Optimum Wellness Winter 2013

You and Improved: Let The Evolution Begin

P. 24

eat | think | move

Roots

change 38 of

special section build a better supplement regimen for overall health

ways to eat better, think healthier and move more in 2013

carrots for breakfast? you bet Vertical Yoga: Ashtanga Goes A-Wall matters of the mind: a peek inside your brain

Compliments of

Plus! easy and nutritious winter recipes

winter 2013

from the founder We’re Back… And Even Better.

Greetings and happy 2013.

I am deeply grateful and honored to welcome you to the new Optimum Wellness magazine. In reimagining and redesigning the publication, our team’s vision was clear: to create a resource in which our readers can find education, inspiration and very doable practices and recipes. We see this magazine as a supportive friend, guiding and encouraging you to become your best self.

The New Year is an auspicious time when hope and excitement come together.

It’s an opportunity to take stock in our blessings, to see where we can close gaps between our good intentions and our actions, and to bring greater peace and fulfillment to ourselves and those around us. I believe that you possess an infinite supply of strength and ability to overcome any challenge, real or imagined. I believe you are always only one moment away from making an empowered choice that can change the direction of your health, your wellbeing and your life. I believe that you deserve to discover the power and peace that come with loving and caring for yourself. And I believe that optimum wellness is built upon three simple pillars: eat, think, move.

In fact, it is those three pillars that support and inform the stories you’ll find in the following pages. As we get deeper into the cold winter months, eating a well-rounded diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables doesn’t have to be difficult. On page 8, we show you how to shop for, store and prepare some of the produce section’s most underappreciated foods. Sometimes, though, the challenge of eating well and moving more is less about access or desire than motivation. To that end, the expert team at the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center in Aurora has created unique, nationally recognized programs aimed at addressing an individual’s needs because there is no one-size-fits-all approach to wellness. On page 24, Dr. Holly Wyatt explains how you can realistically tackle your own diet and fitness goals for certain success in the New Year (it’s much easier than you think). And we introduce you to a couple of unexpected indoor activities that will get your whole family moving together but won’t feel like exercise (page 28).

I hope this issue and those to come inspire and empower you to make the small changes that, when amassed, can lead to your optimum wellness.

I believe you are always only one moment away from making an empowered choice that can change the direction of your health, your wellbeing and your life.

winter 2013 | volume 01 issue 01 optimumwellness.com

Dr. James Rouse, ND

Founder James Rouse, ND

Creative Director Tom Visocchi

editorial director Debra Rouse, ND

Copy Editor Dave Baker

Publisher Deborah Juris

Project Manager Susan Humphrey

Editor Deborah Williams

Contributing Writers Adrienne Crezo, Kellee Katagi, Lisa Turner Contributing Artists Amanda Lenz, Katy Moses Huggins, Jeff Nelson, Annette Slade

Published by

www.hungryeyemedia.com

800.852.0857

Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

1

issue 01: winter 2013

contents. feature.

24 you, only better

Isn’t it time you made a resolution you can actually keep? Two local fitness and nutrition experts provide tips on setting yourself up for success.

departments begin.

04 The benefits of bulk; the latest cult sport reaches new heights around the globe; be your best self morning, noon, night ... and every hour in between.

eat.

07 red delicious

Long a symbol of prosperity and abundance—and one of the first fruits to ever be cultivated—pomegranates are as rich in nutrients as they are in historic significance.

08 o verlooked and

underappreciated

08

This winter, get acquainted with some of the healthiest fruits and veggies in your grocer’s produce section.

From parsnips to persimmons, these super foods aren’t just good for you; they’re really good.

11 Fit Kitchen

You’ve heard the adage “feed a cold”; we show you how. Better yet, don’t get sick to begin with.

Here’s how.

2 Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

think.

21 keep on the sunny side Never underestimate the power of a positive attitude.

22 Brain Waves

From the hippocampus to the hypothalamus, your brain is a complex organ. Get inside your own head with our in-depth exploration of what keeps it ticking.

move.

27 up and away

The latest fitness craze requires only two things: a sturdy pair of running shoes and a tall building.

28 Don’t Call It A Workout

Not a fan of group classes, downward dog or guttural breathing? You can get many of the benefits of yoga—plus much more stimulating conversation—rock climbing with friends or family.

improve.

32 Meal Makeovers

Twenty-three-year-old OW reader Amanda Markert, from Boulder, maintains an active lifestyle and a clean diet, but with the Super Bowl coming up, she’s had her mind on her favorite game-day indulgence: sweet-and-sour meatballs. “I have a huge sweet tooth, and the gooey sauce with pineapples always satisfies. Plus, it balances the other savory flavors.” Our expert, Debra Rouse, ND, offers an equally delicious but far healthier alternative.

special section.

15 What ‘Sup With That?

Taking the right vitamin or dietary supplement at the right time of day will keep you firing on all cylinders and performing at your best.

Snowshoeing, Jeff Nelson; persimmon, Annette Slade; fruit, shutterstock

01 welcome letter

i was a four-time loser before i realized I was in the wrong game. 15 years in prison is a pretty tough way to find oneself, but I have no regrets.

During my last sentence, I took advantage of all those long and lonely days by practicing my guitar, exercising, and getting to know myself – without drugs. To my utter amazement, I started liking what I was seeing. It’s been said adversity introduces a man to himself and i found this to be true.

When i returned to my family’s bakery in 2005, I set out to create the best-tasting and healthiest organic breads possible. And you know what? I think I did. to this day, people still tell me this is the best bread they have ever tasted.

A whole lot of suffering has transformed an ex-con into an honest man who is doing his best to make the world a better place...one loaf of bread at a time.

Dave Dahl, Dave’s Killer Bread

begin.

Be Great All Day

Hourly suggestions for making your day— and maybe someone else’s—better.

6 a.m.: Lose the snooze. The standard nine-minute-reprieve you get every time you slap the snooze button isn’t long enough to provide restful sleep. If that’s not reason enough to kick the snooze habit, consider this: If you snooze just twice a day, in one workweek you’ll accrue 90 minutes of lost time. That’s enough for three 30-minute workouts.

8 a.m.: Eat breakfast. Brain images presented at the Neuroscience 2012 conference suggest that your brain’s pleasure-seeking cortex is more likely to be activated by pictures of high-calorie food when you skip the day’s first meal and that you’re more likely to consume more and higher-calorie food at lunchtime. For a great carrot breakfast bread recipe turn to page 30.

4 Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

9 a.m.: Make a new friend. Strike up a conversation with another customer or the barista while you’re standing in line at the coffee shop. A University of British Columbia study found that interacting with strangers can boost your mood— and theirs—which is also good for your health.

begin.

12 p.m.: DITCH YOUR DESK. According to studies published in the journals Circulation and Diabetologia, the more time a person spends seated every day, the greater his or her risk of developing coronary heart disease and diabetes.

Use your lunch hour to get up from your desk and take a walk—even if it’s just around the building or to the picnic table outside.

3 p.m.: SNIFF AWAY STRESS. When afternoon tension begins to peak, take a whiff of lemon, basil, juniper or lavender. Studies conducted in Japan suggest that linalool extract, which is present in all of those substances, can normalize levels of neutrophils and lymphocytes,

which elevate in stressful situations and can lead to dangerous inflammation.

5 p.m.: CLEAN YOUR OFFICE. A 2004 study

by NEC-Mitsubishi determined that messy or chaotic workspaces contribute to ill health.

Toward the end of the day, take five minutes

to organize your desk, and wipe down surfaces with a cleanser so they’re clean when you get to work the next morning.

warming notes. Then go for an evening drive and hand them out to the homeless in your town. For less than $10 in groceries and an hour of your time, you can make sure those people won’t go to bed hungry tonight.

6 p.m.: TAKE YOUR FIBER. Eating a high-fiber food such as a cup of raspberries or taking a fiber supplement 15 minutes before you eat dinner will help you feel fuller, so you won’t overeat your evening meal. family together in the kitchen, make a dozen PB&J sandwiches, and place them in plastic sandwich bags with inspirational or heart-

8 p.m.: FEED THE HOMELESS. You don’t have to volunteer at a soup kitchen to help the needy. Get your

10 p.m.: SOCK IT UP. A 1999 study published in the journal Nature found that warm feet promote the rapid onset of sleep. If counting sheep doesn’t help you catch some Zs, consider slumbering in stocking feet.

cascadian farm is certified organic. guaranteed delicious. ®

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Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

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Thanks to their high vitamin E content (125% of your RDA), whole almonds can keep up to a year in the refrigerator.

begin.

keep the change Easy ways to save a penny.

And pennies add up.

According to the Bulk is Green Council, bulk foods such as nuts, grains, sugar, flour, spices and cereals in the bulk section of the grocery store are, on average, 30 to 96 percent less expensive than individual packages. Plus they allow you to buy as much or as little as you need and to store it in reusable airtight containers, which means less waste—for your wallet and the environment.

6 Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

Taipei, Taiwan Until 2010, Taiwan’s Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world. It has since been eclipsed by a tower in Dubai, but Taipei 101 is still tops in the eyes of vertical runners, a young but growing sect of extreme athletes bored with traditional flat racecourses. This February, 700 vertical runners will ascend Manhattan’s iconic Empire State Building—86 floors, 1,576 stairs—to kick off the 2013 Vertical Running World Circuit, which includes tower stair climbs in London, Berlin, Singapore and, of course, Taipei.

To read more about this new cult sport, turn to page 27.

Photography by Annette Slade, Illustration by Amanda Lenz

Worldview

eat.

All About...

Pomegranates

Photography by Annette Slade

If you’ve always pictured the forbidden fruit as an apple—as most of us do—hold onto your hat. Some scholars believe it was a pomegranate that tempted Eve and that a series of erroneous translations (pomegranate comes from the Latin term for “seeded apple”) are to blame for the mix-up.

We may never know the truth, and in the end it probably doesn’t make much difference. Still, you have to wonder if the pomegranate would have risen to greater glory in the West had it enjoyed the same cultural notoriety as the ubiquitous apple.

Native to Persia, the pomegranate is finally getting attention in the U.S., and for good reason. The juice of a pomegranate provides 16 percent of your daily vitamin C requirement and is a good source of vitamin B5, potassium and polyphenols—anti-oxidants that protect against heart disease, high blood pressure, dental plaque and cancer.

Its seeds, or arils, which often number in the many hundreds, and its thick inner flesh intimidate a lot of people, but they shouldn’t. For tips on separating the arils from the pulp and for delicious pomegranate recipes, see page 30 and visit optimumwellness.com.

Although whole pomegranates are only in season from September through February, you can freeze the seeds for use throughout the spring or look for bottled pomegranate juice, juice concentrate, whole arils and even pomegranate supplements, which are available year round in the beverage or natural food aisles.

Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

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eat. parsnip

jicama Purple Potato

Buy It. Store It. Prep It.

Break out of your routine and experiment with new foods. In season now, these five vegetables make a fun and versatile departure from their more pedestrian cousins. Here’s how to pick the best of the bunch, keep them fresh and prepare them for tasty, healthy meals everyone can enjoy. purple potatoes

parsnips

jicama

Love It: Unlike run-of-the-mill russets, red and purple potatoes are rich in carotenoids and phytochemicals that, according to studies conducted at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, can help lower blood pressure.

Love It: According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, parsnips are best harvested after several frosts and before the ground freezes, making them easy to grow in a home garden or to find in the market from October through February. High in vitamin C and potassium, parsnips are in the same family as carrots and have a similar shape and taste, though slightly sweeter.

Love It: A staple in Mexico and the southern states but widely available everywhere, jicama, believe it or not, is a member of the legume family. Potassium, iron, calcium and vitamin C all appear in jicama’s nutrition profile. The crisp, moist flesh tastes like a mild apple and has the texture of an unripe pear or potato. Its mild flavor makes it a perfect mate for spices such as chili powders or cumin, and it is equally delectable paired with citrus fruits and seafood.

Store It: Don’t store potatoes in the fridge.

Cold temperatures turn the starch to sugar.

Leave them in the paper bag and store them in a dark, dry place until you’re ready to wash and immediately use them; moisture speeds decay.

Prep It: Purple tubers will hold up to almost any prep method, but roasting brings out their creamy and slightly nutty flavor. Scrub them under cold water and leave the skins on to get all the nutrients. Slice them into quarter-inch rounds or chunks, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with kosher salt and rosemary, and roast them at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

8 Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

Buy It: Select parsnips that are firm, unblemished and free of soft spots. Opt for small to medium roots, as the bigger ones tend to have a woody core.

Store It: If parsnips were under a mister at the market, wipe them dry and store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for two to three weeks.

Prep It: Wash and peel parsnips immediately before using them. They can be chopped or shredded and served raw on salads or as garnish, but one of the best ways to bring out their flavor is to roast them with potatoes and carrots.

Or for a beautiful garnish, create a puree from the parsnip and serve under seared scallops or other seafood. For a recipe, see page 30.

Buy It: Choose firm, medium-sized bulbs with blemish-free skins. A bulb can weigh up to 3 pounds and should feel heavy for its size. Avoid the very large bulbs as they tend to lose their crispness and have a tougher texture.

Store It: Uncut, jicama will last up to two weeks when refrigerated. Once you’ve cut into it to expose the flesh, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to a week.

Prep It: The skin is too thick to remove with a conventional vegetable peeler. Instead, use a paring knife to slice the skin off in sections.

Slice or grate raw jicama and add it to winter salads, or combine it with cucumber or cabbage for a sweet and refreshing slaw.

Photography by Annette Slade

Buy It: Pick potatoes that are firm and have clean, smooth skin, with no bruises or cuts and few eyes. A potato that has been exposed to too much light will turn green, a result of builtup solanine, which tastes bitter and can cause illness. Take them home in a small brown paper bag rather than plastic.

kale

For a delicious purple potato and parsnip puree and a nutrient-packed kale salad recipe, turn to page 30.

persimmon

kale

persimmons

Love It: A winter super food, kale is one of only a few dark-green veggies that grow throughout the winter, and its flavor and texture are actually improved by a light frost. With twice the RDA of vitamins K and A and packed with vitamin C, fiber and 45 flavonoids—powerful antioxidants—it’s a great substitute for spinach and other hearty greens.

Love It: You’re most likely to find fuyu persimmons—the squat orange orbs that resemble small tomatoes (shown)—in your local market.

High in fiber and antioxidants such as vitamin A, beta-carotene and lutein, persimmons are adept free-radical fighters. In season through the fall and winter, they have a crisp and slightly sweet taste.

Buy It: The darker and firmer the leaves, the better. Steer clear of brown or yellow leaves or any that are wilting or full of holes.

Buy It: Select persimmons with shiny, bright yellow or orange skin free from bruises or blemishes. They should be firm but not hard to the touch. The astringent variety—darker orange-ish red with pointy bottoms—shouldn’t be eaten until they’re completely ripe and soft to the touch.

Store It: At home, place unwashed kale in a large Ziploc bag. If it was under a mister at the store, shake off as much water as possible first.

You can also place a paper towel in the bag to soak up extra moisture. Store in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Prep It: Kale can be eaten raw, sautéed, boiled or steamed without losing nutrients.

Remove the center stalk and vein and use the loose leafs in salads or soups as you would spinach. For a healthy indulgence, make a batch of kale chips. Tear the leaves into bitesize pieces, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and bake at 350 degrees until crisp.

Store It: Orange fuyus should be stored at room temperature, especially once ripe, and will last only a few days. The darker astringent variety, however, can survive a month or more when refrigerated.

Prep It: At their peak, fuyu persimmons are delicious raw or cooked, and can be added to fruit or vegetable dishes. Or you can incorporate the pulp of the fruit into baked goodies such as oatmeal cookies and pancakes.

Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

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eat.

Feed a Cold.

Seven foods that ward off winter woes.

whole chicken and make your own broth, since simmering the bones enhances the cysteine content that helps support immune health.

And if you don’t eat chicken, not to worry: Many common components of chicken soup, such as garlic and mushrooms, are also potent cold-fighters. Not up for the time and effort it takes to cook soup from scratch?

Other foods, such as kale, yogurt and strawberries, have similar protective effects and are simple to prepare and enjoy on the fly.

You can eat your way out of a cold—and even nip one in the bud—with these powerpacked infection fighters.

Photography by Annette Slade

By Lisa Turner

In the first century AD, so the legend goes, a Roman physician prescribed chicken soup to heal Emperor Nero’s persistent respiratory infection. It must have worked because ever since then, chicken soup has become mom’s and grandma’s go-to choice for easing the symptoms of the common cold.

Now, it turns out there may be some scientific truth to the old wives’ remedy. Chicken soup is filled with nutrients that shore up the immune system, reduce inflammation and loosen mucosal secretions. The way chicken soup is prepared affects its healing benefits, so make it the oldfashioned way: Start with a

Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

11

eat.

Chicken soup is high in cysteine, an immune-boosting amino acid that inhibits neutrophils (white blood cells) and reduces inflammation. In addition, hot soup loosens and thins out mucus, making it easier to expel from your body. (See sidebar for our chicken soup with a twist recipe that incorporates many of the other immune-boosting foods we love all winter.)

Garlic contains allicin, a powerful antimicrobial that can minimize the symptoms of a cold and shorten its duration. To maximize the allicin content, mince fresh garlic, let it stand for 10 minutes to allow the allicin to develop, and add it during the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking.

For thousands of years traditional Chinese medicine has used ginger to treat cold symptoms; its antimicrobial effects help ward off bugs, and its spicy kick acts as an antihistamine and decongestant for those pesky stuffy noses.

Mushrooms, especially shiitakes, are rich sources of beta-glucan, a potent antiviral and immune system modulator that you can only find in a few other sources, such as cereal grains, yeasts and good bacteria. Beta-glucan content in shiitakes is so powerful, it’s been studied for its ability to fight serious viruses, including hepatitis B and HIV. Beta-carotene, which enhances your body’s natural killer cell activity and fights off viruses, is abundant in kale and other leafy greens such as Swiss chard and spinach. Kale is also a great source of glutathione, a powerful anti-oxidant that supports the immune system.

You’ve heard about oranges and their high vitamin C content, but strawberries are also rich in cold-fighting vitamin C and are among the most anti-oxidant–rich foods according to recent studies. They also contain anti-inflammatory properties that can help ward off cold bugs. Other berries and cherries have similar cold-fighting potential.

Miso seasoning or paste, which is a mix of rice, barley or—most commonly—soy, is rich in probiotics, beneficial bacteria that have long been used to fight infectious diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and have recently been shown to prevent and treat colds, especially in children. Adding miso to soups and sauces gives dishes extra flavor.

N uts

•

Fru its

•

M i x es

•

E n robed

•

Gingery Chicken Soup Serves 4 1 3 1/2 to 4 pound whole chicken, quartered 4 l arge carrots, peeled and chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 1 large onion, peeled and quartered 4o unces fresh ginger root, sliced 1/4-inch thick 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 1/2 cups shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced 1 cup packed chopped kale leaves (about 1/2 small bunch) 3 garlic cloves, minced Re d pepper flakes to taste (optional) 1. Remove and discard skin from all but one of the chicken quarters. Place chicken in a large stock pot and add carrots, celery, onion, ginger, salt, pepper and 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, skimming foam from the top, until chicken is very tender.

2. Transfer chicken pieces to a large dish. Strain broth and discard solids. Return broth to the pot and add mushrooms, kale and garlic.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. W hile vegetables are cooking, remove meat from bones and cut into cubes. Add meat to soup and heat for 1 minute. Season to taste with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, and serve hot.

Turn to page 30 for more recipes.

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Supplemental Health Care

Supplements 101 The best time to take your vitamins. By Lisa Turner

When it comes to daily dietary supplements, which ones you take may not be as important as when and how you take them. Sure, you can pop a single multivitamin every morning— and that’s better than nothing—but spreading your vitamins and supplements throughout the day ensures you get the full benefit of each. Here’s an hour-by-hour guide to keep you running strong all day long.

MORNING Upon rising: Probiotic

7

If you’re not a yogurt-for-breakfast fan, consider starting your day with a probiotic supplement to get your intestinal tract, well, on track. Most probiotic supplements are best taken before eating, when your stomach is less active.

Benefit: immune and digestive support. Plus, probiotics help with absorption, which can help ensure you get the full nutrient benefit of foods you eat the rest of the day.

OW Recommends: Jarrow-Dophilus EPS;

an enteric coating on the capsule protects the cultures from stomach acids.

Breakfast: Multivitamin

Unless you follow a very strict meal plan, you’re probably missing some essential vitamins and minerals. Multis, especially those formulated for your specific needs—whether you’re pregnant, of a certain age or have certain allergies or deficiencies—can help ensure you get as close to 100 percent of your RDA as possible. But some vitamins and minerals can cause mild stomach upset, so take them with food. To enhance the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like A and E, make sure your breakfast includes some oil; healthy choices include avocado, hemp oil, nuts and eggs.

Benefit: covers gaps in daily nutrition; provides

an array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants you can’t always get from food.

OW Recommends: Nature’s Way Alive! Multivitamin doesn’t contain any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

10

MID-MORNING Mid-morning: B12

If you can’t even make it to lunch without feeling a little sluggish or out of focus, skip the second cup of joe and reach for the B12, a lack of which can cause fatigue and mood fluctuations.

Vitamin B12—which is plentiful in shellfish and fish eggs, two less-than-appealing mid-morning snacks—is best absorbed when your stomach’s not super-full, so take it between meals. It also helps convert breakfast carbs and fats into energy. Tablets are the easiest form of B12 to find in stores, but sublingual tabs or sprays are often absorbed better and can be taken any time of day.

Take your probiotic and eat a small snack—such as a piece of string cheese—for a quick boost before your morning workout. Follow it with a protein-rich breakfast.

Benefit: nervous system support, energy production, hormonal regulation.

OW Recommends: TwinLab Mega B12 Dots:

12

They melt on your tongue and taste like cherries, so you don’t have to choke down a big pill.

MID-DAY Lunchtime: Omega-3, calcium

Omega-3, which you’ve also heard referred to as essential fatty acid and which comes from fish or seafood oils, has been linked to everything from reduced joint stiffness and depression to improved cognition in kids, though the research is thin. Still, plenty of doctors recommend supplementing it, especially if you don’t eat a lot of fish and seafood. Omega-3 can cause nausea and gastric distress taken on an empty stomach, so take it with a primary meal. Lunch, when your stomach is less likely to be sensitive, is better than breakfast.

Benefit: anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular health, mood support.

OW Recommends: Schiff MegaRed Krill Oil;

unlike fish oil, krill has no fishy odor or aftertaste,

Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

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Supplemental Health Care

If you eat dinner on the late side—after the kids’ school activities and long days at work—take an enzyme with the meal to aid digestion and improve sleep.

and it is recognized and absorbed faster than fish oil by your body’s cells.

Calcium isn’t just for kids. Even grown-ups need plenty, especially post-menopausal women whose risk for osteoporosis increases with age. Milk, yogurt and cheese pack a ton of calcium but also a lot of fat, so supplementing can be a smart move for those watching their waistlines. Calcium is best absorbed in divided doses of 500 mg or less, so take your first dose now, followed by a second dose at dinner. Bonus: Take it with your daily vitamin D to increase its absorption.

EVENING Dinner time: Calcium, digestive enzymes

6

OW Recommends: Jarrow Bone-Up. Enzymes are best taken with dinner, especially if you tend to eat late, to promote complete digestion before bed and ensure more restful sleep.

Benefit: bone health, nervous system support.

OW Recommends: Jarrow Bone-Up Calcium;

Benefit: maximizes digestion, prevents gastric distress, aids in absorption of nutrients.

OW Recommends: Enzymatic Therapy Mega-

a highly absorbable form of calcium is combined with vitamins D and K to aid absorption.

Zyme; the super high-potency formula means maximum results.

MID-AFTERNOON Mid-afternoon: Fiber

3 Fiber should be taken separately from other

supplements, since it can interfere with their absorption—so mid-afternoon is a good time.

Bonus: you’ll feel more full and less inclined to snack.

Benefit: promotes digestive regularity and healthy blood lipid levels.

OW Recommends: RenewLife Fiber-Smart; the powder form (also available in a capsule) gives you a break from all the pill swallowing. Mix the fiber powder and a twist of lemon with 8 ounces of cool or warm water.

Calcium. Take your second dose of the day with dinner, to promote absorption. Bonus: Taken in the evening, calcium in combination with magnesium can help relax your muscles and lead to sound sleep.

Benefit: encourages muscle relaxation.

10

BED TIME Before bed: Magnesium

Magnesium taken right before bed calms your mind and nervous system in preparation for sleep. Bonus: It can also encourage bowel regularity.

Benefit: relaxes muscles, supports the nervous system, promotes bone and heart health.

OW Recommends: Nature’s Way Magnesium.

Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

17

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Pink Packaging Engineer THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. ‡ Supportive, but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA Omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart Labeling disease. Specialist © 2013 Schiff Nutrition Group, Inc.

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Wellness is a Choice...

Take Charge of Your Health!

Healthier Choices at King Soopers and City Market Over 3,000 Natural Vitamin and Body Care products now available in these convenient locations:

Megan

Nutrition Specialist on Staff

• 1015 South Taft Hill Rd, Ft. Collins • 1375 South Boulder Rd, Louisville • 3100 South Sheridan, Denver • 9551 S University Blvd, Highlands Ranch • 3600 Table Mesa Dr, Boulder • 8031 Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada • 1650 30th St, Boulder • 1173 Bergen Pkwy, Evergreen • 4503 John F Kennedy Pkwy, Ft. Collins • 12959 South Parker Rd, Parker • 995 South Hover St, Longmont • 15200 West 64th Ave, Arvada • 2810 Quebec St, Denver • 6000 South Holly, Greenwood Village • 4910 South Yosemite, Greenwood Village • 8673 South Quebec, Highlands Ranch • 3475 S. University Blvd. Suite E, Englewood • 15051 East 104th Ave, Commerce City • 6922 10th St, Greeley • 6 Town Plaza Shpg. Ctr, Durango • 1825 Central Park Plaza, Steamboat Springs • 300 Dillon Ridge Rd, Dillon • 0072 Beaver Creek Pl, Avon • 250 East Valley Rd, El Jebel • 630 24 Rd, Grand Junction

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NuVal™ scores food on a scale of 1-100.

The higher the score, the better the nutrition. LOOK for the NuVal™ Score on the shelf at King Soopers and City Market stores.

We have registered Dietitians in our stores! They can show you ways to improve blood pressure, manage diabetes, lose weight or just eat healthier in general. They offer free tours and classes to help you set and achieve health goals for yourself and for your family.

Please visit our website for our calendar of events at www.kingsoopers/healthmatters.com or email AskYourDietitian@kingsoopers.com

Your health matters to us.

Health Kiosks

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Measure blood pressure, heart rate, weight, body composition and body mass index.

Learn More at kingsoopers.com/healthmatters or citymarket.com/healthmatters

think.

You Are What You Think.

shutterstock.com

Practice positive thought patterns every day.

What one trait would you say practically guarantees success in any endeavor? Talent? Education? Leadership? Knowledge? Higher Thought pioneer and author Napoleon Hill believed it is persistence. In one of the best-selling books of all time, Think and Grow Rich, Hill devoted an entire chapter to the quality of persistence. “There may be no heroic connotation to the word persistence, but the character is to the quality of man what carbon is to steel.” Achieving lifelong health—to live with abundant energy, maintain your ideal weight, manage your stress, build your relationships and remain fulfilled—starts with a persistent belief in your goals and your ability to achieve them. Keep a journal and pen nearby to track your thoughts—especially the negative ones. Writing them down is a form of release. When your mind is clear of negativity, gossip and fear, it’s open to peace and positivity.

Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

21

think.

The right brain hemisphere controls the left side of your body and is primarily involved in emotional thinking, creativity and imagination. But don’t get caught up in that left-vs.-right debate when it comes to personality: A 2012 study at the University of Southern California found that the logical left brain’s ability to make quick judgments and plan ahead also boosts creativity. Right brainers can build left-and-right connections by playing sudoku, crossword puzzles or even good old Tetris.

The parietal lobe is located directly behind the frontal lobe, just under the crown of your skull. It controls speech, your sense of touch, your ability to calculate numbers and perceive space, and helps you move your body and manipulate objects. If you feel these functions getting foggy, try giving your parietal lobe a workout by tallying the cost of your grocery purchases in your head as you shop or calculate the time it will take you to reach a destination based on the approximate distance and driving speed.

The largest part of your brain is the

frontal lobe, situated just behind your forehead. It’s the part you tap with your finger when you’re trying to figure something out, and for good reason—the frontal lobe is responsible for problem-solving, decisionmaking and short-term memory.

In early Mesoamerica, people practiced what is known as trepanation. Today we’d call it drilling a hole in the skull or a bad idea. The belief then was that trepanation would increase brain blood flow and cure various mental disorders, diseases and injuries.

Turns out, the Mesoamericans could have avoided many a messy surgery by simply increasing their intake of nitrate-rich foods, no drills required. A Wake Forest University study published in 2010 revealed that 10 ounces of beet juice a day helped maintain and improve blood flow in the frontal lobe, especially in older people, which could reduce the incidence of dementia-related diseases. So put away the Dremel and guzzle back some borscht. (If beets aren’t your thing, no worries—try juicing spinach, strawberries, carrots or lettuce instead. All are high in nitrates.)

Train Your Brain.

Your brain’s not technically a muscle, but regular exercise can make it a whole lot stronger.

By adrienne crezo

Forget that old adage about how you only use 10 percent of your brain: It’s completely untrue. Every region of your brain has a specific function, and deterioration in or damage to any area creates profound physical and mental difficulty. There’s still much we don’t know about our own grey matter: How is intelligence created? What is intuition? Why do we dream?

But what we do know is that two hemispheres (right and left) comprise the brain, and each is divided into four major lobes: frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal. And don’t forget the hippocampus and the thalamus, which are as fun to say as they are to use. In the past 200 years or so, we’ve come to know each region’s function and, to a large extent, how to improve each segment’s performance. The good news? These brain-boosting tricks are accessible and easy to incorporate into full and busy lives.

22 Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

Some people say moms have eyes in the backs of their heads, but one thing most people don’t know is that the occipital lobe is at the back of your head, and it processes sight, recognition and visual cues. And improving occipital lobe function is as easy as ABC—a 2011 study conducted at the University of Lisbon showed that literacy greatly improves object recognition and visual imagination. Reading this magazine is like doing push-ups for your occipital lobes; for higher-intensity training, pick up that old copy of Finnegans Wake.

The neuronal goo our brains are made of is called grey matter. It works in conjunction with white matter to create and transport impulses throughout the brain, and even though you may have heard that the brain never generates new cells, recent research has shown that not only can we retain grey and white matter, we can actually regenerate them through physical exercise. According to Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, clinical professor of neurology at New York University, “as little as three hours per week of brisk walking” has been shown to reduce and sometimes reverse the natural grey matter atrophy we experience as we age.

The left brain hemisphere controls the right side of your body and is largely responsible for language skills and reasoning. Because 90 percent of people are righthanded, a roughly equivalent percentage of people have a left brain hemisphere that is larger than the right hemisphere. The exception? Ambidextrous people, who have unusually symmetric brains and a greater number of neural connections between the two sides. To give your side-to-side communication a workout and your brain a fighting chance against the world’s ambidextrous types, try doing everyday tasks, like brushing your teeth or using your computer mouse, with your non-dominant hand.

Hearing, emotion, social cues, language interpretation and visual memories are all processed in your temporal lobes, which lie behind your ears on both sides of your brain. They contain the amygdala, responsible for your ability to interact with other people and the hippocampus, responsible for storing long-term and complex memories.

Dr. Bradford C. Dickerson of the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Neurology, says “amygdala volume positively correlates with the size and complexity of social networks in adult humans.” For those of us who aren’t doctors, this means that the more active your social life, the better-functioning

this area of your temporal lobe. So get out there and mingle.

Meet a friend for a (high-nitrate) lunch date or start up a conversation with the new guy at work. Your brain (and theirs) will be fitter for it.

An interesting study in 2006 showed that London taxi drivers have larger hippocampi than the general population, thanks to the occupational necessity of remembering how to get from Point A to Point B in the city’s famously complicated roadway system.

Give your hippocampus a jog around the block by taking new routes to places you visit often. If you’re adventurous (or a cabbie in London), your brain’s memory storage will improve with each trip.

Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

23

…and a

happy

newyou.

Want to achieve great things in 2013?

Step one: Get real. by

Deborah Williams

i

t’s late January. The holidays and the chaos of a new year are retreating in your rearview, and you’re settling into the groove of 2013. If you’re like 45 percent of Americans, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, you made a resolution, and it most likely had something to do with improving your physical wellbeing—eating better or exercising more. If you’re like half of those resolutionmakers, you’ve already strayed off course, if you started at all.

But, say the experts, straying off course or making an occasional misstep isn’t analogous to failure. Unfortunately, says Dr. Holly Wyatt, medical director at Aurora’s Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, people too often suffer from what she calls black-and-white thinking, assuming that missing one day’s workout or hitting the drive-through in a moment of weakness renders the resolution null-and-void. Wyatt’s mission at AHWC is to help patients rethink how they make and pursue resolutions. First things first, she says, get real about your expectations and your behaviors.

n Resolutio Photography by Jeff Nelson

Revolution

24 Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

.

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE The key, says Wyatt, is to avoid the pit of despair that you’ll inevitably fall into if you only focus on what went wrong. “Doing something once is not bad,” says Wyatt. “It doesn’t ruin your whole week.” Instead, lead with what you did right and remind yourself of your successes—big and small. Did you go to the gym several other days this week? Did you take the dog for a walk instead of watching television? Did you pack your lunch instead of eating out? Did you swap mayo for mustard on your turkey sandwich? Pat yourself on the back for all the things you did right and don’t beat yourself up about what you did wrong. Upholding a resolution isn’t only about adjusting your behavior but also your mindset. Then figure out why you went wrong. When you focus on the why of your mistake, you’re less likely to put yourself in the same position again. “I say, fail fast; fall forward,” says Wyatt.

Jamie Atlas, a gym owner, personal trainer and official Rally Man for LiveWell Colorado, agrees. “When you make a mistake, take the information and learn from it,” he says. “Maybe your mistake is that you went to a party and you ate poorly. Well, why did you eat poorly? Because you hadn’t eaten all day and were overly hungry at the party. So did you set yourself up for that failure? Yes. Can you

prevent this from happening next time? Yes. How? You can plan better ahead of time, making sure to eat well throughout the day and maybe eat a healthy snack before the party so you don’t stuff yourself on junk.”

CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK Both Atlas and Wyatt encourage their clients to build allowances into their resolutions and goals. To that end, Atlas came up with the Best of Seven concept, a unique approach to avoiding the blackand-white, all-or-nothing trap so many resolvers fall victim to. He uses hockey tournaments, tennis matches and even Rock, Paper, Scissors as examples: You can lose a round or two or three and still win the series. “As long as you have more successes than failures, you’re winning,” says Atlas. “That’s positive reinforcement.

And with that, says Atlas, comes a cascade of commitment.

Likewise, Wyatt encourages her clients to allow themselves one indulgence a week. The catch? It must be planned.

“You can say, ‘This Friday I’m going to have date night, have a glass of wine and order whatever I want,’ within reason,” she says. “What isn’t ok is to have an impulse transgression or indulgence.

Walking by a Cinnabon in the mall and deciding then that’s what you want for your weekly indulgence doesn’t count. If what you

Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

25

crave is a Cinnabon, plan that as your indulgence meal.” A lot of times, Wyatt says, people get to their planned indulgence and, buoyed a week of good choices, no longer want to splurge. “If you think you’ll never have a Cinnabon again, that’s not going to work because it makes you a victim. If you say when you’re going to have it, you take the power and control back.”

78%

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START SMART. START SMALL. Sticking to a resolution may be the hard part for most people, but Atlas and Wyatt agree that the seed of failure is often planted much earlier—that making the resolution is often where folks go wrong. “The main place people fall down is they think back to what they wanted to do at the beginning of last year, and they just reload the cannon and try to shoot that out again,” says Atlas.

But if that goal was too big last year, it’s probably still too big this year. Atlas and Wyatt encourage their clients to start small. “What’s the easiest change that could have an impact?” says Atlas. “Start there because success breeds success.” If you’ve never been able to find an hour in the day to work out before, making 60 minutes of daily exercise your goal is probably unrealistic at the outset. Instead, start by getting up five minutes earlier every day. That’s attainable, and after you do it for a few days, you’ll have the confidence to add five more minutes and then 10 until you’re regularly up an hour earlier. “People set themselves up for failure when they look at the top step, not the one in front of them,” says Atlas.

Another pitfall Wyatt warns her clients about is focusing only on the scale. Although your ultimate goal might be to shed pounds, that isn’t the only metric of improved health. “Moving improves your insulin resistance, lowers your blood pressure and your stress level,” she says, “And that can lead to a snowball effect of other benefits, including weight loss.” To that end, Wyatt and her colleagues at Anschutz Health and Wellness helped to create America on the Move, a program designed to stop weight gain.

The concept is simple: increasing your physical activity by 2,000 steps a day can help prevent the one- to two-

26 Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

pound-a-year weight gain typical for most Americans. “We know that the biggest bang for our buck is taking someone who’s sedentary and getting him or her to move even a very small amount,” says Wyatt. Her greatest tool in that battle isn’t the scale; it’s the pedometer.

“It quantifies the small things you do,” she says. “Even if it’s just small bouts of activity throughout the day, you can incrementally adjust so that each day you’ve done a few more steps than the day before. People need that feedback to know it’s worth it a lot of times.”

Wyatt starts by getting a baseline for her patients— how many steps do they take in a week doing their normal routine. Then she tells them to add 500 steps— roughly five minutes of walking—a week. In one month, a patient can easily add 2,000 steps to their weekly routine.

The beauty of the pedometer is it lets you adjust your behavior, not just measure it, Wyatt says. “When you look at your pedometer at noon and it’s low, you figure out how to adjust. Sometimes I tell patients, don’t go to bed until you reach your goal.”

WHY ASK WHY? Just as asking yourself why you went wrong can keep you from making the same misstep twice, distilling the why of your resolution can make it feel more approachable and personal. “Think about what you want to achieve, determine your why by asking a series of four or five questions, then create a touch point that will help you stick with the why and the what,” says Atlas. If your goal is something big and vague, such as ‘I want to eat better,’ keep digging. Why do you want to eat better?

Maybe it’s because you need to lose weight. Why do you need to lose weight? Perhaps a doctor has told you you’re at risk for heart disease or because it runs in your family. Why don’t you want heart disease? Because you don’t want it to take you away from your kids the way it took your dad away from you at a young age. Now your goal isn’t really about the food; it’s about your kids. Your touch point can be a picture of you and your dad or you and your kids. You’ve discovered your why.

“Keep your motivation, your why, in front of you at all times. Print it out and put it on your mirror or at your desk or in your wallet,” says Atlas. When you see it, it will hold you accountable.

Photography by Jeff Nelson

“As long as you have more successes than failures, you’re winning.”

The world’s longestliving people don’t make exercise an addendum to each day; they make movement a component as central to their life as work or prayer or leisure time. They walk or bike when they can, rather than drive; they garden daily; they shovel their front walk and their neighbors’; they clean their homes regularly; they walk the dog. I’m encouraged to know the trend back toward natural movement is gaining momentum.

move.

–James Rouse, ND

Running on the (High) Rise.

A new cult sport is emerging one stair-step at a time. BY KELLEE KATAGI

Illustration by Amanda Lenz

Try it: The ALA will hold Denver’s eighth annual Fight for Air Climb on Feb. 24, 2013. Visit fightforairclimb.org for more information or to register.

Chalk up even more vertical with one of endurance running’s fastest-growing trends: stair climbs. Also called vertical running, tower running or skyrunning, stair climbing has spawned its own international federation and running circuit in which athletes scale the world’s tallest buildings, from the 91 floors and 2,046 steps of Taiwan’s Taipei 101 to the Empire State Building (86 floors, 1,576 steps).

The sport’s elite athletes charge the stairs hard, taking them two at a time and using the handrails at strategic times to battle gravity and pull themselves upward. They finish the races in a matter of minutes—11:26 minutes to be exact for the 2012 winner of the Taipei 101 race (Thomas Dold, 27, of Germany, who also

won the 2012 Empire State Building climb in 10:28 minutes).

Other athletes set a slower pace, considering making it to the top a sufficiently impressive accomplishment (their reward: taking the elevator down).

Denver’s highest profile stair climb—the American Lung Association’s (ALA) Fight for Air Climb at the 56-story Republic Plaza— draws both types of participants.

Pikes Peak Ascent record holder Kim Dobson topped the women’s field in the 2012 event, while participants like 46-year-old Sef Williams of Lakewood see stair climbing as a challenging way to get fit while raising funds for the ALA. “I have asthma, so the value of a breath is near and dear to me,” Williams says. When Williams signed up for his first ALA

stair climb in 2008, he’d never considered himself athletic. Since then, he’s finished four more Denver climbs, as well as the 2012 SkyRise Chicago Tower Up at the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). “I lost 38 pounds while training for the Chicago climb,” Williams says. He primarily preps on his gym’s StairMaster, but he also visits Red Rocks Amphitheater when his schedule allows. Other stair-climb athletes train by running stairs in apartment or office buildings.

Stair climbs tax your hamstrings and glutes, so avoid muscle imbalances by either running both up and down the stairs during workouts or weaving squats and other quad exercises into your training regimen.

Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

27

move.

Rock Your Workouts.

Tired of the same old exercise routine that takes

you nowhere? Here’s a whole new exercise that will push you up to the next level­—literally.

By Kellee Katagi

Research backs up what you instinctively know: When it comes to exercise motivation, variety is key. If you’ve plateaued in your strength-training routine or you’re stuck in a yoga rut, consider climbing—quite literally—your way out of it at a local climbing gym or indoor rock wall.

For fitness benefits, rock climbing rivals many traditional gym workouts, including yoga. “It has a nice combination of strength, power and also flexibility, as you stretch to reach a handhold or foothold,” says Mary-Laurence Bevington, managing director of Movement Climbing + Fitness in Boulder. Here’s how climbing can transform your body and energize your approach to fitness.

As you might expect, climbing tones your upper body—shoulders, upper back, biceps and core—but if you climb correctly, your legs are the real heavy hitters. “It seems like a contradiction, but in order to move up the wall efficiently, you need to push down with your legs rather than just pull up with your upper body,” Bevington explains.

Climbing also targets smaller, lower-profile muscle groups, such as those in your hands, forearms and feet. “Sometimes I’ll have new climbers say, ‘I didn’t even know I had a muscle there,’” says Tricia Fehr Carver, manager of Rock’n and Jam’n climbing gym in Centennial. That means newcomers should ease into the sport while their bodies adjust, doing just a few routes in the first several visits. “It can take 10 weeks for your hands to gain strength relative to your core muscles,” Bevington says.

To stay balanced, climbers should supplement workouts with exercises that target muscles on the front of the body—chest, triceps, quads—which don’t see as much action at the climbing gym, Carver says. Three days a week, do a few sets of push-ups, dips and squats to prevent muscle imbalances.

Climbers also tend to spend a lot of time with their shoulders rounded forward toward the wall; counteract that motion by extending your arms out from your sides, expanding your chest 28 Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

Photography by Jeff Nelson

Get ripped

cessful,” Carver says. Climbing can also help athletes overcome psychological barriers like fear of heights or trust issues. “You learn to trust the equipment and the people belaying you,” Carver adds. “It’s mentally and emotionally engaging.” As an added bonus, climbing tends to be a social sport, with friends, coworkers, family members or even other gym members often climbing together to belay one another and offer tips and encouragement.

and pulling your shoulder blades together. Hold for 10 seconds, release and repeat four times.

Rev your heart Climbing won’t provide the same sustained cardio benefits as activities such as running or cycling, but it can get your heart pumping with short anaerobic power bursts as you propel yourself from one position to another. Experienced climbers can employ their aerobic energy system as well by doing quick laps on long routes, but novices may want to mix in cardio workouts two to three times per week.

Engage your mind Creativity, awareness and concentration are not just possible side benefits of climbing—they’re essentials. “You BC focus OW Adntoking sooperv2 have to have be suc-

likely improve your fitness and your technique in just a few lessons, Carver says. “It’s easy to see progress as you climb harder and harder routes, and conquer routes that you couldn’t do even a week or two before.”

High Gear

Most climbing gyms offer introductory lessons that include rental equipment. Once you’re hooked, you’ll want to purchase your own. You’ll need:

Harness: supports your body as you climb. Approximate cost: $50–$150

Jump in A base fitness level makes climbing easier, but the sport is accessible to almost anyone. “If you can climb a ladder, you can climb a wall,” Carver says. Both Carver and Bevington recommend an introductory lesson that covers basic techniques, an equipment and gym overview, copy.pdf 1 precautions.

12/14/12 9:44 and safety YouAM will

Belay hardware:

attaches your harness to the ropes. Approximate cost: $10–$100

Climbing shoes: sleek, tightfitting shoes that allow your feet to grip the holds on the wall.

Approximate cost: $70–$170

C

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Bold flavors.

Malt Vinegar and Sea Salt, Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper, Hickory Barbeque, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar and many more flavors to choose from.

Enjoy them all.

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Whether you are hiking, camping, biking or just need a snack at the office, Boulder Canyon can travel with you.

| Enjoy piece of mind. | Enjoy them anywhere.

Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

29

Photography by Annette Slade

recipes.

Seared Scallops with Pomegranate Syrup Over Purple Parsnip Puree Serves 4 FOR PUREE 1 pound parsnips, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons Greek-style yogurt 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon white pepper heavy cream (if desired) FOR SAUCE 1 cup pomegranate juice 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon honey 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1 pound sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/8 teaspoon sea salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup pomegranate arils 1. P lace potatoes and parsnips in a pot of salted water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until tender.

2. Meanwhile, combine first five sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce heat to simmer until sauce is reduced by half and starting to thicken.

3. Drain potatoes and parsnip well and return to pot temporarily. Stir in butter.

4. Transfer potatoes and parsnip to food processor fitted with an S-blade and puree until smooth.

5. A dd yogurt, salt and pepper. For a richer consistency, add heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time.

6. For the scallops, heat butter and olive oil in a medium skillet until hot but not burned.

Place the scallops in the skillet. Cook until opaque and lightly browned on each side (about 2 minutes per side).

Per Serving: 406 Calories; 14g Fat (6g sat); 24g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 18g Sugar; 5g Dietary Fiber; 56mg Cholesterol; 831mg Sodium.

Kale Salad Serves 5 1 bunch kale—about 6 cups—washed and dried 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 small garlic clove, minced salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 medium bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 medium carrot, shredded or thinly sliced 2 tablespoons pine nuts 1 medium avocado, pitted and diced 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped 1. Remove kale leaves from thick stems.

2. Chop into strips and place in a large bowl.

3. M assage oil, garlic, salt and pepper into the kale until it is well coated and begins to soften. Add lemon juice and continue to massage into the kale for about a minute.

4. Add bell pepper, carrot, pine nuts, avocado, cilantro and mint and gently toss until incorporated.

Per Serving: 178 Calories; 16g Fat (2g sat); 3g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 2g Sugars; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 16mg Sodium.

Carrot Breakfast Bread cooking oil spray 1 cup whole wheat or gluten-free pastry flour 1 cup whole wheat or gluten-free flour 2 tablespoons ground flax 1/3 cup rolled or certified gluten-free oats 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 3 eggs 1/4 cup oil 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened 1 cup grated carrots 1. Preheat oven to 325F. Spray loaf pan with cooking oil.

2. Whisk together first 10 ingredients (through walnuts) in large bowl.

3. In another bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Stir in oil, brown sugar, applesauce and grated carrots.

4. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir until just mixed.

5. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool before removing from pan.

Per Serving: 282 Calories; 12g Fat (2g Sat); 8g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 2.3g Sugars; 6g Dietary Fiber; 80mg Cholesterol; 237mg Sodium.

30 Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

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any two (2) Single serve Voskos Greek Yogurt Retailer Instructions: Sun Valley Dairy will reimburse you the face value of this coupon plus 8 cents handling for coupons redeemed in accordance with this offer. Invoices proving purchase of sufficient stock to support coupon submissions must be provided upon request. Consumers are limited to one coupon per purchase and are responsible for all taxes. Cash value is .0001 cents. Send all coupons to: to CMS Dept. # 922021, Fawcett Drive, Del Rio, TX 78840.

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Retailer: Boiron will reimburse you the face value of this coupon plus .08 cents handling for coupons redeemed in accordance with this offer and coupon redemption policy. Invoices proving purchase of sufficient stock to support coupon submissions must be provided upon request. Consumers are limited to one coupon per pruchase and are responsible for all taxes. Cash value is .0001 cents. Send all coupons to: Boiron Inc., P.O. Box 407, MPS Dept 685, Cinnaminson, NJ 08077. Please call MPS at (888) 426-4650 with any questions concerning coupon submissions or retailer reimbursement.

Not to be combined with any other coupon or offer.

Optimum Wellness is back!

We’ll produce four issues this year. Look for the next edition in your King Soopers/City Market stores in April 2013. Hungry for more? Visit the website, optimumwellness.com, now for ideas, recipes, tips and motivation, and keep an eye out for our redesigned website, launching in March.

improve.

Have a Ball.

An all-American comfort food gets a makeover.

By Debra rouse, nd

We love a good tailgate or football party as much as the next family, but when it comes to those de rigueur gravy-slathered premade meatballs, we steer clear.

Loaded with saturated and trans fat, sodium, and excess bread crumbs, not to mention the high-fructose corn syrup in the sauce, they go from comfort food to uncomfortable mistake after just a couple of bites.

But meatballs don’t have to be off-limits. Substitute lean ground turkey breast—or even ground walnuts, legumes or whole grains—for a hit of clean protein, and combine them with colorful veggies such as shiitakes, broccoli and bell pepper to up the fiber and overall nutrition.

Turkey Teriyaki Meatballs 3/4 pound ground turkey breast 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (or substitute gluten free oats) 1 egg white 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup low-sodium teriyaki sauce or tamari 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped

2 cups shiitake mushroom, sliced 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 cup) 1 large zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices (2 cups) 1 tablespoon organic cornstarch 2 tablespoons water

Mix turkey, breadcrumbs and egg white. Divide mixture into 12 equal pieces; roll each into a ball with palm of hand. Coat bottom of 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray and cook meatballs over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Use a spatula to brown on all sides, then reduce heat.

Mix chicken broth, teriyaki sauce and vinegar; pour into skillet. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, bell pepper, broccoli and zucchini. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bell pepper is crisptender and meatballs are no longer pink in center. Mix cornstarch and water; stir into sauce in skillet. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Serve over noodles or rice.

Per Serving (3 meatballs): 180 Calories; 2g Fat (1g sat); 23g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 56mg Cholesterol; 471mg Sodium

32 Winter 2013 / Optimum Wellness

Photography by Annette Slade

Serves 6

Better Than Good

Thick and Creamy