Many professionals believe that Latin American foods are unhealthy and that they
contribute to obesity among the Latin American population. Sometimes, these studies do not take into consideration the socioeconomic factors that affect these populations. In fact, there are many Latin American dishes that are not only balanced, but nutritious as well. This is important to remember as future dietitians or health professionals so that we can give clients and/or patients a better experience when working with them. With that said, below are five popular Latin American dishes and their nutrients. 

1. Ceviche 
Ceviche is a popular dish all throughout Latin America. However, Peru is known to
have the best ceviche. This dish is made from marinating raw fish in citrus juice
(most often lime) and mixing it with diced vegetables such as tomato, cilantro, red
onion, and avocado. This plate is a good source of protein, however the amount
does vary depending on the fish used. The fresh vegetables and citrus juice also
provide a high amount of vitamin C to the dish. 

2. Arroz con Gandules 
This dish originates in Puerto Rico and is a rice dish with pigeon peas. This can
be considered a nutritious dish because when legumes and grains are paired
together, it makes a complete protein. Legumes also have fiber and a variety of B
vitamins such as thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin. The most important ingredient in
this dish is the sofrito, which is made from green peppers, onions, and garlic,
which are sources of vitamin C. 

3. Huevos Rancheros 
Huevos Rancheros is a Mexican dish in which fried eggs and beans are placed
over a corn tortilla and topped with a tomato-based salsa and vegetables. This
dish itself is a balancing meal as it contains carbohydrates in the tortilla, protein
in the eggs, and vitamins, as well as fiber, in the vegetables. One may choose to
add onions, cilantro, avocado and even cheese to add more flavor and nutrients to
the dish. 

4. Pozole 
Pozole is another traditional Mexican dish and is often consumed on big holidays
or celebrations. It is a soup that is traditionally made with pork, but a different
meat may be chosen such as chicken or beef as well as hominy kernels and garlic.
More spices and vegetables are added such as oregano, radish, cabbage, avocado
and lime juice. Pozole can be considered a balanced meal because the meat
provides a protein source and the hominy grains provide a good amount of
carbohydrates as well as some fiber. Radishes and cabbage both provide folate,
thiamine, niacin, and pantothenic acid (also in avocados). 

5. Tacos 
​Tacos are another dish originating in Mexico, however there are many varieties of
tacos all across Latin America. The reason this meal may be considered balanced
and nutritious is because it contains both a carbohydrate and protein source with
the tortilla and the choice of meat. No taco is complete without some form of
salsa, whether it is pico de gallo, a tomato-based sauce, or even a mango sauce for
fish tacos. Fresh vegetables such as cilantro, onions, tomatoes, and avocado are
always added to tacos, assuring that there are a variety of vitamins as well as
fiber. 

Your body naturally responds to excess acid by forming fat cells (in order to protect your internal organs from acidic damage). Other noticeable side effects of an acidic stomach environment include: acid reflux, yeast infections, skin problems, the cold cold, and headaches.

Some foods known to cause acidic environments: coffee, soda, alcohol, pasteurized dairy, refined sugars and excess meat/protein 

Misconception: If I eat a food that is acidic, (has a low pH value & tastes sour) then it will cause an acidic reaction in my body.

Truth: This is where biochemistry comes into play. Not necessarily. It’s all about the chemical reaction that takes place in your body AFTER you digest it. You’d think that citric fruits with low pH values (lemons, oranges, and so on) would create an acidic environment in the digestive process. But actually, when you eat citric fruits, it causes a neutralizing, alkalinizing reaction since Na+, Ca+ and K+ ions are present. 

The takeaway— Paying attention to how your body reacts to certain foods will make a powerful tool against unwanted chemical reactions. Foods that promote alkalinity counteract the uncomfortable and unhealthy effects of acid forming foods... think citrus fruits, veggies, soybeans, organic and grass-fed fairy products & nuts 

Start fresh this week & limit your intake of processed foods as much as possible to avoid these dire consequences. Your body will thank you later!

Nutritionally yours, 

I am sure you have heard that you should be consuming probiotics daily, either through
supplements or through whole foods such as greek yogurt and kombucha. Probiotics have
developed a gleaming halo due to many health professionals recommending them for a variety of reasons and health benefits. We all know they are good for you, but what’s the deal? What are they? How do they work? Who should be taking them? Are all probiotics made the same? Let’s dive in.

To understand how probiotics do their job and their importance, we have to first
recognize the significance of gut health. It has been found that the microbiome (bacteria makeup) in our gut (large intestines) is a large determinate of our overall health as human beings. “It covers multiple positive aspects of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as the effective digestion and absorption of food, the absence of GI illness, normal and stable intestinal microbiota, effective immune status and a state of well-being.” (Bischoff, 2011) Not only does our gut microbiome play a role in immunity but there have also been studies revealing that there may be a link between gut health and brain function (crazy right? There is a lot more to be said about that, but we will stay on topic) Although we have uncovered substantial information, scientists have not developed a way in which to clearly define or measure gut health, however, we have found ways to improve it. Maintaining a healthy gut is a key objective in preventative medicine today. So how do we do that exactly?

Beyond a well balanced diet, fiber (prebiotic), and physical activity, probiotics are a
major way in which one can maintain a healthy gut microbiome. The word “probiotic” is derived from the greek language meaning “life.” Today, probiotics can be defined as, “‘A live microbial feed supplement which beneficially affects the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance” (Fuller, 1992). Probiotics are strains of “good” bacteria that will, in a sense, crowd out the “bad” bacteria. There are have been many postulated ideas of how exactly probiotics do their desired job. Some of which are: promoting a gut barrier, enhancement of the immunological barrier and reducing inflammation. “Data shows that probiotics can be used as innovative tools to alleviate intestinal inflammation, normalize gut mucosal dysfunction, and down-regulate hypersensitivity reactions.” (Salminem, 2001) Basically, it keeps your GI tract in check. So, does that mean everyone should be taking them?

YES, take them! Probiotics are a great way for every individual to maintain a healthy gut.
Some individuals may benefit from probiotics more due to an illness such as those with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), chronic diarrhea, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). There has not been any negative side effects reported due to probiotic supplement intake. Whether you intake probiotics from supplements or foods, they are a good addition to your everyday. So are all probiotic supplements created equal?

Nope! If you search for a probiotic supplement, you may find that they can be quite
pricey and diverse. Some labels will read something like this: “3 billion cells,” “10 billion active cultures,” and “Bifidobacterium lactis.”...um what? Let me explain. The amount of living bacteria in the product are measured in CFU/ml or colony forming units. All you really need to know is, the higher the CFU’s, the higher the amount of living bacteria. This can be the major determinant when comparing prices. Take the amount of CFUs into account, this may sway your decision towards the pricier option after all. Some supplement brands may indicate the live bacteria with total weight or by the number of CFUs at time of production as opposed to the actual number in the supplement when you consume it, two very different numbers. I would just stick to the easy clear, CFU/ml in the probiotic supplement in your hand. No need to overcomplicate things. Remember you can get probiotics from some yummy greek yogurt as well.

The next crucial aspect of purchasing probiotics is the species in the product. Never buy a probiotic that does not tell you the bacteria composition, where’s the assurance in that? The most common bacteria you will find on a probiotic label are: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus thermophilus. Unless you have a condition that requires a certain strain of bacteria, I wouldn’t worry too much about these names. Also, be aware of fillers in the supplement (AKA things like glucose, wheat, or soy.) This goes for any supplement. If you have an allergy, stay clear.

There are many more things to be discussed circulating this topic such as prebiotics (food
for probiotics), shelf life, storage, and expiration. But we will end it there. I highly recommend taking probiotics daily! I hope this blog can help you take a step in the right direction.



Referenced:
Roy Fuller. (1992). History and Development of Probiotics. Retrieved from
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-011-2364-8_1

Seppo Salminem. (2001). Probiotics: effects on immunity. Retrieved from
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/73/2/444s/4737576

Stephan C Bischoff. (2011, March 14). 'Gut health': A new objective in medicine? Retrieved
from https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7015-9-24

What is diabetes? Diabetes is a deadly disease that is known to cause numerous health
complications and even death. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is characterized by the body’s
destruction of pancreatic beta-cells. Beta-cells are responsible for the production of insulin, a hormone that regulates serum glucose levels. Type 2 diabetes mellitus has a similar overall outcome but is caused by either a lack of insulin or faulty insulin receptors. Diabetes has been known to cause nerve damage resulting in amputations, blindness, or even death. When glucose is properly controlled by the intake of low glycemic foods and by the adaptation of a healthy lifestyle, these daunting complications can be avoided. Although this disease can be well controlled, no one true cure has been discovered, but current research may be heading in the right direction.

The article analyzed in this blog post looks closely at cell regeneration therapy as well as
other methods such as islet transplantation and gene therapy as a potential cure for diabetes. I want to focus on what I find to be the most intriguing cell generation. The three ways in which to potentially introduce/develop “new” fully functioning beta-cells is as follows: 1. “In vitro regeneration therapy using transplanted culture cells” 2. “In ex vivo regeneration therapy” 3. “In in vivo regeneration therapy.” Let’s dumb this idea down a bit. Basically, we can use cultured cells outside of the body to be implanted into one’s pancreas or cells from within the body to differentiate into beta-cells. There is a lot to consider with this type of therapy-immunosuppressive action to ensure your body doesn’t destroy it’s new cells (also can have some pretty scary side effects - yikes) or other therapies that can be coupled with the original regeneration such as “islet transplantation, cell-based therapy, or gene therapy.”

So this is a pretty big concept, but the overall big picture seems quite simple right? Cells
don’t work, so make cells that do? Can it be that easy? Here is what we know..
In in vitro regeneration therapy, differentiated cultured cells foreign to the individual are
in introduced into their body. This form of therapy requires immunosuppressive drugs for the entirety of one's lifespan. This alone opens the door to numerous health complications. Due to these adverse effects, this form of therapy has been limited to severe type 1 diabetics only. In other words, yes, diabetes can be an extremely difficult disease to live with, but so can nephrotoxicity and hypertension caused by immunosuppressive medications, would you trade one problem for another?

Ex vivo regeneration therapy involves the manipulation of an individual’s own cells
outside of the body, followed by reintroducing the cells in the body once treatment is complete. No immunosuppressive drugs are needed in this case since the cells are still recognized as “self.” Typically, this type of treatment extracts mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow to treat bone conditions, however, this mechanism is not likely to work with beta-cells and diabetic patients. Trials performed on mouses resulted in “brain, retina, lung, myocardium, skeletal muscle, liver, intestine, kidney, spleen, bone marrow, blood, and skin, but not pancreas.” Basically, the stem cells differentiated and formed every tissue besides the one we need in this circumstance, perfect. On to the next one.

In vivo regeneration therapy is the process of regeneration of one’s own impaired cells
within the body. This is done in numerous diseases today. For example, those with renal
anemia have been treated with granulocytopenia, erythropoietin and granulocyte-colony
stimulating factor. (G-CSF) Similarly, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) vectors have been injected into muscular tissue of those with occlusive peripheral artery disease
to promote neovascularization from remaining arteries.” If we can promote growth of cells and tissues needed to “fix” our disease so to speak, why not apply this mechanism to pancreatic beta-cells? Based on prior trials and studies, “in vivo generation therapy is, in general, more cost-effective, has fewer side effects, and is in addition more ethically and clinically acceptable than in vitro and ex vivo regeneration therapies.” Two main methods identified for this form of therapy are: “induction of beta-cell differentiation and stimulation of beta-cell growth.”

If scientist continue to research these methods and safe, reliable, effective protocols are mastered, we could have a cure for diabetes. BOOM.

Sure, there are tons of other cell therapies we could explore, but I will leave you with
that. If you are interested, I have attached an article to this post that I referenced. I have not found trials performing these exact therapies in diabetic patients, however, I have come across some non-scholarly articles about current cell regeneration trials in the UK. Only two patients have been tested thus far, but who knows what the future holds. It will be interesting to see how diabetes is treated five to ten years from now. We just might have a cure.

Welcome back, SNO blog readers! This week I’ve been thinking a lot about holistic health. I don’t mean the stigmatized “hippie” naturopathic medicine that may come to mind for some; I mean the dictionary definition of holistic: “characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole.” At this point in 2018, I think some of the lines in the health and nutrition community have been blurred. There is a definite difference between health foods that are holistically healthy, and health foods that are highly marketable. For example, I’m sitting in The Living Room Cafe right now, and I ordered an acai bowl and an iced coffee with almond milk. Those not so deeply submerged in analyzing nutritional aspects of food as are all of you future RD’s might assume that what I just put in my body was “healthy”. In reality, the bowl of sorbet and sugary granola I just consumed probably made my insulin levels skyrocket, and the stored energy it provided me with will most likely stick around in my body for a while, considering I’m sitting here writing this blog post and not hiking up a mountain. The acai bowl is a great example of a heavily marketed “health food” that is not necessarily healthy. Besides the obvious capitalistic dilemma of some foods being marketed as health foods for the profit of the companies selling them, there is another huge aspect of holistic nutrition that I think could be even more important.
There are a lot of health foods out there that, good for you or are not, negatively affect another aspect of our ecosystem. An example that comes to mind immediately is something I’ve seen in juice shops and health food stores countless times: bee pollen. Bee pollen is the pollen from plants collected by bees and subsequently collected from the bees by beekeepers. Bee pollen has long been celebrated for its allergy-reducing and immune-boosting properties, and has been linked to the idea that eating local honey when visiting a new place will help you adjust to the atmosphere and lessen any allergy symptoms due to exposure to new plants and pollen in the air. I had heard about bee pollen’s allergy-reducing properties many times, and worked in a couple of juice shops that used it heavily, but never looked into it. It turns out that the problem with bee pollen is that the process of collecting it involves putting a comb-like screen at the entrance/exit of the hive, causing the pollen to be pulled from the bees’ limbs, but often pulling off their limbs as well. I hate to reference the movie that is essentially one enormous meme, but we could have a Bee Movie situation on our hands at some point. Bees use “stiff hair-like structures” (beeculture.com) on their legs to collect pollen, so if extraction of bee pollen de-legs bees in the process, it can’t be good for pollination and environmental well being in general. Furthermore, the bees need that pollen for the health of their colony, so if beekeepers collect pollen, bees have to forage more often, putting stress on the hives. Pollination is also essential to the growth of flowers, fruits and other plants that we need to survive. According to pollinator.org, “Somewhere between 75% and 95% [1] of all flowering plants on the earth need help with pollination – they need pollinators.” (pollinator.org).
    Now maybe some of you knew about the downsides of bee pollen, considering it comes directly from the bee, and more and more people are looking into the protection of animals and insects alike with practices like vegetarianism and veganism. What a lot of people might not think about is the negative effects of almonds on our little pollinators as well. Bees and almonds have a symbiotic relationship. The almond trees need pollination from the bees to flourish, and the bee hives become stronger after visiting almond orchards because “Almond orchards provide honey bees with their first natural source of food each spring.” (almonds.com) and almond pollen is very nutritious for the bees. With the almond and almond milk craze taking over in recent years, we have to be very careful which and how much almond product we buy. Almonds are a winter crop, but because of the year-round demand for almonds and almond milk, there is less genetic diversity in orchards, and there is less almond pollen for the bees to forage and subsist upon, making for a less productive relationship between the bees and the trees. When buying almonds and almond products, be mindful of when and how much, and look for pollinator friendly products like Whole Foods “365 Everyday Value® Pollinator Friendly” Almonds and Almond Butter, which, according to the Whole Foods website, are “sourced from an orchard that works with conservationists at The Xerces Society to create a welcoming environment for pollinators. The orchard planted diverse wildflowers around the almond trees to provide year-round sustenance for local bees.” (wholefoodsmarket.com).
    Basically, food and nutrition doesn’t stop at food and nutrition. In my opinion, it is imperative to take a holistic approach to health, ours and the planet’s. As important as it is for people like us to know things like the USDA recommendation that 45-65% of your total daily calories come from carbohydrates, or that Omega-3 fatty acids are essential in your diet because your body doesn’t produce them on its own, it’s equally important to remember to assess the external aspects of the food we eat, aspects that indirectly affect all of us, like the effect on our very important pollinators.



Sources:
https://www.therawtarian.com/community/f/discussion/6149/please-boycott-bee-pollen
http://www.beeculture.com/bee-pollen-overview/
http://pollinator.org/pollinators
http://www.almonds.com/consumers/about-almonds/bee
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/pollinators
https://www.k-state.edu/paccats/Contents/Nutrition/PDF/Needs.pdf

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This amazing, rich dark chocolate cake has been a staple of mine for the past three years, and I have made it for my sister’s birthday, my mom’s birthday, and my birthday throughout the years (yes, I make my own birthday cake)! This cake is by far one of richest, most decadent cakes I’ve ever tried, and all of my friends could not believe that it was vegan and refined sugar free! It also is relatively easy to make, and is healthy enough that in all honesty, you could actually eat cake for breakfast!
 
 
This recipe is also a combination of recipes from Veggie Primer and Wife Mama Foodie, with a few little twists! Okay, now on to the recipe!
 
Cake:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup raw cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp pink hymilanian salt
• ½ cup melted, cooled coconut oil
• 1 medium to large hass avocado, mashed
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup almond milk, or plant milk of choice
• ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

 
Frosting:

• 2 large ripe avocados
• ½ cup raw cacao powder
• ½ cup maple syrup
• a pinch of salt

 
Toppings:

• raspberries (my personal favorite)
• any other berry (like strawberries, blueberries, etc)
• coconut flakes (also delicious)
• or anything you like with a whole lotta chocolate

 
Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Using two 8 inch, standard cake pans, grease the pans with coconut oil. Layer parchment paper cut to the circumference of pans on top of the oil. Place another layer of coconut oil on top of the parchment to seal the parchment paper down, and really make sure it does not stick. Set aside!
3. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt)
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients (almond milk, coconut oil, avocado, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract).

Pro-tip: make sure the avocado is really, REALLY mashed, so I would recommend using a blender or food processor, or just being really aggressive (whatever floats you boat), because we don’t want any avocado chunks in our cake!

1. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and gently fold in the wet ingredients until just combined.
2. Distribute the batter between two pans evenly.
3. Bake both cakes on the center rake of your oven for around 20 minutes, or until it is set and a toothpick comes out clean!
4. Allow cakes to cool in pans on a cooling rack!

Frosting Time!

1. In a food processor, (highly recommend a food processor, not a blender) add all frosting ingredients (avocado, maple syrup, salt, and cocoa powder).
2. Blend until smooth and creamy. Make sure to taste it, and adjust sweetness to suit your taste buds, because this makes quite a dark chocolate frosting!

Assembly:

1.  Once the cakes have cooled, gently flip the first cake onto a plate or your serving piece of choice!
2. Frost the top of the cake and add whatever fruit, berries, or toppings of you choice!
3. Flip the second cake layer, and frost that layer on top and add the remaining toppings!

Enjoy!
 
Original Recipes:
Frosting: http://veggieprimer.com/dark-chocolate-avocado-frosting/
Cake: http://www.wifemamafoodie.com/vegan-chocolate-cake-with-whipped-ganache/
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