Quick Tips to Decrease Allergen Exposure at Home

Photo Courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

1. Houseplants – Keep slightly dry to decrease mold growth.  Avoid placing them in the bedroom due to mold sensitizing
2. Christmas trees - Unfortunately they grow mold quickly.  Use artificial instead of live trees if you have allergies.
3. Nickel Allergy?  Use clear nail polish on the back of blue jean buttons to keep from skin exposure to nickel.  You may also paint the backs of jewelry such as earrings to protect your skin.
4. Perfume – Avoid using commercial perfumes...many contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other harmful ingredients.  Instead try applying essential oils to your neck & wrists.
5. Candles & air fresheners – These may be as allergenic as cigarettes and they pollute the indoor air.  Try using natural essential oils, like peppermint, eucalyptus, or cinnamon or burn soy-based candles instead.
6. Spices – Use caution with key offenders: coriander, poppy seeds, pepper, paprika, cumin, saffron
7. Soaps and detergents – Choose those without phthalates, parabens and sodium laureate sulfate (SLS).  Check out EWG's guide to healthy cleaning products.
8. Carpeting – Install hardwood flooring wherever possible and get rid of the carpet due to build up of dust mites and other allergens.
9. Wall paint – Avoid volatile organic compounds in your air by using low VOC emitting paints
10. Declutter  – Take a good look around the house and eliminate “dust catchers" like silk flowers, stuffed animals & knick-knacks. 
11. Dry-cleaned clothes – Air them out outside with plastic off before bringing inside to let the chemicals off-gas.  Better yet use a green dry-cleaner, like Revolutionary Cleaners.
12. HVAC filters – Change filters every 1-2 months minimum.  Install HEPA filters with higher allergen rating.  Switching frequently allows the filter to catch more allergens and prevent them from re-circulating.

Final word?  Love your pets but don't sleep with them if you have allergies...

Want more great content like this?  Sign up for my FREE Newsletter here!

Saturated Fat Is NOT The Enemy

Nutrition advice has performed some pretty spectacular flip-flops over the past few decades. First nuts were thought to cause heart disease, then eggs were banished from the breakfast table only to be welcomed back later. Margarine was first deemed healthier than butter—until researchers determined that the trans fats were much harder on the arteries.

Saturated Fats De-Villainized

Yes you heard me right... the time has come for saturated fats to be de-villainized as cause of all heart disease. 

 "The mantra that saturated fat must be removed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease has dominated dietary advice and guidelines for almost four decades," says Dr Aseem Malhotra author of a recent editorial in BMJ.  And it's time for that to change!

Scientists universally accept that trans fats—found in many fast foods, bakery products, and margarines—increase the risk of cardiovascular disease through inflammatory processes. But “saturated fat” is another story. The mantra that saturated fat must be removed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease has dominated dietary advice and guidelines for almost four decades. Yet scientific evidence shows that this advice has, paradoxically, increased our cardiovascular risks. Furthermore, the obsession with levels of total cholesterol, which has led to the overmedication of millions of people with statins, has diverted our attention from the more egregious risk factor of atherogenic dyslipidemia.

Saturated fats, like butter, provide essential nutrients

Recent studies have not supported any significant association between saturated fat intake and cardiovascular risk. Instead, it has been found to be protective. The source of the saturated fat may be important. Organic butter is a great provider of vitamins A and D and there is a link between vitamin D deficiency and a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.

Butter is a key source of the most easily utilized form of Vitamin A, required for support of skin and organs, including endocrine glands, the immune system and the brain. And butter is loaded with antioxidants! It contains vitamin E, good cholesterol (the type that is not oxidized) and is important for brain function. It is a natural source of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), which show promise in research for holding weight to a normal range and preventing diabetes.

Processed meats, not organic, pasture-raised dairy and beef, are dangerous...

One study showed that higher concentrations of plasma palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid mainly found in dairy foods, was associated with higher concentrations of high density lipoprotein, lower concentrations of triglycerides and C reactive protein, reduced insulin resistance, and a lower incidence of diabetes in adults.  Red meat is a major source of saturated fat. Consumption of processed meats, but not red meat, has been associated with coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus, which may be explained by nitrates and sodium as preservatives.

Carbohydrates, especially processed ones may be a bigger risk factor for inflammation & heart disease.

Saturated fat may raise LDL cholesterol. But compared to carbohydrates, it also raises HDL cholesterol and lowers triglycerides. If we looked just at LDL, we would predict that saturated fat raises heart disease risk. If we looked at the effect of saturated fat on HDL and triglycerides, we would suppose that saturated fat lowers that risk. If we looked at the combination, we would predict that saturated fat is relatively neutral for heart disease risk compared to carbohydrates.

Dr. Malhotra's editorial suggests the following: 

• Low-saturated-fat diets cut levels of lower-risk large, buoyant LDL particles rather than the small, dense LDL particles thought to worsen cardiovascular disease. 
• Dietary saturated fat may actually protect against cardiovascular risk. 
• Low-fat diets promote an atherogenic pattern of blood lipids and worsen insulin resistance. 
• Low total-cholesterol levels are "associated with cardiovascular death, indicating that high total cholesterol is not a risk factor in a healthy population."
• Even in secondary prevention, no cholesterol-lowering drug besides statins has shown survival benefit, supporting the hypothesis that the benefits of statins are independent of their effects on cholesterol. 
• The "Mediterranean diet" confers three times the survival benefit in secondary prevention, compared with statins; it led to a 30% improvement compared with a "low-fat" diet in the PREDIMED study.

So here's my list of the Top Ten Saturated Fats you can enjoy guilt-free!

1. Coconut oil 
2. Egg yolks
3. Avocado
4. Organic pastured, cultured butter or Ghee
5. Organic dark chocolate
6. Sardines
7. Raw organic cheese
8. Brazil nuts
9. Macademia nuts
10. Cashews

Read the BMJ editorial here

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

If you're looking for a sweet but guilt-free treat, this is it!
You will adore this recipe for a delicious but healthier version of your favorite chocolate pudding.   It only takes a few minutes with a blender to put together.

The avocados are full of vitamins and healthy fat plus it gives it the smooth, thick consistency.  Topped off with favorites like sliced bananas, chopped walnuts, toasted almond slices, or perhaps fresh raspberries and mint leaves you'll devour this divine dessert!

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled + quartered
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup raw organic honey (Use less or substitute stevia if you are on a Candida Diet)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk (more or less depending on desired thickness)
• Optional 1-2 tsp melted organic coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon pure organic vanilla extract

Directions

Put all the ingredients in blender or food processor + blend until smooth. Refrigerate before eating for optimal consistency.
Top with your favorite topping & Enjoy!

What's the Big Deal about Methylation?! Update of the popular MTHFR blog post...

UPDATE OF POPULAR MTHFR BLOG POST

Do you have a genetic defect in the MTHFR gene??

Maybe you've have a family history of heart attack or stroke... maybe you've suffered through multiple miscarriages.  Or maybe you struggle with chronic migraine headaches or irritible bowel syndrome or depression.  Perhaps your child or a sibling has autism.  What do all these things have in common?  Well, these are just some of the conditions liked to a faulty enzyme called MTHFR.

What's up with MTHFR?

MTHFR stands for methyl-tetrahydrofolate reductase, an enzyme that is responsible for the process of methylation in every cell in your body.  MTHFR is a common genetic variant that causes this key enzyme in the body to function at a lower than normal rate.  This can lead to a variety of medical problems.  Although there are over fifty known MTHFR variants, the two primary ones are called C677T and A1298.  Your doctor can order a blood test to determine if you have these genetic variants. Better yet, you can order a complete genetic profile yourself through 23andMe.

What's the big deal about methylation?

Methylation is a core process that occurs in all cells to help your body make biochemical conversions.  When people with genetic mutations is MTHFR are exposed to toxins, they have a harder time getting rid of them which can cause some very serious illnesses.  The methylation process is responsible for:

• Cellular Repair: synthesis of nucleic acids, production and repair of DNA and mRNA
• Detoxification and Neurotransmistter  Production:  interconversion of amino acids
• Healthy Immune System Function:  formation and maturation of red blood cells, white blood cells & platelet production

The 677T variant is most commonly associated  with early heart disease and stroke and the 1298C variant with a variety chronic illnesses, but either anomaly can cause a wide variety of health problems.  The MTHFR anomaly is reported out as heterozygous or homozygous.  If you are heterozygous that means you have one affected gene and one normal gene.  Your enzyme activity will run at about 60% efficiency compared to a normal.

If you are homozygous or have 2 abnormal copies, then enzyme efficiency drops down to 10% to 20% of normal, which can be very serious.   The worst combination is 677T/1298C in which you are heterozygous to both anomalies.  Many chronic illnesses are linked to this anomaly.   Fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, chemical sensitivity, frequent miscarriage and frequent blood clots are all conditions associated with MTHFR anomaly.  For a great diagram of more methylation related health problems, check this out:

MTHFR Related Health Problems 

Glutathione is the body's primary antioxidant and detoxifier.  One of the ways that MTHFR gene mutation can make you susceptible to illness is by lowering your ability to make glutathione.    People with MTHFR anomalies usually have low glutathione, which makes them more susceptible to stress and less tolerant to toxic exposures.  Accumulation of toxins in the body and increased oxidative stress, which also leads to premature aging.

Some conditions that may be associated with MTHFR gene mutations

• Autism
• Addictions: smoking, drugs, alcohol
• Down’s syndrome
• Frequent miscarriages
• Male and female infertility
• Pulmonary embolism and other blood clots
• Depression and anxiety
• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar disorder
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Chemical Sensitivity
• Parkinson’s disease
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome  
• Stroke
• Spina bifida
• Migraines
• Hyperhomocysteinemia
• Breast cancer
• Atherosclerosis
• Alzheimer’s
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
• Methotrexate Toxicity
• Nitrous Oxide Toxicity

 

Treatment for MTHFR

Fortunately, you can easily be tested for the MTHFR mutation.  If you find out that you have one or more of the gene mutations, you can supplement with methyl-folate  and methyl B12, the active forms of these B vitamins.   You can also supplement with liposomal or acetyl-glutathione, the end product of the pathway.  Glutathione is poorly absorbed so either the liposomal form or a precursor, called n-acetylcysteine (NAC) may be used. Some of my favorites are Thorne Research Methyl Guard Plus and 5-MTHF 1mg and 5mg.

There are prescription medicines, that also contain methyl-folate: Deplin, MetanX, CerefolinNAC are a few.   Methyl B12 can also be given as shots, nasal sprays, and sublingually.  The intramuscular shots are by far the most effective method and must be prescribed by your physician.  The choice of nutrients will vary from patient to patient and should be done under a doctor's supervision.  There is a bell-shaped optimal curve so you may not feel well with too much or too little of the appropriate supplements.   Other B vitamins, such as riboflavin and vitamin B6 also play an important role.  As you may have surmised, this can be quite complex and I suggest you find a functional medicine trained physician to help you sort through your needs for the different nutrients if you have a chronic health condition related to the gene mutations.  It is not uncommon for patients with these genetic polymorphism's to be very sensitive to supplementation.

Patients who I recommend be screened for MTHFR mutations:

• Mood disorders: depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, bipolar
• Infants and children of parents with MTHFR mutations
• Family members related to someone with MTHFR mutations
• Infertility and Pre-conception care: test both man and woman
• Elevated folate (not processing to active 5-MTHF due to inability to methylate)
• Elevated homocysteine (due to low active 5-MTHF and methylcobalamin)
• Elevated s-adenosylhomocysteine (due to low active 5-MTHF and methylcobalamin)
• Elevated serum cobalamin (due to inability to methylate cyanocobalamin to methylcobalamin)
• Elevated methylmalonic acid (due to methylcobalamin deficiency)
• Patients with syndromes: IBS, multiple chemical sensitivity, fibromyalgia, Down syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome
• Neurological disorders: Multiple sclerosis, Autism, Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy, Parkinson's
• Cancer: family history of cancer or undergoing cancer treatment
• Cervical dysplasia
• Cardiovascular risk: family history of strokes, embolisms, heart attacks, clots, hypertension
• Birth defects: cleft palate, tetralogy of Fallot, spinal bifida, midline defects
• Drug sensitivities: methotrexate, anti-seizure meds, nitrous oxide, anesthesia

If you are interested in knowing more about your genes, the 23andme gene test will be the best $99 investment you've ever spent !

Check out Health Tips for Dealing with MTHFR Gene mutations...

More reading

23andMe Gene Test
Holistic Primary Care 
Genetics Home Reference
Molecular Biology of MTHFR
Genetics of Homocysteine Metabolism
Homocysteine and MTHFR mutation
LiveWello Gene app

Paleo Guide to Natural Sweeteners: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Inflammation is an essential part of the body's healing system. Without it, injuries would fester and simple infections could be deadly. Too much of a good thing, however, is downright deadly.

Chronic low-grade inflammation is intimately involved most chronic disease, including Alzheimer's, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune disease.  One of the underlying factors causing this increase in inflammation is our love affair with sugar.  We have been led to believe that if we switch to alternatives, we can go on with our sweet addiction and pay no health penalties down the road.  One of the very first things I teach patients to do is KICK THE SWEET HABIT!  If you go off sugar and all sweeteners for just 30 days, I promise you.... your body will adjust it's taste-meter so that a piece of fruit with have more flavor and sweetness than you've ever dreamed possible.  And if you do indulge in a glass of soda or something full of sugar, you just might spit it back out due to the sickening sweetness that your body had become accustomed to prior to your sugar detox.

But I do get questions all the time from patients... "If I do need to use a sweetener occasionally and sparingly... what are my best options?"  

Glad you asked!  So here's a Guide to Natural Sweeteners just for you...

The Good:  Natural - Use sparingly

• Stevia (organic green leaf or pure extract)
• Organic Local Raw Honey

The Fair: Natural - Use sparingly

• Dates
• Date sugar
• Coconut nectar
• Coconut sugar/crystals
• Fruit juice (only fresh squeezed, real, organic)
• Maple syrup 
• Palm sugar

The Bad:  Natural but recommend avoidance

• Agave
• Barley Malt
• Beet sugar
• Brown sugar/light brown sugar/muscovado
• Brown Rice Syrup
• Cane sugar or juice
• Caramel
• Carob syrup
• Corn syrup or solids
• Dextran
• Dextrose
• Ethyl Maltol
• Fructose
• Glucose/glucose solids
• Golden sugar
• Grape sugar
• High fructose corn syrup
• Lactose
• Levulose
• Maltitol
• Malt syrup
• Maltodextrin
• Maltose
• Mannitol
• Raw sugar
• Refiner's syrup
• Sorbitol
• Sorghum syrup
• Sucrose
• Xylitol (or other sugar alcohols, end in "-tol or -ose"

The Ugly:  Artificial - never consume

• Acesulfame K (Sweet One)
• Aspartame (Nutra-Sweet, Equal)
• Saccarin (Sweet'N Low)
• Stevia - white/bleached (Truvia, Sun Crystals)
• Sucralose (Spenda)
• Tagatose (PreSweet)

More on Truvia... the one you THOUGHT was ok

Is Truvia made from a leaf?  Well the answer is kinda, sorta.  Truvia has three ingredients:  erythritol, rebiana, and natural flavors.  Rebiana is made from the stevia leaf by soaking it in water.  Although Cargill whitewashes the process as similar to making tea, the truth is revealed in Coca Cola's patent where it outlines a 40+ step process that includes the use of acetone, methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile, and isopropanol.  I don’t know about you, but when I make a cup of tea, I’ve never used any of those ingredients.

The second fallacy of Truvia’s “guilt-free” naturalness is it’s main ingredient, erythritol.  Now while erythritol is a naturally-occurring sweetener found in many fruits, in nature it is present in such small amounts that Cargill manufacturers Truvia’s erythritol by chemically converting genetically modified corn into a food grade starch which it ferments to create glucose and then processes further to create erythritol.   All Natural?  Truvia sounds more like a GMO lab experiment than a sweetener straight from nature.  

But Dr. Jill, I need more carbs!

If you've gone Paleo and removed grains, legumes and refined foods from your diet, you don't have to let go of carbs altogether.   Here are some high carb delicious healthy veggie alternatives for you to munch on that are packed with nutrients...

1. Yam
2. Sweet potato
3. Parsnips
4. Cassava
5. Taro root
6. Plantain
7. Winter Squash
8. Onion
9. Beets
10. Carrots
11. Butternut squash
12. Rutabaga
13. Jicama
14. Kohlrabi or Purple kohlrabi (pictured)
15. Spaghetti squash
16. Turnips
17. Pumpkin
18. Zucchini

More references:

http://balancedbites.com/practicalpaleo

http://www.brucebradley.com/food/truvia-honestly-sweet-or-dishonestly-marketed/#sthash.q19Lnufg.dpuf

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristin-kirkpatrick-ms-rd-ld/dangers-of-sugar_b_3658061.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15328324

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23762544

Are Your Gut Microbes Making You Fat!?

Are Your Gut Microbes Making You Fat!?

There are trillions if bacteria living in your gut, that we know.  But did you know that the population of your microbes may determine if you are likely to be fat or thin?! As we study this amazing microbe machine inside of us, we are discovering the many and far reaching implications of having a healthy population of bugs in your gut.

Researchers recently found pairs of human twins in which one was obese and the other lean. They transferred gut bacteria from these twins into mice and watched what happened. The mice with bacteria from fat twins grew fat; those that got bacteria from lean twins stayed lean. The study published in Science on September 6, 2013, describes the details.

It is becoming more clear that our microbial colonies play critical roles in health, with doctors now curing people by transferring microbe-rich tissues from healthy people into sick ones. Where the term "fecal transplant" used to sound like science fiction, there is now strong enough evidence of potential benefits that there are major medical centers performing this procedure to treat resistant clostridium difficile colitis infections.  Could they be transplanting gut bugs in the future to cure obesity? Sounds crazy but perhaps not too far fetched...

I don't know about you... but I'd rather change my diet than exchange fecal matter! Keep reading on for how diet can change your microbes, too...

There is a caveat: Microbes associated with leanness can’t take up residence in mice with “obese” gut microbes unless the animals eat a healthy diet.

As part of the study, the twins’ gut microbes were transferred into mice that had been raised in a previously microbe-free environment. The researchers had a chance to observe what happens when a mouse carrying a collection of gut microbes from an obese twin is housed with another mouse carrying gut microbes from the lean twin.

“Eating a healthy diet encourages microbes associated with leanness to quickly become incorporated into the gut,” said senior author Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, director of the Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology at Washington University. “But a diet high in saturated fat and low in fruits and vegetables thwarts the invasion of microbes associated with leanness. This is important as we look to develop next-generation probiotics as a treatment for obesity.”

In 2009, Gordon found that the microbes in obese individuals also lack diversity and contain more pathogenic species. Individuals with healthy microbes contain a larger variety and include species such as provatella and bifidobacter. Earlier research showed that obese individuals had a shift from more Bacteroidetes to greater proportion of Firmicutes. Those that remained lean continued to have high levels of bacteroidetes. There is also evidence showing that these gut bug populations also change as we age.  Perhaps the most important idea from that past decade of research is that the diet we consume has the ability to change our internal mileau!  More industrialized nations tend to have gut populations that favor Firmicutes while less industrialized societies that still rely heavily on unprocessed food sources have guts that remain high in Bacteroidetes.

These observations were confirmed by a recent Danish clinical study that linked the risk for metabolic disorders – obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes – to a shortage of friendly intestinal.  The microbiome of bacteria-poor people were dominated by species that cause chronic inflammation in the body.

The "good" guys vs. the "bad" guys ... 

The Firmicutes ("bad" guys) and the Bacteroidetes ("good" guys)  are divisions of gut bacteria. The microbiota of the human gut is dominated by these two species, most of which are benign although a few are pathogenic.

The Firmicutes is the largest bacterial class, containing more than 250 types, including Lactobacillus, Mycoplasma, Bacillus and Clostridium.  They are a very diverse class and Clostridium species are obligate anaerobes whereas members of Bacillus form spores and many of them are obligate aerobes. Streptococcus pyogenes, the well-known cause of 'Strep throat', is also a member of the Firmicutes.

The Bacteroidetes include about 20 types. In the human gut, Bacteroidetes is probably the most abundant single genus. Species of Bacteroidetes are obligate anaerobes that are benign inhabitants of the gut. However, they are opportunistic pathogens that can cause disease if they gain access to the peritoneal cavity outside the gut, for example in bowel perforation or surgery. In addition research raises the question of how consumption of increasingly hygienic and processed food deprives our microbiota from useful environmental genes and possibly affects our health.

Could Probiotics Help?

Probiotics are bacteria that help maintain a healthful balance of microbes in the intestines, and generally benefit their host.  The average person’s digestive tract hosts about 400 kinds of probiotic bacteria, which help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and promote healthy digestion.  Now we know they may also affect our disposition towards being thin or obese!

Lactobacillus are often given to patients following a course of antibiotics, and are also found in yogurt and most other cultured/fermented foods.  Probiotics may be used in infants to populate the gut after c-section and may benefit babies with colic.  For more on probiotics and how they can benefit your health, read this!  I believe we are just on the edge of understanding how these healthy bugs and supplementation of different strains may affect health and disease and weight.  Stay tuned for the coming research and blog articles...

So What Should I Eat?

The Paleo Diet may be beneficial in reducing your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and many autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. I frequently use the basic principles of the paleo diet to help patients re-learn how to eat healthy, maintain ideal weight, and feel fabulous! Perhaps the most important thing about it is that it encourages you to get back to whole delicious real food.  It will allow you to feel better, lose weight easily and maintain muscle at any age. I challenge you to give it a try for yourself for 30 days and see if it doesn't change your life!

Healthy Snack Attack! Paleo Safe Options on the go...

You've been asking for healthy snack ideas that are loaded with protein and low glycemic so this week I put together a bunch of my favorites, including travel and to-go ideas...Check it out!

Dr. Jill’s Favorite Healthy Snack Options...

• Apple slices with 2 tablespoons of almond butter or sunflower butter 
• ½ cup hummus with fresh veggies (cucumber, celery, carrot, broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, etc…) 
• Make your own trail mix with combination of raw nuts, seeds (pumpkin, chia, sesame, sunflower), shredded coconut, raw cocoa nibs – serving ½ cup 
• Baggie of your favorite raw nuts: almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, macadamia nuts with ½ cup freeze dried berries 
• ½ baked green apple with cinnamon and ¼ cup coconut milk Organic Nitrate-free Turkey (Boar’s Head or Applegate) and guacamole role ups (2 slices turkey with 2 tablespoons fresh guacamole) 
• Tin or packet of wild salmon, sardines, or paté 
• Sliced avocado eaten with sea salt & spoon 
• 2 nori veggie wraps with shredded carrot, leafy greens, hummus & ½ avocado 
• 2 tablespoons of unsweetened sunflower nut butter sprinkled with cinnamon and/or raw cocoa nibs 
• 1 or 2 squares TCHO 99% dark chocolate with corner dipped in organic coconut butter 
• Protein “latte” = 1 serving espresso with 8 oz. of coconut/almond milk and scoop of chocolate or vanilla Thorne Vegalite powder 
• Homemade kale chips with 2 tablespoons of hummus or 2 sticks of gluten-free jerky (no yeast extract, please) 
• ½ cup sliced almonds and fresh berries in bowl with ½ cup of pure organic coconut milk (full fat version in can) - optional add organic cinnamon or raw cocoa powder. 
• Chocolate protein smoothie – 1 scoop chocolate or vanilla Thorne Vegalite blended with ice and coconut/almond milk (optional ½ frozen banana) and 1-2 teaspoons of raw cocoa powder 
• Chia cereal = 2 tablespoons chia + 1 tablespoon hemp seed mixed soaked in 4 oz of coconut milk or water.  May add few drops of stevia to desired sweetness or fresh blueberries!
• To-go packets of organic nut butter or coconut butter – Easy squeeze instant snack for purse or travel. (My picks= Artisana coconut butter or sunflower nut butter packets)

ENJOY!