Flavorings and the naturally artificial truth!!

A bare assertion is not necessarily the naked truth.

George Dennison Prentice

So since I’ve gotten back to the United States, back to the land of plenty and more than enough choice when it comes to food products to buy, I’ve found myself almost daily picking up a bottled of the NAKED brand’s green machine smoothie. The first time I tasted it I fell in love, despite it’s slimy green appearance, and when I read the ingredients list everything seemed pretty healthy and good for an ELAA Body. Or so it seemed!

Apple Juice, Mango Puree, Pineapple Juice, banana Puree, Kiwi Puree, Natural Flavors, Spirulina, Chlorella, Broccoli, spinach barley grass, wheat grass, parsley, ginger root, blue green alagae, odorless garlic ….. all these ingredients sound like a power smoothie designed to keep any body in tip top shape ... all except for one… the “natural flavors”. That has nagged at me everytime I bought one of these smoothies, as I wondered why exactly they had to say “natural” flavors and not exactly name the ingredient or ingredients??

So finally I sat down and took the time to look this up and low and behold the first thing I find is that NAKED (owned by Pepsi Cola co. ) were being sued for using GMO’s  and synthetic substances in their claimed “Non –GMO” “All Natural” products.. (like my darling smoothie)!

Apparently there are many loopholes as to what companies can deem “Natural” and the legal crackdown on the term is only beginning to take place now.

While we might believe, upon seeing or hearing the term “Natural”  that the product must be good for you  the truth is in fact that “Natural” usually means man-made.

Robert L. Wolke, at the Washington Post, sums it up:

“In simple terms, a natural flavor is defined as a substance extracted, distilled, or otherwise derived from plant or animal matter, either directly from the matter itself or after it has been roasted, heated or fermented . . .  Note also that a natural flavor need not come from the very food it is flavoring. For example, a flavor chemical derived from chicken — and it need not taste like chicken — can be used to flavor a can of beef ravioli.”

And then artificial flavors are any flavoring substances that do not fit the definition of natural flavor.

But whats the point to using the flavors? Well, it is not possible to recreate the flavors naturally occurring in nature, exactly or cheaply so companies concoct chemicals in the lab to flavor our foods and make them taste more like the real thing.

The scary thing is the side effects that these chemicals can create; As I read on another blog things like Benzaldehyde causes central nervous system depression and convulsions.  Vanillan (the widely used vanilla flavoring) causes allergic reactions, Amyl acetate (pear and banana oil) which many artifical flavors are made with causes nervous system depression as well, indigestion, headaches, fatigue and irritates the mucus membranes. And Butyric acid has even caused cancer in lab animals!!

So the moral of the story here is to not just assume that “natural” means healthy or good for you as more often than not, it doesn’t! if they aren’t naming every ingredient by it’s real name… be suspicious. Be very suspicious!

So I think im going to stick to making my smoothies at home from now on (although i need to go buy a blender), which really sucks because I love that Naked Juice!! In Europe though a brand called Innocent smoothies which make equally as delicious drinks, seem to not have any “Natural Flavors” in their products. It seems to be all the real deal!

(So really, I wouldn’t be having Naked smoothies if you’re trying to look good naked!!)

Unfortuantely NOT ELAA approved :(

Traveling the healthy way!

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.”
 – Robert Louis Stevenson

I recently took a long flight back to the U.S with my sister and nephew. It was an hour flight to London and then and 8 hour flight to Philadelphia. And then a few days later we flew from Philadelphia to Tampa and Tampa eventually to our final destination New Orleans! So we did quite the bit of traveling in a few short days!

And one of the big things for me about traveling is what to eat. I’m usually not the biggest fan of airplane meals as some of them really taste like cardboard with some tomato sauce thrown in, but I am always a fan of those little snack bags they give you with chocolate pretzels or cookies. Problem is they are so ridiculously bad for you and contribute big time to that horrible stodgy feeling you get after flying for too long. 

At the end of last year I flew to Miami, and I think it was the first time I consciously packed healthy snacks, stayed away from alcohol and caffeine and drank lots of water on the flight from Ireland to Florida and I was amazed at how good I felt in comparison to every other time I had flown across the Atlantic (and this was an 18hr journey with stops) ! I realized that what I ate and drank had a lot to do with how I felt after the long trip and it wasn’t just because I was in and out of the air for almost a day.

I know its often hard to avoid eating food at the airport, (which sucks because its usually ridiculously overpriced) but you can definitely help the matter by packing healthy snacks in your carry on which should keep you from having that starving feeling that usually has you running to the nearest junk food stop when you are waiting for your flight or when you have a long layover.

Here is a list of snacks that’s make traveling a little healthier

• ·      Nuts and Dried fruit Mixes
• ·      Fresh fruit (apples, bananas) and a Jar or small container of peanut butter or other nut butter
• ·      Veggies (celery, baby carrots, broccoli) with hummus
• ·      Healthy bars like that made by Larabar (in the U.S) or Naked (in Europe) They have all kinds of yummy flavors.
• ·      I would say you could bring boiled eggs in a little lunchbox but I wouldn’t recommend opening them on the plane as I’m sure your fellow passengers  scent senses wouldn’t appreciate it!!
• ·      Yoghurt (if you aren’t dairy intolerant)
• ·      Some good quality dark chocolate (for a treat)
• ·      Some healthy popcorn (Tayto makes a great brand in Europe with just coconut oil)

And of course the beverage of choice is water as being up in that high altitude can leave you severely dehydrated! Or bring some herbal teas with you and just ask for some hot water from the air host/ess.

Worth a mention:  

Im a really big Starbucks fan, I 'm not sure why exactly, it’s not like I drink that much coffee  or anthing but there something about seeing that symbol that makes me just feel warm and safe and loved ! (Good marketing I suppose!!)

But apart from that they are one of the best stops when traveling as they are usually in every airport and they do have a good selection of “healthier” options.

They usually have fairly good quality fruit and nut bars up by the counter, they also do vegetable and hummus trays, and fruit cups.  As far as airport food goes I’d sooner give into a bout of starvation by chowing down on a Starbucks sandwich than hitting up McDonalds or Burger King or any other chain restaurant! Just my preference!!

And of course this doesn’t just apply to airports but to any kind of long distance traveling where snacks usually keep one energized and satiated!!

Anyway if any of you have any yummy traveling food tips you know of please feel free to share in the comments below!

Happy Healthy and Safe Traveling from ELAA!

Secrets to A Perfect Derriere!

 When it comes to the secret of how celebs have the kind of perky perfect buns that are worthy of being splashed across gossip magazines , most of us may have resigned ourselves at some point to believing such “assets” are only god given! But the truth is, there really is no big secret at all! Whether you have a pancake where your bum should be, or a rather round derriere that despite its relative plumpness, still droops and doesn’t look anything like a Victoria’s secret models in a bikini, the exciting news is that this can be changed and you can in fact have a booty to be proud of without any need for craziness like butt implants, fat injections or any other risky procedures.

First off, I should hope if you’re after a toned butt and willing to work a little to get it, you’re already taking steps to a healthier eating lifestyle and perhaps doing some sort of exercise on a regular basis! The less fat around you’re bottom the easier it will be to “lift” it up like we want. And there’s also no point to having a lovely lifted butt if it’s still covered in cellulite. (and yes you can get rid of cellulite, which I will discuss in a later blog!) So it really is so important that you’re eating clean wholesome food!

While cardio exercise like running, swimming, cycling, or using gym equipment like  the elliptical are a wonderful start to losing weight, cardio workouts alone will not give you a butt to rival Sofia Vergara. A more focused approach is needed (and I’ve heard from a source who used to see Sofia workout often at a gym in Los Angeles a number of years ago, just what kind of exercise she did to shape her enviable buns.)

And the beauty about these exercises is that they can be done at home, in a hotel room, or anywhere you have a bit of space and they do not require gym equipment at all! You can of course add some hand held weights, or even ankle weights to increase the intensity but if you’re starting out then it’s not needed!

(According to a source, Sofia repeatedly performed the following two basic but extremely effective butt exercises during her regular workouts;)

SQUATS; (The number one butt toning exercise in my book anyway!!)

For a squat, you stand with your feet a little more than hip width apart, toes pointed forward, and sit back as if you are about to sit on an imaginary chair behind you. Keep your back straight and squat as low as you can before coming back up. The key is to keep the movement nice and controlled, don’t rush it.  Do this 20 times.

**These are perfect for people starting out on an exercise program, but the more advanced could eventually progress to Jump Squats (just jump up towards the sky after the squat and as you come down, lower yourself into the squat again and repeat)

LUNGES; (A close tie for first place when it comes to butt exercises)

Stand with your feet together and your hands on your hips. Then step put with your right leg (as if your about to sink into a splits position) and then bend your knees and slowly lower to the ground, keeping both knees at a 90degrees angle. Come back up and repeat on opposite leg. Do this 20 times.

**For the more advanced, you can perform walking lunges, and the oh-so lower-body-burning Jump lunges.  ( I will explain these more difficult moves in a later blog for those looking for a more intense workout)

Apart from Squats and Lunges, which I believe together are almost enough to get that butt defying gravity, another favorite exercise of mine which always leaves me feeling sore the next day is a move I learned along time ago when my sister and I used to work out to Claudia Schiffer’s workout tape. And if she is anything to go by, then it’s worth including!

BENDED LEG LIFT

Get down on all fours and lower your elbows to the ground. Keeping your tummy pulled in tight, lift the right leg up behind you towards the sky. Slowly lower it down and repeat x 15 times. Then switch to the other leg. These can really burn but they are so good!

**Advance people can add ankle weights to increase intensity.

So for a wonderfully effective butt workout do the following circuit;

Squats x 20

Lunge x 20

Bended leg lift x 15 (on each leg)

Repeat this circuit 4 times, 3 times a week and I guarantee you will begin to see results after about two to three weeks! And if you start now, just think how amazing your butt will look in cute bikini bottoms come summer time!!  :)

Under The Sea; Shellfish and the delicious truth!

            “Have you ever watched a crab on the shore crawling backward in search of                         the Atlantic Ocean, and missing? That's the way the mind of man operates.” 

                                                   -Henry Louis Mencken

I blame Disney for first putting the fear into me of eating shellfish. I for the longest time didn’t want anything to do with crab or really anything from under the sea on the off-chance they could be one of Ariel’s crustacean companions. That fear though, soon went flying out the window with the first taste of a creamy Seafood Chowder at a local bar in my hometown when I was around 13 or 14, and even further out the window with my first bite of Lobster in butter sauce at a fancy restaurant on Long Island when I was 17. 

And then finally the connection to shellfish and bad cholesterol threatened to once again put a damper on my new found love for shrimp and mussels and all that yumminess, but I wasn’t about to be so easily deterred this time and after some research it was to be revealed that shellfish are in fact not a threat to high “bad” cholesterol in the blood (on the contrary, as recent studies showed, men who ate shellfish once a week significantly reduced risk of cardiac death) and they are full of important nutrients which we need for great health!

Firstly, and most importantly, 

• they are almost 
  as good a source of Omega-3’s as some oily fish. Omega 3’s are severely lacking in the typical western diet and are essential for heart health and well preventing just about every single disease in the human body!
• Shrimp and Lobster and Crab for example are very low in saturated fat (although you will know if you’ve read some of my earlier blogs, that I’m not very afraid of certain saturated fats),
• and shellfish in general are a great source of protein, iron, zinc and the healthy skin promoting B vitamins!

There are some things to be careful with when it comes to shellfish and how they are prepared and cooked, as they can be full of bacteria viruses and pollutants!

Always buy your shellfish as fresh as possible and from a reputable source.

Many shellfish are bought live and not killed until you cook them, or in the case of oysters, sometimes eaten raw. The shells of Oysters, Clams and Mussels should be tightly shut or should shut when lightly tapped.  Luckily for those of us who don’t want to kill our food before we eat it, we can also buy shellfish already frozen.

(I have never killed any kind of shellfish myself before eating it, and honestly I’m not too sure I could. I’m not cold hearted enough for those kind of kitchen antics, So I buy it fresh or frozen to avoid all the guilt.)

And anyway, I must say one of my favorite shellfish related foods are Crab Cakes!

I must say the best Crab Cakes I ever tasted are in a restaurant on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, although that is to be expected as the city is quite famous for their seafood!

NOTE: For those of you that sadly have a shellfish allergy, (like a wonderful actor friend of mine who is a great supporter of this blog ;) ) you can always substitute the crabmeat for salmon. Use a can of salmon instead and the recipe should taste just a good and you wont feel like you’re missing out!

But here is a recipe I like using coconut flour  (you can substitute almond flour instead if you prefer)

Gluten-Free Coconut Crab Cakes with Mango Avocado Salsa

1 can of good quality Crab Meat

¼ cup fresh diced green onions

¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper

¼ cup homemade mayonnaise

2 teaspoons Asian Fish Sauce

½ lemon juiced

1 large egg

1 teaspoon ground Cayenne pepper

1/3 cup coconut flour

1 cup desiccated coconut (halved)

Mix all of the above in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the other half of the desiccated coconut on your worktop and shape your crab mixture into round cakes and slightly roll and pat the crab cake in the desiccated coconut.

Using a little coconut oil heat a large skillet over medium heat. Carefuul place the crab cakes in the pan and fry until browned, turn them over carefully as they are quite delicate and fry on other side until golden brown. About 4 minutes.

Serve with this Mango Avocado Salsa that you would preferably make the night before and have refrigerated.

1 avocado diced up fine

1 mango diced fine

½ large red onion finely chopped

Zest of one lime

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 large tomatoes finely diced

Mix all ingredients well together and refrigerate overnight.

Serve with the warm crab cakes and Enjoy! Guilt free deliciousness!!

THE SALAD SAGA

                                   "A woman should never be seen eating or drinking, unless it be

                        lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands"
                                                                    - Lord Byron

Salad, the word alone is enough to make some peoples stomachs growl with hunger without even having to see one. Salad has long instilled images in our minds of starved-looking models chewing emotionlessly on leaves of lettuce or little rabbits nibbling unenthusiastically on vegetation while the rest of the world looks on wondering how either species survives on such vaporous fare.

But this is far from the truth… Salads are and can be a filling and deliciously healthy lunch and even dinner when they are made right…a.k.a..with a little thought and love!

I honesty think a salad is only boring if you fail to put some effort into it, (basically, if you’re lazy!)

Let's start with the main component, which is usually some kind of lettuce or leafy greens. At most deli’s its usually iceberg lettuce but this, in my opinion is one of the most tasteless lettuces, although not as nutrition-less as we’ve previously been led to believe! It does have a place in our diet, but for me, I prefer the taste of romaine, or spinach leaves , rocket lettuce/Arugula or a mix of all three, which is known as mixed greens!

Lettuce is not just a pretty base to a salad, as it also, more importantly packs quite a nutritional punch.  Lettuce leaves are

·      

      Storehouses of phytonutrients that have health promoting and disease preventing attributes. Its also full of vitamins and minerals, mainly 

•       Vitamin A  and beta carotenes ( which means healthy skin and great vision) ,
•          Vitamin K (which helps increase bone mass, and has also established a role in Alzheimers disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in the brain) as well as
•        Folates (important for a developing fetus) and
•       Vitamin C (which is a powerful anti-oxidant and helps prevent pro-inflammatory free radicals).

And so now that the making of your salad is off to a very nutritious start, its time to add some protein, which is what makes the difference between a salad leaving you feel like there’s still a big empty whole in your tummy, and the feeling of a full and happy tummy!

The choices are pretty simple;

-Chicken (Roasted/warm/grilled/or just cold)

- Tuna (canned/ or read seared tuna(insanely delicious but rather expensive)

- Beans (Kidney/Garbanzo/Black)

- Salmon (grilled/smoked)

Boiled Eggs and Nuts are additions to Salads that add that extra bit of protein while also adding flavor.

So we have our choice of lettuce, or choice of protein, and from there it’s time to get creative! Things you can add to Salads to make them filling and delicious are;

-Dried Fruits (Cranberries/ Raisins/Dates/apricots

-Fruit (Strawberries/Apples/Oranges/Avacado/Peaches etc.)

-Nuts of all sorts

-Bacon Bits (don’t make this a daily habit though)

-Crumbled and grated Cheeses (Feta/Goats/Mozzarella)

-Sundried/Sunblushed tomatoes

-Olives

-Green/Red/Yellow/Orange Peppers (roasted or raw)

-Mushrooms (grilled/raw)

-Roasted Beets

-Red Onions

Of course you can pick and choose according to your palate and what flavors you like together: Some common combinations include;

Mixed Greens, Walnuts, Pears and Goat cheese with Chicken  (aka Waldorf Salad)

Olives, Sundried tomatoes, Feta, Cucumber, Red Onions (Greek Salad)

Romaine and Endive lettuce, Bacon Bits, Chicken, Avacado, Chooped Boiled Eggs, Chopped Tomatoes (aka Cobb Salad)

Combinations are endless so don’t be afraid to try new things, as you never know what may end up being delish!

And as for Salad Dressings; Healthy dressings are usually light and either oil or vinegar based and try to make your own dressings as store prepared are often full of crappy additives and flavors you don’t want in your body;

I’d recommend a Little Olive Oil with Balsamic Vinegar

Or Olive Oil and Pesto can be a delicious combination (just make sure to check the pesto ingredients!)

And a touch of fresh lemon juice can add zest to a Salad as well!!

Here is the recipe to the Salad that my sisters makes so well! It’s sort of her own concoction and we don’t really know the measurements of how much goes in, but it is a hit in this house so I have to share!

Fiona’s Fabulously Fruity Chicken Salad

Breasts of Roasted Chicken

1 medium bag of baby spinach

1 small bag of rocket lettuce

2 Satsumas

1 large sweet apple chopped

Handful roasted nuts

Handful of raisins

Half an Avocado

5 chopped Sundried Tomatoes

Drizzling of Olive Oil

2 tablespoons of Pesto

Put all ingredients into a large salad bowl, excluding the Chicken, Olive oil and Pesto.

Mix well, then Add the olive oil and pesto. Mix it all up together before putting onto a dinner plate.  Put Roasted Chicken pieces on top. Easy as that! Eat and Enjoy!