<Insert coffee smell here!> Tom and I love, love, love our morning cup of coffee. It's a routine and ritual; wake-up, crawl out of bed, make a quick detour through the bathroom ending in front of the coffee maker. We've been dedicated single-serve coffee maker fans for a number of years, favoring the Keurig since it arrived on the market. Neither of us typically drink more than a cup in the morning and perhaps a second cup in the afternoon, so brewing a whole pot of coffee is not necessary.

We enjoy dark roast, rich and bold, coffee you can chew on. It is important to us to avoid pesticides and chemicals, choosing organic coffee when possible. If it's fair trade as well, then double bonus. Unfortunately, that doesn't leave us with a very large selection of Keurig coffees. Recently, Tom has been eyeing up coffee beans on our weekly shopping trip, wanting to try some different varieties of coffee. This weekend we decided to pick up a few scoops of beans, an organic and fair trade French roast, stocked fresh that very same day. Instead of using our Keurig refillable k-cup (which is messy and doesn't work well), I dusted off our French press, bought a new coffee grinder and put on my barista apron.

Making a good cup of coffee in a French press is more an art than a science. There are a few steps to follow, but beyond that, dedicated French press users all have their own "recipe". Here are some basic tips to make the perfect cup.

Fresh beans equal good coffee. Look for beans that are roasted on the premise or nearby and stocked regularly. Quality establishments will display roasting date and/or stock date, so you know exactly how fresh your coffee is.

Coffee taste is at its peak 1-3 days after it is roasted. If stored properly, it will last two weeks. You should never store coffee beans in the refrigerator or freezer. Coffee actually absorbs the smells and tastes from surrounding foods and freezing will change the oil properties of the beans. Whole beans should be stored in an air tight container and stored in a cool, dry and dark place. 

Always use cold, filtered water. The quality of the water being used is important. If your water isn't filtered, consider getting a faucet filter. Tap water with an odor or taste will come through in the coffee. 

Coffee beans start to lose their flavor immediately after being ground. As tempting as it is, do not grind your beans at the store. Instead, grind your beans right before you brew. The coarseness of the grind is determined by brewing time and filter. A coarse grind is recommended for the French press method. 

A standard cup of coffee is 6 fluid ounces or 3/4 cup. For every cup of coffee, 2 Tablespoons of coffee is required.

Bring water to a boil, remove from heat source, then wait a minute or two. Grind the beans into a uniform coarse to medium-coarse ground. Place grounds in French press, pour water over top and stir with a non-metal utensil. Place plunger in press, making sure the filter is just above the beans but not touching. Steep for 4-10 minutes, the longer the steeping time, the darker the coffee. Push plunger very slowly straight down.

Over the weekend we enjoyed more than a few cups of French press coffee and dare I say I might retire our Keurig, at least for a little while. The beans we selected were from Whole Foods, Allegro Organic Fair Trade French Roast. I highly recommend them if you like a sweet, smoky and smooth dark roast coffee. With some homemade coconut coffee creamer and a dash of  vanilla stevia  it is divine. 

Late last summer I wrote about my love for Diet Pepsi and my reasons for kicking the unhealthy habit. If you haven't read my article, Why I Gave Up Diet Pepsi, I'll wait right here while you do...........So as I was saying, I kicked that habit to the curb cold turkey and haven't missed it. Both my husband and my brain have thanked me ever since. When giving up an unhealthy habit it is often recommended to replace it with a healthy habit. And this is exactly what I did. I traded in my love for diet pop for a love for tea. 

I was never a tea drinker, in fact I didn't even like it, but in my search for a little flavor in my water, I decided to give it another chance. After all, both green and black have many health benefits. In my quest to learn to love this healthy healing hot or cold libation, I have tried my share of tea brands and varieties. What I have found is I love iced green tea and all the different flavors it comes in. I also enjoy iced black tea. I don't care for, at all, hot green tea, blech. On the other hand, I love hot black tea, not plain though, it has to have some flavor. I doctor up my teas with lemon juice, almond milk, coconut milk and stevia.

If you are kicking the soda habit or haven't ventured into tea drinking, may I present to you my two favorite teas. If I could only drink two teas for the rest of my life, these are the two I pick. You can trust me, and give them a try, or let your own tastebuds do the talking by sampling all the teas on the market. If you are like I was and don't think you like tea, give these two a try. Oh and by the way, both of these are decaffeinated. I ditched caffeine back in January.

The Republic of Tea Daily Green Tea

This makes the best iced green tea when combined with lemon juice and stevia. I drink just about a pitcher of this every day. No kidding. It is that good. I also like to combine this with the flavored varieties of green tea like Pomegranate and Wild Berry. While I love the flavored teas, I find they are too strong in flavor alone and need to be "watered" down a little. We have an iced tea maker, which is very convenient in making the perfect pitcher of tea every time. If you don't own one, consider getting one, or make your tea using this method. 

Here is how I make the perfect pitcher of tea:

8 Tea Bags
1/4 c. Organic Lemon Juice
heaping 1/8 tsp. NuNaturals Pure White Stevia Extract Powder

Tea can impede the absorption of iron from fruits and vegetables. Adding lemon will counteract this problem. It also adds a great flavor!

Before moving on, I have to add my two teenagers love iced green tea. In fact, so do my nephews and niece. When they come to visit I always make sure to have a pitcher of Pomegranate (it is pink) for them and tell them it's juice. They don't know the difference and they love it.

The Republic of Tea Vanilla Almond Black Tea

My new favorite black tea for two reasons. First, I just discovered this and instantly fell in love and two my previous favorite, Hot Cinnamon Spice made by Caribou Coffee, was discontinued. If you like vanilla and almond then this is the tea for you. The aroma of this tea is ahhhmazing, I could smell this all day long. I traded in my afternoon cup of decaf coffee for this and haven't looked back.

Here's how I make the perfect cup of hot tea:

2 Tea Bags
8 oz. Hot Water
1/4 c. Homemade Almond Milk
12 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia

Steep the tea bags in hot water for 5 minutes. Add a dash of almond milk along with stevia and enjoy!

In a very close second place, when it comes to hot tea, is my homemade Chai Tea. This takes just a little longer to make but it never disappoints either. 

I'll save my love for coffee and tea mugs for another post. We all have a favorite mug, don't we?! My absolute beloved mug of all time, from a dear friend, recently broke. So bummed. It was from Jamaica, maybe I'll be able to pick one up on our upcoming Low-Carb Cruise. At any rate, check out this mug of a different kind......

Yesterday we discussed the healing power of various spices and herbs. While each one of them has a health benefit, there is synergy when you combine them together. One of my favorite ways to do this is to make a healthy and healing Chai Tea. Chai actually means tea, and refers to an Indian style tea that is made from milk and traditional Indian spices.

The individual spices added to Chai, each have a specific benefit to health and healing. According to Ayurvedic medicine, when combined they are calming, revitalizing and mentally clarifying. Chai tea is the perfect antidote to the stresses of our modern day life. I don't know about you but I could always be a little more revitalized!

If you've never had Chai Tea, you are in for a treat. There are many different recipes for Chai Tea using any combination of water, black tea and milk as well as the spices, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and pepper. Some recipes call for fennel and anise seed as well. The recipe I use is taken from the book The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra, L.Ac., O.M.D. I modified the recipe a bit, by using canned coconut milk in place of cow's milk and sweetened with stevia instead of honey. You will notice there is no actual tea in this recipe, however, there are recipes that do call for black or even green tea.

Chai Tea
Adapted by Healthy Living How To

Printable Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Fresh Grated Ginger
  
• 7 Black Peppercorns
  
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
  
• 5 Whole Cloves
  
• 15 Cardamom Pods
  
• 1 tsp. Organic Vanilla Extract
  
• 2 c. Cold Filtered Water
  
• 1/2 c. Native Forest Unsweetened Organic Coconut Milk
  
• 28 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid Clear Stevia 
  
• Nutmeg for Garnish
  

Directions

1. Simmer for 10 minutes, water and spices.
2. Add coconut milk and simmer for 10 additional minutes.
3. Strain tea and spices through a fine mesh sieve into a glass pyrex measuring cup.
4. Finally stir in vanilla extract and stevia.
5. Pour into two mugs, garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg and enjoy!

Seven foods are reported to make up 90% of food allergies, cow's dairy is one of the seven. The three suspects of dairy are the milk proteins, casein and whey and the milk sugar, lactose. While many would convict lactose, lactose intolerance is not a food allergy. A person with a dairy allergy is reacting to the milk proteins, casein and/or whey. However, more often than not, casein is the criminal. Hold that thought, we will come back to my casein confession in a moment, but be warned, it is looooooong! First we need to discuss this whole issue with food allergies.

True food allergies are rare, however, there are two other food induced reactions which are quite common, food sensitivities and food intolerances. While the differences between food allergies, sensitivities and intolerances may be confusing, the terms are often used interchangeably and often experts don't even agree with the terminology. To understand the differences between the three one only needs to look to the immune system:

• Food allergies are characterized by an immediate, sometimes severe reaction by the immune system. Food allergies trigger IgE antibodies which cause the release of cytokines and histamines, which trigger the inflammatory response. Less than 5% of the U.S. population exhibits a food allergy. The primary target organs of food allergies are the skin, which results in hives and swelling and the respiratory system, which results in difficulty breathing.
• Food sensitivites are delayed reactions, mediated by the T cells of the immune system, which trigger IgG antibodies. These antibodies do not cause the release of histamine, however, they do release other chemicals which results in inflammation.  Symptoms of food sensitivities appear hours or days later after ingesting the suspect food. Food sensitivities make up the majority of all food related reactions and affect about 30% of the U.S. population. Food sensitivities result in wide ranging symptoms affecting multiple systems in the body; respiratory, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, dermal, reproductive, cardiovascular and central nervous systems.
  
• Food intolerances do not involve the immune system, and occur when a person lacks the necessary enzyme needed to digest or absorb a certain substance. This may be due to an inherited condition like fructose intolerance or related to just simply lacking the necessary digestive enzymes like lactase, which results in lactose intolerance. Food intolerances result in predominantly gastrointestinal issues and do not result in multi-system symptoms.

My friends, I have a confession to make. It appears I am not cool with casein. Specifically the casein found in cow's dairy. I have been using heavy cream in my coffee, eating delicious sharp and stinky cheese, enjoying sour cream with my salsa and yogurt in my protein shakes without problems for years. Or so I thought. A little over a week ago, I had a bad (and when I say bad what I really mean is I was sidelined for 6+ days bad) episode with casein.

Last week, Wednesday, I made Greek style yogurt and after dinner enjoyed a small bowl smothered in cranberry sauce. Thursday morning I woke up and knew I was a "off". My head was heavy, I felt very foggy. My eyes, oh my eyes, they were sticky and watery with pressure looming from behind. I felt terribly depressed, had a terrible headache, my neck and shoulders were tense as was my upper mid-back. I was also exhausted. (It's important to note, this state of being was all too familiar to me, as it is similar to how I felt when I was at my worst with adrenal fatigue.) My first thought was perhaps I pushed myself a little too hard in my workout the previous day, as sometimes, when I do, I get this kind of reaction. (Those darn adrenals are still not up to par.)

I made my usual cup of coffee with a generous portion of heavy cream and started my day. I forced myself to walk on my treadmill for 45 minutes and was exhausted. I would have probably  laid in bed the rest of the day, but I had a 10 month old baby (not mine) to take care of and we had prior plans to visit my senior friend in the nursing home. I don't recall what I ate for lunch, but after eating, we headed out the door. On the car ride to the nursing home, my stomach started to bother me. Not nausea, but cramping, in the upper right hand side, just under my ribs. It was about eighteen hours since I had the yogurt and about eight hours since I had my coffee with cream. As the afternoon wore on, I still felt horrible and the intensity of the stomach cramping was increasing. 

By dinner time I was hungry and felt okay to eat. The stomach issue was not nausea and I wasn't having any, ummm bathroom issues. I nibbled on about an ounce of cheese while I was making dinner, raw, organic grassfed swiss cheese. It was delicious. Dinner was protein and veggies followed by some 90% dark chocolate. Before I even finished my chocolate, the pain in my abdomen intensified. I crawled in bed with my tablet computer Googled, pain upper right quadrant rib cage.....GALLBLADDER. I was having a self-diagnosed gallbladder attack. Interestingly enough, I have been doing some studying surrounding food allergies and as recently as a few weeks prior was reading some pretty compelling information regarding food allergies being the cause of gallbladder issues. I also stumbled on some research regarding gallbladder issues and its relation to neck and back pain.

Lightbulb goes on, as I am rolling around writhing in pain in my bed, IT'S THE CASEIN, Greek style yogurt is all casein. Nothing I can do but ride it out and avoid casein at all costs, at least for awhile. The story doesn't end here though my friends, this reaction lasts several more days. Friday morning I wake up and the abdominal pain is gone, head still hurts and eyes are still bothersome, but compared to the day prior, I feel better. I tell myself I can have cream in my coffee, it's organic, non-pasteurized, from grassfed cows, and it's primarily milkfat, not a whole lot of casein in cream. (That's called rationalization.) I call and schedule a chiropractor appointment as my neck and back are a mess. I also have plans to meet my aunt for lunch in the afternoon and need to do a little shopping.

First stop is the chiro for an adjustment. I tell her of my gallbladder episode and she seems to agree with my conclusion of casein. As she examines my spine she notes that those who have gallbladder problems typically have issues with their T7, T8 and T9. Sure enough, this has never been a problem area for me, but it was that day. She also noted, this was the most out of alignment she has ever seen my spine, even though I had been adjusted less than a week prior. Next up lunch with my aunt. I was very careful with my lunch selection having a grilled pork chop with wilted spinach and broccoli, which by the way was delicious. We were at the Cheesecake Factory, and my aunt wanted cheesecake badly. I talked her out of it by suggesting a bowl of fresh strawberries and asked for a bowl of unsweetened whipped cream. We shared this dessert and yes I had more cream.

Back home by dinnertime, I was not feeling well, mostly just tired, very tired. I made dinner for the family and crawled in bed by 7pm, asleep by 7:30pm. It is now Saturday morning and I wake up with the same eye issues, still foggy headed and tired. I have my coffee only this time I put in coconut milk, I barely finish it and decide to go back to bed for a nap. Two and half hours later I arise from the dead. Saturday and Sunday are our usual routine of grocery shopping, laundry, church, errands, etc. I am very careful with my food choices avoiding dairy completely, my symptoms are lessening and my energy levels slowly begin to return. The main lingering symptom is this issue with my eyes, they still really bothered me.

Monday morning rolls around, it has now been almost five days since I had a heavy dose of casein and the symptoms are still lingering. I decide to send Dr. Jim LaValle a quick text to get his take on things. We have an afternoon text chat and he too is in an agreement with the casein sensitivity. He is pretty confident it could take several more days to clear my system. I question him about my beloved heavy cream and is says to steer clear of ALL cow's dairy. So what do I do? I have one last cup of coffee with a dose of cream to bid farewell. A dumb move, that I knew was dumb, but what can I say, I am human. Meanwhile my crazy watery sticky eyes are driving me batty, so I run up to CVS to get some eye drops. While checking out, I spot the blood pressure machine and decide to check my blood pressure. Are you ready for this, wait for it, here it is, my blood pressure was 90/40! That's like half dead, exactly how I felt. I can't believe it, so I check again, 98/42.

Another text conversation with Dr. LaValle and he is certain my adrenals are not pumping out the necessary catecholamines to combat the allergic reaction I am having. Which is proof my adrenals are still not functioning up to par, in fact this stress on them may have set me back. Dr. LaValle immediately recommends I restart Cortrex an adrenal extract, 2 pills in the morning and 2 in the early afternoon. I started the adrenal extract on Tuesday and by Thursday I was feeling like a normal person again.

So what's the lesson in all of this? Well for a very long time I refused to believe that I could be sensitive to any foods, always claiming nothing bothered me. I've long had issues with my eyes but always attributed it to seasonal allergies, lack of sleep or maybe, just maybe, I ate a little too much dairy. But you see even a little can be too much when it comes to the inflammation it causes inside the body. It's almost too simple to believe, when you think just giving up one simple food could be the difference between being healthy and energetic or unhealthy and exhausted. To tell you the truth I am kind of pissed this happened as now I cannot claim ignorance anymore and for now I have to kiss my coffee with cream goodbye. Or do I?

If you made it this far, my congratulations. This is the longest post ever! Your reward is a recipe for Coconut Coffee Creamer. It is slowly growing on me and has fast become a replacement for heavy cream in my morning coffee. This recipe is courtesy of Patty, of Chowstalker & Dessertstalker fame. You can find her on her blog Following My Nose for other lovely recipes. After a few hours in the fridge it will get quite thick, you will be able to spoon it, not pour it, into your hot coffee. However, after swirling around a bit it will look like the picture below. I put a few dollops of this over my Christmas Cranberry Granola and it was divine!

Coconut Coffee Creamer
Original Recipe by Patty

A dairy-free coffee creamer alternative for those of us with, ahem, dairy issues.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• (1) 13.5 fl oz. Can Native Forest Unsweetened Organic Coconut Milk
• 1 Large Organic Cage Free Egg
  
• 2 Tbsp. Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil
  
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  

Directions

1. Bring all ingredients to room temperature.
2. Whiz them all together for about 30 seconds in a Vitamix or other high powered blender.
3. Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

This post was submitted to Fight Back Friday at the Food Renegade.

Teens and adolescents, when left to their own devices, frequently make poor choices when it comes to the food and beverages they put in their mouth. Although kids have opportunities to buy junk food outside the home, most of the poor quality foods they eat are found in their home. Parents must understand the impact the foods and drinks they buy have on the health of their children.

A new report by the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale, called Sugary Drink F.A.C.T.S. (Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score), unveiled how much of an influence sugary drinks play in the nutrition of today's youth. If you’re interested in reading the full 232-page report, you can download it here. If that’s too much to read, I’ve highlighted some of the most striking facts from the report throughout the article below.[i] If you understand the impact sugary beverages have on your children's health and future health, you might think twice before buying them.

For the purpose of the report, the group defined sugary drinks as regular soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, flavored water, energy drinks and iced teas that contain added sugar. 100% fruit juice was not included in the report, however, other than adding a small amount of vitamins and minerals, fruit juice is a poor replacement for the sugary drinks discussed below. The italicized text comes straight from the report, with additional commentary added to it.

According to the report findings, soda consumption is the top source of calories in the diets of teens. No protein, no healthy fat, just pure sugar, mostly in the from of high fructose corn syrup.

Drinking just one 8-ounce sugar drink every day increases a child's odds of becoming obese by 60%!!!

Adults may look at normal-weight kids and justify allowing them to drink these beverages. For most people, the effects of excessive sugar consumption don’t happen overnight. It can take years for the body to become insulin resistant. Other than weight gain, insulin resistance is associated with diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, cirrhosis of the liver and other health complications. Most parents won’t allow their kids to smoke tobacco, knowing the risk of cancer, yet the consumption of just one sugar beverage a day, a serving size less than half of what kids typically drink, increases the odds of obesity by 60%.

As parents, we often do our best to keep our kids from being exposed to unhealthy or dangerous influences, yet, as the F.A.C.T.S. report explained,

“Companies spent more on marketing beverages directly to children and adolescents compared with any other food category, and the majority of beverage advertising promotes sugary drinks.”

These beverage companies can be very influential over our kids. You might look at some of these issues and say “I don’t buy this stuff for my kids, so this doesn’t apply to me.” If that’s true, that’s great. But, the reality is,

“Every individual in the United States continues to consume on average more than three 8-oz servings of carbonated soft drinks, fruit drinks, teas, sports drinks, enhanced water, and energy drinks every day.”

If you’re not drinking it, and I’m not drinking it, someone else is drinking far more than average to. You don’t have to preach to others, but you can look for opportunities to warn them about the potential outcome from drinking these beverages.

Approximately 70% of boys and 60% of girls ages 2 to 19 consume at least one sugary drink on any given day.

If you’re kids aren’t drinking these beverages, their most definitely friends are. As the American Heart Association states in the report,

"Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary sources of added sugars in Americans' diets. Numerous studies of sugary drink consumption and its effects provide evidence that they contribute to the obesity crisis more than any other type of food or beverage. There is no reason to give a child a soda or sugar-sweetened drink. Teens drink these beverages because they taste good, give an energy boost and they feel cool drinking them. The powerful influence of marketing and the targeting of young people cannot be ignored here."

Is one serving a day really that big a deal? Well,

The average serving size has increased from 6.5 fluid ounces in the 1950s to 13 ounces in 1996 and 20 ounces today. Sugary drinks are among the most inexpensive forms of readily available calories. For example, the price of fruits and vegetables went up by 158% from 1982-84 to 2002, whereas the price of sugar drinks rose by just 26%.Full-calorie varieties of regular soda, fruit drinks, and energy drinks commonly contained 27 to 30 grams of sugar. These levels add up to 45 grams in a 12-ounce can and 75 grams in a 20-ounce bottle.

A whopping 75 grams of sugar in a typical bottle! If you wanted to consume that many carbohydrates from broccoli, you’d have to eat 4½ pounds! If that’s too much, you could also eat 1½ pounds of raspberries. Of course with either, you’d also be getting fiber, vitamins and minerals. Instead of increasing the risk of developing cancer from the extra sugar[ii], you’d be reducing the risk of cancer from the phytonutrients and antioxidants found vegetables and fruit.

Energy drinks have some unique properties, different than just the caffeine and sugar found in soft drinks. 

Energy drinks had the second-highest median sugar content overall, at 25 grams per 8-ounce serving. In addition, two-thirds of energy drinks contained artificial sweeteners, in spite of already-high levels of sugar. 

Ingredients such as taurine, ginseng, and other herbs have can have an unpleasant taste that sugar itself can’t even mask. That’s likely why you can find both sugar and artificial sweeteners in the same can or bottle. Teenagers are the most frequent consumers of energy drinks, a section of the population that often lacks sufficient sleep. For those who use energy drinks, it’s no wonder they would have disrupted sleep.

Energy drinks contained a median of 80 milligrams of caffeine, comparable to a cup of coffee. The most highly-caffeinated product, Rockstar energy shot, contained 200 milligrams concentrated in a 2.5-ounce shot. Coca-Cola's NOS and Full Throttle energy drinks also contained 99 to 130 milligrams of caffeine in an 8-ounce serving, or 245-435 milligrams in a 20-ounce can.

The real risk for teens is forming a dependence or an addiction to energy drinks. The side effects teenagers may experience from energy drinks can range from stomach upset, irritability, sleep disruption, blood pressure changes and even heart arrhythmias for those sensitive to stimulants. The health hazards of energy drinks are especially worrisome for those with ADHD, diabetes or pre-existing heart conditions.

Food companies push the limits with the health claims on their labels, which misleads unknowing consumers, leaving them thinking they’re buying something healthy for themselves or their families.

20 new products, including Crystal Light Pure, Gatorade G Natural, "Throwback" varieties of Dr. Pepper Snapple Group sodas, and Trop50, claimed they were now "natural" due to a switch to real sugar or organic ingredients.

Metabolically, “natural” sugar is not better than alternatives. Yet, most people who see the “natural” claim on sugar drinks think they’re better to drink. Energy drinks average more than two “health” claims per bottle, even though the claims made are not well justified. Sports drinks can be equally, or even more convincing of their “healthiness.” Sugary sports drinks serve little value for youth, except for those in long-duration, high-intensity sports like soccer, football and rugby. The report authors explained,

Even though the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that most children and teens should not consume sports drinks, 27% of parents believed that sports drinks are healthy for their children, and 40% believed that Gatorade is healthy. In addition, 56% of parents believed that Vitamin Water is a somewhat or very healthy product to give their children, which is not surprising given the products' names and the average of 5 nutrition-related claims on the bottles. Defending itself in a lawsuit filed against Coca-Cola for deceptive advertising of Vitamin Water, the company responded that “no consumer could be reasonably misled into thinking Vitamin Water was a healthy beverage.”

Soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks and fruit juice are water and sugar. They may have some extra, suspect ingredients such as artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, caffeine and other stimulants, but their basic common ingredients are sugar and water. As adults, we have a responsibility for the welfare of our children. Though we cannot always control what they have outside our homes, we have 100% control over what we buy at the grocery store. Since the majority of the food and drink kids have each week is at home, make it a point to leave these beverages on the grocery store shelves. There is no logical reason to buy them. Though we’ve specifically talked about youth drinking these beverages, there’s no reason adults should either.

[i] Yale Rudd Center For Food Policy & Obesity. Sugar Drink F.A.C.T.S.: Evaluating Sugary Drink Nutrition and Marketing to Youth. October 2011. http://www.sugarydrinkfacts.org/resources/SugaryDrinkFACTS_Report.pdf

[ii] Klement RJ, Kammerer U. Is there a role for carbohydrate restriction in the treatment and prevention of cancer? Nutr & Metab. 2011;8:75

This article was written by: Tom Nikkola – Life Time Fitness, Director of Nutrition & Weight Management and edited by Vanessa Romero. 

It is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

Most people attribute dairy sensitivities to lactose, the natural sugar in cow's milk and milk products. Gastrointestinal distress, bloating, and gas are common symptoms that present themselves when you lack the enzyme necessary to digest lactose. However, sensitivity to the proteins found in milk, casein and whey, may also be the culprit in a number of health issues. If you regularly suffer from nasal congestion, sinusitis, ear infections, joint pain, seasonal allergies, diarrhea, psoriasis, eczema, acne, or any other autoimmune illness, you may experience significant improvement in your health just by avoiding dairy.

There are compelling arguments for and against the consumption of dairy products. Whether it's an animal rights issue or a health issue, it's quite easy to find dairy-free alternatives. Cow's milk and its by-products are actually quite easy to cut out of your diet. Many recipes can be made by substituting cow's milk with almond milk or coconut milk, without a change in flavor or consistency. Goat's milk is believed to be easier to digest and less allergenic, which makes goat cheese an excellent alternative. If you haven't tried the different varieties of goat cheese you don't know what you are missing.

If you are unsure if dairy if affecting your health, there is one way to find out, give it up. You can do a dairy-free challenge by abstaining from all dairy products for about thirty days. On day thirty-one, reintroduce dairy, paying close attention to any signs of sensitivity. I have done this challenge myself and noticed no difference in my health during the thirty days, however, what I noticed when I reintroduced it was interesting. 

I show no signs of intolerance to having heavy cream (grass-fed, pasteurized, non-homogonized) in my morning coffee. Some days I have an afternoon cup of java as well with no noticeable ill effects. Now, if I have some form of dairy (cheese, yogurt, sour cream) with my breakfast and again at dinner, I will almost always go to bed bloated and gassy. So for me, there seems to be a limit with how much dairy my digestive system can handle. Almost always, the day after having more dairy then I should, I wake up in the morning with watery "sticky" eyes. For a long time I attributed this to seasonal allergies, which I now have been able to trace back to too much dairy.

I am not an animal rights activist and enjoy meat with the best of 'em, however, I can't write about dairy without a quick note about farming practices and quality of conventional dairy products. Instead of me writing about it, I will leave it to Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS and author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Here's what he has to say...

"In the modern factory farm - which is truly a farm in name only - cows are milk and beef production machines that exist to turn corn and grain into milk and meat as quickly as possible. Since the natural food of cows is grass, the resultant situation is no less than a biological absurdity, akin to keeping lions alive on a diet of chocolate chip cookies.

A concentrated corn diet can give cow acidosis, which can lead to a general weakening of the immune system that leaves the animal vulnerable to a host of horrible feedlot diseases. In addition, with the intensive production schedules, it's common for the modern dairy cow to produce many times the number of pounds of milk they would produce in nature. Growth hormones and unnatural milking schedules cause dairy cows' udders to become infected. To prevent this, factory-farmed cows are routinely given large doses of antibiotics, the residue of which, along with that of the steroids and growth hormones they are given, invariably wind up in the milk and meat they produce."

If you are ready to reduce your dairy consumption or give it up completely for a month, before you go and buy a an alternative milk product that has unnecessary additives and thickeners, take a shot at making it. It will be healthier for you, taste better and cost a lot less. I regularly make coconut milk and almond milk at pennies on the dollar.

When I first started experimenting with almond milk, I used Blue Diamond Almond Breeze. I didn't drink it straight up, but would use it to make protein shakes or mix with my "greens" supplement. A small carton, which provides four, eight ounce servings, costs anywhere between $1.99-$2.49 where I shopped. I thought it tasted good until I made my own. I tried a couple different brands, like the Trader Joe's brand, cheaper, but disgusting, and Pacific Natural Foods, palatable, but nothing special.

After doing a little research, I found making almond milk is super simple and requires only two ingredients: almonds and water. Compare that to the ingredients in the Almond Breeze: almondmilk (filtered water, almonds), calcium carbonate, tapioca starch, sea salt, potassium citrate, carrageenan, sunflower lecithin, natural flavor, vitamin a palmitate, vitamin d2 and d-alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin e). And let's not forget the the cost savings!

Cost Comparison of Four 8oz. Servings

Homemade Unsweetened Almond Milk = $0.44

Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond Breeze = $1.99-$2.49

Cost Savings = 78%+
*I buy a 3 lb. bag of raw almonds at Costco for $9.99

Homemade Almond Milk
Recipe by Healthy Living How To

Printable Recipe

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 1 c. Raw Almonds
• 8 c. Cold Filtered Water, Divided

Directions

1. Place one cup almonds in a mason jar and cover with water.
2. Loosely cover and let soak overnight or 8-12 hours. Rinse and drain.
3. Place soaked almonds and 4 c. fresh cold filtered water in Vitamix or high-powered blender.
4. Process on high for 3-4 minutes.
5. Strain through mesh sieve lined with a cheesecloth or linen towel over a large bowl.

At this point you have a very rich and creamy almond milk. This is not the same, calorically speaking, as the Almond Breeze. It is quite a bit more condensed. This condensed almond milk is fabulous in coffee as a creamer replacement. To thin it out and make it similar in consistency and calories to Almond Breeze, add four more cups of cold filtered water. If you want vanilla flavored almond milk, add one to two teaspoons of high quality vanilla extract and a dash of stevia. Chocolate, no problem, add a tablespoon or two of rich dark cocoa powder along with a pinch of salt and a pinch of stevia.

I have been working on site updates this afternoon, starting with the Recipe page. First off, not only are all of the recipes listed in alphabetical order, they are now categorized as well. I am also working on re-formatting pictures so there is consistency in the photo gallery at the top of the page. I decided to delete the Vitamix page a while back and two recipes I had listed on that page have gone missing. No worries, I have added them back in below and updated the recipe page as well. Another change I made last week was how I categorize posts. If you haven't noticed, no big deal, but the category list was getting quite long. I did some brain-storming and came up with a consolidated list. I continue to work on site tweaks here and there in hopes of making the site user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. Any tips or ideas are welcome!

Sugar-Free Lemonade
Recipe by Healthy Living How To

Printable Recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredient

• 1 Whole Organic Lemon, Peeled
• 3 c. Filtered Water
• 1 c. Ice
• 24 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid Clear Stevia

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to Vitamix or high speed blender.
2. Process on high until for 1 minute.
3. Serve over ice with a lemon wedge.

Chococonut Milk
Recipe by Healthy Living How To

Printable Recipe

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1 c. Homemade Coconut Milk
• 4 Ice Cubes
• 2 Tbsp. Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder
• 2 pkts. NuNaturals No Carbs Blend Stevia Packets

Directions
1. Add all ingredients to Vitamix or high speed blender.
2. Process on high for 1 minute.
3. Serve with a straw.

I've spoken a little about my Mexican heritage when I introduced the Mexi "Cauli" Rice recipe. In addition to rice, tortillas dripping in butter and tamales, I remember my grandmother's hot chocolate. Mexican hot chocolate is nothing like American hot chocolate, at least my grandmother's wasn't. In addition to being spiced up with chili powder, cinnamon and cloves, the consistency is thick, almost pudding-like. I recall my grandmother referring to it as "atole", which is a hot drink, thickened with masa harina or corn flour. Technically, "champurrado" is atole with chocolate but we always just called it "atole".

The two ingredients I vaguely remember my grandmother using when making atole was milk and Abuelita brand chocolate. I don't have her recipe as she didn't follow one, but what I remember very clearly was how it tasted! It was heavenly. I spent some time in the kitchen this morning, playing with spices and chocolate to come up with a healthy version of Mexican Hot Chocolate. It took a few different tries, but the final version was Mexican Hot Chocolate success! 

I did a little sleuthing around the internet researching different varieties of Mexican Hot Chocolate. It appears, traditionally the three main ingredients are water or milk or both, chocolate and masa harina. The corn flour is mainly for thickening, although it would impart a little taste, the amount used in the various recipes is minimal. Instead of using corn flour, I used a low-carb, gluten-free thickener; xanthan gum. The Abuelita brand of Mexican chocolate is sweetened with sugar and also flavored with cinnamon. I replaced this by using 90% Lindt dark chocolate, Hershey's dark cocoa powder, stevia and cinnamon. I used a combo of water and heavy cream and spiced it up with chili powder and cloves.

Mexican Hot Chocolate
Recipe by Healthy Living How To

Printable Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 c. Filtered Water
• 4 Tbsp. Cedar Summit Farms Organic Heavy Cream
• 2 sq 90% Lindt Dark Chocolate
• 2 Tbsp. Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder
• 1 Tbsp. Whole Cloves
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. Bob’s Red Mill Xanthan Gum
• 50 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid Clear Stevia

Cooking Directions

1. Bring water and cloves to a boil in small saucepan.
2. Turn heat to low and with spoon, scoop out cloves.
3. Add all ingredients except xanthan gum and whisk together until chocolate squares are melted.
4. Pour liquid into a 4 c. glass pyrex, sprinkle on xanthan gum and with electric beaters beat on high for two minutes or until thick.
5. Serve with a spoon and enjoy! Garnish with a sprinkle of chili powder and cinnamon.

Champurrado is traditionally served around the Christmas holiday, alongside tamales. It is also served during the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos. This celebration takes place on November 1st and 2nd. It is a celebration of the lives of those loved ones who are deceased.

I enjoyed this treat alongside some leftover lettuce wrapped Carnitas and recalled the memories I have of my grandmother.

While you are sampling this little taste of Mexico, I've linked a few articles about the benefits of dark chocolate as well as what to look for when buying chocolate. Enjoy!

Sweet Truth for your Sweet Tooth: Dark Chocolate
Dark Chocolate is Good for the Heart
Is All Chocolate Created Equal