Dr. Nancy Scheinost

Kale Chips

• 1 bunch kale cut or torn into chip size pieces
• Olive oil
• Parmesan cheese
• Garlic powder (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients and heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 6-8 minutes. Watch closely as they burn very easily. You can add your own seasonings to the kale as well, some cayenne pepper or cumin for example. Enjoy!

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatology of Brazos Valley

Quick  Detox for your home

Leave your shoes at the door.  Having a pair of “indoor only” shoes or slippers will cut down on the toxins, dirt, and grime you and your loved ones track into the house.

Also make it a habit to wipe your four legged friends’ paws after a walk before entering the house. This will also cut back on floor scrubbing time.

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatology of Brazos Valley

Get a pedometer

Get out your pedometer or go and get one. Wear and find out how much you move each day. You may be pleasantly surprised or this may be a wake up call. In any case here are some goals:

Week 1

Goal: 2,500 steps per day

Week 2-3

Goal:5,000 steps per day

Week 4

Goal: 10,000 steps per day

Post your results instead of thinking you can remember them. Then you can track yourself.

Move it or Lose it!

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatology of Brazos Valley

A tough challenge

For one week, seven long days, eat like a Cave Man. Nothing from a box, no sodas or coffee. Just water and fruit, vegetables, nuts, and lean meat.

If it comes from God you can eat it. If it comes from Man you can’t. Keep a brief diary of how feel even if it’s just the beginning and the end.

You should feel like a new person and probably lose about 5 pounds!

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatology of Brazos Valley

Here’s another healthy tip:

Cut way back caffeine.

Go ahead and have your morning mocha, latte, coffee, or black tea.  Just watch out for the rest of the day.  Caffeine has a half life of 8 to 10 hours, and if you have trouble falling asleep, it may be due to the amount of caffeine that is still lurking in your body.

There are tests to see how rapidly your body can metabolize caffeine.  The tests may not be covered by insurance though.  Check with you health care provider.

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatology of Brazos Valley

Tip of the Day:

Drink 2 more glasses of water today, whether you are thirsty or not.

Dehydration causes fatigue, decreased vitality, and saggy skin.  Make your goal to drink between 60 to 80 ounces of water a day.

Now, get busy and have a glass of water!

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatology of Brazos Valley

Happy New Year!

I took some much needed time off for the holiday season, but I’m back.

Instead of making New Year’s resolutions that you quite possibly already have broken, why not resolve to take one day at a time and do one, just one, healthy thing a day?  Perhaps something like “today I am going to…..”

If you need some help to get going I will be posting tips regularly so tune in.

My first tip is:

• Eat breakfast and make sure that you eat it within 30 minutes of getting up.  It must include 3-4 oz. of protein.  Doing this will jump start your metabolism and get you set for the day!

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatology of Brazos Valley

The Clean Dozen

Here are the fruits and veggies that you don’t have to buy organically grown, but you still want to wash them well.

They are:

• Avocados
• Mangoes
• Sweet corn
• Watermelon
• Onions
• Cabbage
• Asparagus
• Pineapple
• Kiwis
• Eggplant
• Sweet peas
• Papayas

Make sure that you buy organic anything that is on the “Dirty Dozen” list.

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatolgy of Brazos Valley

THE DIRTY DOZEN

Here’s a list of fruits and veggies that you should step up, pay the extra money, and buy organic.  These are the foods that if grown conventionally, measure the highest in pesticide residues.

• Apples
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Grapes
• Celery
• Bell peppers
• Peaches
• Carrots
• Strawberries
• Pears
• Cherries
• Nectarines

Eat a rainbow of colors every day to get a variety of antioxidants.

Enjoy!

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatology of Brazos Valley

LIFE AFTER GLUTEN – Navigating your way

When in doubt throw it out. Eat mainly whole foods as close to it’s natural state as possible.

If you are going to a party or function and don’t feel comfortable asking the host/hostess to fix you something special, then eat before you go.

If you are going to a meeting, plan ahead and bring your own food.

Helpful Websites

Celiac Disease Foundation
Gluten Intolerance Group
Living Without – Gluten Free
Whole Foods Market – Health Starts Here

Great cookbooks

The ULTRA-METABOLISM Cookbook by Dr. Mark Hyman
Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook

There are also apps for your phone and iPad.  Now days, the world is at your fingertips. Take advantage of it.

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatology of Brazos Valley

FLU SHOTS
If you are going to take the flu shots there are a few things to be aware of:

You should know if you can take a live virus (the nasal spray)  vs the modified virus.  If your immune system is off for any reason, from medications to medical problems, you should NOT take the nasal spray.  Consult with your doctor and whoever is giving you the shot, tell them of your medical problems and bring a list of your medicines to see what they suggest.

You may have a sensitivity to the preservatives in the shots.  You can ask for a list and if you have an allergy or a sensitivity to the preservatives, you should avoid taking the shots.

Finally, you should not take the shot on a day you are very stressed out, as this could make the shot less effective.

Next Post…..Life after Gluten or “What’s left to eat”

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatology of Brazos Valley

A DAY OF GLUTEN FREE EATING

Breakfast
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
2-3 hard boiled egg whites
salsa

Mid-morning snack
1 cup almond milk
1/2 Cup blueberries
Blend for a smoothie

Lunch
Shrimp Avocado Salad:
5-6 cooked wild caught shrimp
1/2 avacado sliced
sliced red onion
hearts of palm
mixed greens
lemon vinaigrette

Lemon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/2 tsp Kosher or sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1-2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
Wisk together all ingredients. Good for grilled veggies,fish, and and chicken. You can spice it up with a little bit of chopped chives or basil.

Mid-afternoon Snack
1 medium apple
6 almonds

Dinner
Braised pork chops with cabbage and apple:
2 butterfly pork chops
1/2 head red cabbage
2 small Granny Smith apples
1-2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
generous pinch of thyme
1 tsp juniper berries
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup (or less) of chicken broth (Kitchen Basics is gluten free or make homemade if you have time)
1 red onion sliced thin
salt/pepper to taste
2 Tbsp of EVOO

In a dutch oven or braising pan, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.  Salt and pepper the chops.  Brown them on each side and remove to plate.

Add remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the sliced onion and cook slow over medium heat until they are caramelized or about 15 minutes.  Then add the balsamic vinegar, juniper berries, thyme, and garlic,  cover over medium heat until it reduces and thickens, about 7-10 minutes. (At this point you could transfer this mixture and the chops to slow cooker and proceed from there)

Next add shredded cabbage and sliced apple to the mixture and the chicken broth.  Cook over low heat for about 30-40 minutes, adding kosher salt and ground pepper to taste as it is cooking.  You may want to start out with more broth and cook it down for a more intense flavor.
Finish with some sea salt and enjoy.

Now doesn’t that sound like a delicous and healthy day of gluten free eating?

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatology of Brazos Valley

How do you tell if you are Gluten Sensitive or have Celiac?

You can:

1. Do the elimination diet for 3 to 6 weeks, or
2. Get tested

If you are pretty sure that you are gluten sensitive, I would suggest going and getting the tests done for confirmation.  The tests can be expensive, but so is going gluten-free.  But you would be testing and confirming what your “Gut Instinct” is telling you, (no pun intended).  If you are fairly sure that you are gluten intolerant, and have tried the elimination diet and failed, that is another reason to get tested so that you know where you stand.  If you are experiencing other “gluten symptoms” while consuming “gluten-free” foods, it may mean that you have cross reactivity to other grains that are close to wheat such as corn or buckwheat.

Going Totally Gluten Free

That means going on the Cave Man Diet. (Hunter-gatherer, if you can’t catch it or kill it, pick it or gather it, then you can’t eat it).  This means going totally: Paleo Diet, Clean foods, and Farm to Table food.  It does not mean “IF IT TASTES GOOD, SPIT IT OUT!”

Focus on what you can eat, rather than on what you can’t.  You can have fruits, vegetables, herbs, oils, nuts, lean meats, organic chicken, and wild caught seafood.  Take nuts and make nut butters out of them.  Don’t eat processed food, (that means food that comes out of a box).  If you do this for a minimum of 7 days, you should feel so much better.  Stay with the diet for 21 days, and it may become a habit, (lifestyle change), rather than drudgery.

When you eat out, ask if they have a gluten-free menu.  Restaurants are becoming increasingly aware of food sensitivities and most are more than happy to work with you.  Just let them know that you have special dietary needs.

Still having trouble with this?  In my next post, I will share some shopping lists and a few recipes.

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatology of Brazos Valley

What is gluten?

Gluten is a complex protein found in grain. Grains such as wheat, rye, barley, and oat.

How did gluten get to be such a bad guy?

Over the years our grains have been modified to be “Super Grains”.  It’s what makes our crusts crispier, our muffins puffier, and our pancakes fluffier….and our bodies more and more unhealthy.

What does gluten do to our body?

It causes inflammation that can effect every organ system.  Did you know that 1 in 55 people have gluten sensitivity and 1 in 133 have Celiac Disease?

What are the symptoms to gluten sensitivity?

They range from rashes and ezcema, heartburn, chronic cough, asthma, IBS or irritable bowel syndrome, to chronic disease.  In fact gluten sensitivity can cause Rheumatoid arthritis and Lupus, as well increase joint pain in general.  It is thought that over 50 diseases can be caused by gluten.

So think twice the next time you reach for a loaf of whole wheat bread.

In my next posts I will blog on how to find out if you are gluten sensitive….and life after gluten or what is left to eat.

Dr. Nancy Scheinost
Rheumatology of Brazos Valley