Compass Chiropractic

The ingredient I am highlighting today is Coconut Water. This item has increased in popularity recently, and for good reason. Coconut water, the liquid found naturally protected inside of the coconut ‘meat’ and outer shell, is a pure liquid that is even used in some cultures intravenously to rehydrate patients. In addition to re-hydrating, it also is full of minerals and vitamins to boost immune system, brings your pH back to a more optimal level which makes your body function more efficiently, replaces electrolytes (great for dehydration and sweating), is high potassium levels,  promote cardiovascular health, and even more.

With the unforgiving heat this summer, we thought we’d share a fun and kid friendly way to use coconut water! Coconut Ice Pops! This is SO easy and if you don’t have popsicle molds, you can use Dixie cups or even a muffin tin! You can honestly be really creative with these to match your taste buds, but here are a few starter recipes for you. Let me know recipes you come up with and if you like it!

Coconut Sunrise Ice Pops

• 1 pint Coconut Water
• 2/3 cup thawed orange juice concentrate
• 2 large bananas
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Blend coconut water, orange juice concentrate, bananas, and lime until mixture is even. Pour mixture into popsicle molds, and place in freezer until frozen, about 4 hours. If you are using popsicle sticks, push them in after about an hour in the freezer. To release pops, dip molds into hot water until pops loosen and slide out. If using cups, peel away paper.

Strawberry Coconut Ice Pops

• 1 pound strawberries, washed and hulled
• Coconut water
• Agave Nectar, if needed

Fill a blender halfway up with strawberries. Pour coconut water halfway up the berries. Blend until smooth. If you need some more sweetness to the popsicle, add agave nectar a little at a time and continue blending blend. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Fill popsicle molds and freeze until frozen, about 4 hours

Simple Mixed Berry Ice pops

• Any variety of mixed fruit (pineapple, kiwi, peach, pear, strawberry, blueberry, honeydew, ect),  cut into blueberry-sized pieces
• Coconut water

Place the fruit pieces into the popsicle molds. Pour coconut water on top of the fruit, and freeze!

Berry Explosion Ice Pop

• 1 cup mixed frozen berries
• 1/2 – 1 cup or so of organic plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup carrot juice
• 1/4 cup coconut water

Combine all ingredients, pour into popsicle molds, and freeze! Easy as that!

Tell me if this sounds familiar: “Monday morning I’m going to start exercising and eating better!”?  What is your first reaction when you hear a declaration like this?  My first thought is, wow that sounds like a lot of work. Because a statement like “I’m going to exercise and eat better” is open ended it can feel oppressive. Often times we fail at  mega-goals which will start a downward spiral.   Instead of creating  unreachable open ended goals,  try making small goals and celebrating successes.

In most parts of our life we look at small incremental goals that bring us to our ultimate goal.  Take running a marathon for example, you wouldn’t say “I’m going to run a marathon on Monday”  if you’ve never been a runner.  You would start small by running a few miles and build up until you had the stamina to run 26.2 miles.  Being healthy is like running a marathon, it is not something that you do one day.  It takes small steps to become healthy  and you should reward yourself at each milestone.

How we’re getting healthier

My wife and I recently decided that we each have an unhealthy habit that we wanted to change and decided to make it a competition. My wife has a sweet tooth and I have a beer tooth.  For my wife, she struggles with her cravings for sweets in the early afternoon and I enjoy having a beer or two with dinner.  We decided that we would commit to not drinking or eating sweets  during the week over  a period of a month.   My wife and I are competitive people so it had seemed  that  beating  the other would be enough incentive, but we decided to take things a step farther and build in a punishment.  The person who cheats is required to walk our 95lb (bad on a leash) dog for a week.  The fact that walking the dog is considered serious punishment in our house  shows how bad it has become  for our dog since the arrival of our two girls.

We are in our third week  and neither one of us has cheated.  There are a couple things that have come out of this experiment:

1.  Indulging in our vices is much more enjoyable when we earn it.
2. Confidence that we can succeed with our  bigger goals.
3.  It is harder to cheat when your have someone holding you accountable.
4.  We need to walk our dog more.

Both of us are encouraged by the success that we’ve had with this small step and know that it will lead to improving other areas of our lives.  In this example I discussed our health and wellness goals, but these principals could easier be transfered to any other part of your life.

Remember that health is not a destination, but a journey and like any journey it starts with a single step.  Along the way you may falter, but that doesn’t mean that you can get right back up and start walking again.

Ingredient Highlight: Quinoa [pronounced keen-wah]

This ivory-colored seed is a staple in many parts of South America. Not only is quinoa very high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein (meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids)! This is a unique food! Quinoa is additionally a very healthy food because of its amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa is a host of other health-building nutrients such as manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus. Because of this healthy profile, this “grain” may be especially valuable for those of you with migraines (the high magnesium relaxes blood vessels, which prevents the constriction and dilation in the head), fatigue (the riboflavin/ Vitamin B2 allows for healthy energy production within cells), cardiovascular problems (Low levels of magnesium is linked to increased rates of hypertension, ischemic heart disease and heart arrhythmias), diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil (Can be replaced with olive oil if you don’t have coconut oil)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed until water is no longer cloudy
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Himalayan sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Tablespoons of fresh lime juice

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans, cilantro, and lime.
4. Enjoy!

Vitamin D is essential for much more that just building bones and teeth. In addition to enabling normal mineralization and health of the skeleton, Vitamin D helps the body do a number of things including:

• Assists in cell growth
• Aids neuromuscular function
• Reduces inflammation
• Reduces the risk of breast cancer in women
• Boosts your immune system

Additionally, Vitamin D helps to prevent the following medical issues:

• Osteoporosis
• Multiple Sclerosis and other autoimmune conditions
• Rickets in children
• Osteomalacia in adults

Considering the numerous health issues it is linked to, getting too little vitamin D will cause your body to will operate far below its potential.

In the world of pain and chiropractic, one of those in particular is of interest to us: inflammation reduction. When you injure yourself, your body has a natural healing process that begins with the acute healing phase. During the acute phase, your body ships specialized cells into the area to clean up the debris and damage and set the stage for new healthy growth. As the vascular permeability increases to allow the needed chemicals in, up to 10x the blood volume comes to that area and swelling occurs. Through the healing process, the swelling should reduce back to its pre-injury size. You can assist your body in decreasing the swelling with rest, ice, compression, elevation (RICE), soft tissue massage toward the body’s core, and by consuming foods that have anti-inflammatory effects. Vegetables consistently have anti-inflammatory properties as well as some spices and foods high in Vitamin D!

How much to consume? Researchers have found many Americas to have low levels of this essential vitamin, and a deficiency in vitamin D is not something you want to deal with. As of November 2010, the recommended baseline vitamin D intake for those over 70 is 800 International Units per day to stay healthy. Those under 70 years old should take 400 IU per day with an upper limit of 4,000 IU per day, kids between 4 and 8 years should take in up to 3,000 IU per day, and children 1 to 3 years should not have more than 2,500 IU per day.

So how do you get enough? The Institute of Medicine set a recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D from a combination of diet, supplements, and sun exposure. The best source of natural vitamin D is sunlight (Fine by me!!). Just 10 to 15 minutes of exposure without sunscreen each day usually gives you enough. Know, though, that because of the melanin in dark skinned people, it is more difficult to produce vitamin D up to 90 percent. Easy enough, right!? It is also naturally found in butter, eggs, salmon, cod, mackerel, fish liver oils and added to fortified foods such as milk, orange juice, and cereal.

For more information about nutrition, visit our nutrition page.

Ground beef that could be contaminated with with E. coli bacteria has led to the recall of 14,158 pounds of ground beef in 10 states including Indiana.

Creekstone Farms Premium Beef located in Arkansas City, Kansas was the distribute of the tainted meat.  The meat with distributed to wholesalers in ten states including Indiana.

The beef likely was repackaged into consumer-size packages and sold under various retail brand names.

The best way to avoid E. coli food poisoning is to take food-safety precautions while handling raw beef and to thoroughly cook beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hippocrates, the father of medicine,  tells us to  “let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”

Food is meant to be a daily medicine that provides nourishment for a healthy vibrant body, not something to only be considered when sick.

In this edition of Katie’s Kitchen we look at a simple curry recipe that includes a couple ingredients that are packed with a healthy punch: ginger and cumin. 

Ginger – This sweet, warm, and spicy vegetable is sure to add a rich aroma to your recipe! Additionally, this root has shown to be very effective in alleviating gastrointestinal distress. In herbal medicine, ginger is regarded as an excellent carminative (encourages elimination of intestinal gas) and intestinal spasmolytic (relaxes and soothes the stomach and intestines). In addition to aiding your GI tract, it has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects, boost the immune system, and decrease your risk of a few types of cancer! So whether you’re eating it pickled on the side of sushi or finely graded in your curry, it’s doing great things for your body!

Cumin – Cumin is a nutty, smoky, peppery seed that you would probably recognize from chili and packs a punch of flavor… and nutrition! Cumin seeds are a very good source of iron, a mineral that helps transport purified oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, takes part in producing energy and metabolism, boosts your immune system, and is particularly important for menstruating women! Similar to ginger, cumin also plays a big role in keeping a healthy digestive system. IF that’s not enough, it even can decrease your risk of tumors and certain types of cancer! Another great seasoning for your meals!!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablesppon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
• Himalayan sea salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice
• 1 cup Greek yogurt or coconut milk
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, whisk together the tomato paste, garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, and ¾ cup water. Add the onion and stir to combine. Place the chicken on top and season with 1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender, either 7 – 8 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high.
3. About an hour before serving, begin cooking brown basmati rice according to package.
4. Just before serving, add the yogurt or coconut milk and ½ teaspoon salt to the chicken and stir to combine. Serve with the rice and sprinkle with the scallions.

I don’t know about you, but I find myself snacking throughout my day and feel so much better/ full when I have healthy snacks. Granola has many different shapes, sizes, and make-ups, but generally is very healthy and rich in nutrients we all need! After finding a great granola at The Fresh Market, yesterday, I tried my luck at making my own. I’m so excited to share this recipe as I think it is soo good and got the same affirmation from my coworkers here at Compass!

Again, one of the great things about granola is that you can uniquely create a recipe that fits your taste! Below is my own recipe, but feel free to combine addition ingredients or substitute as desired. For instance, feel free to use Omega-3 rich walnuts or pecans instead of my chosen almonds. Or if you don’t love dried cherries, use dried cranberries, raisins, apricots, or really any other dried fruit! Have a sweet tooth? Add peanut butter chips or chocolate chips to the mix.

• 1/2 cup almond slivers
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/4 cup wheat flour
• 1/4 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup dry milk powder
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons raw organic coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• 2/3 cup honey
• 2 1/2 cup oats
• pinch of Himalayan sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 275.

Mix all ingredients until well integrated. Pour the granola mixture onto a baking sheet. Keep it as a close clump to begin and bake for 20 minutes. Take out granola, mix with wooden spoon and spread out a little evenly but keep all bits touching each other. Bake another 8-10 minutes. Mix granola again with wooden spoon to ensure even browning. Bake 8 -10 more minutes until it is just golden brown. As it cools, it will its wonderful texture emerges, becoming chewy and delicious!!

The asparagus season has come and past, with it the pungent pee that seems to appear minutes after consuming a stalk.  I had always been under the impression that only a certain population has the physiology which creates this odor, but I’ve recently found that this is not the case.

Depending on the studies that you read, 22%-50% of the population reports a fowl smelling urine after  ingesting asparagus.  What accounts for this populations production of pungent pee?

The people who have report the odor do have a special gene, but it has nothing to do with producing the odor.  The gene that this 22%-50% possesses allows them to smell the odor.  Regardless of whether or not you smell the odor, it’s there.  If you do smell the odor consider yourself  lucky…you have a special gene.

I recently became aware of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and have been very impressed with their work.  The first iPhone application that I downloaded from them was a list of the best to least healthy sunscreens and now they’ve added another app that will help you decide which foods to buy organic.  There is also a pdf version of their list that is available on the EWG website.

Buying organic is best, but it is also expensive.  There are some foods that hold the pesticides in more than others.  When buying these foods you should opt for the organic.  The list produced by EWG list the foods that contain the most pesticides and foods that have the least.

Happy eating

I’m not a coffee drinker, but I’ve been around enough coffee drinkers (especially living in Portland) to know that people are a lot happier after their morning cup of joe.  For many people coffee is a necessity for survival, but a new study out of the University of Bristol found that the energy boosting effects of coffee might just be in your head.

In this study subjects were given either a caffeine pill or a placebo and their alertness was measured through computer testing.  The results of the testing showed that caffeine did not improve the alertness of the subjects who took the caffeine pill.

The take home message from this study was that People who drink coffee experience an acute caffeine withdraw fatigue that makes them more tired and require coffee to return back to normal.

Study researcher Peter Rogers, from the University of Bristol’s department of experimental psychology, says in a news release: “Our study shows that we don’t gain an advantage from consuming caffeine — although we feel alerted by it, this is caffeine just bringing us back to normal. On the other hand, while caffeine can increase anxiety, tolerance means that for most caffeine consumers this effect is negligible.”

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