Wellness Posts by NaturallySavvy

Label Lessons for Healthy School Lunches

2015-05-12T07:00:00Z

Wellness.com - Label Lessons for Healthy School Lunches by NaturallySavvy

Packing healthy lunches for the kids can be downright stressful. How can you be sure that you are packing your kid's lunch box with foods that are both delicious AND nutritious? These days, food companies can be deliberately deceitful with misleading and seductive marketing. How do you know you're not just feeding your kids sugar, GMOs and chemicals dressed up in "natural" packaging? - Avoid the Scary Seven: -
- 1. High-Fructose Corn Syrup - (Glucose-Fructose in Canada)
Potential side-effects: obesity, insulin resistance, increased belly fat, heart disease. 2. Trans Fats - (Labeled as "shortening," "partially hydrogenated," or "hydrogenated," "mono and diglycerides," or "DATEM") - Potential side-effects: heart disease, cancer, diabetes. 3. Artificial Flavors - A blanket term refering to over 100 possible chemical additives. Potential side-effects: allergic and behavioral reactions. 4. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) - Potential side-effects: chest pain, heart palpitations, headaches, stimulates taste buds causing us to eat more. 5. Artificial Colors - Potential side-effects: Allergies, sinus congestion, hyperactivity in children, worsens symptoms of ADD and ADHD - 6. Artificial Sweeteners - Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet): Primarily affects the nervous system. Potential side-effects: headaches, dizziness, memory loss, convulsions. Sucralose (Splenda): More research is needed to determine its safety. Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K): Research indicates it may cause cancer. Neotame: Need more studies to confirm safety. Saccharin (Sweet'N Low): Proven to cause cancer in animals. Suspected human carcinogen. 7. Preservatives - Potential side effects: - TBHQ: Tinnitus, nausea, vomiting.Polysorbates (60, 65 & 80): Infertility, immunosuppressant, anaphylaxis. BHT/BHA: Liver and kidney problems. BHA is a possible carcinogen. Nitrates or Nitrites: Allergic reactions, potential carcinogen. Potassium Sorbate: Allergic reactions, nausea, diarrhea and DNA damage. Sodium Benzoate: Allergic reactions, carcinogen. Sulfites: Allergic reactions - especially for asthmatics. While you're at it, be sure to -Unjunk Your Kid's Lunch Box- by learning to easily navigate food labels and make healthy food choices to keep your kids alert, well-nourished and ready to learn! - In this -free e-book- by our team at Naturally Savvy, you will find healthy alternatives to conventional lunch box foods, from sandwich breads to juices. Side-by-side comparisons clearly outline what distinguishes a bad choice from a Naturally Savvy recommended alternative, with easy to understand information baking up these claims. You will also find nutritional information and full ingredients lists that are color coded to help you recognize the worst ingredients, also known as The Scary Seven, ingredients that should be eaten with caution, and those that are potentially GMO ingredients. The e-book comes packed with useful information, some great recipes, and peace of mind that you are educating yourself to ensure your kids get great nutrition without sacrificing taste. The e-book also includes links to coupons for the Naturally Savvy approved products. Be sure to visit -NaturallySavvy.com- for more natural, organic and healthy living alternatives.

Living Without Gluten or Dairy

2015-02-25T08:00:00Z

Wellness.com - Living Without Gluten or Dairy by NaturallySavvy

Years ago, I completely changed my diet. I became gluten- free and dairy-free. I know-sounds dreadful. But the funny thing is, it has changed my life. Why, you ask? Well, I noticed that every time I ate something with wheat or dairy in it, I wouldn't feel right. Be it gas and bloating, lightheadedness and/or tiredness, I always had a symptom that would appear within an hour or so of eating either gluten and/or dairy. I'm no stranger to digestive issues. I had issues as a child, but back then my parents would never have thought I had food allergies, let alone take me to the doctor to test for them. When I went back to school to become a Nutritionist, I did everything I could to heal my gut, including cleanses, taking probiotics and various supplements. It helped me a lot at the time, but after I had kids, I fell off the bandwagon and ate anything I wanted to, including foods that didn't make me feel very well, such as wheat and dairy. Then about five months ago, I was speaking with Lisa Tsakos (Naturally Savvy's Nutritionist) and I was telling her about my symptoms. She told me that I should try to go off wheat (gluten specifically) and dairy for a few weeks to see if I notice a difference. So I listened to her and from that day on, I eliminated both gluten and dairy from my diet. I felt a difference pretty early on; within the first few days. The gas and bloating was reduced to a minimum and I didn't have that "cloudy" feeling in my head anymore after eating a sandwich for lunch. To confirm my sensitivity, I went to my Holistic Practitioner for muscle testing. She went through the list of foods I ate on a regular basis and, as I thought, many of my favorite foods (such as bread, yogurt, and high fiber crackers) didn't agree with me. So I emailed NaturallySavvy.com's digestive care expert, Caroline Farquhar, and she put me on a strict regimen to heal my intestinal tract. She told me that my "villi"-the hairlike fingers in our gut that helps us us absorb nutrients-were irritated and therefore I wasn't properly absorbing the nutrients from the food I ate. She sent me Intesti-NEW and heavy duty Probiotics from Renew Life (the company she works for) and told me to take it every morning on an empty stomach. She also told me to take the probiotics after a meal (so my stomach acids won't interfere with the absoption). I listened to her and I'm happy to report that five months later, I feel great. I know it will take time to heal my colon, but I'm willing to be patient. I figure if giving it a little bit of extra care will enable me to enjoy some of my favorite foods later on, I have nothing to lose. For the most part I don't feel deprived, but there are times when I crave a slice of pizza or a thick organic turkey sandwich with brie (I'm human, after all). But because I know I'm doing this for a reason, I don't let it get me down. In fact, I look at it as a positive challenge. I am always on the look out for great tasting gluten-free and dairy-free products. I've learned how to bake gluten- free cakes, cookies, and muffins. I even experimented with making a gluten free bread. Carol Fenster, a renowned gluten-free cook, has even sent me several of her gluten-free recipe books to experiment with, which I do on a regular basis. Luckily for me and all of you gluten free and dairy free avoiders, Naturally Savvy has its very own Naturally Savvy Chefs-Lisa Odegard, Claire Fountain, and Shannon Leone-to provide us with delicious, easy to make, gluten- free and dairy-free recipes. Thanks, ladies! - For all of you who are in the same boat as I am, I've decided to moderate a gluten-free and dairy-free forum. Visit me there so we can stay in touch. Happy gluten-free and dairy-free eating! - Andrea Donsky is the co-founder of NaturallySavvy.com - a website dedicated to educating people on the benefits

Unjunk Your Junk Food!

2012-09-18T07:00:00Z

Wellness.com - Unjunk Your Junk Food! by NaturallySavvy

If I asked you if eating healthy means giving up junk food, what would you say? - Most of us would think it does.

At Naturally Savvy we believe that you don't have to give up the food you love, but rather you have to make smarter choices.

The key to indulging in your favorite treats is by avoiding chemical additives, those ingredients proven to cause harm to our bodies. We call them "The Scary Seven." They include: high-fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial flavors, monosodium glutamate (MSG), artificial colors, artificial sweeteners and preservatives such as nitrates, sulfites, sodium benzoate, BHA/BHT, polysorbates and TBHQ.

We wrote Unjunk Your Junk Food, Healthy Alternatives to Conventional Snacks because we are realists. Even the healthiest of health nuts needs a junk food fix every now and then. We don't oppose a once-in-a-while indulgence, but rather encourage label reading. We believe the first thing you should look at on a food label is the ingredients and not the nutrition facts panel, because if a product contains any of The Scary Seven ingredients, it doesn't matter how much fat and calories it has, you shouldn't be eating it anyways.

Unjunk Your Junk Food is a fun, handy, supermarket-friendly guide to the best tasting, best-for-you junk food made with natural ingredients.

To get a copy, -Order from Amazon Now-

SIDS, Serotonin and Infants

2010-04-16T07:00:00Z

Wellness.com - SIDS, Serotonin and Infants by NaturallySavvy

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, is the leading cause of death in infants under 12 months. While the exact cause has yet to be identified, sufficient evidence indicates that SIDS is primarily a physiological problem. A study just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) further supports this theory. The study found that babies who died from SIDS have lower amounts of the neurotransmitter (brain chemical) serotonin.

The study was based on data collected between 2004 and 2008 from forty-one infants who died from SIDS, seven infants who died from unknown causes, and five hospitalized infants with chronic hypoxia-ischemia.

In the infants that died from SIDS, serotonin levels were 26 per cent lower than in those of babies that died from other causes. This may be the missing physiological link researchers have been looking for.

Serotonin regulates sleep, heart rate and breathing. It acts as an "alarm system" to wake up the baby when breathing is disrupted. An infant's sleep cycle is approximately twenty minutes. Babies with reduced serotonin levels may not be aware that they are not breathing enough oxygen, causing them to sleep longer and potentially die in their sleep.

The next step is to determine why some babies have reduced levels of serotonin.

Currently, there is no test to determine which infants may be at risk for SIDS. In the meantime, to reduce the risk of infant death, parents are advised to ensure optimal air flow in the room where the baby is sleeping. Babies should sleep on their back not on their tummy to avoid rolling over and suffocating. Keep babies warm, but not hot, and ensure the crib is free of pillows, blankets, loose bedding, toys, pets or anything else that can inhibit their breathing.

Reference

Duncan, J., Paterson,D., Hoffman, J., Mokler, D., Borenstein, N., Belliveau, R., Krous, H., Haas, E., Stanley, C., Nattie, E., Trachtenberg, F., Kinney, H. "Brainstem Serotonergic Deficiency in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome"(2010) JAMA, 303.