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I’m getting tons of mail from people who are excited about starting the Bone Broth Diet. And here’s one question I’m hearing a lot: “Can I do this diet if I’m a vegetarian, a pescatarian, or a vegan?” The answer is a resounding yes! While proteins like beef, chicken, and fish are part of the Bone Broth Diet, I’m all about personal play. I’ve altered this diet quite a few times to work for patients who choose to avoid many or all animal products, and it still works like a charm. Here’s how to switch things up if you want to go meat-free:   How to make bone broth vegan (or vegetarian, pescatarian)? Let’s start with the broth. Obviously, you can’t make bone broth without bones! But that’s fine, because you can substitute a rich vegetable broth. If you’re a pescatarian—that is, you eat fish—you can also make a lovely, subtle broth out of fish bones. Just be sure to use a non-oily fish like halibut or tilapia, rather than an oily fish like salmon. Also, cook your broth for only a couple of hours, because fish bones dissolve quickly.  What are the best substitutions for meat? Eggs - If you’re a vegetarian, make eggs a big part of your diet. (Remember: Science has shown that eating eggs isn’t bad for your cholesterol.) Beans & lentils  Edamame Full-fat pasture-raised kefir and yogurt  Natto Temph Protein mixes High-quality vegetarian protein mixes, such as hemp or pea protein, are also acceptable as part of the vegetarian protocol. Avoid "frankenfoods" Avoid veggie chicken wings, soy milk, tofu hot dogs, and related foods. I call these “Frankenfoods” because they’re loaded with unhealthy ingredients. What results will I get from a vegan bone broth diet? It may take a little longer to lose your extra pounds when you substitute beans, lentils, and other high-carb foods for animal proteins—but you’ll still see amazing results. And even without the collagen building blocks from bone broth, you’ll blast your wrinkles with skin-smoothing foods like coconut and avocado. At the end of 21 days, you’ll be slimmer, look younger, and feel more energetic, without having to compromise on your dietary principles. So join the Bone Broth Revolution—and fly your vegetarian, vegan, or pescatarian flag proudly! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!   EXPLORE MORE DIET OPTIONS >  A Successful Vegan Cleanse and Reset | Detox — Plant-based cleanse modifications that deliver real results.

Everyone tells you to be grateful at Thanksgiving time. But let’s admit it: Sometimes you just don’t feel like it, do you? And believe me—I get it. I find it all too easy to fall into the habit of dwelling on things that don’t make me feel grateful: An unexpected car repair bill. A traffic jam when I’m late to work. Or that woman who blocks the entire grocery store aisle while she spends ten minutes deciding which toilet paper she wants. (Get a life, lady!) But here’s the thing. Gratitude is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the more powerful it becomes. And being grateful doesn’t just make other people happy—it makes you happy, too! That’s because it focuses your attention on the positive things in your life, not the negative ones. How powerful is this effect? In one study, researchers asked one group of people to make a weekly list of things they felt grateful for, and asked another group to list neutral events or things that bothered them. Ten weeks later, at the end of the study, the people who listed things that made them grateful said they felt greater life satisfaction than the other participants. They also had fewer health complaints and exercised more. No matter how rushed I am, I make it a point to spend at least a few minutes each morning mentally listing the things I’m grateful for. And you know what? It turns out to be a really, really, really long list. When I realize just how many good things there are in my life, it puts even my biggest problems in perspective. To make gratitude a big part of your own life, consciously practice it every day. And don’t just think about the obvious stuff that you’re thankful for. Think about the little stuff, too—like your favorite song, a sunny day, or the new shoes you just got on sale. (Seriously… what would life be without fabulous shoes—and shoe sales?) And while we’re on the topic of gratitude, here’s something to put at the top of your list: good, clean, real food. I’m thankful every day—not just on Thanksgiving Day—that I’m able to fill my kitchen with food that tastes fantastic and keeps me and my kiddos healthy. For instance, here’s a healthy dessert recipe from my new book, Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet, that will be gracing my holiday table this year: Poached PearsPrep Time: 10 minutes • Cook Time: 30 minutesYield: Makes 4 servings 2 firm pears 1⁄2 cup water 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or almond extrac inch of your favorite spice: ground nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon (optional) Peel, halve, and core the pears. Put in a skillet, cut side up, with the water. Add the vanilla or almond extract. Add the spices, if using. Cover and heat over medium-high heat until the water begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pears are tender. To serve, top with the poaching juices. Note: Very firm pears are better for poaching. My all-time favorite is Bosc. I hope this recipe makes your sweet tooth happy. And more importantly, I hope you know how incredibly thankful I am for my wonderful online community of friends. Believe me when I say that you’re on my “grateful” list every single day! Happy Thanksgiving!

I prescribe coconut oil so often that I bet my patients think I own stock in a coconut farm. I don’t—honest! It’s just that this oil is incredibly rich in health benefits. For instance, the lauric acid in coconut oil smooths your skin (that’s why it’s an ingredient in many expensive wrinkle creams) and helps heal skin problems like eczema and psoriasis. Coconut oil also revs up your metabolism, helping you to burn fat faster. In addition, it can improve your levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. And now scientists report that adding coconut oil to your diet can help fight an overgrowth of candida albicans in your gut. In case you’re not familiar with candida, it’s a common fungus that inhabits your gut. Normally, your body keeps it under control. However, if you have immune problems, candida can run wild. Candida overgrowth can cause anything from chronic fatigue to bloating and gas—and if candida escapes from your gut to your bloodstream, it can cause serious infections. In short, rampant candida is bad news. In the new study, researchers at Tufts University fed mice beef tallow, soybean oil, and coconut oil. Coconut oil, but not the other two oils, dramatically reduced levels of candida in the gut. The researchers say coconut oil’s effects are so striking that in patients with serious candida infections, doctors might be able to use it as an alternative to antifungal drugs. So if you needed another reason to add coconut oil to your diet—now you have it! And to get you started, here’s a quick and easy salmon recipe from my new book, Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet: Roasted Salmon Gremolata Prep Time: 5 minutes • Cook Time: 20 minutes Yield: Makes 4 servings 1 pound salmon fillet 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted Celtic or pink Himalayan salt Ground black pepper 1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Rub both sides of the salmon with the oil and place on the prepared baking sheet. (If the salmon has skin, place it skin side down.) Lightly salt and pepper the fillet, drizzle with the lemon juice, and sprinkle with the parsley. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the fish is opaque. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll also find that coconut oil is fabulous in desserts.  For instance, check out Mark Sisson’s coconut macadamia bark here, Marlel Lewis’s Christmas coconut treats here, and my own chocolate chip cookies here. Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold! 

When overweight patients first arrive in my examining room, they frequently have their sad faces on. Why? Because they figure I’m going to put them on a diet… and they’re sure they won’t like it. I’m betting that like them, you’re a veteran of doctors who told you that to lose weight you need to live on tasteless foods like dry rice cakes and scrambled egg whites. If so, I have news for you: You’ve been lied to. In reality, diets that sacrifice taste for calorie or fat reduction almost never work. You’ll take off a few pounds on them, but you’ll be miserable—and your cravings will be so strong that you’ll eat those pounds right back on (and more.) This experience is nearly universal. As I say in my new book, Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet, it’s unacceptable that doctors prescribe diets that fail 90% of the time—and then blame their patients! It’s no wonder the word diet has such a bad connotation. Although I use the term diet as shorthand myself, I prefer to call my weight loss approach eating healthy. That’s because it bears no relationship to a typical diet. You see, I don’t want my patients to count calories, eat artificial low-fat foods, starve, and be miserable—all for nothing. Instead, I want them to lose weight and keep it off for a lifetime while they’re eating food that tastes fantastic. How fantastic? On my eating plan, my patients dine on restaurant-quality meals like steak with sautéed mushrooms, lobster with clarified butter, pot roast, and chili omelets with guacamole. And you know what happens? They lose weight like crazy. Typically, they drop as many as 15 pounds in three weeks, and many of them lose dozens or even hundreds of pounds in a year. Here’s why my plan works. The foods I prescribe do three crucial things: They cure the chronic, body-wide inflammation that’s the primary reason why you gain weight and age quickly. They reduce blood sugar swings, lowering your insulin levels and reversing insulin resistance—a condition that packs weight on you. They’re filled with powerful nutrients that scrub your cells clean, so you fire up your metabolism. Luckily, these foods also taste amazing! For instance, pastured steak is rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which helps reduce body fat. Eggs are loaded with choline, which helps you break down fat and metabolize it. And healthy fats like coconut oil, clarified butter, and avocado rev up your metabolism while they make your skin gorgeous. So don’t buy into the lie that you need to suffer to get slim and beautiful. (Has that everworked for you in the past?) Instead, try something revolutionary: Eat healthy. Center your meals around high-quality proteins like beef, fish, poultry, and eggs. Add healthy fats like coconut, avocado, and olive oil back into your diet. Quell your inflammation and erase your wrinkles with bone broth. Load up on delicious, nutrient-dense vegetables and berries. And then sit back—and watch the weight-loss and anti-aging magic happen! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

Does this sound like a typical morning at your home? The alarm goes off, and you fall out of bed. You have drool on your face, a bad case of “bed head,” and pillow creases on your cheeks. Only three of your brain cells seem to be working. Even after a shower, you still feel like road kill. And then… coffee. Beautiful, glorious, amazing coffee. And suddenly, the sun comes up, your brain kicks in, and you decide that you can face the world after all. If this resonates with you, you’re one of the billions of coffee lovers (including me) all over the world. And guess what: After years of telling us that all that coffee is bad for us, researchers are doing a 180-degree turn. Now, they’re telling us that the beverage that makes life worth living in the morning might also save our lives down the road. Here are the top seven health benefits of coffee that they’re reporting: 1.  Coffee reduces your risk for the most dangerous form of skin cancer. A recently published study using data from thousands of people examined the effects of caffeine, caffeinated coffee, and decaffeinated coffee. The researchers report that “higher total caffeine intake was associated with a lower risk of melanoma.” The effect is strongest for women, who reduced their risk by 30%. The effect was similar for caffeinated coffee, while the researchers didn’t find any benefits for decaf coffee—so apparently it’s the caffeine that does the trick. 2. Coffee helps protect you against diabetes. A new study reports that people who drink more than 1.5 cups of coffee each day reduce their risk of developing diabetes by more than 50% compared to people who don’t drink any coffee at all. The researchers speculate that it’s because diabetes is linked to chronic inflammation, and coffee contains anti-inflammatory chemicals. 3. Coffee lowers your risk for the most common type of liver cancer. In one recent study, researchers found that drinking coffee lowers your risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)—particularly if you’re female. They say, “Women who consumed more than three cups of coffee per day were at a 54% lower risk of HCC.” 4. Coffee can make you less frail as you age. A study in Japan looked at women’s consumption of foods high in antioxidants (including coffee). The researchers report, “The intakes of green tea, coffee, vegetables, and fruits which contribute to dietary total antioxidant capacity were associated with lower odds of frailty.” 5. Coffee may lower your risk of breast cancer. Research shows that coffee can alter women’s hormonal activity as they enter premenopause. This may explain why coffee drinkers have a lower risk of certain breast cancers than women who don’t touch the stuff. 6. Coffee could lower your risk of stroke. One large-scale study involving middle-aged and older women found that those who drank more than one cup of coffee each day had a 22% to 25% lower risk of stroke than those who drank a smaller amount. 7. Coffee may protect against Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease, which hit the headlines when actor Michael J. Fox developed it a few years ago, affects as many as one million Americans. According to research, drinking up to three cups of coffee a day may reduce your risk for this deadly disease. A few tips and one caution… Here’s the caution first. While coffee is now a hero and not a villain, you still need to limit your consumption if you’re pregnant. Research links high caffeine consumption by moms to low birthweight in babies. So if you’re expecting, ask your doctor how much caffeine is safe for you to drink. Now, here are the tips: Buy good coffee. Some coffee is contaminated with mold. Personally, I buy Bulletproof Coffee, which is mold-free. Choose dark-roasted coffee. It appears that the roasting may release antioxidants. If you don’t like drinking coffee straight, add coconut or almond milk and froth it a little with an immersion blender. And my biggest tip is: Never feel guilty when you indulge in your coffee fix. If you don’t load your mug with sugar and artificial creamers, coffee is a nutritional winner. So treat yourself to a cup or two first thing in the morning. It won’t cure that “bed head,” but it’ll definitely make your day look sunnier—and make you healthier as well! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!  

Nothing makes the flavor of meat, eggs, and veggies sing like adding a little dash of salt to them. Good chefs know that salt enhances sweet and savory tastes and even makes food smell better. And if the scare-mongering about sodium has you hesitant to salt your food, don’t be! While the standard American diet is overloaded with sodium, a real-food diet contains just enough of this vital nutrient to keep you healthy. So unless you have a kidney problem or another health problem that requires you to limit your salt, feel free to reach for that shaker. But before you do, here’s a question for you: Is all salt alike? The answer is no. If you’re using the standard table salt you buy at the grocery store, here’s something you need to know. That salt is heavily processed, it’s bleached and stripped of healthy minerals, and it also contains anti-caking ingredients including aluminum. In addition, table salts that are iodized may contain ingredients like dextrose (yes, that’s sugar) to prevent the iodine from degrading. I don’t know about you, but that’s more junk than I want in my salt. That’s why I prefer two other choices: Himalayan salt and Celtic sea salt. Here’s a look at each one. ·       Himalayan salt is a beautiful pink color because it contains iron oxide. It’s mined by hand, it’s rich in trace minerals, and it’s unprocessed except for being crushed. ·       Celtic sea salt is a light gray color, and it’s slightly moist. Found off the northern coast of France, it’s harvested by hand and unprocessed except for crushing. Like Himalayan salt, it contains a wide range of trace minerals and it’s free of additives. Because these salts contain a balance of minerals, they’re far better for your body than salt containing only sodium. For instance, while table salt draws water out of your cells—leaving them flabby and leading to bags under your eyes—the minerals in Himalayan and Celtic salts draw water into your cells, making the skin under your eyes look smoother and younger. Replacing your table salt with Himalayan or Celtic salt is an easy task. You can get either one in fine grinds (for your shaker) or course grinds (to use where you’d use kosher salt). Both salts have a lovely flavor, and if your taste buds are sensitive, you’ll appreciate the absence of the additives that make table salt taste a little “off.” One important thing to know, however: While table salt is fortified with iodine, Himalayan salt and Celtic salt aren’t. Thus, you’ll need to get your iodine from other foods or supplements. Fish, dairy, eggs, and seaweed (my favorite seaweed is SeaSnax) are good sources, and most all-purpose vitamin-mineral supplements contain iodine as well. And here’s another tip: Buy Himalayan or Celtic salt in bulk to cut down on the cost. Even then, it’ll be a little pricier than table salt… but isn’t it worth a few pennies to be healthier and get rid of those pesky under-eye bags?

If you’re like me, you always have a stack of chores waiting for you at home:  Beds to make. Dishes to wash. Floors to vacuum. Soyou may feel guilty if you spend even a few minutes watching funny cat videos or giggling at The Mindy Project. But don’t! You know why? Because as it turns out, laughter really is one of the best medicines. In fact, a good chuckle or a hearty belly-laugh can do everything from slimming you down to making you smarter. Here are five top reasons why laughing is good for you: It elevates your endorphins. Endorphins are “feel good” chemicals that make you feel happy and reduce pain. When you laugh, your endorphin rates skyrocket. It’s like a runner’s high—only without the running! It helps you bond with your friends and family. Robin Dunbar, an expert on evolution, says that laughing with your friends serves the same purpose as grooming and “nit-picking” in other species: It helps strengthen your relationships. That, in turn, makes you happier and healthier. And laughing together is a lot more fun than picking bugs off each other, isn’t it? It lowers your cortisol levels. When you laugh, your stress drops—and so do your levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol make you put on belly fat, so a good laugh every day can help you prevent that “spare tire.” It burns calories. Researchers at Vanderbilt University found that ten or fifteen minutes of laughing each day can raise your energy expenditure enough for you to burn an extra 10 to 40 calories—which translates into about four pounds a year. It helps keep your brain young as you age. In one study, scientists showed funny videos to older adults. Compared to a control group who just sat quietly, participants who watched the funny videos had better scores afterward on learning, recall, and visual recognition. Clearly, laughing is good for your health, your brain, and your waistline. So here’s my Rx for you: Pull up a chair, put on a sitcom, and let the dishes, the laundry, and the dirty floor wait. And here’s another tip. Don’t just laugh at jokes or funny shows—learn to laugh at life as well. A good sense of humor will help you weather life’s little catastrophes, from a burned casserole to gum in a toddler’s hair. In fact, one of the best life skills you can cultivate is the ability to laugh at the little stuff. (And that old cliché is true: Most life crises are little stuff, when viewed in retrospect.) So find something that makes you laugh every day—whether it’s a Seinfeld rerun, a funny YouTube video, or even the sight of your puppy doing something dreadful enough to warrant a post on dogshaming.com. Simple laughter may not seem like powerful medicine… but it is! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold! 

Are you suffering from a weight problem, diabetes, depression, or heart disease? Then a new study has good advice for you: Get out! Why? Study author Ming Kuo notes that all of these health problems involve an immune system that’s not working right. And her research shows that simply taking a hike, picnicking in the woods, or walking along the beach can help recalibrate your immune system so it works for you—not against you. Kuo says, “I pulled every bit of the research in this area together that I could find, and was surprised to realize I could trace as many as 21 possible pathways between nature and good health.” She was even more surprised, she says, to find out that all but two of these pathways share a single common denominator: they involve immune function. This explains, she says, why exposure to nature helps protect against a wide range of health problems, including: Mental problems including depression, anxiety, and ADHD Musculoskeletal problems Urinary tract infections Cancer Cardiovascular disease Migraines Obesity and diabetes Respiratory problems Vertigo “Nature doesn’t just have one or two active ingredients,” she says. “It’s more like a multivitamin that provides us with all sorts of the nutrients we need. That’s how nature can protect us from all these different kinds of diseases—cardiovascular, respiratory, mental health, musculoskeletal, etc. —simultaneously.” Kuo says her research shows that being out in nature switches the body from fight-or flight mode into rest-and-digest mode. When we’re in fight-or-flight mode, she notes, everything non-essential—including the immune system—shuts down. Conversely, she says, “When we are in nature in that relaxed state, and our body knows that it’s safe, it invests resources toward the immune system.” As a naturopathic physician, I’m not surprised by Dr. Kuo’s findings. I know that the closer we stick to our natural template, the healthier we are. And that template includes feeling the sun or the rain on our skin, watching the clouds and the stars, getting dirt on our hands, and hearing the songs of birds, the rustling of trees, and the sound of running water. So take Dr. Kuo’s advice. Turn off the nature shows, which she says are “a little bit like junk food” because they satisfy your cravings for nature without providing you with its benefits. Instead, lace up your hiking boots, put on your swimsuit, or pack a picnic basket, and go get a big dose of Mother Nature. It’ll put a smile on your face… and it’ll make your immune system happy, too! Read more articles about how to reduce stress and boost immunity. Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

My friends call me a “medical nerd.” I spend hours with my nose stuck in medical journals and books, keeping up with the latest research. Sometimes, however, the answers I’m looking for can’t be found in the pages of a book or journal. And this is one of those times—so I’m turning to you to help me “crowd-source” the answer. Here’s the back story.  I frequently prescribe supplemental vitamin D3 for my patients, and I believe that everyone should get their vitamin D levels checked. It’s critical to get enough of this nutrient because it plays so many roles in health. For instance, vitamin D benefits include: ·        It helps protect against anxiety and depression. ·        It may lower your risk of breast cancer. ·        It reduces your risk of certain autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. ·        It builds strong bones. ·        It helps keep your thyroid healthy. ·        It can help prevent cavities. ·        It may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. ·        It protects against diabetes. ·        It can fight obesity. These days, more and more people are deficient in vitamin D because they’re “sun-phobic” (thanks to over-alarmist doctors), and they’re also spending more time indoors in front of computers. As a result, those of us in the field of clinical nutrition are prescribing a lot more vitamin D than we used to. And all this brings me to my call for help. Recently, a friend of mine who’s taking vitamin D to correct a deficiency asked me, “What’s the best time of day to take it?” She’d read on some sites that you shouldn’t take it late in the day, because it can alter your melatonin levels and make it hard for you to sleep. On other sites, however, people said that a night-time dose of vitamin D helped them snooze more soundly. Since my friend has trouble with insomnia, she wants to make sure she’s doing the right thing. I’m scouring the medical literature to see if there’s any formal research on this question, but so far I’m coming up dry. So I’m calling on my real-life experts: you all! I’d love to hear about your experiences if you’re taking supplemental vitamin D. Do you take it in the morning or in the evening? And if you’ve taken it around bedtime, did it seem to make you sleep more soundly or toss and turn? I’m looking forward to seeing your answers. Thank you for helping me out… and for helping my friend get a good night’s sleep! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

If you know me, you know that the phrase “I can’t” simply isn’t in my vocabulary. Tell me that a goal I’m reaching for isn’t achievable, and I just get even more pig-headed about achieving it. Why? Because I’ve seen hundreds of miracles happen when people say these two magic words: “I can.” And I also see people give up on easily reachable goals because they limit themselves by thinking: “I can’t.” So I firmly believe in the power of “I can.” And you know what? I have the science to back me up! In a new study, researchers report that people who think their weight is outside of their control have higher body mass indexes (BMIs), make worse food choices, and report lower levels of personal wellbeing than people who think they can take charge of their weight. The researchers say that the people who believe they were “born to be fat” tend to eat more frozen foods, restaurant meals, and ready-to-eat foods as they age. They also exercise less and pay less attention to nutrition labels on foods. So guess what: The phrase “I can’t” becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy for these people. They get fat, old, and sick. Now, let’s compare these people to some people who say “I can” when it comes to achieving awesome goals. For instance, have you heard of Ernestine Shepherd? She’s the world’s oldest competitive female body builder, and at 77 years of age, she’s freaking awesome. Here’s a video of her. And if you think that she’s just a fluke, check out Willie Murphy,  Harry Packer, and dozens of other men and women whose YouTube videos are proving that something we once thought was impossible—having a young, strong, gorgeous body when you’re in your seventies—is doable. What’s my message here? That if you say “I can’t,” you’re likely to fail at even the simplest of goals, like eating healthy food and getting a little exercise. But if you say “I can,” you can often achieve the impossible. Now, I’m not saying that believing “I can” will make any dream you have magically come true. For instance, while I’m all about transformation, I don’t think I could transform myself into an Olympic gymnast or a pro basketball player. But if a goal you really want to achieve is reachable—even if reaching it takes everything you’ve got, and maybe a little bit more—then I say, go for it. Be pig-headed. Don’t listen to people who say, “You can’t.” Believe that you can lose weight. Believe that you can get healthy. Believe that you can take years off your age. Believe that you can reach for the stars. And believe that you’re awesome… because you are! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

Do you dread wearing a swimsuit or a sleeveless dress because it reveals your upper-arm flab? If so, you have lots of company. Even people who are very fit and athletic often develop a jiggle in that pesky tricep area along the back of the arm. Luckily, there are ways to tighten up this trouble spot. So don’t just cover up… take action! Here are three of my favorite arm workouts for tackling tricep flab. Tricep Dips Sit at the edge of a sturdy work bench or coffee table, with your arms beside you, your fingers facing forward, your knees bent, and your feet on the floor. Grasp the edge of the bench or table with your hands. Now lower your butt close to the floor, supporting yourself on your hands. (Be careful not to lock your elbows at any point.) Your back should just graze the bench or table as you lower yourself. Once you’re as low as you can comfortably go, return to your starting position. Do 12 to 15 repetitions. Tricep Kickbacks Stand to the left side of a sturdy bench or coffee table. Place your right knee and hand on the bench or table and hold a five- to eight-pound dumbbell in your left hand, with your palm facing toward your body. Starting with your left upper arm parallel to the floor and your elbow bent at a 90-degree angle, slowly move your forearm back until your arm is straight and parallel to the floor. Do 12 reps, then repeat on the opposite side. Overhead Tricep Extension You can do this exercise seated or standing. Hold five- to eight-pound dumbbells in your hands, with your arms extended straight above your head and your palms facing in. Keeping your elbows close to your head and your abs pulled in, bend your elbows and lower the weights behind your head. Return to your starting position. Do 12 to 15 reps. Tricep Pushups Start in a traditional pushup position—but instead of placing your hands far apart, place them a little less than shoulder-width apart. Do pushups, keeping your elbows close to your body.  If doing pushups from your toes is too difficult, you can modify this exercise by keeping your knees on the floor. Do 10 to 12 reps. Triangle Pushups This harder version of the pushup is a challenge, but science says it’s the most effective way to tone your triceps. Again, get in a standard pushup position. This time, however, place your thumbs and forefingers together to form a triangle. If doing pushups from your toes is too difficult, keep your knees on the floor. Do 10 to 12 reps. Before you quit… When you work one muscle group, it’s always smart to work the opposing muscle group as well. So once you’re done with your triceps, take a few minutes to do some bicep curls. That way, you’ll keep things in balance… and you’ll be building gorgeous arms, front and back! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

Do you spend an average weekday “running with your hair on fire”? If so, I know just how you feel! Most mornings, I’m too busy getting kids out the door and searching for a pair of run-free nylons to even think about what I’m going to eat at noon. So over the years, I’ve come up with some simple solutions to the “what’s for lunch?” quandary. Here are my favorites; you can prep some of them ahead of time, while the others are easy to put together on a busy morning. 1.      Easy lettuce wraps. Start with organic, unprocessed lunch meat. (I’m a big fan of Applegate lunch meats, but there are other good brands, too.) Wash one or two large romaine leaves—or, for variety, try radicchio or cabbage leaves—and lay the lettuce out flat. Place a generous serving of meat on top of the lettuce, and add some slices of avocado and a slice or two of tomato. Finish with your favorite condiments: mustard, a healthy mayo (here’s my favorite), or maybe a dash of olive oil and vinegar dressing. Fold the lettuce around your fillings. This is easier if you do it taco-style, rather than burrito-style—or put one lettuce leaf under and one over the fillings, like a sandwich. If you want to make these ahead of time, skip the avocado and substitute shredded carrots, sliced olives, or any other ingredients that keep well. 2. Turkey-bacon-apple roll-ups. When you cook bacon, add a few extra strips to the pan and then freeze them. That way, you’ll be ready to put this lunch together fast. Spread out several large slices of preservative-free, organic lunch meat. Place a slice of the cooked, thawed bacon on top. Add apple slices and roll up. Use a toothpick or plastic wrap to help keep your roll-up secure. 3. Celery with almond butter. How simple is this? Add a hard-boiled egg and a handful of berries to your lunchbox, and you’re good to go. 4. Bento box lunches. Bento boxes are lunch boxes with lots of small compartments. They’re ideal for grab-and-go meals, because you can pack each compartment with a separate yummy treat. Check out these fun ideas from nomnompaleo.com. 5. Hot dogs. Hot dogs don’t sound healthy at all, do they? But these days, Applegate and several other companies make organic, gluten-free, additive-free dogs that you can feel good about eating. Cook one or two hot dogs the night before and do a quick microwave re-heat at the office the next day. (Be sure to poke some holes in each hot dog or cut them into slices so they don’t explode in the microwave.) Wrap your dogs in lettuce leaves and top with mustard, chopped onions, some diced jalapenos, or any other healthy toppings of your choice. 6. Meatball poppers. Okay, these take a little time—but a single batch makes 24 meatballs and you can freeze them in small batches, so you’ll get lots of fast meals for a very small amount of work. Here’s my favorite recipe. 7. Leftovers. When I make chili, soup, or stew, I frequently double the batch and freeze the leftovers to make quick lunches.  Other great grab-and-go leftovers include roast chicken, pot roast, and turkey. Leftover Scotch eggs are a fun finger food, too. My best lunch tip: Plan ahead! One of the easiest ways to take the stress out of lunch is to make sure you have lots of ready-to-go ingredients. Here are some of the best things to always have on hand: Preservative-free, gluten-free lunch meats Canned tuna and salmon Meatballs (precooked and frozen) Bacon (nitrate-free, precooked and frozen) Lettuce and prewashed salad mixes Celery, carrots, and tomatoes Salad dressings Avocados Nuts Berries Olives Almond butter Coconut chips Bone broth With these basics on hand, you’ll always have something quick and nutritious to grab as you dash out the door. And that’ll make life much easier on those wild-and-wooly weekday mornings when you have way too little time and way too much to do! BONUS TIP: For those weeks when you know you won’t be spending a lot of time in the kitchen, get prepared with shakes, bone broth, and more. You can make bone broth ahead of time and freeze in mason jars, or you can grab my Collagen Broth To Go. For shakes, the convenience, taste, quality, and nutrition of my Collagen Shakes in Chocolate Almond and Vanilla Almond or my Collagen Cooler in Orange Cream honestly cannot be beat. Do your thing, and do it on-the-go!   Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

“Sticking to a healthy meal plan can be as simple as stocking your kitchen with the right foods. On busy weeknights, instead of resorting to ordering takeout, wouldn’t it be awesome if you could whip up a healthy, nutritious meal in less than 10 minutes? We grilled nine nutritionists, one health coach and one physician about what they keep in their freezers for those nights when they’re ravenous — and pressed for time,” Gabrielle Frank, MindBodyGreen. See what I ALWAYS have in my freezer, and how I eat them here! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

Have you ever felt sad, but didn’t really know why? Are you constantly worrying about what life is going to throw at you next? My patients bring up all sorts of issues in my office. They tell me about their rashes, their constipation, their diarrhea, and even their sexual problems. However, there’s one topic they frequently don’t talk about: their mental symptoms.  Often, it takes a little gentle prying for me to find out when my patients are suffering from depression or anxiety. One reason is that because I’m a naturopathic physician and not a drug-oriented doctor, they think there’s nothing I can do to help them. But guess what: That’s not true. In more than 20 years as a clinician, I’ve found that natural approaches are incredibly powerful when it comes to healing depression and anxiety. Often, natural interventions help make drug treatments or psychotherapy far more effective—and surprisingly often, they’re the only treatments patients need. So if you’re suffering from anxiety or depression, be sure to explore these ten natural approaches. They may just hold the key to a happier, healthier you. How to naturally deal with anxiety and depression Use vitamin B12 to help manage anxiety and depression. Vitamin B12 deficiency is very common, especially among vegans and vegetarians. The rate of B12 deficiency is as high as 62% for pregnant vegetarians, 85% for vegetarian children, 41% for vegetarian teens, and 90% for elderly vegetarians. Even vegetarians and vegans who supplement their diets often are deficient, because supplements aren’t always effective. Since vitamin B12 comes from animal products, you’re at lower risk for a deficiency if you eat lots of meat, fish, and eggs. However, you may still have a problem, especially if you have any of these risk factors: You’re taking certain drugs, such as metformin or antacids. You have a family history of pernicious anemia (one form of B12 deficiency). You’ve had gastric bypass surgery or other GI surgery. You have an autoimmune disease. You’re over fifty. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause a wide range of mental symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. So at a minimum, ask your doctor for a serum B12 test. Better yet, get a test called an MMA, which is more accurate. Manage anxiety and depression by eating your veggies! Many vegetables are high in folate—a nutrient that’s absolutely necessary for a happy, healthy brain. These days, doctors often prescribe folic acid (the supplemental form of folate) as a treatment for depression. To get plenty of folate, eat broccoli, brussels sprouts, turnip greens, spinach, lettuce, avocados, and asparagus. And if you’re feeling anxious or depressed, have your doctor check you for a folate deficiency. What minerals help you manage your anxiety and depression? Two other nutritional problems that can make you feel sad or anxious are iron deficiency and zinc deficiency. You’re at particularly high risk for iron deficiency if you’re a premenopausal woman and you eat little or no meat. Being a vegan or vegetarian can put you at increased risk for a zinc deficiency. If you think you might be deficient in either nutrient, ask your doctor to check you. Don’t “self-medicate” with large doses of iron or zinc, which can be toxic in excess. Get enough vitamin D to help manage depression and anxiety. Right now, there’s an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency—even in sunny places like Arizona and Texas. In fact, up to three-quarters of teens and adults in the United States are low in vitamin D. Every part of your body, from your brain to your immune system, needs a good supply of vitamin D to work right. So it’s no surprise that a deficiency can cause symptoms of anxiety or depression—and that getting your vitamin D levels back to normal can make you feel better. One recent meta-analysis of studies on vitamin D and depression, for instance, found that the effect of high-dose vitamin D treatment “was comparable to that of antidepressant medication.” Another recent study involving teens found a link between low vitamin D levels and higher rates of anger, anxiety, poor sleep, depression, and worry. So make sure your levels of this “sunshine vitamin” are optimal. Get some sun exposure every day, and have your vitamin D levels checked to see if they’re low. If you’re deficient, find a doctor or nutritionist who can prescribe the right dose and form of vitamin D for you. Put good food in your body to help manage depression and anxiety. Cut down on carbs An overload of carbs—and especially highly-refined “junk” carbs—can make you sad. For instance, a just-published study reports that a diet high in refined carbs is associated with an increased risk for depression in women past menopause. In my own practice, I find that people of all ages feel happier, less moody, and less anxious when they reduce their carb intake. Eat brain-healthy fats. Good fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, fight chronic inflammation—a major cause of depression and anxiety. One recent study, for instance, found that treatment with the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) boosts mood in many patients who have major depressive disorder and high levels of inflammation markers. Exercise is a powerful way to manage depression and anxiety. Exercising is one of the quickest ways to change your brain chemistry. Walk a mile or two, lift weights, dance, or play tennis, and you’ll elevate your levels of “feel-good” chemicals and reduce your levels of the chemicals that cause you to feel sad or anxious. Practice meditation to relieve depression and anxiety. If you think that meditation is a mystical thing that only hippies and gurus do, think again. Medical science is proving that it actually changes your brain in ways that make you less anxious and less depressed. So three or four times a week, schedule at least 15 minutes for mindful meditation. You can get free guided meditations here. Manage depression and anxiety by starting within your cells. Our gut microbes produce neuroactive compounds that affect how we feel—for better or worse. In fact, scientific experiments show that in animals, disrupting the gut microbiome can cause symptoms of anxiety or depression. To create a healthy gut ecology, eat fermented foods (which supply beneficial microbes) and drink bone broth (which helps create a healthy environment for those microbes). If you’re in an emotionally toxic environment, escape if you can. Often, we label anxiety and depression as medical problems when they’re really life problems. So ask yourself: Are you chronically stressed because you’re trying to do too much? Are you surrounded by people who pull you down instead of lifting you up? Or are you miserable in your career? If so, make a change. While it’s all too easy to stay in a rut, it’s smarter to dig yourself out of it. What other options do I have to manage my anxiety and depression? You may temporarily need medication or therapy to overcome depression or anxiety. However, your strongest defense in the long run is a healthy body. So every single day, focus on making yourself healthier. Eat a diet that’s loaded with high-quality proteins, good fats, and veggies. Exercise. Meditate. Get outdoors. Remove toxic food, toxic chemicals, and toxic people from your life. None of these actions will make you feel better overnight. But day by day, you’ll build a stronger body and a healthier brain—and over time, that will translate into a much happier you! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

How many sit-ups do you think you’ve done in your life? Hundreds, or maybe even thousands? Personally, I think I did at least two million back in my teen years. And here’s what I learned: While those crunches helped a little, they didn’t help a lot in my pursuit to get toned abs. Why? While crunches exercise some core muscles, they’re worthless for others. Luckily, there are other effective ways to slim and strengthen your abs. Here are five of my favorite ways to get great abs and a flatter stomach. 1. Stomach vacuuming (for a flatter belly!) It’s the latest rage… and yes, it actually works! Here’s how to do it. Pick a time when you haven’t eaten recently. Choose one of these positions: ●       On your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. ●       On your hands and knees. ●       Sitting up straight in a chair with no arm rests. Take a few deep breaths. Then exhale as much air as you can, and pull your belly button in toward your spine. Hold this position for 15 seconds, squeezing your belly button in as far as you can and taking small breaths if needed. Try to work your way up to 60 seconds. The great thing about this stomach exercise is that in addition to giving your abs a powerful workout while you’re doing it, it trains you to keep your tummy tucked in during the day and INSTANTLY flattens your belly! 2. Bicycles (builds toned abs!) This exercise is easy to do, but it really works. Do enough repetitions, and I guarantee that you’ll feel your abs the next day!  This is a very effective technique to get toned abs fast. 1.      Lie face-up on a carpeted floor or mat and put your hands behind your head, gently supporting your head with your fingers. Lift your legs at about a 45-degree angle. 2.      Make a bicycling motion with your legs, straightening one leg as you bend the other. As you bend each knee, rotate your body to bring the opposite elbow close to it. Do three sets of 16 bicycles on each side. 3. Planks (sculpts your waistline!) Yeah, I know. These are a little tough. But as you’re tightening your abs, you’ll also be sculpting your thighs and butt—so you’ll get a lot of reward for a little pain. Here’s how to do a proper plank pose: 1.      Lie face-down on a carpeted floor or mat. Rest your upper body on your forearms, keeping your palms flat on the floor. 2.      Push off the floor, supporting your body on your toes and forearms. Your body should form a straight line from the top of your head to your heels. Don’t let your butt stick up or sag. 3.      Hold this position for 20 to 60 seconds. Repeat three to five times. 4. Side planks (trims those love handles!) This variant of the plank doesn’t just flatten your abs; it strengthens your back as well, giving you beautiful posture and helping to protect you from back injuries. To do a side plank, lie on your right side, supporting your upper body on your right forearm, with your legs straight and your left hand on your left hip. Tighten your abs and lift your hips, supporting your body weight on your right forearm and the side of your right foot. (Don’t let your hips sag.) Hold this position for 10 to 30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat. 5. Reverse Crunches (tummy tightening for your lower abs!) This belly flattening exercise really digs into those lower ab muscles. One caution, however: Skip this exercise if you have any back problems. To do a reverse crunch, lie on a carpeted floor or mat with your arms at your sides. Lift your legs straight up. Now lift your hips off the floor, raising your legs straight up toward the ceiling. Lower your hips and repeat. Are you ready to get a flatter belly & get toned abs? Keep at it! To get the best results from these exercises, do them regularly. The fastest way to get toned abs is consistency! Get in the habit of doing the stomach vacuuming exercise first thing every morning before breakfast, and do the bicycles, planks, side planks, and reverse crunches at least every other day. Here’s just one recommended stomach flattening workout routine you can implement to get quick results: Daily – Exercise 1 > 5 sets x 60 seconds each rep Mon, Wed, Friday – Exercises 2-5 > 3 sets of 12 reps each Along with a healthy eating plan, I bet that within a couple of weeks, your waistline will get slimmer and more sculpted. I also predict that you’ll see changes in your butt and thighs, because these exercises work your entire core.  Just imagine how good you’ll look in a few months from now and make all your friends envious during the holiday season! And here’s something else I predict: You’re not going to miss those crunches one bit!

If you reacted like most women (and even many guys), the first time you spotted a wrinkle, you immediately rushed out and bought hundreds of dollars’ worth of creams, potions and serums. Maybe you even tried facial exercises. But most likely, none of it worked. Does this sound familiar? If so, I have good news: There are effective ways to prevent new wrinkles and even reduce existing ones. The first step is to eat a healthy diet that’s rich in vegetables, high-quality protein and healthy fats that nourish your skin from the inside out. Next, try these simple and surprisingly effective tricks. 1. Drink bone broth. I’m a fanatic about bone broth. And you should be, too! It’s loaded with amino acids, which are the building blocks of collagen. I call this wonderful broth “liquid Botox,” and I encourage my patients to drink it every day. To make your own bone broth, simply simmer meat or poultry bones (preferably from pastured animals) along with onions, celery and other seasonings, for hours and hours until the bones actually start to dissolve. This releases the deep nutrition that helps de-age your skin. You can drink the broth straight or use it in soups and stews. 2. Stand on your head. This is a tip I got from my friend Kathy Smith, who’s a world-famous fitness expert. If you stand on your head for a few minutes every day, you’ll dramatically increase the circulation to your face, bathing your skin in nutrients and getting rid of toxins that can make you wrinkly. If standing on your head is too hard, here’s an alternative: Just lie on your bed with your head hanging over the edge. 3. Eat blueberries. Blueberries contain chemicals called anthocyanins, which help protect your skin against sun damage. Every time you eat a handful, it’s like giving your skin a mini-dose of sunscreen! 4. Get a little sunshine. I’m all for protecting your skin from the aging effects of the sun, but there’s such a thing as going too far. Here’s the deal: Giving your skin a little dose of the sun’s rays each day can actually keep it younger. That’s because you’ll soak up some vitamin D, and this vitamin helps keep your skin healthy. (You can take vitamin D supplements, but getting your “dose of D” the natural way is better.) So slather on the sunscreen if you’re going to be outside for a long stretch, but otherwise go “bare.” Fifteen minutes in the sun is enough to boost your vitamin D levels. 5. Get in the coconut habit. Coconut is filled with lauric acid and other nutrients that soften and de-age your skin. So cook with coconut oil, snack on coconut chips, use coconut milk in your coffee and rub virgin coconut oil all over your skin. 6. Use mineral salt, not regular table salt. Table salt draws water out of your cells, making them flabby and promoting wrinkles. The minerals in sea salt and mineral salt, on the other hand, help draw water into your skin cells, plumping them and erasing fine lines. 7. Lower your stress levels. Research shows that chronic stress weakens the integrity of your skin’s collagen, making it saggy and wrinkly. What’s more, that sad or angry expression you get on your face when you’re stressed leads to “frowny” wrinkles. To help reduce your stress, exercise and meditate regularly. No matter how busy you are, try to schedule some “you” time, even if it’s as simple as going for a walk or reading a good book. It took time for your skin to develop wrinkles, and it’ll take some time to start reducing those wrinkles … but maybe not as much time as you think. If you follow these seven anti-wrinkle steps — along with eating that healthy diet I talked about earlier — your skin will start to get its glow back. I predict that after about three weeks, you’ll experience another memorable moment in your life: that moment when you look in the mirror and realize that a wrinkle that was driving you crazy is gone! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

You probably don’t think much about your fingernails unless it’s manicure day and you’re choosing between Precious Pink and Red Hot Rio. But the next time your nails are polish-free, take a close look at them. Why? Because they may be trying to send you a message. Hundreds of medical conditions, from minor to serious, can affect your fingernails. In fact, changes in your nails can be one of the earliest warning signs of a medical problem. Here are some of the most common signs that something is amiss. Beau’s lines. These lines go from side to side on the fingernails, and they can occur after an injury, an illness, or chemotherapy. If you develop them for no obvious reason, make an appointment with a doctor or nutritionist, because they may indicate a nutritional deficiency. Pale nails. If your nails are unnaturally pale, get checked for anemia. While other conditions can cause pale nails, this is one of the most common ones (especially in young women). Yellow nails. Odds are this is due to a fungus. While it looks alarming, it’s treatable—and the sooner you catch it, the easier it is to clear it up. Other causes of yellow nails include thyroid problems, psoriasis, and diabetes. “Ripply” nails. Nails with a rippled pattern may be telling you that you’re in the early stages of developing psoriasis or inflammatory arthritis. They’re also a big clue that you’re suffering from chronic, system-wide, low-grade inflammation. Dark lines under the nail. If you spot this, make an appointment immediately with a dermatologist. It could be a sign of melanoma. Cracked or split nails Often, this is a temporary problem that happens when you expose your hands to lots of detergent, soap, or water. But if your nails are always cracked or split, have a doctor check you for thyroid disease, a fungal infection, or a nutritional deficiency Green nails If you wear artificial nails and your manicurist doesn’t disinfect your nail surface correctly, bacteria can grow under the artificial nail, turning the real nail green. Fungal infections can also turn your nails green. If this happens, don’t panic—either type of infection is treatable. Tips for Keeping Your Nails Happy If your nails are strong and healthy right now, you can take steps to keep them that way. Here are my best tips for pampering them: Feed your fingernails! Drink bone broth every day. It loads you up with gelatin that helps your body build strong, healthy hails. Also, eat a diet rich in high-quality proteins, vegetables, healthy oils, nuts, and fruits. This will give your nails the protein, B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc, iron, and calcium they need to be healthy and beautiful. Keep your gut healthy. A sick gut leads to inflammation that affects every part of your body—including your nails. So in addition to eating right and drinking healing bone broth, take probiotics and eat foods like kimchi and sauerkraut. These contain microbes that create a healthy ecosystem in your gut. Don’t get carried away when you’re cleaning under your nails. Aggressive cleaning can actually drive germs into vulnerable spots, increasing your risk of infection. If you frequently get manicures, buy your own manicure tools and ask the manicurist to use them. Use gentle soaps and detergents without lots of additives, and buy formaldehyde-free nail polish. If you notice anything odd about your nails, check with your doctor. Most likely, it’ll be a minor issue—but it’s smart to be extra-careful. Follow these steps, and with luck, your fingernails will stay healthy, strong, and beautiful. Everyone will envy them… even your manicurist! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

What is the best paleo sweetener? In the low-carb world, people like to say that sugar is sugar is sugar. That’s why many of them will tell you that eating honey or maple syrup is as bad for you as spooning table sugar into your mouth. Well, guess what: That’s not exactly true. It is true, of course, that all sweeteners will cause your blood sugar to spike. That’s why you should use even the good ones very sparingly. And if you need to lose weight or you’re battling any major health conditions, I recommend avoiding sweeteners altogether. I’m all about cutting carbs, especially when you need to heal. But if you’re slim and healthy and you want a splurge, I can recommend five sweeteners (as long as you only use small amounts of them) with a totally clear conscience. That’s because they make up for their effects on your blood sugar by healing your body in powerful ways.  Here’s a quick look at all five, and why they’re waybetter for you than table sugar. Is honey a good paleo sweetener? Ancient healers considered honey a medicinal food, and modern science shows that they’re correct. Here are just some of the health benefits of honey: It inhibits inflammation. It helps fight cancer. It has antibacterial properties. It’s rich in antioxidants. It can help heal your gut. One study, for instance, found that honey promotes the growth of good gut microflora and helps protect against damage caused by dangerous mycotoxins. By the way, honey can heal you on the outside as well as the inside. Hospitals are starting to use one type of honey, Manuka honey, to treat everything from diabetic ulcers to the super-bug  MRSA. I do have two cautions about honey: Never give honey to a baby. It can contain botulinum spores that are harmless to older people but can endanger infants. Much of what’s labeled as honey isn’t pure honey. To make sure you’re getting the real deal, shop for honey at your local farmers’ markets, contact beekeepers directly, or order raw honey online. Nutritional benefits of maple syrup as a paleo sweetener My kids and I love to start a lazy Sunday with almond-flour waffles and maple syrup. It sounds pretty sinful, doesn’t it? But get this: Maple syrup contains 54 different beneficial compounds. What’s more, five of these compounds apparently don’t exist in any other foods! Researcher Navindra Seeram, whose team discovered the wealth of nutrients in this yummy sweetener, says that the “sheer quantity and variety of identified compounds with documented health benefits qualifies maple syrup as a champion food.” I won’t go that far… but if you’re going to eat a sweetener, this is a good one to reach for. Standout paleo sweetener: blackstrap molasses Molasses is the “throwaway” product left over when manufacturers refine sugar cane. But instead of eating the sugar, you should eat the dregs. Why? Because molasses contains the nutrients stripped out of the sugar cane.  For instance, it’s rich in copper, iron, calcium, vitamin B6, and magnesium. In addition, molasses has much less effect on blood glucose levels than sugar. When you buy molasses, choose blackstrap molasses. This form contains more nutrients than the other forms. Can fruits be a healthy paleo sweetener? Prunes, dates, bananas, pumpkin, and unsweetened applesauce are all fabulous sweeteners. Along with a burst of natural sugar, they give you a big dose of fiber and nutrients. You’ll find hundreds of great recipes online for healthy goodies that use mashed or pureed fruits. You can also experiment with your own recipes; for instance, try replacing half of the sweetener in a recipe with applesauce or pureed dates or bananas and cutting out some of the liquid. What are the benefits of coconut sugar as a paleo sweetener? I use this sugar when other sweeteners just can’t do the trick. It contains some important nutrients—including potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and vitamin C—and it has less effect on your blood glucose than table sugar does. What “healthy” sweeteners are not a good paleo sweetener alternative? Now that I’ve told you about my favorite paleo sweeteners, let’s take a look at two supposedly healthy ones that didn’t make the cut. I use one of these products occasionally, while I won’t touch the other one—but neither of them earns a “champion” rating from me. Here’s a look at them. Agave as a natural sweetener This sweetener has a higher fructose content than high-fructose corn syrup. It’s also heavily processed, making it anything but “natural.” I won’t use it, and you shouldn’t either. If you’re going to eat fructose, eat it in forms that provide powerful nutrition—for instance, fruits, berries, and the healthy sweeteners I talked about earlier. Is stevia as good of a sweetener as everyone says? This one gets a “B-“ in my book. There’s some evidence that it can increase insulin sensitivity, which is a good thing. But calorie-free sweeteners confuse your body, which is a bad thing. And if you use lots of stevia because it’s calorie-free, you’re still training your body to expect too much sweetness, and you won’t free yourself from the Sugar Demon. I turn to stevia only when my top-five sweeteners can’t do the job. If you do use it, buy pure stevia rather than brands that contain other additives. My guess is that you won’t have a problem limiting your stevia use and giving up agave if you add my five top sweeteners to your diet. After all, why settle for less when you can use the best?  So experiment with using honey, maple syrup, molasses, mashed fruits, and coconut sugar when your sweet tooth needs a little thrill. What recipes use paleo sweeteners? Blueberry pancakes, made with honey and topped with maple syrup, from Mark’s Daily Apple. Chewy molasses and ginger cookies featuring blackstrap molasses, courtesy of Paleo Parents. Peach almond crisp, which uses dates to add a little extra sweetness, from The Clothes Make the Girl. Apple “oat” muffins, sweetened with applesauce, from the Paleo Mom. Chocolate coconut cookies sweetened with coconut sugar, from Paleo Plan. Maple syrup souffles with a double punch of sweetness from maple syrup and pumpkin, from Living Paleo. Enjoy! And if you have recipes you’d like to share, post them in the comments section… I’d love to see what sweet things you’re cooking up in your own kitchen. Keep Thinking Big and living BOLD!

Are so-called “health foods” making you sick? In today’s post I single out six foods that bill themselves as nutritious but actually belong in the trash—not in your refrigerator. Open a typical fridge, and you’ll find stuff like leftover pizza, white bread, and two-liter bottles of soda. Now open the fridge of someone who’s health-conscious, and you’ll see lots of things that look a lot more nutritious. But here’s something that might surprise you: The “healthy” food in the second refrigerator may be almost as bad as the junk in the first one. For instance, here are six foods billed as nutritious that belong in the trash, not ever in your fridge. Which "healthy" foods are the worst for you? Soy Frankenfoods At my local health food store, there’s a whole refrigerator case filled with soy hotdogs, soy fish sticks, soy bacon, soy-you-name-it. People buy these products like crazy, because they’re convinced that if the label says soy, it’s good for you. Well, guess what: That’s one of the biggest myths in history. In reality, soy is bad for you because it’s an endocrine disruptor. In particular, it can mess with your thyroid, putting you at higher risk for hypothyroidism. Soy also contains substances that can block your absorption of important nutrients like calcium, zinc, and magnesium. In addition, the processing of soy Frankenfoods can contaminate them with aluminum, a toxic metal you definitely don’t want on your dinner plate. By the way, many people think that soy is healthy because people in Asia—who tend to be healthier than Americans—eat lots of it. But in reality, soy isn’t a big menu item in Asia. Typically, it’s served as a condiment or accent, not as a main course. Also, most soy products in Asia, unlike those in the U.S., are fermented to remove toxins. Flavored yogurt Sure, yogurt contains some healthy probiotics. But that’s hardly a fair trade-off for the fillers, artificial flavors, and sugar or artificial sweeteners that manufacturers shovel into it. Add in the fact that dairy disagrees to some degree with most people—causing everything from bloating and gas to acne and eczema—and flavored yogurt doesn’t look like such a great nutritional deal anymore. Imitation crab meat Those fake crab sticks are easy to snack on—and you probably feel virtuous when you’re eating them, because they’re fish, right? Well, sort of. In reality, they’re mashed-up fish mixed with things like wheat, tapioca, corn, sugars, and low-quality vegetable oils. They may also contain monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is toxic to your brain cells. Sports drinks and vitamin drinks Look at the “healthy” drinks on your grocery store shelf, and you’ll see lots of claims: Contains probiotics! Gives you your daily dose of vitamin C! Packed with nutrients! But here’s what I want you to do: Pick up those bottles and read the ingredient labels. Most of the time, you’ll discover that these drinks are loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners. They’re also likely to contain artificial colors and flavors. So you’re getting a tiny dose of good stuff along with a flood of cell-clogging sludge. Nutella I’m always amazed at how many of my clients think Nutella is a health food because it has hazelnuts and chocolate in it. Yes, it has two healthy ingredients—but it’s also loaded with sugar. Basically, it’s a candy bar in a jar. Whole wheat bread People think that whole wheat equals healthy.  But grains—including whole wheat—elevate your blood sugar levels as much as table sugar does. That can lead to insulin resistance, obesity, and even diabetes. In addition, wheat contains gluten. Many, many people—not just those with celiac disease—experience symptoms like GI problems, “brain fog,” fatigue, and depression when they eat foods containing gluten. What are the best foods to have in your refrigerator? If your fridge is looking a little empty after you toss out these unhealthy “health foods,” it’s easy to find better alternatives.  Real meat Replace your soy Frankenfoods with real meat—preferably pasture-raised. You can even find healthy, additive-free hot dogs and lunch meats these days. Dairy products If you like dairy products and tolerate them well, replace sweetened yogurt with full-fat plain yogurt and stir in fresh fruit. Otherwise, try yogurt made from coconut milk. (If you can’t find it in stores, it’s easy to make it yourself.  Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

Food Matters is featuring Dr. Kellyann’s article, For Radiant Skin, Cultivate a Radiant Gut. Want to erase a decade from your face? Then here’s the secret: Beautiful skin starts with a glowing gut. Here are my six top tips for making yourself gorgeous from the inside out. Check it out HERE!! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!