Bake Sale

The fundraising time of year seems to have hit full force at both my kids' schools.  Being a Nutritionist I was asked by one group to come up with some healthy alternatives to the regular offerings.

I suggested such things as:

- fresh, whole fruit (apples, bananas, pears).

- fruit kabobs (strawberries, grapes, pineapple chunks, melon chunks)

- cut fresh fruit in a baggie (orange wedges, grapes, melon chunks)

- cut fresh veggies in a baggie (carrots, celery, peppers, cucumber)

- popcorn (1/2 cup popping corn, 3 tbsp coconut oil popped in a heavy bottomed pot) salted with sea salt and divided into baggies

- popcorn mix (popcorn, dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, blueberries), unsalted pretzels, dark chocolate chips) divided into baggies

- nuts, seeds and dried fruit in a baggie

Remember the Dirty Dozen list when choosing fruits and vegetables.

I also took traditional bake sale recipes and modified them.  Less sugar and salt.  Substituted olive oil or non-GMO margarine for butter.  Rice, almond or soy instead of milk.  Changed the flour to whole wheat for all or part of the recipe.

Vegan To Go

My son is in Air Cadets and they go away every once and a while on weekend Survival Exercise.  They are given pouches of food (MRE - Meal, Ready-to-Eat) that they heat up and consume to replenish all those burned up calories.  The Squadron obtains their supply from a really well run company called Meal Kit Supply Canada (cool website/great videos).  Just out of curiosity I emailed them and asked for an ingredients list.  Because of the way they are packaged they do not need preservatives, but that doesn't automatically make them healthy.  Most of the offerings have a meat base (bad).  Those that are vegetarian are mainly dairy laden (bad).  Lots of the offerings had ingredients you could pronounce (good).  The one thing that contained the fewest and most "natural" ingredients was the Blackberry Jam which had blackberries as the first ingredient and SUGAR as the second (bad).  Other items (mainly the drinks and deserts) had corn syrup as a main ingredient.  The meals do live up to their promise of providing calories, but surely consuming that much sugar would affect the immune system that is already stressed from the act of "survival".

So I was beginning to think I would need to start my own line of products that provided healthy nutrition without meat or dairy, and sugar at the bottom of the list (if at all), but then a friend introduced me to Tasty Bite.  It is similar packaging style to the MREs but the food in Tasty Bite packaging contains is just that, FOOD.  Indian and pan-Asian cuisine that is vegetarian, many containing lentils and beans.  Most are designated Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, and Kosher.  And, as a bonus, it costs the same or cheaper than the MREs.

The applications for this type of food appear endless.  Living in Victoria, we are always conscious of Earthquakes and having enough food to cover 72 hours.  Tasty Bite has a "Very Vegan" kit that would be perfect.   Living and playing on the West Coast also requires food that is easily transported.  Again, Tasty Bite fits the bill.  Even just having food on hand when you run out of real food and need something to throw into your lunch.  Tasty Bite is it.  Having a healthy alternative to enjoy in times of stress or times of joy can only benefit your well being.

Now I have to work on convincing the Air Cadet Squadron.

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you enjoyed yours.  I did.  I'm in my new place and I had my family here this weekend helping me cook up a feast.

I love Thanksgiving.  It is the one meal in the year where people actually eat lots of vegetables.  You could hardly even find the turkey on my plate because it was overwhelmed with plant food.

What does a nutritionist eat for Thanksgiving?  LOTS.

I got a turkey roll/roast from The Village Butcher in Oak Bay that I basted with vegetable stock and orange juice.  I made a cranberry glaze for the turkey that I used for the last baste (cranberry sauce, orange juice, rosemary, Dijon, Worcestershire, and garlic).  A little red wine, vegetable stock and flour made the pan juices into a great gravy.  There was also rice and apple stuffing (olive oil, apples, onion, sage, garlic, nutmeg, allspice, paprika, orange juice, wild rice, and bacon).

We also ate green beans and mushrooms, zucchini and tomatoes, baked sweet potatoes, and the very best Brussles sprouts ever (cooked in a skillet with garlic and olive oil and steamed with soy sauce).

Of course there was also pumpkin pie.  I forgot to buy coconut milk ice cream but no one cared, we just ate it plain.

And then there were the leftovers.  Yum!

Open For Business

I spent my summer doing non-nutritionally related things like building a cabin and moving.  I have brought that spirit of new beginnings back to my work and I have decided to advertize.  Word of mouth is working really well but I keep driving by people who look like they could use my help, so I did this:

Kids' Lunches

I know it is the end of the school year but that doesn't mean you have to stop thinking about what to pack for the kids' lunches.  There is always summer camp.

My kids have tiffin tins that I bought in China Town.  A tiffin tin is a stack of three (or two or four) round tins with one lid on the top and a clasp that locks them all together.  Just Google image "tiffin tin" for a picture.  They were about $25 each.  The kids also have steel water bottles and a Thermos each.

Having three different compartments helps me focus on areas of nutrition.  Lately, with all the new local fresh fruits and vegetables coming on the market I have devoted one compartment to fruit, one to vegetables and one to nuts, seeds and dried fruit.  For example I cut up an apple (half for each kid), an orange, a kiwi and throw in some strawberries and that is the fruit done.  In the vegetable compartment I put in a chunk of cucumber, cut up some carrots and green pepper and that is done.  For the nuts, seeds and dried fruit I use almonds, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin, sunflower, dates, raisins, coconut, papaya and mango.

Some days I make hummus and put hummus and pita in a compartment.  I also add hummus to the vegetable compartment as a dip.  Tortilla chips and salsa is good as long as the salsa isn't too watery (if it is, it leaks).

I also make veggie wraps with sprouted grain tortilla shells.  I use hummus as a spread, or mayonnaise, then cut up cucumber and tomatoes, and add what my daughter refers to as "hairys" - alfalfa sprouts, and lettuce.

Sometimes I make a leftover compartment from dinner the night before.  Vegan pizza, Huevos Rancheros (Rebar cookbook), salads, soup (in the Thermos), pasta...  But don't forget to pack the utensils.  I've had lunches come home uneaten because of no utensils (they don't think to go to the staffroom and ask to borrow some).

When my daughter makes her lunch she likes to boil an egg.

And we do do the standard sandwiches every once and a while like almond butter and jam, but not often.

Finally, when you forget to go shopping and there is nothing in the house, it is always fun to show up at the school with sushi from the grocery store, or better yet, my daughter and I went out for lunch.  We bought Subway and sat in the park and ate it.  It was a great spontaneous thing to do and we both said we should do it again soon.

Hope this helps to spark your imagination.

Let me know what YOU do for lunches.

Rebar Makes Good Linguine

I have to share this recipe with you.  It is straight from the Rebar cookbook p. 172.

PeanutSauce
Yield 3/4 cup

1/4 cup smooth, natural peanut butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sambal oelek
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

In a blender, add all of the ingredients from the garlic through to the sambal oelek.  Blend until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend.

LotusLandLinguine
with wok-fried vegetables and peanut sauce
Serves 4

1 x recipe peanut sauce
1 lb linguine noodles
1 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, julienned
2 carrots, half moon slices
1 large red pepper, 1/2" triangles
1 bunch broccoli, florets and stem slices
4 oz snow peas
4 heads baby bok choy, leaves seperated
2 bunch scallions, 1-inch long slices
sesame oil

Heat a large pot of water for cooking the pasta.  In a small pot, gently heat the peanut sauce, adding a bit of stock or water to thin, if necessary.

Begin cooking the noodles when you start the stir-fry as they will take about the same amount of time.  Have a colander ready in the sink for draining the pasta.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat.  Add oil and, just before it starts to smoke, add the onion.  Stir-fry the onion until translucent and then add remaining vegetables in order of their cooking times, beginning with carrots and ending with snow peas, bok choy and scallions.  Continue stirring and tossing the vegetables, keeping them crisp and brightly coloured.  If they start to stick, add a splash of water an cover briefly.

Toss the drained noodles with a splash of sesame oil.  Divide the noodles among serving plates, top with vegetables and drizzle with warm peanut sauce.  Garnish with crushed peanuts, freshly chopped cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.

Indulge

OK, I preach healthy eating and I hope you enjoy eating and feeling healthy, but sometimes, like on very special occasions, you feel like eating "bad" to feel good.  Why not?  It doesn't mean you have to completely dump your principles.  Take cake and ice cream for instance.  There are ways to enjoy them and not have them totally overrun your digestive system.

An example is The Pink Sugar Cupcakery in Victoria.  Even from the name you can tell that the treats have sugar in them (that depresses your immune system) but they are dairy and egg free so your stomach won't get upset.  And as long as you don't eat a whole box at once, and only do it once and a while, you should be fine.  The PSC donated a few trays of mini cupcakes to the South Park School Auction the other night.  I tried a few there (they were small after all) and they were spectacular.

Ice cream is out of the question as it is dairy, of course.  But how about a REALLY good alternative.  So good in fact that you are thrilled that it isn't made from cow milk.  So Delicious is the name of the company and they have coconut milk ice cream that is AMAZING!  They also have other coconut milk products and soy products.  They even have some no sugar added stuff so you can actually be doing very little harm to that wonderful immune system of yours and still feel like you are indulging!

Remember, WHATEVER you choose to eat, eat with purpose.  There is no sense in feeling guilty as it just ruins the taste.  Make the decision to ENJOY what you put in your mouth.

Curry Quinoa Salad

Here is a great salad recipe that can stand alone for lunch or as a side with dinner.  I made it for dinner along with baked salmon and steamed broccoli.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Servings: 4-6 (about 1 cup each)

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
Pinch of salt
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded (about 1 cup)
1 - 14oz can no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Granny Smith apples (organic), halved, cored and chopped (or thinly sliced)
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 limes juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups mixed greens (per serving of salad)

1.  In a saucepan, combine quinoa, water, spices and salt.  Bring to a boil, cover, then simmer on low for 15-20 minutes until quinoa turns transparent and liquid is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork, cool and place in a large bowl.

2.  Add carrots, chickpeas, onions, apples, pumpkin seeds and parsley.

3.  To make the dressing:  Whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Pour over quinoa mixture and toss.  (*I poured the dressing over the apple mixture in step 2 to keep the apples from going brown then mixed in the quinoa when it cooled)

4.  Divide into four servings and serve over a bed of mixed greens.   (I sprinkled on some walnuts for extra garnish but almonds would would as well.)

Note:  The quinoa mixture will keep in the fridge for a week, but wail until ready to eat to mix in the greens.

Southwestern Minestrone

I made soup last night for dinner and I have to share the recipe with you.  It was so good I had four bowls!

I adapted the recipe a little bit from my Rebar cookbook p. 128.


Lone Star Minestrone 
(serves 8-10)
 Prep:  15 minutes
Cook:  1 hour

10 cups (2 1/2 L) vegetable stock
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp chile powder
1 medium yam, peeled and diced
4 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced
1 organic* sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
1 small zucchini, diced
8 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp chipotle puree
1 x 15 oz can kidney beans
1 cup corn
1/2 cup macaroni (I used vegetable macaroni)
season with sea salt if necessary
chopped fresh oregano and cilantro to garnish
1 lime cut into wedges
(*don't forget, bell peppers are a dirty dozen)

Heat stock and keep it warm while you do the following:  Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until translucent.  Stir in garlic, jalapenos, spices, yam and half of the oregano.  Cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.  Add the pepper, zucchini, and cook 5 minutes longer.  Pour in the warm stock and add tomatoes, chipotle and beans.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the corn, remaining oregano and macaroni (if serving right away - otherwise boil separately and add when needed).  Simmer until pasta is tender.  Season to taste and serve with chopped fresh herbs and lime wedges.

Vegans for Israel

My dragon boat team has the opportunity to go to Israel for a festival in May, 2012.  At practice the other day we were talking about eating to get healthy and also to lose weight.  Coach thought it would be a good idea if the boat went vegan (well, maybe I did).  But, she thought it would be a good idea for the boat to lose some weight.  Someone came up with the slogan "Vegans for Israel" and it stuck.  So I'm going to help out my fellow teammates by coming up with some meal plans and posting them here on my blog.

Calories

I'm not one for counting calories. If you are eating the right kinds of food (mostly raw fruits and vegetables, with a few beans and grains) you should be able to eat as much as your body wants of that wonderful food. But if you are obsessed with counting, here is the Optimum Diet as put forth by Andrew Weil, M.D. in his book Eating Well For Optimum Health:

 2,000-3,000 calories a day depending on gender, body size and activity level.

Carbohydrates:
Women 225-270 g, Men 288-345 g
- whole grains, beans, vegetables, nontropical fruits

Fat:
67 g
- oily fish, eggs, walnuts, hemp seeds, flax seeds

Protein:
50-100 g
- vegetable protein, beans

Vitamins and Minerals:
- a diet high in fresh foods (lots of fruits and vegetables) will provide most micronutrients your body needs but supplement with:
- 100 mg Vitamin C twice a day
- 400-800 IU Vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol)
- 200 mcg Selenium (yeast-bound form)
- 25,000 IU mixed carotenoids
- 400 mcg folic acid in a B-complex vitamin

Fiber:
- 400 g
- fruits (especially berries), vegetables (especially beans)

Protective Phytochemicals:
- eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms
- drink green tea

Water:
- 8 glasses of distilled water

Calcium

Here is your science lesson for the day.

Calcium builds bone until the age of 35 and then helps to prevent bone loss after that. To ensure that calcium is absorbed from the intestines there needs to be the right amount of calcium in diet and the right amount of vitamin D in body.

Vitamin D is actually a hormone produced by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight (15 minutes a day is enough). It must be activated by PTH (parathyroid hormone) turning it into calcitriol (Active D). Calcitriol increases the rate at which calcium is absorbed from food in the intestine.

Falling calcium levels in the blood cause an increase in PTH secretion which converts more vitamin D into calcitriol and increases the amount of calcium that is absorbed from food. If blood calcium levels go up PTH stops being secreted and the body stops making calcitriol so less calcium is absorbed. The key is to consume only moderate amounts of calcium rather than megadose. 600 mg of calcium a day is enough (7.5 oz can of salmon with bones). Megadosing calcium supplements will actually cause the body to absorb LESS calcium.

Calcium-rich foods:
salmon (with bones)
collards, bok choy, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale
broccoli, brussels sprouts
figs, oranges
navy beans, pinto beans, kidney beans


Co-factor nutrients ensure the calcium-PTH-calcitriol regulatory mechanism is working properly.

Magnesium - essential for release of PTH - moves calcium from blood into bones
Copper - moves calcium from blood into bones
Manganese - moves calcium from blood into bones
Phosphorus - essential for laying down bone - EXCESS blocks secretion of PTH and blocks absorption of calcium and magnesium from intestines - keeps soft drinks bubbly (nothing worse for the bones of a teenage girl than Coke or Pepsi)
Vitamin A - enables calcitriol
EFAs - enable calcitriol

These co-factor nutrients are found in seafood (fish), beans (tofu), vegetables (spinach), whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal), nuts (almonds, brazil, walnuts), and seeds (sesame).

Afternoon Snack

The trouble with being hungry in the afternoon is that you tend to be out and about and can, potentially, grab the first thing you see (chocolate bar, donut). The best defense is a good offense. Have a plan and have something in your pocket (um, banana in your pocket... never mind!) or in a bag.

Ideas:

- a piece of fruit (grapefruit, apple, banana)
- nuts, seeds and dried fruit (almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, raisins, dates)
- hummus and pita
- cut fresh vegetables (if you need a dip, try salsa)
- hard boiled egg

Get "Moving"

Something simple to do each morning to get your body "moving" is to drink a glass of water.

- glass of distilled water
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- dash of cayenne pepper

Drinking this will wake you up and start peristalsis (the contraction and relaxation of the muscles in your digestive tract that pushes food along). It helps encourage you to go to the bathroom and rid your body of toxins that have built up since the last bathroom visit.

This can also count as one of your eight glasses of water each day.

Couldn't Have Said It Better

While surfing I came upon these two great 20 minute videos on food from the TED Talks series.
Mark Bittman's What's Wrong with What We Eat:



and Ann Cooper's School Lunches:



When you are done watching you can read Mark Bittman's New York Times article and soup recipes that started me surfing Creamy, Brothy, Earthy, Hearty.  Of course I would recommend that you don't do the dairy (substitute coconut milk), but the idea of creating fresh homemade soup just makes my mouth water.  Twelve recipes with simple alterations and simple ingredients.  Mark has four more recipes on his blog.  And here is his website link.

Here is Ann Cooper's website.

Protein Myth

When I speak of being Vegan or suggest to my clients that they adopt a Vegan diet I am always asked "what about protein".  I have begun to shorten my response to something like the following:

"Do you know how big a cow gets?  Now tell me what a cow eats to get that big."

OK so it is not very informative but it gives them something to ponder.  And, by the way the correct answer would be grass/plants, not the antibiotics and growth hormones most cows are injected with these days.

Check out this awesome Protein Myth video by Tim VanOrden of Running Raw.  He will set you straight.  Amino acids, Baby!  You don't need protein.  Just eat raw food.  Enzymes!

Easy Lunch

There is a guy I know who always has the most spectacular looking lunches.  I told him I was going to blog about him.  So here it goes.

In passing, you might think he eats the same thing every day, but looking closer, or talking to him you would see otherwise.  It starts as a salad of mixed greens and almost always contains spinach.  There is usually an avocado and tomatoes chunked into it but after that, anything is fair game.  He usually uses dinner from the night before.  Beans, rice, corn... and sometimes some animal protein such as chicken or fish.  It is all topped off with a vinaigrette of balsamic vinegar and oil (Flax? - I'll have to ask).  How easy is that?  My mouth is watering already!  Give it a try and let me know what combination you used.

Here is a favorite vinaigrette recipe from my Rebar cookbook:

Cascade Spinach Salad p. 25
Vinaigrette
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt (use sea salt)
1/4 tsp cracked pepper
1 tsp minced rosemary (I grind up dried rosemary with a mortar and pestle)
1/3 cup olive oil

Whisk all ingredients together.

Toothpaste

Check this out.  A friend sent me this link for homemade toothpaste.  I'm going to try making it this weekend.

Our family gave up using toothpaste a few years ago.  It was because we wanted to reduce the chemicals and toxins we put into our body.  It was also fueled by our dentist who told us that we didn't need to use toothpaste.  We are actually getting better check-ups now because we brush more.  Instead of standing at the sink timing our brushing, we sit in front of the computer or TV and brush our way through whole shows.  We also have toothbrushes in the car and though we look a bit strange, we are able to smile huge, clean smiles at other drivers.  Not sure if it qualifies as hand held device.  I'll ask my police officer friend.

So, for some variety, the kids and I are going to make toothpaste this weekend.

Homemade Toothpaste
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons baking soda
1/2 small packet of stevia powder
20-25 drops of peppermint oil*
1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, using a fork.
*Add about half of the amount of peppermint oil to start, and test the toothpaste to see how much you want/like.
When brushing, use warm water to rinse or it will stick to the sink.

Probiotics

I saw a great infomercial on KCTS9 the other night featuring Brenda Watson and her book "The Road to Perfect Health".  I always take infomercials with a grain of salt but all her information was correct.

She stated that for optimum results the culture count needs to be 15 billion - so I went and looked at my probiotic and found it was lacking (I'm looking for a new one).  The other important piece of info to look for on the bottle is the potency at the expiration of the product.  It should say right on the bottle what the culture count should be when it expires (I would think it should also hover at the 15 billion mark) - don't forget, this is a living thing and it should be kept in the fridge.

Brenda said the more strains of bacteria the better (10+) and that "Lacto" bacteria was for the "Little" intestine and "Bifido" was for the "Big" intestine.  She also suggested getting a delayed release type of capsule so that it releases in the intestines, not the stomach.

Why do we need probiotics?  To regulate the our internal health.  Probiotics help to decrease yeast and boost the immune system.  Yeast is crowed out by the good bacteria and good bacteria stimulate the immune cells that line the GI tract.  A cleaner, healthier gut also aids in digestion making it easier to get nutrients from food.

And don't forget to get a dairy free version!

Baby Food

My girlfriend wanted some suggestions on what to feed her baby.

Introduce new foods one at a time.  A larger amount of a single food at a feeding, rather than small amounts of several foods, allows the baby to get used to one new food so that they'll be less likely to reject it or have an allergic reaction.  Oddly, a small amount of food is more likely to cause an allergic reaction than a large amount.  Make sure the food is as organic as possible so that if they do have an allergic reaction, you will know it is to the food and not the chemicals.

The blender is your friend!

1. Seven Months - Cereal - Start them on soft, bland, smooth foods, such as cereal (iron-fortified rice, oat, or barley - NO wheat).  Try soaking steel-cut oats overnight and then blending them in the blender.  No need for cooking.  Raw food has all the good enzymes to help him digest it easily.  Remember to start out with the cereal really watery (you can add breast milk if you like).  Start with 1/8 tsp. of cereal at a time and work up as he is able to handle it.  After three days you can try the next type of cereal.

2. Eight Months - Vegetables - Move on to foods with a coarser texture and stronger taste, such as squash, pureed green beans and peas, pumpkin, and potatoes, both sweet and red.  NO spinach, beets, turnips, carrots, or collard greens until they are nine months old.

3. Nine Months - Fruits - About a month after starting vegetables, they should be ready for fruits.  Applesauce, peaches, apricots, pears, nectarines and plums.

Vegetables - Next, chunky, chewy foods such as broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, asparagus tips, kale, tomatoes, spinach, beets, turnips, carrots, and collard greens.  Serve each one every four to five days until they become familiar with them.  If they show gassiness or bloating, especially after eating turnips or collard greens, wait about a month before trying them again.

Then, finger foods such as cooked carrot sticks.

4. Ten Months - "Protein" (which they are already getting from the fruits and vegetables) - meat, poultry, beans, egg yolks, hummus, tahini, almond butter.

A great idea would be to give them a teaspoon of flaxseed oil in their food each day for Omega-3s.

5. One Year - fish and egg whites.  They should be eating everything now.

No sugar, salt, wheat or dairy and they will be laughing and most likely healthier than all their peers!

Sick Kids

My kids are sick.  Not as sick as their friends or any of the adults I know, but sick none the less.  Health is the ability to overcome a disease, not the absence of it.  So I turn to supplements to boost my kids immune function.  Remember A.C.E.S. + Zinc.

Vitamin A 10,000 units
Vitamin C 2,000 mg

You can megadose Vitamin C if your child is at home, sick.  To mega dose administer 1,000 mg per hour until there are loose bowels/diarrhea.  This is the saturation point.  Stop for the day.  The next day give 1,000 mg every two to three hours until loose bowels occur, then stop for the day.  The third day you should be able to give them 1,000 mg every four to six hours without loose bowels and continue this dosage until the cold is over.

Vitamin E 400 units
Selenium 100 mcg
Zinc 20 mg

Probiotic -15 billion count, 10+ strains, time release

Fish Oil/Flax Seed Oil - 1 Tablespoon
Cod Liver Oil - 1 teaspoon

It won't hurt to take these yourself.  And please, everyone, WASH YOUR HANDS!

Green Drinks

Green drinks are a super way to get energized and ensure you get some really good nutrition into you.

I use the VegeGreens blueberry flavor by Progressive but I don't stop there.  I add a teaspoon of Ascorbic Acid which is Vitamin C crystals.  It is sour - like sour candies - but refreshing and sooooo good for you.

Did you know that your body will only use what Vitamin C it needs and will get rid of the rest.  At first that sounds like a waste of money, but in reality, most of us aren't getting enough of what are body needs.  In fact, when you are sick your body can absorb ten times the normal amount of Vitamin C it usually needs.

To top it off I add a teaspoon of fish oil to the green drink.  Nutra Sea has a great lemon flavored one.  They have also recently come out with two different types of Omega 3 oils one is a vegetarian one and the other is squid oil.  The original comes from anchovies and sardines.

I usually take my supplements with my green drink, including probiotics.  I use Natural Factors Women's Multi Probiotic with CranRich.

A very interesting side note:  Natural Factors will not allow its products to be sold in stores that sell tobacco products.  I think that is wonderful and I'm going to write the company and tell them.