Who Cares if Food is Local?

You’ve heard it before.

Eat local.

If you’re like me, you don’t blindly follow advice. I am a questioner and I want to know why before I dive into anything new.

The messages floating out there when it comes to food are vast.

'Only eat organic!'

'Never eat dairy!'

'Grains are bad for you!'

'GMO’s are the devil!'

It’s tough to know what to follow and what to toss aside. It’s all a personal choice and worth researching it to know what best suits your lifestyle.

When it comes to eating local foods, the reasons are compelling. My hope, after reading this, is that you feel empowered to make that decision for yourself.

First, let’s clarify ‘local’. There’s really no hard definition of what that means. So, in short, you can define what it means for you.

For me, hyper local (grown in my backyard) is my top choice. After that, the less miles the better. It’s impossible for me to eat hyper local 100% of the time so I do the best I can, eating as locally as possible when I can.

Here are 5 reasons eating local food works for me:

1. Better taste

   If you’re eating locally produced food, the food is fresher which means it tastes better. If you’ve ever had a tomato right off the vine, you know what I mean.

2. More nutrition

   Your food begins to lose nutrients as soon as it's harvested. That means the longer the time from when it's picked to when you eat it, the less nutrition it has. Think about produce and where it comes from. I live in Texas. A lot of the avocados I buy come from Mexico. That means someone had to pick it off a tree in Mexico before loading it in a truck and driving it to Texas. Then it sits in the grocery store until I buy it. That could be a few days to a week from picking to eating. The highest vitamin and mineral content comes from fresh picked food.

3. Support of local food producers/businesses

   Buying from farmers markets and small neighborhood shops, you support local food businesses. Also, check for a 'local' sections in grocery store produce areas to know you are helping local growers. Growing our local economy is an important way to give back.

4. Less environmental impact

   Eating local means the food travels less distance to get to you, the consumer. That in turn means a decrease in transportation cost. The soil the food is grown in sees a benefit too. Farmers who aren’t commercial growers rotate crops in order to grow a variety of produce. Rotation of crops helps keep the soil healthy.

5. Food education

   Eating locally also means eating with the seasons. If the local farmer can't grow a crop because of the season, you won't be eating it. Experimenting with ways to prepare new veggies and fruits is a great way to learn. Chatting with the farmers who grow the produce is another way. Going to farmers markets promotes interaction with the farmers themselves.

So, who cares if food is local? I do. And now hopefully you do too!

GMO OMG

So, I’m walking around the grocery store, working down my list of things to buy. I try to buy organic as much as possible and if I can’t get it all organic I at least try to follow the dirty dozen and the clean 15. As I’m looking at labels I see non-GMO. I start thinking - what does it mean for a food to be non-GMO?

First off, what is a GMO? Also known as a genetically modified organism, it’s when a plant or animal (or other organism) has been modified in a lab by altering the organism’s genetics¹. This does not include cross-breeding of two different plants such as a grape and an apple, that yields a grapple, for example.

Sounds pretty involved and actually helpful when you read about what some believe to be beneficial²:

1. Pesticide resistant plants

2. Heartier crops (some need less water, for instance)

3. Ability to grow more crops and meet the demand for food

Scientists have the ability to create seeds that have been genetically modified to produce the types of plants described above.

Less bugs, more food, less resources all sound wonderful until you look at the effects³:

1. Unhealthy for humans. Some of the residual from the GMO alteration ends up in our tissues which could lead to long-term damage. It’s good to note that we don’t know about the long-term damage since the prevalence of GMOs is still relatively new, but I always like to er on the side of safety when it comes to unknowns like these. 

   It’s also good to note that in the 9 years after GMOs were introduced (1996), Americans with 3 or more chronic illnesses increased from 7% to 13%. Instances of allergies, digestive issues and autism (among other issues) have risen as well. While there’s not enough research to point directly to GMOs as the cause (and there are probably many more contributing factors), again, I’ll er on the side of safety and do my best to steer clear.

2. Engineered to resist herbicides. Farmers use an increased amount of herbicide to get rid of weeds since they know it won’t kill the GMO crop. However, by using more herbicide, they are creating ‘superweeds’ which are resistant to the herbicide over time.

3. Harmful to the environment. With the overuse of herbicide, the wildlife is feeling the after effects. Birds, butterflies and amphibians can all suffer since the runoff from the crops gets into water supplies and stays in the soil.

These three points are enough to convince me to pay attention to GMO foods.

So yeah, GMO OMG is right. Pay attention to the labels and work to buy non-GMO items, at least until there’s more research to back up the claims that GMO items are harmless.

The good news is that if something is marked organic, then it’s also non-GMO. One more reason to buy organic.

If you’re wondering about the benefit of feeding more people because of GMO crops, keep in mind that we have the ability to grow enough food for ample supply. We’re overfed and we think we need more than we do. Portions have increased over the years. Then there’s food waste. How many times have you tossed produce b/c you just didn’t get around to eating it? Me too, by the way. We consume/waste way more than we should and if that was curbed it would make our food supply go a lot further.

Ready to take action? It’s pretty easy. These are the current GMO-approved crops. When you purchase these, make sure you buy them organic and you’ll steer away from GMO’s.

• Corn

• Canola oil

• Cotton

• Apples

• Squash

• Soy Bean

• Papaya

• Alfalfa

• Potato

• Sugar Beets

¹https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts/what-is-gmo/

²https://monsanto.com/innovations/biotech-gmos/

³https://responsibletechnology.org/10-reasons-to-avoid-gmos/

Healing Naturally from GERD. What the heck is GERD?

Have you ever had heartburn? That burning sensation that feels like it’s in your stomach and actually has nothing to do with your heart. It sucks. It hurts and it’s tough to ignore and move on about your day.

GERD is a more serious form of heartburn or acid reflux. It stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease, and according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Digestive Diseases, twenty five million people experience it daily.

We hear that GERD is caused by too much acid in our stomach. My research shows something different. Actually, something the exact opposite. Too LITTLE acid causes GERD.

A lot of times Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI’s) are prescribed for GERD (Nexium and Prevacid are two examples). PPI’s work well to block acid production in the stomach. They also produce helicobacter bacteria which is bad bacteria known to cause Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection.

Did you know there’s a natural way of dealing with the disease? I’m not a doctor, but if there’s a way to get relief without having to spend money on drugs with ingredients you don’t know, wouldn’t you try it?

GERD is something to not take lightly. It’s been known to cause scarring, constriction, ulceration, and ultimately, cancer of the esophagus. Recent studies show that it may not only affect the esophagus, it can also travel down to affect the gastrointestinal lining.

Antacids and PPI’s will relieve symptoms since acid in the esophagus is what’s causing the pain. That’s all they’re doing. Relieving symptoms. They aren’t resolving the underlying issue.

So what’s the underlying issue? The lower esophageal valve or LES. It’s a muscular valve separating the stomach from the end of the esophagus. When there’s pressure in the stomach (bloating), the acid is pushed into the esophagus. Things like overeating, obesity, bending over or lying down after eating and eating spicy or fatty foods are all thought to contribute to this pressure.

Other studies show that malabsorption of carbohydrates and bacterial overgrowth contribute to the abdominal pressure. These two things are triggered by low stomach acid.

Wondering how to treat GERD? Reduce bacterial overgrowth and low stomach acid and put back helpful bacteria and mucosal lining in the gut.

Here’s how to find relief:

1. Eat a low carb diet or a specific carb diet (SCD)/GAPs diet. (google this and tons of recipes and ideas on what to eat will appear)

2. Reduce your intake of fructose and artificial sweeteners (they increase bacterial overgrowth)

3. Stay away from high fiber diets (high fiber contributes to bacterial overgrowth)

4. With a doctor’s oversight, take HCL (hydrochloric acid)

5. Take bitter herbs. (stimulates acid production) The most well-known of these are below and can be taken as follows - 5-10 drops of a 1:5 tincture in 20 mL of water:

   *Dandelion

   *Fennel

   *Ginger

   *Goldenseal root

   *Peppermint

   *Milk thistle

6. If you’re not into herbs, try drinking/eating these things:

   *Apple cider vinegar (try 1T in a glass of water)

   *Lemon juice (½ lemon in a glass of water)

   *Raw (unpasteurized) sauerkraut

   *Pickles

   *Make calendula tea

Avoid consuming liquids during meals. Especially water since it can dilute the concentration of stomach acid. Wine, however, (a few sips) can be beneficial (yay!).

Add the good bacteria to your gut with probiotics. You can take these in pill form but you can also get them (in higher doses) through food. Eat fermented foods like sauerkraut and pickles mentioned above. Kombucha is another good choice.

Eat homemade bone broth to help restore your gut lining. It also helps people with ulcers because of the gelatin and collagen content.

GERD is serious, but totally treatable and maybe prescriptions can be skipped. Sometimes they’re needed, but sometimes we are capable of healing ourselves with things that are natural and well within our reach.

Here’s to eradicating GERD naturally!

Sources:

http://chriskresser.com/what-everybody-ought-to-know-but-doesnt-about-heartburn-gerd

http://chriskresser.com/the-hidden-causes-of-heartburn-and-gerd

http://chriskresser.com/more-evidence-to-support-the-theory-that-gerd-is-caused-by-bacterial-overgrowth

http://chriskresser.com/how-your-antacid-drug-is-making-you-sick-part-a

http://chriskresser.com/get-rid-of-heartburn-and-gerd-forever-in-three-simple-steps

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/04/28/acid-reflux-ulcer-treatment.aspx

Get Enamored With Yourself

No, not in a selfish sort of way. I’m talking about in a self love sort of way.

We’re enamored with others. It’s easy to see what other ppl have and what they’re good at. What if we flipped the way we think and turned the adoration on ourselves?

What would others say they like about you?

What do you like about you?

What are you good at?

Start focusing on those things instead of what you see in everyone else.

Try this.

Download this journal page, make 7 copies of it and for the next week take time to journal daily, following along with the questions it presents. Give yourself time and space to write freely after you answer the questions. Think about things you can do to increase your self love.

When we love ourselves fully we’re able to love others more and that leads to a full life.

You're Blinded. Keep Going Anyway.

Sometimes we have to understand we’re blinded to exactly how we’ll feel or what we’ll gain when we reach our goals. We know it’s a step in the right direction and we think it will be worth it but since we’ve never done it, we can’t be too sure.

When we know our eating habits need to change, we know we’ll probably lose weight and we know we’ll probably feel better. What we don’t know is how much better or how much weight.

The key is to keep going.

You don’t have to know how good it will be exactly. Just know you will be in a better place and it will most likely be a lot better than you think. You’ll have more energy than expected, you’ll feel lighter (physically and mentally) and others around you will probably notice a difference too. You’ll most likely inspire others while you’re at it.

The fun part is knowing you’ll find more positivity from your efforts along the way, you just don’t know what yet. They’ll be unexpected surprises.

So know that your path to a healthier lifestyle is not all grind and struggle. Once you take the steps to be in action and get on a plan, you’ll find doses of motivation and help along the way. You just have to start, knowing you’re blinded.

Need help knowing where to start and what to do? Email me at: lara@laragwynwellness.com and let’s have a quick 15 min chat for free!

No Meal Prep Your Way to Healthier Eating

10 Minute Meal Planning

Do you dread meal planning/prepping like me? Read on. I’ll show you how to plan meals without spending an entire day in the kitchen prepping everything and give you ideas to build your own personalized plan. Don’t worry - this plan takes about 10 minutes to build. And once you do it once it takes looking up a recipe to do it again. Quick. Simple. No fuss. This is how I meal plan. Let’s get started.

I’d like to take a minute to say that I keep fresh fruit and veggies in the forefront of my mind when I build this. Also, organic meats as much as possible. I don’t like gluten b/c it doesn’t like me and sugar is my nemesis so I leave it in the store… Unless it’s a day I cave, which happens but I try to remove it from my house as soon as I’ve had enough. Getting it out of my house is key. I may take a bite of <insert sugar treat here> and find that’s enough for me so it’ll go in the trash (wasteful, I know but better the trash than my body), or I’ll take it to the office b/c there’s always someone there who will eat it.

Ok, down to business...

1. Define your go-to foods.

These are the foods you’ll get every week during your grocery store run. Milk, eggs, fruits, veggies, etc

This list can change but it won’t by much b/c you consistently like these things. Maybe swap out a fruit/veggie that’s not in season to one that is or grab a dairy free milk if you’re cutting dairy. This list is the time-saver. Go to the same grocery store every week so you get to know the store layout. You’ll know exactly where to get these things so the trip will go quicker.

2. Do some googling and find a recipe you’re EXCITED about. Don’t forget the excited part. It’s key. You don’t want to do boring things so stop making cooking boring. Think about something you’ve always wanted to learn how to cook or something you’ve really been craving. Go to instagram and look up hashtags (#healthyfood #foodporn #crockpotrecipes #instafood). Find a picture you like or someone you know spends a lot of time recipe testing. If their version isn’t the healthiest, google that dish and add healthy in front of it. I like finding crockpot recipes b/c they’re easy and a toss and go type situation.

3. Add in a few more items to create another meal based on what you’ve cooked in number 2. Here’s an example. I made stew in the crockpot the other night. I also grabbed a spaghetti squash and some asparagus. When I got tired of eating stew, I poured it over the squash and ate it with a side of roasted asparagus. That made it taste like a totally new meal.

Still not convinced this will save you time? Great. That’s why I made lists below you can just grab and take to the store (or instacart) and not have to think much at all. Now you don’t have to spend time figuring out what your go to list is or which recipe to make or what to add to it in order to have another meal.

My weekly haul all spread out on my counter. Is your mouth watering? My mouth is watering…

Go to:

1. Eggs

2. Milk

3. ½ + ½ or dairy-free creamer (for coffee and tea)

4. Carrots

5. Bell pepper

6. Broccoli

7. Celery + Almond butter + Raisins

8. Berries

9. Bananas

10. Oranges

11. Trail mix

12. Hummus (to eat with the veggies)

Recipe:

Crockpot chicken - https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/easy-crockpot-shredded-chicken/

• 3 lbs chicken breasts

• 1 c chicken broth

• 1 t each - salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder

• Use some of your veggies from your go to list and roast to have along with the shredded chicken

Additional items:

• Bib lettuce - makes lettuce wraps with your chicken and some shredded carrots, bell pepper or celery from your go to list.

• Salsa to add flavor to your lettuce wraps (read the ingredient list and stay away from sugar)

• Quinoa - add to some torn bib lettuce and veggies of your choice to make a salad - add in a hard boiled egg to create different flavors. Top with salsa, oil + vinegar or salad dressing to keep it interesting.

Happy No Meal Prepping :)