Archives: Colitis diet

Easy peasy dinner recipe

Easy peasy dinner recipe

There’s a common misconception in our society that we need to eat protein at every single meal. I beg to differ. Protein in one or two meals a day is plenty in my book. In fact, the American society is the only one I know of that makes dinner the heaviest meal of the day – everyone else eats heaviest at lunch so that they have the rest of the day to digest. Read more »

I’ve been dealing with ulcerative colitis since I was 12 years old and I’ve got some great tips to share with you. The tips below come from my book called The Fix Your Belly Blues Program. It’s a 21-day program created to help you find the right diet that works for you, learn how to cleanse properly and connect the mind/body. Here are my top 10 tips to get you moving and motivated to kick your health into shape. Remember, you are in control of your health – let your body do the healing.

1)     Find practitioners who you feel a connection with – whether it’s acupuncture, yoga, chiropractic, kinesiology, massage etc. It’s so important to be able to talk with them, vent, and relax all at the same time – what an incredible release that is.

2)     Find a wonderful, supportive therapist

3)     Take probiotics everyday (especially while traveling). Megafoods is a great brand – although pricey, it’s the best.

4)     Eat fermented foods ie: raw sauerkraut, (the brand Real Pickles sauerkraut is delicious). Lactose free yogurt by the brand Green Valley Organics is awesome. It’s yogurt w/ probiotics, organic and lactose free!! Amazing! The same brand also makes kefir, which is also a fermented product that I recommend. Raw kombucha is GREAT for us IBDers – It’s a probiotic drink. I like GT’s brand original flavor since it’s low in sugar.

5)     Stay away from white sugar, brown sugar, any sugar substitutes (equal, splenda etc.) instead use honey, agave, maple syrup. Watch your sugar intake in general, it causes inflammation

6)      Steer clear of caffeine – it also causes inflammation

7)     Eat as many whole foods as you can. Soup with tons of soft veggies, well-blended smoothies, fresh green juices, etc.

8)     Create a meditation practice and maintain a regular workout at the gym.

9)     Take a good brand of cod liver oil. I like Green Pastures Blue Ice Fermented Cod Liver Oil. Since it’s fermented, it’s easier to digest and doesn’t come up on me throughout the day.

10)   I recommend a gluten free diet. Be careful with soy sauce and salad dressing as they contain gluten and you may not have realized that. Stay away from too much soy – it’s in everything. Eat clean, nutrient packed foods and you’re half way there – then add in the mind/body aspect and you’re on your way!

Bonus tip: Educate yourself. I’d say that’s the most important tip I can give you. Read, surf the web, talk to people who have the same disease and ask tons of questions.

Even though doctors are very smart, they do not know everything. I hate to say this but most GI doctors know the bare minimum about diet. In fact they will tell you to eat whatever you want with IBD and that diet has nothing to do with it. I don’t believe that for one second because food is half the battle.

There will be times when you’ll be completely stumped about what to eat because everything you put into your mouth makes you feel terrible. Well, it’s time to take action. Start with soft cooked root veggies and work your way up from there. Don’t forget about the yoga/meditation aspect of the work. It’s not a one size fits all type of thing here – you have to find what foods work for you. What yoga poses feel good for you, which meditation practices work for you. You get the idea? I can’t do the work for you but I can explain what needs to be done to get you on the right track. Ultimately your in control. Stand in your confident shoes and get moving. Don’t feel helpless, you are what you eat. Start taking responsibility for your actions. This is your life, so start living it.

Check out my book where you can find more step-by- step instructions to guide you along your path to health. I will show you a yoga and meditation practice that I feel works well for IBDers. Ultimately you decide which poses to keep and which to take out. The Fix Your Belly Blues Program is now available!

Cheers to you and this lifetime of health and happiness.

No produce left at Fairway Market due to hurricane Sandy!

Over the past couple of days, my husband and I have been housebound. Hurricane Sandy really affected our city and we’re still all dealing with the after effects. Personally we got very lucky and our home still has power, internet, water and all the essentials for us to be comfortable. Unfortunately that’s not the case for many of our fellow New Yorkers. We are definitely feeling the tension in the city as people mourn the loss of their homes and personal belongings. Frankly, I’m shocked at how bad the city was hit and I feel awful for those who lost so much.

Yesterday, as we awaited Sandy’s arrival I got the cooking bug. I think it was because I was anticipating a power outage and I wanted to make sure we had enough yummy food to last us a few days. I was concerned about making a meal that had sufficient protein – so I turned to Indian dal which is a lentil dish that I pared with brown rice. It was grounding, warming and it came out really well – if I do say so myself! Despite not having a few ingredients I still made it work. Here’s the recipe. Enjoy it!

2 tablespoons ghee

2 whole cinnamon sticks

2 cups dried red lentils (washed and picked through for stones)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (I didn’t have this and it still tasted great!)

3 whole cloves

4 green cardamom pods (I didn’t have this and it still tasted great!)

½ teaspoon turmeric

6 cups water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Since I didn’t have a few spices, I added 1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 yellow onion, diced

1 inch fresh ginger, grated

Heat 1 tablespoon ghee with cinnamon sticks in a large sauce-pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the cinnamon unfurls, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the cumin, cloves, and cardamom and cook, stirring, until the cumin turns a golden brown color, about 1 more minute. Add the lentils, turmeric, water, and salt. Bring to a boil and skim well, Turn down the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are soft, 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the type of lentil used. Add more water during cooking, if necessary. Taste for salt and add more if you need to.

Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a small sauce-pan, add the yellow onion and cook until soft. Add ginger and mix with the onion so it doesn’t burn. Once dal is finished add this to it.

The dal might be watery, continue simmering on medium heat until your desired consistency. Serve with brown rice and enjoy!

Dear Friends,

I am SO excited to share this news with you! I just launched my newest program to help those with gastrointestinal problems. It’s called The Fix Your Belly Blues Program and the best news about it is that it’s all online. It’s a 21-day program with a focus on cleansing, diet, yoga/meditation. It includes everything you need to know to help your belly heal. I have used my own personal experience to create the program and that’s how I know it works!

If you or anyone you know has the belly blues, ie: colitis, crohns, ibs, gastritis, ulcers, heartburn, diverticulitis, etc… and are looking for a way to feel better – then this is the program for you. Click the link below to see my promo video and to learn more about the program. Also, please share the link below with anyone you think might benefit from this! Help spread the word! I appreciate your help and I look forward to seeing you all soon!

click HERE to check it out!

Cheers,

Shira

For the past 2 weeks Chad has been on an interesting diet to trim down a bit. Being a health coach, I am a bit wary of him cutting out ALL carbs, sugar of all kinds and healthy fats. BUT I understand that it’s only for 2 weeks and then phase 2 starts, which I can’t wait to hear about from his trainer – right now it’s a mystery. I’ll let you know as soon as I do.

Since it’s been interesting finding creative ways to spice up chicken, white fish (which I’ve never cooked before until now) and other meats, I thought I’d share some recipe ideas that I’ve come up with.

Last week I made a delicious Halibut. Here is the recipe:

Halibut with tomatoes & basil:

Serves 2

½ pound wild halibut fillets

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lime

½ lemon

½ cup fresh basil, chopped

1 organic tomato, sliced in large rounds

1 yellow onion, sliced

½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Wash the fish with water, place in a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil, juice from lemon & lime. Coat each side lightly with salt & pepper. Cover fish with basil and tomatoes. Put onions and mushrooms all around the pan, surrounding the fish. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Check to make sure the fish is tender and cooked through. Enjoy!