Goddesses Never Age: The Secret Prescription for Radiance, Vitality, and Well-Being (37 page)

Another reason we’re not doing well with grain in our diets is because we changed the grain after World War II. Most of us are eating what’s called dwarf wheat, which was introduced to alleviate starvation around the world because it’s very high yield. It’s also very high in gluten—and we all know someone with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Many people are now gluten intolerant to some degree. Eating so much of this new wheat that’s highly processed and loaded with gluten, in addition to all the refined sugar and toxins we’re consuming, has tipped the scales. These aren’t Grandma’s grains. And you’ll have plenty to eat without bread, cereal, and pasta made from wheat in your diet. You won’t miss bread and pasta if you’re getting a little sugar from fruits and natural sweeteners and eating plenty of healthy fats and fresh foods, because your food will taste good and you’ll enjoy it. You really don’t need grains at all as long as you’re eating plenty of vegetables and getting healthy fats to feed your brain.

A LITTLE HEALTHY PROTEIN GOES A LONG WAY

Healthy protein keeps blood sugar stable, and protein sources that contain fat provide essential fuel for the brain. And you
don’t need a lot of protein—about 45 grams a day. A serving of meat, which is three ounces and the size of your palm, has about 21 grams of protein, so you don’t need to go overboard with fish, poultry, or grass-fed beef on your dinner plate.

There’s no “clock” inside our bodies that suggests we limit ourselves to three meals a day. Some people do fine with two while others need five. It all depends upon your metabolism. Between meals, eat some protein-rich snacks and add a little fat. A handful of nuts, a hard-boiled egg, a spoonful of coconut oil, some blueberries, an apple with peanut butter, or a slice of cheese will keep you from feeling light-headed or ravenous between meals. It is the refined sugars—especially when mixed with fat—that do the most damage. So avoid those foods. (You know the ones—they’re from the vending machines!)

AGELESS EATING

The truth is that we’re really designed to eat vegetables, some meats and fruits, and some nuts and seeds. Try to make sure vegetables take up most of your plate. Fortunately, there are an infinite number of ways to prepare them so you don’t get bored and order up pizza to be delivered (although organic, whole-grain-crust, all-vegetable pizza can be a delicious, occasional treat). You can even make pizza dough and pasta from ingredients such as zucchini, cauliflower, and coconut flour. I’m a big fan of quinoa, which is a seed, not a grain. And it’s gluten-free.

If you’re not used to eating a mostly plant-based diet with healthy proteins and fats, here are some ideas for what to eat:

Notice the pattern here: fill up on cruciferous (crunchy and fibrous) vegetables with plenty of texture, color, and flavor, and use moderate quantities of healthy fish, meat, dairy, eggs and fruit. Use the highest-quality, freshest ingredients you can for the most flavor.

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water—cold or room temperature, whatever makes you more likely to drink it. Enjoy tea, and if you like a little caffeine and your body can handle it, upgrade your coffee to be the least processed type or switch to green tea, which is loaded with antioxidants that prevent inflammation and oxidative stress.

WHERE THE FOOD IS

More and more, you can find healthy foods in the most unexpected places. I’m thrilled with the new fast food options that are springing up around the country: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Tender Greens, and Elevation Burger are examples. Even that fast food chain with the clown mascot is having to change what it offers on the menu because people have come to realize that “cheap” food isn’t cheap in the long run. When it leads to poor health, it’s just not a happy meal. You can also find healthy food at farmers’ markets, or sign up for what’s called a CSA (community supported agriculture) share. With CSAs, you pay at the beginning of the growing season to get a weekly delivery of fresh produce right off the farm. This is a fantastic way to get the best of local, organically grown produce and support the farmers in your area. I adore my local farmer Justin, who also happens to be a very accomplished salsa dancer. Get to know your farming neighbors! CSAs are also a great way to get creative about your
cooking because you’ll get a box full of vegetables you’ve never eaten or prepared before. Search online for “recipes kohlrabi” or “recipes beet greens.” You can also grow your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs in your yard, in containers on your porch, in a rented garden plot—you can even grow them in hay bales or in your basement. Eat up and enjoy!

Regardless of where you buy packaged foods, it’s important to read the labels. Sauces, salad dressings, and frozen foods often have hidden ingredients. Gluten’s a common one, but sugars, MSG in all its many guises, and extra salt are added too. Watch how much you use.

The “slow food movement” is all about slowing down to savor your food and be mindful of how it comes from the earth, through animals and farmers and people who sell and distribute food, so that you support sustainable ways of growing food and consuming it. When you slow down to eat, instead of grabbing something on the go or distractedly plowing through whatever’s on your plate while thinking about what’s next on your To Do list, you’re less likely to overeat. You start to realize how ridiculous food portions in restaurants can be and how little food it takes to fill up if you’re eating good food slowly, enjoying every bite.

Remember, ageless goddesses take pleasure in food. When you talk to people about food and healthy eating, watch your language and your tone. Are you turning into the food police and judging yourself and everyone else? That will just give everyone indigestion. And don’t get into an organ recital about how you can’t eat this anymore because of your heart troubles and you’re supposed to eat that now because of your stomach issues. Make it easy for someone to invite you over for a meal by bringing the foods and condiments and digestive supplements you need without having to rattle off a list of foods you can’t eat. A funny cartoon I saw recently made the point—and cracked me up. A woman is talking with a friend, saying, “I’ve been gluten-free for a week. And already I’m annoying.” Don’t be that person. When you’re with friends and family, talk about a new food or recipe you tried. Go apple or berry picking with your friends and their grandchildren. Walk over to the neighbor’s with some extra basil or peppers, and when she hands you some tomatoes, swap
growing tips. Food growing, buying, preparing, and enjoying can all be communal experiences.

So try to “break bread” with others even if you’re not actually eating bread! There’s a folk tale about stone soup, in which a village of people come together to add something to a pot on the fire that contains only a stone. It’s not the stone that makes the soup delicious but what everyone adds: the love that forms a community. That’s the best kind of nourishment.

SUPPLEMENTS TO AGELESS, HEALTHY EATING

Eating whole, healthy foods will nourish your goddess self, but for truly optimal nutrition, food supplements are important. They’ll bring balance back to your body and replenish it more quickly. They’ll also improve your brain chemistry, which affects your moods and outlook, so it will be easier to plan for healthier eating and stick with your program for self-nourishment. In
Chapter 12
, you’ll find specifics on what supplements to take to quickly replenish yourself—and you’ll be familiar with some of them, such as vitamin D3, from reading this book. But let me give you information on a few more that are important and that you should be taking along with the supplements I mentioned already. (You’ll find a full list in
Chapter 12
.)

The first is turmeric, containing the active compound curcumin. This spice is found in many Asian foods, including curries, and is an incredible anti-inflammatory. In fact, it turns on the body’s ability to produce the super anti-inflammatory biochemicals BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a type of enzyme) and glutathione (a combination of three amino acids). You can cook and prepare foods with turmeric, but think seriously about supplementing with it too. (By the way, if you want to help your brain produce BDNF, cut the sugar in your diet).
⁹

Another important nutrient is magnesium, which most women are low in. You can’t accidentally overdose on magnesium because too much results in loose stools, which you’re bound to notice. (You’ve heard of the laxative milk of magnesia, right? Enough said.) Still another nutrient that women need is iodine, which helps alleviate breast pain and contributes to healthy hair,
nails, and hormone balance. Most women in the U.S. aren’t eating sea vegetables or kelp, which are good sources of iodine. In the U.S., the average woman consumes 240 micrograms a day compared to Japan, where the average woman takes in 45
milligrams
a day (a milligram is 1,000 micrograms). It takes about 3 milligrams a day to support healthy breasts, so clearly most American women don’t even come close to getting enough. But according to some sources, the typical Japanese woman gets about
six times
what a woman in the U.S. gets through her diet because of seaweed consumption.
¹⁰
(Note that organic eggs are another good source of iodine.)

To ensure you’re getting enough iodine, I recommend supplementing. Be sure to add iodine to your diet slowly,
especially
if you have a thyroid condition such as Hashimoto’s disease or you are taking a prescription drug with bromides. Otherwise, you might experience rashes, increased heart rate, and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). The best website for thyroid information I’ve found, by the way, is Mary Shomon’s
http://thyroid.about.com
.

A good multivitamin is important too. The label should say “guaranteed potency” and “manufactured in a GMP facility.” GMP stands for “good manufacturing practices,” and for a facility to make this claim, it has to check out with NSF International, a public health and safety organization. There is also a very good resource called
NutriSearch Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements
by Lyle MacWilliam, M.Sc., F.P., that rates supplements for quality.
¹¹

I also recommend that you start taking some probiotics. As I said earlier, probiotics are in yogurt and other fermented foods such as tempeh, tofu, miso, sauerkraut, and pickles, but most women need to supplement with them. Let me explain a little more about what they are and what they do for your gut.

PROBIOTICS, PREBIOTICS, AND A HEALTHY COMMUNITY IN YOUR GUT

Your gastrointestinal (GI) system, or gut, plays a crucial role in your health at every level. It’s actually part of your brain, making neurotransmitters such as serotonin—in fact, most of that’s made in your gut. Your gut is also part of your immune system, protecting your body against foreign microorganisms, whether they’re bacteria or viruses. We don’t live in a sterile world, so your GI tract is actually filled with microorganisms. You have more of them there than you have cells in your entire body! In other words, your belly is a community. Are the neighbors getting along?
Or do you have an imbalance where the bad flora, like yeast and unhealthy bacteria, are crowding out the good flora?