Spicy Beef Chili

Spicy Beef Chili

My mouth is watering as I gaze upon this colorful, almost festive dish about to be cooked in the crockpot. The snowy, slushy, freezing temperatures of yesterday's living in a Midwest Paradise just made this the perfect meal to have waiting at home after teaching classes and meeting clients. I'm not much of a 'measurements' cook (only really do I do that for baking), but here it is - the glorious recipe that will help you replicate this dish in your own homes.

Spicy Beef Chili

6oz of beef steak, cubed (I really recommend grass-fed- it's super tender and nutritious)
3, 15 oz cans of tomatoes (fire roasted and stewed)
1 medium red onion, diced
2 cups of spinach, washed and chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 jar of Drew's Fire-roasted Salsa
Olive oil to coat pans
Balsamic vinaigrette for deglazing the pan with beef
Salt & pepper to taste (I estimate using 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper)
Frank's Hot Sauce (about 2 tsp)
Cayenne pepper (1/2 tsp, I'm a glutton for punishment, apparently)
an ENTIRE bulb of garlic, minced *cue evil laughter*

Set up the crockpot so that all you have to do is make deposits of food into them. You'll need two pans - one for your meat and another for your veg. Use olive oil in each pan to coat it (about 1 tsp per pan). After cubing your steak, cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat. Turn your attention onto getting the onions and garlic into the other pan on low-medium heat and let the onions 'sweat' before adding carrots and celery. Stir with wooden spoon frequently.

Go back to the steak and flip each piece over with a fork, proceed to cook for about 4 more minutes but now with balsamic vinaigrette doused into the pan (I probably used 2-3 teaspoons) to deglaze it. Move the meat around to make sure it cooks evenly.

Pour the cans of tomatoes and salsa into the crockpot. Add the chopped spinach and then the contents of your veg pan followed by the contents of your beef pan.  Set to time it appropriately for your day; I chose the 8 hr medium heat option.

Voila! Serve with organic blue corn chips or organic cornbread (for the love of all things non-GMO, do it! :D)

My results: whoa Nellie, it packs a spicy KICK - I could have done without either the cayenne pepper or Frank's Hot Sauce. The meat held onto some of the balsamic flavor and was super-tender.

Who says you can't eat & blog at the same time? ;-)

Nutrition & Macular Degeneration - Each Bite Matters!

There is a tremendous connection between the activity most of us partake in at least three, maybe more, times a day. Eating is one of the most intimate actions we take because when we choose a certain food and begin the process of digestion, those food molecules become our cells, tissues, and organs. Some foods are anti-inflammatory, others are inflammatory. Based on your unique genetics and any food sensitivities you may have, you may find that otherwise 'healthy' foods may not be something that is good for You. In general, the best foods for helping to prevent or ameliorate Macular Degeneration are high in vitamins (particularly A, E, and C), minerals (zinc being an important one), antioxidants, and fiber; they are low in sugar, empty carbohydrates, and deleterious fat sources. Greens are one food source that is important in Macular Degeneration - see the kale chips recipe (below) to make this tasty treat!

Macular Degeneration is linked to free radicals and homocysteine levels. My passionate work revolves around assisting clients with creating a customized nutrition plan, including more antioxidants and regulating homocysteine levels, and deep-cleaning their diets in a delicious and sustainable manner.

Adrienne Raimo is a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist and a Columbia-University Certified Health & Wellness Coach who provides customized nutrition support designed to empower her clients to achieve a higher level of health, energy, and vitality! She works with clients nationwide to eat nutritiously and live whole, healthy lives. Contact her through OneBiteWellness.com or via phone at 614-596-7795.

P.S.

The Macular Degeneration Association has provided countless individuals, both those with this condition and their loved ones, with cutting-edge information in their seminars. From the latest medical discoveries in surgery or medications to how nutrition can impact Macular Degeneration, they are giving people hope and inspiration through information. I feel honored to have worked with this  wonderful team of people who are truly dedicated to bringing awareness and education about Macular Degeneration to the public.

Image: doitdelicious.com

Kale Chips

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale

about 2 tbsp of olive oil

sea salt

parchment paper

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees; put parchment on baking pan. De-rib the   kale and tear them to chip-sized pieces. Lightly dip them into a bowl with the olive oil and sea salt. Massage the oil and salt into the leaves so that there is a thin layer on both sides. Bake kale pieces for about 5 minutes, then turn over and bake another 5 minutes. It will take about 8-10 minutes total and the pieces should be crispy, not burnt...so keep your eyes on them :). Enjoy!

Courtesy of Adrienne Raimo

© One Bite Wellness 2009

How to Naturally Increase your Vitamin L

A little known or researched vitamin of tremendous importance is...Vitamin L, otherwise known as Vitamin Love.

Nutrition covers so many dietary theories, calories, macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients relating to food, but having a truly Nourished life involves soul-food. I do not mean, down-home, creole food; instead soul-food is not actually food at all.

Naturally increasing your Vitamin L could involve anything that completely absorbs you in the activity: a conversation with a loved one, building something out of your own creation, painting by yourself or in a group, running, taking time for yourself, or pursuing meaningful work - this. is. Soul-food. And, goodness, there is plenty of Vitamin L(ove) in it.

Another example could be hosting an event. This one was Lovely Ladies Potluck Brunch & Valentine's Card-making. A fabulous time with french toast, berries, chocolate-covered strawberries, banana bread, homemade tacos, and Caprese salad. After the brunch, we commenced on card-making...

 the calm before the feast of food and friendship time

 Card #1:

Card #2:

I can't even pretend all of mine were like this. Quite a few were of second-grader level, Lisa Frank-stickered quality :D. All of us were quite prolific in our card-making and shared stories about love, break-ups, Valentine's Day horror and success stories, friend-love, and more. Quite sweet.

Sweeter than this 85% cacao chocolate bar, even ;-).

We'll do a brunch again, along with a ladies bike ride. Because we all know the value of sunshine and smiles. Vitamin D and Vitamin L :)

TOP NUTRITION SECRET: The only way to get more Vitamin L(ove) is to give it. Let someone know how much you appreciate them. Send a cute package. Give a hug.

And share more ideas in the comments below, if you'd like :)

I have discovered that all human evil comes from this:

man's being unable to sit still in a room - Blaise Pascal

Just stop.

From the moment we awake until we crawl into bed, exhausted, at night - we're always Doing something. Although we try to run faster and be more efficient, it usually feels as though we're falling further behind. Information overwhelm, expectations, and rarely a moment to ourselves can cause a negative impact on our health.

Can you relate? If so, don't just do something - sit there! :)

Image: health.howstuffworks.com

Meditation is used with sports professionals to develop focus. Hospitals often offer classes to help deal with pain and to lower blood pressure.

Make this a powerful way of recharging your mental, emotional, and physical batteries a part of your daily routine. You'll be able to increase your efficiency, expand your capacity to enjoy life, and reduce job stress and tension by taking a few minutes each day to meditate. Begin now.

Image: awakenlight.org

I survived the hunger and blood-letting....

of the Genetic & Food Sensitivity Testing done this lovely wintery morning.

Let me first say that it's my personal philosophy to try - within reason- every diet, remedy, lifestyle suggestion, and test that I would ever suggest to my clients, friends, and family. What better way to empathize with a person on a candida cleanse? Or for the newly diagnosed celiac or gluten-intolerant person who is literally breaking down into tears over the thought of never being able to eat bread again? Sometimes what people really want to know most is that you've been where they are and have come out of it a better, healthier person.

I've recently embarked upon a journey to find out more than what I learned in high school biology about genetics, including Punnett squares (which, true to my curious personality, was tremendously fun to me - I even would use it to figure out the probability of having blue-eyed, red or dark-haired babies based on my genes and those of the person I was dating or currently crushing over, unbeknowst to them :D). Even though chemistry was like kryptonite to me and was one of the only subjects I actually had to focus on and study, I LOVED stoichiometry. Probably because it was math. (Nerd points scored by the end of this paragraph: 756).

But, getting back to the point: today I looked over the prettily packaged genetic kit (black box) and food sensitivity kit (red box) and decided that today is the day that I would gather my courage and forge into the unknown world of epigenetics and nutrigenomics ahead.  

Because I couldn't eat or drink for at least an hour beforehand, I did my oil pulling when I first woke up and the started knitting and reading to pass the time. 10:45am rolled around and my alarm beeped so I followed the instructions for the food sensitivity test first. Wash hands vigorously in hot water for a few minutes, shake them, stand while doing blood draw, have a rubberband on arm to act as tourniquet, wipe finger with alcohol....breathe...and prick your chosen finger with the enclosed lancet - I did it all. As I stood there 'milking' my finger to get the blood into the first circle, I thought to myself "this isn't so bad, I'll be done in no time"...but two circles in, with a sore ring finger, I started to question why I was doing this. Suddenly, it didn't seem so important to find out if dairy, grapefruit, soy, or nearly another hundred foods were my friend or my foe. But then I thought of my clients who are excited to see my results and try for themselves....I thought of my future health being better once I could determine if there were underlying intolerances....so I put on my big girl pants and pricked another finger. I was damn well going to find out if my favorite foods were poisoning me or not. What seemed like an impossible task to start became a challenge. And, I filled them all. The blood-letting was done!

One small blood draw from woman, one giant leap for humankind.



Yes!! I could stand and not faint at the sight of my own blood. I Could squeeze 12 precious drops of my life force in to the 5 circles and fill them up. Yeehaw!


I was a hero in my own mind. The invisible stadium full of fans cheered for minutes as I held my newly bandaged fingers up in the victory sign.

Ah, but there is one more test standing between me and my breakfast.....

The cheek-swabbing! Thank goodness we were on to more humane methods of testing. With two cheek scrapers and two test tubes, I was off on a minute-long scraping mission on each cheek, with the scraper ends deposited into the test tubes. This is the genetic testing part. All I had to do now was stick everything into the postage-paid envelopes and deposit them in the mailbox. And eat....

 The wait time is about 4-6 weeks for results. Stay tuned....

Interested in doing this yourself? Check OneBiteWellness.com under Rates & Services or contact me.

Ten Rules for Being Human

Rule One - You will receive a body.
You may love it or hate it, but it will be yours for the duration of your life on Earth.

Rule Two - You will be presented with lessons.
You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called "life". Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or hate them, but you have designed them as part of your curriculum.

Rule Three - There are no mistakes, only lessons.
Growth is a process of experimentation, a series of trials, errors and occasional victories. The failed experiments are as much as a part of the process as the experiments that work.

Rule Four - The lesson is repeated until learned.
Lessons will be repeated to you in various forms until you have learned them. When you have learned them, you can go on to the next lesson.

Rule Five - Learning does not end.
There is no part of life that does not contain lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.

Rule Six - "There" is no better than "here".
When your "there" has become "here" you will simply obtain another "there" that will look better to you than your present "here".

Rule Seven - Others are only mirrors of you.
You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself.

Rule Eight - What you make of your life is up to you.
You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you.

Rule Nine - Your answers lie inside of you.
All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

Rule Ten - You will forget all this at birth.
You can remember it if you want by unraveling the double helix of inner-knowing.

The Kiss that Kills - Lead in Lipstick

...including my formerly beloved Burt's Bees "Raisin" color. As I gather my 3 tubes of lipstick, including two from Victoria's Secret, for the toxic waste graveyard, I am saddened for so many reasons, but chief among them is feeling betrayed by one company I actually trusted (before it went the way so many do and was absorbed into a bigger company - Burt's Bees belongs to Clorox Company). 

Backstory: I was watching a documentary on breast cancer and part of it was talking about how the average woman uses 12 personal care products everyday; the average man, 6. Of these products, sooo many of them have chemicals that are not beneficial for human health, and in fact, some have toxic ingredients. This is where I became aware of lipstick being contaminated with lead and followed up by going to the FDA website.

Learn more in the 2007 New York Times article, "The Pernicious Allure of Lead" about the many reasons and ways lead was used throughout history. Also, let's remember that Queen Elizabeth, whose face had pock marks, made it popular to use a toxic mixture of white lead and vinegar to give more of a porcelain doll look.

The 1979 ban on lead in certain products (including house paint and gasoline) were very successful at dramatically reducing blood levels of this poison. Why not lipstick? There are no FDA standards in regulating the amount of chemicals in products and companies don't even need to know the chemicals that they are putting in their products. If they do know there's lead, they usually argue, "it's legal, it's okay."

So, being ticked off, I felt compelled to write my 'local' Victoria's Secret company.

--Original Message--
From: adrienne.raimo@gmail.com
Date: 11/6/2013 8:05:48 PM
To: CustomerCare@VictoriasSecret.com
Subject: Questions About Our Products

Why is there LEAD in Victoria's Secret lipsticks? Are you, as a company, really willing to expose people to a substance linked to lower IQs and aggressive behavior? Worse, is that it's not even listed on the ingredients, but the Enviromental Working Group and FDA have tested your products and found them contaminated with lead. I urge you to be a responsible company and not create toxic products for your consumers (what good are they to you dead/damaged anyway?). I will certainly not be purchasing any more of your beauty goods and will make sure to inform my clients, friends, and family about this toxic product. 

On a personal level, I bought two lipsticks and two lip glosses from your company and I want a credit of the amount they cost me so that I can hopefully buy something non-toxic, perhaps underwear (unless your company has been secretly using something damaging there too - i.e. GMO cotton). Please address these very alarming concerns. 

Best of Health, 
~Adrienne~
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

G., Jennifer <JGantner@vscat.com>	7:28 PM (14 hours ago)

Dear Adrienne,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our lipsticks. First and foremost, we want to assure you that at Victoria's Secret, nothing is more important than the safety of our products.

Our lipstick products are not formulated to contain lead. Small traces, less than you would find in safe drinking water, may be present in certain FDA approved colorants that are part of the formulation.

From personal care to home fragrances, our products are extensively evaluated and tested to meet or exceed industry standards, and we’re committed to ensuring that our customers can use our products with confidence.

Again, we appreciate your valuable feedback.

Best regards,

Jennifer G.
Victoria's Secret Beauty Customer Relations 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10:31pm, same evening...

Hi Jennifer,                                                         

I know you're just trying to do your job and that part of that probably involves giving bullsh*t answers (see below, in particular) to thoughtful questions from your consumers -likely passed down from higher ups in the company. If that is so, please pass on my response to them, because, really, nothing is going to change until the thinking at 'the top' does.

"Our lipstick products are not formulated to contain lead. Small traces, less than you would find in safe drinking water, may be present in certain FDA approved colorants that are part of the formulation." 

Hmm...well we all know that lead is usually present in lipsticks for the purpose of making it 'stick' to your lips longer - which gives it that 'all day color' so often touted by cosmetics companies. 

Regardless of drinking water, which, though in a terrible shape, can be filtered through reverse osmosis so that many contaminants can be removed...my lips don't have a 'filter' from your lipstick. Skin, the largest organ of the body absorbs the lipstick (this is often in addition to lipstick being swallowed - reports show the average women eats the equivalent of 5-8 lipsticks in her lifetime through this method), and then passes into the bloodstream and becomes part of our cells, tissues, and organs. Lead, which is not needed by the human body, and is quite toxic to it, should not be involved in formulations if you and your company truly give a damn about the public/your consumers.

Furthermore, let me give you an example of 'small traces' versus what Victoria Secret lipsticks have, in terms of lead content (given in parts per million):

Clinique

Estée Lauder

Almost 06 Black Honey

A79

<0.026

VS

Victoria’s Secret

Limited Brands

Pout d Pink Champagne

9217ZA

0.07

Or worse...

Victoria’s Secret

Limited Brands

Sparkling d Adorned

8345ZA

1.23

All of this is on the fda.gov website, if you want to do further research.

Again, it's not the one-time use that concerns me and others in the healthcare field. It is the constant use of products, such as these, that have a cumulative deleterious effect on human health.

I am part of the league of people trying to encourage and empower women, with knowledge, in ways to prevent or at least reduce the risk of health issues, including cancer. I'd like to know that your company isn't at odds with what I consider to be a worthwhile mission. 

-----------------------------------------------------------

Whew. </rant> 

Bottom line: there are a few actions you can take, personally and politically. If you aren't a fan of lead poisoning, consider truly natural products or going au natural. Write your cosmetics company to let them know you enjoy their products and want them to be lead-free. Ask the FDA to ban lead in lipstick.