Friday's Facts and Findings -- Green Smoothies--some things you might not know

I have been on a green smoothie kick and I thought I'd share some important info that I found with you.

Our magic bullet broke last month, so I've been using my Cusinart hand blender and it's working out fine.  However, I did reveal the coveted 30% off coupon from Kohl's and you get $10 back for every $50 you spend, so there may be a Nutribullet or Ninja contraption in my future!

Some people can't get past the fact that the smoothie is actually "green" in color; that there are green vegetables!!! in there!  I'm here to tell you that you don't even know they are there--well except for the color...you can't taste them at all.  Now it you are someone who likes V8 (ewww--my opinion only) you can make savory smoothies as well where you do taste them.  Personally, I prefer soup if I'm going to blend veggies together--drinking it cold just doesn't do it for me.

My go to greens are usually spinach and kale.  But I've recently read that spinach contains oxalic acid which can bind with minerals (mainly calcium) and make them inaccessible to the body.  If you eat foods that contain this acid on a regular basis over several months you could develop a form of kidney stone called calicum oxalate stones.  These are actually the most common type--they form when calcium crystallizes with oxalates.  Other foods also contain high levels of this acid as well--nuts, seeds, grains, soy, berries and more. I have to admit, this concerned me.  I've been eating a lot of spinach lately. The key to avoiding this is variety which is what I'm starting to do.

Variety also inhibits the build up of alkaloids.  These are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that are produced by many different organisms, including leafy greens.  These are toxic in large quantities, but in small amounts are harmless.  Sprouts contain higher amounts of alkaloids, so these should be limited a bit more.  Some common alkaloids are opium (from the poppy) and caffeine--neither of which come from leafy greens, but these are substances we have all heard of.  Eating the same greens for an extended time (weeks to months) can cause a build up of alkaloids.  This can cause all sorts of symptoms from low energy and sluggishness, loss of appetite and even tingling sensations--not good.  So rotate your greens to stop this from occurring.

So, I'm going to start using some other greens--celery, romaine and other lettuces, I just bought some bok choy and napa cabbage to try.  You can also use herbs--basil, mint, cilantro, dill, parsley, oregano; and don't forget things like carrot tops and  beet greens.  Now some of these flavors are more potent than others.  You have to experiment with how much you put in.  I would not put a cup of broccoli into a sweet smoothie--it just isn't going to work.

Well, I got the Nutribullet and I Love It!!!  I'll post some recipes on Sunday!

Friday's Facts and Findings: One Doctor's Opinion on Eating Gluten Free

I used to think that the whole gluten free thing was a lot of hype.  Don't get me wrong, there are people out there who suffer from celiac disease that can get deathly ill from eating the stuff.  I'm talking about everyone else who jumped on the bandwagon.

Well, I've since jumped on myself because I knew I had a "sensitivity" to wheat that showed up on an allergy test.  I also knew that I didn't have celiac disease (I was tested).  However, even though this sensitivity wasn't high enough to be considered an allergy, it was high enough to cause me problems if I consumed too much.

As you know from some of my other posts, I'm currently following the Primal/Paleo way of eating, which means no grains at all.  And, I've got to tell you, I do feel better.

So, even though I'm not suffering from celiac disease, there's something to be said about eating gluten free.  I've had a couple of gluten (not grain) free pizzas and more recently had some gluten free pasta from a favorite local eatery.  I did not experience the same bloating and digestive ailments that I would have in the past eating the wheat version.  Is it the gluten or the wheat?  I don't care, I just know that I personally feel better.

Here's a video that was posted on Underground Wellness.com.  In it Sean Croxton is interviewing Dr. Tom O'Bryan.  The title of the video is "This is Your Brain on Gluten."  In it, he states that gluten doesn't just affect your digestive system, it can affect your brain as well.  I found it very interesting.

Sean's post starts out like this:

"You eat your morning toast, then can’t remember where you put the car keys?

You have a sandwich for lunch, then can’t seem to focus on your afternoon tasks.

Coffee, please!

Your kids slurp down whole grain cereal for breakfast, then come home from school with notes from their teachers about “attention deficit”.

Could these all be connected?"

What do you think the answer is?  Follow the link above to Underground Wellness to get the answer==I couldn't get the video to load here.

Here's another video from the same doctor entitled, "Top 5 Things You Didn't Know About Gluten."

He is hosting a free on line conference called The Gluten Summit on November 11 - 17 that will have more information on this topic.  You can click the above link to register.  I know that I will.