WATER: The Importance of Hydration - CLEAN Nutrition & Weight Loss

Finally summer is here!  The kids are playing soccer, the neighbours are taking their dogs on longer walks and the runners are everywhere.  With the heat finally here (and I do love the heat!) be sure to protect yourself, and I'm not just talking about sunscreen, I'm referring to hydration - making sure you are drinking enough water.  Funny how so many apply sunscreen yet forget about water.  

As the weather gets warmer and we become more active, our body loses more fluids. In fact, our body loses as much as 4 litres of fluid every single day. Water is a necessity. In addition to enhancing the absorption of nutrients from your foods and eliminating waste and toxins from the body; water also helps prevent weight gain and supports weight loss by increasing your metabolism.  As well, dehydration can be mistaken for hunger pangs, so many reach for food instead of water. TIP: If you feel hungry, stop and think whether you should be. If you had lunch 30 minutes ago, chances are you are thirsty and not hungry. So reach for that glass of water instead of that bag of chips.   

Signs That You May Be Dehydrated:

• Thirst – if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated
• Dry skin and lips
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Poor concentration
• Irritability

How Much Water Do You Need?

We've all heard the rule of thumb "8 glasses of water a day". This number depends on several factors such as weight, how active you are, weather temperature... To keep it simple, aim for at least 8 glasses a day and increase if you are working out. In case you’re curious of the recommended quantity based on you body weight, here is the calculation: 

Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2. That number is amount of ounces of water you need every day.  To see how many glasses that is, divide by 8.

For example: 150/2 = 75 ounces or 75/8 = about 9 glasses

Or you can check out this website for the calculator based on daily level of activity and climate: http://www.csgnetwork.com/humanh2owater.html 

When you’re working out, have 1 cup of water 30 minutes before your workout, 1 cup every 30 minutes and another cup within 30 minutes of finishing your workout.

Beverages that Hydrate and Dehydrate

Water: This is the most natural and easiest way to hydrate.  If you have trouble keeping up your water intake because you find the taste bland, add lemon, lime, mint, cucumber slices or a dash of unsweetened juice.

Vitaminwater: Don’t be fouled by the name (I’ve worked in Advertising so I know what goes on behind the scenes). In the UK ad regulators told Coca-Cola they could no longer advertise their product Vitaminwater as nutritious, while in the US a district court judge wrote that vitaminwater’s use of the word “healthy” violated Food and Drug Administration labelling rules.  Coca-Cola attempted to defend itself by stating that, "no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking Vitaminwater was a healthy beverage". Yes, even Coca-Cola fully admits it’s not healthy. The product is basically sugar-water, to which about a penny's worth of synthetic vitamins have been added. And the amount of sugar is not trivial. A bottle of Vitaminwater contains 33 grams of sugar (Coke has 42 grams). Do the body good and stick to water.

Sports Drinks: They are full of sugar and chemicals such as color and flavor additives. Unless you are a marathon runner, I don’t suggest sports drinks (Gatorade, Powerade…)  Instead coconut water, which is starting to appear in many major grocery chains, can provide you with similar benefits of sports drinks without the additives. Read my blog on coconut water for the many benefits of this all-natural wonder drink.

Coffee and Tea: Caffeine is a diuretic which makes you lose fluid, so make sure you are adding 2 glasses of water for every cup of java or black tea. And try to keep your caffeine consumption to one cup a day.

Soft Drinks: Its caffeine, sugar and artificial sweeteners cause dehydration on top of the other negative health attributes including weight gain. I encourage you to skip the pop and diet pop altogether.

Juice: They are packed with sugar which reduces water absorption. Trade in your juices for unsweetened juices and I suggest adding water, especially when serving to kids. Less sugar means your kids won’t be jumping off the walls!

Alcohol: Alcohol dehydrates you, so if you are enjoying a glass of wine, make sure you are having water afterwards.

If you’re still dehydrated despite drinking 8 glasses of water daily and you’re keeping the items that dehydrate to a minimum, you may have an imbalance (such as a hormone imbalance).  If you think this may be the case, shoot me an email and I’d love to give you some tips.

CLEANnutrition.ca Toronto Weight Loss and Nutrition

Detox - Spring Cleansing

Feeling sluggish and tired? It might be time for a detox...

Spring is the time for renewal and rejuvenation. It is also the time when our bodies start a new cycle, which makes spring a great time to do start a detox program.

There are a lot of different detox programs out there, so here is an easy and very effective detox program.

What is a Detox and Why Detox?
Detoxification is nature’s natural process of neutralizing toxins from our body. In today’s polluted world, we are all susceptible to toxin overload from the air we breathe, the water we bath in, the food we eat and the lotions we lather onto our skin. No matter where you are or what you do, we’re all susceptible to many toxins daily. Toxins overburden our body and especially our elimination organs (the liver, kidneys, colon, lungs and skin.) This eventually leads to disease but in the meantime makes us feel sluggish, tired, can cause brain fogginess...etc. A detox program aims to give the body an opportunity to cleanse itself, flushing toxins out of our system.

What to Eliminate
There are many types of detox programs, such as fasting, juicing, a raw food diet... etc, but the one I typically recommend, especially to beginners, is the CLEAN detox program.  This "diet" is focused on eating CLEAN by eliminating the foods below. These eliminated foods are the most frequently consumed foods in North America.  We need to give our body a break from them. Also, these foods are typical allergens.  See my blog on allergies to see how they wreak havoc on our bodies and are a major contributor to weight gain.

Eliminate these foods:
- Refined carbohydrates
- Sugar and sweeteners
- Dairy
- Processed and red meats
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- And any additives – if you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it!

 

What to Eat
Ensure you are consuming fresh nutrient-dense foods packed with vitamins and minerals that are high in fibre. Include the following:

- Water: Water flushes the toxins out. Have at least 8 cups a day.
- Fibre: Fibre keeps the bowels moving and traps fat-soluble toxins that are being excreted into the small intestine. Have 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds with some water or in a morning smoothie. This is important because in order to detoxify the body effectively, one must ensure they are having regular bowel movements (at least one daily.) If not, toxins will not be eliminated but rather they will only be circulating the body.
- Protein: The liver requires protein for proper detoxification. Have a whey protein or a vegan protein powder in a morning shake and have a lean piece of chicken or a quinoa salad for lunch or dinner.
- Antioxidants: They prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. Have 1-2 cups a day of berries, citrus, greens leafy vegetables, dark green vegetables…
- Cruciferous vegetables: These include broccoli, kale, cabbage, bok choy, brussel sprouts… They support the liver's detoxification enzymes. Aim to eat 2 cups of these vegetables a day while detoxing.

There are herbal cleansing kits on the market, which can to be taken with the diet prescribed above.  These kits are great because they contain herbs to support digestion, elimination and organ detoxification.  
Or you can simply start the daily detox process by having a glass of water with ½ juice of a lemon in the morning to stimulate digestion and to alkalinize the body.

Duration of a Detox
A 5-day duration, Monday to Friday is what you want to aim especially if this is your first time on a detox.  Monday to Friday will likely be more feasible for you, since it tends to be more difficult on weekends to avoid the restricted foods.  You eventually want to make your way to 21-days.  21 days is the time frame it takes before your body really starts the detoxification process.

After the Detox
I’m confident that once you’ve completely the program, you will feel rejuvenated, reenergized and you’ll be glowing! I recommend that you continue to eat CLEAN.  That is, eating as close to nature as possible and staying away from processed foods.  Aim to do this 80% of the time, while the remaining 20% can be for indulgences. This will allow you to continue to reap the many benefits of eating CLEAN.

If you have any questions or comments, please drop me an email. I love hearing from you.

Oh and I will post additional recipes to help support your detox diet.  

CLEANnutrition.ca Toronto Weight Loss and Nutrition

Whipped Spinach Hummus - CLEAN Nutrition Weight Loss recipe

Hummus is one of my go-to snacks. It's easy to make and very versatile. You can dip veggies, pita bread, crackers and chips in it. Alternatively hummus can be spread onto a sandwich, bread, etc...

Hummus is a healthy snack option. It's a good source of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals specifically iron, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and folic acid.  Bottom line, hummus is a tasty and healthy snack which supports weight loss efforts.

The foundation for hummus is standard: chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, salt, lemon juice and garlic. However his recipe offers a fresh twist on a traditional dish - hummus is one of the oldest foods known, dating back to Egypt over 7,000 years ago.

Ingredients:
- 1 can of chickpeas
- 4 handfuls of spinach
- 1 small potato - peeled and quartered
- ¼ cup of red onion -chopped
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- salt

Directions:

- Boil potato for about 10 minutes. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
- In food processor, combine drained chickpeas, spinach, potato, ¼ cup red onions, lemon juice and zest and salt and pepper.
- Start mixing ingredients together. With food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil.
- If hummus is dry add some water. If flat tasting, add salt.

CLEANnutrition.ca Toronto Weight Loss and Nutrition

Lasagna - Raw Food Version

With the arrival of spring this weekend, I decided to celebrate with this raw lasagna dish.  I’m sure many of you have heard of raw food. Raw food is food that has not been cooked in the traditional sense – nothing is heated above 118 degrees Fahrenheit and ingredients are not chemically processed, pasteurized, genetically modified or compromised in any other way.  Cooking and processing foods generally decrease their digestibility and vitamin and mineral density as well as their overall health-promoting qualities.

Personally, I love eating raw food dishes in the summer but with our cold Canadian winters, my body needs and craves warm foods. There are many health benefits that come by integrating raw foods into the diet, and for the most part, individuals are not consuming sufficient amount. So why not get started by trying out this great “lasagna” recipe from Sam Melngaillis’s book "Living Raw Food”. I must say it was truly delicious. 

There are a couple of steps, but don't be intimidated. It's a really easy recipe.  One tip is to use good quality sun-dried tomatoes and avoid using the ones already soaked in oil as the oil tends not to be high-quality. And please note, I must hone my photography skills.  This image (taken with a phone camera) does not do this meal justice.

“Ricotta”
- 2 cups of pine nuts (soaked for 1 hour or more)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp water
Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until texture becomes fluffy like ricotta.

Tomato sauce
- 2 cups sun died tomatoes (soaked for 2 hours or more)
- 1 medium tomato diced
- ½ small onion chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp of agave nectar
- 2 tsp sea salt
- pinch of hot pepper flakes
Squeeze and drain as much water of the water out of the soaked sun-dried tomatoes.  Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Basil-pistachio pesto
- 2 cups packed basil leaves
- ½ cup pistachios
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
Place ingredients in food processor and blend until well combinedbut still slightly chunky.

For assembly:
- 3 medium zucchinis, ends trimmed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp of chopped fresh oregano (or ½ tbsp of dried oregano)
- 1 tbsp of fresh thyme (or ½ tbsp of dried thyme)
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- 3 medium tomatoes (heirloom tomatoes or any kind), cut in half and then sliced
- Whole basil leaves for garnish


1.    Cut zucchinis crosswise in half or into 3-inch lengths. Using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, cut zucchinis lengthwise into very thing slices. In medium bowl, toss zucchini slices with olive oil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper.
2.    Line bottom of 9” x 13” baking dish with layer of zucchini slices, each one slightly overlapping another. Spread about 1/3 of the tomato sauce over it and top with small dollops of “ricotta” and pesto, using 1/3 of each. Layer about 1/3 of tomato slices. Add another layer of zucchini slices and repeat twice more with tomato sauce, “ricotta”, pesto and tomato slices. Serve immediately or cover and let sit at room temperature for a few hours. Garnish with basil leaves.
3.    Alternatively, to make individual servings, place about 3 zucchini slices, slightly overlapping, in the centre of each plate to make a square shape. Spread tomato sauce over the zucchini, top with small dollops of “ricotta” and pesto and a few small tomato slices. Repeat twice more. Garnish with basil leaves. Any leftover lasagna, whether made in a tray or individually, will taste great if kept in the refrigerator for at least a day or more, but it may not look as good.

CLEANnutrition.ca Toronto Weight Loss and Nutrition


Mexican Quinoa Salad - CLEAN Nutrition Weight Loss recipe

I was looking for something quick and easy to make for my lunches this week.  To save on time, I tend to make one batch of food for lunches for the week.  Here's a nutritious dish that is in high protein (quinoa is a complete protein and pinto beans is a good source of protein.) This meal will sustain your blood-sugar levels. So if you are having it for lunch, you won't experience the 3pm blood-sugar dip - which is why so many reach for a cup of coffee or a sugar pick-me-up at that time.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa (dry)
• 2 cups water
• 2 sweet potatoes – diced into 1” cubes
• 1 cup spinach or kale - chopped
• 2 zucchini - slices
• 1/2  cup of salsa
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 avocado
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt

Preheat oven at 420°F

- Soak quinoa prior to cooking for at least 10 minutes (to loosen up saponins, is a naturally occurring chemical compound that gives this grain a bitter taste.) If in a rush, soak for 5 minutes in hot water.
- Toss sweet potato cubes with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes.
- Drain soaking quinoa and cook – 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water. Bring to a broil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Sauté garlic with olive oil for 3 minutes. Add zucchini and a pinch of salt and sauté for 3 minutes. Add pinto beans and spinach (or kale).  Toss and cook for another 3 minutes on medium heat.
- Add the cooked quinoa and sweet potatoes into the vegetable mix. Add salsa.
- Serve with Guacamole
- Enjoy this CLEAN meal!

To make Guacamole
This my version of guacamole but it’s really just avocado, lemon and salt – very tasty nonetheless.
Mash avocado, add lemon juice and a pitch of salt.  Mix and serve with quinoa, vegetables and salsa.


- CLEANnutrition.ca Toronto Weight Loss and Nutrition