Why eat sea vegetables? Well, for one thing sea plants contain between 10-20 times the minerals of land vegetables. In fact, ounce for ounce sea vegetables contain more minerals than any other food group.  That means you only have to eat a small amount of them to benefit nutritionally.  Sea vegetables are a good source of the minerals iodine, magnesium, iron, calcium, copper, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, vanadium and zinc. They also contain vitamin A, B, C, D, E and K.

Another good reason to eat sea vegetables is for their anti- inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-cancer (specifically colon and estrogen related cancers) properties. There are also some cardiovascular benefits such as lowering overall cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. I could go on and practically write a book on the research and studies that have been done showing the health benefits of sea vegetables but there are already a few books out there on this topic so if you are interested you can read up for yourself. Suffice it to say this is some good -for -you stuff!

There are many different species of sea plants that are edible and several varieties can be found in health stores, mostly in a dried form which is perfect for long term storage. Some require a little soaking time before using but they can easily be incorporated into your diet by adding small pieces to your favorite soup, stir fry, salad or sandwich giving you the full benefit of their nutrients. Just follow the directions on the package for prepping the sea vegetables for use. A couple of easy ways I have found to use sea vegetables is when cooking beans add a strip of kombu to the cooking water. This will actually reduce the cooking time and make the beans more digestible. Another way is to use organic dulse or kelp granules or flakes that can be sprinkled over food in place of salt. I found some made by Marine Coast Sea Vegetables that I like.

Some of the most commonly used sea vegetables are:

Kombu: This is a very dark green/black plant that is dried and sold in sheets or strips. You can use it to flavor soup or add to the water when cooking beans.

Nori:  Nori is dark purple to black in color but turns green when toasted. Nori is most commonly used to make sushi rolls but can also be crumbled over salads or in soups.

Wakame: Green in color and most often used in miso soup.

Dulse: Dulse is a red/brown color and is great to chop and sprinkle into soups, stir fry or other vegetable dishes.

Arame: This is a good starter sea vegetable since it is milder than some of the others. It’s a shiny brown/black color and can be used as a seasoning or even baked in bread or muffins.

Kelp: Kelp is a good sea vegetable to have in flakes or granules to use as a seasoning or in place of salt. It is a brown/green color.

You most likely won’t want to jump right in and start munching on kelp in place of a tossed salad but try adding a little at a time in every application you can and start enjoying the benefits of this abundant ocean resource in your healthy life.

Kristy

I love living in Southern California.  It’s wonderful being able to go outside each and every day to exercise.  Before moving here my husband and I would go out for a 3 mile run and it would be a piece of cake.  Not so much in Southern California.  Finding a flat stretch of land is next to impossible.  It’s hilly here to say the least.  When we first transitioned to running here I would see a hill coming up and panic.  I would psych myself out before I even made it half way up.  A week later, running up the same GINORMOUS hill I made a deal with myself.  I would keep my head down and just focus on making it to small points along the way.  Once I got to that point I would pick another point not too far off.  Again and again I would focus on just getting to that next point.  Not only did I make it up the hill but I felt better when I got to the top.  Starting out with a healthier lifestyle is no different.  Trying to change everything at once is overwhelming and often leads to disappointment.

In this 10 week guide you’ll be making small changes each week.  Over time you’ll slowly phase out the bad habits and ease into the healthy ones.  By focusing on smaller goals each week you’ll find that changing over to a healthy lifestyle isn’t so overwhelming after all.  Some weeks will be harder than others but keep focused and remember – you CAN do this!

~Sarah

WEEK 1 – Drink more water and eliminate soda

Each day drink one more cup of water until you reach the minimum of 6-8 glasses daily. Have a glass of water on your desk, put a bottle in your purse and car and drink up.   We all know that chemically created soft drinks are the worst beverage choice we can make so this is the week to say farewell.  Start drinking only pure natural drinks, like filtered water, fresh fruit and vegetable juices or green tea.  If you’re still craving the bubbly stuff try adding a squirt of lemon to a glass of sparkling mineral water.

WEEK 2 – Out with the fast food and in with the homemade meals

This week we not only eliminate fast foods but we get into a habit of planning ahead.  If you used to grab a “McBurger” for lunch, be prepared and make yourself a delicious salad, a sandwich with whole grain bread or even use some tasty leftovers from dinner.  Pack it in your lunch bag and it will be ready to grab the next morning on your way to work.

WEEK 3 – Sugar and Salt

Throw out the table salt and replace it with some sea salt and coarse ground fleur de sel or other coarse ground sea salt.  Use the sea salt for cooking and the fleur de sel salt for sprinkling on your meals (taste first BEFORE salting).  For some, eliminating processed sugar will be one of the toughest challenges.  Toss the white sugar and chemically processed sugar alternatives like agave nectar, truvia, turbinado and brown sugar.  Substitute instead with raw coconut crystals, date sugar, coconut nectar, maple syrup (grade b or c only) or honey.

WEEK 4 – Cow’s Milk is for Cows!

There are so many tasty alternatives to cow’s milk and this week will be about finding one that you like and working it into your daily diet.  Try coconut milk, rice milk, almond milk, oat milk or even hemp milk.  They are so good that you won’t even miss the other stuff!

WEEK 5 – Fats!  The good and the bad.

Trans fats are very bad for you and you might not even know you are eating them!  Throw out the margarine, vegetable shorting, non dairy coffee creamer and anything with the words hydrogenated fats or partially hydrogenated fats on it.  For cooking try using a coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil or safflower oil.  Stick to ones that are cold pressed, unrefined and organic.

WEEK 6 – Whole Grains

Say goodbye to white flour, white bread and white rice!  Not only have they been highly processed but they have almost no nutritional value.  You and your family deserve the best – whole grains!  Spend some time in the bread aisle of your favorite health foods store and carefully read the ingredients labels to find a truly whole grain bread.  You want to look for ones that list simple, organic ingredients like, 100% whole grain whole wheat (If the label just reads wheat flour this is a processed flour and you want to stay away!), water, yeast or salt.  When purchasing pasta stick with ones that are made from 100% whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa flour or kamut flour.  Again, the ingredient list should be simple and short.  Start using brown rice and then branch out to wild rice, Wehani and other fun varieties.

WEEK 7 – Clean house!

This week we are cleaning house and I don’t mean with a vacuum cleaner and duster.  It’s time to go through your cupboards, pantry and fridge and toss out all that processed, refined and chemically created ‘crap’ that they market as food.  Read the labels and if you can’t pronounce the words or need to ‘google’ to find out what an ingredient is – toss it!  From now one you’ll be purchasing and consuming only real, natural and wholesome foods.

WEEK 8 – Go Organic

The last few weeks you’ve been working so hard to rid your body of chemically created, processed, refined foods.  Yet one of the leading sources of toxins comes from non organic foods.  Buying only organic items will ensure that you are eating non GMO foods and those without harmful chemicals.  These days it’s completely possible to eat a 100% organic diet.  Everything from fruits and vegetables to popcorn and chips to spices and hair products are organic.  Go slowly and as you use up a product make sure to replace it with an organic version.

WEEK 9 – Reduce your meat intake

Most healthy eating principles allow the consumption of organic animal products 2-3 times per week – NOT 2-3 times per DAY!  Start reducing the amount of meat, fish and cheese to no more than 2-3 times weekly.  Add in more fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and grains to your diets.  We have a tons of tasty and delicious vegetarian and vegan meals that you can eat throughout the week.  Keeping your diet diverse not only makes it fun but it gives your body a variety of nutrients.

WEEK 10 – Portion size and exercise 

Just because you are eating healthy doesn’t mean you get to overeat!  Portion control is important and if you’re looking to lose some weight you’ll want to focus on keeping your portions under control.  Read the labels and pay attention to serving sizes.  If you haven’t already, find an exercise you enjoy doing and work it into your daily routine 5-6 times a week for about 30 minutes.  There is no right or wrong exercise out there.  Walking, running, cycling, dance or even a fun aerobic program are great ways to start working exercise into your routine.

Congratulations!  You made it 10 weeks and should be feeling lighter, healthier and energized!  Remember that it takes 21 days to turn something into a habit.  Keep up the good work and enjoy the new healthier you!

It’s a new year and many of you are just starting out on our your new healthier lifestyle.  This time of year we are inundated with emails about how to get started, what recipes are the easiest to transition into and what foods should the pantry be stocked with.  Having a good base to work with in your pantry makes starting out a bit easier.  I swear, when my family first started eating this way, I was at the grocery store every other day getting this and that to make meals with.  I wish I had had a list of the basics to work with.  I now grocery shop once a week, mostly to stock up on fresh produce and I have a stocked up pantry that serves me well.  The list below is by no means complete or a one size fits all.  You may find that you need to substitute ingredients for food allergies or intolerances.  It’s here to provide a base for you to work off of to begin building a healthy and nutritious pantry that will make your transition into healthy eating smooth and seamless.

~Sarah

Oils

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Garlic Gold Oil (This is a personal favorite of mine – not a necessity but so good to have!)
• A high quality neutral oil like sunflower or grape seed
• Peanut Oil

*When purchasing oils it’s important to look for both an organic and UNREFINED oil

Vinegars

• Balsamic Vinegar (choose a good, high quality vinegar)
• Brown Rice Vinegar
• Apple Cider Vinegar

Flours

• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• Whole Wheat Flour
• Almond Flour/Meal

*When it comes to flour these are the 3 that I use most often.  That being said I have a pantry stocked with all sorts of flour – brown rice, quinoa, coconut, garbanzo bean.  While I don’t use them on a daily basis I keep them in a sealed container and stored in a cool temperature and they last for a very long time.  You’ll find that as you make recipes that call for these different flours that you’ll slowly build up your stock.  If you are gluten free make sure have a basic gluten free flour stocked in your pantry.

Whole Grains

• Brown Rice
• Whole Grain Oats (Gluten Free if needed)
• Steel Cut Oats (if you are an oatmeal lover)
• Quinoa
• Kamut
• Millet
• Barley

Legumes

• Lentils
• Black Beans (canned is fine, no salt added is preferred)
• Garbanzo Beans (canned is fine, no salt added is preferred)
• Kidney Beans (canned is fine, no salt added is preferred)
• A neutral white bean like Cannellini or Great Northern (canned is fine, no salt added is preferred)

Other Canned and Jarred Items

• Diced Tomatoes (no salt added is preferred)
• Tomato Sauce (no salt added is preferred)
• Tomato Paste (no salt added is preferred)
• Coconut Milk (Both Lite and Full Fat are good to have on hand)
• Natural Peanut Butter (no salt added is preferred, make sure there isn’t any added sugars)
• Natural Jam or Jelly of your choice (look for a fruit sweetened brand)
• Soy or Tamari Sauce (reduced sodium is preferred, gluten free if needed)

Sweeteners

• Raw Coconut Nectar
• Raw Coconut Crystals
• Date Sugar
• Maple Syrup (Grade B or C only)
• Raw Honey

Dried Fruits, Nuts and Seeds

• Raisins
• Cranberries, blueberries, Goji Berries, Apriots or any of your favorite dried fruits (make sure you purchase unsweetened fruit)
• Cashews, Peanuts, Walnuts, Pecans, Pistachios or any of your favorite nuts (roasted or raw is preferred)
• Flax Seed, Chia Seed, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds or any of your favorite seeds (roasted or raw is preferred)

Cereal

• For a Grape Nut type cereal try Ezekiel 4.9 Whole Grain Cereal
• For a Rice Krispies type cereal try Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal
• For a Corn Flakes type cereal try Barbara’s Corn Flakes
• For a Cheerio type cereal try Barbara’s Hole ‘N Oats –  Fruit Juice Sweetened

Miscellaneous Items

• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Vegetable Broth (reduced sodium preferred)
• Sea Salt
• Pasta of your choice (there are many good brown rice, quinoa or kamut varieties available)
• Nutritional Yeast

Spices

• The spices that you currently use are the same ones you’ll want to stick with.  I recommend slowly changing them all over to organic varieties.

Notes:

Remember this list is just a guide.  You’ll find that over time you’ll easily add in your favorite pantry items.

I can’t state enough the importance of buying organic items.  Not only is this the only way to get a truly ‘clean’ product but you’ll also be helping to rid your body of unnecessary chemicals, pesticides and preservatives.