Five Tips for Dietary Health
1) Alkalize.
Remember high school chem, when you learned about the PH scale? Our
bodies also exist in a balance between acidity and alkalinity. High
acidity in the body has been linked to fatiguebione loss, and a host of
other symptoms that we’d all rather avoid.
What acidifies our bodies? Alcohol, drugs, nicotine, and caffeine are
big culprits. We also create lactic acid when we digest meat, dairy,
and very high-protein foods. These foods, also known as high-PRAL foods,
acidify our blood. The human body doesn’t like to be in an acidic
state, and it works overtime to compensate. Our lungs, kidneys, and
other organs try to “neutralize” acidity by a process called buffering;
this means linking the acid to a “base” mineral. These include sodium,
potassium, and calcium. There’s now substantial research to prove that
high-PRAL foods (which are typically also high-protein foods) contribute
directly to calcium loss and over-taxation of the kidneys. Why? Because
our body is trying to neutralize blood acid by leaching calcium from
bones and into the bloodstream.
The
good news is that alkaline foods immediately help to stabilize and
alkalize our bodies. What are alkaline foods? Well, they include
vegetables, sprouts, low-sugar fruits, legumes, and certain grains
(spelt, quinoa, and millet in particular). In other words, the foods
that are a cornerstone of a plant-based diet! Which is all the more
reason you should be eating as many veggies as possible. Dig in!
2) Eat for Your Bones
It’s no great secret that women are prone to bone density loss as we
age. To prevent this, it’s important to eat as alkaline a diet as
possible: again, eating too much animal protein, which is acidic, forces
our bodies to deplete calcium reserves as a buffer. Ever wonder why
countries with highest osteoperosis rates, ours included, are typically
the countries with highest dairy consumption? This is why.
In addition, it’s important to eat calcium rich foods. Wondering
about the best plant-based sources? Sesame seeds, spinach, collard
greens, turnip greens, blackstrap molasses, kale, and tofu are all
stellar. Most non-dairy milks and soy products are also fortified with
calcium, as are many commercial vegan cereals.
If you have any reason to believe that you’re not getting adequate
calcium from your diet, go ahead and seek out a good vegan supplement
with Vitamin D3. Right now, I’m a big fan of Vitamin Code’s Raw Calcium.
3) Pump up the Iron
We ladies, I’m sorry to say, are also rather prone to anemia. It’s
very common for young women to be anemic–symptoms include sensitivity to
cold, brittle nails, fatigue, thinning hair, headaches, and depression.
To prevent this, it’s crucial for us to eat enough iron.
Fortunately, a plant based diet is full of iron-rich foods! Black
strap molasses is a terrific source: one tablespoon daily (try stirring
it into raw or cooked oats) brings you halfway to your USDA requirement.
Other sources include leafy greens – chard, kale, spinach — as well as
edamame, lentils, spinach, tofu, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and navy
beans. Cooking with a cast iron pan imparts some iron, too.
4) Stop Fearing Fats
Women–especially women with histories of chronic dieting–tend to be
pretty fat-phobic. Don’t be, ladies! I’ve written ad infinitum on the benefits of healthy fats,
but just to remind you: healthy fats help our nerves, eyes, and immune
systems. Our brain is composed of 60% fats, and our hearts are regulated
by them. They’re known to help prevent cholesterol, and they’re
especially important for fertility and fetal brain development.
The bottom line? Eat up! Be mindful of eating a sufficient amount of
Omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in chia seeds, walnut, flax, and
pumpkin seeds, and monounsaturated fats, found in almonds, coconut,
olives, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and avocados.
5) Ditch the Fad Detoxes
I cannot tell you how frequently I’m asked about “doing a detox.”
Should I do a cleanse? Should I do a fast? Should I drink lemonade and
lemon juice for sixteen days? Should I eat nothing but green smoothies
for a week?
In a word: no. There is no reason for a healthy, average woman to
drastically lower her caloric consumption with “cleanses”. In fact,
there’s a good chance that whatever cleanse you’re interested in–juices,
lemonade, all raw veggies, smoothies only, and the list goes on–will
only leave you feeling deprived, strip you of water weight, and lower
your metabolism. Even undertaking a radically low-cal diet is likely to
lower your metabolism drastically, so that when you do return to
normative habits (as you eventually will have to, because you’re human),
you’ll be likely to gain weight quickly, and in the form of fat.
If you need to lose a few pounds, or you aren’t feeling your best and
want to tune up, simply commit to a few small changes (less processed
food, no diet sodas, no sugary desserts) that will help boost energy and
let you shed fluff weight. That’s a few, not all: getting healthy
doesn’t mean trying to be perfect. It means doing what’s optimal as often as is reasonable.
Don’t set yourself up for yo-yo diets that can permanently destroy your
metabolic function and digestion: opt instead for small, sustainable
changes that will boost health for good.
Five Tips for Sexual Health
1) Be Proactive About Birth Control
Deciding whether or not to go on the pill is deeply personal, and it
should be based upon lifestyle, on your dialog with your sexual partner,
and on your own comfort level. The pill is a major source of security
and freedom for many women, but many others experience negative side
effects. Therefore, be proactive: there are proactive ways to prevent
pregnancy without BCP (such as copper IUDs), and we have the power to
explore them.
2) If You Are on the Pill…
Remember: birth control pills do NOT prevent STDs. Many of my readers
grew up in the era of AIDS awareness. That’s terrific, but statistics
show that condom use and preventative measures against STDs are dropping
among white heterosexuals. HIV rates have dropped marginally, but not
nearly enough to justify careless behavior. (No drop, save the eradication of all STDs, would justify carelessness.)
Ladies, if you are taking the pill, remember that it’s no barrier
against STDs. Herpes rates are on the rise (some statistics suggest that
one in every two single heterosexuals in New York City has the herpes
virus), and chlymidia and HPV are as common as ever. If you’re feeling
tempted to skip the rubber, or if your partner assumes that your being
on the pill is a green light for riding bareback, stop dead in your
tracks, and reach for the bedside drawer.
3) Remember Your Pap
Be sure to get a pap smear regularly. I previously thought it was
necessary annually, but a few readers have mentioned that the new ones
are good for 2-3 years at a time (ask your ob-gyn). These exams scan for
any reproductive abnormalities, STDs, and cervical cell changes
associated with HPV.
4) Get the HPV Vaccine
People in the raw and vegan communities have mixed feelings about
vaccines. I fall on the pro side of the fence, though I do think it is
every parent’s right to select which vaccines are administered to their
children, and at what age.
Adult women, naturally, can also make up their own minds about the
HPV vaccine. But it seems awfully foolhardy to forgo vaccination against
a form of cancer (cervical cancer) that is essentially
preventable–especially since so few forms are. And we’ll be protecting
our future sexual partners in the meantime.
5) Get to Know Your Body
Do I sound like I’m hailing from the pages of Our Bodies, Ourselves?
Maybe I do, but even so, this message bears repeating: a conscious sex
life is a rewarding sex life. Even in this day and age, young women are
afraid to explore their own bodies, and to share what they learn with
partners. Don’t be! Get to know your bod: if that means the old
self-examination with a mirror at home, go for it. If it means getting
cozy with some erotic literature or visuals, go for it. If it means
picking up a sex guide, like The Guide to Getting it On
(a classic), do it. Do anything that puts you in touch with what you
like, and what you don’t; what feels good, and what doesn’t. And when
you figure it out, speak up! Your partner will appreciate a
knowledgeable and proactive approach, and you’ll be grateful for it when
he (or she) responds accordingly.
Five Tips for Mind, Body, and Soul
1) Move
It’s nothing you’ve never heard before, but gentle exercise–I’m
talking 35 minutes at least three times weekly–is your friend. No, this
doesn’t have to mean marathon training or torture sessions at the gym.
It can mean brisk walking, yoga, zumba, pilates, rebounding, or simply
dancing around your apartment to the newest Gaga single. Exercise will
boost your mood, strengthen your heart, strengthen your bones, and keep
energy levels high. What’s not to like?
2) …But Not Because You Like to Eat
One of the most troubling habits I see among clients is the use of
exercise as a means of feeling “safe” about food–to burn calories, feel
less “lazy,” or ensure they won’t gain weight from eating.
Two weeks ago, I wrote about embracing our appetites.
This means embracing the fact that we hunger simply because we must:
hunger is part of being alive. Exercise is a beautiful thing, but it
should be separate from hunger, and eating is not optional.
So move, ladies. But don’t move because you ate. Move because it
makes you feel energetic, happy, or strong–not because you had a piece
of cake. The more you do to dissociate fitness from food, the more
you’ll be able to appreciate them both.
3) Remember Self Care
We ladies are often caretakers: we care for children, for parents,
for each other. But in so doing, we also forget to take time to care for
ourselves. No matter how cliched it may sound, it’s true that we cannot
love or value for others until we love and value ourselves.
Carve out time for solitary walks, little beauty treatments, reading,
music, catching up with friends, and other forms of self-focused
activity. Be gentle and indulgent: if this means canceling a commitment
once in a while, or saying no to someone, or taking break from work, do.
Preserving your own sanity–which such habits help you to do–means more
energy and focus when you do re-emerge to care for the people you love.
4) Don’t Feel Responsible for Other People’s Comfort
I’ve spoken before
about a woman’s tendency to eat in such a way that pleases other
people. Often, this is because we sense that our good food habits make
other people feel insecure or ashamed, and we compensate with
self-sabotage. Is there anything more backwards than this–treating our
bodies poorly to make our friends or family members feel better about
themselves? I don’t think so.
The
habit extends beyond food: so often, we bite our tongues, soften our
opinions, or shy away from conflict because we know that it will make
other people more comfortable. Guess what, girls? Other people are
responsible for their own happiness, security, and comfort. Be kind and
generous to others, certainly, but don’t take blame for other people’s
unhappiness unless you caused it through malice or poor behavior. You’ve
got your own happiness to worry about: allaying other people’s private
and often self-imposed unhappiness is not your job.
5) Embrace Independence
One of the more troubling tendencies I see in young women today is a
feeling of discomfort with solitude–both physical (in that they fear
having time alone on their hands) and existential (in that they fear a
lack of male companionship). It’s normal, of course, to experience
loneliness now and then, or to want to find partnership in life. But to
fear one’s own company is, I think, a shame. Life is lived in the
company of loved ones, but there’s also truth to the dictum that we live
and die alone. At the least, the capacity to support oneself
financially, to make one’s way through the world independently, and to
amuse oneself in quiet moments, is crucial.
Sharing your life with wonderful people is vital. But it’s also vital
to enjoy your own company. So the next time you find yourself striving
to make yourself more appealing to others, stop for a moment, and think:
how can I be more appealing to myself? Take some time to cultivate a
sense of personhood that you enjoy and take pride in, and the pleasures
of autonomy will follow.
