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866 responses so far
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Hello Darya,
I just had a quick question about breakfast. I usually grab a Stonyfield Organic Blueberry Yogurt and a small on-the-go sized cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch (College student). I was wondering if all the claims about Kashi cereal and the like are actually true. The one I usually eat has about 15 g of sugar matched with the 20 g of sugar with my yogurt. Any insight on this would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Good questions Thomas. To answer your question I need to know more about what claims Kashi makes. My guess is they extrapolate the value of “whole grains,” but I’m not sure. One thing I do know is that is A TON of sugar to eat in the morning. I generally consider 15g as my cut off for something to qualify as dessert (that’s more than a donut). I’ve found some decent granolas that, even sweetened, only have about 4g of sugar per serving (18 Rabbits, Udi’s). Yogurt is tough, I have found a few brands where the plain yogurt isn’t too sweet (e.g. Wallaby’s).
Here’s my opinion on real grains vs the fake “whole grains” that most cereals and breads are made of: http://summertomato.com/intact-grains-vs-whole-grains/
Here’s more about sugar in food: http://summertomato.com/shocking-sugar-content-of-common-food-products/
Ms. Pino-
I just read your excellent post on the health benefits of Garlic. Thanks for sharing your research and thoughts. I’ve been eating as much garlic as I can for the last twenty years or so. Anecdotally, it “feels” healthiest to me when I saute a few cloves briefly in a little olive oil then combine it with some pasta. I read in an old pasta cookbook that this was an “Italian wives’ cure for whatever ails you” and it certainly works for me, better than raw in salsa, salad dressing or anything else I’ve tried. Have you ever run across anything that suggests a synergistic relationship between garlic, olive oil, a little heat and the human body?
I haven’t seen that data, but wouldn’t be surprised if it were true. All I’ve seen is that too much cooking seems to decrease the benefits.
Hi Darya, how are you?
What kind of milk do you drink or recommend? For the longest time I’ve been buying fat free milk but I hear you should at least get 1% fat? I do enjoy getting when I can raw whole organic milk… but it’s very expensive. I heard it’s pointless to drink fat free milk because all the nutrients have been removed… I’d be willing to spare the extra calories for whole milk if it’s better for me… but whole milk is high in saturated fat…
Hi Emma, I don’t buy milk and don’t really consider it healthy. I use small amounts of cream in coffee on occasion, but that’s it. I use milk products (cheese, creme fraiche, ice cream, etc.) when I feel like it, but not often. For awhile I was drinking Silk Soymilk, but when they started buying their beans (even organic) from China I gave it up and haven’t found a good substitute.
Commercial milk is homogenized and basically a processed food. Some claim raw milk is better for health, but the safety concern (food poisoning) is legitimate and I avoid it. Regarding the fat in the milk, I honestly don’t think it matters much. Maybe a little fat would help make the vitamin D more bioavailable but I’m speculating on that.
Sorry, this probably isn’t a very satisfying answer. I should probably do some more research on this then write it up as a post, since I get this question often.
Oh thanks! I also drink sometimes only with cereal Almond Breeze Original (unsweetened).. the only thing I dislike about it is carrageenen and it’s only purpose is to thicken.. I hate that they do that!! Why thicken it.. just give it to me how it is.. naturally! I don’t drink milk too often and when I do it’s never more than 1/2 a cup to a cup.
Just discovered this website and found it very interesting! I have 2 questions. I haven’t been able to find on any websites just exactly what is the number of sugar grams one should consume daily when you are trying to lose weight. Also, what do you think of the sugar substitute Whey Low?
You can’t find that information online because it is different for everyone. We all have different genetics, basal metabolism and activity levels. It also depends on the context of the rest of your diet. I recommend not counting grams of sugar, but doing your best to consume whole foods and avoid processed ones. But of course it doesn’t hurt to cut out dessert for awhile if you’re trying to lose weight
Fruit is a good alternative.
I’ve never heard of that particular sweetener, but here is my opinion on sweeteners in general.
http://summertomato.com/is-coconut-palm-sugar-a-healthy-sugar-substitute/
Hey Darya,
First, you should thank Kevin Rose for posting a link to your website on Twitter, that’s how I got here and I’m glad I was curious enough to check it out.
I have a question about the absorption of whey protein vs. casein. To my knowledge, whey is digested within an hour, while casein is slowly digested within 4-6 hours (correct me if that’s not true). My question is: Would this make whey more likely than casein to be laid down as fat if you already had tons of amino acids saturating your bloodstream at the time of digestion?
Also, if you were to combine whey with other foods (such as blending it with skim milk, dry oatmeal, a banana, and peanut butter), would that slow the rate of digestion of the whey? Or is it handled separately?
Not sure if my questions pertain to the classic definition of ‘dieting’ per se, but I’d appreciate any advice you could give me!
Hmmm. I don’t know the answer to this and will have to look into it for you. Generally I don’t worry about single nutrients in this way (I advocate focusing on whole foods), but you got me curious so I’ll look into it when I get a chance.
I thanked Kevin
Oh my gosh, I finally got to a computer! My new skoolio has enlightened me to a whole diff. kind of healthy, the one I was trying to see when I 1st came across this website…and my health teacher, Mrs.Garcia, makes me think so much of you! you both love your workouts, u believe in the all natural health style, and your both very pretty, lol. back to the point, sorry. ever since I quit volleyball, I saw my health sloping, and got worried. I eat salad @ lunch every day, and Mr.Watson really makes us work in P.E, but I freaked because I kept eating junk(candy) snacks b4 my classes…I stopped doing that, but I still regret it. how can I switch my regrets to an emotional boost???
I like to think of less healthy foods as treats, that way I know it is something special to be enjoyed. You can’t undo the past, but I’ve found on days we have birthday cake in lab I have my best runs at the gym. All those extra calories result in an awesome workout!
Hi Darya! My question: Exactly how much of a threat do you believe genetically modified foods are? I’ve read some dire things about GM squash, corn, etc. and their effects on us, but wonder if the threat overblown? I thought to myself how glad I am that at least wheat is safe. Then I read a few days ago in Reuter’s that British researchers are hot on the heels of GM wheat. Sigh.
Hmm, guess this question can’t be answered
Sorry, this got buried in my PhD shuffle. I just wrote an answer to a question on this week’s For The Love Of Food post you might want to check.
Your question is a bit vague, but I will try to answer it. As far as the nutritional effect on humans, I think the “danger” depends on the specific modification and how it effects the organism and our digestion of it. In the case of salmon hormones, it could certainly be dangerous. Disease resistance in Hawaiian papaya makes me less nervous.
Another very important thing to consider is the danger to the environment. Messing with an organism can easily mess with an entire ecosystem and damage wild, natural versions of things we enjoy. Again the danger will depend on the specifics, but this isn’t the kind of stuff that is good to mess with. I really recommend Marion Nestle’s book What To Eat. She has a section on GMOs and what we do and don’t know about them. She covers some of the same stuff in the article I linked to on Friday.
Sorry again for the delay.
I am so grateful that I found your web site. It provides reliable information presented in an upbeat manner. Thank you.
I would like to know if you, or your readers, have an opinion of the Fagor electric pressure cooker.
My pleasure
I haven’t used the electric pressure cooker, but the Fagor brand makes the best conventional pressure cooker in my opinion. I use mine constantly.
What is your take on Alkaline water ?
I had a lady that was attempting to sell me that stuff. Web says it’s shady business …
That’s definitely a gimmick. Kinda brilliant though, trying to up-sell the most abundant substance on earth.
Hi Darya,
To get myself to eat healthy, I came up with a daily/weekly checklist of food to eat.
I keep this checklist in my back pocket, tick it off as I go through my week and have been following it for a few months.
Do you think this checklist is about right? Any thoughts?
-Marie
——————–
Daily “Servings” (with quantity of individual serving shown on right):
8 Liquids (8oz) (mostly water, some milk, no sweet or caffeine drinks/juices)
….of which 2-3 Milks (8oz)
2-4 Fruit (1 cup / item)
3-5 Veg (1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked) (Minimum number, I let myself eat as much veg as I like)
….. of which at least 1cup Raw Veg
3-6 Grain (1oz) (I rarely eat more than 3 servings and rarely eat non-whole grain)
…. of which 3 Whole Grain (1oz)
1-2 Protein (2 oz)
2 Tbsp Healthy Oil (i.e. Cold Pressed Olive Oil)
….of which at least 1Tbsp Cold Oil
….maximum limit of 1Tbsp Cooking Oil
….maximum limit of 1Tbspmax Saturated Fat
Supplements:
1 Multivitamin
1 Fish Oil
1 Vita D Supplement (As prescribed by doctor for low vita D levels – I live in a dark climate)
Of the values above, I try to hit these targets weekly:
Never more than 2 Red Meat (usually only 2 a month)
3-4 Fish (2 oz)
… of which 1-2 Oily Fish (2 oz)
3 cups Dark Green Veg
2 cups Orange Veg
…of which 1 cup Sweet Potato – personal preference
3 cups Starchy Veg (only 1-2 per day)
6 Beans (1/2cup)
4 Seed (1oz)
No more than 0-3 Sweets (Okay, I sometimes cheat on this one)
Hello again Darya,
Can one consume too much Olive Oil?
Since I’ve switched to healthy eating, I have switched to using cold Olive Oil in many situations.
I find myself eating more and more of it.
I believe I am typically over (not sure how much … double??) the often touted amount 2-3 Tbsp of Oil we should receive in a day.
I don’t believe I am gaining much weight because I eat mostly lean foods and am using it to replace where I used to eat butter and other oils/fats.
Any reasons why I should hold back a bit on the Olive Oil?
Thanks for your great contribution … you’ve helped change my life.
Marie
Hi Marie, sorry it has taken me awhile to get back. But yes, your list looks awesome. Interestingly my only reservation was going to be that I don’t see much need to limit your oil servings, then you asked specifically about that. I can’t think of any reason to limit olive oil. Personally I think it helps a lot with satiation, tastes awesome and is super healthy. If you aren’t gaining weight by eating more then go nuts
Thanks Darya,
My checklist has worked out better than expected. Because I just keep it in my back pocket, it is fairly low maintenance to tick off.
It has helped me get very clear about what I’m eating, what my goals are and where I need to fold certain types of foods into my routine more.
I’ve also lost a fair amount of weight. This sounds obvious but I had no intention of trying to lose weight …. only eat healthy. Then one day I just realized I lose weight when I wasn’t even trying for that. And I feel like I eat a lot of food …. just a lot of the right kinds of food. I am now sounding like a commercial but it’s nice when you have this unexpected byproduct of just trying to have a more healthy routine.
I’m still a little unsure on the milk topic, (i.e. how much is the right amount vs. how much we are brainwashed by the milk lobby).
I’m also eating more fish and wondering about the whole longterm mercury topic.
Marie
Hi Marie,
Congrats to you, way to rock a successful healthstyle!
I answered the milk question here in the Ask section not too long ago. Basically I don’t think it’s important, and I personally don’t drink it (just use it in recipes or whatever, and try for organic).
Here are my thoughts on fish:
http://summertomato.com/fishing-for-answers-how-to-choose-fish-and-seafood/
Hey Darya!
You may have already answered this in the comments somewhere but I couldn’t find it. I was wondering if you had any recommendations of where to look to find good information on exercising? Any time I try to look on the internet I seem to only come up with links to Women’s Magazines trying to sell me products.
Thanks!
Hi Rachel,
This is a tough question (thx for chiming in Liz!). The last few days I’ve played around with the iFitness app, and it seems pretty awesome (videos, training, tracking, etc.). But it is definitely more man-centric. I’ve always worked out with a guy (former trainer), so my routine reflects that. But I think focusing on weights was one of the best decisions I’ve made in terms of meeting my goals.
Here’s what it is: http://summertomato.com/my-weekly-workout/
Let me know how it works out
Hi Rachael, check out the New Rules of Lifting for Women – there’s some great tips on diet AND exercise in there.
Liz
awesome thanks!
Hi Darya,
Everywhere I look these days, I’m bombarded with weight-loss ads and diet food. On top of that most gym courses and fitness plans are aimed at losing weight. But what if I’m a guy actually looking to GAIN weight? Technically I’m not underweight, but I’d love to put on some pounds. Is there a safe and healthy way for me to gain some (good) weight? Thanks.
There is absolutely a way to gain healthy weight. It requires two things: weight training and calories. You want calories to go to muscle and not fat, so they need to be healthy calories. Protein and unprocessed fats make this easy, since they are calorie dense. The weight training makes sure muscles are building so they preferentially grow and use energy. Basically just eat like I recommend here: whole, natural, unprocessed foods, just eat more of it.
I’m sure Darya can give you some tips on some great clean recipes, but I can tell you in general what you need to do.
1. Eat more. No matter how much you think you eat, you definitely need to eat much more if you haven’t gained weight in a while. Start counting your calories (as annoying as that may be), because you are probably unaware of what you’re taking in every day. Depending on your weight and activity level (and genetics), you’re probably burning anywhere from 2000 to 3500 calories a day. The more active you are, the more calories you’ll burn. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you’ll burn. Judging from the tone of your post, I would assume you’re underweight (maybe 130-160lbs?), relatively lean, don’t workout, and looking to put on some muscle. If so, you’re probably burning around 2500 a day (if I had to take an extremely rough guess).
2. You could eat dirty (fast food) and put on weight quickly, and depending on your genetics and activity level, a lot of it would be laid down as muscle, but you said you wanted to do this the clean way, so scratch that. I would suggest 5-6 meals a day of non-processed, protein-dense, low-sugar foods, ranging from 500-700 calories (do the math, you’ll end up taking in more than you burn). You could supplement with a good quality whey protein shake if you can’t get in a meal at a certain time (try spacing meals out every 3 hours).
3. You absolutely NEED to weight lift. You need to lift intensely and you need to lift often. 4-5 days a week is a must. Heavy weight in COMPOUND exercises is a must. Bench press, Cable Row, Squat, Deadlift. My suggestion would be to invest in a qualified athletic trainer for a week or two (it will be expensive, but the knowledge and techniques you will learn will be invaluable and will last a lifetime), and learn everything you need to know to get you started. Once you establish a clear workout routine that you can perform and tailor all by yourself, you are GOLDEN!
4. Summary: Eat more. Protein dense, complex carb dense foods. You MUST weight lift, and you must weight lift HEAVY with ample sets to stimulate growth.
I typed this all out without proofreading it or going into much detail, this is a very rough outline of what you need to do, but there is plenty of information online that if you have a good discerning eye, you’ll be able to pick out the truth from the b.s.
Good luck!
Thanks to both of you! Great advice from people who know what they’re talking about really means a lot to me. Weights and healthy calories here I come.
Hello Darya,
What do you usually use as a tea sweetener? Diabetes runs in my family so I don’t ever sweeten anything with sugar. I tried honey but that seems to be just as bad. Lately I have just stayed away from drinking anything but water and an occasional fruit shake, but I miss my morning tea. Recently I came across some articles saying that maple syrup is healthier because it actually contains amino acids and other vitamins, unlike honey. My husband says I should just drink it without anything but I have a sweet tooth and really can’t stand it plain. What would you suggest? Thanks! Have a good weekend.
Personally I do not use sweeteners in tea. I’m curious what kind you drink though… I drink really high-quality stuff, where adding anything would be criminal. Sometimes I’ll add a drop or two of milk to a strong black tea, but I usually stick with greens, oolongs and puerhs.
Coconut palm sugar is decent in tea, but honestly there is almost no difference in sweeteners as far as your health is concerned. So you should just use what you like and try to put as little in there as possible.
You might like this article:
http://summertomato.com/is-coconut-palm-sugar-a-healthy-sugar-substitute/
Hope this helps
Hi Anna,
I had the same concern when I cut off processed sugars from my diet and was looking for alternatives to put in my tea. I have a serious sweet tooth .. always had.
BUT when I finally cut off sugar, my taste buds adjusted amazingly fast. I was able to drink all herbal teas without sugar after 2-3 days. With black tea (ceylon tea with 6-8 min infusion time) I had issues for about 2 weeks though. But now, I can’t think of putting sugar in it, because the taste of the tea doesn’t come through with all the sugar.
It took about the same time to be able to drink coffee without sugar. But with coffee I still eat some dried raisins. And I drink it with milk.
So, I would say all teas are perfectly enjoyable without sugar when you give your taste buds time to adjust themselves
It is amazing how their perception of sweet and too sweet changes.
I love the recipes you have on your site, and if anything my only comlaint would be that I wish there were more! Could you recommend any sites/books with similar recipes? Thanks!
Thank you! On the blogs, 101 Cookbooks is an absolute goldmine of healthy, awesome recipes. She cooks almost exactly like I do, but only does recipes and story telling.
My favorite cookbook authors are Alice Waters, Mark Bittman, James Peterson (soup book is amazing). I plan to start using more cookbooks soon and will post updates on my personal blog, daryapino.com
Hi Darya,
). My fiancee is pretty flexible foodwise but he prob wouldnt want a ‘healthy healthy’ restaurant (I made him go raw on my bday) and hes not big on Italian or CHinese. If the restaurant also served real ale that would be a massive plus – but we may need to sort that seperately. I know you are big foodie so I would LOVE to get your tips.
Im about to come to San Fran on a trip with my fiancee – who will be celebrating his bday over that time. DO you have any recommendations for awesome restaurants in the city?? Ideally nothing TOO expensive (maybe £110 max for two inc drinks – and we will probably want a few
THANK YOU!!!x
Hey there Emmy! I’m going to SF too (tomorrow, actually!), and I was wondering the same thing. I have Maverick on my list for their famous fried chicken, and Tyler Florence’s Wafare Tavern… I need more suggestions though! I’ve been frequenting Taste SF and they seem to have some good suggestions as well. Still would like some suggestions from a local though! Thanks in advance… and can’t wait to explore your beautiful city! Definitely hitting up the Saturday Farmer’s Market!
So sorry I forgot to reply! Definitely go to Nopa. Their cocktails are perfect and food exquisite. Don’t miss Tartine Bakery and Bi-Rite Creamery. Foreign Cinema is fantastic for brunch (and dinner). Slanted Door is amazing, high-end Vietnamese. Bar Jules is my secret favorite restaurant. It’s small and casual, but the food is as good as any of the best restaurants I’ve been to. Their burger is out of this world.
@Emmy For beer hit up Monk’s Kettle. Their food is good too.
Hiya – so we went to Nopa, Monks Kettle and Tartine – all were AMAZING (my fiancee LOVED Nopa and described it as ‘french food with american portions’ – every skint and overcharged Londoners dream!). Personally I regard Tartine as a life changing experience. Ive decided to devote every second of my non-working life and meagre earnings to trying to eat amazing food – we had the goat cheese pressed sandwich and I had some mexican wedding cookies (and a glass of prosecco – the only person in there drinking with brunch
). it was TOO GOOD. Thanks so much for responding and helping to make our trip! xxx
Hello Darya,
I am incredibly unhealthy with my current lifestyle and am in the process of evaluating what changes to make. Cooking good healthy food looks like a very good place to start. I order out pretty much every day, more for time constraints then because I love the food, heck at this point I barely even like the food. I mostly end up with pizza, steak and cheese subs, and Chinese food. It seems like a huge waste to eat so unhealthy and to not have the indulgence be worth it.
The more I think about it the more I feel like my intense hatred for grocery shopping is a major contributor to my less then healthy lifestyle. I have tried to limit my shopping to once every six to eight weeks to postpone the experience as long as possible. That does not lend itself to fresh ingredients, and generally knocks out fruits and vegetables. It really feels like everything that is good for you goes bad in an eye blink to me. I wish there were alternatives that you could stock up on and still have healthy food.
You have mentioned using farmers market fresh ingredients in a number of articles. It makes sense to me that good ingredients would lead to better tasting food. The problem I am running into is that using fresh ingredients seems to make frequent shopping a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. I will probably have to suck it up and shop more often. I was curious how often you go food shopping and if you find it difficult to fit that into a busy schedule.
Great question, Will. A couple thoughts. First, if you haven’t downloaded my getting started guide, it has a handy section on stocking your pantry so you have healthy stuff even if you run out of fresh food. But this will get boring fast so I would only count on this as a backup.
Second, I also loathe grocery shopping, particularly when it is crowded. I completely shut down in Whole Foods around 6pm; what a nightmare. I have learned that to survive the incident I need to know what I want before I go in. This isn’t fun, but at least I come home with what I need. But I try to only do this every few weeks and do the bulk of my shopping at various farmers markets around the city. Shopping at farmers markets is a totally different experience than at the grocery store. The people are nice, the food is beautiful and there’s fresh air. I’ve come around to where going there is one of my very favorite things to do. I recommend giving it a try with an open mind.
I’m lucky that the markets here in SF have virtually everything I need to survived (veggies, beans, grains, meats, eggs, milk, etc.). If you don’t have this kind of access, try finding smaller produce stands. Sometimes Asian or Latino produce markets with specialty items can be a great place to shop.
Also, there are a few more articles you may find useful:
http://summertomato.com/tips-to-keep-produce-fresh/
http://summertomato.com/meal-planning-without-shopping-lists/
http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009/08/how-to-find-time-to-cook-healthy-meals.html
Hope this helps and feel free to ask more questions along the way.
dp
Hello Darya,
I recently decided to cut back on dairy and have been looking into soy milk. There doesnt seem to be a consensus on whether it is healthy or not from the information I have managed to find. Could you link to any studies or articles on the subject? This article in particular has put me off soy milk http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/soy.htm
What do you make of it? Particularly the cancer, thyroid problems, and phytic acid issues?
Thanks in advance
As you observed, the data is sort of all over the place with soy, and it doesn’t help that there are tons of special interests spinning the story every which way. There is weak data that soy causes thyroid problems (sorry, can’t find the link right now). My guess is some people are sensitive and others are not, so the data is inconsistent. In low quantities it shouldn’t be a problem for most people.
From what I’ve read, almond milk is probably the most nutritious milk substitute with the least offensive taste. Just be sure to get the unsweetened kind.
My husband recently got his cholesterol checked and the results were really good, but his C-Reactive Protein levels were high. Do you know anything about this or how to control it?
Great question, Whitney. C-reactive protein is a marker of inflammation that has been tied to heart disease. From what I’ve read, however, it’s not as good a marker as clinicians had hoped it would be. So if other numbers are good I wouldn’t be too worried about it. However, it’s a good idea in general to minimize inflammation. Sugar and refined grains are the main causes of dietary inflammation, and limiting those foods is a good idea anyway. You might want to check out Monica Reinagel’s (The Nutrition Diva) book on inflammation as well.
Re: Intact Grains
Hi Darya – I am totally with you on the topic of “intact vs. whole grains”.
Do you know any good sources for lots of recipies of intact grains?
I’ve looked at most of the cookbooks on amazon concentrating on whole grains and they don’t seem to have this “intact grain” concept down (i.e. tell you how to make breads w/whole wheats, etc).
P.S. I used your idea of freezing brown rice balls and extended it to freezing bulgur w/spinach&peas mix in, pure wild rice (not mixed with white rice) and black rice with great success…. but I make squares because they stack better in the freezer.
Thanks for any thoughts on the above,
Marie
I don’t know much about cookbooks, but food blogs are a great resource. Try 101 Cookbooks for healthy, vegetarian recipes. Heidi’s farro recipes are spectacular.
Thanks. Big Help.
Hi! I love this site, it’s filled a science/health niche that my various other foodie blogs didn’t quite cover.
I’ve recently become a student again, and I need portable, cheap, compact snacks. Lunch isn’t ever a problem because I just make big dinners and take leftovers, for breakfast I have fruit and nuts but I need afternoon snacks. When I worked, I would take veggies with hummus or fruit with peanut butter, but the hummus and peanut butter are less manageable now that I have to fit everything in a packpack each morning. The veggies and fruits on their own aren’t satisfying enough. Basically what I want is a Clif Bar, but that’s mostly a glorified cookie so I was wondering if anyone here has some creative ideas…. thank you!
I think about snacks a lot. Question, can you leave things at work? Because that may put peanut butter, etc. back into play. Also, I buy kale chips from Whole Foods (fave brand is Alive & Radiant). I also used to buy something at Whole Foods called Manna bread. It’s basically just intact grains pressed into a loaf. Yummy and filling, but it needs to be kept in the fridge (no preservatives, it gets moldy quickly). Also, my bf has been buying KIND fruit and nut bars. If you get the plain ones (without yogurt, chocolate, etc.) they aren’t that sweet. They’re also smaller and have fewer calories than Clif Bars.
Wow, you’re fast, thank you!
You could also have a look at this blog:
http://www.snack-girl.com
Marie
Great site – thank you!
I’m fascinated with the tsunami of health/food mis-information that’s out there and always flag the ‘may’ claims. One area that seems very weak is anti-inflammatory diets. I can’t find any peer-reviewed research in this area.
Minor inflammations, such as dental infections, have been shown to have a negative effect on the heart, so can foods have a similar impact?
It seems intuitive that sugar and additives are irritants, but are they? Conversely, are there foods that are truly anti-inflammatory? How is inflammation measured?
Would appreciate your insights.
Thanks
Sorry Darya, I scooted past the Oct.19 post on cholesterol. I’ll check out Monica’s book. Hopefully, it has some hard science in it.
Do pressure cookers and slow cookers decrease the nutritional value of foods?
I am particularly interested in whether beans cooked by pressure cooker are much less nutritious than by normal methods.
Thanks for your help,
Heidi
No Marie, any cooking method for beans is fine. The reason is that the main benefits from legumes are protein, fiber and minerals, all of which are very stable under high heat. It’s complex antioxidants like vitamin C that are easily broken down with heat. So don’t cook your oranges (or at least eat some raw ones every now and then).
I bow to thee. You are truly the internet food information goddess.
Thanks again, very very helpful.
Marie
Haha, happy to be of service.
Darya,
I appreciate that you do not review or endorse products. It’s such a nuisance on other health blogs.
Thanks again!
Danielle
Thanks Danielle. I get bombarded with PR offers everyday, and I know that if it’s annoying for me it would be annoying for my readers.
I strongly believe that a blogger can find success without selling out
you have an amazing figure I’m so jelous, I just don’t understand how to lose weight. Darya, do you only eat when you’re hungry or do you have some sort of daily routine? Do you eat very small portions?
Say you were having a meal…whole grains, vegetables and some sort of lean meat. Just approximately, how much would you eat of each? 1/2c of brown rice? Etc. Do you only eat snacks when you can physically feel your stomach growling…or just because you think you ‘should’?
Hi Emma,
I’ve been getting this question a lot lately so I’m going to answer it in a blog post in the next few weeks. A few things to ponder in the meantime: 1) Do you eat mindfully?, 2) How often do you overeat?, 3) Do you really eat as healthy as you think you do?, 4) Do you exercise?, 5) Do you lift weights?
You’ve mentioned dehydrated Kale in the past. Where do you get that? Or do you have any brands you like?
I get it at Whole Foods, and I believe the brand is called Alive & Radiant from Blessing’s foods. I will also be posting my own recipe for it eventually, probably at daryapino.com.
I find it really hard to eat mindfully since I’m still in high school and there are set times to eat and such, but I’m not going to lie, I do overeat or eat to a point when I’m full sometimes. I overeat every few days depending on how much I ‘like’ a certain meal plan I’ve tried to stick to. But yeah I’m trying to move away from that mindset and eat whole natural foods only i’m finding it really hard to be creative, therefore i get sick of this new healthstyle too quickly! my parents always get the same vegetables, zucchini, eggplant,
carrot, broccoli, capsicum…and I always end up pan frying them in olive oil! Like everyday! Do you know of some websites that have good recipes and ideas?
You can eat mindfully no matter when or where you eat. It is more about slowing down, and focusing your attention on what you’re eating while you’re eating it. Pay attention to the flavors, textures and tastes. Chew slowly and savor every bite. Pay attention to your stomach and when you feel full. Ask yourself if you want to keep eating because of true hunger or some other reason.
Also, healthstyle is not something you can get sick of. It’s how you eat, whether healthy or unhealthy. The point is to make very small changes that you enjoy. If something isn’t working for you, try something different. It’s a process, not a magic fix.
There are a zillion great recipe blogs for healthy eating. I try to link to one in my Friday post every week. But for now look up 101 Cookbooks, Simply Recipes and Local Lemons. Also try David Lebovitz. It’s inspiring!
Hi Darya,
I just found your article about BPA in canned food. Can you also tell how BPA releases in canned food? Is that particular resin that contain BPA a food additive or preservative? Up to now I thought BPA is a component in plastic wrapping that is dissolved in the content, so I am confused about it.
Thanks.
Ami
It’s in a resin that lines the cans. That’s why glass jars are better, but the lids still usually contain BPA.
Hello! So i know recently there has been a lot of talk about about HFCS not being any different (nutrient wise) than sugar, and i think i even saw some of this on your website? but princeton just came out with this study, what do you make of it? http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/index.xml?section=topstories
Hi Squish,
There is certainly mounting evidence that HFCS is specifically worse than regular sugar. http://summertomato.com/for-the-love-of-food-30/
I don’t talk about it much because there is no HFCS in real food, so avoiding it is already part of my message.
I’ve never seen any form of sugar or sugar substitute that isn’t suspect of damaging the human body, so I am careful about choosing my sources of it wisely by making sure whatever I’m eating is worth it.
Hope this helps.
I am a student preparing to go home for winter break. My gym membership doesn’t extend to the state where my parents live and I’m afraid that I’ll fall out of the habit of staying active. Do you have any tips for working out at home where I don’t have access to free weights or step aerobics instructors and staying motivated?
Yeah, working out while away from your normal tools is tough. However in my experience I usually lose weight while traveling. I think there are a few reasons for this.
First, I tend to not be working as much when I’m away from home and therefore am more active during the day. Even if it is just walking around shopping or meeting up with friends, I am not sitting at a computer writing all day, so a few hundred extra calories go right there.
Also, because I’m not doing as intense workouts, my appetite decreases substantially when I’m out of town. I think my body naturally adjusts to the decrease in energy expenditure.
This one isn’t as good, but I also think that a bit of muscle loss contributes to my weight loss. This isn’t ideal, but my strength comes back quickly when I return home to my gym.
When I’m away, even for a few weeks, I don’t stress out too much about the workouts. If I feel edgy and like a need a little exercise, I might go for a run or do some isometric exercises at home (pushups, situps, etc.). You can do yoga if you’re into that sorta thing (I’m not). Sometimes I hunt down a gym, but I do this less and less as I get older and am more satisfied with how my body looks.
I think being away is a great opportunity to practice mindful eating and letting go of strict ideas of diet, weight loss and health.
Hope this helps.
Hey Darya,
Wondering if you are going to post some TnxGiving goodness in your RECIPES section. I’m in need of a killer stuffing-type recipe that is tasty and not over-the-top in calories and carbs.
Any ideas would be much appreciated.
I love following your work!
Oops, sorry I just got to this, I’ve been swamped. My stuffing wasn’t very low carb or low calorie. It was cornbread and Italian sausage based. Yum yum
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/sausage-corn-bread-stuffing.html
Hello Darya,
Im not sure if you can help me out on this but I was wondering if you knew of, or had any contacts that might know of, places in Orange County, CA to buy heirloom apples.
Thanks!
Have you tried the Irvine farmers market? It’s the best I know of.
hi darya thanks so much for that reminder about healthstyle and for those awesome websites! I’ve already made a few recipes
was just wondering, in your diet history you spoke of your body having larger thighs etc. When you were at your largest, would you have considered yourself an endomorph?
I’ve read up on endomorphs, apparently they’re more likely to be pear shaped and store fat, and they have to be very very careful with the amounts of refined foods such as sugars and white products they have, but also minimizing complex carbs and eating more fruit veg + protein. Do you think being strict on your diet worked to change your body type? Along with lots of low intensity cardio and light-moderate weight training? Would love to know what you say about this
Hi Emma,
I’ve read a bit about body types and from what I understand they are an old-fashioned idea by one scientist that never amounted to much. That being said, I think I’d most likely fit into the mesomorph category. I put on muscle very easily.
The diet you describe for endomorph is a healthy diet that everyone should follow, not just a certain body type. Personally I’ve had a lot more success being less strict on my diet (I eat pretty much whatever I want these days, though what I want has changed over the years and I prefer healthy food–tho I do still love burgers and ice cream and eat them a couple times a month).
I think focusing on eating healthy, embracing mindful eating, long term health and moderation has been what has helped me most. I also stopped doing lots of low-intensity cardio and increased cardio intensity for shorter workouts. I also increased my weight training substantially.
Dear Darya,
I’d like to know what you think of this product. To me it sounds too good to be true.
The site (look below) is not available in English but the description of the product reads:
“Sukrin is a 100% natural and organic product, based on Erythritol. Erythritol occurs naturally in pears, melons and mushrooms, and has therefore been eaten by humans for a long time.
Zero calories
Tastes and looks like sugar
Great for diabetics, or for those who want control of their blood sugar, no blood sugar rise (zero GI)
100% natural – existing amongst others in fruit
antioxidant
http://www.mindresocker.com/produkter/baking/23584__sukrin,_1_st_pase_500_gram/
Sounds like you already know my answer to this question. I’m not a fan of any sugar substitute at all. What’s the point exactly?
Hiya,
I just read this http://www.foodpolitics.com/2010/11/iom-vitamin-d-calcium-supplements-not-needed/ and am wondering what you think of it? As a veggie in the winter i find that taking a supplement actually does seem to help me, but this study seems contrary to everything i’ve been reading lately….
I’ve got this question a lot today.
I agree with the calcium recommendation, you should be able to get enough from food. I do this by eating green leafy vegetables regularly. I do not drink milk, but eat a little yogurt. Also, calcium is associated with prostate cancer in men.
I slightly disagree with the vitamin D recommendation. I get sun exposure as often as possible, but in SF that is only a few days per year. It’s usually cold here, and very windy/foggy, so getting skin exposed is not pleasant. Even taking semi regular supplements of 1000 IU vitamin D and getting my normal sun levels, my vitamin D tested at 17 mg/dL, which is even less than this report states is safe. But the committee seems to think that my case is abnormal. I disagree, since I know many people with similar stories.
I do not think that most people in Northern climates have enough blood vitamin D, and for those people supplements are important. Personally I’m now taking 2000 IU daily, but haven’t been retested since. However based on my previous numbers, I would bet this will be sufficient.
The committee says that many foods are now fortified with vitamin D so supplementation is not necessary. However the fortified foods tend to be dairy and other processed foods, which I avoid for other health reasons.
That being said, I definitely agree that taking more vitamin D than necessary is risky (as it is with everything). So I’d stick to what is sufficient to stay in the 20-40 mg/dL range.
I recently started taking Vitamin D by drinking cod liver oil. With that, it is essential to adhere to the daily intake recommendation as it also contains a very high amount of Vitamin A. Too much of Vitamin A is apparently ‘poisonous’ and it also causes weight gain. So if you guys use cod liver oil, be careful about that.
My biggest problem is iron deficiency. All of my family members seem to have that. Don’t know how to effectively solve that problem if I don’t want to eat lots of meat
You’re absolutely right about cod liver oil, be careful with that stuff.
Regarding iron, a little red meat goes a long way. Also, lentils are a great source of iron in combination with other foods. Search the site for “Vegetarian protein sources” and read the guest post by Matt Shook for more details.
I too have well below the minimum blood mg/dl level recommended, and have lived in sunny areas all my life- Denver (310 days a year!), Texas, and SoCal. My levels were 17, and after several months of 2000 mg each evening, I have come up to 21. I have hypothyroidism- which may contribute to my lack, and like you, I avoid food-like products that would be enriched with Vit D. Regardless, I think it is less about a one size fits all recommendation that is being made by this report- it is about need. And that goes for Calcium as well! Get tested and take what YOU need- our bodies are different, our food intake is different, and one size does not fit all when it comes to essential nutrient advice.
Hey Darya:
Feels weird to be commenting on your blog rather than back & forth DMs on Twitter (if you guys aren’t on Twitter, following Darya, you’re missing out — she strikes a great balance).
Antwhoo… I’ve been doing 4k in summer and 6k in winter for a coulple fo years now and I maintain 75ish d levels.
What convinced me to do this was spending quite a lot of time on the various power-point presentations at grassrootshealth.net:
http://www.grassrootshealth.net/documentation
Be sure to look at the left column, as each section there has a different set of PDF power points.
These are all by scientists — real ones. Some are excruciatingly complex (power-points by scientists for other scientists).
Some time back (Dec, 2008) I encapsulated a few of them into blog entries in one day, as part of a New Year’s Eve dozen post blitz.
http://freetheanimal.com/2008/12/vitamin-d-deficiency-and-type-1-diabetes.html
http://freetheanimal.com/2008/12/melanoma-sun-and-its-synthetic-defeat-sunscreen.html
http://freetheanimal.com/2008/12/vitamin-d-deficiency-and-all-cancer.html
Mostly epidemiology, but what particularly interests me about VitD epidemiology is that it associates both by level AND by latitude, which also associates with level. Gives it a bit more weight, in my book.
Sorry for the link parade, Darya. Hope you don’t mind. Feel free to do it on my blog anytime.
Thx! Thoughtful links welcome any time
Hi again Darya! I am working on a (fake) project proposal for a class on technology and development (the one I sited for on!
) and I’m wondering if you had any input on the following topic. Here goes…. sorry for any possible grammatical errors!
So, I’m tackling food subsidies. My “proposal” is something like “The US gov should redistribute it’s $20 billion in food subsidies from fortune 500 companies into ‘small business’ farmers.” It’s something ridiculous like 10-12 billion dollars subsidizing corn, wheat and tobacco. So, with this change, it will even the big business/small business social divide, possibly decrease the price of local fruits and vegetables so that even those living in poverty can afford local/fresh foods. Also will produce some serious economic stimulation.
Do you have any significant points/pros/cons that I could or should add to this idea? Any potential scholarly sources?
Thanks so much Darya!
*the one I sited you on
I’ve heard that proposal discussed by some of the top food policy peeps, so I definitely think it is reasonable. You might look for works by Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser and Joel Salatin for references.
what make you of this? http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-03-18/10-power-food-combos/ is combo’s like that for real?
Hey Squish,
That article is based on truth, but misrepresents the state of the science. The thing about foods and vitamins is that there are a whole lot of them, and they work in concert to meet our nutritional needs. But we do not need to eat specific foods at the same time to get this benefit.
The problem with this article is that it assumes that “foods high in iron” work best with “foods high in vitamin C”, etc. but that is not a proven statement. Most natural fruits and vegetables have a lot of vitamin C and some iron, so there’s no need to specifically pair spinach and beets (though these are great things to eat at any time). The article also fails to mention that the iron in meats is already available, with or without vitamin C.
Anyway, you can get around gimmicky stuff like this by eating a balanced, varied diet. Turns out that’s the most interesting and delicious way to eat as well
Cheers!
xoxo
dp
Hi-I wanted to know your thoughts on juicing. I am thinking of buying a juicer and wanted to get some insight from you.
I think I’ve answered this one before, but generally I’m not a fan of drinking calories. Juicers remove a lot of fiber and concentrate sugar, which means juicing isn’t nearly as good as just eating your fruits and vegetables.
That being said, if you really don’t get enough vegetables in your diet, I suppose it is better than nothing. Just be careful with all the calories, and I don’t recommend drinking much at one time.
Hi Darya,
I just want to say I am a huge fan of your site, and if it wasn’t for Diggnation, Kevin, and you, I may have never discovered such a great place to find tips on healthy living. So thanks a lot to both of you
As for my question, My sister/roommate just received a crock pot for Christmas, and I was wondering if you had any resources on healthy recipes. I am a huge fan of crock pot cooking since its so easy and usually doesn’t break the bank (perfect for a recent grad paying back loans, haha.)
Thanks again,
Krista
Funny you should ask. We’re new to crock pottery so Kevin just bought a bunch of crock pot cookbooks. Can’t yay or nay them yet, but they’re our style:
Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook
The Everyday Low-Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook
Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker
Hope this helps!
The day after I wrote this post I watched the new Diggnation and Kevin mentioned getting a new crock pot, ha! Perfect time of year for some slow cooking I suppose, especially since I am from NYC and it snowed today
Anyway, thanks for the book ideas. I will definitely check them out!
-Krista
Hi Darya,
In about a week I am going to be moving from Maine to LA for college. It will be basically the first time that I will have to buy and prepare all of my food for myself. I know you are from SF but your answer doesn’t have to be location based. My question is simple. I want to know if you have any suggestions for keeping what I eat healthy… but at the same time cheap and easy to make. I don’t really need to be THAT healthy. I guess what I’m saying is that I want it to be cheap and easy to make… but also be real food… not easy-mac. hahaha.
Any suggestions you have will help me. Even if it is just west coast grocery stores… I honestly have no idea. I’ll be living in Westchester if that makes a difference.
Thank you!
Scott
Good for you Scott! And fortunately you’re moving to the right place. There are many excellent places in LA to get food. My main shopping would be at the Santa Monica farmers market (though the smaller ones are also good), Whole Foods, and the little ethnic markets that carry specialty produce (super cheap). For cheap easy recipes, definitely check out the one’s I’ve posted here (there really aren’t that many). Also check 101Cookbooks.com. Frozen veggies won’t kill you either, they just take a little more work if you want them to taste as good–garlic salt goes a long way. (Frozen petite peas and soybeans are the best in my opinion)–try throwing them in a pan with pistachio nuts, garlic and fresh basil.
I also recommend you subscribe to the Good Food podcast (by KCRW). It’s a food radio show based in LA, and it is awesome and totally inspiring. Jonathan Gold’s section about local eateries is particularly amazing.
I’m jealous, have fun!!
Hi Darya! Thanks for the awesome website… I refer to it everyday to keep myself health-focused.My question is about dried fruit… I noticed that many contain preservatives and even sugar and coconut oil. I also noticed that raisins have 30g of sugar per teensy box! Should I avoid dried fruit? Dry my own?
PS – Sorry about accidentally submitting this in the contact me section!!!
Thanks very much!
Jen
Yeah, dried fruit can be dangerous. I like it, but keep it at something of a distance because it is so high in fruit sugar (aka fructose). Think about eating 5 apricots instead of one. Lots of sugar. That being said, if you do buy them (and I do occasionally) look for the most natural version you can. These often aren’t as pretty as the sugar infused plump ones, but they’re much better for you and I think they taste better–more like fruit, less like candy. I like to get mine at Whole Foods or natural food stores. Actually the best ones are at my farmers market, which are also available online at http://www.bellaviva.com/ (unfortunately the good stuff always costs more).
That is a good point! Thank you so much… I am really enjoying learning about health through your website. I am a newbie (as you can probably tell from the newbie question) so everything I read is news to me! Thanks again and I look forward to learning more!
Hey Jen!
You may want to try out http://justtomatoes.com/jtstore/pc/home.asp if you can find them. my natural foods market takes them. You can get all things dried and they don’t add anything!
Thanks very much!
Hi Darya,
Just received your link from Marion Nestle’s home page. Great job! I, too, am very interested in eating, and in promoting the eating of, healthful foods. I am currently writing a book called; “PowerGardening . . . Lose Weight & Weeds! My goal is to introduce people to what I call power gardening (which can be thought of as a fusion between traditional gardening and landscaping), as an exercise program they will actually love and want to continue doing much longer than any workout in a gym! PowerGardening offers not only a way to burn a tremendous amount of calories in order to keep your weight in check , but it goes much further. Not only is it invigorating but it’s meditative and stress reducing at the same time. If working out in a gym or walking outside works for people, I would encourage them to continue. But unfortunately, 50% of all people who begin a workout program quit after 6 months. The main reason they quit is due to boredom. Of course this is going to happen to most people simply because walking on a treadmill or lifting weights are activities that are simulating activities that could be performed naturally. Instead you never achieve the personal pride you get from; growing your own vegetable garden, watching the butterflies and hummingbirds in the newly planted garden, feeling a great sense of accomplishment when you harvest and eat your first vine ripened tomato. Being productive and actually accomplishing something more than just burning calories is what makes people want to keep coming back. As a result, you keep your body moving and an enjoyable, healthy, and productive way. No gym can offer all that! Keep up the good work. I’ll be following your blog. Caroline the PowerGardener!
Sounds awesome, though it’s tough for us urban peeps with no yards
Hi Darya,
Thanks for you reply. If city dwellers really want to grow their own fresh produce and don’t have a yard. They can use window boxes on a deck or even better, they can work at a community garden. Also, I recently read an article about a real creative idea regarding gardenening. It was titled; “The Lazy Locavore”. Someone provides the land and another person tends to the garden. They both split the bounty! I thought that was an ingenious way to get fresh produce while getting a great workout!
Darya what do you think about potatoes? I read the LA Times article about carbohydrates you linked to this week, and they grouped potatoes with all the refined and processed carbs. I like potatoes (both sweet and regular) because they’re cheap and filling and I’ve always thought of them as fine for you (ie, not as healthy as brussel sprouts or kale, but still an unprocessed food) if you have a varied diet.
I agree with you, I think potatoes are fine in reasonable quantities. French fries don’t count
I have been trying to absorb your entire website since I found it 2 days ago. I love it and have been recommending it to everyone I know. I believe I read that you don’t eat oatmeal (althought I can’t find it now) if not, why not? I have been eating it for years now because I just haven’t found anything as simple and filling for breakfast.
I love oatmeal! No worries, it’s a great breakfast.
Hi Darya,
I’m wondering what your opinion is on gluten and gluten-free diets in general? Specifically, if you could comment on some of the evidence presented in this blog post?
http://robbwolf.com/2011/01/12/hey-robb-this-person-said-gluten-free-diets-are-bogus
Thanks!
And finally I have a minute…
So I’ll say upfront that I clearly haven’t read as much about gluten as Robb, but I do understand biology and biochemistry and can comment on the evidence he’s presented here. I’ll look more into this stuff in the future–probably for an episode of STLive.
Starting at the beginning, I’m not impressed with his first study that he says proves “everyone experiences gut irritation from gluten”. Why? Because you cannot compare healthy people to disease patients and extrapolate on health consequences. My favorite illustration of this is with sickle cell anemia. This is a genetic disease that causes all sorts of problems with red blood cells. People with 2 copies of the mutant gene have the disease (we all agree it sucks), people with one copy do not have the disease but have a mild sickle cell phenotype (viewed under a microscope) with no physical consequences. This is called a recessive trait. These people are otherwise healthy, but can still pass the mutation to their children.
If the mutation is recessive and very bad for you when there are 2 copies, why is it so common in the gene pool? Shouldn’t nature have selected against sickle cell? Turns out having one copy of the mutation actually protects against malaria. So people in certain tropical regions of Africa had a better chance of surviving malaria because of this “defect” in their blood.
Biology is complicated, we get into trouble when we try to oversimplify.
In the study Robb presents, the researchers compare celiac to healthy intestine, which shows a slightly similar but reduced effect to gluten. Nowhere does this study prove that this reduced effect is bad for healthy people. It is what it is, but I’d like to see more evidence before jumping to conclusions that this is dangerous.
As for the second study, I’m not at all surprised to hear that diets that include processed grains have higher rates of insulin resistance. This is non-debatable in my opinion. But there are a couple things to consider before writing all grains off. First, insulin resistance is not the only measure of health. Certainly small amounts of grains, particularly intact grains (rather than processed) do not cause insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, large quantities of processed grains do. Moreover, there may be other benefits of eating these small amounts of unprocessed grains irrespective of metabolic health. For example, the value of soluble fiber and other micronutrients may not be measurable with a simple blood test. There are potentially thousands of other factors that may be at work.
Moving on, while I agree insulin is hugely important in metabolic health, I don’t see the value in arguing it when discussing people whose levels are stable (like me). In his 3rd study, Robb again points to results in disease patients and extrapolates to healthy people. Grain free may indeed be better for people with heart disease and type 2 diabetes–these people have already gorged themselves on grains. Does that mean I should give up eating oatmeal and farro? I’m not convinced. Also, I question the methods of a study that includes “margarins” in a description of a Mediterranean diet. Obviously trans fats aren’t helping anyone and are known to cause heart disease.
Robb and other Paleo proponents deserve a lot of credit for encouraging people to embrace a more natural diet and arguing for the health of animal products. I also think it’s possible to live healthily without grains. But I do not think it’s necessary for everyone (for some in may be), and adding just small amounts makes life a lot more pleasurable for most people.
I think this is a great discussion to have, thanks for bringing it up.
Hello,
I’m a school nurse at a 7th through 12th grade school in rural Vermont. I’m asking for your permission to recreate your food chart to display in our school cafeteria. I would make it large with each box of the flow chart a different piece of construction paper. I will credit you/your website. Please advise. I think it is the perfect tool to spark conversation and perhaps change some habits.
Thank you.
Arlene
Dear Darya,
my friend introduced me to your site and I have been reading a lot that you have had to say. You have been able to inform me about many ways to eat and be healthier but as you mentioned sugar is addictive. Unfortunately, not only is sugar my biggest and most annoying addiction I am also an incredibly picky eater. Is there any recipes you could suggest that would curb my need for sugar and appease my pickiness? If it helps at all, I can’t have fish- I am allergic, I only eat fresh fruit and veges, and I just found edamame beans exist.
Thanks so much,
Chelsea-Lee
Here’s my best advice on how to break a sugar addiction http://summertomato.com/how-to-break-a-sugar-addiction/
Hi Darya, I just found your website and I love it! Thanks for sharing all this great information. Over the past few months, I’ve eliminated most processed foods for whole foods and been quite successful. However, I’m still having a hard time finding my way around eliminating cereal and bread products (especially for breakfast). Any bread products (tortillas, pitas, crackers) are all whole wheat, which from what I understand is better than white but still not great, and for cereal I’m eating Kashi Go Lean. I alternate which days I have cereal, but I’d say I’m eating 1-2 servings/day of bread-type products. Any advice of how to change that? Or are these small quantities ok?? Thanks for your help!!
That amount is not too bad, but make sure they don’t have added sugar (Go Lean always tasted really sweet to me). You can get away with more bread if you are very active as well. My favorite breakfast is muesli (I like the Dorset brand) on plain yogurt, or just oatmeal. I eat bread occasionally, but only 2-3 times per week. At that frequency I don’t bother with the fake “whole grain” kind.
OOH i love the info about bread 2/3 times per week – I always wondered how often you meant by ‘not a regular part of my diet’. That is totally something I can stick to!
. yum.
I dont worry about eating bread for weight reasons, but it just never seems to be that digestible or nutritionally dense food. However, I could NEVER give it up for good. Also love that those 2/3 times can be fresh baked white sourdough, instead of sliced whole wheat from safeway (barf). xox
ps – OR the sourdough bun around your burger.
First, I saw a news story about probiotics and how maybe they’re not as beneficial as claims made them out to be (I saw you posted a link to a story like this.) I was wondering what science says about probiotics. Also, would they be in any yogurt that has live bacteria cultures in it, or just in one that add it like Activia? Also, can you get these bacterias from fermented foods like sauerkraut or miso?
Also, I’m wondering if you know anything about what sort of foods people with low thyroid should eat or avoid. A lot of the webpages on this issue are a bit confusing: a lot of them have broccoli on the “eat” and “do not eat” lists.
Thanks!
Great questions Daniel. I do think probiotics are a good thing, but I question how they are best administered. I think lacto-fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut are the best sources. I also would recommend yogurts naturally high in probiotics (Greek yogurt, etc.) as opposed to ones with added probiotics. Maybe a good show topic?
Unfortunately I don’t know much about thyroid function, but I’ll probably know more soon. I’ll find you if I learn anything interesting.
Hi Darya! I have been LOVING eating healthy and learning about health truths and misconceptions (and having lost 10lbs in the last month and a half doesnt hurt either!). Since learning more about trans fat and partially / fully hydrogenated oil, I went on a quest to find a butter subsitutute that was ALL natural and HEALTHY! I found that the answer was just eating butter in moderation (lol)! I did stumble across this Indian butter called Ghee and was wondering if you had used it and if you like it. It sounds interesting and all natural, but it is pricey so I thought I would check with you first. Thanks again for your help. I especially appreciate your comments on juicing as several of my coworkers are doing it for health… now I know there are better ways to get my veggies (like eating them!).
Thanks!
Jennifer
Hey Jennifer,
I can’t tell you how relieved I was when you said you decided to eat real butter. Brava! As for ghee, it is real butter too. It has just been clarified, meaning the proteins have been cooked out of it. I use both, but they taste very different. Ghee has a very strong flavor, so I use it sparingly and almost exclusively with Indian food (though I do know people who use it in everyday cooking). It is expensive because it takes a lot of regular butter to make a little ghee. It’s worth buying a little jar (or make some yourself) and trying to make some Indian food
Soups are an easy place to start.
Funny about the juicing. I’ve never been a fan but my BF is on this health experiment kick and bought a juicer this week (he was trying gluten-free before that–total bust). The past 2 days he’s made veggie/fruit juices for breakfast and I’m surprised how much I enjoyed them. I’m going to watch for a few weeks to see how I feel and if it makes me gain any weight, and will be writing about it at my personal blog daryapino.com. So far the important points are: 1) Don’t cut down on the veggies you eat (I eat a lot, and this isn’t a substitute), 2) Use mostly veggies and little fruit, 3) Drink no more than 8 oz.
Thx for the questions
dp
Thanks. A small jar of Ghee it is! Happy juicing and I look forward to hearing about the results!
Hi Darya,
I was wondering what advice you have for healthy eating ( in terms of good vegetables ) for places like Canada in the long winters? Is it best to avoid all the veggies from South America ( aka very not local ) and go for frozen ?
Thanks.
Can you not get stuff imported from CA, FL and TX? I know it’s tough, but any veggie is better than no veggies.
Hi Darya,
I’m loving the website, I’m redesigning my diet based on this one and eatwell. I have two questions for you
Is Ghee healthy? My first thought on it was that it contains a lot of saturated animal fats, but there are a lot of people pushing it as a health food because they say the saturated fats are short chain fatty acids instead of long chain. I know that coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids and that it and other tropical oils have been shown to not increase cholesterol in studies (I can’t speak to the quality or quantity of the studies). Is Ghee similar?
My second question is about your roasted french green lentil and beet recipe. I tried it yesterday and it came out really well
However I ended up with a single layer of lentils stuck to the bottom of my metal non-stick roasting tray. I was wondering if you use a glass or ceramic dish, stir during the roasting or if you have a specific dish that you could recommend?
Thanks for putting together this website, it’s a great resource and currently my favorite blog.
Richard
Hi Richard,
I like ghee and don’t think it’s bad for you, but don’t necessarily think it is a health food either. Feel free to use it when you like, but keep in mind it has a lot of calories. A little goes a long way.
Regarding the recipe, it was actually a guest post and not my recipe. However I did make it once and used a Pyrex pan without any sticking. Hope this helps!
dp
Thanks
I’ll try a Pyrex dish next time.
Hello,
In the Kind Diet, the author raves about umeboshi plums as a miracle food. They’re pricey. Do you agree they are worthwhile and are they all they’re cracked up to be?
Thanks!
Cathy
Great question. I don’t know the details of the Kind Diet, but I’m always suspicious of so called “superfoods”. I’ve written about it before:
http://summertomato.com/the-myth-of-superfoods/
You certainly do not need to spend a lot of money to be healthy, I know that for sure.
I while back, you talked about cholesterol in eggs having nothing to do with cholesterol in our body.
With the recent “discovery” that eggs are “bad” for us, it seems like they still lead one to believe that cholesterol in eggs isn’t good for us because they compare it to the RDA of cholesterol intake.
Yolk, saturated fat, cholesterol … it still seems confusing.
Any thoughts on the subject?
Thanks and good luck with TS.
Hey Ken,
Can you link or something to this discovery you speak of, as I’ve not heard of it.
Yeah Ken, I haven’t heard that either. If anything I’ve heard eggs have less cholesterol and more vitamin D than previously thought. Link please?
Good morning! My question is: Is tea hydrating or dehydrating?
I have recently cut WAY down on diet / regular soda consumption (from 3+ per day to about 3 per week!) and I find I drink several cups of tea a day. Is that helping or hurting my hydration efforts? Thanks Darya!!
Tea helps with hydration. Great question!
Jennifer:
Darya’s right. Pretty much all fluids hydrate you, even if they contain diuretics like caffein or alcohol.
But just drink for thought, you know, when I began my quest to lose the 60+ pounds I have lost, beginning almost four years ago, one thing I did was to recognize that my body likely has amazing mechanisms if I were to just let them work. You can observe it in any animal in the wild:
Eat when hungry; drink when thirsty.
It’s so Rad!
Hi Darya,
So I don’t know if it’s just February in Canada, but I’ve been exhausted lately, and for what seems like no reason. I’m eating a well balanced diet and getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night and still find myself practically falling asleep at work or on the drive home.
I believe I’m eating enough protein…beans, chicken, fish, soy products ect…but is it possible to eat enough protein and still be iron deficient? I’m wondering if an iron deficiency is what’s causing the fatigue…
Thanks for the help! And I’m excited for Tomato Slice!
Hi Stephanie,
Iron levels are easy to check, just donate some blood and ask them for your iron levels. That could be a problem that can be solved pretty easily. Lentils and raisins are a good source, as is red meat (it doesn’t take much). Alternatively it might be seasonal effective disorder. One of the Philips goLITES mentioned in the 4HB might work, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Good luck!
Hey,
just been watching the first live episode, awesome!
anyway got me onto thinking kind of the opposite if what you covered. Gaining weight i seem to literally be able to eat anything and my weight seems to stay at a steady level although throughout the day it fluctuates it generally tends to be the same by the time i go to bed no matter how much I eat. due you know of any reason why this could be? I wouldn’t say I’m underweight but I think id feel better if I gained some more weight. we’ve also recently bought a decent juicer I was wondering if you could recommend any kind of vegetable drink recipes I’ve already made tonnes of fruit smoothies with it!
Thanks, Love the blog!
Gaining weight is hard when you have a quick metabolism. I recommend focusing more on dense calorie sources that are still healthy. Protein and fat are the best. I recommend nut butters and meats for healthy calorie sources. Really you need to eat even more than you think. It isn’t easy.
We’ve been enjoying beets, kale, broccoli, chard and kale juice. Usually we use a couple carrots, one apple, something watery like cucumber or celery, and something flavorful like ginger, lemon or mint. Still experimenting with this.
Thanks darya, gonna have to up my peanut butter intake
Hi Darya,
I was only able to watch the first half of the 4 Hour Body podcast (I have been in class all day), so please forgive me if I missed this part and it was covered.
I’m a college student sharing a kitchen with 3 non-Slow-Carb Dieters, and I’m on it. I weigh 145 LBs, and I don’t have particularly high body fat. However, I’ve kind of gotten myself hooked on the diet/feeling guilty whenever I go off it (that being fruit, the occasional muesli). I’m wondering if I get off of it, how would be a good way to do so (and I’m sadly one of those guys who’s body reacts quickly to changes in terms of bodyfat)? And if I stick on it, how can I convince my roommates to buy more poultry and vegetables instead of loading up on pasta and rice?
And actually, what would be a good way of getting my roommates to eat healthier? One lives on pasta and rice, and another is all about fried, Southern food and junk food.
Hi Nicholas,
The thing about slow carb is that it is designed to create rapid fat loss. Adding intact grains and fruit won’t make you gain weight, or even stop losing weight, it will just slow it down a little while making your life a whole lot easier. You never need to stress about eat real, unprocessed foods.
It’s too bad you share food with people with bad eating habits. It’s very difficult to change people’s habits (think of how hard it is to change your own). You can try a couple things: 1) Read this and become a health food marketer in the house, 2) Have them watch Food Inc., 3) Ignore them and just cook your own food.
I know what it’s like to be in college and not be able to afford your own kitchen, etc. so you have to just figure out a way to make your situation work for you. I’m sure you can do it
Darya
What are your thoughts on this? http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100322211831.htm
That’s a pretty standard finding. Do you have a specific question?
Hi, Darya!
I know that you have mentioned in the past that you sometimes eat oatmeal for breakfast with fruit and sometimes nuts. Could you please share with us your portions for this? I would really appreciate it!
These days I’ve been relying more on muesli. I eat it cold on yogurt, or heat it up with water. It is like oatmeal, but contains more types of grains and comes with fruit and nuts mixed in. I eat 1/4 cup on yogurt (plain, with fat) and 1/2 cup when heated. My favorite brands are Dorset and Bob’s Red Mill, but it’s easy to make yourself.
Great, thank you for your quick response! One clarification about the yogurt: Do you use regular plain or 1% lowfat plain?
It depends. Sometimes it is hard to find regular plain. My favorites are lowfat Wallaby plain and Fage Greek (2%). These are very different, but I like and use them both regularly.
Darya,
I consume a lot of fermented foods such as pickled vegetables and kombucha and fermented drinks made with whey for the probiotic health benefits. A few questions:
1. There are many different methods of pickling. I know that when you salt vegetables, press them, then let them ferment in their own broth, that probiotic compounds are created. Is this true for other pickling methods as well?
2. What is the lifecycle of the probiotic compounds? After fermentation starts, do these compounds reach a peak potency? After how long? Then, what happens to them? If you keep pickled vegetables pickling, or you put them in the fridge, is there a point where all the probiotic compounds eat each other or die and then the vegetables no longer have any probiotic value? Same question for kombucha and whey-based fermented drinks.
3. Is it true that all fermented foods will have no remaining probiotic health benefit when they are heated? So, for example, heating miso to make miso soup (or in cooking) would kill the probiotic compounds? Or, do the probiotic benefits persist through cooking?
4. Can you explain exactly what the probiotic benefits are? Are we eating a range of living bacteria that provide gut benefits? So, it’s the actual bacteria that we’re striving for? Or, is it the by-products of the bacteria?
Thanks,
Mitch
Hi Mitch,
You asked a mouthful! Sounds like probiotics might be a good topic for a show. I’ll add it to the queue
I don’t think I can cover all that here.
Generally I know that other pickling methods are not the same as lacto-fermentation. I’m pretty sure there is a peak potency (I’d have to do a bunch more research to give you details)… I’m not sure if it ever starts going back down. If enough people want to hear the details I can look into it. I would imagine heating kills a good portion of the healthy bacteria (that’s how we kill them in lab!)
Finally, it is the bacteria themselves and the function they serve that is the benefit.
I’d love to do a through review of this research. Will keep you guys posted.
dp
When I cook sauerkraut with pork or other meats I always leave some portion of the fresh (like a half cup out). Then I let the cooked kraut cool to nice & warm, then stir in the fresh, assuming that the temp is now not so hot as to kill all the bacteria. Also, since living in France I found that eating foods closer to room temperature is far more flavorful that piping hot. They even serves their soups well warm, not hot.
Good tips
Whats your take on juicing? Me and my girlfriend are thinking about getting a juicer and juicing our breakfasts and maybe dinners, we would still eat “normal” lunches: organic turkey sandwiches, baked chips, a granola bar, and water.
You were the straw that broke the camel’s back. I finally broke down and wrote about juicing:
http://summertomato.com/6-things-to-consider-before-buying-a-juicer-other-tips-for-fruit-vegetable-juicing/
p.s. I don’t think sandwiches, chips or granola bars are particularly healthy.
So what would you suggest for a healthy lunch?
Will be covering that in my show on Wednesday
Happy Tuesday!
My question is: How should one alter their eating habits when they get a cold? (You can probably guess I have a cold now).
Besides eating fruit, chicken soup, drinking liquid, avoiding alcohol, and skipping the gym, I recommend this:
http://summertomato.com/how-to-avoid-getting-sick-in-flu-season/
AVOID ALCOHOL!?
Thanks Darya!
Haha, just when you’re sick
Hey Darya!
Big fan of the blog. Just had a quick question regarding popcorn and the slow carb diet. I am not a strict follower of the slow carb diet but have cut out some bread, pasta, and potatoes from my diet. How detrimental is popcorn to someone following the slow carb diet loosely? I eat homemade popcorn, without butter, about 3 times a week.
A huge fan of your better than pasta substitute recipe. Just wondering if you had any falafel recipes or could recommend one. I’ve been itching to make falafel at home for a while but can’t find a recipe I like.
Thanks
I am so glad you asked this because I have been curious too. I have been making homemade popcorn for the past few months for a snack every now and then.
Hey Bubs,
So just to be clear, I’m almost certain Tim Ferriss would say that there is no such thing as “loosely” following the slow carb diet. If you mean eating a healthy, low-carb but balanced diet without binge days, that’s not slow carb, that’s healthstyle.
That being said, there are certainly more fattening foods than popcorn. However, I would recommend using butter, which will curb the insulin spike a little. Bet you didn’t see that one coming
Generally the rule is eat whatever you can get away with, but if you stop losing weight you know what you need to cut out.
Hope this helps
Thanks Darya!
Darya, would you consider writing about (or including in your show?) how you use your pressure cooker? I bought one recently to cook beans and I haven’t had consistent results. I’m not sure whether I still need to soak the beans (I kinda bought one to avoid this, I always forget to soak them) and I’m finding that I need longer cooking times than are recommended from pressure cooker recipes and websites.
Hi Samantha. Your problem is definitely soaking. You can cook beans in a pressure cooker without soaking them, but it will take about twice as long to cook them.
I still recommend trying to soak the beans, it has other nutritional benefits (reducing antinutrients) and can help with digestion. But if you forget just plan on doubling your pressure cooking time. Still better than a 2hr boil.
Hi Darya!
In addition to upgrading my healthstyle, I also have the goal of losing weight. I know you recommend basically the same thing for those who need to shed a few (ok, several), but with some tweaks. Do you have any advice for me?
Thanks for answering all my health questions, I really appreciate it!
I talked about this a little in my show last night. Basically for weight loss I’d stick to the healthy diet but decrease the number and size of your special occasion foods/treats. Trying to eat slower and chew more can also help.
Also, strength training does wonders for changing the shape of your body so you look better in clothes (and naked!). Here’s what I do http://summertomato.com/my-weekly-workout/
OMG thank you Darya!
Hey Darya, do you know of a good place to get heirloom vegetable seeds? I’m contemplating starting a garden this spring and don’t really know where to start… Thanks!
Emily
Hi Emily,
I’m not much of a gardner myself (yet) but know there are online seed banks for heirloom seeds. Try Googling that? Or find some heirloom gardening blogs? Sorry I don’t know more – such a city girl!
Ok, thanks! I did Google it and found some sites. Weird, I hated having to help in the garden when I was growing up, now I’m really looking forward to it. Funny how we change as we get older…