Do you miss seeing a stack of pancakes on the brunch table? Now you don’t have to. These grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free pancakes are the perfect guilt-free treat. They’re easy to make, and the whole family will love them. Yum!
Ingredients
3 large omega-3 eggs ¾ cup almond milk ½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ½ cup coconut flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda Pinch of sea salt ¼ cup roughly chopped walnuts coconut oil, for greasing the skillet (about ¼ cup) 1 pint fresh blueberries ½ cup arrowroot 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and then add the almond milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Whisk until well-blended. In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and arrowroot. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, ¼ cup at a time, while continuously whisking. Once combined, gently fold in the walnuts.
Grease a large skillet and place over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, use a ladle to pour 3-inch pancakes onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles appear, then flip. The pancake should cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes. Repeat with rest of the batter. Add a tablespoon or more of coconut oil to the hot griddle, as needed.
Make a blueberry sauce by simmering the blueberries in a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water for 10 minutes before serving.
To serve, place 3 pancakes on a plate and top each stack with the blueberry sauce.
Nutritional information (per serving)
Makes 2-3 servings.
Calories 423 Total Fat 19 g Protein 12 g Fiber 14 g Sugar 14 g Sodium 416 mg
You love breastfeeding your baby — but sometimes a cold beer sounds tempting. Do you really have to give up alcohol entirely while you’re nursing your baby?
If you’re planning to start an exercise program and wondering where to begin, start with your core first, says physical therapist Brittany Smith, DPT. People often think of the core muscles as being the abdominal muscles, but the core includes the muscles in the abdomen, back and hips, all working together as a group.
“The core muscles provide stability for the entire body as it moves,” says Smith. “These muscles are activated when you stand up, turn, bend, reach, twist, stoop and move in most other ways. Everything starts with your core.”
Strong core muscles help you maintain good posture, while weak ones can lead to slouching and slumping. Poor posture can be a cause of aches and pain, especially in the back.
Getting started with your core
To get your core muscles in shape, you need to exercise.
“Our bodies were made to move, so any physical activity is really important,” says Smith.
She recommends these specific core-strengthening exercises below.
The first one engages the deep muscles in the abdomen, called the transverse abdominis. “These muscles help hold us in a better position to stabilize our core, thereby stabilizing our arms and legs,” says Smith.
“The more you work on these muscles, the more it will become second nature to hold these muscles tight when you’re lifting grocery bags, doing yard work or any other kind of physical activity,” says Smith. This will help support your body.
Other muscles that tend to be weak are the gluteus maximus in the buttocks, and the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus on the side of the hip. The bridge and clamshell exercises can help strengthen these muscles.
Smith emphasizes that getting the proper position of these exercises correct is more important than the number of repetitions you do. “It’s better to take your time, maybe do fewer reps, but with better quality,” she says. For that reason, it can be helpful to have the guidance of a physical therapist to get started.
Move on from the core
Core exercises are the starting point of overall fitness because you need to hold those muscles engaged while you strengthen other muscles, such as the biceps in the arms or the quadriceps in the legs.
Smith suggests setting short-term goals (for about a month) and then more long-term goals. Once you have achieved short-term goals, such as getting around more easily, add other types of weight-training or resistance exercises to build muscle elsewhere.
With any exercise you do, always listen to your body, warns Smith. If you have pain other than muscle burn, take it easy. Reduce the number of repetitions, the weight or the duration of the exercises. Then build up gradually. “You don’t have to be in pain to make gains,” she says.
Beginner exercises for core strength
For each of the following, work up to one to two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions once a day.
Abdominal bracing
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Contract your abdominal muscles, and press the arch of your back down toward the floor, pulling your belly button toward your spine. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Make sure your lower back stays flat on the floor. Relax and repeat.
Bridge
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor with your arms at your sides. Squeeze your abdominal and buttocks muscles, push your heels into the floor and slowly lift your buttocks and hips off the floor. Keep your back straight. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds.
Clamshell
Lie on your side with knees bent in line with your hips and back, draw up the top knee while keeping contact of your feet together as shown. Don’t let your pelvis roll back during the lifting movement. Hold for 5 seconds.
Even casual drinking can put your long-term health at risk. Our liver specialist explains the findings of this study.
New Study: No Level of Alcohol — Even Casual Drinking — Is Entirely Safe
Leading cause of death of those age 15-49
Stopping for happy hour with colleagues after work. Cracking open a cold beer (or two) while watching the game. Meeting up with girlfriends for a glass of pinot noir. Having an alcoholic beverage of choice is a common way to unwind. But according to a recent study, even casual drinking can put your long-term health at risk.
Liver specialist Jamile Wakim-Fleming, MD, did not take part in the study, but says the research found that alcohol was a leading risk factor for both disease and premature death.
“They found that alcohol was the seventh leading cause of death worldwide,” she says. “But even more alarming, is that it was the first leading cause of death of people between the ages of 15-49.”
What the study examined
The study looked at global data from hundreds of previous studies and found that for all ages, alcohol was associated with 2.8 million deaths each year.
Researchers found that alcohol-related cancer and heart disease, infectious diseases, intentional injury, traffic accidents and accidental injury were some of the leading causes of alcohol-related deaths.
But isn’t alcohol good for your heart?
Dr. Wakim-Fleming says people often believe that a little bit of alcohol, wine in particular, may be good for their heart. But the study results didn’t show any health benefit to drinking any amount of alcohol.
She says this information, along with previous research that has shown more young people are dying from alcohol-related liver disease, indicates that excessive drinking among young adults is a growing problem.
The damage grows over time
And like any substance-abuse problem, Dr. Wakim-Fleming says the damage to the body from alcohol increases over your lifespan.
“It’s a cumulative effect,” she explains. “If you do it all at once, then you’re going to have the effect now. If you drink on a regular basis, over years it’s going to be cumulative and you will end up with a problem later on.”
Dr. Wakim-Fleming notes that anything we do in life involves risk, but it’s important to know what the risks are so that we can make the best decisions for our health.
Most people understand the basic health benefits of yoga: flexibility, stress relief and muscle strength, just to name a few. But why is it different when you turn up the heat? Is the increase in degrees a gimmick or is it actually beneficial to your health?
What is hot yoga, anyway?
Hot yoga is exactly what it sounds like — yoga practiced in a hot environment. Most hot yoga classes have an increased room temperature set anywhere between 90 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s quite a difference compared to normal room temperature (68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit). Why so hot? The heat helps lubricate tendons and ligaments, making it easier to fold into certain stretches and poses. “The heat allows participants to get a deeper stretch because their body is warmer and they can move into the poses a little deeper,” says yoga instructor Jennifer Sauer.
The potential pros of hot yoga are:
Increased flexibility.
Muscle-building.
Body-toning.
Reduced stress.
Detoxification.
Weight loss.
Reduced pain.
On the flip side, it can also be easy to overdo it in a hot yoga class. Because of the high temperature in the room, you might not realize how hard you’re working and you could end up taking stretches too far before your body is ready.
The potential cons of hot yoga are:
Dehydration.
Higher risk of injury.
Dizziness.
Lightheadedness.
Trouble breathing.
Hot yoga should be something that you ease into. So taking some regular yoga classes first and getting an idea of your current flexibility level is recommended. Beginner yoga classes also help build on your knowledge of the poses and sequences.
“While people have reported pain relief, detoxification and weight loss from hot yoga, scientific research is limited,” Sauer says. “It’s safe to say that hot yoga is more vigorous than traditional practices,” she notes, “but the jury is still out on overall calorie burn and weight loss.”
When you combine hotter temperatures with extra exertion, your body is working harder and therefore increasing your heart rate. So, ultimately, you are burning a good amount of calories during your hot yoga session — the data just doesn’t exist yet for hot yoga specifically.
Who should avoid hot yoga?
Like other types of exercise, hot yoga isn’t for everyone. Hot yoga is not suggested for those who are pregnant or have a heart condition. The heat can also aggravate asthma.
Sauer recommends looking out for side effects such as dizziness, lightheadedness and not being able to take a deep breath in. “If that happens, return to a stable position or leave the studio until you feel better,” she says. “It’s important to stay hydrated and listen to your body.”
Think you’re ready to give it a shot?
When it comes to hot yoga — try attending a few basic or beginner yoga classes first. Then when you feel comfortable, try incorporating a heated class.
“There are different styles of yoga, so if you try a class that doesn’t appeal to you, try another type of yoga or a different instructor,” Sauer says. “The heat isn’t for everyone — and that’s perfectly OK!”
The many (and surprising) benefits of acupuncture:
When your knee aches, day after day, you can’t walk easily. Climbing up and down stairs is a challenge. Pain wakes you up at night. It’s always on your mind
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of chronic knee pain. It causes pain, inflammation and stiffness, making it hard to flex and extend your knee.
Across the country, doctors are striving to avoid prescribing medication, particularly opioids, for chronic pain. Research shows acupuncture to be a cost-effective way to treat pain with very little risk for the patient.
In fact, acupuncture is one of the treatments now recommended as a first line of defense against pain in national guidelines for physicians.
This clean, light, flavorful meal is perfect any time of day! Look for local veggies, and you’ll know spring has truly sprung. Ready for a spring-cleaning that doesn’t involve baseboards or windows? After a chilly winter filled with hearty soups and stews, there’s nothing like spring vegetables to lighten your, err, load. Our Spring Veggie + Grain Bowl features ribbons of tender, sweet asparagus and carrots on a bed of fluffy quinoa. Radishes and jalapeño, plus a simple, light dressing of tahini, lemon juice and garlic, add zing and tang — plus loads of nutrients. This vegan dish makes a clean, light, flavorful lunch or dinner — or even breakfast. Look for local veggies, and you’ll know spring has truly sprung. Ingredients 1 cup quinoa 3 tablespoons tahini, well stirred 3 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 small clove garlic, minced ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 12 asparagus spears 3 carrots 6 radishes 1 jalapeño, seeds removed if desired ½ cup fresh parsley leaves Directions In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa with 2 cups of water over medium-high heat and let come to a boil. Stir once, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes more. In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the asparagus and carrots into long ribbons. Thinly slice the radishes and jalapeño. Divide the quinoa among bowls and add the vegetables. Drizzle on the dressing and scatter the parsley leaves over the top. Nutritional information (per serving) Makes 4 servings. 376 calories, 20 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 13 g protein, 39 g carbohydrate, 6 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar, 0 g added sugar, 0 mg cholesterol, 112 mg sodium Source: Developed by Sara Quessenberry for Cleveland Clinic Wellness
Cleveland Clinic 
