Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy as well as controversy. In many recent fad diets they have recommended drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, which can be detrimental to overall health as these diets don’t differentiate between simple and complex.  Here is an over-oversimplified overview of the difference between the two.

Complex carbohydrates are our vegetables and whole grains, and are also found in nuts, seeds, and legumes. They are foods that are usually consumed as they are found in nature.  Vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes aren’t usually too overly processed and are not broken down into simple carbohydrates, it’s the grains where the difference between complex and simple becomes an issue.

Grain complex carbohydrates start out with all their components; bran, germ and endosperm, which in turn means they still have all their nutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidants.  They are made up of long chains of sugar molecules that the body needs to break down in order to digest.  Since these grains are so “complex” this breakdown can take a while. They offer a sustained source of energy over an extended period of time, due to the fact that the sugar is released into our blood stream as it is broken down.

Grain simple carbohydrates are single sugar molecules that are immediately converted into glucose because there isn’t anything to break down.  This causes a fast release of sugar into the blood stream and a spike in blood sugar.

Simple carbohydrates are processed from complex carbohydrates they have the bran and germ removed to give them a longer shelf life.   By removing theses two extremely important and life sustaining components of the grain they remove more than half of the B vitamins and 70 percent of the iron, as well as many other beneficial nutrients.  By the time whole grains have been turned into white flour, the final product is a pale shadow of the original.

Simple carbohydrates are used to produce breads, pasta cereals, crackers, potato chips, bagels, pretzels, rice cakes, white rice, alcoholic beverages, white flour, puffed rice cereal and pretzels; sweet desserts and other processed “treats”, candies, cookies, cakes, ice cream and soda.

There is another type of simple carbohydrate called fructose, this is found in fruit.  The difference between this simple carbohydrate and a processed simple carbohydrate is when you eat the WHOLE fruit you are also ingesting fiber which slows the rate of absorption in the body, as well as a whole slew of vitamin, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants.  Fruit juice has much of the fiber stripped away (it is treated like a simple carbohydrate in the body), along with some of the nutrient content.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based health coaching, personal chef and personal training service that  specializes in pre-pregnancy care; helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering one-on-one counseling, in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Phytochemicals, also called phytonutrients are not nutrients at all but the compounds that give fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes their color, smell, dietary fiber, enzymes and natural disease resistance.  They are not required by the human body for sustaining life, but it is well known that plants produce these compounds to protect themselves and research shows that they protect humans against disease.  There are thousands of phytochemicals in our foods that are believed to fight disease.  Tomatoes alone are believed to have over 10,000 different phytochemicals.

There are many different phytochemicals that do many different things.  Some of their properties act as antioxidants and protect our cells against free radical damage and reduce our risk of developing certain types of cancer, others have antibacterial properties, and yet others can bind to cell walls to prevent pathogens from adhering thereby reducing the risk of disease.

In the nutrition world there is an express that says “eat the rainbow”.  Fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes come in all colors of the rainbow.  It is believed if you eat as many different colors of the rainbow as you can you will be getting all the disease fighting phytochemicals from these plants.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based health coaching, personal chef and personal training service that  specializes in pre-pregnancy care; helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering one-on-one counseling, in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Antioxidants are one of the most important components to a healthy future.  They are a family of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that help to protect the body from the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are produced by the activities in our bodies; metabolism, the creation and usage of energy, exercise, exposure to the sun’s rays, toxic chemicals, cigarette smoke, polluted air, and industrial and household chemicals, as well as various metabolic processes, such as the breakdown of stored fat molecules for the use as an energy source.  So, we all have free radicals floating around, which can alter the way in which our cells code genetic material, change protein structure, damage the immune system and cause disease.  It is said that each cell in our body is attacked about 10,000 times a day by free radicals. Antioxidants neutralize the free radicals, stopping further damage from happening and protecting the health of our cells. If you are not doing something to help protect your cells, this damage can add up.

Antioxidants work like a defense system, disarming free radicals, you can think of the as the police force within the body. They destroy free radicals wherever they are so they are not able to spread and cause damage to our cells. When an antioxidant finds a free radical it engulfs it and melds into its molecular structure. This creates a weakened free radical, not strong enough to do any harm.

Diet is the way to get more antioxidants into your body. Eating a nutrient dense fertility diet includes whole foods; fruits, vegetables, whole grains, grass-fed meats, fish, free range chicken, nuts and seeds. All of these foods offer a wide variety of nutrients which are needed for optimal antioxidant levels. Be sure to eat a wide variety of colors and fresh foods. Antioxidants are sensitive to heat and some may be damaged during cooking and processing, so include a good amount of raw foods in your diet.

To reduce free radicals in the body there are a few lifestyle changes that must be made such as quitting smoking and drinking, removing hydrogenated oils from the diet and controlling stress, these can all cause free radicals to form. Every time you smoke free radicals are formed in your body. Over time these free radicals are what make cigarette smoking so bad for you. The same occurs with other toxins and environmental pollutants.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based health coaching, personal chef and personal training service that  specializes in pre-pregnancy care; helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering one-on-one counseling, in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Every living cell on this planet depends on minerals for proper function and structure.  They are needed for the proper composition of body fluids, the formation of blood and bone, the maintenance of healthy nerve function, and the regulation of muscle tone and function as coenzymes, enabling the body to perform its functions; energy production, growth, and healing. Because all enzyme activities involve minerals, minerals are essential for the proper utilization of vitamins and other nutrients

The human body must maintain its proper chemical balance.  This balance depends on the levels of different minerals in the body and especially the ratios of certain mineral levels to one another.  The level of each mineral in the body has an effect on every other, so if one is out of balance, all mineral levels are affected.  If not corrected, this can start a chain reaction of imbalances that leads to illness.

Minerals are naturally occurring elements found in the earth.  Rock formations are made up of mineral salts and are gradually broken down into tiny fragments.  The resulting dust and sand accumulate, forming the basis of soil, which is then passed into plants.  Herbivorous animals eat the plants, so we obtain these minerals by consuming plants and herbivorous animals.  Minerals are stored primarily in the body’s bone and muscle tissue, making it possible to develop mineral toxicity if extremely large quantities are consumed.

Minerals work with vitamins to start chemical reactions.  If a mineral is lacking, no matter how much of the vitamin is available, the chemical reaction won’t happen.  Deficiencies can cause everything from headaches and insomnia to dementia and cancer.

A healthy diet will usually deliver all the essential minerals our bodies need.  If you feel your diet is lacking in “the rainbow”, a good multivitamin-multimineral will help.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based health coaching, personal chef and personal training service that  specializes in pre-pregnancy care; helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering one-on-one counseling, in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Stefanie Lester Coslow is a native New Yorker currently residing in Chicago with her husband and two kids and teaches at CorePower Yoga throughout their Chicago locations. In a former life, she was an accountant at a TV Rep firm who studied Psychology at school, talk about yin & yang.

“Thank goodness you’re not a football coach”, is what one student said to me after class the other week. It was one of his first yoga classes, ever, and his first ever vinayasa flow class, often referred to as “power” yoga, and it was heated. Former high school/college athlete, now in his late 30’s, and a bit less flexible than he used to be, like all of us. So he dropped down to Child’s pose a few times, big deal……. And here he thought I was going to make him run laps for it. Can you imagine?!? For those of you who don’t know me, I’m super laid back, pretty patient, and, in my opinion, am way more suited to be a yoga teacher than a football coach. For those of you that do know me personally, you’re laughing your butt off at this point. Case in point, I barely know the difference between a first down and a touchdown….but I digress….

Yoga is a non-competitive sport, it’s about being present in the moment and about self-acceptance. Of course human nature is to be competitive, we look at our neighbors in class upside down on their mat in a headstand and think where oh where is my core strength and why can’t I do that?? Or, she looks amazing in her brand new lulu outfit, I wish I looked like that, ….. why can’t I run 10 miles like him, or drive xy&z car….you get the point. And I’m not suggesting complacency, not at all, I’m merely suggesting letting go of the ego, letting go of judgements and comparisons, and knowing and accepting where you are, today. If we push ourselves too far beyond our limits, we risk injury. In terms of yoga, or another physical exercise, that’s physical injury that then grounds us from our practice, but you get the idea, apply the analogy as you see fit.

In yogic philosophy, we refer to this practice as samtosha, or contentment. It’s about finding contentment in every moment, and making peace with what is.

And think about it, as a parent, isn’t this something you want for your children? Some self-kindness, some self-love?

That same student came back the following week, and I hope continues to do so. He showed huge improvement, not only did he stay with us throughout the whole class, but I noticed vast improvement in his strength and flexibility in his form. And, if that wasn’t the case…. I was gonna make him drop and give me 20……

In love and health….

Namaste,

Stefanie

Take one of Stefanie’s classes at corepower yoga studios throughout Chicago corepowerchicago.com. She is on the schedule as Stefanie C. She also works with private clients in their homes so think of her for your next party or corporate event. Either write her a note on the blog, or call her directly at 646-642-3391.

Still working my way through an overabundance of squash.  Came up with this interesting recipe last night.  I serviced it over Shirataki Noodles which are made from tofu. This is a bit different then a pasta sauce we’re used to, it’s more sweet then savory.

Delicata Squash Sauce

Serves 4

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 delicata squash, peeled, seeds removed and chopped small (about 2 cups)

1/2 tablespoon dried sage

1/2 cup broth

1/4 cup evaporated skim milk

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet.

Add the onion and cook until translucent.

Add the squash, stir to coat with the oil.

Add the sage, stir and cover.

Reduce heat to medium

Cook about 7 – 10 minutes, checking and stirring so it doesn’t still to the skillet, until soft.

Remove lid, add the stock.

Using a potato masher, mash the squash into the stock.  Don’t worry about getting this smooth.

Remove from the heat and stir in the evaporated skim milk and the parmesan cheese.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based health coaching, personal chef and personal training service that  specializes in pre-pregnancy care; helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering one-on-one counseling, in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Stefanie Lester Coslow is a native New Yorker currently residing in Chicago with her husband and two kids and teaches at CorePower Yoga throughout their Chicago locations. In a former life, she was an accountant at a TV Rep firm who studied Psychology at school, talk about yin & yang.

I love teaching yoga….I really, really do. I love the connection I make with my students, I often teach newer students, and I love when I help them figure out a posture…..nothing is more rewarding than seeing them have that “aha moment”. And I thoroughly enjoy chatting with them and getting to know them a bit more before and/or after class. I love that I’ve shared a bit of what I’ve learned with people in my daily life, whether it’s helping my mom tone her midsection or showing my father-in-law some stretches to help alleviate his low back/hip pain. Point blank, I love sharing something that I’m so passionate about and I thrive on connecting with people. I finally get the point of “doing what you love”. I found a true home in the studio where I teach and an awesome community in the the people I teach with, the amazing teachers that I learn so much from, and my ever inspiring students. . I also sincerely love writing, I’ve always found putting my thoughts on paper to be so theraputic, and if someone actually wants to read it what I write and likes it …..wow, that’s the icing on my cupcake! So let’s just say, I’m where I’m meant to be, or at least working towards that direction, regardless, I’m loving the journey.

That being said, I haven’t been able to practice yoga much myself lately and, outside of the studio, I’m feeling a bit out of sorts. Our schedules (mine & the kids) are a bit wacky lately, the way their schools work out, I have maybe 1 ½ hours on my own every other day. I know I need to embrace this time with them when they’re young, I know it’s short lived, but I often can’t help feeling wound up and as if I’m constantly just running from place to place. And my husband’s been traveling for work, a lot… There isn’t child care at the studio, so,….I do make it to the gym with my son a couple times a week, and if I can make it to a class, great, but if not, well, it’s just hard sometimes to self motivate. What can I say, I’m a creature of habit, and honestly, just love my hot yoga. Plus growing my own practice helps me to grow as a teacher.

So, I feel slightly out of shape and somewhat in a funk during the weeks when I can’t make it to the studio. Maybe too it’s the change of seasons…..it’s dark, colder, winter’s just around the bend….

Anyway, my point here is not to be Debbie Downer, but just to let you see that I’m like you, and I face challenges and obstacles to working out too, and sometimes just plain old have a hard time motivating myself. So, when I say something don’t think “whatever, yoga teacher lady, you don’t get it”, because, I do.

In love and health….

Namaste,

Stefanie

Take one of Stefanie’s classes at corepower yoga studios throughout Chicago corepowerchicago.com. She is on the schedule as Stefanie C. She also works with private clients in their homes so think of her for your next party or corporate event. Either write her a note on the blog, or call her directly at 646-642-3391.

Stefanie Lester Coslow is a native New Yorker currently residing in Chicago with her husband and two kids and teaches at CorePower Yoga throughout their Chicago locations. In a former life, she was an accountant at a TV Rep firm who studied Psychology at school, talk about yin & yang.

In my late teenage years, towards the end of my high school career, I joined a gym and became addicted to working out for the first time ever. It was an all women’s gym that was very pink, probably some teal, and very mirrored in true typical late 80’s/early 90’s fashion. Step classes were the latest thing and calisthenics were all the rage. Back then, and through most of my 20s, working out was all about looking good, losing weight, and fitting into small sizes. Then I became a bit more comfortable in my skin, enter the grunge phase and a bit of rebellion, and I no longer cared so much about how I looked, I had loftier goals, and screw what people thought! Then, after being a bit too comfortable in my skin, I soon again became uncomfortable as I had ballooned into a person I no longer recognized, both physically and mentally. I then tried to find a balance between working out and being healthy, yet also working and having an active social life, and, for the most part, it worked.

Enter parenthood, and that’s when things went awry for a bit. Exercise was no longer even close to a priority. I’ve mentioned my good fortune with genetics before, so with being somewhat careful with what I ate, or eating rather oddly to be quite honest, and between being busy and stressed, I was able to fit into smaller and smaller jeans, so all was right in my world.

Except it wasn’t. I’ve had borderline high cholesterol for years, my whole family has high cholesterol, but my ratio of HDLs to LDLS (good to bad cholesterol) had always been exceptional, so my doctor was happy. Nine months after having my second child, probably a good year since any formal type of exercise, I went for a physical, and there it was. Not only was my total number still borderline high, hovering at 200, but now my ratio was no longer so great, and now, this was something to keep an eye. WHAT?!? It was like I had suddenly failed a test.

And this is when it dawned on me, yes exercise is very much about looking good, and feeling good, both physically and mentally, and often, that’s what most of us focus on as those are the most immediate, tangible results. But, first and foremost, exercise is about our health. And, I now had two little people in my life that looked up to me and depended on me. I realized that I needed to do the little things I could to stay healthy for myself and for them. So, I rededicated myself to a moderate exercise routine, and, in the interim I surprised myself and found something that I truly am passionate about and love sharing with other people.

I am constantly inspired by people and stories I read and hear about. I cannot watch an episode of The Biggest Loser without crying. And maybe it’s smaller scale than that, but I must give a shout out to a truly inspirational friend of mine. About a year ago she decided to take charge of her health and lose 40lbs by her 40th birthday, she reached her goal, and then some, this past July. You know who you are and I am so very proud of you.

One final thought…..I read this awhile ago and truly loved it. It’s so simple, yet I had never thought about it. If you break apart the word “impossible” it becomes “I’m possible”.

As always, namaste,

Stefanie

Take one of Stefanie’s classes at corepower yoga studios throughout Chicago corepowerchicago.com. She is on the schedule as Stefanie C. She also works with private clients in their homes so think of her for your next party or corporate event. Either write her a note on the blog, or call her directly at 646-642-3391.

I came up with this recipe last night due to an over abundance of acorn squash.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

OH SO YUMMY ACORN SQUASH

Serves 4

2 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds removed

1/3 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 425.

Set the squash in a baking dish large enough to hold them upright without rolling.  If they roll cut a small piece off the bottom to help keep it up right.

Pierce the flesh of the squash trying not to pierce the skin.

In a medium bowl combine the honey, cinnamon, ginger and orange juice, stir well to combine.

Using a pastry brush, brush the squash

Pour the remaining mixture into the center of each squash.

Bake about 30 – 45 minutes depending on the size of your squash, brushing every 10 minutes with the orange juice mixture.

NOTE:  If you have leftover squash, place it in a container so it will stand upright with the orange juice in it.  Tomorrow the juice will have absorbed into the squash making it sweet enough to eat as dessert!

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based health coaching, personal chef and personal training service that  specializes in pre-pregnancy care; helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering one-on-one counseling, in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

We’ve all seen those HFCS ads that go “what’s wrong with HFCS”? And the other person can’t answer the question and the first person goes on to talk about good things about it.  Well, first off you need to understand that these ads are paid for by the Corn Counsel.  They are the lobbyists in Washington that represent the people that make HFCS and, of course they don’t want us to think bad things about the product that makes them a lot of money, but here are some facts about what HFCS actually does in our bodies:

• It leads people to increase their caloric intake because it fails to trigger the usual hormonal responses that turn down the appetite.  This leads people to eat more calories.
• Doesn’t raise our blood glucose levels as well as regular sugar, but a rise in blood glucose is what stimulates insulin production, which we need to store glucose but, it does stimulates the production of another hormone that tells our bodies to store fat.
• Raise LDL (not good for fertility!)
• Leads to poor glucose metabolism
• The introduction of HFCS into our food supply directly mirrors the rise of obesity as well as a huge increase in type 2 diabetes (not good for fertility)

The Corn Counsel has now been sponsoring ads to add to the confusion by changing the name of HFCS to corn syrup.  Please don’t buy into this it’s still the same awful product with a name change.

Bottom line, HFCS is not good for us and should be avoided unfortunately it’s in almost everything from bread, baked goods and cereals, to condiments, such as ketchup and mustard to frozen dinners.  So, really read the label and do your best to avoid it.  When eating out you can’t avoid it.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based health coaching, personal chef and personal training service that  specializes in pre-pregnancy care; helping couples achieve optimum health to increase their chances of getting pregnant, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby by offering one-on-one counseling, in-home cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.