Green is the new black

We’re loving our superfoods at the moment and supergreens are no exception. Just like berries, our greener friends are highly concentrated sources of energising vitamins and minerals, not to mention jam-packed full of antioxidants.

But why go green? You’re probably thinking you would rather stick to berries. We love berries, don’t get us wrong, but each superfood has its area of expertise. Master healers, the greener of our superfoods help nurture an alkaline environment for our body to achieve optimal health in (an acidic body is the ideal habitat for disease).

A glass of supercharged green juice is also the perfect detox partner, with the added bonus of being low in kilojoules – we like. From the almighty spirulina, to the popular wheat grass, there’s a greenie out there for everyone.

Here are some of our more unusual faves:

chlorophyll \ this green plant pigment has a structure similar to haemoglobin, with magnesium as its central atom. Packed full of alkalising vits and mins, chlorophyll even freshens your breath!

barley grass \ a forgotten wonder, barley grass is charged with vitamin C, beta-carotene, and minerals such as iron, potassium, calcium and magnesium. It contains 30x more vit B1 than milk!

aloe vera \ this supergreen is the queen of healing. Anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory, aloe vera soothes the stomach lining and skin, promoting healthy circulation, immunity and digestion.

celery root \ also known as celeriac, this green superfood is loaded with alkalising phosphorous and potassium, and rich in vitamins C and K. Like celery, this little root is great for weight loss!

olive leaf \ packed full of antioxidants and phytonutrients, this leafy superfood is particularly rich in oleuropein – an antioxidant 5x as powerful as vit C and almost 2x as mighty as green tea!

Unlike their berry counterparts, supergreens don’t win in the taste department – the secret is in the mix.

Check out our blog for some great green juice and smoothie ideas. Time for a glass of green apple…

Get your superberry on

From the common strawberry, to the slightly more upmarket blueberry, all the way to the exotic and luxurious acai, we just can’t get enough of berries.

So what’s all the fuss about? Well for starters they’re deeelicious. They ward off infection and keep your immune system revving with bucketloads of vitamin C. As for the antioxidants in berries, they keep you looking beautiful by declaring war against ageing free radicals. Even better, these berries keep you thinking young – they ‘clean up’ your brain by removing toxins, boosting your memory and preventing mental decline.

Here are a few of our more luxurious faves:

acai \ this little amazonian is the king of berries. Royal purple and packed full of vitamins, minerals, omegas and more than sixteen antioxidants, the acai berry even helps shrink your waistline.

goji \ other wise known as the ‘wolfberry’, this red superfood was hailed as the fruit of longevity in Tibet and China. The goji berry contains 500 times more vitamin C than oranges!

noni \ this little berry has made its way from the Pacific islands packed full of antioxidants. Also knows as the ‘Indian mulberry’, the noni is rich in lignans, polyphenols and polysaccharides.

pomegranate \ this giant Persian berry is loaded with anthocyanins and polyphenols. Rumour has it pomegranate contains three times more antioxidants than green tea!

black cherry \ the last of our superberries is a powerful source of anti-inflammatory anthocyanins and sleep-promoting melatonin. It’s also nature’s richest source of vitamin C.

So get your berry on. They really are super, we think so anyway.

Ditch that sugar addiction

3pm sugar craving. After dinner dessert desire. Low energy sugar hit. The list goes on. Whatever your justification for having that sugary treat is, you should reconsider it. It's just not good for you.

The more sugar you eat, the more you crave; sugar gives you an initial high, and then you crash and crave more, and so on. It's a vicious cycle.

Practical tips to combat those cravings

Eat regularly to keep blood sugar levels stable. This will help to avoid feeling the need for a sugar hit.

Eat whole foods and chew well to bring out the natural flavour and sweetness of foods. Complex carbs like grains, legumes and vegetables become sweeter the more they are chewed.

Add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom to flavour foods naturally.

Choose alternatives like fruit and treats sweetened with honey, agave, maple syrup, rice syrup, barley malt and stevia, but eat in moderation as they are still high in natural sugar.

Eat less salt as salty foods increase cravings for sugary foods.

Eat naturally sweet vegetables like sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots, and beetroot. Raw carrots have been shown to be particularly helpful with sugar cravings.

Do a detox to help your body to remember what it should be eating.

Think about why you want sugar and note if the reasons are emotional. For example, if you are in the habit of cheering yourself up with a sugary treat, try to find an alternative that makes you feel good, like taking a bath, listening to music or exercising.

Pay attention to how you feel when you don't have sugar for a few days. Notice the lift in energy and absence of blood sugar lows or 'hanger' (angry-hunger). This feeling alone should demonstrate that you are much better off without the sweet white stuff.

If you're finding it really tough to go without sugar, supplements containing chromium, manganese, zinc, and magnesium can be helpful. For very strong sugar cravings, l-glutamine can be added. 

Good luck! 

We're not going to sugar-coat it

There are different views on carb consumption but the jury is in when it comes to sugar. We need to moderate and choose carefully!

If you’re going to cut back on the sweet stuff (particularly the bad and ugly sugars revealed in our last blog), you’re probably wondering what your alternatives are. The big divide when it comes to sugar substitutes is artificial vs. natural.

The real baddies: artificial sweeteners

Most artificial sweeteners have been listed as safe for human consumption but scientific studies say otherwise. Some research even suggests that they make you fat! A study carried out by the University of Liverpool has revealed that artificial sweeteners stimulate sweet receptors in our intestines that in turn increase the body’s ability to absorb more sugar.

But what other side effects are we facing? Let’s take a closer look at two of the artificial substitutes listed as ‘safe’ for human consumption:

Acesulfame-K (Sunette and Sweet One) is found in diet drinks, lollies, diet yoghurts and baked goods, and is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Studies have linked it to cancer in rats; we can’t say for sure what its long-term effect will be on humans.

Aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal) is found in diet soft drinks, low calorie or sugar-free foods, and even some vitamins. In 1995, the FDA listed 92 adverse Aspartame symptoms, including headaches, memory loss, seizures, cancer and coma. It contains phenylalanine, which is dangerous for people with PKU (phenylketonuria).

Other artificial sweeteners include: neotame, saccharin and sucralose.

We’re not saying you should avoid them at all costs, but you definitely need to cut back on these baddies. If consumed in large quantities, their health risks are too significant to overlook. And anyway, in our humble opinion, natural is always better.

Natural alternatives

Here are some of nature’s answers to the sugar controversy:

Agave nectar (or syrup) is a favourite of the Aztecs in Mexico. This natural sugar alternative is made from the sap of the Agave Tequilana plant, and has a low glycemic index (GI).

Barley malt syrup is made by malting barley grains to produce maltose. It is about half as sweet as conventional sugar and has a malty flavour. The sugars in barley malt syrup are broken down slowly by the body and it is therefore a low GI food.

Coconut palm sugar is a favourite in Southeast Asia and India. The flower nectars are boiled into a syrup, dried, then ground to produce a crumbly sugar that's organic, unbleached, nutrient rich (B vitamins, minerals and amino acids) and low GI. Palms grow in sustainable eco-systems that support the natural habitat.

Maple syrup is a mineral-rich, lower kilojoule natural sweetener derived from maple tree sap. A wide range of imitation syrups exist, often containing no actual maple syrup – wherever possible, go for pure organic maple syrup.

Organic honey is a raw, unprocessed sweetener derived from flower nectar that is transformed naturally by bees. Manuka honey is particularly good for you as, unlike many sugars, it does not feed candida. It also has incredible healing properties.

Pear or apple juice concentrate is created by concentrating the juice through evaporation to retain the natural sugars and minerals. The end product is roughly a third lower in kilojoules than refined sugar by weight.

Rapadura sugar (also known as muscovado sugar) is the only unrefined sweetener derived from sugar cane. The cane is squeezed, evaporated, then ground – no further refinement occurs. Rapadura sugar is chemical-free and nutrient rich.

Stevia is a South American herb used as a sweetener in Paraguay for hundreds of years. It is essentially kilojoule-free (and a great weight loss or management tool) as the body does not metabolise the glycosides from its leaves. It does not cause blood glucose spikes and may be used by diabetics. Stevia crystals are 300 times sweeter than sugar, so use sparingly!

Xylitol is a natural sweetener with 40% less kilojoules than sugar. It looks and tastes exactly like sugar but is in fact an alcohol molecule. Derived from plants (corn, birch trees) and brightly-coloured fruits, xylitol is used in chewing gum, mints and mouth washes due to its anti-microbial properties, and as a sugar substitute in beverages or cooking. It produces no insulin spike and leaves no aftertaste. As is the case for most sugar alcohols, it can contribute to bloating and gas, so people who tend towards IBS need to be careful with this sugar substitute.

Yacón is related to the sunflower and originates from the Andes. The syrup is made by juicing the tubers of the flower and boiling the liquid obtained to concentrate it. Its sweetness stems primarily from fructo-oligosaccharides, compounds that the human body doesn't absorb; yacón is low-kilojoule, low GI and even helps feed the good bacteria in your stomach.

For other natural alternatives, check out the table in part one of our sugar blog (you’ll find them in the ‘good’ column).

So does this mean no more sweet treats? Ever? Rest assured, the occasional guilty pleasure won’t ruin your good efforts; instead it’s the small changes you make on a daily basis that really deliver. Keep it simple and break the sugar addiction in four of your daily habits: tea, coffee, cereal and yoghurt. Bring a packet of stevia or xylitol with you to work and be in control of the kilojoules in your coffee. Your waistline will thank you in the short term, as will your whole body further down the track!

It is important to remember that even natural sugar alternatives add a little to your kilojoule intake (and impact your blood sugar levels). Moderation is still key!

In a nutshell…

Two things to remember from part two of our sugar blog:

1. Avoid artificial sweeteners wherever possible.
2. Think natural.

At Urban Remedy some of our faves are stevia, agave nectar, honey and maple syrup. Sugar is so last year.

Sources:

Thomassian M, 2010: www.dietriffic.com/2010/08/24/food-chemicals/ Cutler M, 2010: www.healthiertalk.com/try-these-healthier-alternatives-sugar-2510 Ursell A, 2009: women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/diet_and_fitness/article6822240.ece Helm A: www.sweetbyhalf.com/sugars/

Your bestie in a bottle - Chlorophyll

Here at Urban Remedy, we're big fans of liquid chlorophyll. Big fans. It tastes good, smells good and does good things to your insides. Good? Good.

It's like sunshine in a bottle. Chlorophyll is in fact the molecule that absorbs sunlight and uses its energy to synthesise CO2 and water, AKA photosynthesis, which is the basis for sustaining the life of all plants. Pretty important stuff. It also gives plants and plant foods their beautiful green colour.

Why is it so good for you?

It acts as a deodoriser, promoting a healthy digestive tract and minimising bad breath and perspiration. Chlorophyll is also a rich source of antioxidants and studies have shown that it helps to prevent liver cancer, skin cancer, colon cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. It's also jam-packed with essential vitamins and minerals; vitamin A, C, K, and E, folic acid, iron, calcium and protein.

Chlorophyll is naturally occuring in in green vegetables like asparagus, green capsicum, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green cabbage, celery, spinach, green beans, green peas, kale, leeks, green olives, parsley, cos lettuce and seaweed.

If you want to supplement your diet with a little extra green goodness, try liquid chlorophyll. Simply mix a teaspoon or two in your glass of water, juice or smoothie.

Brands we like:

Nature's Sunshine
One of the strongest concentrates and best brands available, Nature's Sunshine is a little more expensive, but comes highly recommended. Available from most heath food stores or online at Natural Health Direct for $22.27 per 475mls.

Grant's Liquid Chlorophyll 
This one is Emma's favourite. While not as potent as Nature's Sunshine, it has a really nice minty flavour. Available from most health food stores or online at Organic Beauty for $13.85 per 500mls.

A little tip from Emma: It tastes better if you drink it from a wine glass. (Note: this is not strictly true, but much more fun all the same.)

As the old saying goes, if you're green inside, you're clean inside.

Sugar, not so sweet after all

A spoonful of sugar…
Carbs have been given a bad rep these last few decades (think Dr Atkins and his revolution) but what about actual sugar? When we say sugar, we usually mean sucrose (aka table sugar) but the term is also used to refer to simple carbohydrates and refined sugars in general.

You can find simple carbs naturally in milk (lactose) and fruit (fructose) but it’s the refined sugars (in cake, biscuits, lollies, fast food, soft drinks) that you should be worried about, and they’re sometimes hidden in places you would least expect them.

So when did sugar become such a problem?

A very modern romance
We have always consumed carbs but the quantities have changed. In the early 19th century, the average Australian ate roughly 2kg of sugar in a year, mainly from honey and ripe fruit. Fast-forward 200 years and that figure has risen to 50kg – that’s almost a kilo of sugar a week! It’s no wonder our generation is struggling with so many sugar-related health issues.

Sugar, white death
In the right quantities, carbs are an invaluable source of energy. But what does sugar do to our body when we consume it in excess? According to Nancy Appleton (author of Lick the sugar habit), there are 124 ways in which too much sugar can damage our health. Among these are: accelerated ageing (sugar consumption causes an instant free radical surge), loss of skin elasticity (sugar changes the structure of collagen), candidiasis (sugar feeds bad bacteria), reduced immune function, high triglycerides, fatty liver, obesity, metabolic syndrome, weight gain, diabetes, tooth decay, energy spikes, mood swings, hyperactivity, depression and even cancer.

We’ve established that too much sugar is bad for you but of the sugar we do consume, some types are worse than others. Refined sugar is the one to avoid – according to ayurvedic medicine, it’s a ‘dead food’ (processed and of little nutritional or health value). From the moment it enters the body, its destructive path commences. It steals other nutrients (chromium, zinc, calcium and vits B and C) to enable its metabolism without providing any valuable nutrients itself.

The good, the bad and the ugly
Sugar has many disguises and can easily sneak into foods unnoticed – when you’re scouring through food labels, check the ingredients list for the words ‘syrup’, ‘sweetener’ or anything ending in ‘ose’. But how can we separate the sweet from the not-so-sweet sugars? To help you make the distinction, we’ve broken them down into three categories:

The good (or not-so-bad)	The bad	The ugly
Agave	Beet sugar	Artificial sweetener
Barbados sugar	Brown sugar	Corn syrup
Barley malt syrup	Cane sugar	Corn-syrup solids
Brown rice syrup	Caramel	Crystalline fructose
Date sugar	Castor sugar	Fructose (refined)
Evaporated cane juice	Dextran/dextrose	HFCS (see below)
Fruit-juice concentrate	Diastase	High-fructose corn syrup
Maple syrup	Ethyl maltol	Maltodextrin
Molasses	Galactose	Refiner's syrup
Muscovado sugar	Glucose	Sucrose
Palm sugar	Golden sugar/syrup	Yellow sugar
Raw honey	Granulated sugar
Sorghum syrup	Icing sugar Invert sugar Lactose Malt syrup
Stevia	Maltose
Sucana	Powdered sugar
Turbinado sugar	Raw sugar
Xylitol	Table sugar
	Treacle

Keep your eyes peeled and steer clear of the bad and the ugly; when it comes to the good guys, they may not be bad but they’re not good for you in large quantities either – don’t forget to stay within the limit! The recommended daily allowance (maximum intake) of sugar is 25 grams for women and 37.5 grams for men.

Don’t even get us started on artificial sweeteners. There are differing views on these bad boys but they definitely fall in the ugly category as far as we’re concerned.

In part two of our sugar blog, we give you the lowdown on sugar alternatives and some handy tips on reducing your sugar intake. Stay tuned.

Sources:
Cabot, S and Jasinka, M 2005 The Ultimate Detox, WHAS, Camden
Marber, I and Edgson, V 2004,The Food Doctor – Healing foods for mind and body, Collins & Brown, London
Gillespie, D www.sweetpoison.com.au and www.raisin-hell.com
Helm, A www.sweetbyhalf.com/sugars/

Food Rules - a quickie review of Michael Pollan's latest book

I love this book. I bought it for about $8 from The Book Depository (free shipping to anywhere in the world and cheaper AND faster to ship than Amazon - I highly recommend it).

Michael Pollan is the author of four New York Times bestsellers: Food Rules: An Eater's Manual (2010); In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (2008); The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (2006) and The Botany of Desire: A Plant's Eye View of the World (2001). He's pretty sharp. He was named in the 2010 TIME 100, Time Magazine's annual list of the world's 100 most influential people. Suffice to say, he writes darn well and he's pretty sharp.

It's a lovely little book. He's managed (quite brilliantly I think) to distill healthy eating principles into 64 simple food rules. Even better than that, he's simplified those 64 rules even further into seven little words:

"Eat food.
Mostly plants.
Not too much."

Brilliant. 


Here are ten of my favourite rules to whet your appetite.

2. Don't eat anything that your great grandmother wouldn't recognise as food.
13. Eat only foods that eventually will rot.
19. If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't.
20. It's not food if it arrived through the window of your car.
24. "Eating what stands on one leg (mushrooms and plant foods), is better than eating what stands on two legs (fowl), which is better than eating what stands on four legs (pigs, cows and other mammals)."
32. Don't overlook the oily little fishes.
39. Eat all the junk food you like as long as you cook it yourself.
41. Eat like the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks.
46. Stop eating before you're full.
49. Eat slowly.
60. Treat treats as treats.
63. Cook.
64. Break the rules once in a while.

Ok, so that was more like 13, but if  I'm honest, they are all my favourites - it really is a brilliant little book. I recommend it. In fact, if I lost my copy I'd buy it again. So there you go.

Happy eating to you.