Don't Eat Like An Idiot.

Frances Sand. NYC nutritional counseling. [email protected]

[donteatlikeanidiot]

BTS hood fluffing. New t shirts, utility belts & tabi gloves will be listed this week. Follow the shop page @helmouthapparel to stay updated! ✨ Photo Geoffrey Ladd #GMLmedia || Models Rita Haxx & Chris Edison

[donteatlikeanidiot]

BTS hood fluffing. New t shirts, utility belts & tabi gloves will be listed this week. Follow the shop page @helmouthapparel to stay updated! ✨ Photo Geoffrey Ladd #GMLmedia || Models Rita Haxx & Chris Edison

[donteatlikeanidiot]

BTS hood fluffing. New t shirts, utility belts & tabi gloves will be listed this week. Follow the shop page @helmouthapparel to stay updated! ✨ Photo Geoffrey Ladd #GMLmedia || Models Rita Haxx & Chris Edison

[donteatlikeanidiot]

My boyfriend works at a cooling plant for both organic and non organic produce. Both are sprayed with pesticides, and organics are sometimes sprayed with more pesticides because they sometimes don't work. They are all stored together, so really, unless you grow your own food, it doesn't make a difference

Well, I'm not sure it's accurate to say that it doesn't make a difference. That's like saying there's no point walking to work if you ride the subway home. Organic produce may (or may not) be contaminated during storage (I don't know the practices of every facility) but in the event that it is, you would still be lowering your exposure to chemicals by avoiding the ones used during production.

[donteatlikeanidiot]

Hi Frances! I know I've seen you do a wash/soak to all of your produce upon purchase, my question is, if I buy non organic produce and wash them the way you do, will it help? My friend is saying to not even bother and just go for organic. It's a little out of the way but if push comes to shove, I'll make the extra trip. Thank you!

It will help remove surface contaminants, but that may not get rid of everything, particularly for produce where you eat the skin as well, like apples. Check out my post on the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen for the ones that are rated the safest and the most dangerous in regards to pesticides etc. However, as I like to say, the fruits and vegetables that are the healthiest are the ones you will actually eat. Whether that means you belong to a local, organic CSA, or whether it means you eat green beans out of a can. So, if organic is out of reach for you because of money or location, then buy conventional and don't let anyone guilt trip you for that.

[donteatlikeanidiot]

I am so thankful I found your blog! I used to follow you before and was very excited when I discovered you still had a blog but now I'm even more happy that I found it because of your helpful advice and delicious sounding recipes. You, among many others I followed helped me to fix my diet & now I've been a vegetarian for 6 months. Eating healthier has still always been a challenge for me but with your tips it seems so much easier! I will definitely be using your recipes, thank you so much!

This is the kind of message that makes it all worth it! Congratulations, and good luck on your journey! xxx

[donteatlikeanidiot]

Is there any recipes/websites/apps you'd recommend for smoothies? Right now I'm just kinda dumping random fruit, yogurt, almond milk, coco, and flax seeds in a blender. I'm trying to eat better but it's mostly for weight loss

Yup! Check the question right below this one for the link to my favourite smoothie recipe site :)

[donteatlikeanidiot]

I can't seem to get over the "ew it's green" thinking with green smoothies. I am probably just being a little bitch because I've never tried one but I think my prob is I just don't want to taste it in my smoothie. I have no problem at all eating kale/spinach etc on the regular but it's just not a flavor I think id like to drink. Help? Can you direct me to some recipes that are not overpoweringly green tasting green smoothies?

I’m with you, I felt the same way and avoided them for years because of it.I started out using spinach. You can pack quite a lot in there before you even begin to taste it. Spirulina is also something I can add a tsp or two without it affecting the flavour. Just make whatever is your usual favourite, and add a handful of spinach. As long as your base recipe is strongly flavoured, you won’t taste it. I like blendedrecipes.com for ideas. This one is a pretty safe bet for a green smoothie-phobe.

[donteatlikeanidiot]

Hey Frances.. I wanted to inquire about wheat/gluten foods, are they that bad for you, and/or should you avoid them, only have the stuff here and there, or not worry about it?

They aren't inherently 'bad' for you. Unless you have a diagnosed intolerance or allergy, there isn't any evidence to suggest you steer clear of them. They do make your body work a little harder in the digestive process, but that's ok. Unless your body is all 'what is this poison?? Error! Error!'... enjoy in moderation.

[donteatlikeanidiot]

I recently started making fresh juices and smoothies everyday. I usually only do fruits and vegetables and a smidge of water, but I was gifted with a package of maca powder. Would you recommend adding it in to smoothies, and if so, how much and how often? Love this blog!

Yes, I love Maca powder in smoothies! It has a malty, nutty sort of flavour... I usually add anywhere between 1 and 3 tsp, depending on the other flavours I have going on.

[donteatlikeanidiot]

Apples and squash are about to be in season. Can you reccomend some great recipes with those foods that youve tried and really like? I love love love butternut squash and honey crisp apples :p

Squash isn't something I tend to get too fancy with. I usually roast it or stuff it. Same with apples, I generally eat them as is, throw them in a smoothie, or cut them up in a fruit salad. I do like a nice apple pie though. Sorry, that wasn't very helpful!

[donteatlikeanidiot]

Do you use protein powder at all? If so, which brand? Most seem to contain whey.

I use Nutiva for basic hemp protein, and Sunwarrior make some nice blends. I also like the Vega energizing mixes.

[donteatlikeanidiot]

Recently, raw Spinach and kale in juice and smoothie form gives me terrible stomach pain, like I chugged ice cold water, but it lasts for hours! It's crippling. I saw my doctor, and she said it's because it contains oxalic acid. I've replaced the greens with spirulina, parsley and lettuce which are easier to digest. Do you have any tips that could help me get a more nutritional bang without my leafy greens?

You'd have to be more specific. It depends on the nutritional bang you're looking for. I just started adding a tablespoon of molasses to mine, for the calcium & iron, for example.

[donteatlikeanidiot]

To your anon who was asking about spirulina: Sometimes I have trouble getting it down, but if you dilute it with water and add the juice of half a lemon, its a lot easier to chug!

There ya go!

[donteatlikeanidiot]

What do you think is the best way to consume powder spirulina, without it tasting like you're drinking dirty lake water? I've tried smoothies, but spirulina "ruins" them and I've tried diluting it in water, which triggers my gag reflex. I'm hoping there is some trick, or flavoring, to help me actually like this stuff as much as I want to like it (or at least make it tolerable).

I drink mine in smoothies, and I never taste it all. Perhaps try it in more strongly flavoured smoothies? Sorry I can't be more helpful...

[donteatlikeanidiot]

Hey im 13 and im still growing so i dont mind gaining weight obviously...but it seems like all the weight i gain goes to my stomach and no where else. It makes my body look kinda un- proportioned because my stomach is so huge compared to the rest of my body. Ive even gotten lots of comments on how big my belly is, and im fairly small and petite. Any suggestions of how i can distribute the weight i gain more evenly through my body? Also, i exercise regularly and eat a very healthy, balanced diet

For someone your age, I would highly recommend that you seek advice from a nutrition guidance professional in person. There are just too many variables, and too many things to consider, it would be irresponsible for anyone to dispense advice over the Internet without knowing more about your situation. Having said that though, you might explore the possibility that an allergy is causing bloating, if you are otherwise healthy and active. Good luck!

[donteatlikeanidiot]

Raw chocolate energy bars

100g walnuts 50g almonds 50g chia seeds 40g ground flax 50g hemp seeds 20g cocoa powder 30g coconut flakes 75g pepitas (pumpkin seeds) 40g golden raisins 50g raisins 40g sunflower seeds 175g dates 1Tbsp coconut oil 50g apple sauce

(use all raw ingredients, virgin expeller pressed coconut oil, and the only ingredient in your apple sauce should be apples)

Place dates, cocoa powder, coconut oil, apple sauce & 50g of your walnuts in a bowl, set aside.  Put everything else in a food processor and pulse a few times until everything is roughly chopped. You want some big pieces in there, so this is really just to break up the whole nuts etc. Dump all that in a separate bowl, put the contents of your first bowl in the food processor now and process until its a fudge-like consistency. If it seems too dry you can add more coconut oil or apple sauce. Transfer everything to the same bowl and mix it together. You'll probably need to get your hands dirty for this. I did. Press into a suitable lined container, refrigerate for about an hour and cut into bars. Makes about 12.

*Don't feel like you can't make these if you don't have all the right seeds or whatever. You can use anything you have on hand and they'll be just as good. Add chocolate chips or something if you'd like them a bit sweeter, but I think they are sweet enough as is.