From the category archives:

General Health & Wellbeing

My Healing Miso Soup, perfect for cold and flu season

Today is my third day on the Cooler Cleanse, and it has definitely been the hardest day yet. This is through no fault of the cleanse, but because I seem to have caught a little cold that I am trying my darndest to cut off at the pass. I woke up with a sore throat yesterday morning and immediately went into immune boosting mode which involved: a large dose of Vitamin D (I do this for 3 days, then back to my regular dose of 5,000 IU every day as blood tests showed I’m deficient), Vitamin C, using the Neti Pot, gargling with salt water, taking a hot bath, and drinking hot tea with lemon. I feel good knowing that I’m already flooding my body with lots of healing nutrients with this cleanse. It’s also nice not to have to worry much about food prep, when I want to use all my spare time to rest (rest is best!).

In addition to the aforementioned healing practices, my scratchy throat had me craving something savory and warm and more green vegetables and garlic (nature’s healers!). So I decided to go off plan just a bit. The Cooler Cleanse people do not recommend this, and the point of a juice cleanse is to give the digestive system a total rest, which I do think is valuable. But for me, today, the desire for some additional nutrition outweighed my desire for digestive rest, and I choose to go with my intuition about what my body needs (as long as it was healthy). To invent the right soup, I basically just went into the organic grocery store and got what called out to me. I knew that I definitely wanted green vegetables, onion (I read once that you should eat a whole onion when you’re getting sick and it can make it go away–who knows, but it’s become a bit of a ritual), and some miso, which is full of beneficial and immune boosting bacteria. The rest was chosen because it seemed like a good idea. I don’t measure anything, I just eyeball everything and adjust to taste. Here’s my non-recipe:

The pot ‘o veggies before the miso addition. Just remember, never boil your miso!

Andrea’s Healing Miso Soup

  • Add olive oil to soup pot and sauté garlic, bok choy and thinly sliced kale (I used Lacinto/Dinosaur and eat the stems and all)
  • Once those are nicely sauteed add a little water and the following veggies:
    • Shredded daikon radish
    • Scallions
    • Shitake mushrooms
    • Wakame (this is the seaweed usually in miso soup, prepare per package directions)
  • Add as much water as you like depending on how much soup you want and let it bubble and steam for a little bit (not too long, all of these things can be lightly cooked and will be delicious)
  • Boil a big mug’s worth of water and once it is no longer boiling, stir in miso paste. I used mild white miso.
  • Take the big pot of soup off the stove, and once it is no longer boiling add in the miso. Miso should never be boiled.
  • Optional: I sauteed half an onion in a separate pan until it was well carmalized and added it to the soup at the end. It was a really great addition–slightly sweet, and melty, highly recommended.
  • Seasoning: Salt and pepper to taste (I went heavy on the pepper) and cayenne or hot sauce if you want the added sinus clearing benefits.

Nothing left to do but enjoy!

As for day 3 of the Cooler Cleanse, juice #2 today was Grapefruit Mint. I’m not a fan of grapefruit juice, it’s just never been my thing. That said, I can’t imagine how it could have been any better, and it didn’t even cause me to make the face I typically make when I have a sip of grapefruit juice. Despite wishing I had the Pineapple Ginger or Watermelon Lime instead, I did think that this juice was probably perfect for my coming-down-with-a-cold-ness, and for that I was grateful. I have the red juice and almond milk left for this evening, and am looking forward to them both. It’s early to bed for me, and hey, I’m over half way done!

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This juice is pure perfection. I dare you not to love it.

All that I really want to say about day 2 (which was yesterday) is WATERMELON LIME juice. Oh my yum. It was yesterday’s juice number two, taking the place of day number 1′s Pineapple Ginger. It was wonderful. The other swap was that the final juice was Brazil Nut Milk instead of the Almond Milk. I am surprised to say I think I actually preferred the Brazil Nut Milk. It was rich and creamy and I’ve been craving it ever since.

I unfortunately have to report that I’m coming down with a cold (typically I would think this is a detox symptom, but I spent 40 hours in a hospital last week so I’m 98% sure it’s a little bug) so today I added some homemade vegetable and miso soup to my cleanse. My throat is bothering me and I really felt the need for something beyond tea to warm me up and help clear me out. I’ll share that recipe soon because I invented it on the fly, and it turned out really well! As far as the numbers game goes, today the scale showed another 1.5 pound loss bringing me to 8 pounds lighter after 2 days of Cooler Cleanse juices and nothing else. I’ll be curious to see how my soup affects the numbers tomorrow. I’m ok with whatever it says. The Cooler Cleanse people do not recommend adding solid food mind you, and usually I am a super rules follower about such matters, but I’m working on being less rigid and more intuitive. Now I’m going to get some extra sleep and let my nutrient-filled and juiced-up body do a little healing!

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Here's a pic from the Cooler Cleanse website. You get one bag just like this for each day of juice cleansing. They are little and cute and have an ice pack to keep everything fresh.

At the beginning of this year I shared that I was preparing for my own pregnancy and birth by creating and committing to some specific health, fitness, and overall life goals to make sure I am happy, healthy, and glowey when the time comes. I called this effort Project Glow 2010, and just decided to add a 5-day juice cleanse to the mix. I am somewhat of a juice cleanse veteran, and last year I even did a 19 day “juice feast” during which I had nothing but highly-nutritious and mostly green juices.  It was a great experience, but to be honest, since that time I’ve been a bit leery of cleansing, and any other dramatic eating program. I realized that in the past few years I got in the habit of using extreme diet changes (including juicing and  cleanses) as a weight management Hail Mary. I was either fasting or feasting, and what could have been healthy practices became part of a yo-yo dieting debacle. I totally know better, and it completely snuck up on me. As did a whole bunch of pounds. I’ve really spent the last year plan-less, somewhat afraid of anything resembling this kooky dynamic I had created.

When you pick up your 3 days worth of juice, be prepared for a 22 pound haul. I transferred 2 of the coolers to my backpack, and am so thankful I did.

That said, I have had amazing health benefits from various cleansing and detox programs, benefits I could really use now. When I did the 19 day juice feast my period that had been wacky for years became like clockwork, as well as PMS-free and headache-free, within 4 days. A cough I’d had for months disappeared, as did some reflux that had been troubling me and a whole slew of other physical annoyances that told me I was not in optimal health. I think I’m finally back in the right frame of mind to use cleansing as a short term medicine to cure what ails me, while committing to a healthy balanced lifestyle the rest of the time (free from the pre-fast feast). So sensing that the time is right for a little healing, I reached out the the folks at the Cooler Cleanse to help me with a 5-day juice cleanse.

The Cooler Cleanse was co-founded by Salma Hayak, a holistic mama in her own right. I got excited about it because I had read a number of reviews that said that of all the cleanse companies, Cooler Cleanse had the best green juice. Well, that good press plus the fact that the Cooler Cleanse is a little less expensive than other juice cleanses (Blue Print Cleanse, Organic Avenue) inspired me to give it a go. I started the cleanse yesterday, and here’s what I think so far:

I picked up my juice at the West Village location at 171 West 4th Street, between Cornelia & Jones streets.

The Pick Up

You can have the cleanse delivered (Cooler Cleanse delivers nationwide via FedEx Priority Overnight Shipping), which if you have the extra money, or aren’t in NYC is totally worth it. I decided to pick it up (which is free) at one of 3 Juice Generation locations in Manhattan where you can grab your cleanse anytime from 10 am – 8 pm, any day of the week. I received my first 3 days worth of organic, unpasturized, raw juice yesterday, and will pick up the last 2 days on Monday. The big drawback to picking it up, which did not occur to me until I was in Juice Generation, is that Juice Generation sells super delicious muffins, sandwiches, and soups. I used to live around the block from a Juice Generation and their pumpkin muffin and vegetarian soup were frequently in my lunch rotation. So if you’re like me, get in and get out, and try not to peep the product lest you’re foiled before you even begin. Another important note, 3 days of juice weighs 22 pounds, which is serious business. I brought a backpack and put 2 of the 3 coolers in there and it helped immensely.

Three days of cooler cleanse juices all lined up in my fridge. What you see is the first two for each day side by side (juices 3 - 6 are behind).

The Juices

The juices are numbered in the order you are to drink them, which is handy and keeps you from drinking the very best first and then kicking yourself for the rest of the day. I love a tasty juice, and consider myself somewhat of an aficionado, that said I have also consumed tons of non-delicious items in the name of health. Here’s what I found: PURE DELICIOUSNESS. I honestly cannot believe how pleasant all of the juices were. Not a clunker in the bunch, nothing I had to just get down knowing it is good for me. Here’s the breakdown of what was in my day 1 cooler:

Juice 1: Essential Green

This juice was light, mild, and for lack of a better word, nice. Yes it was green, but it didn’t taste oh-so-green, which I appreciated. I also love that it includes dandelion greens, which are great for cleansing the kidneys and liver. This was the easiest drinking green juice I’ve ever had.

Juice 2: Pineapple and Ginger

This juice was lovely. It definitely had some heat from the ginger, which is wonderful at this time of the year. Sometimes pineapple can be syrupy sweet, but this wasn’t. It was perfectly balanced.

Ingredients: cucumber, celery, parsley, spinach, kale, dandelion greens, watercress, pear, lemon, ginger.

Juice 3: Essential Green

Same as before–a minimum of 2 green drinks on any juice cleanse is super important.

Juice 4: Young Coconut Water

I am a huge promoter of coconut water (just ask my clients) and this one did not disappoint. It was a bit better than the kind you can buy at the grocery, I’m sure it is because it is fresher.

Juice 5: Essential Red

This is the juice I was most worried about. I have never liked any of my juice concoctions that have included beet, so I thought this might be “the one.” The one I had to just get down, and get on with it. Nope! It was so good. It was at this point that I was like, come on Cooler Cleanse…where have you been all my life?

Juice 6: Almond Milk

Well, you just can’t go wrong here. I love almond milk, and use it as my milk of choice already for cereal, smoothies, baking, etc… Ending the day with something a little richer, and that has some good fat in it, is really a wonderful treat.

I couldn't help myself and took a big sip before I clicked the pic on this one!

Overall Impression

I am starving, but I am in love. My body has not yet adjusted to the liquid only, and no, I did not bound out of bed this morning full of energy. My cravings are still really distracting (I have never wanted a bowl of brown rice, broccoli, scallions, carrots, and almonds, with lemon-garlic-tahini dressing so badly in my entire life). That said, did you hear how healthy that craving is? In terms of weight I am down a shocking 6.5 pounds today. What that tells me is that I had been eating something that had me retaining water. The key at the end will be to figure out what that was, and to keep avoiding it. I knew something was going on because at about 8 pm I started diuresing (a nursey word for peeing) like crazy, and aside from the juice I had not done a great job of having additional water or tea all day. So I have to say that day one, though full of cravings and temptations, was a big success. I have 4 more to go, and will keep you posted!

*NOTE FOR PREGNANT MAMAS: I want to be clear that I do not recommend juice cleansing/fasting for pregnant mamas. I think it can be great for mamas-to-be like me who are endeavoring on their own project glow. What I do recommend if it appeals to you, is that pregnant mamas add juices, in particular green juices, to an otherwise healthy balanced diet. They are also great healthy-diet additions post delivery, especially for mamas who delivered via caesarean. In that case, green juices are more important than ever as they help with tissue repair.

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Photo credit: Leo Reynolds

Most prenatal vitamins have only 200 – 400 IUs of vitamin D, though new research is showing that more vitamin D can have very important benefits. In a recent study, 500 women who were 12 or more weeks pregnant took either 400, 2,000 or 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily. In the group of women taking 4,000 IU there was a decreased incidence of early labor, premature birth, and infection. I’ve written about the link between infection, premature labor, and vitamin D previously, in Tips for a Holistic Pregnancy and Birth:

The latest research on Vitamin D tells us that this essential nutrient is protective of just about everything. Seriously. Everything. Unfortunately, we’re almost all deficient in this wonder vitamin, a deficiency that may begin in utero. Prenatal vitamin D deficiency may play a role in increased rates of cesarean delivery, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and bacterial vaginitis. Risks to the child long-term relate to brain and immune system function. I talked to Dr. Zina Kroner, Medical Director of New York City’s Advanced Medicine of New York, about vitamin D in pregnancy….Dr. Kroner believes that “checking a prenatal patient’s vitamin D levels is imperative.” When I asked her about cost, she said “insurance will cover the cost if the right diagnostic code is provided. Even if the patient lacks insurance, the cost is approximately $150 at a private lab and labs will usually give a 50% discount if they know that a patient does not have any insurance.” Dr. Kroner believes that “knowing what the level is allows a nutritionally oriented physician to prescribe a more exact dose of vitamin D and decrease the likelihood of undershooting.”

Bruce Hollis, Ph.D., director of pediatric nutritional sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, was one of the authors of the study comparing different doses of vitamin D in pregnancy. In terms of a generalized dosage recommendation he believes “Pregnant women need to take 4,000 IU of vitamin D a day,” and that “we didn’t see a single adverse effect. It was absolutely safe, and we saw a lot of improved outcomes. The risk of preterm labor was vastly decreased and so was the risk of other complications of pregnancy.” [as reported by Denise Mann for Health.com] One hypothesis about how vitamin D can contribute to a healthy birth is that premature labor is often a consequence of a sub-clinical (meaning you don’t know you have it) infection. Studies have shown that the incidence of an infection called bacterial vaginosis–the number one cause of preterm labor–increases along with vitamin D deficiency.

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My personal fav water bottles (I'm totally biased). Click the pic for more info.

I have blogged previously about ditching the bottled water habit in favor of packing your own filtered tap water, in large part because I know from personal experience that making the switch over takes some commitment (and frequent reminding). When I’m at a birth, for instance, I almost always end up buying a couple of plastic bottles of water, even if I packed my own to start. I haven’t quite figured out how to conveniently pack a quantity of water that will get me through an entire long day (and sometimes night). Too frequently, however, I don’t have this kind of reasonable excuse. Sometimes I’m simply not diligent about packing my own when headed out to the movies, or to teach a childbirth education class–times when a single liter bottle would definitely suffice.

I’m mentioning this today because I was just inspired to hop back on the BYO*H2O train when catching up with the Huffington Post. The Huff Po ran the graphic below to highlight some of the reasons to avoid bottled water when possible, and I’m thankful for the reminder, as it will get me to again put my Lovemore water bottles into heavy rotation. If you’re a regular reader of this blog you know that Lovemore is my other labor of love. Lovemore is a green wear and gear line I started with my sister (the whole backstory can be found here), and stainless steel water bottles have been part of our love-infused product line since day one. We initially got into the water bottle biz because of our desire to provide an alternative to drinking from bottles made with toxic BPA. This is still my number one reason to avoid plastic bottles. That said, I really appreciated the point in the infographic about how reliance on bottled water contributes to disinvestment in the public water systems, and further adds to the public health and human rights issue of clean quality drinking water as a privledge, not a right. Well, that’s a reality that’s just plain wrong. I hope you’ll join me today in recommitting to BYO*H2O!

Bottled Water

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World Water Week & BPA-Free Water Bottles

by Andrea Crossman, RN, BS, BA on March 25, 2010

in General Health & Wellbeing,Holistic Health

Love the earth more and love your body more by choosing a BPA-free water bottle

World Water Day was Monday, but the folks behind a new documentary, Tapped thought one day was not enough and have declared it World Water Week. Below you can check out the trailer for the documentary, and the short film The Story of Bottled Water. One of the main takeaways from both is that bottled water is bad for the environment and in many cases health too.

My sister and I started a company a few years ago, Lovemore, and we have always had BPA free water bottles (made of medical grade stainless steel) in our green living gear line. Despite having one of these bottles in every size and color, I too sometimes forget to plan ahead. I’m thankful for the reminder to get back to filling my Lovemore bottle from the tap (I use a PUR filter as well) and decreasing my impact. Perhaps the reminder is timely for you too! Happy World Water Week!

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Click the pic for your own PDF or iPhone download of the list!

I just received my grocery delivery for the week–avocados, celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, tahini, spinach, lettuce, kale, lemons, limes, pineapple, etc…–and wanted to share a tip with you. I would love to buy everything organic, and ultimately think that’s the best for the health of both people and the planet. That said, financial concerns are valid and the ability to purchase all organic, all the time is prohibitive for many. This is where a tool from the Environmental Working Group comes in handy. They have created a Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides and identified the Clean Fifteen and the Dirty Dozen. This guide helps you know where your organic dollars are the most valuable, and where you can buy conventional with less risk of pesticide contamination. As a car-free New York City dweller, I do much of my shopping online, and I often look up this useful guide while making my purchasing decisions. If you shop like most people do–that is, not from a computer screen–the Environmental Working Group has the hook up for you as well. You can download the card you see above as a free PDF, or straight on to your iPhone (cool, right?).

Here is some more information from EWG’s foodnews.org about their Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides:

Why Should You Care About Pesticides?

The growing consensus among scientists is that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human health, especially during fetal development and early childhood. Scientists now know enough about the long-term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals to advise that we minimize our consumption of pesticides.

What’s the Difference?

EWG research has found that people who eat the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat the 15 least contaminated conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables ingest fewer than 2 pesticides daily. The Guide helps consumers make informed choices to lower their dietary pesticide load.

Will Washing and Peeling Help?

Nearly all the studies used to create these lists assume that people rinse or peel fresh produce. Rinsing reduces but does not eliminate pesticides. Peeling helps, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the skin. The best approach: eat a varied diet, rinse all produce and buy organic when possible.

How Was This Guide Developed?

EWG analysts have developed the Guide based on data from nearly 87,000 tests for pesticide residues in produce conducted between 2000 and 2007 and collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. You can find a detailed description of the criteria EWG used to develop these rankings and the complete list of fruits and vegetables tested at our dedicated website, www.foodnews.org.

While looking for the clean fifteen-dirty dozen, EWG actually evaluated 47 foods in all. Want to view the whole list? Click here.

Thank you to EWG for this wonderful resource, and here’s wishing all of you a healthy, delicious week!

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Leslie Reichert, aka The Cleaning Coach, reached out to Holistic Doula NYC after reading Project Glow 2010: Green Cleaning. Leslie wrote a book called The Joy of Green Cleaning and was kind enough to do an interview with me to share some of her best tips and cleaning recipes with our holistic mamas. She is also offering $5 off the Joy of Green Cleaning ebook for our holistic mamas, making the book just 5 buckaroos. To get in on the green goodness just use code CGOJT here and get cleaning!

Why would a holistic mama want to make her own cleaning supplies?

We need to remember that the only way you really know what is in a cleaning product is if you make it yourself. The chemical industry does not have to list all the ingredients that are in their cleaners. Some are starting to list some, but they call their formulas proprietary information so there are no standards about what they can or can’t put into a cleaner. Chemicals in our homes are one of the biggest concerns for a new mother. It may take a little more time to research and make your own cleaners, but the time investment definitely out weighs the health problems down the road.

Is it hard to make your own green cleaning supplies? Do you need a lot of hard-to-find ingredients?

Not really. Most of the ingredients for the cleaners in my book are actually found in your pantry. It is amazing, but the old-fashioned recipes your great-grandmother used really do work!

What ingredients should a holistic mama have on hand to make her own cleaning supplies?

There are the “basic 4″ which are baking soda, salt, lemon juice and white vinegar. I also use Borax, hydrogen peroxide and club soda. These are the simple ingredients that can make most of the cleaners you need for your home!

For soon to be moms, do you have any tips or recipes to set up the nursery?

You can make a carpet freshener by mixing baking soda, borax and an essential oil like lemongrass. Or a spot wipe can be made from white vinegar, club soda and an essential oil. Just soak some paper towels in the mixture and store in an airtight container.

And what about after the baby comes, any special recommendations?

One area that we tend to overlook is the laundry soap we are using. You want to use an all-natural soap so that your baby’s skin does not get irritated. I have my great grandmother’s laundry soap recipe on my book site that all your readers can try. It is just four simple ingredients: soap flakes, borax, baking soda, and washing soda. All of these can be purchased on line or in a grocery store. {You can find these items on Leslie’s site here}

Leslie Reichert's book is $5 off for HDNYC's holistic mamas! Click the pic and use code CGOJT. Enjoy!

I just want new and soon-to-be moms to remember using natural cleaners is a great way to keep their new baby healthy and protected from toxins. We bombard our kids with so many chemicals that today the indoor air quality of our homes is more dangerous than the air outside. I’d just want your readers to remember one thing about the ingredients in cleaning chemicals: If you can’t say it- don’t spray it!

Let me leave you with a simple recipe to try at home. This is what I call my Green Cleaning Scrub. This will take the place of any type of powdered cleanser you use to clean the sinks, tubs or even the toilet bowl.

  • 1/2 c baking soda
  • 1/2 c  borax
  • 1/2 c table salt
  • 5 drops of any essential oil for scent

Mix these ingredients and place in an airtight shaker container. Use it anywhere you would use any powdered cleanser You will be amazed how clean your kitchen sink will be!

Want more info?

In this little YouTube video you can watch Leslie (who couldn’t be cuter by the way) making 2 of her potions, including the recipe she shared above, AND cleaning a toilet. Don’t worry, it’s not gross, and apparently makes the entire bathroom smell fantastic!

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Dr. David Servan-Schreiber recommends, "Try to get at least 20 minutes of daily sun exposure...without sunscreen, preferably at noon in the summer....This will boost your body's natural production of Vitamin D." For protection in the off-season have your Vitamin D levels checked and supplement accordingly.

Today I’m sharing 2 great health-related links from the Huffington Post. The first link is to a post by Dr. Andrew Weil about all-important Vitamin D. I’ve written previously about why Vitamin D is so important for mamas to be. Don’t recall? Refresh your memory here. The second post relates to living well to avoid cancer. Dr. David Servan-Schreiber has compiled “20 New Anti-Cancer Rules” and it’s a pretty good list. I will say, Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s list does not come from a vegetarian or vegan perspective. Vegetarian and vegan diets have long been known to have anticancer properties, so keep doing what you’re doing if you’re in camp veg. Though cancer may not be top of mind for my mostly young and healthy audience, I suspect that the groundwork for health problems gets laid much earlier than most of us realize (some new research is saying in utero actually!), so it’s never too soon to start living optimally. Here’s to your health!

  • New Recommendation: Why You Need More Vitamin D
  • 20 New Anticancer Rules
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