Standing in the natural food section of the grocery store, I stare at bags of faro, flax and chia and wonder what on earth I’m supposed to do with that stuff. Other times I question whether it’s really necessary to pay extra for organic food. And should we drink cow milk, nut milk or soy milk? I worry if my family is getting enough greens and if my vegetarian daughter has enough protein. I want to make the right food choices, but there are seem to be endless possibilities. Add in a tight time-table with work, school and sports schedules, and I feel totally confused!
Recently I spoke to a holistic health coach who answered my questions, cleared up some misconceptions and even gave me some new recipes to try. Health Coach Sheila Gibbons (www. herehealthyhappy.com) of Dublin helps people who want or need to lose weight, lower their cholesterol or blood pressure, increase their energy, or change a lifetime of bad food habits.
Immediately I think of my grandmother slathering every sandwich with butter and my mother doing the same with mayonnaise. I also remember trading food under the table with my brothers. I hated potatoes and we had them at almost every meal in my Irish household, so I would push the spuds onto Kevin’s or Sean’s plate and pull their vegetables onto mine. Sheila gathers a health history of her clients now and from their childhood. She asks how often they eat out versus cook at home and what their goals are, working with her clients to formulate eating and exercise plans that are not about dieting or counting calories.
“We start with small, short-term goals, such as trying a new green vegetable, drinking more water, switching out white flour for whole grains or just getting to bed earlier,” Sheila says. “And I hold everyone accountable by calling, texting or emailing a few times a week to check on them, answer questions and maybe provide a few new recipes.”
Clients commit to three or six months of coaching, and Sheila goes through their pantries and refrigerators and educates them while grocery shopping. Sheila and I walked through Kroger, discussed healthy alternatives for items on my shopping list and bought supplies for an organic chicken and rice soup. I cooked it that night and my family declared it one of the best soups I’ve ever made.
Are organic foods worth the extra money? Food labeling laws dictate that “organic” in regard to animal products means the animals were not given any antibiotics or growth hormones, were only fed with organic feed and are not administered medication aside from vaccinations or to treat an illness. Fruits and vegetables that are labeled “organic” are grown without pesticides or fertilizers with synthetic ingredients and do not receive irradiation treatment. The fertilizer is also natural, and seeds and transplants are chemical-free.
“Obviously it’s smart to reduce your exposure to pesticides, but buying organic also sends a message that you support environmentally-friendly farming practices that protect water, soil quality and wildlife,” Sheila says. “Also, the flavor is great and if you can support local farms, that’s even better.”
Organic food costs more because organic farming is more labor-intensive, the yield is smaller and the products have a shorter shelf life as the producers don’t use preservatives. Hopefully, the more the public demands food grown and raised without chemicals, the more the larger companies will back it – pushing prices down.
In the meantime, Sheila recommends buying local and organic when it comes to the Dirty Dozen Plus, the 12-plus most contaminated fruits and vegetables according to the Environmental Working Group: apples, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, hot peppers, nectarines (imported), peaches, potatoes, spinach, strawberries, sweet bell peppers, kale/collard greens and summer squash.
Here are a few more helpful hints to guide you in your quest for health:
- Choose deep, dark colors when selecting vegetables; use kale, spinach or arugula instead of iceberg lettuce.
- Shop the outside perimeter of the store; you will find healthful alternatives and fewer carbohydrates and sugars.
- Choose fruits and veggies that are in season to get them at peak flavor and their lowest price. Some of the best fruits to buy in winter are oranges, tangerines, kiwi, passionfruit, dates and pears.
- Avoid buying low-fat or fat-free products; generally when the fat is removed, sugar is added. For example, buy plain whole milk Greek yogurt and add your own honey, fruit and granola to it instead of eating fruit-flavored, non-fat yogurt that is high in sugar.
- Give almond milk a try. It’s better for many people’s digestive systems, free of hormones found in dairy milk and has 50 percent more calcium. My kids like unsweetened vanilla almond milk in their cereal.
- Make smoothies. I use frozen fruit, Greek yogurt, papaya nectar and almond milk. You can slip in kale and flax seeds for added benefit.
- Choose non-sugary snacks. If you eat sugar, your body will crave sugar. If you eat fruits and veggies, your body will crave them more.
Note: Thanks to Dr. Richard Schlanger, who pointed out, in response to the column “Outside the Box” in the December 2013/January 2014 issue, that The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has had a hyperbaric oxygen chamber since the early 1980s.
