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Part of the curriculum for a Bachelor of Science in Holistic Nutrition is learning to create vitamin and mineral therapy programsfor clients. I studied RDI’s (Recommended Dietary Intake established by the US government), the ODI’s (Optimum Daily Intake, which is higher than the RDI’s, and were established by nutritional pioneer Dr. Shari Lieberman, Ph.D.) and the PDI’s (Performance Daily Intake are guidelines established for Athlete’s based on science of both nutrition and sports nutrition.) As if that wasn’t enough, I studied each individual vitamin, mineral and amino acid, their food sources and their roles in our body.
Clients have continually asked me what supplement brands are good. With so many on the market, it can get both confusing and expensive. The last thing you want is to spend you hard earned money on supplements only to find out they don’t break down in your body or don’t contain everything listed on the label. My family utilizes supplements for health and sports performance and I began a quest to find the best products available.
I learned about the Nutrisearch Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements by Lyle MacWilliam, MSc, FP. Over 1500 companies voluntarily submit their vitamins for extensive testing. This is a great scientific, un-biased study that compares product quality through independent laboratory analysis. If a company receives the NutriSearch Gold Medal of Achievement you have the assurance that what they say is on the label is truly in the bottle.
This is the reason I decided to recommend TrueStar Health products to my clients. TrueStar received the Gold Medal of Achievement for product and manufacturing quality. Their products comply with pharmaceutical GMP (Good Manufacturing Requirements) which require strict manufacturing procedures. Very few companies meet this high quality and standard. I did my own research and found that TrueStar’s TrueBASICS for men and women meet the ODI recommendations as well as most of the PDI’s which is very impressive!
TrueStar Health offers exceptional vitamin and nutritional products for active adults, athletes, children, teens and seniors. I offer free consultations to help you get started on the path to excellent health using TrueStar Nutritional Supplements.
Quality of TrueStar:
http://www.truestarhealth.com/Members/MyProfile/VitSup/p_questions.asp?3
Why TrueStar Vitamins?
http://www.truestarhealth.com/Members/MyProfile/VitSup/p_questions.asp?1
Top Rated 5 Star product from the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements:
http://www.truestarhealth.com/members/Vitamins/ComparativeGuide_to_NutritionalSupplements.pdf
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Honey Glazed Tuna Steaks 
Serves 6
6, 4 oz. fresh sushi grade tuna steaks
4 Tbsp. soy sauce or wheat free miso sauce
2 Tbsp. crushed garlic
¼ C. raw, unfiltered honey
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Combine the soy sauce and garlic in a one gallon zip lock bag. Add the tuna steaks to the bag and marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight.
Mix the honey, brown sugar and olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside for grilling.
Pre-heat the grill on medium heat. Grill the tuna steaks for 3 to 5 minutes per side, basting with the honey mixture during cooking. Recipe is designed to sear the outside and leave the inside a little pink. Cook to desired internal temperature as individual preferences may vary.
Calories: 206
Protein: 27
Carbs: 16
Fat: 3.6
Macronutrient ratios: 53-31-16
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 One thing I’ve learned as a trainer and nutrition consultant is the importance of keeping a food journal. My clients will tell you that I border on “nagging” them about the importance of journaling, yet those who follow this advice are very successful at reaching their weight loss goals!
According to a recent study from Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research, keeping a food diary can double a person’s weight loss results. The findings from one of the largest and longest running weight loss trials ever conducted, were published in the August 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study tracked approximately 1,700 overweight or obese men and women across the country, at least 25 years of age. Participants were encouraged to keep a food journal as well as use such weight-loss maintenance strategies as calorie restriction, weekly group sessions and moderately intensive exercise. Participants that kept a food journal six or seven days a week during this six-month study lost an average of 18 lbs., compared with an average of 9 lbs. lost by non-diary keepers. Participants attended weekly group sessions that encouraged cutting back on calories and moderate exercise of 30 minutes per day. The participants also were encouraged to consume a low-fat, healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and to keep a daily food diary of what they ate.
The food diaries helped people to see where their extra calories were coming from, and helped them to recognize the hidden calories in foods. One of the biggest effects of the diary is that it can help people realize when they’re eating out of boredom or stress. Using the food journal is a great strategy that can help people be more conscious of what they are eating. It is also a valuable accountability tool when working with their trainer or health professional!
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Spring is an ideal time to consider a body cleanse. Since it’s just around the corner I thought it would be a great time to share some education on cleansing. Though there are many ways to cleanse the body, people often start with some of the most drastic and difficult cleanses instead of starting gently. If you’re considering starting a
cleanse, start with your diet. Eating clean, easily digested foods that are high in fiber, will assist in digestion, and help cleanse debris from your digestive tract.
One simple thing you can do to is squeeze half of a lemon into a glass of warm water and drink it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach about 30-60
minutes before a meal. This helps detoxify your liver, alkalize your body (by balancing your PH levels) and loosen mucous from your esophagus. You can also add the lemon to a cup of green tea for antioxidant benefits.
Sample nutrition program for detoxification, digestive health and alkalizing
BREAKFAST (Meal 1)
Oatmeal (or Brown Rice) 1/2 Cup
Almond or Rice Milk, Unsweetened, 4 Oz
Veggies, raw 1/2 Cup
Fruit, Orange, 1 Med
A.M. SNACK (Meal 2) 
Rice Protein or Goat Milk Whey, 2 TBSP Dry Powder
Almond Milk, Unsweetened, 4 Oz
Udo’s Choice Oil Blend, 1 TBSP
Wheat Grass, 1 Shot or Tablets
LUNCH (Meal 3)
Green Lentils, 1/2 Cup
Vegetables, 1/2 Cup
Brown Rice, 1/2 Cup
Plain Yogurt, 1/2 Cup
This is good mixed together with a little garlic powder and cayenne pepper!
P.M. SNACK (Meal 4)
Rice Protein or Goat Milk Whey, 2 TBSP Dry Powder
Almond Milk, Unsweetened, 4 Oz
Udo’s Choice Oil Blend, 1 TBSP
Wheat Grass, 1 Shot or Tablets
DINNER (Meal 5)
White Fish, Wild, not farmed, 4 oz
Asparagus or Low Carb Veggie, 1/2 Cup
Salad, Romaine (or your choice), 2 Cups
Lemon Juice for salad, 1/2 Lemon
P.M. SNACK (Meal 6)
Apple, 1 Med
PLEASE NOTE: You should obtain permission from your physician before starting a new nutritional program. This sample is not prescriptive and is used as an example only!
Reasons you may want to start a detoxifying regimen:
1) You eat too may refined foods and sugar.
2) You eat excessive amounts of unhealthy, fatty or rich foods.
3) You are overeating and failing to chew your food to break it down appropriately.
4) You ingest food chemicals, pesticides, and are exposed to environmental toxins.
5) You regularly consume alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine.
6) You utilize prescription drugs, over-the-counter, and/or recreational drugs.
7) You lack fiber and whole foods in your diet.
There are many alternative therapies that support optimal health and detoxification. Massage therapy helps stimulate lymphatic drainage and eliminate toxins. Dry skin brushing can also stimulate lymphatic drainage and can easily be performed at home with a natural vegetable bristle brush before showering. Exercise, sauna therapy, acupuncture, ionic foot cleansing and therapeutic showers are additional ways to eliminate toxins and improve your overall health. For more information and education about detoxification check out the resources listed below.
Great resources for detoxification:
·The New Detox Diet by Elson Hass, M.D.
· Natural Detoxification by Jacqueline Krohn, M.D.
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Because our skin is the largest organ our bodies possess, we should take special notice of how we care for it. Most household cleaning agents contain carcinogenic chemicals that wreak havoc on our immune systems and the environment. Slowly phasing out toxic cleaners is important for your health and the environment. Try making one “green” cleaner each time you run out of something.
Websites like ecocycle.org are great resources for non-toxic cleaning alternatives. Go ahead and try it!
Sample Window Cleaner
Place 1 Qt. warm water into a spray bottle.
Mix in 4 Tbsp. Lemon scented
ammonia.
Spray on surface and wipe dry.
Check out http://organizedhome.com/clean-house/pantry-recipes-homemade-cleaning-products for more info! 
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The obesity epidemic is directly related to many illnesses and can be reversed with a healthy diet and eliminating sugar. Diets high in sugar have been linked to health  problems including diabetes, hypoglycemia, asthma, candida infections, headaches, intestinal gas, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic constipation, obesity and tooth decay.
Eating sugar affects cancer as well. Elevated insulin levels slow the release of growth hormones, which in turn reduces white blood cell production and promotes tumor growth. Insulin, the hormone that lowers blood glucose, in excess will send a message to our cells to grow! This is great for healthy cells, but not so great for the cancer cells. One of the goals in our food choices should be to avoid the dramatic spikes in blood sugar, with the correlating spike in insulin. High sugar diets also increase production of secondary bile acids. These carcinogenic compounds contribute to a toxic GI environment and have been linked to colorectal cancer. Referring to glycemic index information can assist in making informed, lower GI food choices. (http://www.nutritiondata.com/topics/glycemic-index) Reducing sugar in our diets is a very positive step towards fighting cancer.
Let’s take a quick look at what sugar does to our immune system. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that phagocytize (eats) any viruses, bacteria, cancer etc. that is present in your body. In order to swallow these invaders efficiently, these white blood cells need vitamin C to be inside the cell. To the white blood cells, the vitamin C and sugar look similar in structure. If there’s a lot of sugar in your system, it will compete with the vitamin C for entry into the white blood cell. The more glucose that goes into the cell, the less vitamin C that enters, so the phagocytic ability of the cell weakens. The average white blood cell can gobble up about 14 germs in an hour. When the body is exposed to 100g of sugar (about 3.5 ounces), the number of germs per hour falls to 1.4 and stays that way for two hours. Tackling sugar overload is something that is important to boost the immune system. According the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a safe amount of sugar is about 40g (1.5 ounces) per day. By reducing your intake of sugar, you can dramatically improve your health and improve the way your immune system functions.
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INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose whole wheat pastry flour (Or Gluten Free Flour Mix)
1-1/2 cups skim milk
1 egg
Nonstick spray coating
1/2 teaspoon smart balance butter spread
1 16-ounce carton non-fat cottage cheese
1 egg white
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 C. fresh Blueberries
Strawberry Preserves (Allfruit or Sorrel Ridge)
DIRECTIONS
For crepes, combine flour, milk, and the one egg. Beat with rotary beater till blended. Spray a 6-inch skillet or crepe pan with nonstick spray coating. Preheat skillet over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour in about 2 tablespoons batter. Lift and tilt skillet to spread batter. Return skillet to heat and brown crepe on one side only. Remove from pan. Repeat with remaining batter to make 15 crepes total. Brush skillet as needed with shortening between cooking of crepes.
For filling, in a blender container or food processor bowl combine cottage cheese, egg white, sugar, orange peel, orange juice, and cinnamon. Blend or process till smooth. Spoon about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture onto the unbrowned side of each crepe. Fold 2 opposite edges of crepe over top of filling. Fold in remaining edges, forming a square packet. Repeat with remaining filling and crepes. Spray a shallow baking pan with nonstick coating. Arrange blintzes in pan. Bake in a 350′ oven 15 to 20 minutes or till heated through. Serve with Strawberry Sauce and sprinkle with fresh blueberries.
Serves 5
Calories: 257/serving (Approximate)
Preparation Time: 55 min.
PER SERVING:
23g protein
34g carbohydrate
3g fat
62mg cholesterol
74mg sodium
308mg potassium
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 The word antioxidant is continuously featured in articles about health and nutrition. But what is an antioxidant? In short, it is nutrient or substance naturally present in vegetables and fruit that protects the body from free radicals. The next questions we should ask is what are free radicals and why are they to be feared? One easy explanation is that free radicals are oxygen species with a missing electron. This means that free radicals are extremely reactive, unstable and possibly devastating to your health. They can damage DNA, destroy cell membranes and oxidize LDL. Our bodies naturally produce free radicals through the use of oxygen for energy production in our cells. We also create excess free radicals during stress, disease and inflammation.
Antioxidants act as free radical scavengers and repair damage done by repairing and preventing damage done by free radicals. Antioxidants protect our bodies from the free-radicals exposed to in the environment and that are produced as a by-product of metabolism. Over time exposure to harmful free radicals can damage cellular health and may contribute to the aging process. Diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, macular degeneration along with other degenerative diseases are all affected by oxidative damage.
Antioxidants are synergistic and we need a combination of antioxidant rich foods to get the most benefit! A nutrition plan that contains plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts can supply antioxidants your body needs.
Examples of antioxidants in foods:
Tomatoes – Cartenoids, Beta-Carotene, Lycopene, phenolic acids, potassium.
Onion – Flavenoids, organosulfers, allicin, diallyl disulfide, quercitin.
Garlic – Saponins, organosulfurs, allicin, quercitin, diallyl disulfide.
Carrots – Cartenoids, beta-carotene, lycopene, phenolic acids.
Kidney Beans – Saponins, phytosterols.
Keeping antioxidant levels in your body higher than the amount of free radicals present is crucial to disease prevention. Antioxidants may also enhance the immune system and lower the risk of infection and cancers. Studies show that nutritional supplements enhance the diet and fill in gaps when nutrition is less than perfect. It appears that multiple antioxidant vitamin supplements, coupled with diet and lifestyle modifications can improve the efficacy of standard and experimental cancer therapies.
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 Whether you are a veteran gym rat or a newbie, it’s good to know basic health club etiquette. Although health clubs have a code of conduct, every gym has unwritten rules that help show respect towards other members.
1. Always carry a towel. Wipe sweat off the equipment and benches with a towel or anti-bacterial wipes provided by the gym. It’s really gross to sit in someone else’s sweat!
2. Share the equipment. When resting between sets, don’t camp out on the machine. If someone asks, let them do a set in between during your rest period. If you’re on your last set and ready to complete it, go ahead. If someone’s standing near a machine, ask if they are using it before you get on.
3. Put the weights back where they belong. Return all the weight plates, and return the dumbbells to their spot on the rack. Make sure they are secure on the rack so they don’t fall off and injure someone.
4. Don’t drop your weights. Carefully place the weights on the floor when you’re finished with a set.
5. Don’t crowd people. Respect personal space. Leave some space for the person next to you to lift his or her arms in all directions. If you are less than an arms length away, you’re too close!
6. Minimize cell phone usage. In the gym, you’re cell phone conversations are interrupting the concentration of people trying to work out. If you have to have your phone with you at least turn the ringer to “vibrate” and tell the caller you’ll get back to them.
7. Wear clothes that cover your body. This is also showing respect to others. Not everyone wants to look at your bulging biceps, outdated short-shorts or over exposed cleavage.
8. Skip the gym when your sick with a contagious illness. Your spreading a lot of virus on the machines and giving it to the rest of us!
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Servings: 4
16 large sea scallops (about 1.75 pounds)
1 sliced green onion
1clove of garlic (or more if desired)
2 TBSP low sodium soy sauce or Gluten Free Miso Sauce
1 TBSP Rice vinegar
3 Tsp Sugar or one packet Splenda brand sweetener
1 Tsp. Cornstarch
1 TBSP Sesame Oil
1/8 Tsp. crushed red pepper
1/8 Tsp. black pepper
1 Tsp. canola oil
Remove scallops from the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature for about 10-15 minutes. In a small mixing bowl, add ½ of the onion and the next seven ingredients (through the red pepper). Stir with a whisk or fork to combine and set aside.
Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Add the cooking oil and warm over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the scallops and sprinkle with the black pepper. Cook the scallops approximately 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Flip with tongs to prevent the scallops from falling apart. Transfer the scallops to a plate and cover with foil.
Whisk the sauce again and add to the hot pan. Cook until the sauce boils and is slightly thickened. Remove pan from heat. Divide the scallops among four plates, drizzle an even portion of sauce over the scallops. Sprinkle with the remaining green onion.
Per 4 scallops and 1 ½ TBSP. sauce
Calories: 246
Protein: 34 grams
Carbs: 9 grams
Fat: 7 grams
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(Recommended Dietary Intake established by the US government), the ODI’s (Optimum Daily Intake, which is higher than the RDI’s, and were established by nutritional pioneer Dr. Shari Lieberman, Ph.D.) and the PDI’s (Performance Daily Intake are guidelines established for Athlete’s based on science of both nutrition and sports nutrition.) As if that wasn’t enough, I studied each individual vitamin, mineral and amino acid, their food sources and their roles in our body.
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