June 22, 2009
· Filed under Nutrition, Travel · Tagged Hocking Hills, Ohio, recipe, salsa
Hocking hills was beautiful last weekend. I was worried the weather wouldn’t be on our side, all week storms were predicted. However it was sunny and warm with a gorgeous blue sky. We hiked 5.5-6 miles, the OFSC staff and several patients. It was great exercise and loved going somewhere new. There is so much to see at Hocking Hills that I’ll have to go back. We enjoyed lunch after the hike at a patients lakehouse. It was relaxing and fun.
Also, recently, Greg, Jack and I checked out the Worthington Farmer’s Market. Doted the largest in Columbus. There were vendors lining both sides of High Street. The food vendors had very long lines, it was definatelly a popular place. I saw strawberries, cherries, tomatoes, peas, green beans, asparagus, lettice, apples, cheese, free range chicken and beef, and more. I purchased a few tomtoes to make a homemade salsa. I also picked up a few plants, 2 tomatoes, a basil and a parsley. I know we have a huge organic garden, but those plants were very behind and I wanted a garentee abundant plant! As you can tell, I can be a little impatient, which isn’t a good trait of a gardener. But the plants were well priced at the market. I was impressed with how many flower and plant vendors we saw. They had a little bit of everything in Worthington. It is definately worth checking out if you live in columbus and enjoy fresh produce. It wasn’t a bad hike even from New Albany. We were a little rushed the morning that we went so I hope to go back again. I think the produce selection will continue to grow as we get further into the summer.
Sheryl’s Salsa
2 Tomatoes, diced
1 red onion
1 Can white corn
1 can black beans
Italian dressing
Dr. Heather’s variation: Add the following
1 choped Mango
1/2 C choped green onion
June 19, 2009
· Filed under Nutrition
Today it is supposed to have temperatures near 90 degrees in Columbus, Ohio. I’m sure those of you living in Florida have already had a dose of hot humid temperatures this year. So here is a yummy, anti-oxidant refreshing smoothie to try out, great for breakfast, lunch or snack anytime of year.
2 Cups frozen berries
2 Bananas
1 Cup Kefir
1/4 – 1/2 Can Coconut Milk
Blend all ingredients and serve. Makes 2-4 servings depending on how hungry you are.
Benefits of the ingredients:
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Berries & Cherries- they are loaded with anti-oxidants, which protect cells from dist ruction and abnormal growth. This is great for preventing cancer, heart disease, arthritis and other chronic inflammatory illness. Check out the benefits of
Blueberries,
Cherries,
Raspberries, and
strawberries.
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Kefir - If you aren’t familiar with kefir, it
is similar to yogurt but more runny, thicker than milk. It has a tangy taste and comes in many flavors and organic. Kefir is loaded with probiotics. Most yogurts have 1-3 probiotics in them, even ones such as “DanActive” which market its probiotic and immune properties. However Kefire has 10 probiotics in them. Probiotics promote healthy intestinal flora which builds the immune system and helps the body protect against bad bacteria, viruses and fungal/yeast infections. Kefir can be found in most grocery stores in the milk or yogurt isle.
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Coconut Milk- This is full of healthy natural saturated fats. Coconut sometimes gets a bad rap for its high saturated fat content. But not all saturated fat is created equal. It is true that some saturated fats clog arteries such as that in animal and dairy products. But the saturated fat in coconut is actually anti-inflammatory and helps prevent the clogging of arteries. Read more about the benefits of coconut at the
Coconut Research Center
Do you have a favorite summer smoothie recipe you would like to share? Please comment!
STAY TUNED MONDAY FOR MY EXTENSIVE POSTING ON “GETTING STARTED WITH CLOTH DIAPERS”
November 26, 2008
· Filed under Green Baby ~ Healthy Baby, Nutrition, Our Family · Tagged baby, fever, Healthy Thanksgiving
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! I’m looking forward to the 4 day weekend and time with family! Greg, Jack and I will be heading starting our day in Botkins with Greg’s family then we will finish the day at my parents. I hope the day won’t be too crazy. The rest of the weekend will be spent relaxing, visiting more family and some office cleaning.
This week has flown by! Jack had 2 first’s this week, but not the kind I was looking forward to. On Monday afternoon he threw up for the first time ever and then he got his first fever L. It all started very abruptly out of the blue. He became very sluggish and extra cuddly. He wasn’t his perky, goofy, happy-Jack self. I made sure to nurse him often and kept up on my vitamins and hydration so it would filter down to Jack. I took some extra vitamin C and Echinacea too. His fever peaked Monday night and slowly declined through the day Tuesday. He was back to normal thankfully on Wednesday. It was not a fun experience and I don’t look forward to the next time. I am glad he got better quickly though.
Tips on having a healthier thanksgiving:
- Choose a variety of colors on your plate – don’t forget red, orange and green!
- Portion Control – smaller portions spaced out throughout the day is better than one mile-high plate of food.
- Pass on the rolls – besides being pro-inflammatory, there are too many other yummy choices on Turkey Day!
- Try water instead of pop
- Hold the whip cream on the pumpkin pie
- Participate in a local Turkey Trot walk/run before the big meal
- Go for a walk or play some flag football after the big meal
Happy Turkey Day!
November 10, 2008
· Filed under Nutrition · Tagged Nutrition, Organic
I want to share with you my favorite healthy dessert. Just because I used the word healthy doesn’t mean it’s not super yummy! This dessert was invented by my nutrition professor at Palmer Chiropractic College in Florida, Dr. David Seaman. I put my own little twist on his invention. It is very easy to make and no cooking required. So here it is…
- Frozen berries of your choice (Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, black raspberries, cherries, and/or cranberries)
- Organic heavy whipping cream
- Shaved dark chocolate (the higher % cocoa the better, I like 85% or higher, but I’ll do 65% or 70% if that’s all I can find)
- Shredded coconut
In a bowl place your frozen berries and drizzle with organic heavy whipping cream. Let it sit out and thaw slightly or thaw it for a few seconds in the microwave. As the berries thaw the whipping cream freezes. With a grater, grate the chocolate and coconut and sprinkle on top. You could also try adding almond slivers to your evening treat.
Health benefits: The berries and dark chocolate are very high in anti-oxidants. Coconut is a natural anti-inflammatory saturated fat. Another thing I love about this dessert is that you know exactly what all of the ingredients are in this creation, however if you were to look on the back of an ice cream box you would likely see many, many ingredients, some of which you probably can’t even pronounce. It is a much healthy option that ice cream, lower in sugar, but just as tasty!
Enjoy and let me know how you liked it!
Here is a photo but it doesn’t do it justice. You have to try it for yourself!
Healthy & Chocolate - you can't pass that up!
August 22, 2008
· Filed under Green Baby ~ Healthy Baby, Nutrition · Tagged baby food
Yummy organic homemade sweet potatoes were Jack’s 3rd solid which he started three days ago. He seemed to really like the taste but didn’t want to finish off his cube. He didn’t spit them out as much as he did bananas. They were very easy to make. I just boiled one sweet potato and then removed the skin and put it through my baby food mill. One potato made about 16-1oz cubes, so that will last for a while! I still think avocado has been his favorite so far. Below is some of the healthy nutrients found in sweet potatoes: I found this information from www.wholesomebabyfood.com a very informative site which also has many great recipe’s!
VITAMINS:
Vitamin A – 24,877 mg
Vitamin C – 28.0 mg
Pantothenic Acid – .74 mg
Niacin – .69 mg
Folate – 26.2 mcg
Contains some other vitamins in small amounts.
MINERALS:
Potassium – 273 mg
Phosphorus – 29.5 mg
Magnesium – 13.5 mg
Calcium – 6.2 mg
Sodium – 11.0 mg
Iron – .55 mg
Selenium – .5 mg
Manganese – .6 mg
Zinc – .3 mg
Also contains small amount of copper
Thanks for reading! ~Dr. Heather
August 7, 2008
· Filed under Green Baby ~ Healthy Baby, Nutrition · Tagged avocado, baby, first food, homemade baby food
Avocado is an excellent first food for you baby. It is very nutrient dense and creamy like breast milk. It is easy to make at home. All you have to do is mash it up and add some water to thin it down to the consistency of breast milk. I really like it because it is all natural and unprocessed. It is also not a high risk food for allergies. I preferred Jack’s first food to be something unprocessed with out preservatives. Avocado is loaded with healthy phytonutrients including:
- Healthy Unsaturated fats
- Folate
- Fiber
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin C
- Potassium
- Iron
- Lutein (an antioxidant and great for healthy eyes)
- Beta-carotene
For more information on Avocado’s check this out!
August 5, 2008
· Filed under Green Baby ~ Healthy Baby, Nutrition · Tagged avocado, baby food, bpa-free, Breastfeeding, first food, homemade baby food, phthalate-free, super baby food
Today Jack ate his first food, avocado!
Jack's First Food, Avocado!
He really enjoyed it! He didn’t seem to notice it was any different than breast milk. It was a lot of fun watching him during this milestone! Greg and I enjoyed every moment of it this morning. He not only enjoyed the avocado but really liked chewing on his bowl. I went with Boon Inc., on my friend Dolly’s recommendation for baby dishes/utensils (check out her blog for more info).
I knew before I was pregnant that I wanted to make my own baby food. I have been reading the book Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron as a resource on homemade baby food and tips for the first meal. Making your own baby food is great. It gives you control over what he eats and doesn’t eat and it is very economical. I plan on avoiding when at all possible processed, caned, preservative-filled baby food. Today I mashed up 1Tbs of avocado in my BPA/Phthalate-Free Kidco BabySteps Manual Food Mill. I used one whole organic avocado and stored the left over in my BabySteps Freezer tray. We fed him first with our fingers then tried the spoon. He didn’t mind either method. It was so funny to see him with green avocado smeared on his face and hands… it made me think ahead to many days and probably several years of food everywhere!
Jack will be 6 months on Saturday and until today I have been exclusively breastfeeding him! I am a huge advocate of breastfeeding, and plan to continue breastfeeding Jack for at least 12 months. (I have a lot to talk about when it comes to breastfeeding so I’ll save that for another post.) I will also go more in-depth later as to why we chose avocado for the first meal.
Dr. H
