Many of the people I have worked with have gone from a Standard American Diet (note the rather Freudian acronym – SAD) to a much healthier whole foods based diet in order to promote good health and fend off chronic illness. In most (if not all of these cases) doing so resulted in an initial period of detox symptoms. These can manifest in a host of different ways, most commonly – headache, fatigue, minor aches and pains (especially in the more target-specific dietary changes such as a liver protocol or addressing proper stomach pH). This left them wondering and asking if this was normal. The answer. Yes.

In most if not all cases, a chronic condition (IBS, acid reflux, dysglycemia, food intolerance/allergy to name a few common ones) did not spring up out of nowhere. Most often, years of bad habits went unchecked in order to develop these illnesses. Much toxicity had to be built up. Many organs and organ systems had to function long periods of time in an overloaded state before any undeniable symptoms began to manifest. In short, there is a lot of work to be done to fix the problem.

If you’ve done some damage already and are following a health promoting diet correctly you will be cleansing your system, which will most often result in some form of discomfort as you are moving to a better overall homeostatic state. So long as these symptoms are manageable, not extreme in nature, and subside within two weeks you should have nothing to worry about. If you are worried and the symptoms do become severe or exceed the aforementioned duration you should seek medical help. If you have not consulted an expert and have decided to go gung-ho from the McDonald’s diet straight into a raw vegan juice cleanse you are an idiot (I’m sorry, but you are). Just because something is natural does not mean it is harmless if done incorrectly. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.  Whatever you’re doing, make sure it is simple, and make moderate changes you can keep up with. Like my Grandfather (the wisest man I know) always says “take it easy,” and “anything in moderation is good.” Words to live a healthy life by.

Trying to eat a sustainable diet can seem like an impossible task. Especially with all of the doomsday talk you hear about the sad state of affairs in regards to our environment. The good news is; I have some good news for you! All is not lost.  As it turns out, one of my favorite sources of animal protein is shaping up to be one of the most sustainable choices out there.

Shellfish, although surrounded by some controversy, is actually one of your best options. Along with being a decadent choice, farmed shellfish (bivalves especially) have one of the greenest carbon footprints. Wild shellfish are often farmed using highly disruptive methods to the surrounding wildlife. Generally speaking trawlers are dragged across the ocean floor to collect them. This results in a lot of damage to the surrounding aquatic life, depletion of the naturally occurring population, as well as sandy mussels (which are not the most palatable option). Conversely, farmed mussels are harvested on ropes hung from poles or plastic floats with some netting below to keep them from falling. This keeps them away from the sandy ocean floor and predators while also allowing for quick, easy, and minimally invasive cultivation (they just pull up the ropes). As a huge bonus, some of you may have heard of something referred to as the red tide. It is a phenomenon in which estuarine, marine, or fresh water algae (called phytoplankton) accumulates rapidly along the water column and results in discoloration of the surface water in coastal areas. The problem being, the presence of the algae can sometimes become harmful to surrounding species of fish, birds, marine mammals, and other organisms. This happens for a host of specific reasons dependent upon which particular species of algae is in question. Simply put, they all produce or over-produce one or more toxic elements into the surrounding ecosystem. Google it for more information – it is very interesting. So… Back to my original point, guess what mussels eat? You guessed right if you said plankton.

I must admit, I am not a huge fan of human interference within nature, but in this one case, it seems to be a great and minimally invasive way to kill two birds with one stone. We get some delectable, clean food on our plate and we have a chance to help keep the surrounding ecosystem unharmed, avoid dwindling the population of mussels in the area, and potentially fend off some occurrences of dangerous red tide. At least for now, it sounds like a win-win, but we will just have to wait and see what tomorrow’s headlines bring us.

I recently had a friend ask me about snacking. Specifically, why she could wolf down a whole package of ice cream bars in one sitting without even flinching. I asked her if in her lifetime she had ever felt the inclination to eat an equivalent amount in salad? She quickly responded no. Now why do you think that is? (if you’re thinking “well Heidi, that’s because salad is gross” then shame on you. You are clearly doing something wrong in the kitchen, but not to worry… Recipes are coming!) It’s actually because at the time of your snack you are at least hungry – if not starving because you didn’t get enough food in you throughout the day – and the one thing your quick binge satisfaction is devoid of is… Wait for it… NUTRIENTS! Remember those pesky non-foods I told you about? Your non-fat-skinny-cow-carb-smart ice cream bar is an empty calorie fest. Even if its “only 200 calories!” wouldn’t you rather indulge in a reasonable serving size of what you were really craving in the first place?

Think about it, even if you wanted to you could not consume half the amount of healthy, nutrient dense, delicious whole foods in one sitting as you could of any junk of your choice. When you are hungry, your body is signaling to you that it is in need of one or more nutrients, vitamins, and/or minerals. We have conditioned ourselves to believe that fast food and processed junk counts as food but if that were true, at some point (before your esophagus was about to burst from sheer volume overload) you would feel satiated after eating them. You will notice that you feel comfortably full quite quickly after eating a healthy, balanced meal or snack – basically – because your body got what it was lacking. Although in this example, serving sizes can also depend on a variety of factors such as stomach size, previous eating habits (binging, the “eat until the plate is empty” mentality, or if you were ever in the army “eat everything – as fast as you can – and load up, because we don’t know when our next chance to eat will be – if it even happens today” mindset), the gist of what I’m saying is sound – so go with it.

On a related note, it is also worthwhile to mention that often times when you think you’re hungry you are actually thirsty. You will only feel true thirst once you have actually become dehydrated. Often times that nondescript “I’m hungry but I have no idea what I want to eat” feeling is pre-dehydration thirst. So… The next time you find yourself feeling ravenous right after having a meal, reach for a glass of H2O before hitting up the pantry for your next fix. Despite the fact that it might not be what you want, you might just find that it’s exactly what you need.

I have been reading many articles and blogs on the subject of additives – ranging from preservatives to color to flavor and anything you can imagine in between. I have to pose the question – why is this necessary?

Let’s look at the most prominent example I have been reading about recently – the flavor variety. I can’t help but wonder, surrounded by an abundance of flavorful healthy choices, why do so many companies insist on producing unpalatable foods that require a flavor boost or overhaul in order to be enjoyed?

Orange juice is something that a vast majority of us enjoy on a daily basis. And most of us shell out the extra dough for what we think is the healthier choice – most commonly the Tropicana or Simply Orange – type of fare. The rational adult would assume they are getting the juice of oranges, including more or less pulp depending upon personal preference. One would be correct – except have you ever had a glass of freshly squeezed OJ? Not only is the taste far superior, but it is – as most organic things are – slightly different in flavor every time.  Ever wonder why every glass of the big brand OJ tastes EXACTLY the same? Brand uniformity is common and understandable, but where I tend to get lost is a bigger picture qualm. Let me begin by explaining a bit about the production process.

Essentially, since oranges are a seasonal crop and OJ is a year round staple in our minds, vats of the juice must be harvested and stored in order to keep up with demand. In order to do this and keep the harvest from spoiling – oxygen is removed. Sadly, this also removes most of the flavor of the juice in the process. In order to restore the flavor for distribution at a later time – the industry uses something called a flavor pack (a compound technically derived from orange essence and oil – which most chemists will tell you resemble nothing found in nature once they reach the state they are used for in this example). Truth being; the overall percentage of this additive in your OJ is negligent. However, I can’t help but be bothered by this. There are so many products on your supermarket shelf that masquerade as “healthy,” “natural,” “a great source of (fill in the blank)” and the reality is, so much of that is simply not true. Sure, many of these foods were at one point during the production process many of those things, but once they reach the shelf so much of that goodness was removed. But that’s another conversation entirely. I’ll talk more about refining processes soon, I promise.

In any case, I present this to you in the hope that you will arm yourself with some consumer savvy and learn to question what you’re told on the package. It almost always is a stretch form the truth.

I feel as though we have reached a point in our relationship where I can talk more openly with you. Today’s topic: poop. I know some of you are about to turn away, but I promise this is of crucial importance kiddies! Think of it this way (especially for those of you concerned with weight loss), you’re putting stuff in, but how much of it is coming back out? Let me illustrate my point this way. In chemistry, there is a fundamental concept called the law of conservation of mass, which states that the mass of substances produced (products) by a chemical reaction is always equal to the mass of the reacting substances (reactants). For the purposes of our discussion today: digestion, very simply put, is a chemical reaction that takes food, extracts energy and nutrients from it and forms fertilizer to be eliminated as it’s byproduct. If most of it (60-70%) is not coming back out the other end it is ending up on your thighs, your butt, your belly. Let that sink in for a minute. So how often to you have a BM? If you don’t have one every day, we’ve got some problems. If you are regular enough to go twice a day you are doing a great job! Congratulations!

When you are suffering from inconsistent elimination, there are a few things to look into:

Firstly, do you have proper acid levels in your stomach – Low hydrochloric acid can commonly lead to gas and bloating after meals, food coming out partially digested – which could also be because of improper chewing, inadequate enzyme release which will impede food breakdown function, and symptoms of heartburn (we’ll talk more in depth about this quandary soon) just to name a few.

Secondly, the types and quantities of food you’re eating – too much meat, inadequate fiber, lots of white foods (we’re racists here at Healthy Heidi and hate white starches, sugars, and grains) can all lead to improper digestion and elimintion. Meat is harder to digest than plant foods, taking on average 4-6 hours to be absorbed in the intestines versus 2-3 hours for grains and vegetables. While there, it putrifies which produces toxins and amines that accumulate in the liver, kidneys and large intestine, which destroys bacterial cultures, especially those that synthesize the vitamin B complexes, and causes degeneration of the villi (the lining) of the small intestine which is where metabolized foodstuffs are absorbed into the bloodstream. Inadequate fiber – should be a no-brainer – it helps clean out your intestines, helping to flush you out. Pun intended. The dirty white foods, especially over time without enough of the good stuff (greens, whole grains, healthy fats/proteins) to help balance you out, is a leading cause of impaired digestive function on all fronts.

Lastly, there is a huge emotional connection to your gut. This one can be more difficult to pin down but in many hard to cure cases, those of us who bottle our emotions can find relief through pinpointing the psychological factors at hand. After all, a good poop is all about letting go!

So, what should you take away from today’s lesson? One, it is great to poop. Everyday, twice if you can manage it. Two, if you are not pooping everyday you are storing that somewhere in your body, so if you do want to lose weight and detoxify, a visit to the throne once every 2-3 days just isn’t going to cut it. Three, if you’re eating too much meat or non-foods, cut it out and start balancing your diet and including extra roughage. I can’t stress that enough. Until next time, stay regular!

So, now that we’re on our way to getting over our obsession with calorie counting I’d like to add one more hurdle to overcome. Weight. Stop obsessing over that scale. Just stop. While it is an indicator, it neglects many factors that are so much more important such as muscle mass (which weighs more AND burns twice the calories per Lb.), and body fat percentage (yes, some people’s bones are more dense and do weigh a bit more). If you really do want an accurate measurement of your mass (the correct science geek term for weight) you would have to book a costly hydrostatic weigh-in: First you are weighed on land. Next you are seated on a special scale, lowered underwater and asked to expel all the air from your lungs and remain motionless while the underwater weight is measured. This procedure is repeated three times and averaged. Those calipers they use on you in the gym: also fairly useless FYI (everyone’s fat distribution ratio is different due to genetics, hormones, diet) pinching one area of your body won’t be able to give you an accurate overall reading.

Try this on for size: How do your clothes fit? I have not weighed myself in at least 4 years now. How do I know how I’m doing? My jeans from junior year fit me. It’s really that simple. How do I regulate my muscle mass? If I see a little jiggle in the thighs when I’m walking, I turn up the heat on my squats or add an extra run in my week. While having a quantitative goal to work towards may be immensely helpful to some of you, I bet there are just as many who would prefer a no-brainer approach to weight loss. So try this: Center your weight loss goal around fitting into that old pair of jeans you can’t bear to purge. I know they’re there -in the back of your closet. Pull ‘em out and give them a try. It’s some of the best motivation I have ever experienced.

Keep in mind, I’m not saying you should not weigh yourself, I am merely recommending that you think twice before accepting the reading on your scale as doctrine. There are many more factors to consider in achieving ideal body shape. For all of you obsessed folks out there: Take a deep breath and focus your energy on something that will help you: Making some healthy choices you can commit to in order to shape your new healthy lifestyle. The rest will follow suit. I promise.

The new year is upon us and I’m sure many of you have made new years resolutions revolving around health and especially weight loss. Let me guess, the plan starts off on a diet, the restrictive kind, which you may stick to for the next month and then quickly cheat on for a hunk of chocolate cake, a gateway food, leading to your next visit to McDonald’s and then it’s a slippery slope downhill. Stop the vicious cycle and commit to long-term solutions that will have you well on your way to your optimal weight.

Today’s lesson:

STOP obsessing over calories. While calories (much like weighing yourself) are a satisfactory indicator they are by no means wholly accurate. What do I mean? Calories conveniently do not take into account rather important elements such as they TYPE of food you’re eating. Although an avocado (230 cal) is quite high in caloric value it is exponentially healthier, easier to digest, and more nutrient dense than it’s caloric equivalent, get ready for this one, half of a Jack in the Box burger or chicken sandwich. While many of you may be cringing at the thought of opting for the avocado, just remember the lesson we had about empty calories. The key to your weight loss (as far as food is concerned) is opting for nutrient dense foods (whole foods), because these are the ones that will leave you full of energy to get though the day and leave you feeling more satiated. I promise, just give it a little bit of time and before you know it, you will be craving the avocado with a touch of grated parmesan and some cracked pepper for a snack over the hamburger. Really. You know why? Because you will realize how much better it actually tastes once you have detoxed from your carb and sugar addictions. Unlike the burger, healthy options don’t cause a hangover. Leave that to the delicious wines you’ll be drinking.

So how about those of you who need help with portion control? Think of it this way: Look down at your stomach. Now. Realize that it not only has to fit inside the allotted space in your torso, but it does not take up the entire abdominopelvic cavity of your body. At most, at a healthy weight, your stomach should not be much larger than two of your loose fists – for a general point of reference. Now, look at the amount of food your plate. Do you see a problem? If so, cut back on some of the stuff on your plate. As a final point – remember to go for the greens! They are full of fiber and will help you become or stay regular, the first step in raising your metabolism – but more on poop another time.

Keep your chin up and start making some slow changes. I promise it will work.

I was witness on more than one occasion this week to people reading the nutritional information on cans of soda.  What were they hoping to find? No one can be sure.

Here’s the deal.

- Every can of pop you drink dehydrates you by 2 full glasses of water.

- Pop contains phosphorus among other awful chemicals no one should be ingesting. They all mess with your stomach acid concentrations.

- Regular pop contains 15 teaspoons of sugar ON AVERAGE. Seriously. How many cans are you drinking?

- Diet pop is even worse; it contains equivalent amounts of aspartame or other sugar substitute. These chemicals are known neurotoxins (Google that).

Do the aforementioned facts pose any real danger to you? Well think about it this way. If you consume recreational to regular amounts (1-2 cans/day), pop will slowly dilute your stomach acid. This will effect your ability to effectively metabolize your foods, meaning stuff that should be easily converted into energy will turn into fat stores, or only be converted into half the energy it should have had everything been working properly. If you ingest hazardous amounts (3+ cans/day) you are basically doing the aforementioned harm on fast forward, and since you are consuming on such a regular basis, you are spreading the trouble right into your intestines. If you are a diet pop addict, ever notice that you seem to be too regular?? That’s because many sugar substitutes are polyols (isomalt, lactitol, sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol and xylitol to name a few) and act as laxatives… That goes for you chronic gum chewers as well!

Cold/flu season is upon us! I want to start by giving you a very general differentiation based on common symptoms between the common cold (rhinovirus) and the flu (influenza).

• Viruses (both the cold and flu) in general, need time to run their course and there is little that can be done to stop them, prevention aside (READ: please don’t rush to take antibiotics for these as they can be harsh on your body when taken unnecessarily).
• Runny nose, watery eyes, sore throat, coughing, and headaches are par for the course. You will find these symptoms in almost all infections.
• If you are experiencing a fever, you almost definitely have the flu and not a cold.
• If you have discolored snot (yellowish/greenish), there is a bacterial component at play – this is the time to consult your doctor as a course of medication is often necessary for these infections.

Once you’re already sick, you need to follow three simple dietary rules to drastically cut down on your symptoms:

1) NO SUGAR- Every teaspoon of sugar you ingest depresses your immune system for approximately two hours (this is an issue because during that dip in immune function you are more prone to the infection and viruses are very opportune little jerks). READ: Concentrated fruit juices, chips, cookies – all of that good stuff, not just table sugar are to be avoided. Even Tropicana type juices, sadly, are higher in sugar than they should be (they are pasteurized – an important process to kill the germs in all packaged beverages – however sugar is one of the few substances along with the fiber in the pulp, to survive being boiled. Most of the good stuff is broken down and needs to be added back in – hence the term “fortified” on the label). Don’t despair though – it’s only for three or four days. You can do it!

2) NO DAIRY. Sorry kids, but dairy products produce mucous and I bet you have enough of that pouring out of your nostrils to drown you already.

3) DRINK LOTS OF FLUIDS, herbal tea, green tea, soup (preferably home made) and eat healthy high protein and complex carbohydrate meals (meat or alternative and legumes, dark leafy greens, beans, nuts) these foods provide long-burning energy helping your immune system do what it does best.

How about those natural immune booster supplements?

• I have found that Cold FX will put you in a mild coma (figuratively) for a few days but that it will end your cold in that time. I recommend it only if you catch the cold at the first scratch in your throat and if you can take a full day off to eat right and rest at home while taking it.

• Echinacea is a fabulous immune booster but you must be careful not to overdose on it. Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it has no effect in the wrong dosage. I must also mention that, if taken once a virus has already taken hold, it will promote the virus itself! It is to be taken for no more than a period of three weeks at a time as an immune aid – especially for those of you who are regulars in the seasonal cold/flu department. My favorite brand is called Echinaseal (by a company called St. Francis, available at most health food stores) it mixes Echinacea, Goldenseal (one of the most powerful and pungent-tasting herbal antivirals), and Cayenne pepper into a lovely concoction that tastes like death. No, really, it tastes like poison but just like Buckleys, it works. Please use only as directed! I don’t want to hear any nasty gossip about how Healthy Heidi led you astray that one time you had the flu. I must also mention, I have used this a few times to combat the otherwise incurable curse of post-nasal drip (Google that one) many of us experience for weeks on end après virus. Taken for 3-5 days as directed after your cold or flu has completely passed you should be right as rain.

Summer is coming to a close, school is back in session, work has gone back into full swing and stress is once again present in our lives. Has this left you feeling short of breath? Bet you didn’t know that most of us have forgotten how to breathe properly.

Do you suffer from shoulder pain or stress headaches regularly? Try this. Sit down with your back and shoulders straight and breathe. Take note of your breath as you are doing so. Is each breath approximately 3 seconds in length? If not, that’s your first task: Slow your breath. Allow it to occur at a calm pace. Secondly, is your stomach expanding and contracting with each breath, or just your chest? Most of us will tend to stop deep breathing by the tender old age of 8. If you aren’t deep breathing I want you to concentrate on filling the bottom of your lungs with air with each breath. The best way to do this is to imagine that you are breathing right into your stomach, expanding it with each breath in. This can be tricky to do at first but just stick with it and concentrate on it. By now you’ll probably be feeling lightheaded which means you’re doing it right.

Congratulations! Take a moment every so often and make sure you’re still deep breathing. I promise you will be feeling the positive effects of doing so almost instantly. It sounds like a silly minor detail but I assure you when used daily you won’t be disappointed.