How to Heal Yourself in 15 Days

The link below is the first article in a series - "How to Heal Yourself in 15 Days" - which will be published in Natural News over the next few weeks. I will post each article on here because the topic of them is something that truly resonates with me and my practice.

This first article, "Day 1 - Rethink Health," is all about changing your outlook on health. In Western medicine, we have learned to look at health in numbers, diagnose with tests and treat with drugs. These drugs put a band-aid on symptoms, but don't actually get to the root of the problem, and usually just throw our bodies more out of balance. That's not to say that there isn't a place for conventional medicine, or that more holistic and conventional can't be combined - but to treat solely through what Western medicine is often not in the best interest of our health.

Click the link below to read more.

How to Heal Yourself in 15 Days

Do You Know What You Are Eating? ...on Oprah!

On yesterday's episode of Oprah (January 27, 2010), best selling food expert Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food and Food Rules) was featured and spoke about why our food supply today is making us sick, how it is so diminished nutritionally, what to look for in the grocery store as well as what to put on our plates. Alicia Silverstone was also a guest on the show, speaking about her new book Kind Food and how her weight loss worries are over because of her new outlook on food.

I was very excited to see this topic and Michael Pollan featured on the show, as it is such an important message. Click here for a preview clip of yesterday's episode. Unfortunately, full episodes are not available online. In this episode, the movie Food, Inc. was also named as an eye-opening and informational source on America's food supply.

Another link about Michael Pollan and what he spoke about on the show: Michael Pollan on Oprah.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

This recipe is a yummy and healthier alternative to a traditional cream of broccoli soup. There's no dairy and contains two essential foods: whole grains and green veggies. All real, whole food goodness, and it's super easy to make! Husband tested and approved! It's located on the Institute for Integrative Nutrition website, where you can also find dozens of wonderful recipes that are simple and of course, nutritious!

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Those Crazy Carbs!

Carbohydrates. That's a word, like "fat," that many of us have learned to fear or at least be somewhat perplexed about. I often have questions from individuals I work with about carbs and how should they be a part of our diets. Are carbs good? Are they bad? What exactly are they anyway?

Carbohydrates are in most of the foods we eat, from candy to vegetables. We've learned to avoid all carbs, but we need carbohydrates for optimal health and energy! What we really should be doing is eating complex carbs and avoiding simple carbs. Most simple carbohydrates are highly processed foods with refined sugars and little nutritional value - many pastas, cookies, cakes, breads, crackers and cereals. These foods do not provide us with lasting energy because they are low in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are the carbs we want to eat! These carbs appear in nature - our whole foods - such as vegetables and whole grains like brown rice. Yes, these foods are carbs too! These foods should make up the majority of our diets because they are nutrient-rich and provide lasting energy. The problem is that many of us are eating carbs that have been denatured and deformed instead of whole foods.

With the New Year comes resolutions to lose weight, stick to certain diets and avoid certain foods. So often we fall short of these diet-focused resolutions, and it's not because of lack of will power or dedication. The truth is dieting in general is hard work and certainly not the natural way to eat! Trying to cut out certain foods from your diet is a difficult task and very rarely can any of us permanently stick to a diet plan such as low carb, low fat, no protein, etc.

One of the strategies I focus on is slowly adding in foods that are healthier choices rather than trying to omit not-so-healthy foods. Eventually, these healthier foods "crowd out" the processed, sugar-filled, chemicalized foods...often without you even realizing it's happening! And, rather than focusing on the carbs, fat, protein and calories - which is a horribly difficult, frustrating and unnatural way to be eating for any period in your life - why not focus on adding in a variety of local, organic whole foods? Perhaps it means adding one single food in at a time, but making a small change such as this is a habit that will actually stick!

American culture has learned in the past few decades to focus on what experts call "nutritionism." This is the ideology that food is replaced by nutrients. We are told to worry about how much of each vitamin and mineral we are getting (get your calcium! take an iron supplement!), eat more antioxidant-rich foods, eat lower fat foods and so on. This shifts our focus from food and nature to nutrients and science...and this is not a natural or healthy way to be eating. It seems the more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we become - something food expert Michael Pollan, calls the American Paradox. Doesn't that seem odd? Our ancestors certainly didn't count calories or take a multi-vitamin, and in many ways they were much healthier as a nation than we are.

This is all a large part of the foundation for my health coaching and why I feel so strongly that what many of us (including myself) have been hearing for so long is completely backwards. Figuring out what to eat should not be so complicated and doesn't have to be! Can you imagine actually eating guilt-free and with the satisfaction of knowing that you are making smart, natural decisions for you and your family? It's time to throw that No Carb/Low Carb/Low Fat/No Fat/Calorie Counting stuff out the window! Trust me - you don't need it!!

Black Bean Oat Brownies

Since this recipe has been in high demand lately, I thought I would post it for everyone. There are many black bean brownie recipes out there, and the main idea is to replace processed, refined flour with protein and fiber-rich black beans. It also uses agave nectar (or can substitue maple sysrup or brown rice syrup) so that you are using a lower-glycemic and natural sweetener - a much better choice than white sugar! This recipe originally came from my aunt (who is also a health counselor) Amie Hall of From Your Inside Out, and I've made some changes. It is AMAZING! Give it a try - easy to make, delicious and a good choice for a chocolatey brownie. Enjoy!


Black Bean Oat Brownies

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 35-40 minutes
Yields: 32 small brownies

Ingredients:
12 oz. organic chocolate (can use chocolate chips or carob chips)
16 oz. can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
3 organic or local eggs
1/2 - 2/3 cup agave nectar, brown rice syrup or real maple syrup
3 tablespoons organic coconut oil (use refined for no coconut flavor)
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
1/2 cup organic rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place chips in a heat resistant bowl in pot of a boiling water until melted. Can use microwave if preferred (stir and check every 30 seconds to avoid burning).
3. Melt coconut oil using same method as chocolate.
4. Combine all ingredients in blender or food processer and blend until smooth, scraping sides as needed.
5. Pour batter into one 9 X 13 pan or two 8” or 9” square pans sprayed with organic olive oil or greased with butter.
6. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes.
7. Allow to cool or place in refrigerator, cut and serve.

©2009 Kendall Scott Wellness
Adapted from Amie G. Hall - From Your Inside Out

Food for the Holidays - November 7th

It's not too late to sign up for my "Healthy Holidays" class on November 7th at 9:45am. Learn some great ways to make your food a little healthier (but still delicious!) over the holidays. Also, find out what super foods will help give you the energy you need during this busy time of year!Take home some yummy recipes and sample a couple of my favorites! Sign up here.

Rice Cooker

If you don't have a rice cooker, I highly recommend that you make the small investment. I bought mine at Target, but they can be found anywhere kitchen gadgets are sold. They make cooking your whole grains so much easier. For those of you working with me, you know how important it is to include whole grains in your diet - brown rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, barley, amaranth - the list goes on! However, these grains do take longer to cook and you really do have to watch the pot to make sure nothing boils over or dries out. That is where the rice cooker comes in. You simply measure your grains and water with the measuring cup provided with the cooker, add to the pot, cover, push a button and let it go! No need to keep an eye on it, and usually it takes less time to cook.

For instance, this morning, I combined millet, steel cut oats and amaranth in my little rice cooker, added water and let it do the work while I hopped in the shower, got dressed and ready for my day. I came downstairs to the wonderful smell of my grains, ready to eat...just scoop some in a bowl and add real maple syrup, cinnamon, nuts, berries, dried fruit, coconut - whatever you like. This is a pretty common breakfast for my husband and me. It's also a great way to prepare whole grains, like brown rice, for dinner.

Try to steer away from processed pastas and breads and include some more whole grains in your diet - get yourself a rice cooker and you'll see how easy it is!