos. Well-cooked, please! I usually prepare mine from dried, and so before turning in for the night, I put equal portions of garbanzo beans and great northern into a pan to soak. (2 plant foods) The next morning, it was really easy to turn the burner on low so they could cook as I went about my weekday morning routine. (If you’re prone to getting distracted, please set a timer!)

Potato-broccoli salad is served!

plant food diversity, eat the rainbow, prebiotics

18 plant foods salad, inspired by one lowly potato.

You can do this part differently. Here’s where I found myself. In the fridge, I had the potato-broccoli salad, beet tapenade, the cooked garbanzo / great northern combo, some salad greens (spring greens mix – 9 plant foods), and hard cooked eggs. I piled greens into a bowl and then added a bit of everything on top. Sprinkled with sunflower seeds for crunch and additional variety (1 plant food). And ta da — lunch! It was colorful and hit the spot for sure. (18 plant foods in total)

For different diners, it would be easy enough to use the two side salads as an accompaniment for a piece of cooked salmon, a chicken breast, or maybe a burger. It could be your main meal for the day, and ready to go in a jiffy. You might even get a high five for creativity, flavor, or presentation.

Take home guidance on the potato-broccoli salad inspiration.

Here’s the thing I hope you’ll take home from my little kitchen adventure. If you don’t have these exact ingredients in your kitchen at any given moment, then use what you have. In place of the broccoli, I could have used cauliflower, green beans, or Brussels sprouts. We could add something or leave something out. Put a little garlic into the dressing. It could really be nearly any combination. For mid-week inspiration, just look in the fridge and use what you have.

 

References:

Effects of Potato Fiber and Potato‐Resistant Starch on Biomarkers of Colonic Health in Rats Fed Diets Containing Red Meat

Resistant Starch – A Review

 

Functional Nutrition Consultation:

Get your groove back & bring harmony into your life.
Consider one of our health-building functional nutrition programs.

 

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Spring Reset: 3 Low Cost, High Value Strategies

March 25, 2018 No comments

Three Spring Resets

The calendar says it’s spring! Where I live, the outdoor conditions haven’t quite caught up yet. But we’re close. So close. It’s time to make plans for a Spring Reset!

I live in the north, just an hour’s drive south of the Canadian border. Winter is a long season here. It’s ok. We’re used to it. It’s not hard to imagine, though, that a couple hundred years ago things would have been quite different.

Imagine life in the northern plains 200 years ago during a harsh winter. Lacking some of the conveniences we have come to rely on: central heat, indoor plumbing, electricity, weather forecasting. Trees are not plentiful here on the plains, either for building materials or for heat. Frigid weather can persist for months, along with significant snowfall. Careful planning was a must in order to make it through to spring with enough food and sufficient heat.

I can about imagine the anticipation the earlier people must have felt. Warmer days bring the opportunity to enjoy the morning sun on your face, walk barefoot on the earth, and harvest the first fresh greens you’ve seen in months. Such abundant luxury! A spring reset! For free!

Spring Reset: Feel the morning sun on your face.We can do it, too. With a bit of attention to the change of seasons, we can do our own spring reset. Kind of like spring cleaning for our wonderful bodies. It can be simple or deep, depending on what you want to accomplish. Regardless, there are certain things available to nearly everyone, at low cost and high value. Here are three.

Spring Reset #1: Enjoy the morning sun!

Nearly everyone enjoys the feel of the morning sun on their face. Regardless of circumstances, the sun is available to just about everyone, and it’s free. If you’re unable to get outside, then please do your best to find a window. Pure sunshine is the ultimate spring reset.

For those of us with the liberty to go outdoors in the early morning, that’s an ideal time. Early morning sun helps set your body’s circadian rhythm, and it’s not so strong as to burn fair skin.

Most people think of vitamin D levels when they think of the health benefits of sunlight. Indeed, a healthy person will metabolize vitamin D from sunlight, lighter-skinned people absorbing more than those with darker skin. We’ll save an in-depth discussion of vitamin D for another day. However most agree that the active form 1,25(OH)D supports health, specifically calcium and phosphorus levels, various metabolic functions, and bone mineralization.¹

Sun exposure has a number of additional benefits besides vitamin D metabolism. It increases production of the melatonin precursor, serotonin, leading to a positive outlook coupled with calm, focused energy. Early morning sun exposure also functions as a “stop” marker for nighttime melatonin production, leading to a healthier sleep pattern overall. Finally, sunlight exposure modulates the immune system, supports production of melanocyte-stimulating hormone (which decreases during certain instances of chronic inflammation), and positively affects mood by increasing blood levels of endorphins.¹

One of the easiest and least costly spring reset strategies for most of us, by far, is to step outside into the light and enjoy a reasonable amount of sun exposure. Preferably in the morning. Not so much as to produce a burn.

Spring Reset #2: Walk barefoot on the earth

Connecting with the earth - health benefitsPhysicians and researchers Karol Sokal, MD, PhD and Pawel Sokal, MD, PhD hypothesized that “regulating factors that are universal in nature, … the action of which could be disturbed by contemporary civilization”² might be responsible for some of the chronic ill health they were observing in clinical practice. Observing that many of us have gotten away from frequent connection with the earth, they further hypothesized that the earth’s charge might be one such factor.

In order to explore their hypothesis, they conducted a study in which they measured certain physiological responses to “Earthing” which, for the sake of consistency, they arranged through use of a grounding device. They connected a copper plate attached to the subject’s leg to a second plate placed on moistened earth outdoors. The subjects slept in this fashion.

The results indicated that the Earthed subjects had changes in:

  • calcium-phosphate homeostasis (consistent with a decrease in bone mineral loss pattern associated with osteoporosis)
  • concentration of electrolyte minerals
  • increase in the T4 thyroid hormone (free thyroxin), increase in TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), and decrease in the T3 thryoid hormone (free tri-iodothyronine); this is consistent with an increase in metabolic rate
  • decreased serum glucose levels in a group of patients with non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes
  • increased immune response (triggered by administration of a vaccine during the experiment)²,³

This complex research was meant to investigate the positive effects of something that you can most likely do for free (once the snow melts, if that applies in your area): walk barefoot on the earth. Or lie on it. Sit in a chair and watch a movie with your bare feet on the ground. Whatever works best in your situation.

Spring Reset #3: Make friends with the lowly dandelion

In the many parts of the world where dandelions grow, they tend to be prolific. They’re easy to come by. In my area, the pretty yellow flower is one of the first signals that spring has really arrived.

Dandelion: nutritional powerhouse, herbal medicineGood news. Dandelion is edible! All parts may be eaten as food. If you (or someone you know) has a healthy crop, and presuming no herbicide has been applied, you can add a few tasty young leaves to your next salad.

Dandelion has also been used traditionally as an herbal medicine. The root is often used for liver support, the leaf for digestive support and as a diuretic. Dandelion has also been studied for anti-inflammatory and immune modulating properties. The root may be brewed into a tea or tinctured.

Dandelion leaf, when eaten as a food, is a nutritional powerhouse. It contains potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins A and C, and the B vitamins thiamine and riboflavin.⁴

Perhaps you have a non-sprayed yard or garden that sports these beautiful plants. If so, harvest freely. If not, you may be lucky enough to have a neighbor who does not apply herbicides. (Like me!) If so, I’m guessing they’d be happy to have you stop by and carefully dig to your heart’s content. Or failing that, if you live in an area where dandelions do not grow abundantly, you can very reasonably purchase dried dandelion root from a company such as Frontier Natural Products and brew tea or make a tincture.

A deeper approach

So there you go. Three spring reset options for little to no cost and potentially high value. I encourage everyone who has the ability to utilize these to do so.

Perhaps you’re ready for a deeper approach, too. Spring is also a great time for a general assessment, and in particular, for optimizing digestive health. If this sounds like something you may be interested in, I encourage you to consider a Functional Nutrition Consultation. If this speaks to you, I’d be happy to hear from you to discuss an individualized one-on-one program.

 

 

¹ Mead, M. N. (2008). Benefits of Sunlight: A Bright Spot for Human Health. Environmental Health Perspectives, 116(4), A160–A167.

² Sokal, K. and Sokal, P. (2011). Earthing the Human Body Influences Physiologic Processes. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 17:4, 301-308.

³ Oschman, J. L. (2011). Chronic Disease: Are We Missing Something? The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 17:4, 283-285.

⁴ Mir, M. Amin, Sawhney, S. S., Jassal, M. M. S. (2013) Qualitative and quantitative analysis of phytochemicals of Taraxacum officinale. Wudpecker Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmocology, vol. 2(1), pp. 001 – 005.

 

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