Sara Rocks Nutrition

My mom is an amazing cook. She is like MacGuyver in the kitchen. She walks in with a bag of a flour and paperclip and comes out with a delicious dinner and a plate of cookies. Seriously, it's magic and tastes that way too! I also have two kitchen magicians in my Grandmothers who both taught me so much about cooking and baking. Not my mom's, but they look magical! I like baking. I like baking a lot. I have a sweet tooth, so making a fun dessert is super fun for me. Sometimes for breakfast, I make these Swedish Cardamom Buns that are delicious. Depression Cake is called that because it was popular during the Depression. It can also help snap you out of a depression because it tastes fantastic. I bring this up because as much as I like baking, I really don't like cooking. I do it at home because I am scared that my husband will burn down the house. This isn't "traditional gender-role" nonsense. He is just a little scary. Like he will measure out the amount of w

  What is optimum health? What does it mean to be "well"? These are loaded questions and aren't easily answered. Health and Wellness aren't a destination, but a journey. It isn't as if you get to a point and you say, "oh, I'm healthy, I can stop now." Your health is constantly evolving and changing and that makes it hard to answer. Not only is your own body changing, but the science is changing as well. Years ago, low fat was the answer. Now, we know that some fat is good and is an important part of our diet. Who knows what we will learn in the future?  While health and wellness can be overwhelming, it's important not to dwell on the minutia. So, let's take a deep breath and learn some basic things that you can do to increase your health.   Take In Vital Nutrients One of the most important parts of nutrition is, nutrients! Yes, you could focus on making sure that you have exactly 78 grams of protein per day and 1000 mg of calcium while making

I watched a pharmaceutical commercial for a new anti-depressant that you take when your existing anti-depressant isn't working. This new pill is a supplement to the existing one, so two anti-depressants. As someone who has been on medication to regulate my brain, this doesn't jive with me. We know that food can be used to cure a lot of our physical ailments, such as a bowl of soup when we have a cold. But, there is emerging science about using food to help us with our  mental health .  Magnesium mmmm...Chocolate... Magnesium does a LOT. This mineral is responsible for ensuring that your heart beats normally, helps keep your immune system strong, and creates energy and protein. Over 100 years ago, it was discovered that it can also help with depression. Eat almonds, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate and kale for an extra punch of magnesium in your diet.  Vitamin D 🎶You are my sunshine, my only sunshine! You make me happy when skies are gray!🎶  emojis IRL This

Y'all, it's been a rough couple of weeks. Like, ugly crying rough. I walk a knife blade. I tend to lean towards one side, getting eyeball to eyeball with the anxiety monster. Sometimes she blinks, sometimes I do. But, lately I've fallen on the other side, in the dark forest of depression. I've got demons there to keep me company, but am not suited for this battle.  An old demon coming in for a hug. Yup .   Watching the destruction in Australia reminded me of how small I am and made me feel so useless. I saw the pictures of animals dead or dying, hearing of how entire species have been wiped out. Then, the Puerto Rico Earthquake happened. Then, Corona Virus hits. And, on top of everything, the Impeachment trial happened. Regardless of which side you are on, we have a problem with division in our country and it does have a direct effect on our psyches. All in all, everything I was doing on a regular basis felt empty. I generally enjoy my job, but doing my da

Do Soybeans have a feminist agenda? The title of this post is inspired by my brother-in-law, but the spirit behind the message is something that I have heard time and time again: Soy has estrogen and that makes it bad for you. This myth stops NOW. In reading an article from the Boston Globe about Impossible and Beyond Burgers, I found the sentence that perfectly sums up everything that we hear about soy: “Soy contains estrogen-like compounds called isoflavones that some findings say can promote the growth of some cancer cells, impair female fertility and mess with men’s hormones.”  That this article snuck this in without any backup shows their bias, and I hate to show mine, but this is nonsense. So, let's break this down and look at the fun part, science!  Yum! A bowl full of genistein and daidzein! Estrogen-like Compounds Soy contains phytoestrogens, genistein and daidzein, which act like estrogen, but very weak versions. What is interesting is that these phytoestrog

It's a whole new year, new decade, new chance to ditch old habits. Janus was the Roman God of beginnings and endings, choices, and doors (I guess that makes sense). He is also the one for whom January is named, rightfully so. He had two faces, one that looked ahead and the other that looked behind. The week leading up to New Year's is the perfect time to be like Janus; to review this past's celebrations and failures while reflecting on what will make the future better. It's a great time to decide what your resolutions will be and how you plan to create your own "Year of Clarity!" (like we discussed in the last post , remember?) Of course, I want your resolution to stick around longer than old fruitcake jokes, so I've put together some strategies for you! - Be Specific!  Let's say your resolution this year is to eat healthier in 2020. You didn't eat a single vegetable in 2019, so you have a salad for lunch on New Year's Day. Resolution acc

There is a great scene in Idiocracy where they admit to watering the plants with sports drinks, because it’s got electrolytes, it’s got what plants crave.” And Luke Wilson asks “what is an electrolyte anyway?” (Not a direct quote, just go watch the movie.) Electrolytes aren’t just what plants crave or an REM song, they are really important to keeping you alive. They help regulate hydration, pH balance (as we found out in a previous post ), and keep your muscles and nerves in check. If your levels get too low, you will die. We did an experiment in grade school where we connected a pickle to two pieces of copper and the pickle lit up. We couldn't figure out why at the time, but the key was the sodium in the pickling solution. Sodium can conduct electricity when mixed with water, an electrolyte. Some other examples include potassium, calcium, bicarbonate, magnesium, chloride, and phosphate. When you get a Charley Horse in your calf muscle, it's good to eat a banana becau

Yum, spinach! It’s one of my favorites and a staple in my house. I like to use it as a base for smoothies, salads, and wraps. Occasionally, I do cook it, but only enough so that is turns an even brighter shade of green. My kitten is a fan too, insisting that I give her a leaf whenever I open the bag. Spinach is thought to have originated in Persia and is in the same family as both beets and quinoa (which make for a fantastic veggie bowl, but that's a post for a different day). From Persia, the vegetable traveled to India and then to China, where it was known simply as “Persian Vegetable.” Spinach moved westward, gaining popularity in Europe as it was a vegetable that grew quickly in the early spring.  This Provided a welcome break in the monotony of winter stores.  Most people associate spinach with Popeye. That famous Sailor Man inhaled his canned leafy greens making his muscles explode as he saved Olive Oyl time and time again. As a result, spinach sales during WWII i