Julie Daniluk is an Instagram addict. She tempts her followers with pictures of piping hot, beautifully executed meals that are as good for the body as they are for the senses.
Besides being a social media queen, Julie is an author, nutritionist and TV host. Julie has a grateful attitude that spills into every sentence she utters and every dish she makes. When discussing the increasing demands of her career she compares it to raising children: “You grow with the weight of it.”
We had to pick her brain to find out how we could have success in 2014.
You want to…have your healthiest year ever.
Julie suggests of all things that you can do for your health, the most dramatic effect could be found by trying an anti-inflammatory elimination detox. In her book, “Meals that Heal Inflammation” she outlines three solid months of eliminating what you may have as a food sensitivity. You then slowly reintroduce foods, going from least dangerous (like tomatoes) to most dangerous (gluten). Why give this a shot? Three reasons:
1. Tiny nagging symptoms can disappear. This can be the annoying things you have learned to deal with, whether it be dandruff, acne, or even sore joints. Julie believes that in many cases these issues can be food related.
2. Healthy guts make for happy people. Julie declares: “The gut is like the second brain: if the gut is damaged, the brain is unhappy. I didn’t know what happiness was; I was anxious and sad in my twenties. Now that I am free of that inflammation, I have an authentic smile, ready to face the world. I just want that for everyone. That’s why I do what I do. I just want to raise the vibration of the planet. Let’s all get on this amazing happy train!” Choo choo?
3. Embrace your sensitivity. Just because you aren’t allergic doesn’t mean that you aren’t sensitive to a particular ingredient. Julie thinks that many people have a gluten sensitivity “because wheat has changed. It has been modified and hybridized over and over again to produce higher levels of gluten. There are other proteins within wheat that makes it hard to digest such as golovin and lectin. This can cause hyperpermeability in the digestive lining, which can cause serious inflammation.” Julie has not had gluten in six years, as well as cane sugar, which she calls her “kryptonite.” Aren’t you curious what yours is?
4. Detox with Julie. Julie is leading a 30-day online course this month, where she'll work on detoxing the liver with powerful superfoods that dump toxins, such as dandelion. Your post-New Year liver will probably be on board for this.
You want to…master a new recipe.
One of Julie’s favourite recipes in her book is Arctic Char with fennel. She suggests making it with any fish you have (salmon and trout are great options). She says: “It is wonderful because fennel is powerfully anti-inflammatory. When you roast fennel it takes on such a caramelized sweet licoriceness that augments the flavour of the fish.” Plus, it sounds fancy and is super simple to make.
You want to…write a book.
Julie wrote “Meals that Heal Inflammation,” inspired by her own health crisis of colitis. As she healed this through diet, she started to write down her recipes. Do you have an idea that you think would look handsome in print? Here are Julie’s suggestions:
1. Bounce your ideas off of people and get their opinion. Julie says: “Don’t be afraid of the editorial process.”
2. Don’t be surprised if the process is a labour of love. Julie remembers: “I was laughably naive at what it took to make a book. I thought it would take six months…it took five years! It is a massive undertaking. Books are created in community.”
3. Find a mentor. Julie’s was Martin Robinson (a producer for the Rolling Stones who recently passed). He met with her every week to monitor the development. She also had recipe testers who prepared her recipes and asked questions.
4. Learn new skills to save yourself money. Julie says that when it comes to creating a cookbook, a small investment in a food photography course can save thousands of dollars. She uses hand-made family pottery to make the photos pop. She also remains camera happy in her daily life: “I like to do a food photo every time we execute a recipe we love.” We assume that goes on her Instagram.
You want to…embrace your inner David Suzuki.
This is the year you want to go green and mean it. According to Julie, there are three letters you need to learn: G.M.O. She recommends the site www.cban.ca to stay on top of information. Here are some things she also says to stay away from if you want to reduce the amount of GMOs in your system:
1. Oils. Canola oil, corn oil and cotton seed oil. Just say no.
2. Sugar beets. Breakfast cereals often have this as an ingredient, so continue with your label reading.
3. Vitamins. Surprisingly, vitamins are a hidden place for GMOs. Julie states that: “Vitamin E is extracted by genetically modified soy. Vitamin C is extracted from genetically modified corn.” Yikes. This one can even be hard to stay away from in the health food stores.
Watch out for Julie’s upcoming book in April, “Slimming Meals That Heal: Lose Weight Without Dieting, Using Anti-Inflammatory Superfoods.”
Luckily her diet is keeping her energy up, as it doesn’t seem like she will be slowing down anytime soon…
