Category Archives: Consumer’s Report

I can’t eat eggs.

Neither can my son.

Pity since they’re the near perfect food.

But the thing is, we’re not alone. So many people just can’t tolerate eggs, or for other reasons, choose not to eat them.

For us, the incredible has become completely inedible.

One way to know if a food you often consume doesn’t work for your body ~ for your unique ecosystem ~ is to remove that food from your diet for a short time. You can then reintroduce it and see how it feels. A great way to put this elimination process into practice and to stick with it is to engage in a guided cleanse ~ just like the one we have ready and waiting for you with the upcoming Refresh: A TrulyFood Summer Cleanse (see details below).

Have you noticed it too?

The nut butter aisle at my health food store is growing.

In fact it’s not just growing, its stretching. . . stretching into the realms of cinnamon, spices and superfoods. Fancy stuff! I couldn’t be happier.

The other day my son and I dipped slices of green apples in a nut butter confection that I swear tasted just like caramel.

In my opinion. . .
they’re not to be hidden in smoothies,
they’re not to be used for the lunchbox,
but, well, maybe they are good for a little love boat ride to heaven.

These gourmet flavored nut butter combos are like prepared dessert in a jar!
(And they don’t have to contain refined sugar, evaporated cane juice and certainly not corn syrup to deliver their sweet goodness.)

Adrenals.
You may know exactly what they are, what they do and where they sit in your body.
Or, you may just have heard the term adrenal fatigue.
So many people have it and use the phrase that its virtually become synonymous with everyday living!
Your adrenals are your “fight-or-fight” gland. They secrete cortisol and adrenaline. They’ll readily release excesses of those hormones under times of stress, flooding the system with a profusion of biochemicals that send the body and brain into a tailspin.
Evidence of taxed adrenals can take many forms:
weight gain
severe fatigue
depression, anxiety and overwhelm
skin troubles such as dry skin, hair and nails
and a cascade of other hormone challenges including PMS, infertility, low libido, challenged menopause and more!

Almost everyone I know loves a good cup of chai.
The truth is your chai loves you too. Not only is the warm cup of herbs and spices the perfect antidote to a busy and blustery day, but those typical chai ingredients are also loaded with effective seasonal healing powers.
Cinnamon.
Ginger.
Nutmeg.
Clove.
And I like to throw in a bit of turmeric for its great anti-inflammatory potential.
Sure, you can think of your chai as a blood sugar regulating, immune boosting, brain focusing, gastro-intestinal supporting, anti-inflammatory tonic. But I’d rather think of it as a treat with benefits.
Go ahead and try some of these yummy options by the fire this holiday season. I think you’ll agree. . .
Chai ~ off-the-shelf to in-your-pantry options

When I graduated college, unorthodoxly in the middle of winter, nearly half a lifetime ago, my friends threw a party for me. Generously, they tried to identify my favorite food to serve at the gathering. They were all a bit flummoxed. Each of them knew that my favorite food was not typical party-fare. My favorite food?: buttered toast.
I would sit for hours reading, studying, drawing up plans for new projects fueled by thick slices of German rye bread that I’d toast in the oven then slather with butter. A sprinkling of salt and a cup of tea and I was set for hours on end.
Then life happened. First the dairy left the dietary picture. Gone was the butter. Then it was goodbye gluten. My favorite food no longer favored me. Can you relate?
So when I found ghee (pronounced with a hard G and rhymes with Glee), I was in heaven. Who knew that clarified butter was devoid of both lactose and casein, and was considered a healing agent in Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine) practices for centuries?
Let’s get clear:
That’s exactly what ghee does. It’s butter that’s gotten clear; clear of all the milk proteins and solids. Ghee is traditionally made from either cow or buffalo’s milk. The milk is heated which causes it to separate into three parts. The milk fat solids (which contain the dairy’s proteins) sink to the bottom. The water rises to the top. What’s left in the middle is a clear golden oil. This is ghee.

It’s been several months since I’ve written a Consumer’s Report. Please don’t let that fool you into believing that I’m not a consumer. Like you, I get caught out-and-about and also just appreciate being able to buy a pre-packaged thing or two that meets my exacting standards. I especially love to get my hands on a product that simultaneously passes the grade and is gratifying to the taste buds. That’s what these pages are all about!

There’s one question I hear all the time. The lead-in is always different:
My daughter is going on a school camping trip. . .
I’ll be away on business in Ohio for a week. . .
I’m going to visit my parents in Florida, in an area where there are no health food stores. . .
But the question always ends the same:
. . . what should I eat?!

Last week I wrote about lowering the stakes when considering dietary change. This week we’re keeping it lighter. In fact, instead of lowering the stakes, we’re raising the bar. The energy bar that is!
The question: Are there store-bought bars that get the Replenish stamp of approval?

This past month I’ve been on a hunt for the perfect chocolate chip. Not chocolate chip cookies or chocolate chip muffins, just the plain old morsels that deliciously inhabit those treats. I can remember the days when I would savor a mini bowl of nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips as a satisfying in-between-meal snack, the flavors and textures combining beautifully in my mouth. But while chocolate remains a part of my diet, several…