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.