Q:  I’ve heard that sunscreen can contain harmful ingredients.  Should I be concerned?

A:  Since sunscreens are promoted to protect the skin, it may come as a surprise that many of their ingredients are linked to potential hormone disruption, cell damage, and increased risk of skin cancer.  When choosing a sunscreen, key ingredients to avoid include oxybenzone, retinyl palmitate (vitamin A), and parabens.  Safer ingredients to choose are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are mineral compounds that act to reflect, scatter, and absorb UV rays.

In addition, sunscreen inhibits the body’s natural production of vitamin D, a vital nutrient that plays a role in preventing skin cancer, among other benefits.  Diet, supplementation, and moderate sun exposure are appropriate ways to optimize vitamin D levels.

For more information, and to check the safety of your sunscreen, visit the 2015 Guide to Sunscreens from Environmental Working Group.

As seen in the Cloverdale Reporter...

Now this isn't just any apple pie.  As I was growing up, the first and foremost requirement of a dessert for dad is that it's sugar-free.  Since apples have some of their own natural sweetness, we're off to a good start!  Next criteria, a more recent realization on his part, is that he does much better following a gluten-free diet.  Having been strictly gluten-free in the past myself, and continuing to be mostly gluten-free now, I felt this didn't present too much of an issue (Especially since Thanksgiving, when I made a fantastic pumpkin pie with the Sweet & Salty Spiced Pecan Crust from Oh She Glows - this really boosted my confidence in making gluten-free pie crust!).  The final bit of criteria for my dad's birthday pie was for it to be dairy-free; not essential for him, but important for me so that I could enjoy it with him!

So, a sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free apple pie?  Is this actually going to resemble apple pie when it's done??  I wasn't too worried about it.

As for apples themselves, the old adage goes, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."  How much truth is there to this statement, anyway?  Actually, apples are rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients, and dietary fibre, and may reduce the risk of cancer, hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, and heart disease.  They are also protective against neurotoxicity and stroke, and may help to lower LDL ('bad') cholesterol.

One additional note - apples are an important fruit to consume organic, as they rank highest in pesticide residue of all produce, according to Environmental Working Group.  To read my posting about pesticides on produce, click here.

Enough on the health benefits - let’s get started!  This recipe is adapted from Jules’ Fuel (blog of a nutrition consultant, life & health coach); when I saw that the crust featured ground nuts instead of gluten-free flour, I knew we were off to an excellent start in both the taste and texture departments!

The crust was the first task.  This nut crust features ground almonds as the main ingredient, and an egg to hold it all together.

Crust Ingredients:

2 cups of almond flour

1/8 teaspoon salt


1 egg
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Combine almond flour and salt in a large bowl.  Add egg and melted coconut oil and mix well to form dough.  Press dough firmly and evenly into the base and sides of a 9” pie dish.  Using a fork, poke a few holes into the crust before baking.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Next step – the juicy, spiced apple filling.  No wonder this is dad’s favourite dessert!  I did some research into the best apples for apple pie, and honestly, for the most part it seems to be up to personal preference.  For this pie, I decided to use a combination of Fuji (my favourite apple for eating out of hand) and Pink Lady.  Both are sweet, juicy, and delicious.  Other apples that do well in pies are the classic Granny Smith and Honeycrisp (another of my favourites!).  It's best to avoid apples with flesh that breaks down during baking, such as McIntosh and Red Delicious.  It’s hard to go terribly wrong with your apple choice, but these general guidelines will help to prevent a mushy pie.  If you’d like a more in depth discussion of choosing the best apples for pie, read here.

Filling Ingredients


4 large apples
1 tablespoon vanilla
 extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt

Cut apples into thin slices, or smaller if preferred, and place in a large bowl.  Health tip:  Don't peel your apples - most of the fibre and antioxidants are in the peel!  Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix well to coat apples evenly.  Layer apple mixture evenly in the pre-baked pie crust.

And the glorious finishing touch – crumble topping!  This is my favourite way to complete a pie crust, as it takes advantage of the best of apple crumble and traditional pie crust.  Having this crumbly mixture on top adds incredible flavour and texture, and truly is the perfect finishing touch to any pie.

Crumble Topping Ingredients 


1 cup coarsely ground walnuts

1/4 cup coconut flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Process walnuts in food processor or magic bullet, and mix with coconut flour and cinnamon.  Sprinkle the topping mixture on top of the filling, and add a drizzle of honey evenly on top, if desired.

I drizzled honey on less than half of the pie - I didn't notice it made much of a difference to the flavour.

Bake at 350F for 1 hour.  Allow to cool briefly and serve hot with coconut whipped cream. 

Don’t forget the candles if it’s Dad’s (or anyone’s!) birthday!

Staying true to my last post, I’m following up with my promise to share my favourite way to have granola.  For me, this all stemmed from back in the day when I could tolerate goat milk yogurt (I miss those days!), but nevertheless, non-dairy yogurt or simply almond/coconut milk will do just fine.  Two of my favourite non-dairy yogurts are So Delicious Cultured Almond Milk Yogurt and So Delicious Coconut Yogurt.  More recently I also discovered a local brand of organic almond milk yogurt called 'Almond Yoga' from the company Crave Conscious in North Vancouver.  I suggest you experiment and see which you like best!  If you are fine with dairy products, just look for an organic yogurt made with whole milk.

Just in time for the holidays, this recipe features a beautiful medley of Christmas-coloured fruits – mango, kiwi, and pomegranate, the true star (you'll see why later).  While I chose these fruits for their festive colours, they also carry incredible health benefits.  Let's review those first before we get to the recipe!

Mango
Aside from being completely delicious, mangos are a rich source of vitamin A and C, fibre, and a variety of minerals and phytochemicals.  In addition, a study at Oklahoma State University suggested that mango could help reduce body fat and have positive effects on blood glucose and cholesterol levels, demonstrating a similar effect to the drug rosiglitazone (used to lower blood glucose levels).

Kiwi
Kiwis are an incredible source of vitamin C.  With one kiwi containing 120% the recommended daily intake, they contain a higher concentration of vitamin C than oranges!  Kiwis are also an impressive source of fibre and potassium, as well as a variety of flavonoids and carotenoids that offer antioxidant protection.  As a tip, to get the most fibre from your kiwi, leave the peel on.  It might take some getting used to, but if you can get past the fuzzy peel, all the better for meeting your daily fibre requirement!

As a side note, a good rule of thumb is to not peel any fruit or vegetable that you can easily pierce with your fingernail (other examples: apples, cucumbers, potatoes).  On the contrary, do remove the peel of those fruits and vegetables that are not easily penetrable (bananas and oranges are the most common examples here).

Pomegranate
Aside from being rich in potassium, fibre, folic acid and other B vitamins, pomegranates are an outstanding source of antioxidants.  In fact, one study found that pomegranate juice was superior to grape juice and red wine in providing antioxidant protection against free radicals.  Pomegranates offer great cardiovascular benefit, including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, preventing abnormal clot formation (which can cause heart attacks and stroke), and promoting reversal of atherosclerotic plaque deposition; they are also well-known for their anti-cancer properties.  

The only downside to pomegranates is that they are known for being difficult to de-seed.  Fear no more!  Pomegranates are the true star of this post because I've discovered the most amazing video to share with you:  How to De-Seed a Pomegranate in 10 Seconds Using a Wooden Spoon.  I’ve done it and trust me, it works!  Prepare to be amazed at 3:07.  You won’t be picking apart pomegranates anymore if you follow the simple instructions in the video.  And it’s fun, too!

Alright, I bet you're salivating by now, knowing what a nutritious & antioxidant-rich treat you're in for!  I won't keep you in suspense any longer.  Here's the simple recipe:

Festive Antioxidant Holiday Granola

Ingredients (serves 1):
1/2 mango, diced
1 kiwifruit, diced
3-4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
1/4-1/3 cup Healthy Maple Granola
Almond or coconut milk (or yogurt, if a thicker consistency is desired)

If using yogurt, put a few large spoonfuls in the bottom of a single-serving sized bowl.  If not using yogurt, skip this step and layer mango and kiwi chunks evenly, then sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top.  It'll be looking beautiful already!  The finishing touch is definitely the granola - sprinkle granola as the final layer, and if you didn't use yogurt, add almond/coconut milk as desired.  Eat the whole thing with a spoon and enjoy!

Next time:  My dad's birthday is coming up this week, and I'm happy to be in the same city as him so I can make him a birthday dessert!  My next post will be a Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Grain-Free Apple Pie.  It's a surprise, so don't tell him... Mmmm, I'm excited already!

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Sources:
Ignarro LJ et al. Pomegranate juice protects nitric oxide against oxidative destruction and enhances the biological actions of nitric oxide. Nitric Oxide. 2006 Sep;15(2):93-102.
http://lifehacker.com/5895852/deseed-a-pomegranate-in-10-seconds-using-a-wooden-spoon
http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=41
http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/article19.aspx
http://humansciences.okstate.edu/nsci/index.php/component/content/article/1-latest/56-nsci-research-finds-health-benefits-in-mangos

There's no doubt of the importance of protecting yourself from excessive sun exposure.  From avoiding skin damage and aging to preventing skin cancer, minimizing exposure to UV rays is key for long-term skin health.  However, there are multiple ways to do so, and if sunscreen is your best option, read on for what to consider when choosing a product!

The Center for Disease Control (CDC)'s recommendations include spending time in the shade and wearing clothing and sunglasses to protect skin and eyes from the harmful UV rays.  They also recommend avoiding indoor tanning - it has been linked to several types of skin cancer, including melanoma (the most deadly form), squamous cell carcinoma, and ocular melanoma (cancer of the eye).

When spending time in the shade or covering up from the sun are just not options, be sure to apply sunscreen to protect yourself from excessive sun exposure.  Building on this recommendation from a naturopathic point of view, it is important to choose a sunscreen that will protect you while not causing absorption of unnecessary chemicals - ironically, often carcinogenic chemicals - into your skin.  

In time for the season, Environmental Working Group has put together a comprehensive 2012 Sunscreen Report, which evaluates over 1,800 sunscreens for their efficacy, ingredients, and any health concerns associated with them.  There is an easy search to learn more about your favourite brands, or you can view the list of Top Sunscreens, which outlines the cleanest products available. 

The best natural sunscreens contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, mineral compounds which act to reflect, scatter, and absorb UV rays.  Additionally, look for products that do not contain:

• Oxybenzone (may be listed as methanone, 2-hydroxy 4 methyoxydenxophenone, or benzophenone-3): These compounds are potential hormone disruptors and contributors to cell damage, which can lead to cancer.
• Retinyl palmitate (vitamin A): May increase the risk of skin cancer when used on sun-exposed skin.
• Parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben): Parabens are ubiquitous in cosmetic products, being used a synthetic preservatives.  Unfortunately, they also have undesirable effects such as hormone disruption, which is linked to cancer.

My personal favourite brand of sunscreen is Alba Botanica, a company which makes a variety of natural products.  I find that their sunscreens tend to not be as greasy as some other natural sunscreens, and I find them to work quite well.

With all this in mind, it is important to remember that there are benefits to sun exposure as well.  Our skin synthesizes natural vitamin D when exposed to the sun, a process which is completely blocked by sunscreen.  Interestingly, vitamin D has an important role in cancer prevention, as well as bone health and proper immune system function.  Therefore, moderate amounts of time in the sun can be healthy, while ensuring to be mindful about preventing excessive exposure.

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Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/prevention.htm
http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2012sunscreen/best-sunscreens/best-beach-sport-sunscreens/
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/16/health/sunscreen-report/index.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharynmorrow/154226401/in/photostream/