Tanya McCausland | Spa Week Daily

The Health Benefits of Chia Seeds

October 11, 2012 | By Spa Week Daily

Lose Weight By Accident: The Health Benefits of Chia Seeds
By Tanya McCausland of Home Cooked Healing

Ch-ch-ch-chia! Sounds familiar doesn’t it? This ancient seed has been making a remarkable comeback. But this time it’s on our plates (rather than on a ceramic Sponge Bob figure).

Chia seeds are tiny, edible seeds that comes from the plant Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family. The word chia is the Mayan word for strength and it was a staple of ancient Incan, Mayan and Aztec diets. Specifically, it was used for strength, endurance and energy. We could all use some of that!

Chia seeds contain more omega-3 fatty acids than flax seeds and are a great source of fiber, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, iron and other important minerals that help you keep a svelte waistline. But what is especially great about chia seed is their ability to thicken and become gel-like when soaked in water or other liquids. This helps slow down the digestive process so you feel full longer so you’re less likely to reach for that late afternoon coffee and pastry.

Because they are so high in antioxidants, chia seeds don’t have to be refrigerated like flax and other sensitive seeds. They will last months in your pantry without going bad. So, stock up on chia seeds! You can incorporate them easily by adding them to yogurt, oatmeal, salads or smoothies.

If you want to take it up a notch, try my Creamy Chia Seed Pudding. It’s great for breakfast or a quick mid-day snack. Your waistline and taste buds will thank you!

Creamy Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients:
¼ cup chia seeds
¼ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 cup water
¼ cup raw cashews (soaked for one hour, rinsed and drained)
4 dates, pitted
pinch of ground cloves
2 teaspoons real maple syrup (you can add more if you like more sweetness)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:
1. Combine chia seeds and coconut in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Place the remaining ingredients in a food processor, blend until smooth.
3. Pour the blended cashew mixture into the bowl with the chia seeds and coconut. Stir until well combined. Wait a few minutes and then stir again. (The chia seeds will begin to get gelatinous and thicken the pudding).
4. Wait a few more minutes, stir again. Do the “wait and stir” 2-3 times. Then, place the pudding in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

This pudding will keep in your fridge for about 2-3 days.

About This Contributor: Tanya McCausland is a Health and Culinary Coach in Alameda, CA She inspires, encourages and motivates her clients to create a life of health and balance through delicious food and simple lifestyle changes. She believes that our kitchens have the ability to heal – we just have to stock our pantries with real food and not be afraid to wield a wooden spoon every so often!

Filed Under: Food + Drink, Nutrition Tagged With: chia, chia seed pudding, chia seeds, health benefits of chia seeds, Home Cooked Healing, lose weight by accident, Recipe, tanya McCausland, weight loss

How to Spot Food Label Lies

September 18, 2012 | By Spa Week Daily

By Tanya McCausland of Home Cooked Healing

I always recommend buying fresh, whole foods at the farmer’s market, but every now and then I might reach for something out of a box or can. The problem with these packaged foods? They’re not always as healthy as their labels claim to be. Here are five common food labels to be cautious of:

“Gluten Free”
More and more we’re discovering that breads and other baked goods contribute to putting on a few pounds but we’re reaching for gluten free products instead. However, these are often sugar bombs and still loaded with carbs. If you’re looking for a sweet treat reach for a piece of fruit with peanut butter or a square of organic dark chocolate instead.

“All Natural”
This label is found on everything from deli turkey to cranberry juice and when we see it our brain immediately thinks “healthy!” But, proceed with caution. “All Natural” is a term not regulated by the FDA and companies can add it whenever or however they want. Many chemicals and other weird substances are considered “natural” but you would never want to eat them!

“Trans Fat Free”
Trans fats have gotten a bad rap and rightfully so. They are a highly processed fat that has been linked back to obesity, heart disease and other serious health problems. However, there is a loophole that states packaged foods can use this label if there is “less than 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving.” That means if you eat two or three servings of those cookies it’s likely you are still consuming this highly damaging fat.

“Cholesterol Free”
This label is one of the most misused and once you start looking for it you’ll be amused. Cholesterol is only found in animal products, not in any fruits, vegetables, nut, seeds or beans. But, companies have no problem adding this label to foods that don’t have any cholesterol to begin with, like dried fruit and nut butters.

“Sugar Free”
We’ve been warned to get the “white stuff” out of our diets and food manufacturers tried to help us out. When you see this label there can still be some sugar (0.5 grams or less) in that food. To still satisfy our sweet tooth artificial sweeteners are used instead like aspartame, which have been linked to cancers and diabetes. Use raw organic honey and real maple syrup to sweeten plain yogurt and oatmeal.

About this Contributor: Tanya McCausland is a Health and Culinary Coach in Alameda, CA She inspires, encourages and motivates her clients to create a life of health and balance through delicious food and simple lifestyle changes. She believes that our kitchens have the ability to heal – we just have to stock our pantries with real food and not be afraid to wield a wooden spoon every so often!

Filed Under: Food + Drink, Nutrition Tagged With: all-natural, fat free, food labels, gluten-free, Home Cooked Healing, lose weight by accident, sugar free, tanya McCausland, weight loss

Lose Weight By Accident: Eat More Seaweed

August 22, 2012 | By Spa Week Daily

By Tanya McCausland of Home Cooked Healing

Eating seaweed is certainly NOT what I had in mind when I started my work in health and nutrition. When my teachers talked about adding seaweed to salads, soups and smoothies, all I could think was, Yuck!

But I’ve since changed my mind. Seaweed is a fantastic superfood, loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and can reduce the rate at which our body absorbs fat by 75%. When I read that, I was determined to find a delicious and simple way to incorporate these sea veggies into my diet!

I discovered a soup recipe in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison — my bible for cooking vegetables. With a few tweaks and additions I had created my own version and was finally singing seaweeds praises!

This delicious soup recipe uses kombu seaweed. Kombu is used to create a stock called dashi which is the equivalent of chicken soup in Japan. This seaweed is particularly high in iodine, a mineral needed by our thyroid to help regulate our metabolism. The addition of mushrooms, carrots and cabbage give the soup even more rich nutrients and antioxidants that help to slim your waistline.

This soup is perfect paired with a fresh green salad for a quick relaxing dinner. It is also great for next day leftovers!

Kombu Miso Soup with Mushrooms and Cabbage
Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:
2 strips of kombu (seaweed)
2 large carrots
8-9 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 bunch green onions, white and greens sliced
¼ cup tamari (Eden Organics brand preferred)
3 Tbsp mirin/rice wine
7 cups water
1 small head napa cabbage, quartered and sliced into strips
1 Tbsp organic miso paste per serving
5 sprigs of cilantro (optional)

Instructions:
1. Combine the kombu strips, carrots, carrots, mushrooms, onions, tamari and mirin in a large pot. Add water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
2. Remove the kombu strips from the broth and stir in the cabbage until lightly wilted.
3. Place about 1 tablespoon of the miso paste in each bowl. Add 1/3 cup of hot kombu stock and whisk until the miso is dissolved. Now, fill the bowl with soup and veggies. Top with a sprig of cilantro. Enjoy!

*You can enhance this soup with brown rice, wild rice, quinoa and/or cooked shredded chicken.

Filed Under: Food + Drink, Spa Cuisine, Uncategorized Tagged With: kombu, lose weight by accident, Seaweed, soup recipe, tanya McCausland

Lose Weight By Accident: Liver-Detoxifying Foods

August 14, 2012 | By Spa Week Daily

By Tanya McCausland of Home Cooked Healing

Your liver is like the Energizer bunny…. it just keeps going and going and going, flushing the toxins and poisonous chemicals from your body. It’s the largest organ in your body, making it the biggest fat-burning organ, too. Needless to say, it’s important to give your liver some serious love!

Excess sugar, dairy, fat, salt, alcohol, preservatives, hormones, fertilizers and pesticides can cause the liver to produce extra fat, which is then stored – yikes! This extra fat then slows down your metabolism – double yikes! Signs of a sluggish and burdened liver are weight gain, fatigue, poor memory, mood swings, digestive problems, acne and blood sugar imbalances to name a few.

It’s not hard to understand why cleanses are so popular. And doing a safe three to 10 day detox can certainly help give your liver a little break and jump start. However, for most people, the best way to a healthier liver is to eat things on a daily basis that help naturally detoxify it. Here are my favorite liver-cleansing foods to add to your diet ASAP:

- Arugula
- Radishes
- Cabbage
- Lemon
- Beets
- Onions and Garlic

One of the easiest ways to get many of these foods at once is with a big hearty salad. Try this Zesty Arugula and Purple Cabbage Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette – I promise you and your liver will love it!

Zesty Arugula and Purple Cabbage Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
½ small red onion, sliced
2 handfuls baby arugula
Half head of purple cabbage, shredded
Small red pepper
3-4 Tbsp pumpkin seeds

For the dressing:
Juice of one lemon
3 Tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp honey or real maple syrup
1 tsp Dijon mustard & a pinch of salt

Instructions:
1. Soak the onion in a small bowl with cold water for at least 5 minutes (this will remove some of the strong onion flavor)
2. In the meantime whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Set aside.
3. Then, combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Coat with half of the dressing and toss until well combined. Taste and add more dressing if necessary. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Food + Drink, Health & Wellness, Spa Cuisine Tagged With: detox, detoxifying foods list, liver cleanse, lose weight by accident, Master Cleanse, tanya McCausland

Lose Weight by Accident: Spice It Up!

July 31, 2012 | By Spa Week Daily

By Tanya McCausland of Home Cooked Healing

At Home Cooked Healing my motto always is health begins in the kitchen. Well, the same goes for healthy weight loss. We know that what we eat has a huge impact on our weight and overall health, but what we put ON our food can help give our weight loss an extra boost. I’m speaking, of course, about spices.

Spices not only make food extra delicious, but certain varieties can also boost your metabolism by as much as 50%! These spices are considered “thermogenic” which means that they heat up your body (and therefore your metabolism), giving you a little extra fat-burning power.

Here are three of these super spices, and my favorite ways to use them:

1. Ginger – Sauté fresh sugar snap peas, top with sea salt, a little lemon juice and freshly grated ginger. I also like to start my day with hot water, fresh lemon juice and some grated ginger.

2. Cinnamon – Cinnamon adds some spice and a bit of sweetness to fruit smoothies and fruit salads. Remember to add it to your baked goods like pancakes and muffins.

3. Cumin – Who doesn’t love a little Mexican food in the summer? Heat cumin in coconut oil before adding fresh corn, black beans and chopped cilantro. Great warm side dish or cold salad!

4. Cayenne Pepper – Salsa is THE taste of summer! (Can you tell I love Mexican food?) Make your own with fresh tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper. If you’re up for the challenge use a little jalapeno pepper to give your body a boost. Cut up corn tortillas and toast them in a 300-degree oven until crispy. Way better than fried and there’s no danger in emptying the chip bag.

Spice Cooking Tip: If you’re making a warm dish be sure to heat up dry spices in your cooking oil before adding the rest of your ingredients. This brings out more of the flavor of those spices making for an extra mouthwatering meal.