critique5

fcL I
F E
A publication of
Fresh Choice Market
How to
Crank Up Your
ENERGYp.9
p.13 Learn how
your dog can save
your life in more
wys than you
think.
p.1 A new restaurant
featuring
creative chinese
fare pops up in
Chicago's West
End Loop.
vol # 03 feb 2018
10

letter from
editor
the
in this issue
5 things I learned
from this issue:
1. Blood sugar is crucial
to maintaining energy
throughout the day (p.9)
2. Spending time with your
pet has real benefi ts for
your health (p.13)
3. Whole foods, plantbased
diets aren't just
for perfect PTA moms
anymore (p.5)
4. I'm going to Chicago's
West End loop to eat
some goat prepared by an
Iron Chef! (p.1)
5. White wine has its
health benefi ts too (p.8)
Last night, I slept from 11 pm to 2:30 am, then from
3:30 am to 5:45 am, before crashing again from 9 am
to 10 am. I'm not an insomniac or a Red Bull-fueled
raver—I'm being hazed by my infant! My 6-week old
son, Marlon, howls to nurse every two hours or so.
(Breast milk may be liquid gold, but it seems to be
digested as quickly as a glass of water.) Marlon is my
third kid, so I can say with authority that being a new
mom is exhausting and all-consuming, no matter
how many times you've been to this rodeo. It's also
a powerful impetus to take the best possible care of
yourself and the earth, so both you and this wondrous
world into which you've welcomed your nugget will
continue to thrive as he grows into adulthood.
However, even if you don't have a shrieking (yet completely
darling!) baby in the house, chances are very
good you're not getting the quantity or quality of rest
your body needs. In "How to Crank Up Your Energy"
(p.4), you'll learn how much shut-eye you require to
function optimally (surprise—it's not always eight
hours), and get customized advice on making your
zzz's more restorative. If there's one aim to pursue
in 2018, it's getting better rest. Once you feel fully
refreshed, you can conquer your other big goals for
the new year.
How to Crank up
Your Energy (p.9)
Why is it that we don't
truly appreciate energy
until we lose it? Ask yourself
what you would do
and how you would live
your life differently if you
had more energy.
Chef Stephanie
Izard (p.1)
Founder of several
goat-inspired restaurants
located in Chigaco's
West End Loop.
Pets Can
Improve Your
Health (p.13)
In this health tidbits article,
learn how your dog
can actually save your
life in more ways than
you think.
Eating Right:
8 Principles of
Food & Health (p.5)
Simple nutrition tidbits
to get your diet back
on track—whatever that
means!
You Asked: White
Wine & Health?
(p.8)
This and many more
questions answered in
our advice column.
LAURA KALEHOFF
EDITOR IN CHIEF
laura@fclife.com

CHEF OF THE MONTH
Creative Chinese fare is served in buzzy,
ornately decorated surrounds at Duck
Duck Goat—Izard's newest addition to
the West End Loop, opened in 2016.
Stephanie
IZARD
BOB BENENSON
Stephanie Izard was born in Chicago and grew up
in the Connecticut suburbs of New York City loving
food, but not initially considering it as a career. That
changed when she graduated from University of
Michigan in 1998 uncertain about her career path, and
her father encouraged her to give culinary school a try.
Over the past 17 years, the Chicago and national food
scenes have owed Stephanie’s dad their gratitude.
After receiving a diploma from Arizona’s Scottsdale
Culinary Institute, Stephanie moved to Chicago,
learned her craft working for leading chefs — and
opened Scylla, her first restaurant, in the city’s Bucktown
neighborhood when she was just 27.
Her star’s fast rise was accelerated
when (in 2008) she became the first
woman to win on the Bravo network’s
Top Chef show and was also voted a fan
favorite, a prelude to bigger awards to
come. Partnering with Chicago’s influential
BOKA restaurant group, her critically
acclaimed Girl & The Goat restaurant,
on the city’s burgeoning West Loop
“Restaurant Row,” was nominated for
the James Beard Foundation Best New
Restaurant award in 2011 and earned
Stephanie the James Beard Best Chef
Great Lakes award in 2013.
By the time she got to wear that medallion,
she had already launched the
Little Goat Diner — chef-driven comfort
food — and the Little Goat Bread bakery
across Randolph Street from Girl & The
Goat. Her latest entry, Duck Duck Goat,
is her tribute to Chinese cuisine, located
a couple of blocks north on Fulton
Market Street — the longtime heart of
the city’s meatpacking district until a
very recent surge of restaurant and tech
industry growth.
Stephanie also has managed to succeed
with her trademark “goat” theme
even though superstitious Chicago
Cubs fans believed for decades — until
last year’s World Championship season
— that their team labored under a “Billy
Goat curse” (it’s a long story). Although
goat actually is a featured item on her
restaurants’ menus, the goat idea originated
from her family surname.
“My last name is a type of goat in
French,” Stephanie explained, “The
izard is a goat-antelope that lives in
the Pyrenees Mountains. After having
a restaurant like Scylla, which no one
could pronounce, it seemed like goat (a
simple four-letter word) would be a fun
word to work into the name! Since then
the goat has taken on a life of its own”.

HOW TO CRANK UP YOUR
E ENERGY
N E R G Y
E N E R G Y
Why is it that we don’t
truly appreciate energy
until we lose it?
KAROLYN GAZELLA
Fatigue is one of the most common
reasons people seek the advice of a
doctor. It’s also the cause of about 20%
of car crashes in the United States and
contributes to workplace accidents and
lack of productivity. It can even lead
to irritability, anxiety or depression. It’s
no wonder we work so hard to combat
fatigue. But why are so many of us
losing the fight? Experts agree that the
first step toward winning the battle is
getting to the root cause.
WHAT’S GOING ON?
“Fatigue can be a symptom of many
health conditions including anemia,
hypothyroidism, cardiovascular issues,
diabetes, fibromyalgia, cancer or others,”
explains best-selling author and
naturopathic oncologist Lise Alschuler,
ND, FABNO. “In addition, other factors
can cause fatigue such as stress and
the use of certain prescription medications
like antidepressants.” The key,
she stresses, is to rule out any serious
illnesses before you embark on your
energy-enhancing plan.
How do you know if there is something
serious going on? According to energy
expert and author of The Fatigue and
Fibromyalgia Solution, Jacob Teitelbaum,
MD, if your fatigue persists for
more than 12 weeks despite taking
time to rest and sleep, it’s time to
see a physician. Teitelbaum recommends
looking for a holistic physician
via abihm.org or naturopathic.org to
work in conjunction with your medical
team to get the most comprehensive,
holistic care.
Both Alschuler and Teitelbaum agree
that if there is no underlying medical
condition, the first place to look for
more energy is at mealtime and nighttime.
“Poor nutrition and poor sleep
– both quality and quantity – are the
leading causes of lack of energy,” says
Alschuler.
Why is blood sugar balance so crucial?
When you eat high amounts of carbohydrates
with minimal amounts of protein
and healthy fats, your blood sugar can
spike rapidly and then plummet. This
roller coaster will wreak havoc with your
energy levels.
“A foundational tenet of any high-energy
diet is to swap the quick fixes like
sugar and carbs for enduring energy
enhancers like quality protein, healthy
fats, fiber and whole, unprocessed
foods,” says Alschuler.
World-renowned natural health expert
and author of more than 30 books
on natural medicine, Michael Murray,
ND, agrees with Alschuler and adds:
“Avoiding foods that quickly raise blood
sugar levels and keeping carbohydrate
portions to reasonable amounts can
really help. Focus on nuts, seeds, lots of
non-starchy vegetables, and low-glycemic
fruit like berries.” He adds that a
great way to stabilize blood sugar levels
is by eating more fiber and even taking
a high-quality fiber supplement.

Ask yourself what
you would do and
how you would live
your life differently
if you had more
energy.
THE SECRET IS SLEEP
It’s impossible to have high energy if you aren’t getting
enough sleep, and there are plenty of people who
struggle. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention has declared that lack of sleep has
become an American public health epidemic. Being
sleep deprived not only causes fatigue, but it is also
linked to many serious conditions such as diabetes,
high blood pressure, obesity and some cancers.
“The first step I focus on in helping people boost energy
is improving sleep quality,” says Murray. “The goal
is not necessarily to increase the total time a person
sleeps, but rather the time spent in the deeper, more
restful stages of sleep.” Getting better quality sleep
leads to more energy during the day, which then leads
to a better night’s sleep, creating a positive feedback
cycle.
One secret of some of the most sound and serene
sleepers is exercise. Generally, the recommended
amount of exercise is a minimum of 30 minutes a day,
five days a week – that’s only 2% of the day! Remember,
small bouts of movement add up and can be just
as effective as one long period of physical activity.
Exercise and high energy go hand in hand. In fact, a
2008 study featured in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
demonstrated that inactive people who
participated in a regular, low-intensity exercise program
increased their energy by 20% and decreased
their fatigue by 65%. Also keep in mind that late-night
exercise can actually disrupt sleep, so it’s best to get
your exercise in earlier in the day.
In addition to exercise, it’s important
to develop a consistent sleep ritual, a
concept that has come to be known as
“sleep hygiene.” Good sleep hygiene
includes going to bed at about the same
time each night in a quiet, dark room
and rising at about the same time each
morning. It also includes avoiding sleep
inhibitors like watching TV or working
on a laptop in bed as well as drinking
excessive alcohol or eating large meals
before bedtime.
Dietary supplements can also help with
sleep. “Nutrients that have been shown
to naturally and safely induce a restful
night’s sleep include melatonin, magnesium,
magnolia, L-theanine and chamomile,
just to name a few,” says Alschuler.
She suggests trying natural alternatives
before resorting to over-the-counter and
prescription sleep medications because
studies indicate that these medications
are associated with an increased risk of
cancer and premature death.
ABUNDANT ENERGY IS
POSSIBLE
After determining that there is nothing
serious going on, focus on food, sleep
and movement. You’ll be surprised at
how quickly you can recover and win
that battle against fatigue.
It’s also important to evaluate energy
from a mental-emotional standpoint.
Ask yourself what you would do and
how you would live your life differently
if you had more energy. Dr. Teitelbaum’s
final words of advice speak to this issue:
“If you try to get energy so you can go
back to doing what made you exhausted
in the first place, you’ll simply crash
again. As your energy improves, use it
for things that feel good, not for things
that you think you should do.”

A
Healthier
Heart
Oxytocin is
The
release of
OXYTOCIN
reduces blood
pressure, increases
tolerance to pain, and
reduces anxiety.
the "bonding
hormone" that
is released in
humans and
dogs during mutual
interactions. Owning
a cat can dramatically
reduce a person's chance
of dying from heart disease
and stroke. Studies show that heart
attack survivors and people with serious
abnormal heart rhythms with dogs live longer
than people with the same heart problems
who don't have pets.
{HEALTH TIDBITS}
Pets
Can Improve Your Health
LISA FIELDS
Have you ever noticed that you feel better when you're around your pet? It's true.
Spending quality time with a dog, cat or other animal can have a positive impact on
your mood and your health. Pets can be calming stress-fi ghters.
15
to 30
15 to 30 Minutes
with your pet
will make you
feel less anxious
and stressed.
Stress Soothers
Petting your cat or dog
feels good. It can lower
your blood pressure,
helps your body release
a relaxation hormone,
and cuts down on levels
of a stress hormone. It
also soothes your pet,
says Alan Beck, ScD,
director of the Center for
the Human-Animal Bond
at Purdue University.
PETS CAN HELP YOU
connect
WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
67%
67% of pet
owners said their
pet provides
companionship
and reduces
loneliness.
Better Mood,
More Meaning
Animals increase
serotonin levels ("the
feel-good hormone").
Pet owners are generally
happier, more trusting,
and less lonely than
those who don't have
pets. They also visit the
doctor less often for
minor problems.
Social Magnets
"If I saw you walking down the street, I couldn't comfortably start talking to you if I
didn't know you, but I could if you had a dog," Beck says.
"It's an acceptable interaction that otherwise wouldn't be possible." People who
use wheelchairs say that other people make eye contact with them more often
and ask if they can be of help when they're with their dogs, Beck says.