‘Gluten Free’ claims are a HUGE market in the USA.  Even as Americans reach for ‘gluten free’ labeled packaging for health and fat loss – we are still getting unhealthier and fatter.  Just like we did in the ‘fat free’ marketing craze, the ‘sugar free’ craze, and the ‘carb free’ craze.  Face it – packaged and refined food is going to get us, every time.  We’re suckers for some happy looking labels.

In 2004, Congress gave the FDA until 2008 to create a definition for what a gluten-free label on a product actually means. The definition has still not been made, and we’re into 2012 now.

The Washington Post reports that as celiac disease and intolerance rates are rising, the government still has no set definition for gluten-free products.

The U.S. gluten-free product industry is highly lucrative (revenues were $2.6 billion last year, up from $100 million in 2003).   The food industry still has quite a bit of fuzziness to work with.   The Washington Post explains that some companies “might fail to test their products or might allow small amounts of gluten but still label their foods as gluten-free.”

Understand that what kicks our butts is not only the gluten in the products – but that these products are still based in refined grains, sugars, and high sodium – none of which will contribute to health and fat loss – whether they are completely gluten free or not.  Processed and refined food is just that.

Within my first 24 hours in Ubud (the spiritual, artistic and cultural center of Bali) I knew I was on a different frequency.  Things didn’t work the same as I was accustomed to, in a way that is difficult to describe.  Less linear.  More fluid.  From a place of feeling rather than intellectual process.  It was very easy to let go and let things happen.  For letting go and doing nothing, a lot began happening deep inside me.  I experienced a wealth of adventure and much of it does not translate into ‘what I did on my vacation’.

Internet access was spotty at best and too weak to sustain a signal consistently.  What a godsend!  I had left my phone at home, did not communicate through my usual computer channels, had no TV or radio, and limited reading materials.  I did have my knitting (sock yarn projects are great for hot, humid weather), which the Balinese found both incredibly interesting and deeply respectable.  The Balinese value spirituality, creativity, and family above all else.  To encounter a tourist calmly sitting and creating art was fascinating to the locals and I learned to tolerate long bouts of inquisitive staring.

Samantha knits.

I made a solid swipe at learning the local language, which is only spoken on the island of Bali.  I learned the phrases to communicate on a basic level as well as the slang that would keep locals giggling with (or at) me.  I did my best to respect local cultural customs, particularly dress, kept my mouth mostly shut, and listened.

Packed away in my essentials were some packets of instant coffee as I didn’t know the coffee situation in Bali.  I drank that my first two mornings (bleah).  On the third morning I tried Balinese coffee….it was a real ‘come-to-Jesus’ moment!  It is simply outstanding, and I laughed at my previous hesitancy.  In Bali the locally grown coffee is finely ground like cocoa powder and hot water is added (most Balinese drink sugar and milk in it).  It’s not instant coffee.  The grounds sink to the bottom, leaving a rich but quite mellow coffee.  I am still drinking my coffee this way.  The Balinese find it hysterical to filter and process coffee.

traditional Balinese market

I made an early newbie error by ingesting the local water and ended up with a highly uncomfortable 12 hours, after which the ghost of all things gone wrong digestively stayed with me for another month.  I relaxed into this discomfort and rolled with it.  It became remarkably easy to deal with.  I was also far more careful with what went into my mouth.

lunch for 2 - completely clean and incredibly fresh!

Food was clean, fresh, and delicious.  The tropical fruit was wild in terms of variety!  I enjoyed not only eating the variety but also figuring out how to get beyond spikes, quills, hard shells, and the like to get to the fruit.  Durian in particular is a hard shelled spiked fruit that I had heard much about in raw food circles.  My Balinese friends offered to help me out with it, but were very evasive about eating it themselves.  The fruit is pried open with a machete or large knife and pulled apart.  Inside are large, white, soft, strong smelling pods of fruit wrapped around dark seeds.  I pulled the pods out with my fingers and popped them into my mouth.  They have a very strong taste to go with the smell. One of my friends produced some mangosteen ‘for getting the taste out’ of the durian. After eating the pods in a section of shell they showed me to pour water into the shell, swish it around, and drink it to rinse my mouth.  The mangosteen helped with the strong aftertaste of the durian.  (I later learned that many hotels and bungalows will not allow durian in the rooms due to the pervasive and persistent odor.)

Fresh chicken, fresh fish, fresh vegetables, and fresh juices rule the local menus.  It is overall fabulously easy to eat fabulously healthily.  Rice grows locally all over the island – this is a staple.  The local spices are complex; both in aroma and flavor.  Both fresh and dried coconut flavors many of the foods along with the spices.

plate of assorted fruits

Ketut Mawa asked me if I liked chicken satay.   I said yes, I was eating a lot of it,  but the peanut sauce doesn’t do me any good.  He laughed and told me that the peanut sauce doesn’t do ANYONE any good, but they keep eating it anyway.  The Balinese cook their locally grown peanuts twice – boiled and then roasted before use.

Motorcycles are the main mode of transport due to low cost,  low emissions, low use of petrol, and narrow streets.

Ubud was my primary home; I left the area only twice.  One of those days Samantha and I lost track of time on a perfectly gorgeous isolated beach.  On another day I roamed the northern side of the island with Ketut Mawa and his childhood best friend, Jaya.  We had a gigglin’ blast. Sharing language and culture, we visited temples and rice fields that Jaya had never seen himself.   Ketut Mawa asked me, as a tour guide, how to respectfully deal with Christians who pointedly demand to know where he stands with Jesus Christ – and I asked him to teach me about Balinese village structure.

with Jaya at his family temple

I was invited into a local ceremony, into several family homes, and met smiling faces anywhere I attempted the local language.  The Balinese love the attempt.  I mean, they LOVE it.  One young man asked me, via a Blackberry translator device, to help him find an American to volunteer to teach English at the local school.

isolated stretch of beach outside Candidasa

An angry monkey in the Enchanted Monkey Forest bit me.  After playing ‘human scaffold‘ for 5 others – one monkey DEMANDED a banana.  Unfortunately a freaked out Samantha ran screaming with the bananas (purchased just for this occasion)- and that last one, he was pissed.  He climbed up my body, sat on my shoulder, climbed back down and quickly grabbed my left hand and bit.  HARD.  Held it long enough for me to understand the situation very clearly.  When he let go I stood up and roared at him, he roared at me, and I walked away unwilling to keep arguing with the mind of a banana crazed monkey.  My souvenirs from the Monkey Forest were a swollen, bruised hand and valuable impressions of the monkey-mind.  I kept thinking about the unpredictability of monkey- mind and continued to let go of my own.

I was done with monkeys after that and definitively not enthralled to encounter them on the street.

I did a variety of yoga while in Ubud.  I started out with the mainstream, popular yoga at the Yoga Barn.  They offer a menu of highly attended trendy classes in their large studio. I left 3 unused punches on my punchcard of 10.

Guru Ketut Arsana’s yoga at the BodyWorks Centre is another breed entirely.  The tiny yoga studio can hold 8 students.  Guru Ketut teaches a vigorous Kundalini/Tantric combination with an emphasis on opening the tailbone along with the mind.  I felt highly resistant the first class (‘you want me to WHAT?  I can’t do that!  I have this blah blah that keeps me from blah blah blah and so blah blah…’) – it mattered not, as I was the only student that afternoon.  I was pushed and it changed me. After three classes I was losing track of both time and resistance. After a final 2.5 hour session I knew I’d never see yoga (nor my self) in the same way.

at the Bat Cave Temple

Sheri w/ Ganesha (knitting bag in hand)

Samantha had made appointments for the two of us to see a healer at the recommendation of a friend.  I showed up not knowing what to expect.  When Mr Arsana, a beautiful, friendly older Balinese man touched me on the shoulder, I felt an uncommon surge of compassion.  He led me into his treatment room and asked me “What is your problem?”

“Um,” I said, “I guess if I had to come up with one, I would say it is that there are so many foods that make me ill.  Wheat, corn, soy, dairy, sugars, all grain, nuts…it seems like a lot.”

“So what do you eat?” he asked me.

“Meat, vegetables and fruit.  And some seeds.”

Mr Arsana stared at me.  Then he roared “WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT?”

We locked eyes and I felt a giggle start.

“Look,” he said, “Everyone different.  You know what keep you in balance.  Keep doing that.  Stay balance.  You know what works.  This big.  This enough.”

He looked at me again.  “No rice?” he asked.  “No rice”  I replied.   We regarded each other again and both burst out laughing and laughing.   This island is covered in rice fields.

Then he gave me a thorough, unusually intuitive massage and walked on my back.  At the end he pronounced me healthy.  “You have no problems” he reported to me “all problems are in the mind, anyway.  You have clear mind.  Drink coconut water for balance while here.”

Then he gestured at my heart.  “I did little, you know, thing, to help with that.”

I thanked him and floated through the next 48 hours not really knowing which end was up.  Samantha was in similar shape after her session. The next week I started taking his yoga classes.

I learned in Bali that no matter where I am in the world my body seeks equilibrium by waking up pre-dawn for my meditation practice.  I learned to feel the change in the air on my skin when the tropical sun rises.  I learned that when free of all the distractions of Western living I absolutely adore who I am and I enjoy my own company.

Ceremonial Temple built in the 1400's

The most challenging aspect of Bali is the sheer travel (9 time zones) to get there.  The recovery on the home side was intense but passed very quickly.  By the time the jet lag passed I felt not only internally transformed – but stronger and more rested than I have been in many years.

Shrine for Rice Fields

I split my week, especially my mornings, with one of two “typical” scenarios.

4:32 am:  alarm goes off, often I am awake a few minutes before, slide out of bed without waking up my husband and 4 year old who probably crawled in with us at about 3 am.  Brush my teeth, splash water on my face, start fire and dress (in what I set out the night before).  Down stairs to feed the dogs, drink a quart of warm water with fresh lemon, start coffee, water for mid-morning tea and breakfast.

5 am:  out the door with a small snack, usually protein powder and apple, a shot of espresso and water.

5:30-7:00 am:  personal training client or class to teach at the gym

 If I am not meeting a client or teaching early, I am up at 6 am to start the morning routine, the difference being that I’m not as worried about being quiet!

7:00-8:00 am:  2^nd quart of water and back home to help wrangle girls (Lillian 9 and Sage 4) and get my real breakfast; simmered apple in coconut oil with protein powder and cinnamon.

8:10-9:00 am:  time to get the girls to school and preschool and myself to work with enough food to last until 5pm, lots of fresh veggies and protein!

9:00-3:00 pm:  back to the gym for personal training clients or one of several classes I will teach throughout the week.

11:00 am:  a “snack” of green tea with hemp milk (made in my vitamix) coconut oil and vanilla stevia.

1:30 pm:  time for some food!

3:00-3:20 pm:  quick errands; grocery needs, post office, etc. along with a snack of more veggies and protein, thankfully I live in a small town and get a lot done in a short amount time.

3:20-5:00 pm:  pick up Lillian from 3^rd grade then Sage at preschool and off to dance, art, Nordic ski league, the library or…?

5:00-8:00 pm:  home for dinner prep and homework, family dinner (at the table), kitchen cleanup, baths, pajamas, teeth and books.

8:00-9:30 pm:  quiet!  prep time for the next day’s clients and classes; eat 2^nd dinner, pack lunches and chop veggies, pack bags and lay out clothes for the morning.

9:30-10:00 pm:  bed and book, usually just a few pages before I am sound asleep!

 THE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

1. What was your greatest challenge when you began your Transformation?

The greatest challenge for me was explaining and defending my new lifestyle choices to my friends.

 2. What kept you going?

Once I got started it was easy to keep going because I felt so much better than I had.  My energy increased, my emotions leveled out and I felt great!

 3. What advice would you give someone just starting a Transformation?

My advice?  EAT!  Don’t rush through fueling!  It is a great place to be!

4. What aspect of Transformation continues to challenge you?

I still am challenged by the number on the scale.  Deep down I know my body is the real gauge but sometimes I still struggle with the number.

 5. How has Transformation improved your Life?

Genesis Transformation has improved my life in countless ways.  I have found a career path I love and mentally and physically I feel great!

 6. What is your current favorite food or meal?

Dinner is my favorite meal!  I eat two dinners each night; steamed veggies, protein, avocado and olive oil and I LOVE it!  I also love my tea with hemp milk, stevia and coconut oil, creamy and so satisfying!

7. Do you have a current favorite way to work out?

I enjoy mixing short, intense cardio bursts with my weight training.  I also love how challenging a body weight workout can be!

8. Whatʼs your favorite workout music?

My favorite workout music right now is somewhere between alternative and trendy pop…or any genre that the cast of “Glee” sings!

9. Do you have any goals for the next year?

My goals for 2012 include raising healthy, happy and confident girls while expanding my client list and learning as much as I can!

10. What inspires you?

I find inspiration in my two daughters, my husband, family and friends.  I am also constantly amazed by the strength I see in the people I encounter daily.

Peggi Ingram, RN, Genesis Coach

Self Care is the theme as we start the New Year.  Many of us barely meet our most basic needs as we focus on our families, friends, and work.  In the back of our minds we know this is important.  We feel the frustration and effects of stress as we experience the lack of Self Care.  A new year begs us to ask:  What does it mean to REALLY take care of myself?

For those new to Genesis, Self Care is a priority that starts out with an emphasis on menu planning, preparation, and eating; lots of eating! During this fueling process you develop new sets of skills, your focus expands, and you fit additional tasks into your already busy day with increasing ease.  Your coach guides you in setting priorities within yourself to meet this important Self Care goal.

As you gain experience, meeting your nutritional needs becomes routine. Self Care now expands to daily journaling and prescribed workouts. You are now beginning to feel the benefits of Self Care and focus deeper into the needs of You.  The priority list has changed; you are now closer to the top!

Self Care gradually expands to include a daily meditation and becoming more in tune to self-presence. With this daily meditative practice peace and calmness come to your core.  Everyday life becomes less hectic and easily manageable. The priority list now has you at the top AND interspersed throughout.  Nothing interferes with your Self Care and surprisingly enough the demands of those around us are less; yet our relationships improve.

 Learning Self Care is a gradual process done with baby steps.  While it presents challenges the rewards are immense.  It is truly is essential to our physical and mental WELL-BEING. This January as you are considering your New Year’s resolutions make Self Care number one! (and maybe 2 & 3…..)

These are classic recipes that our clients reach for again and again.  Most of them are formulated by our clients  and grow in popularity on our forums.

Good food is a fun thing.  The recipes:

Chia Hot Porridge

A nice change-up for oatmeal.

Ingredients:

5 TBS thick rolled oats, dry

.5 banana

.5 tsp ground cinnamon

1 oz light coconut milk

1 tsp raw honey

1 TBS chia seeds

Instructions:

Bring one cup of water to a boil; add all ingredients to water; continue stirring for about 5 minutes or until you get nice texture. Serve and pour over with coconut milk.

Vege Egg Scramble

This is an easy way to get protein and healthy veges to start your day.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

.25 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

.25 cup onions, chopped

.5 cup spinach

Instructions:

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in saute pan. Add onion and mushrooms, saute 5min. Add egg and spinach and stir occasionally until egg is cooked and spinach wilted. Serves 1.

Orange Julius Smoothie

Easy and a yummy, light sensation for the taste buds.

Ingredients:

1 banana

1 orange

1 scoop GT vanilla whey protein powder

Instructions:

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  No water needed if using fresh fruit.

Sheri’s Basic Salad

This is a huge recipe – and the volume will depend on the size of the veggies, but it will make about 20 cups, or 5 quarts.

Ingredients:

2 cups green cabbage, chopped

2 cups red cabbage, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cucumber, chopped

3 oz red leaf lettuce, chopped

8 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

6 oz red onion, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

Instructions:

Rinse all produce. I like to chop the lettuce into about 1 1/2 inch pieces. Now, because this is so large, I layer rather than toss. I combine all the veggies but lettuce, then layer lettuce-veggies-lettuce etc until the bowl is full. Keep it in the fridge either covered in plastic or with a towel draped over the top of the bowl.

Carribean Chicken Stew

Exotic Caribbean flavors and lots of good antioxidants -

Ingredients:

15.5 oz canned black beans, no salt

.75 cup green bell pepper, chopped

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1.5 cups raw butternut squash

1.5 lb chicken breast, cooked

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 TBS extra virgin coconut oil

4 cloves garlic

3 limes

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup onions, chopped

16 oz canned diced tomatoes, no salt

Instructions:

In a large pot, heat oil. Add onion, green pepper, garlic (minced); saute 3 minutes. Add spices, plus .5 tsp cayenne and a bay leaf; saute 3 minutes. add tomatoes, broth, COOKED chicken (torn into strips), cubed raw squash, and undrained canned beans. Simmer, covered, 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf. Serve with squeezed lime juice.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

This spicy dish is good over rice,  grated zucchini (as a pasta substitute!) or as is with salad.

Ingredients:

.25 cup fresh basil

4 garlic cloves

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

.125 tsp ground red pepper

1 lb raw shrimp

28 oz canned diced tomatoes, no salt

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in non stick skillet on medium high heat. Add minced garlic and cook about a minute. Add tomatoes, 1 tsp dried oregano, and .5 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste). Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add shrimp to simmering sauce and cook 2 minutes, until bright pink and cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in basil.

Chicken Cacciatore

Our families love this dish and it is great to make extras and have leftovers. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 tsp dried basil

.5 cup green bell pepper, chopped

.5 cup low sodium chicken broth

16 oz chicken breast, raw

1 garlic clove

1 tsp raw honey

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

3 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 onion

1 tsp dried thyme

2 TBS tomato paste

15 oz diced tomatoes, no salt added

Instructions:

In large skillet, brown chicken on all sides in olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside. 2.) Add mushrooms,bell pepper, onion and garlic to pan. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add chicken broth and simmer uncovered until liquid is nearly gone. Add undrained tomatoes and remaining ingredients including .5tsp red pepper flakes. 3.) Return chicken to pan and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes – either on stop top or in 350 degree oven. Can serve over potatoes or spaghetti squash for a delicious dinner!

Tender Turkey Burgers

These are wonderful and best grilled. The mushrooms keep them tender, even as leftovers.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

4 oz mushrooms

.25 cup onion

Instructions:

Chop onions and mushrooms in a small (quarter inch)dice. Place turkey, mushrooms, onions, and 1.5 TBS any salt free seasonings you enjoy in a medium bowl. With clean hands, blend everything. Make 4 patties of equal size. Grill, broil or pan fry for about 7 minutes on each side, until completely cooked through.

Dear Dave,

A few  months back my husband bought a case of organic ‘light’ olive oil at a low price.  The issue is that it tastes terrible!  He insists that light oil is the best for cooking but I cant get over the rancid taste.  My question is does olive oil go rancid, and what do all the types mean – virgin, extra virgin, and light?

Rancid in Idaho

Dear Rancid,

The first answer is yes – olive oil can become rancid.  Many people have not experienced this as they may have only used refined oil which can last much longer than the somewhat delicate Extra Virgin oil.  If your oil doesn’t have a ‘use-by’ date – or if the date gives you enough time to grow your own olive tree – be suspicious!

Light olive oil is highly processed; it normally is made of very low quality olives which produces a low quality oil; it needs to be heated & ‘deodorized’ before bottling.  Virgin oil means it was processed without chemicals.  Extra virgin is an indication of quality; but buyer beware!!!  There are few widely accepted standards to define EVO and it has been widely abused – for instance cutting a small amount of EVO with soybean oil and adding chlorophyl for color is a standard practice.

I suggest the only olive oil worth buying is EVO; but you need to confirm its quality.  You can do this with your eyes and nose.  As always READ THE LABEL; the oil should have a single, traceable source; not multiple countries.  Once purchased the smell of the oil should be pleasant and abundant.  I know that you may be hesitant to buy before you try….start with one bottle and tell your hubby to leave the cases on the shelf!

Heres a start: http://www.barianioliveoil.com.  They are a family farm in California and they know what they are doing.

Always fresh, never rancid…

Dave

I returned from Italy just before Thanksgiving.  It was nice to be back on my own treadmill and cooking in my own kitchen.  I’m moving right along and looking forward to giving away the next 40 pounds.  I like to think of it as giving away because I don’t ever want them back again.  Something lost is expected to be found someday.  No Way!

I did treat myself over the thanksgiving weekend.  I had a glass of belgian beer on Friday and two glasses of wine on Saturday.  This was the first time I had anything off plan since March when I started the program.  I’m a big fan of belgian beer and it tasted wonderful.  But I have work to do so I got right back on track the next day.  I would say though, the scale continued to move but the days that followed were slower than usual.  No regrets because that was a great glass of beer!

Looking forward to progress over the next couple of months as we have a trip to Mexico planned for the end of February and I have a picture from last year, before I started Genesis that I want to “re-do” when I’m 70 or 80 pounds smaller.  Seeing that picture really helped to convince me to get motivated and take control of my self.  Maybe I’ll post the before and after once I reach my goal.  Wish me luck!

 Why am I in this process? 

What am I afraid of? 

Why am I afraid of succeeding? 

The answers, once I took the time to actually sit down and answer them, were amazingly simple to find.  The first one was really simple:  Health.  The other two, I just need to know that the self thoughts I have been listening to for years are simply not to be believed.

I have lied to myself for years about how I look, how others have negatively perceived me, etc.  I am sure most of you know what I am talking about.  I realize I will simply have to work through some of that crap that was done/said to me years ago when I was really young.  I know now that I am a mature woman and I have the power and strength to take care of myself and my family and that is the truth that I focus on.  I thank the Lord for the opportunity and assistance to work through this stuff and to be who I really am made to be.

I pray for a year of great learning and changes for all of us.  Happy New Year!

Balinese Ceremony

Ketut Mawa and Sheri Lynn

Village Warung (store)

Is Palm oil really a good thing?  I hear a lot about all its benefits but don’t know if its all hype.

Michele,

Jackson

Dear Michele,

The short answer is yes – but as with ALL foods it depends on the details.  The most nutritious palm oil is red palm oil, this is the virgin oil – it contains the most beneficial nutrients and has many different uses.

Allow me to elaborate on another concern with this global commodity.  Aside from the USA (where deep fried foods and soybean oil reign supreme) palm oil is the most widely consumed oil in the world.  This means a LOT of it needs to be grown to meet the global demand.  A major issue with palm oil is sustainability;  there are many producers that focus more on quantity than quality.  Some plantations have been literally ‘carved’ out of tropical forests – many of these do not employ healthy farming practices and can ruin the land in just one harvest. It can be cheaper in the short term to farm in this way but it has devastating consequences on the land and the local human and animal populations.

I strongly encourage anyone who purchases this oil to research the source and remember that although it may have wonderful health benefits there are foods that grow near you that may help you in the same way!

If you would like an excellent source of tropical oils – and information – check out

www.tropicaltraditions.com.

One saute’ at a time,

Dave