FOOD INTEGRITY

   I have obviously been a little sidetracked lately!  It has been far too long since my last blog post. My love of food and cooking and cooking as ethically as possible is still alive and kicking though.  In an attempt to learn the ins and outs of food innovation that keeps the integrity of food and consumers in mind, I have signed up for an online cooking class called "The Science of Cooking" through Harvard University.  Truth be told, it takes me a long time to do the homework.  I am a lot of things....but a math whiz is not one of them!  And, this is basically a chemistry/physics class that uses cooking as the lab experiments.  The labs are all going well.  The equation assignments meant to prove why certain cooking techniques work in scientific terms are not going so well.  I am, however, learning a lot and math makes more sense when applied to something that fascinates me.  Maybe after all of this I will finally have a rudimentary knowledge of applied mathematics.  I suppose only time will tell.
    I have learned a lot of very interesting historical facts on cooking after only one video lecture.  Perhaps the most interesting to me is the varied history of scientists who studied cooking and advocated for techniques based on highly misunderstood information where nutrition is concerned.  The most interesting example of this is that Justus von Liebig believed that the juices in meats carried a majority of the nutrition.  Because of this he wrote that meat should be seared in order to seal in all of the juices.  Further exploration, of course, shows that this is not true.  However, many recipes still call for the searing of meats and fish.  I guess traditions are sometimes hard to break.  Learning this made me consider my own cooking and how I like to make the cinnamon rolls that my great-great grandmother and great grandmother Elizabeth used to make.   Not that a cinnamon roll really has any nutritional value-but I do like honoring tradition.  I wonder if I honor tradition too much when trying to come up with new spins on old recipes.  Do I need to change some of my techniques?
    One thing I know for sure is that the way we think about food changed a great deal in the 20th century.    Factory and mass produced food became the focus.  We stopped worrying about the integrity of what we were consuming.  Convenience and low cost became the deciding factors on what we ingest each day.  Innovation is wonderful and it helps us move forward.  However, we somehow forgot to keep integrity in the equation.  I think it is time we break the modern traditions of food purchases and preparation and get back to a place where we cook and eat with more integrity.  I would like to leave you with these "Ten Commandments" of cooking written and published by Gault and Millau in 1972 in The New nouvelle cuisine-

1.  Thou shall not overcook
2.  Thou shall use fresh, quality products
3.  Thou shall lighten thy menu
4.  Thou shall not be systematically modernistic
5.  Thou shall seek out what new techniques can bring you
6.  Thou shall eliminate brown and white sauces
7.  Thou shall not ignore dietetics
8.  Thou shall not cheat on thy presentation
9.  Thou shall be inventive
10.  Thou shall not be prejudiced

(Numbers 2 and 7 are my personal favorites)

Any may I say-epic fail every fast food restaurant.  EPIC FAIL.

Hard to be Gluten (or any food) Free

In a world where convenience is the shiny object to be desired, diet restrictions can be really tough.  I know of many people who need to cut out gluten for one reason or another and gluten is in just about every inexpensive processed food.  Gluten is a protein found in wheat, oats, and rye.  For people with celiac disease or a gluten allergy, gluten is a toxin instead of a nutrient and cannot be consumed.  Other groups also benefit from a gluten free diet including those with diabetes, down's syndrome, Parkinson's, anemia, and rheumatoid arthritis.

There are some drawbacks to eating a gluten free diet.  People who go completely gluten free are often deficient in folate, fiber, and iron.  This occurs mostly when people eating a gluten free diet make substitutions rather than cutting the grain out altogether.  Eating a diet that consists mainly of lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, and safe grains such as rice will greatly benefit any person.  However, marketed items such as gluten free flour, pastas, and breads are so processed that they have a very low nutritional value.  Reliance on these items in the needed absence of whole grains can lead to nutrient deficiencies that cause weight gain and fatigue.

Worry not, my gluten free friends.  You are not alone.  Everyone should try to cut processed foods to improve their health.  The longer a food takes to get from its growth source to the dinner table, the less healthy it is.  We can all do better in eating whole foods, fresh foods, and local foods.  Marketing professionals are smart.  They follow trends.  They talk us into following the same trends.  Remember that tag lines like "gluten free"  "fat free"  "sugar free"  "low sodium" "no high fructose corn syrup" and "all natural" are not equal to the word HEALTHY.  These statements tell us what is not in a product.  They do not tell us what is in a product.  Quite often, the chemical they substitute for these items is a lot less healthy for us.

Since most gardens in the Midwest are turning out produce left and right at present, here is a recipe for a delicious rice dish that uses all fresh and mostly locally available ingredients, covers all of the food groups, and contains NO GLUTEN! 

Nicoise-style Brown Rice Salad with Fresh Herbs (From Market Vegetarian by Ross Dobson)

ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 7oz baby green beans
• 12 oz short grain brown rice
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1 garlic clove (crushed)
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 7 oz cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 3 oz black olives (pitted and halved)
• 1 small bunch of fresh chives (finely snipped)
• 1 large handful of chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large handful of fresh basil leaves
• 1 large handful of fresh mint leaves
• 1 small handful of fresh tarragon leaves
• salt and black pepper

Put the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water.  Set over high heat and bring to a boil.  Cook for 3 minutes, then rinse under cold water.  When cool enough to handle, peel and halve them, then set aside.

Cook the beans in boiling water for 1 minute.  Drain and place in a bowl of cold water.  Put the rice in a strainer and rinse well under cold running water.  Transfer the rice to a large saucepan and add sufficient just-boiled water. Set the pan over high heat, return the water to a boil and cook the rice for 10 to 12 minutes until it is tender but retains some "bite".  Tip the rice into a strainer, rinse under cold running water and drain well.  Put the rice and drained beans in a large bowl and add the oil, garlic, and lemon juice.  Stir until the rice is coated in the oil.  Add the tomatoes, olives, and herbs, toss to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Arrange the egg halves on top and serve.

 

Eating with Intention

 There are countless reasons and excuses to the whys and hows of what we eat.  Of course, we eat because we have too.  But, modernity has afforded us the ability to eat for many more reasons than the instinctual ones.  We eat for comfort, for stress relief, and to fulfill cravings.  And, when we eat for these purposes we make poor food choices.  Personally, I am a starch lover.  When something in life has me a bit down I can't seem to get enough pasta or potatoes.  And, when I eat pasta and potatoes for comfort I eat too much of it and prepare it in the least healthy ways.  While I feel I try very hard, my eating habits are still not perfect.  Although, I do believe that within the last couple of years my habits have improved significantly.

To aid me in making better choices, I generally just don't buy the junky stuff at the grocery store.  I am lazy when it comes to shopping so this works out well for me.  If I don't already have the junk food at home, I won't put in the effort to go and get it.  Another tactic is to always ask myself why I am eating what I am eating.  I have been studying foods and nutrients and learning why it is important to eat certain foods.  So, when I am setting out to make dinner, I ask myself what my food is really doing for me.  Is there something in it that will make me stronger?  Will it improve my immune system?  Will it enhance my overall mood?  And, I try not to look for the quick fix.  Yes, those buttery mashed potatoes will make me feel better while I am eating them.  But, they won't make me feel better tomorrow. In fact, I will probably feel sluggish for a second day in a row and get stuck in a rut of simply not feeling my best. I am not the leanest or strongest person on the planet.  But, after many years of constantly getting ill, being too fatigued to function, and leading a lackluster daily life, my efforts to eat intentionally have greatly improved my quality of life. 

Big changes are difficult to follow through with.  So, if you are looking to change your eating habits, I would recommend changing a little bit at a time.  If you are one of those people that loves to drink soda all day, replace one soda a day with a glass of water.  After a couple of weeks, substitute two sodas for water.  If you are a person that loves to snack, replace one sweet or salty processed food a day for your favorite fresh fruit or vegetable.  Remind yourself why you have decided to make those substitutions.  Before long, you will have convinced yourself to eat a much healthier diet without feeling like you had to make a huge lifestyle change or give up those foods or drinks that get you through your day.

Nutrition is definitely a science, but it is not rocket science.  Here is a general cheat sheet that I like to call the food color wheel.  Each color of produce gives you something the others cannot.  It is important to include all of the colors in your diet to improve overall health.

Reds, yellows, and oranges:  Increase immunity, lower risk of cancer and heart disease

Blues and Purples:  Prevent cell damage and reduce risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease

Whites:  Lower cholesterol and blood pressure

Greens:  Improve overall health and lower cancer risk

Keep in mind that it is important to eat produce no matter what, but for truly increased health you should try to eat at least some organic produce.  Also remember that no one makes the perfect choices all the time.  Don't kick yourself if one day you slip up and eat something you know you shouldn't.  Just make a better choice the next day and do your best to eat for health instead of eating for immediate comfort.

A Healthy Dinner for the Lazy Cook, Using Summer Veggies

It is late summer and everyone who gardens in Indiana is likely hauling out far more vegetables than they can eat.  It is the season for red ripe tomatoes, juicy sweet bell peppers, crispy cucumbers, and even some crunchy carrots.  All of these foods taste great on their own, but they also taste great together.  One of my favorite ways to have them is in a wheat salad with some simple herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil.  When you add a small piece of pan cooked fish, it covers all of the food groups and offers lots of nutrition and flavor.  It is fast and easy to make with little prep work as well.  In fact, I am eating some right now.

 

 

To make the cracked wheat salad, simply put about 1/2 cup wheat (sometimes called bulgur) into a fine mesh strainer and rinse it until the run-off water is clear.  Transfer it to a large mixing bowl and add about 1 Tbsp of crushed mint, 2 Tbsp of dried parsley, and 1 tsp of garlic power.  Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the wheat, stir, cover and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Once the wheat absorbs the water, you can add a chopped cucumber, chopped, bell pepper, a few peeled chopped carrots, and a handful of halved cherry tomatoes.  Also stir in 2 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil and 2 Tbsp of lemon juice.  Re-cover the salad and place back in the fridge for an hour or leave it overnight.

 



While the salad chills, get out some thawed white fish (such as snapper or tilapia), put them in an iron skillet over medium heat and drizzle with lemon juice and honey.  Cook 3-5 minutes on each side.  The fish is done when it flakes. 

Then, all you have to do is put your salad in a bowl and place a piece of fish on top!  Now you are ready to eat a delicious dinner full of season vegetables and other yummy goodness.

A Delicious Spaghetti Dinner, Minus the Spaghetti

I am a pasta lover through and through-I love the texture, the flavor, and all those yummy sauces that go with it.  My taste buds are so perfectly satisfied after a nice spaghetti dinner.  But, my waistline and the intelligent sector of my brain know that a big spaghetti dinner usually packs a lot of calories with very little nutrition.  For this purpose, the spaghetti squash is my new best friend.  The spaghetti squash has a mildly sweet flavor and naturally pulls into strands that closely resemble spaghetti noodles.  It tastes great with tomato sauce and provides everything a normal spaghetti dinner provides, minus the empty calories.  Also, I purchased a spaghetti squash at the market for $1 dollar (but they are easy to grow in a garden).  At the same market a box of pasta costs at least $3.  So, the switch is even cost effective.

Meet the spaghetti squash:

 

The spaghetti squash is either a cream or yellow color when fully ripe.  To cook the squash, simply cut it down the middle lengthwise, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and boil the two halves in water for about 20 minutes or until soft.  Remove the squash from the boiling water and let it stand until it is cool enough to touch.

 

 

Run a fork lengthwise from one side of the squash to the other.  The squash will come out in strands that you can scoop out into a bowl.

 

 

Now you are ready to add your favorite pasta sauce.  I prefer tomato sauces.  Since I don't have any homemade sauce today, I bought a pre-made organic sauce from the supermarket.

 

 

Now your "spaghetti dinner" is ready to enjoy.  And, enjoy it you can because there is nothing to feel guilty about in this meal!

 

As I mentioned before, spaghetti squash is easy to grow in a garden in the Midwest.  If you allow the squash to stay on the vine until the outer shell is too hard to poke through, the squash will stay good for 6 months if stored in whole in temperatures around 60 degrees.  The squash usually begin to ripen in mid to late summer.  So-now is the perfect time to enjoy some because it is in season!

 

Stay tuned for more fun food ideas fresh from the garden!

 











Cleaning with Consciousness

Well, the children will soon be heading back to school and with any luck, this means I will once again have time to research and share information on ideas for healthier living when it comes to our relationships with food and our surrounding environment.

However, today I wish to share thoughts on "eco-friendly" cleaning.  Earth friendly cleaning products are becoming increasingly popular on store shelves.  I believe a lot of consumers are placing more thought into what they are spraying all over their homes, especially when children and pets are involved.  So many popular cleaners (like Swiffer) are not safe to use in homes with pets.  And, in my opinion, if something isn't safe for other mammals it probably isn't so good for us either.

Once upon a time, I had a house rabbit that scampered all around my apartment just as a dog or cat would.  When he got up in his years and started getting sick more frequently I rethought my cleaning routine and did away with all chemicals.  As you can imagine, the change was expensive.  So, I started researching and through other blogs and websites, I found recipes for pet, people, and eco-friendly cleaners that are easy to make and far less expensive than store-bought finished cleaning products.  Here are some cleaners I use that are working well for my household:

Easiest of all is homemade multipurpose cleaner and floor cleaner:

Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle.  Vinegar does have antibacterial properties, can be used on any hard surface (when diluted), and the smell does go away once the cleaner dries.  It is extremely effective and inexpensive.  If you have areas with tough stains you can add a little baking soda as a brightener.  Keep in mind that when you mix vinegar baking soda, it foams up quite a bit.

Dish soap:
1/2 bar shaved castile soap (such as Kirk's)
1/4 c baking soda
1 Tbsp washing soda
1 qt hot water.

Simply combine all ingredients until they are dissolved.  If you have trouble getting them to dissolve, you can gently heat the mixture in a pot on the stove.  Keep stirring as you heat it.  This dish soap does not make suds.  The chemicals used to make cleaning products and soaps suds up are toxic.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner:
1/2 c baking soda
1/4 c hydrogen peroxide
1/4 c vinegar
1/4 c liquid castile soap
1 c hot water

1. Mix together baking soda and castile soap in a very large bowl (you need to have space for safe chemical reactions)
2. Add the hydrogen peroxide
3. Slowly add the hot water, whisking gently until the ingredients are incorporated.
4. Add the vinegar and stir until the foaming stops
5.  Pour mixture into a squeeze bottle

Laundry Detergent (This recipe makes 10 gallons):

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!
•Works well in traditional or HE machines.
•Low sudsing. It is the ingredients in the soap, not the suds, that does the cleaning.
•Clumping and geling of the detergent is normal. Stir before putting in dispenser, and shake before each use.
•For stains, consider using an inexpensive spray-on stain remover before washing. (Zout, Spray 'n' Wash, Oxyclean)

And finally, who doesn't like Febreeze?  It is awesome to have around when you have pets to get rid of the smells on furniture.  However, Febreeze is toxic to animals and is also very expensive.  Here is a simply recipe for inexpensive homemade fabric refresher:

1/8 c fabric softner (I like 7th Generation)
2 Tbsp baking soda
Hot tap water
27 oz spray bottle

Pour fabric softner and baking soda into the spray bottle and then fill the rest of the way with hot tap water. Screw the lid on tight and shake it up.

I like my cleaners to be unscented.  However, if you like scents you can purchase a vial of essential oil in the scent of your choice and add a few drops to any of these cleaners (except for the fabric refresher)
*ESSENTIAL OILS ARE NOT SAFE FOR CATS.  They are wonderful for people and other pets but cats cannot process essential oils and if exposed to concentrated essential oils can suffer liver damage and even total liver failure. 

Instead of buying squeeze bottle and spray bottles to store all of these cleaners in, I kept my old cleaner bottles and rinsed and reused those.  Also, I find it extremely helpful to purchase the biggest bulk sizes of vinegar and baking soda that I can find.

*I did not write any of the above recipes.  All recipes were taken from other websites for the purpose of sharing with other individuals.  They are not to be used for products you intend to sell.

I don't think cleaning is ever fun.  But, at the very least, it should be safe for your entire family, pets and all.  Also, it shouldn't be a financial burden.  I hope these ideas help you on your way to an eco-friendly and economical cleaning routine. 

 

Conscious Shopping

While we all know full well what we should be eating, it is unrealistic to say that we will denounce pre-packaged and processed foods completely.  Society has changed.  There are a lot of single parent homes and a lot of homes with two parents working outside of the home.  There are days when preparing food does not fit into the schedule and these are they days we are thankful for boxed macaroni and cheese, parboiled rice, and frozen pizzas.  We know these are not the healthiest choices, but in some cases, they are even less healthy than we know.  Many major brands that make, package, and sell processed foods use GM (genetically modified) ingredients.  The ingredients with the highest and most dangerous modifications are corn and soybeans.  I don't know how many of you have read ingredient labels on cereal boxes or frozen pizzas lately but, it seems to me that EVERYTHING has some variant of corn or soy in it.  The purpose of this post is to draw your attention to the documented reasons why we should avoid ingesting GM foods and provide you with the names of some processed food manufacturers that do not use any GM ingredients.

Here is a link to an article on GMO dangers:  http://responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangers
The article outlines some outcomes of feeding GMO foods to rodents.  The results aren't pretty.  To sum it up, eating a diet that includes GM foods is linked to the following diseases and problems.
"The Academy reported that 'Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food,' including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. The AAEM(American Academy for Environmental Medicine) asked physicians to advise patients to avoid GM foods."

As I said before, most of us lead lives that make eliminating processed foods feel like a real impossibility.  So, here is a long list of brands that make ready to heat and serve meals of all types that use GMO free ingredients.  Their ingredients are also largely organic.  This list is taken directly from nourishedkitchen.com.

Arrowhead Mills: GMO-free providers of baking mixes and flours found in both natural health food stores and regular supermarkets.

Eden Foods: GMO-free providers of canned goods, noodles, tamari, miso, vinegar and Asian foodstuffs.

Natural Choice Foods:  GMO-free providers of frozen dessert products.

Purity Foods: GMO-free makers of spelt-based noodles, snacks and other goodies.

Rapunzel: My all-time favorite chocolate company.  They also sell specialty oils.

Spectrum Oils: GMO-free manufacturer of specialty oils, cooking oils, salad oils and natural shortening.

Genisoy: Uses only certified GMO-free soybeans for their many soy products.

Earth’s Best: Baby food manufacturer uses non-GMO ingredients.

Healthy Times: Baby food manufacturer uses non-gmo ingredients.

Bob’s Red Mill: GMO-free provider of baking mixes and specialty flours.

Pamela’s Products: Provider of luscious gluten-free baking mixes sources non-GMO ingredients.

Whole Foods Store Brands: Whole foods has made the commitment to sourcing its ingredients from GMO-free sources.

Cascadian Farms: Provider of frozen entrees, juices, frozen vegetables and fruit, yogurt and other foods.

Imagine Foods: GMO-free provider of soy and rice milk as well as broth and other foods.

Muir Glen: Source of canned goods and vegetable juice uses gmo-free foods.

Thai Kitchen: Source for coconut milks and Asian ingredients sources gmo-free ingredients.

Amy’s Kitchen: GMO-free source of canned soups, chilies, boxed and frozen meals.

Nature’s Path: Manufacturer of cereals and snack bars made with ingredients sourced gmo-free.

Annie’s Naturals: Manufacturer of BBQ sauce, salad dressings and other condiments sourced from gmo-free ingredients.

San J: GMO-free manufacturer of soy sauce, shoyu and tamari.

Tradition Miso: Manufacturer of miso pastes that are made from GMO-free ingredients.

Barbara’s Bakery: Manufacturer of cookies sources from gmo-free ingredients.

Lundberg Family Farms: GMO-free provider of rice and wild rice foods including raw rice, soups and convenience foods.

Walkers: Provider of the best shortbread cookies ever as well as other sweet treats.

Fantastic Foods: Provider of hummus, falafel, risotto couscous, soup and other mixes with gmo-free ingredients.

Vitasoy: Manufacturer of soy-based foods sourced from gmo-free ingredients.

Clif: Manufacturer of energy bars sourced from gmo-free foods.

Kettle Chips: GMO-free manufacturer of potato and tortilla chips.

Que Pasa: Manufacturer of tortilla chips and other Mexican foods sourced from non-gmo ingredients.

Garden of Eatin: Manufacturer of chips, salsas and other snack foods.

French Meadow Bakery: Manufacturer of bread and baked goods using non-gmo ingredients.

White Wave: Manufacturer of soy products including tofu and tempeh using gmo-free soy.

Bearitos: Manufacturer of snack foods and dips using gmo-free foods.

Chaffin Family Orchards: Is committed to GMO-free foods and sells an assortment of goods including olive oil.

Cultures for Health: All starters and products sold at Cultures for Health are GMO-free.

Grindstone Bakery: GMO-free provider of wheat- and gluten-free bread.

Pure Indian Foods: GMO-free provider of grass-fed ghee.

To Your Health: Provider of gmo-free sprouted breads and sprouted flours.

US Wellness Meats: Provider of pasture- and grass-fed meats free of GMO supplemental feed.

Zukay: Provider of live cultured condiments and salsa free from GMO.

Wisconsin Healthy Grown Potatoes: GMO-free potatoes.

I hope this helps you with some easy changes for the good of your health and the health of the environment and sustainable agriculture.  I have not given up hope on a world where everyone can eat farm fresh foods on a daily basis that are grown and sold by trusted individuals.  But, I like knowing what I can do to make my life and future better right now.  Supporting companies that support a sustainable future is a wonderfully easy place to start!
 

Living over Lording

I am sure it is fairly obvious by now, but I will say it anyway.  For me, food is more than a hobby.  It is more than sustenance.  It is more than a major part of a person's culture.  The way we treat food says a lot about who we are, as individuals and as a species.  For the past few weeks, I have been spending an exponential amount of my free time considering how I relate to food now and how I want to relate to food in the future.  I have based much of my thought and research on how my government relates to food and on how my government pushes its citizenry to relate to food by creating laws that support specific farming methods-like "monocropping" and genetically modified and engineered foods.  Most of what I have learned has left me feeling really agitated.  But, upon further internal investigation, I realized I, the consumer, am just as much to blame for the direction agriculture has taken. 
I live in an apartment with no personal outdoor space. I am on a very limited food budget.  I try to make good choices in buying mostly produce that was grown organically and in making sure I do not throw food away.  But, I still shop at a grocery store and this means most of my food probably comes from Canada and Mexico.  I love Farmer's Markets but cannot always get to them and cannot always afford the prices.  Anyway, I digress.  The gist of this paragraph is that I see a need to change the way I live so I can relate to the world around me in a way that I can be proud of.
In my search for a better way, I have come across the concept of permaculture.  Permaculture is a method that was born in Australia and has become quite the popular form of agriculture in the UK.  Permaculture basically pushes us to find a way to live in nature (even and especially in urban areas) instead of lording over nature. 
Our constant interference is putting the ecosystems around us completely out of balance.  In the U.S. we grow mostly soya beans and seed corn on farms that are 2,000 acres and over.  This is literally killing the soil.  The nutrients are being stripped and the soil is eroding.  Having so many of the same plant in one large area is drawing in pests that harm those crops.  This leads to the need to spray synthetic chemicals on the food and to genetically modify the foods to resist the pests. Then these chemicals are getting leached into the water table and traveling up the natural food chain.  We have created a really big mess!
The best way to clean it up is to stop fighting nature and find a way to work with it.  First, we need to make efficient use of the land.  The best way to restore balance is to allow for biodiversity.  Grow a large variety of crops including fruit and nut trees, grains, and annual vegetables all in the same area.  Doing so will attract a variety of insects, which will attract a variety of birds, amphibians, rodents, and reptiles that will all eat each other.  The population control will take care of itself.  This eliminates the need for chemical pesticides and fertilizers.  Meanwhile, your garden produces a healthy crop that required minimal financial and physical input from you.   
You may think you need a lot of land in a rural area to make a difference.  But, this is absolutely not the case.  The most efficient gardens are 1/4 of an acre to an acre in size (or smaller).  It is easily possible to feed a family of 6 for an entire year on 1/4 acre of fertile land if you plant bio-diverse crops.
Not everyone will be interested in becoming a sustainable farmer in their spare time. Those who don't want to farm can still be part of the solution by purchasing from small-scale organic farmers and avoiding processed and GMO foods at the grocery store.
Conscious growing is just as important as conscious cooking and conscious eating.  If we all want to be vibrant, healthy, energetic beings we need to change our ways and eat what God intended us to eat and grow it the way God intended it to grow.  It is time to stop "running interference" and let nature take its course.  We were always meant to be a part of it and if we start respecting and trusting nature again, it will take care of us for many, many years to come.

For more very helpful information on Permaculture and how to use this method in your own life I recommend these video lectures:
http://courses.ncsu.edu/hs432/common/podcasts/

"Waste not, want not."

As I do a lot of personal research on how to become a successful, sustainable, small-scale farmer I continually come across important issues with the food industry.  There are so many things going on that are already mostly out of our control: mono-cropping, genetic engineering, and chemical pest control.  These things can change, but it will take time, patience, and a great deal of effort.  In the meantime, there are things we can change right now.  We can buy from local, organic, small-scale farmers.  We can purchase fewer processed foods in supermarkets, and we can buy less and use more.

One of the most chilling statistics about food is that the United States throws away at least half of all food produced here.  This is because it rots before people can manage to buy or consume it.  I know that I still end up throwing food away at times even though I try really hard not to.  It is difficult to cook just enough for one person and sometimes even more difficult to keep eating the leftovers.  Sometimes eating the same thing for three days out of the week makes me feel like I would rather not eat at all.

But, what if we found ways to use leftover foods that seem to be unusable?  What if we transformed our leftovers into a whole new meal?  I think if I worked harder at this, I could manage to avoid throwing out any food at all.  And, I could also buy less food and spend less at the grocery store.

A couple of days ago, I made what I like to call "Italian mashed potatoes" to go along with some tilapia piccata.  It is very easy to make too many mashed potatoes.  For one thing, I love them and I make a lot because I always think I will eat a lot.  Anyway, today I still had three servings of these mashed potatoes still in the refrigerator and had no desire to eat them.  So, I made "breaded Italian mashed potato balls".  There are probably a million things one could do with leftover mashed potatoes.  But, I went with this because of what other things I had laying around that needed to be used.  One such ingredient was the end of a baguette that went stale to the point it could not be consumed as just bread.  So, I ran it across the cheese grater and made it into coarse bread crumbs.  I then shredded some parmesan cheese and added that along with oregano and basil to the bread crumbs.  Then, I beat an egg.  I got the leftover mashed potatoes out and while still cold i gathered some up in the palm of my hand and rolled them into a ball.  I then rolled each ball in the egg and then in the bread crumb mixture.  I baked them in a toaster over at 350 for about 10 minutes.  I enjoyed eating them for lunch.  They had just enough of a new flavor and texture to make it seem like I was eating something else entirely.  Making it took a total of 15 minutes and I was able to use things I would have otherwise thrown out.  I did have extra bread crumb mixture which I saved to use as a topping on some baked pasta in the next couple of days.

I am sure you could do this with any type of mashed potatoes and hard cheese you happen to have leftover.  In case you want to try to make Italian mashed potatoes, here is how I do it:

Quarter and boil red potatoes with the skin on until they are tender.  Drain and transfer them to a mixing bowl and add 1/2 c plain Greek yogurt, 4 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 c white cooking wine, 2 cloves chopped garlic and whip until they reach your desired consistency.

                                                  Baked Italian Mashed Potato Balls

Processed Food and Toxins: You May Be Feeding Your Baby Lead.

I haphazardly ran across an article today about lead being present in imported rice.  While I am not one to believe just any random article posted on the Internet, it did make me want to research heavy metals and foods.  Heavy metals are part of our environment and it is normal for trace amounts of them to be present in our bodies as well as in plants and animals.  But, if we consume too much of any heavy metal our bodies will be poisoned and the repercussions can be serious.  I learned a lot about lead and food.  I will sum up some of the information I found to be the most important here and will post links to the articles I read at the end of this post in case you want to do any further investigating.

The first thing I learned is that there is such a thing as the ELF (Environmental Law Foundation).  The ELF's purpose is to protect communities by openly sharing information on environmental toxins and by taking legal action against companies and/or the government when communities are being threatened by toxins.  The ELF is currently working on a law suit that has to do with lead being found in foods marketed as made specifically for babies and children.  They have put out lists of what baby foods to avoid buying. To visit the list follow the link below. (carrots and sweet potatoes in every major brand of baby food are on the DO NOT BUY list)
http://envirolaw.org/documents/2013BabyFoodGuide.pdf

Another thing I learned is that the fruits, vegetables, and grains we know we should be eating can contain lead, even if grown organically.  The foods absorb the lead from contaminated soil and because the lead is absorbed, it remains in the food no matter how well you wash it.  The experts studying the contaminated rice believe that the rice is becoming contaminated in the growing process as opposed to the manufacturing/packaging process.
"While lead exposure can negatively affect cognitive development and performance in kids, adults with high lead exposure can also experience problems with blood pressure, heart disease and calcium deficiency. Tongesayi’s team believes the rice became contaminated during growing and harvesting. “Processing can potentially add some contaminants, but from what we studied, it seems that the contamination is coming from contaminated soils and contaminated irrigation waters,” he says."(taken from healthland.time.com) 
These findings only apply to imported rice.  Rice grown in the U.S. has not been implicated.

So, how do we protect ourselves from this?  I think the best answer is the answer I always have.  Buy local food from local farmers that you know you can trust.  When purchasing at a farmers market, ask the farmer if he/she tests their soil for heavy metals, including lead.  If their soil is clean, their food is clean.  If we support the people who care about the quality of their product, then those are the people who will succeed and the world will be a better place for it.
For more information on lead content in food and how the FDA regulates lead in food:

 http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/11/high-levels-of-lead-found-in-imported-rice/#ixzz2QBFf7GjG

http://envirolaw.org/

http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/FruitsVegetablesJuices/ucm233520.htm

Sprouts: The Why and How of Growing Nutrient Rich Food in a Jar

Filling-yet light, crisp, and flavorful- sprouts are among the best foods you can add to your diet.  Sprouts are basically newly germinating seeds.  Seeds are rich with nutrients needed to grow a thriving plant.  While those nutrients are very good and helpful to the plant intended to come from those seeds, the nutrients present are also quite good and helpful for us to ingest.   Eating a plant that has just sprouted will yield significantly more nutrients than a eating a fully grown plant as the growing plant has not yet used up the nutrients from the seed.

Among the most widely available sprouts are alfalfa sprouts and bean sprouts.  These can be found in just about any grocery store.  However, these are not the only sprouts we should be consuming.  Broccoli, lentil, peanut, kidney bean, chickpea, wheat, barley, and rye seeds, among others can all be sprouted.  Eating these foods in their sprouted form (also called microgreens) will provide you with higher concentrations of the nutrients these foods normally provide.

Sprouts, especially organic sprouts, can be on the pricey side at grocery stores and markets.  But, have no fear-it is fairly simple and economical to grow your own sprouts at home and the only equipment you need is organic seeds (seeds should be labeled “for sprouting” so they are properly clean), water, cheesecloth, and a clean glass jar with a lid.

How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar

Growing sprouts in a jar is easy. Here's how to do it:

1. Place one to two tablespoons of seeds in your jar, and cover with approximately two inches of warm water. Let this sit overnight.
2. Drain the water, using a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
3. Rinse the seeds by adding water the jar, swishing the seeds around, and draining.
4. Repeat twice a day, every day until your sprouts are the desired size. This will take anywhere from three to seven days, depending on the variety of sprout you're growing. Sprouts are best when they're still fairly small and just starting to turn green.
5. Store your sprouts in a covered bowl or food storage bag with a paper towel inside to absorb excess moisture. Use the sprouts within a week.

These directions were directly taken from: http://organicgardening.about.com/od/vegetablesherbs/a/growingsprouts.htm

I am planning to focus on some food DIY projects for a week or so.  I intend to provide easy advice on how to save money by doing some easy projects at home that take very little active time.  Please comment if you have questions or would like to me research a particular food topic.  I am learning from this blog as well and am interested in everything food, everything “green”, and everything that will help others and myself live the most nutritious life possible.

The 12 Most Important Foods to Buy Organic

We are all out to do what is best for ourselves and for our families.  Unfortunately, most of the people in the world are considered to range from middle class all the way down to completely destitute.  This means that most of us cannot afford to take the health of the planet into consideration when it comes to buying food while still being able to provide other necessities like clothing, shelter, and education.

Buying organic is expensive.  It is harder for organic farmers to get a high crop yield.  These farmers have no choice but to up prices if they want to stay in business.  But, that doesn't mean that all of us can afford a completely organic diet.  Below you will find a list of the 12 most important foods to buy organic.  Even if every individual or family can only switch to one organic product, doing so will have a very positive effect on the health of the consumers and the health of the planet over time.

1.  Apples.  Believe it or not, apples retain the most amount of pesticide after picked.  They retain so much that apple products, like applesauce and apple juice, also contain traces of pesitcides.  This makes switching to organic apples the most important choice for your personal health.

2. Celery. 

3. Strawberries.

4. Peaches

5. Spinach

6. Nectarines

7. Grapes (and grape related products such as raisins)

8. Bell Peppers

9. Potatoes

10. Blueberries

11. Lettuce

12. Kale.

All of the above foods have a least 30 pesticides on them and many of them have 60.  No matter how much you wash your food, there will still be traces of pesticides in them because the chemicals get absorbed by the foods.  But, if you cannot buy organic make sure you wash all produce thoroughly because it will reduce the amount of pesticides on the food.

Also, as we approach farmer's market season, remember that just because the food is being sold at the farmer's market does not mean it is organic.  If the food is not advertised as organic, ask the farmer if chemicals are used in their growing process.

Being "Green" has become a rather trendy lifestyle.  The lifestyle isn't for everyone and changing shopping habits overnight is unrealistic.  Try making one or two small changes toward a healthier life at a time and it will be financially and emotionally easier to stick with it.

Allergy Season and Using Food Choices to Promote Respiratory Health

I have been waiting for Spring to arrive.  After a long winter I need some warm sunny days.  But, not everyone is able to look forward to Spring.  Many people will suffer greatly from seasonal allergies.  There is no cure for seasonal allergies, but eating a healthy diet and avoiding certain foods can help ease some of the symptoms and help you breathe a bit easier as we enter into pollen season.

As usual the best thing you can do to feel healthier is to eliminate or at least cut back on deep fried foods, refined foods, fatty meats and cheeses, and milk.  All of these foods are associated with inflammation which can make breathing difficult.  Some foods, even though they are healthy in general, will increase mucous production causing that annoying runny nose and maybe even a sinus infection.  Foods that increase mucous production in the body include cabbage, potatoes, bananas, corn, and all dairy products.  If you are suffering from a respiratory disease or infection, or seasonal allergies, it is probably best to leave these foods out of your diet for awhile.

The best offense for fighting off a respiratory problem is to eat a diet extremely high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are found in a variety of organic fruits and vegetables, particularly in berries, citrus, dark leafy greens, tomatoes, and broccoli.  There are also some foods known to reduce mucous production including salmon, nuts, seeds, garlic, parsley, horseradish, and lemon. Eating a generally healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats will boost your immunity and help protect your overall health including your respiratory health.

So, don't be afraid to get out and enjoy the weather we've all been waiting for and take comfort in knowing that when it comes to your body functioning properly (or at least a little bit better) you are in control!

Deciphering "Buzz Words" About Food-The difference between organic and all natural and more

There are a lot of buzz words out there about food and agricultural practices lately.  We've got "organic", "sustainable", "certified naturally grown", "all natural", "certified organic", "local", "free range", and "cage free".  We assume that these words are clear in what they are describing but with major corporations and small farms alike working hard at marketing to the environmental health craze, there is quite a lot to decipher.  And how can any of us be expected to make good choices if we are never actually told what is going on?

Food labeled all natural is not necessarily all natural.  For a food to be labeled as such it simply cannot have the following ingredients: added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.  All natural foods can be grown using harmful fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides.  No matter how much the food is washed before becoming an "all natural" cracker, traces of those chemicals remain in the food. 

Some foods are labeled organic.  Some are labeled certified organic.  And, some are labeled certified naturally grown.  Organic produce is produce grown without the aid of man-made chemicals of any kind.  For a food product (like crackers) to be labeled organic, they must contain a minimum of 95% organic ingredients.  For a product to be certified organic it must be grown on a farm that acquired certification from the USDA.  This label is very expensive for a farm to get.  Therefore, anything certified organic likely came from a very large scale farm.  Certified naturally grown is a term coined by small farms to indicate that their foods meet or go beyond the standards of the certified organic label.  This term was coined because small farms cannot afford the certified organic label from the USDA.  Sidethought:  Why is the USDA making it harder or more expensive to grow foods that are better for us and for the environment???  Anyway, try to support the underdog and buy food from a local farmer that loves the land.  

It used to be that people just bought eggs.  Now you not only have to choose between the brown eggs and the white eggs, but also between vegetarian, organic,  free range, and cage free eggs.  Vegetarian eggs are simply eggs laid by chickens who are fed a vegetarian diet.  This became a trend because of the cannibalism that sometimes goes on in large scale farms that produce eggs really fast and keep their chickens locked up very small cages.  Cage free eggs are laid by chickens who are not locked up in tiny pens but the chickens are still inside for their entire lives.  Free range chickens must have access to the out of doors.  This, however, does not mean that the chickens actually get to go outdoors.  Organic eggs come from chickens that are fed an organic vegetarian diet.  To get free range, organic, vegetarian eggs from a grocery store you are going to have to shell out 5 bucks.  So, again, if you have access, your best bet for buying eggs is from a local farmer who has chickens running around his/her backyard.

One of the best things you can do for the environment is to start eating local.  Most people do not have access to enough land to grow all of their food at home.  Those who cannot garden may want to consider finding out about local CSA's.  CSA stands for community supported agriculture.  Local organic farmers will often let customers pick up produce straight from the farm for either a bi-weekly or monthly fee.  By participating in a CSA you reduce the amount of energy it takes to get food from the farm to your table.  Most major grocery stores buy their organic produce from other countries and have it shipped.  This adds up to a major "carbon footprint" over time.

The best thing any of us can do in terms of acquiring food is to get as basic as possible.  Choose to purchase from a small scale organic farm when possible.  Even better, try to buy from someone you know.  We need to support the people who are trying to make an honest living while producing honest food that nurtures all God gave us.

Spring Must Be Near: Foods for Fertility

As a woman who loves spending time with children, one of the most difficult modern topics is infertility.  It truly saddens me to hear about couples who are kind and loving and really want children but cannot for some reason or another.  Common knowledge says there isn't much anyone can do about infertility, but diet studies say otherwise.  It is quite possible for couples to increase their chances of getting pregnant and staying pregnant based solely on changing their diets.

There are a few things one should definately not eat if trying to get pregnant.  These are all things that have an ill effect on hormone production and balance.  The worst of these foods is any kind of unfermented soy.  Soy can raise estrogen to a dangerous level.  It can also mimic progesterone, the hormone a woman produces when she releases a mature egg and when she is pregnant.  Basically, soy can trick your body into thinking it is already pregnant.  Eating a lot of foods grown with chemicals, foods and drinks with caffeine and refined sugar can also effect your hormone production and balances.  Making sure the produce you eat is organic is a very helpful step toward increasing your fertility.

There are specific nutrients you should eat to help with fertility.  These include vitamins D, C, E, B6 and B-12, folic acid, iron, selenium, zinc, CoQ10, and omega-3s.  All of these nutrients help for specific reasons.  Overall, they basically protect the health of eggs and sperm, provide good hormone balance, and increase the health of the entire reproductive system.  They can also decrease the risk of birth defects in a growing fetus.

If you are already eating a healthy diet, these nutrients won't be hard to come by.  Among the most important foods to eat while trying to get pregnant are eggs (organic farm fresh), nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens, fruits, cold water fish (salmon, tuna, halibut), lentils and beans (lentils have the highest amount of folic acid of any vegetation) and a variety of veggies in all the available colors. Remember, the produce needs to be organic to be useful.

If you or somone you know is having fertility issues, don't give up hope.  While a certain diet can't fix everything for everyone, it certainly never hurt anyone to try.  There is nothing to lose by eating a healthy balanced diet.

Mood Boosting Food: How to Eat Your Way to Happiness

There are many conflicting ideas on how to handle the drawbacks of modern society- especially on how to handle the increasing number of people with mental and emotional disorders like stress, depression, and anxiety.  In our corner of the world, the things we NEED to survive (food, water, shelter,) are in abundant supply.  Somehow, we are still plagued with worry.  There are lots of options.  You can see a mental health professional.  You can take a prescription drug.  You can whine about it to your friends.  Or, you can try eating your way to happiness.  After all, working on tailoring your diet to your personal overall needs is the option with which you have nothing to lose.  As long as you continue to eat a broad spectrum of foods to meet basic nutritional needs, adding or subtracting some foods based on a current medical or emotional issue can only help. (Eating the right foods will not always eliminate the need to see a mental health professional, but may help suggested treatments work better for people with more severe versions of these emotional disorders.)

People battling any level of depression can benefit greatly from consuming foods rich in omega-3's.  Omega-3's are something your body does not make on its own so the only way to get them is to ingest them.  There are some delicious foods out there that are naturally rich in these nutrients including walnuts and cold water fishes: salmon, tuna, and halibut.  Complex carbohydrates also help to regulate blood sugar which in turn helps to regulate mood.  Simple carbs like white bread, pasta, and anything else made with refined flour will lead to mood swings.  If you want to find contentment you will have to look in whole grains and potatoes. 

Whole grains are also useful to people who are dealing with stress.  Whole grains help the brain release seratonin, the "feel good" chemical.  When feeling stressed it is also important to up your intake of vitamin C.  Vitamin C has been shown to help people reduce their stress.  On top of that, stress causes your body to release more free radicals and vitamin C helps to keep free radicals in check and repair the body.  You can simply take a vitamin C supplement or just eat blueberries and citrus fruits.

All of the foods useful to treating depression are also useful to treating anxiety.  But those with anxiety will also want to make sure they are getting Tryptophan.  Nuts, oats, bananas, and sesame seeds are full of tryptophan which releases chemicals in the brain that help us to relax.

So, if you are like me and you get the "winter blues" on cold, cloudy days or if you simply have more going on in your life than you believe you can deal with you might find comfort and relief in having a piece of broiled salmon served next to a cous cous salad with a bowl of fress blueberries for dessert.  It will certainly do more for you than a candy bar!

$100 Dollar Night Cream vs. The Sweet Potato: Eating for Healthy Skin

There are hundreds of creams and serums on the market that are supposed to make your skin the most beautiful it can possibly be.  Most of them cost an arm and a leg.  On top of that, you usually need one for day and one for night. Before you know it, you have a hundred dollars worth of lotions cluttering up your medicine cupboard.  In reality, a better diet and drinking more water will do more for your skin than any lotion, no matter how "specially formulated" that lotion is.

I think it is somewhat easy for us to forget that skin is an organ.  And, like all of our other organs, our skin will function better if we eat a nutrient rich diet.  The best foods for achieving beautiful, glowing, healthy skin are the orange foods because of their high vitamin A content.  Vitamin A is also useful in treating acne and psoriasis.  Canteloupe, apricots, carrots, and yams are among the best foods you can consume to improve the health of your skin. Biotin is another nutrient that can affect your skin health.  It is most commonly found in eggs and salmon.  Biotin deficiency can cause a facial rash as well as hair loss.  Omega-6 is also quite instrumental in healing damaged skin.  Omega-6 is found in avacados and nuts.  Aside from healing your skin, this powerful nutrient is also linked to good brain activity and function.

There are some foods that will actually damage your skin and/or increase eczema flare-ups.  These include pretty much all processed foods and dairy products, especially milk.

While increasing your intake of foods rich in vitamin A, biotin, and omega-6 will do a lot to improve your skin, simply eating a balanced and varied diet will also do a lot to help you out.  And, even though these foods will help you, drinking plenty of water will do just as much for you.  The other beverages we love to comsume like tea, coffee, and sodas are dehydrating.  For balance, you should drink two glasses of water for ever cup of coffee, tea, or soda consumed.

What to Know About the Juice Craze

There is a juice craze in our nation.  With the concept of juicing gaining popularity, there seems to be an influx of "health" juices crowding market refrigerators.  There are even fusion juices that claim there is a full serving of fruits and vegetables inside every serving of juice.  This is a lie.  For any juice to remain on a shelf or in a refrigerator for more than three days it has to pasteurized.  Pasteurization is excellent at killing microorganism that will make us sick.  It is also excellent at killing the enzymes and vitamins that will make us healthy.  Therefore, any bottled juice cannot contain a full serving of fruits or vegetables because the enzymes and vitamins that make those foods worth eating have been eliminated.

Juicing for health requires you to press or squeeze your own fruits and vegetables.  Advantages to making and consuming raw juice includes instant absorption of the available nutrients.  Your body doesn't have to work as hard to process carrot juice as it does to process a serving of raw carrots.  Juicing is an excellent idea for people who are facing health concerns or anyone who is having problems with a vitamin deficiency.  The problem with juicing is that it requires a commitment free of shortcuts.  Drinking juice bought off of a store shelf or out of a store refrigerator does not produce the same effect and can even lead to a vitamin deficiency.

We are a culture looking for quick fixes.  When something is wrong, we want a pill and when we are told to improve our diets we want a miracle shake.  The easiest and cheapest way for you to be the healthiest person you can possibly be is to buy and consume raw foods.  Baby carrots, nuts, and grapes require no preparation aside from washing.  These foods are ready to go any time of day and when eaten raw or made into raw juice provide you with nutrients that will help you reclaim your health.

Be cautious of marketing strategies at the store.  Just because something claims to be organic, all-natural, or vitamin rich does not mean that it is. 

Steak and Potato Syndrome: Certain Foods Cannot Be Properly Digested Together

If you are looking for the culprit behind your indigestion, acid reflux, IBS, or other similar digestive disease you likely don't need to look any further than the American "square" meal.  Your body secretes special enzymes and juices to break down food.  Protein, fat, carboyhdrates, and sugars all require different enzymes for digestion.  And, unfortunately, your body cannot secrete the various enzymes needed to digest the average meal at the same time.  Some enzymes live in acid based juices while others live in alkaline based juices.  Eating foods that produce acid along with foods that produce alkaline will inhibit the proper enzyme secretion needed to digest your entire meal.  When foods go undigested for too long because the proper enzyme is not being secreted, they ferment in the digestive tract releasing gases and eventually being converted to stored fat.  This can eventually cause nutrient deficiency and weight gain.

The most unhealthy food combination in terms of digestion is eating a high level protein with a high level carbohydrate.  I call it "steak and potato syndrome."  Eating proteins and carbs together will inhibit your ability to properly digest either food.  It is also unwise to mix proteins in the same meal.  There is not one enzyme or juice that takes care of digesting all proteins.  Each protein requires a specific enzyme and a specific time release to be digested. Eggs, nuts, cheese, and animal proteins should not be eaten together.  Sorry folks, but cheesburgers and surf and turf have got to go.

Fats inhibit the secretion of some digestive juices, specifically those required to digest proteins.  The body will naturally break down the protein first in the instance that fat and protein are in the body simultaneously.  Fats will then remain undigested in the body until the protein is fully processed, which takes about six hours.  When you eat fatty proteins like meats and nuts your body follows the same process of protein first, fat later.  This is why eating a handful of nuts can help stave off  hunger.  Because most proteins also contain a considerable amount of natural fat and take so long to digest, it is in your interest limit other fats like oil and butter so your body has time to process what is already available.

When acidic fruits are combined with carbohydrates or proteins, the result is bloating.  The body will process the acidic fruits first and delay the breakdown of protein or carbs.  As previously mentioned, protein takes several hours to digest.  Delaying the processing of protein and carbs causes more fermentation in the body which causes gas build-up and the gas build-up in turn causes the bloating.

If you eat sugar and starch together, the sugar will prevent your body from producing any of the enzymes needed to break down the starch.  That's right, pastries and danishes really are bad for your digestion.  This news makes me sad too.

There are two common foods that should never be consumed with any other foods.  These are milk and melon.  Milk is not digested in the stomach.  Because it contains protein strands that will not be broken down in the stomach, it can prevent nutrient absorption from other foods.  In general, milk is not a healthy choice for children or adults.  But, if you insist on having it, drink it seperately from meals and snacks.  If you are concerned about getting enough calcium, up your intake of dark, leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and arugula.  Melons are meant to break down rapidly in the digestive system.  If they are eaten with other foods the breakdown will be delayed and this can result in discomfort.  Any type of melon is better consumed away from meal times.

So far, this post is depressing.  It basically says to not eat anything you like.  Let's talk about some alternative combinations that will taste good and work well with your digestive system.  Instead of having your steak, chicken, or fish with a heaping pile of mashed potatoes, serve it over a nice spinach salad or alongside some asparagus, green beans, or another low starch vegetable of your choice. Some of the best news you will receive today is that it is okay to eat fat and starch together.  Go ahead and have buttered corn with your mashed potatoes (use organic butter).  Or, if you want a nutrient rich combination, feel free to stir some coconut oil into your mashed sweet potatoes.

Of course your diet should always contain a broad spectrum of nutrients.  Just remember it is best to not consume the full spectrum every time you eat.  Feel free to snack instead.  Eat smaller "meals" several times a day and make them simple.  Have a fruit salad for breakfast, a starch with a vegetable medley for lunch, and a protein with a salad for dinner.  Eat melon in between ;)

Soy Products: Friend or Foe?

In recent years, soy has become thought of as something of a wonder food.  Vegetarians near and far rely on it as a protein source.  Soy is best known for its isoflavones, which are high in antioxidants as well as being anticarcinogenic.  Isoflavones are only present in fermented soy products.  Examples of fermented soy products include miso and tempeh.  Eating fermented soy products is a good health choice.  Eating everything else made of soy, however, is another story entirely.

Unfermented soy products like soy milk, soy-based vegetarian foods, edamame, and tofu are being linked to an increasing number of health problems.  Unfermented soy contains phytates, an anti-nutrient that actually blocks vitamin and mineral absorption from other foods.  Alarmingly, magnesium, calcium, and zinc are among the mineral deficiences associated with diets high in soy.  Soy is also linked to excessive estrogen production which can cause problems with hormone imbalance and fertility. Eating excessive amounts of soy is also linked with poor thyroid function and can even cause the thryroid to become unnaturally enlarged.  Poor thyroid function, along with poor circulation is attributed to decreased libido and weight gain.

You may be thinking that cutting out soy is easy enough.  Many of you probably were never that into tofu anyway.  But, think harder.  Soy is hiding in just about every processed food on the market.  It is in your breakfast cereal, potato chips, snack crackers, some processed cheeses, fast food, frozen dinners, and canned soups.  It is difficult to come by any packaged food product that does not say either "May contain soy" or "processed in a facility that uses soy"  The truth is that we are ingesting hydrolyzed soy on a daily basis without even seeking out a soy product.  Over time the anti-nutrients are building up in our bodies and making it harder for us to get the vitamins and minerals from the healthy foods we choose.

So, next time you decide to make a vegetarian stir-fry at home, switch out the extra firm tofu for tempeh and remember that healthy proteins are also easily found in beans and sprouted grains and in bean and alfalfa sprouts.

Stressed Out? Put The Cocktail Down!

We all go through times in our lives when stress and anxiety are running the show.  There seems to always be something uncomfortable that needs to be dealt with and sometimes there seems to be a million uncomfortable things to deal with at once.  I don't know about you but my reaction to a long, trying day is usually to consume lots of coffee (my caffeine of choice) while trudging through the day, and to have a glass of wine, a beer, or a cocktail (maybe sometimes even two or three) at the end of that bad day.  When we do this, we are only making things worse for ourselves.  Stimulants can increase anxiety and associated symptoms, such as quicker heart rate.  If you really want to help yourself, simply do what you should do anyway-put the cocktail down and eat your fruits and veggies.

Green, yellow, and orange vegetables all contain nutrients that help to keep anxiety at bay.  Foods containing tryptophan such as bananas, peanut butter, sesame seeds, and nuts are also known to have a calming effect.

Next time you have a bad day, try having a spinach salad with shredded carrots, avacado and yellow bell pepper slices, and sesame seeds.  Once you are feeling a little better you can have that tempting glass of wine for dessert.

The Right Fat Won't Kill You. It Will Only Make You Stronger

Our ears are full of negative thoughts on food these days.  We hear about how obese and disease ridden our nation is.  We hear about weird dieting tricks and intense weight loss programs.  One guy comes out with a book that says eat all the fat you want, but don't eat any carbs.  Then another guy writes a book that suggests you eat all the carbs you want, but leave out fat.  Some people say to eat only or mostly protein.  My opinion is that all of this is mumbo jumbo.  Our bodies are designed for us to be omnivores and omnivores only thrive when they consume a wide variety of foods.  We need the carbs, the fats, the proteins, the vitamins, enzymes, and minerals.  We need all of it.  Maybe we should stop blaming certain groups of foods and look at the bigger picture.  Though there is an insanely vast availability of food in this country, the quality of the food leaves much to be desired.

Do you ever wonder why portion control at meals is so difficult?  I believe it can be attributed to the lack of nutrients found in the most common foods at the market.  We consume more of everything because our bodies need us too in order to get the proper amount of nutrients.  If we were to eat more nutrient dense foods that were grown organically and cooked properly, we might just naturally adjust our food portions to a more appropriate size.

Healthy fats come in many forms.  Avacados, conconuts, olives, nuts, and seeds all contain fats that our bodies need to thrive.  Most of us who do get these fats likely get them from oils pressed from these foods.  While olive oil is always a healthier choice than vegetable, canola, or corn oils, it may not be as healthy as you think.  There are two ways of extracting oil from fruits and seeds-heat pressing and expeller (or cold) pressing.  Heat pressing is the more common form used because this process produces more oil.  But, it also kills the nutrients in the oil and can even convert those nutrients to toxins.  Cold pressed oil retains those nutrients, specifically powerful antioxidants that keep the oil fresh and help our bodies to clear toxins out.

While olive oil is a fine choice to have on hand, the best oil you can use is cold pressed cocount oil.  This oil is so good for you that it is among the top ten superfoods worldwide.  First off, coconut oil has the least amount of calories compared to any other known fat source.  Coconut oil improves digestion, contains fatty acids that help fight off fungi, bacteria, and viruses, aids in absorption of the right kinds of calcium and magnesium, helps regulate the thyroid gland, regulates hormone production, helps your body properly use essential fatty acids, and increases metabolism thereby aiding in weightloss.  The effects of this oil are best felt if it isn't cooked.  While it can still make an excellent marinade, it is best used as an ingredient for salad dressing or drizzled on other foods toward the end of their cooking time.

An easy use would be to add it to a tuna or salmon salad as it will help you absorb and use the omega-3's in those foods.

The Sweet Life: Tricking Your Taste Buds With a Top Ranking Superfood

 I think  all of us Americans can agree that we live in a culture that is addicted to sugar.  We say we can't get through the day without our soft drinks.  When hungry and busy we reach for granola bars or whatever else is nicely packaged and only 100 calories per serving. We can be quick to reach for a frozen dinner.  We know these things are destroying our futures.  But, they are also destroying our daily lives.  Full of refined carbohydrates, refinded sugar, and an ingredient list that is 2/3 preservatives; these "foods" (if they even deserve such a title) actually just make us feel tired and weak.  We know they are bad.  But, we eat them anyway.  Why?  Because we are too busy, overtired, and stressed to the max.  And, in the moments when we feel we can't take it anymore, we are quick to satisfy our sugar addiction.  Worry not.  There is a way to satisfy your addiction and take excellent care of your body. 

The answer is honey.  Of the 10 top ranking superfoods, honey is the only one widely harvested in the continental U.S. and it has far more uses than a way to make your herbal tea a little more palatable.  However, like so many other foods that have been made widely available to us, not all honey is created equally.  First of all, honey is only worth your money if you buy raw honey.  Pasteurized honey does not contain any enzymes whereas raw honey is full of them.  The enzymes in raw honey are so good at fighting off infection that honey is used medicinally for ear and sinus infections and can even speed the healing of open wounds when applied directly.  Consuming raw honey is also known to aid in weight loss and helps you to absorb the minerals in other foods.  It is also very important that you use organic honey.  Bees farmed organically consume natural flower pollens from their surrounding environment.  Bees not farmed organically are often actually fed high fructose corn syrup.  Honey gets its enzymes from the pollen the bees are consuming so if you don't buy raw organic you may as well stick with that sack of white cane sugar. 

While not imperative like being organic and raw, I also recommend that you try to buy local honey.  If you consume honey made from the plants in the area where you live, the honey can actually work as a histamine blocker and reduce the effects of seasonal allergies. 

Use raw organic honey anytime you would normally use sugar or syrup.  Drizzle it over your waffles at brunch, stir it into your cookie and cake batters.  It also makes an excellent homemade salad dressing ingredient or marinade for fish or vegetables.
I find that combining a couple of tablespoons of oil with about 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice, and 2-4 tbsp of raw organic honey and 1 tsp of dried oregano makes an excellent marinade for a nice piece of wild caught salmon.

Drink Too Much Beer Yesterday? Eat This Today

I believe that today, being the day after St. Patrick’s Day, is a good day to address how to eat in order to improve liver function.  There are a million strange hangover cures out there.  I have even heard of people drinking raw eggs after an indulgent night out.  The truth is if you want to promote liver function, you need to take the protein consumption down a notch and up your plant intake.  This is a day for salads my friends, not rare steak!

The most important food to have on the menu is at least one type of cruciferous vegetable.  Examples of these include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Cruciferous vegetables are known to detoxify the liver directly.  You should also consume foods that detoxify your body in general.  Beets are good for cleaning your blood.  Fruits high in antioxidants are a good choice as well.  Easy options include apples, pears, berries, oranges, and grapefruit.  Eating these foods will keep your liver from having to work as hard.

There are a few things that are important to avoid when concerned with liver function.  Stay away from canned foods, frozen dinners, condiments, and prepared meats such as bacon and deli meat.

Try having a salad of arugula, shredded beets, chopped oranges, and broccoli florets.  Avoid preservatives by making your own dressing at home using a little olive oil and a juice or vinegar. Simply whisk the oil and acid of your choice together and pour over the salad.

 

Cabbage: Beyond the Traditional Irish and German Fare

Cabbage.  It is full of vitamin C.  In fact, cabbage contains more vitamin C than oranges.  Cabbage is also rich in Iodine which contributes to a healthier nervous system, helping you to think and learn better while reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.  Sulphur is known for helping to heal wounds and infections.  Guess what, cabbage has a lot of it too.  Beyond all this, cabbage is also a “cleansing” food.  It will rid your body of toxins, thereby promoting good skin health and even reducing eczema flare-ups in some people.

Cabbage is used in several cultures and can easily be found in your Chinese take-out, at a 4^th of July picnic, or in some delightful, traditional Irish and German dishes.  However, like the potato, cabbage is not often prepared in ways that help us get the maximum health benefit.  It is often either boiled and salted into oblivion or smothered in a dressing so full of sugar, fat, and preservatives that it could be about as healthy as a milk chocolate bar.

Vitamin C has come to be widely known as one of the most important nutrients.  Beyond being a major immune system booster, it is also helpful in treating depression.  It is also a nutrient that is easily depleted from foods by overcooking them.  While boiled cabbage isn’t at all bad for you, it is not as good for you as raw or lightly cooked cabbage.

 If you are adding it to soup, try adding the cabbage toward then end of the cooking time for your soup.  It may be a little crisper but it will retain more of the nutrients. You can also try shredding it into a salad.  I would recommend adding it to romaine lettuce or various types of field greens as iceberg lettuce is highly lacking in nutrients.

My favorite way to eat cabbage is to lightly sauté it in cold pressed olive oil with red apple slices, purple onion, and a few walnuts.  Because of the juice in the apple and the fat in the walnuts you can use less olive oil. 

Newer studies are showing that fermented foods, like sauerkraut, should be part of our diets for the purpose of ingesting healthy bacteria that will aid in proper digestion and better colon health.  Because sauerkraut is made using raw cabbage, it retains almost all of the nutrients that it began with.  Sauerkraut is also cheap and delicious.  But, you must be careful.  Sauerkraut jarred and sold from store shelves is often overly salted and full of nitrates for preservation purposes.  While most of us can easily claim we do not have time to make our own sauerkraut, it is worth your while to read labels and try to get some that has been preserved without the use of nitrates.

Exotic foods and specialty grocery stores have been gaining popularity for quite some time.  Keep in mind that when it comes to getting the best nutrients for your body; you need not look further than your local grocery store, farmer’s market, or backyard garden.

Ode to the Potato-Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Though potatoes are not native to Ireland, the Irish had it right in adopting and spreading the farming of these magnificent root vegetables.  Potatoes are filling, low in calories, high in fiber, and one of the most potassium rich foods available.  Potatoes contain 2 important phytochemicals-flavonoids and kukoamine, which are known to lower blood pressure.  They are also a good source of iron and copper, two metals associated with good heart health.  I cannot forget to point out that potatoes are also readily available and amazingly cheap.

Potatoes are getting a bad reputation these days.  “Carbs”is no longer necessarily a friendly term.  The truth is that healthy carbohydrates are an important aspect of our diets in terms of energy level.  While most of us could probably use to ease up on the white pasta, bread, and rice; we cannot afford to lose the nutrients found in carbohydrate rich vegetables and grains.

The truth is, the potato has never been the problem.  But, the way we choose to eat them certainly has room for improvement.  News Flash:  French fries are not a vegetable (fried or baked).  A baked potato smothered in salt,  butter, sour cream, and some sort of factory made cheese isn’t doing our waistlines any favors either-even if you put some broccoli on there too.

I wish I could say I understand completely that a potato on its own is simply not appetizing.  But, the truth is, I love them skin and all.  I do understand that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for this glorious food in its most original form.  So, I have a few suggestions for keeping potatoes in your life and making them worth your body’s while.

First of all, always try to bake or grill over frying.  Try dressing that big steaming baked potato with low fat or nonfat plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream and butter.  Also, if you simply can’t do without cheese-the “harder” the cheese the better.  I would suggest parmesan, pecorino, or romano cheeses.  They are more flavorful so you can use less and still get great taste.  If roasted potatoes are your thing, make sure to use cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.  Use half as much as most recipes call for and supplement with fresh squeezed lemon juice and/or vegetable stock.  You can also make mashed or whipped potatoes using the Greek yogurt in place of milk and butter.  Garlic is also a heart healthy food.  So, try spicing with that over salt.  Anytime you can add a cleansing herb like fresh cilantro or parsley you should do so.

Don’t give up on potatoes.  Foods found in nature are never the enemy.  The factory made and processed junk we add to them for “flavor” most certainly is.

I wish you a blessed and joyful St. Paddy’s day, full of wondrously healthy potatoes!

“As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction.”