First BBQ Potato Salad

This past Saturday was the first BBQ of the summer, hosted by my good friend's Julia and Austen. There is nothing better than being outside, eating good food.

They took care of the food, grilled veggies on the brand new barby! I decided to make something simple. Potato salad is one of those things the really makes me think of summer.

Speaking of...I am sitting in the park writing this right now. BLISS!

EASY POTATO SALAD

boil up some new potatoes in a pot.
New potatoes are less starchy and will keep their shape better after being boiled.

while potatoes are boiling...
grab a large bowl and begin your dressing. I like to just build it in the bottom of the bowl and then add the potatoes to it.

What you will need:
one lemon
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
good quality dijon mustard (chunky is better)
a bunch of fresh dill, chopped

In the bottom of your bowl, zest and then juice the lemon.
Add about a tbsp of the dijon mustard. Stir it up and then drizzle in about a quarter of a cup of olive oil. Add your salt and pepper and whisk it so the oil emulsifies.

Once the potatoes are tender, drain them and then cut into quarters. Add them to the bowl and give it a toss. Then add the dill. Taste it to make sure there is enough salt or oil or whatever you think it's lacking.



Take care,
THE NUTRITIONISTA

Last Tuesday was the first DAILY DETOX workshop and it went really well. It was a lovely group of gals on a lovely night talking about clean bodies...what more could you ask for?

So now I HAVE A NEW WORKSHOP! It's ready to go and I'm pretty darn excited about it.



EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT REUSABLE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK.

Did you know that the average woman will use over 12,000 tampons in
her lifetime? That's a whole lot of money and garbage! Tampons
contain a number of chemicals including pesticides and bleach. Not
only are there environmental effects of disposable products but they
also have a toxic effect on our bodies.
This workshop is designed to build discussion with other gals, guided
by lots of information and samples to play with.

Tuesday, May 22nd
7 pm
$15

Seating is limited. Please email info@thenutritionista.ca to let me know you'd like to come.

For upcoming workshop info, send me an email.

Take care,
THE NUTRITIONISTA

What is With Dried Fruit?

One of the easiest ways to enjoy fruit on the go, especially in seasons when fresh fruit is scarce...is to eat it dried. The thing is that most dried fruit is processed with sulpher dioxide in order to make it last longer. The bright orange apricots you find in most bulk stores are high in sulfites, which are used to keep their colour bright but is also very congestive and can be linked to allergies, asthma and skin problems.

Choosing organic in dried fruit is important to ensure you are getting just fruit. Let's go back to apricots for the moment. Organic apricots are brownish in colour and taste like...wait for it..APRICOTS. Try a conventional dried mango and an organic dried mango - the difference is obvious!

my friend Rosie enjoys some organic dried blueberries.

You can dry your own fruit...all you need is some patience, or a dehydrator. Most of us don't have the dehydration device, so let's find other ways. You can use your oven, or the sun.

Basically in order to preserve the fruit's colour, you need to dip it in something to trick it into thinking it's not dried. You can use honey or simply blanch the fruit first. This seems silly to me since fruit is fruit and whether it's fresh or dried, it still tastes yum. I tend to forget the dipping and let the fruit dry where it may.

Oven Drying
Preheat oven to 145 degrees, propping door open with wooden spoon to allow steam to escape.
Place fruit directly on racks. Allow 4 to 12 hours to dry the fruit.
Food should be dry but pliable when cool. Test a few pieces to see if the batch is ready

This can be a big waste of energy...not to mention the time it takes up. Summer time is too hot to leave an oven on for 12 hours!

Sun Drying
Spread on screen for two to four days, turning slices over half way through the drying process. Bring inside at night to keep dew from collecting on the fruit and ofcourse to keep animals from getting it. This method works best in climates with high heat and low humidity. Do this in the crazy summer's heat. I think this is a fun way for kids to learn patience for food, or to have a project they can check on.
Store them in ziploc bags or a lidded container (make sure you stir them up often)

I post this now even though SUMMER FRUIT IS ALMOST HERE!! We can have fresh fruit til the day is long. Yahoo!

New recpies soon...
Take care,
The Nutritionista

ASK THE NUTRITIONISTA!

Welcome to the first ASK THE NUTRITIONISTA post! Ofcourse I went and started with a doozy of a question.

Dear Nutritonista:

My doc said I need to take an iron supplement because I am "borderline anemic" and she doesn't want me to get totally anemic.

I've been putting it off because I don't want to get constipated :-) There are so many different supplements; can you steer me in a good direction?

Signed,
Borderline


Dear Borderline,

Iron is SOOO important to happy functioning bodies but it is also one of the most difficult to keep on top of. It is the centre of the oxygen carrying part of the red blood cell and without it, less oxygen is carried throughout our bodies. Less oxygen means low energy.


OK NOT THAT IRON...


Iron deficiency anemia happens when the rate that iron is lost exceeds the amount of iron absorbed. There are many factors that can contribute to poor iron absorption; blood loss (like from heavy menstruation), use of medications (especially aspirin and antacids), pregnancy and breast feeding are definitely times when absorption is down and the body needs more iron. The cool thing is that since pregnant women naturally need more iron, the body naturally increases it's absorption rate.

Vegetarians are at more risk for iron deficiency since heme iron is the iron that is more available for absorption and it's the one that's found in meat. That being said, there are lots of plant-based foods that contain iron and the actual ratio of iron deficient vegetarians is not that much higher than meat eaters. Eating a diet rich in green leafies and whole grains (what every good vegetarian should be doing anyway) will give you enough of the non-heme iron (plant based iron). The trick is to eat lots of the non-heme veggies to make up for the absorption. Also, there are certain plant based foods that will up your absorption capabilities. Vitamin C really increases non-heme iron absorption. On the flip side of this - tannins (from tea or wine), excessive zinc and Vitamin E can inhibit absorption. Of course any medication , especially antacids and aspirin will inhibit absorption.

Plant foods high in iron:
Soybeans, Lentils, Spinach, Tofu, Sesame Seeds, Kidney Beans, Pumpkin Seeds, Chick peas, Navy Beans, Asparagus, Broccoli, Brown rice, Dried figs, Peanut butter, Dried apricots , Banana, Black strap molasses, Avocado, Whole grains.

Eating a diet high in whole grains can greatly increase your iron intake. When grains are milled and the bran and germ is removed - 75% of the iron is also removed. Most refined grains end up being fortified with iron in order to make up for what was taken out. Why eat something put in when you can get it already in there?

So now what do you do when you're told you have may be borderline amemic? Running out and buying supplements is not always the answer, especially if you are pregnant. In my opinion upping the iron-rich foods and increasing your fibre intake is a good way to make sure your body is getting and absorbing iron. Your body wants balance and will create that balance with the right tools.

With a diagnosis of actual Iron Deficiency Anemia, iron supplements are a good idea. There are many to choose from and the best one for you may not be the best one for someone else. Generally ferrous iron supplements are better absorbed. Again, increasing foods rich in iron is also good. Usually the dose for anemia is 100mg/day, which should be immediately lowered once iron levels are back to normal. Iron supplements often cause constipation and must be used along with a diet high in fibre.



Thank you for all your questions and keep em coming!