Self Care on the Road...

Traveling can be tricky, to say the least, if you or those around you are managing a chronic condition. I'll be visiting Seattle for the first time in a few weeks. I'm planning ahead to feel my best AND plan to apply my 3 key concepts to take good care of my health while I am away from home. Check out these self care ideas that I shared last June after taking a trip with my folks. My parents and I are part of the AARP crowd. We may have a number of health issues to manage and walk a bit slower than others, though we still had a great time! Read on and safe travels! ~ Tiffany

Thirsty Thursday blog post, June 22, 2017:

My parents and I spent Father's day weekend at The Happiest Place on Earth. If you've read my Meditations with Mickey page, you know that Disneyland is more than a destination for me. Disneyland is a treasured part of my lifestyle. Fantastic memories were made while we watched the Main Street Electrical Light Parade, enjoyed our favorite rides, and met fellow fans from all around the world. To feel our best on vacation we followed some simple health practices. We stayed well hydrated, started the day with a nutritious breakfast, opted for small meals throughout the day, and avoided heavy salty foods. Simply put, we listened to our bodies. We rested as needed, hung out in the shade or indoor attractions to avoid overheating, and protected our skin with sunscreen and hats.

The finishing touch to our busy fun-filled Disney day? Legs were elevated and peppermint lotion was massaged into our feet right before bed. Aches were soothed, bunions found relief, and ankle swelling was reduced. I took it one step further and soaked my feet in cold water prior to the peppermint lotion. Vacation time is an opportunity for added self care. Your body will thank you for the effort, and you'll have a much more enjoyable vacation!

Be Well! ~ Tiffany

EFT - an 'Untapped' Resource!

I discovered Brad Yates and Emotional Freedom Technique years ago. EFT is a relaxing method that helps me to manage pain, stress, grief, anxiety, and much more. Check out this brief video and follow along. Learn more about EFT here.

Be Well! ~Tiffany

Considering 'Going Keto'?

Many years ago, during one of my many attempts to lose weight, I followed the Atkins diet. Consuming large amounts of fatty animal protein left me feeling sick, bloated, malnourished, and fatigued. I can only imagine how much cholesterol and plaque built up in my arteries, plus the strain I placed on my liver. High levels of protein are unnecessary, not healthy, and can be incredibly dangerous. Dr. John McDougall calls high protein diets as a "way to trade your health for temporary weight loss."

Our brain requires at least 130 grams of carbohydrate a day - the food of choice for our mind is glucose...and our body can only make that glucose from carbs. Without it we can experience side effects like headaches, memory loss, bone loss, muscle atrophy, and more. Registered Dietitian Devrie Pettit talks about the dangers of metabolic acidosis, digestive complaints, and the 'keto flu' in a KSL article posted July 31, 2018, read it here.

I've made plenty of dietary mistakes in my life believing that I was eating for my health, and have also eaten poorly in direct disregard for my health. Learning from my mistakes and applying sound principals have saved my life and given me a higher quality of life. If you are feeling poorly - take a close look at your diet. You are in charge of your health and can make changes to improve it.

Be Well! ~Tiffany

"What's for lunch?"

I am often asked about the foods I eat, especially from Wellness Coaching clients and those who have read my book. After all, 'Nourish' is one of my 3 Key Concepts and, as far as I'm concerned, following The McDougall Program (discussed on my website and in my book) is the number one reason why I have an amazing quality of life, maintain a lean physique, sleep soundly, and take very little prescription medication. Desserts are rare, I typically eat fruit when I want something sweet. Today's treat is a rare splurge.

Here is what I ate for lunch today, plus details on how I put it together. This recipe makes 2-3 servings for me and is a good way to clean out vegetable leftovers. I do not count calories. I simply eat whole foods that are plant-based, mainly starch, and avoid all oil. I eat when I am hungry, stop when I am full (but not stuffed), and feel amazing.

Layered Bean Dip, Baked Corn Tortilla Chips & Raspberry Sorbet with Dark Chocolate Chips

I used a flat quiche pan for this recipe. The dip base is one can of black beans rinsed/drained and mashed with a dash of garlic powder, plus the zest and juice from one lime. On top of the bean mixture is about 1/2 cup of green salsa. The next layer is 1/2 cup of my vegan 'cheez' sauce (I use this for potatoes, pasta, pizza, and more), this 'cheez' sauce is made by blending one onion cleaned/quartered/blanched, one large raw red pepper cut into chunks, few dashes of liquid smoke, dash of sea salt, and 1 c. of nutritional yeast (this will make over a pint jar that keeps well in the fridge for over a week), it only takes a few minutes to put this together in my standard blender. The final toppings for the dip are a few slices of raw red bell pepper, chopped, minced raw onion, dash of dried cilantro (didn't have any fresh), and 1/3 cup frozen corn/black bean medley (thawed). I covered this and chilled it in the fridge for about 2 hours though you could eat it right away. This layered dip keeps well in the fridge for a few days. I ate half of the dip recipe with chips. To make my chips I took 5 small corn tortillas that I cut into wedges and baked for 16 minutes at 350 degrees, flipping halfway to brown each side. Chips are easily made ahead of time, I batch cook often, especially to prepare for travel. Dessert splurge consisted of 3 large spoonfuls of Talenti raspberry sorbet topped with 1/2 T. of Enjoy Life vegan dark chocolate chips. Yum! I am full, satisfied, and ready to head to work.

Questions? Want to partner with me and learn more about plant-based eating? Contact me! tiffany@andersontherapeutics.com

Be Well! ~Tiffany

Wellness on a Budget

Managing chronic conditions can be extremely expensive, and to say I am frugal is an understatement. I am a coupon diva and extreme bargain hunter. I seek out deals for travel, retail, entertainment, transportation, food, and healthcare. Here are a few budget savvy methods that fall in line with my 3 Key Concepts to Live Well & Be Well. As with any advice, speak to your doctor before implementing anything that may affect your health.

Be Well! ~Tiffany

Soothe:

• Indigestion or heartburn? Drink 1/4 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1/4 cup water OR chew a small piece of crystallized ginger OR sip on chamomile tea OR chew sugarless peppermint gum. Simple solution...avoid harmful foods since diet is the number one culprit.

• Sensitive skin, shingles, contact dermatitis? Stay indoors when temperatures soar, avoid excessive sun exposure, and check your water heater. High heat aggravates many conditions and hot water can scald. Turn the temperature down to 120 degrees to save on heating bills.

Nourish:

• Constipation, hernias, or digestive complaints?  Foods like rice, oats, and potatoes support the health of our colon, are filling, rich in nutrients, and very inexpensive. Avoid toppings that contain oil.

Rest:

• Insomnia? Stream nature sounds like ocean waves or tune into a tapping/EFT video with Brad Yates to help you wind down.

• Aches & pains keeping you awake? Try acupuncture, my number one method to relieve pain and help manage stress. Community based clinics are affordable and many health plans may cover the cost, check with your insurance carrier.

Hot Dog Water? Talk About Snake Oil!

As unbelievable as this may sound, News of the Weird* published a recent story describing a health craze marketed in Canada. At a street festival on June 17th they were promoting Hot Dog Water. People were invited to pay $38 to try it and told it was gluten-free (true), Keto diet-compatible (true), and each bottle contained a hot dog (true).

I was not surprised to hear that people lined up to purchase bottles of Hot Dog Water and took this product seriously. Though guess what? It was a prank designed, "in response to the snake oil salesman of health marketing". The CEO of the company even added a disclaimer on the bottle:

"Hot Dog Water in its absurdity hopes to encourage critical thinking related to product marketing and the significant role it can play in our purchasing choices."

Whether or not people paid for the drink knowing it was a joke is neither here nor there. The story got me thinking. I have purchased ludicrous items like this in the past (gag gifts aside)...pills that supposedly burnt calories while I slept (they didn't), followed crash diets that promised results (they didn't feel good/weren't sustainable), and eaten many junk foods that, if I was honest with myself, knew they were horrible for my health. Foods like overly processed, gunk-filled hot dogs.

Many people say they don't want to know what is in a hot dog and only care that it tastes good...which is of course their prerogative, we are all adults and can eat what we want. Taking responsibility for those choices is the key. There are direct consequences to every food, beverage, or pill that we put into our body. When I ate poorly I steadily gained weight, rarely slept well, experienced constant skin problems, had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and found myself with chronic conditions like thyroid disease and osteoarthritis. The lesson of buyer beware reminds me that I take full responsibility for my health knowing that my actions and behaviors impact how I feel. These days I choose to keep things simple and do my best to feel better.

Poor dietary choices increase my inflammation, cause my shingles to flare, my joints will ache more often, and I risk losing bone that is already declining with time. Ask yourself when you make a dietary choice/dietary purchase..."Do the major players in the food, supplement, and 'diet' industry truly have your best interest at heart?"

Be Well! ~Tiffany

* See excerpt and details: Salt Lake City Weekly, July 12, 2018, pg 47

SOURCE: thelogicalbro / YouTube

Earth Candy...Sweet Potatoes!

If you've been misled to believe that a sweet potato is bad for your diet, think again. This tuber is eaten in large quantities in countries like Japan, Peru, and New Guinea where obesity, diabetes, and heart disease rates are much lower than here in the U.S. It's the toppings that we put on any potato that can clog arteries, add excess weight, and lead to poor health. Sweet potatoes are not yams and are diabetic friendly foods despite what you may hear in the media. Yams are originally from Africa, rarely sold in the United States, and can be up to seven feet long! Quiz yourself and know the difference between a yam and a sweet potato.

I typically eat three to seven large sweet potatoes every week in a variety of oil-free dishes or on their own as a snack. I like them roasted, mashed, baked, and boiled. To save time I typically roast my sweet potatoes in bulk, storing them in the fridge for a great grab and go  snack or to use as an ingredient for tacos, salads, soups, and more. Roasting a sweet potato caramelizes it and deepens the natural sweetness of the root...making it my earth candy! Sweet potatoes are low in calories (103 for a medium-sized), high in fiber, vitamin A, potassium, B vitamins, are very filling, and best of all...they are delicious! Here are a few of of my favorite recipes:

• Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes

• Sweet Potato Fries

• Black Bean Sweet Potato Hash

Be Well! ~Tiffany

Yams usually grow in tropical climates like Africa, South America, and the Caribbean.