By Miriam Kasin Hospodar
Lemons are both purifying and nourishing, and they stimulate digestion. For reducing toxins, drink unsweetened lemonade as many times during the day as desired.
Ghee (clarified butter) is among the best rejuvenating and longevity-promoting foods. It aids digestion and calms the nerves. Ghee's rate of absorption is high, making it an excellent medium for transporting the nutrients of other foods to the tissues.
Dates and Figs are prized as excellent sources of energy. They also help build tissues. Eat one or two every day.
Almonds are nourishing and life-supporting. Ayurveda recommends blanching and peeling almonds because their skins are slightly toxic. Eat several almonds daily to increase strength and energy.
Mung Beans are among the best legumes for their supreme digestibility and health-giving qualities. They are beneficial when people are sick or otherwise in need of very light food. Mung beans are particularly nourishing when mixed with rice or other grains.
Ginger is often referred to as "the universal medicine." It promotes good digestion and helps remove ama. Dried ground ginger is more concentrated in its flavor and its effects. To aid digestion, sprinkle a thin slice of fresh ginger with lemon juice and salt, and eat one-half hour before a meal.
Cumin Seeds serve as a digestive aid and ama-reducer for all doshas. To help remove toxins, start the day by drinking warm water mixed with a pinch of powdered cumin and ginger.
Lassi is a beverage prepared by mixing one part yogurt into two parts water. It is an excellent nutritive digestive aid, taken during or after a meal. You can flavor lassi either with raw sugar or honey and a little ground cardamom, or with toasted ground cumin seeds and salt.
Juicy, Seasonal Fruits are both highly nutritive and purifying. Juicy fruits should be completely ripe for maximum healing value.
Green, Leafy Vegetables are both nutritive and purifying. Their bitter flavor stimulates the liver, helps balance blood sugar, and aids skin conditions. Prepare with a little ghee or oil.
Cow's Milk is considered a vitalizer by Ayurveda and recommended for those emaciated after injury. Ayurveda recommends bringing milk to a full boil to remove the qualities that can cause excess mucus. To further reduce milk's clogging qualities, add a pinch of ginger and/or black pepper. Also, milk should be imbibed separately from foods with any taste other than sweet.
Water is universally beneficial for everyone, and assists virtually all healing. It promotes digestion and, when imbibed while hot, is particularly effective for removing ama.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Think Outside The Box
Fruits and Vegetables: Thinking out of the Box
Start thinking about making different choices from some of the "ordinary" fruits and vegetbles we typically eat. Enjoy!
The five best fruits and vegetables to eat:
1. Sweet potatoes instead of carrots
2. Papaya instead of oranges
3. Raspberries instead of strawberries
4. Watercress instead of mustard
5. Kale instead of spinachWhy switch?•
Sweet potatoes have nearly twice as much beta-carotene as carrots.
Papaya has 15 times more beta-cryptoxanthin than oranges.
Raspberries have three times more ellagic acid than strawberries.
One cup of watercress contains as much isothiocyanate as four teaspoonfuls of mustard.
Kale has three times more lutein/zeaxanthin than spinach
Start thinking about making different choices from some of the "ordinary" fruits and vegetbles we typically eat. Enjoy!
The five best fruits and vegetables to eat:
1. Sweet potatoes instead of carrots
2. Papaya instead of oranges
3. Raspberries instead of strawberries
4. Watercress instead of mustard
5. Kale instead of spinachWhy switch?•
Sweet potatoes have nearly twice as much beta-carotene as carrots.
Papaya has 15 times more beta-cryptoxanthin than oranges.
Raspberries have three times more ellagic acid than strawberries.
One cup of watercress contains as much isothiocyanate as four teaspoonfuls of mustard.
Kale has three times more lutein/zeaxanthin than spinach
Friday, August 27, 2010
10 Reasons To Learn Sustainable Home cooking
1. It's Economical: When you cook yourself, you are saving money,
So, when you cook, you are saving money, and when you cook sustaibly, you're taking those savings to the next level. You're using Locally raised and produced food so you're not footing the bill for transporting Ingredients across the country or around the globe. You learn to "use the whole thing". The bones from tonight's chicken and trimmings from fresh Vegetables can be transformed into a rich stock, the perfect starting point for a pot of delicious and nutritious homemade soup. If you compost and do any gardening some of your dinner waste can be repurposed as free Fertilizer.
2.
It’s safer. T hink about what you DON’T want to find in tonight's dinner- sickening Bacteria, toxic pesticides. When you cook, you have more control over what goes into your body. By buying Organic sustainably raised or minimally treated meat, dairy and produce, you can dramatically reduce your consumption of food contaminated by Chemical Fertilizers, hormones or antibiotics. Once you're in the kitchen, chances are you won't choose a recipe calling for artificial color, artificial flavor, or preservatives.
3. It's Healthier: You have control over the nutritional value of the foods you prepare. Locally grown nutricional value of the foods you prepare. Locally grown food is fresher by definition, which also means it's more nutritious. Cooking methods also count. For Example, Roasting a vegetable preserve vitamins that are wasted by Boiling it: also by not peeling some fruits and vegetables it provides additional vitamins. Watching your salt or sugar intake? Keeping an eye on fats or Carbs? You're in control of all these when you cook.
4. It taste better. We're losing our palates to our industrialized food system. Not so long ago, herbs and spices and sugar were used to enhance the flavor in our food. But in recent decades our taste buds have been corrupted through the use of cheap chemicals and corn syrup to fill that role. We've forgotten how wonderfully delicious fresh food tastes as we've become acclimated to food that's polluted with preservatives. The more you cook the more you'll learn that sustainable, local ingredients just taste better. Let the food do some of the work for you. Take back your palate so you can take back your plate.
5. It taste like you want it to. When you're doing your own cooking, you can customize the flavor to suit your own or your family's preferences. Want some more spice in your cooking? Want a new spin on your spinach salad? The world is your oyster! Once you get the hang of it, experimentation is the name of the game. And as you learn to cook sustainably, you'll begin to find the intersection of which tastes you like and that of your family. Also which foods are healhty for you.
6. It's satisfying, You'll discover that you get the same sense of satisfaction from learning to cook sustainably that many people get from working out You'll feel confident that by preparing healthy meals with local ingredients, you're doing something good for yourself and your family.
7. It will make reducing your meat consumption much easier. Lots of people are pleding to cut out meant one day a week for their own Health and for the health of the planet. At www.meatlessmonday.com you'll learn that going meatless once a week reduces your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. It also reduces your carbon footprint and saves precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel. But if it's a challenge to find appeling vegetarin choices at a restaurant or your supermarket, learning to cook is the answer! Before you know it, you'll be cooking your own special signature meatless dish whether it's a twist on an old standby or a tasty recipe that started out meat meat-free.
8. If the good Food movement is to succeed, it will be through our children. Invite them to participate in cooking. Kids love to "play" in the kitchen and there are dozends of ways they can be involved- From reading a recipe to washing produce to mixing ingredients to decorating cookies. Take kids shopping at Farmers' markets so they can see where those ingredients come from or buy from a co-op so they can see where those ingredients come from that they will be preparing later on. Even better, take them to a farm so they follow the trail from the beginning! They will learn by example and in a generation, healthy, sustainable home cooking will once again be the norm and not the exception
9. It will enrich your life. Involve friends in a sustainable dinner party. It's a perfect opportunity to build a community and spread the word, Join a co-op with friends and family.
Have potluck dinner and remember that sharing a meal together with family or friends reinforces a precious bond. You'll discover how the simple act of engagin in face to face conversation over a repast you've created yourself can become a meaningful part of your lives.
10. It will make a statement, Learning to cook sustainably is an opportunity to vote with your frying pan while you lobby with your fork make it your special way of furthering values you belive in Responsibily for our health, Love taking control of what goes onto our plate, and taking away some of the bloated power of industrialized agribusiness.
Article by: Sustainable Table
So, when you cook, you are saving money, and when you cook sustaibly, you're taking those savings to the next level. You're using Locally raised and produced food so you're not footing the bill for transporting Ingredients across the country or around the globe. You learn to "use the whole thing". The bones from tonight's chicken and trimmings from fresh Vegetables can be transformed into a rich stock, the perfect starting point for a pot of delicious and nutritious homemade soup. If you compost and do any gardening some of your dinner waste can be repurposed as free Fertilizer.
2.
It’s safer. T hink about what you DON’T want to find in tonight's dinner- sickening Bacteria, toxic pesticides. When you cook, you have more control over what goes into your body. By buying Organic sustainably raised or minimally treated meat, dairy and produce, you can dramatically reduce your consumption of food contaminated by Chemical Fertilizers, hormones or antibiotics. Once you're in the kitchen, chances are you won't choose a recipe calling for artificial color, artificial flavor, or preservatives.
3. It's Healthier: You have control over the nutritional value of the foods you prepare. Locally grown nutricional value of the foods you prepare. Locally grown food is fresher by definition, which also means it's more nutritious. Cooking methods also count. For Example, Roasting a vegetable preserve vitamins that are wasted by Boiling it: also by not peeling some fruits and vegetables it provides additional vitamins. Watching your salt or sugar intake? Keeping an eye on fats or Carbs? You're in control of all these when you cook.
4. It taste better. We're losing our palates to our industrialized food system. Not so long ago, herbs and spices and sugar were used to enhance the flavor in our food. But in recent decades our taste buds have been corrupted through the use of cheap chemicals and corn syrup to fill that role. We've forgotten how wonderfully delicious fresh food tastes as we've become acclimated to food that's polluted with preservatives. The more you cook the more you'll learn that sustainable, local ingredients just taste better. Let the food do some of the work for you. Take back your palate so you can take back your plate.
5. It taste like you want it to. When you're doing your own cooking, you can customize the flavor to suit your own or your family's preferences. Want some more spice in your cooking? Want a new spin on your spinach salad? The world is your oyster! Once you get the hang of it, experimentation is the name of the game. And as you learn to cook sustainably, you'll begin to find the intersection of which tastes you like and that of your family. Also which foods are healhty for you.
6. It's satisfying, You'll discover that you get the same sense of satisfaction from learning to cook sustainably that many people get from working out You'll feel confident that by preparing healthy meals with local ingredients, you're doing something good for yourself and your family.
7. It will make reducing your meat consumption much easier. Lots of people are pleding to cut out meant one day a week for their own Health and for the health of the planet. At www.meatlessmonday.com you'll learn that going meatless once a week reduces your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. It also reduces your carbon footprint and saves precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel. But if it's a challenge to find appeling vegetarin choices at a restaurant or your supermarket, learning to cook is the answer! Before you know it, you'll be cooking your own special signature meatless dish whether it's a twist on an old standby or a tasty recipe that started out meat meat-free.
8. If the good Food movement is to succeed, it will be through our children. Invite them to participate in cooking. Kids love to "play" in the kitchen and there are dozends of ways they can be involved- From reading a recipe to washing produce to mixing ingredients to decorating cookies. Take kids shopping at Farmers' markets so they can see where those ingredients come from or buy from a co-op so they can see where those ingredients come from that they will be preparing later on. Even better, take them to a farm so they follow the trail from the beginning! They will learn by example and in a generation, healthy, sustainable home cooking will once again be the norm and not the exception
9. It will enrich your life. Involve friends in a sustainable dinner party. It's a perfect opportunity to build a community and spread the word, Join a co-op with friends and family.
Have potluck dinner and remember that sharing a meal together with family or friends reinforces a precious bond. You'll discover how the simple act of engagin in face to face conversation over a repast you've created yourself can become a meaningful part of your lives.
10. It will make a statement, Learning to cook sustainably is an opportunity to vote with your frying pan while you lobby with your fork make it your special way of furthering values you belive in Responsibily for our health, Love taking control of what goes onto our plate, and taking away some of the bloated power of industrialized agribusiness.
Article by: Sustainable Table
Baked Swiss Chard with Olive Oil and Parmesan
(Makes 2 side dish servings, can be doubled. Recipe slightly adapted from Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop.)
1 bunch chard stems
1/4 tsp. saltolive oil for spraying pan and chard
1/4 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese
coarse ground black pepper to taste
Trim any discolored ends from chard stems, then cut stems on an angle into pieces about 3 inches long. If some stems are very thick, you may wish to cut them lengthwise so all pieces are approximately the same thickness.Preheat oven to 400 F (or 375 F with convection.) Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and chard stems and boil about 6 minutes. Let chard drain well.Spray a non-stick baking dish with olive oil. Place chard in the pan and mist lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with cheese. (If doubling the recipe, make two layers, misting each layer with oil and sprinkling with cheese.) Bake about 20 minutes, or until chard is softened and cheese is slightly browned on the edges. Season with fresh ground black pepper if desired and serve hot.
1 bunch chard stems
1/4 tsp. saltolive oil for spraying pan and chard
1/4 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese
coarse ground black pepper to taste
Trim any discolored ends from chard stems, then cut stems on an angle into pieces about 3 inches long. If some stems are very thick, you may wish to cut them lengthwise so all pieces are approximately the same thickness.Preheat oven to 400 F (or 375 F with convection.) Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and chard stems and boil about 6 minutes. Let chard drain well.Spray a non-stick baking dish with olive oil. Place chard in the pan and mist lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with cheese. (If doubling the recipe, make two layers, misting each layer with oil and sprinkling with cheese.) Bake about 20 minutes, or until chard is softened and cheese is slightly browned on the edges. Season with fresh ground black pepper if desired and serve hot.
How Healthy is Swiss Chard?
Swiss chard
Similar to spinach and beets with a flavor that is bitter, pungent and slightly salty, Swiss chard is truly one of the vegetable valedictorians with its exceptionally impressive list of health promoting nutrients. Although Swiss chard is available throughout the year, its season runs from June through August when it is at its best and in the greatest abundance at your local supermarket.
Swiss chard, along with kale, mustard greens and collard greens, is one of several leafy green vegetables often referred to as "greens". It is a tall leafy green vegetable with a thick, crunchy stalk that comes in white, red or yellow with wide fan-like green leaves. Chard belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and shares a similar taste profile: it has the bitterness of beet greens and the slightly salty flavor of spinach leaves. Both the leaves and stalk of chard are edible, although the stems vary in texture with the white ones being the most tender.
This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Swiss chard provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Swiss chard .
Health Benefits
Both the leaves and the roots of Swiss chard have been the subject of fascinating health studies. The combination of traditional nutrients, phytonutrients (particularly anthocyans), plus fiber in this food seems particularly effective in preventing digestive tract cancers. Several research studies on chard focus specifically on colon cancer, where the incidence of precancerous lesions in animals has been found to be significantly reduced following dietary intake of Swiss chard extracts or fibers. Preliminary animal research also suggests that Swiss chard may confer a protective effect on the kidneys of those with diabetes through reducing serum urea and creatinine levels.
If vegetables got grades for traditional nutrients alone, Swiss chard would be one of the vegetable valedictorians. The vitamin and mineral profile of this leafy green vegetable contains enough "excellents" to ensure its place at the head of the vegetable Dean's List. Our rating system awards Swiss chard with excellent marks for its concentrations of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. Swiss chard also emerges as a very good or good source of copper, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, protein, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
Helping You Bone Up
The vitamin K provided by Swiss chard-306.3% of the daily value in one cup of cooked Swiss chard-is important for maintaining bone health. Vitamin K1 helps prevent excessive activation of osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone. Addiitonally, friendly bacteria in our intestines convert K1 into K2, the form of vitamin K that activates osteocalcin, the major non-collagen protein in bone. Osteocalcin anchors calcium molecules inside of the bone.
Swiss Chard Gets an A+ for its Pro-vitamin A
Our food ranking system qualified Swiss chard as an excellent source of vitamin A on account of its concentrated beta-carotene content. Once inside the body, beta-carotene can be converted into vitamin A, so when you eat Swiss chard, it's like getting both these beneficial nutrients at once. One cup of Swiss chard contains just 35 calories, but provides 109.9% of the daily value for vitamin A.
Both vitamin A and beta-carotene are important vision nutrients. In a study of over 50,000 female nurses aged 45 to 67, those who consumed the highest dietary amount of vitamin A had a 39% reduced risk of developing cataracts.
Beta-carotene has also been the subject of extensive research in relationship to cancer prevention and prevention of oxygen-based damage to cells. Beta-carotene may help to protect against certain forms of cancer since it belongs to the family of phytonutrients known as carotenoids. In population studies, consuming foods high in carotenoids is consistently found to be associated with a lower risk for various epithelial cancers. (The epithelium includes the cells that cover the entire surface of the body and line most of the internal organs.) In one Australian study, researchers examined the diets of men who had been treated for skin cancer and those without cancer. The researchers found that men who ate more foods rich in beta-carotene, like Swiss chard, had a statistically lower risk of developing skin cancer.
Promotes Lung Health
If you or someone you love is a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, then making vitamin A-rich foods, such as Swiss chard, part of your healthy way of eating may save your life, suggests research conducted at Kansas State University.
While studying the relationship between vitamin A, lung inflammation, and emphysema, Richard Baybutt, associate professor of nutrition at Kansas State, made a surprising discovery: a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo(a)pyrene, induces vitamin A deficiency.
Baybutt's earlier research had shown that laboratory animals fed a vitamin A-deficient diet developed emphysema. His latest animal studies indicate that not only does the benzo(a)pyrene in cigarette smoke cause vitamin A deficiency, but that a diet rich in vitamin A can help counter this effect, thus greatly reducing emphysema.
Baybutt believes vitamin A's protective effects may help explain why some smokers do not develop emphysema. "There are a lot of people who live to be 90 years old and are smokers," he said. "Why? Probably because of their diet…The implications are that those who start smoking at an early age are more likely to become vitamin A deficient and develop complications associated with cancer and emphysema. And if they have a poor diet, forget it."
If you or someone you love smokes, or if your work necessitates exposure to second hand smoke, protect yourself by making sure that at least one of the World's Healthiest Foods that are rich in vitamin A, such as Swiss chard, is a daily part of your healthy way of eating.
Bone Up on Swiss Chard
Magnesium, yet another nutrient on Swiss chard's "Excellent Source" list, helps regulate nerve and muscle tone by balancing the action of calcium. In many nerve cells, magnesium serves as Nature's own calcium channel blocker, preventing calcium from rushing into the nerve cell and activating the nerve. By blocking calcium's entry, magnesium keeps our nerves (and the blood vessels and muscles they enervate) relaxed. If our diet provides us with too little magnesium, however, calcium can gain free entry, and the nerve cell can become overactivated, sending too many messages and causing excessive contraction. Insufficient magnesium can thus contribute to high blood pressure, muscle spasms (including spasms of the heart muscle or the spasms of the airways symptomatic of asthma), and migraine headaches, as well as muscle cramps, tension, soreness and fatigue.
Magnesium, as well as calcium, is necessary for healthy bones. About two-thirds of the magnesium in the human body is found in our bones. Some helps give bones their physical structure, while the rest is found on the surface of the bone where it is stored for the body to draw upon as needed.
A cup of cooked Swiss chard will give you 37.6% of the daily value for magnesium along with 10.2% of the daily value for calcium.
A Healthy Dose of Vitamin C for Antioxidant Protection and Immune Support
Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamin C-just one cup of this cooked vegetable supplies 52.5% of the daily value for vitamin C. Vitamin C is the primary water-soluble antioxidant in the body, disarming free radicals and preventing damage in the aqueous environment both inside and outside cells. Inside cells, a potential result of free radical damage to DNA is cancer. Especially in areas of the body where cellular turnover is especially rapid, such as the digestive system, preventing DNA mutations translates into preventing cancer. This is why a good intake of vitamin C is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.
Free radical damage to other cellular structures and other molecules can result in painful inflammation, as the body tries to clear out the damaged parts. Vitamin C, which prevents the free radical damage that triggers the inflammatory cascade, is thus also associated with reduced severity of inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Free radicals also oxidize cholesterol. Only after being oxidized does cholesterol stick to artery walls, building up in plaques that may eventually grow large enough to impede or fully block blood flow, or rupture to cause a heart attack or stroke. Since vitamin C can neutralize free radicals, it can help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol.
Vitamin C, which is also vital for the proper function of a healthy immune system, is good for preventing colds and may be helpful in preventing recurrent ear infections.
Protect Your Heart with Potassium
An important electrolyte involved in nerve transmission and the contraction of all muscles including the heart, potassium is essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Swiss chard can promote your cardiovascular health by being an excellent source of not only magnesium but potassium, too. A one cup serving of Swiss chard provides 27.4% of the daily value for potassium along with its aforementioned 47% of the daily value for magnesium, making Swiss chard an especially good choice to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis.
The effectiveness of potassium-rich foods such as Swiss chard in lowering blood pressure has been demonstrated by a number of studies. For example, researchers tracked over 40,000 American male health professionals over four years to determine the effects of diet on blood pressure. Men who ate diets higher in potassium-rich foods, as well as foods high in magnesium and fiber-also well provided by Swiss chard - had a substantially reduced risk of stroke.
Iron for Energy
Swiss chard is an excellent source of iron, a mineral so vital to the health of the human body that it is found in every human cell. Iron is primarily linked with protein to form the oxygen-carrying molecule hemoglobin, which is why insufficient iron can quickly translate into anemia. Iron enhances oxygen distribution throughout your body, keeps your immune system healthy and helps your body produce energy. A cup of Swiss chard supplies 22.0% of the daily value for iron.
Anti-Inflammatory and Cardiovascular Benefits from Swiss Chard's Vitamin E
Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamin E, the body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin E travels throughout the body neutralizing free radicals that would otherwise damage fat-containing structures and molecules, such as cell membranes, brain cells, and cholesterol. By protecting these cellular and molecular components, vitamin E has significant anti-inflammatory effects that result in the reduction of symptoms in asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, conditions where free radicals and inflammation play a big role. Vitamin E has also been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer, help decrease the severity and frequency of hot flashes in women going through menopause, and help reduce the development of diabetic complications.
In addition, vitamin E plays an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Vitamin E is one of the main antioxidants found in cholesterol particles and helps prevent free radicals from oxidizing cholesterol. Only after it has been oxidized is cholesterol able to adhere to blood vessel walls and initiate the process of atherosclerosis, which can lead to blocked arteries, heart attack, or stroke. Getting plenty of vitamin E can significantly reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis. In fact, studies show that people who get a good amount of vitamin E are at a much lower risk of dying of a heart attack than people whose dietary intake of vitamin E is marginal or inadequate. Just a cup of cooked Swiss chard contains 16.6% of the daily value for vitamin E.
An Excellent Source of Fiber
Swiss chard's health benefits continue with its fiber; a cup of Swiss chard provides 14.7% of the daily value for fiber, which has been shown to reduce high cholesterol levels thus helping to prevent atherosclerosis. Fiber can also help out by keeping blood sugar levels under control, so Swiss chard is an excellent vegetable for people with diabetes. Swiss chard's fiber binds to cancer-causing chemicals, keeping them away from the cells lining the colon, providing yet another line of protection from colon cancer.
Manganese-Energy Production Plus Antioxidant Protection
That same cup of Swiss chard will also provide you with 29.0% of the day's needs for manganese. This trace mineral helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates, and is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids that are important for a healthy nervous system and in the production of cholesterol that is used by the body to produce sex hormones. Manganese is also a critical component of an important antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is found exclusively inside the body's mitochondria (the oxygen-based energy factories inside most of our cells) where it provides protection against damage from the free radicals produced during energy production.
Cardiovascular Protection Brought to You By Swiss Chard's Riboflavin and B6
A cofactor in the reaction that regenerates glutathione, riboflavin help ensure adequate levels of one of the body's most important antioxidants. Among glutathione's many beneficial activities, it protects lipids like cholesterol from free radical attack. Only after it has been damaged by free radicals does cholesterol pose a threat to blood vessel walls. In addition, riboflavin is necessary for proper functioning of B6. Vitamin B6 is involved in an important cellular process called methylation at the juncture where homocysteine, a dangerous molecule that can directly damage blood vessel walls, is converted into a helpful amino acid, methionine. Without riboflavin's assistance, vitamin B6 cannot change into the active form in which it catalyzes this conversion. Once again, we can rely on Swiss chard, which supplies us with both nutrients. A cup of Swiss chard contains 8.8% of the daily value for riboflavin along with 7.5% of the daily value for vitamin B6.
Vitamin E-rich Leafy Greens Slow Loss of Mental Function
Mental performance normally declines with age, but the results of Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP) suggest that eating just 3 servings of green leafy, yellow and cruciferous vegetables each day could slow this decline by 40%, suggests a study in the journal Neurology (Morris MC, Evans DA, et al.) Compared to people who consumed less than one serving of vegetables a day, people who ate at least 2.8 servings of vegetables a day saw their rate of cognitive decline slow by roughly 40%. This decrease is equivalent to about five years of younger age, said lead author Martha Clare Morris, ScD, with Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
The prospective cohort study, funded by the National Institute of Aging, used dietary data from 3,718 participants (62% female, 60% African American, average age 74). Mental function was assessed with four different tests: the East Boston Tests of immediate memory and delayed recall, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, taken at the start of the study and then again after 3 and 6 years.
After adjusting the results for potential confounders such as age, sex, race, education, and cardiovascular risk factors, the researchers found that consuming an average of 2.8 vegetable servings each day was associated with a 40% decrease in cognitive decline, compared to those who ate an average of less than one (0.9) serving a day. Of the different types of vegetables, green leafy vegetables had the strongest association, said Dr. Morris.
Surprisingly, no relationship was found between fruit consumption and cognitive decline.
Morris hypothesizes that this may be due to the fact that vegetables, but not fruits, contain high amounts of vitamin E, which helps lower the risk of cognitive decline. Also, vegetables, but not fruits, are typically consumed with a little fat, such as olive oil or salad dressing, which increases the body's ability to absorb vitamin E.
The Rush University researchers plan further research to understand why fruit appears to have little effect and to explore the effects of citrus fruit, specifically, on cognitive decline.
Bottomline: If you remember to enjoy at least 3 servings of leafy greens each day, you are much more likely to remember other things as well!
Description
Chard is a tall leafy green vegetable commonly referred to as Swiss chard and scientifically known as Beta vulgaris. Chard has a thick, crunchy stalk to which fan-like wide green leaves are attached. The leaves may either be smooth or curly, depending upon the variety, and feature lighter-colored ribs running throughout. The stalk, which can measure almost two feet in length, comes in a variety of colors including white, red, yellow and orange. Sometimes, in the market, different colored varieties will be bunched together and labeled "rainbow chard."
Chard belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and shares a similar taste profile: it has the bitterness of beet greens and the slightly salty flavor of spinach leaves. Both the leaves and stalk of chard are edible, although the stems vary in texture with the white ones being the most tender.
History
Swiss chard isn't native to Switzerland, but the Swiss botanist Koch determined the scientific name of this plant in the 19th century and since then, its name has honored his homeland. The actual homeland of chard lies further south, in the Mediterranean region, and in fact, the Greek philosopher, Aristotle wrote about chard in the fourth century B.C. This is not surprising given the fact that the ancient Greeks, and later the Romans, honored chard for its medicinal properties. Chard got its common name from another Mediterranean vegetable, cardoon, a celery-like plant with thick stalks that resemble those of chard. The French got the two confused and called them both "carde."
How to Select and Store
Choose chard that is held in a chilled display as this will help to ensure that it has a crunchier texture and sweeter taste. Look for leaves that are vivid green in color and that do not display any browning or yellowing. The leaves should not be wilted nor should they have tiny holes. The stalks should look crisp and be unblemished.
To store, place unwashed chard in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. It will keep fresh for several days. If you have large batches of chard, you can blanch the leaves and then freeze them.
Article By The worlds Healthiest Foods.
Similar to spinach and beets with a flavor that is bitter, pungent and slightly salty, Swiss chard is truly one of the vegetable valedictorians with its exceptionally impressive list of health promoting nutrients. Although Swiss chard is available throughout the year, its season runs from June through August when it is at its best and in the greatest abundance at your local supermarket.
Swiss chard, along with kale, mustard greens and collard greens, is one of several leafy green vegetables often referred to as "greens". It is a tall leafy green vegetable with a thick, crunchy stalk that comes in white, red or yellow with wide fan-like green leaves. Chard belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and shares a similar taste profile: it has the bitterness of beet greens and the slightly salty flavor of spinach leaves. Both the leaves and stalk of chard are edible, although the stems vary in texture with the white ones being the most tender.
This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Swiss chard provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Swiss chard .
Health Benefits
Both the leaves and the roots of Swiss chard have been the subject of fascinating health studies. The combination of traditional nutrients, phytonutrients (particularly anthocyans), plus fiber in this food seems particularly effective in preventing digestive tract cancers. Several research studies on chard focus specifically on colon cancer, where the incidence of precancerous lesions in animals has been found to be significantly reduced following dietary intake of Swiss chard extracts or fibers. Preliminary animal research also suggests that Swiss chard may confer a protective effect on the kidneys of those with diabetes through reducing serum urea and creatinine levels.
If vegetables got grades for traditional nutrients alone, Swiss chard would be one of the vegetable valedictorians. The vitamin and mineral profile of this leafy green vegetable contains enough "excellents" to ensure its place at the head of the vegetable Dean's List. Our rating system awards Swiss chard with excellent marks for its concentrations of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. Swiss chard also emerges as a very good or good source of copper, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, protein, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
Helping You Bone Up
The vitamin K provided by Swiss chard-306.3% of the daily value in one cup of cooked Swiss chard-is important for maintaining bone health. Vitamin K1 helps prevent excessive activation of osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone. Addiitonally, friendly bacteria in our intestines convert K1 into K2, the form of vitamin K that activates osteocalcin, the major non-collagen protein in bone. Osteocalcin anchors calcium molecules inside of the bone.
Swiss Chard Gets an A+ for its Pro-vitamin A
Our food ranking system qualified Swiss chard as an excellent source of vitamin A on account of its concentrated beta-carotene content. Once inside the body, beta-carotene can be converted into vitamin A, so when you eat Swiss chard, it's like getting both these beneficial nutrients at once. One cup of Swiss chard contains just 35 calories, but provides 109.9% of the daily value for vitamin A.
Both vitamin A and beta-carotene are important vision nutrients. In a study of over 50,000 female nurses aged 45 to 67, those who consumed the highest dietary amount of vitamin A had a 39% reduced risk of developing cataracts.
Beta-carotene has also been the subject of extensive research in relationship to cancer prevention and prevention of oxygen-based damage to cells. Beta-carotene may help to protect against certain forms of cancer since it belongs to the family of phytonutrients known as carotenoids. In population studies, consuming foods high in carotenoids is consistently found to be associated with a lower risk for various epithelial cancers. (The epithelium includes the cells that cover the entire surface of the body and line most of the internal organs.) In one Australian study, researchers examined the diets of men who had been treated for skin cancer and those without cancer. The researchers found that men who ate more foods rich in beta-carotene, like Swiss chard, had a statistically lower risk of developing skin cancer.
Promotes Lung Health
If you or someone you love is a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, then making vitamin A-rich foods, such as Swiss chard, part of your healthy way of eating may save your life, suggests research conducted at Kansas State University.
While studying the relationship between vitamin A, lung inflammation, and emphysema, Richard Baybutt, associate professor of nutrition at Kansas State, made a surprising discovery: a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo(a)pyrene, induces vitamin A deficiency.
Baybutt's earlier research had shown that laboratory animals fed a vitamin A-deficient diet developed emphysema. His latest animal studies indicate that not only does the benzo(a)pyrene in cigarette smoke cause vitamin A deficiency, but that a diet rich in vitamin A can help counter this effect, thus greatly reducing emphysema.
Baybutt believes vitamin A's protective effects may help explain why some smokers do not develop emphysema. "There are a lot of people who live to be 90 years old and are smokers," he said. "Why? Probably because of their diet…The implications are that those who start smoking at an early age are more likely to become vitamin A deficient and develop complications associated with cancer and emphysema. And if they have a poor diet, forget it."
If you or someone you love smokes, or if your work necessitates exposure to second hand smoke, protect yourself by making sure that at least one of the World's Healthiest Foods that are rich in vitamin A, such as Swiss chard, is a daily part of your healthy way of eating.
Bone Up on Swiss Chard
Magnesium, yet another nutrient on Swiss chard's "Excellent Source" list, helps regulate nerve and muscle tone by balancing the action of calcium. In many nerve cells, magnesium serves as Nature's own calcium channel blocker, preventing calcium from rushing into the nerve cell and activating the nerve. By blocking calcium's entry, magnesium keeps our nerves (and the blood vessels and muscles they enervate) relaxed. If our diet provides us with too little magnesium, however, calcium can gain free entry, and the nerve cell can become overactivated, sending too many messages and causing excessive contraction. Insufficient magnesium can thus contribute to high blood pressure, muscle spasms (including spasms of the heart muscle or the spasms of the airways symptomatic of asthma), and migraine headaches, as well as muscle cramps, tension, soreness and fatigue.
Magnesium, as well as calcium, is necessary for healthy bones. About two-thirds of the magnesium in the human body is found in our bones. Some helps give bones their physical structure, while the rest is found on the surface of the bone where it is stored for the body to draw upon as needed.
A cup of cooked Swiss chard will give you 37.6% of the daily value for magnesium along with 10.2% of the daily value for calcium.
A Healthy Dose of Vitamin C for Antioxidant Protection and Immune Support
Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamin C-just one cup of this cooked vegetable supplies 52.5% of the daily value for vitamin C. Vitamin C is the primary water-soluble antioxidant in the body, disarming free radicals and preventing damage in the aqueous environment both inside and outside cells. Inside cells, a potential result of free radical damage to DNA is cancer. Especially in areas of the body where cellular turnover is especially rapid, such as the digestive system, preventing DNA mutations translates into preventing cancer. This is why a good intake of vitamin C is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.
Free radical damage to other cellular structures and other molecules can result in painful inflammation, as the body tries to clear out the damaged parts. Vitamin C, which prevents the free radical damage that triggers the inflammatory cascade, is thus also associated with reduced severity of inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Free radicals also oxidize cholesterol. Only after being oxidized does cholesterol stick to artery walls, building up in plaques that may eventually grow large enough to impede or fully block blood flow, or rupture to cause a heart attack or stroke. Since vitamin C can neutralize free radicals, it can help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol.
Vitamin C, which is also vital for the proper function of a healthy immune system, is good for preventing colds and may be helpful in preventing recurrent ear infections.
Protect Your Heart with Potassium
An important electrolyte involved in nerve transmission and the contraction of all muscles including the heart, potassium is essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Swiss chard can promote your cardiovascular health by being an excellent source of not only magnesium but potassium, too. A one cup serving of Swiss chard provides 27.4% of the daily value for potassium along with its aforementioned 47% of the daily value for magnesium, making Swiss chard an especially good choice to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis.
The effectiveness of potassium-rich foods such as Swiss chard in lowering blood pressure has been demonstrated by a number of studies. For example, researchers tracked over 40,000 American male health professionals over four years to determine the effects of diet on blood pressure. Men who ate diets higher in potassium-rich foods, as well as foods high in magnesium and fiber-also well provided by Swiss chard - had a substantially reduced risk of stroke.
Iron for Energy
Swiss chard is an excellent source of iron, a mineral so vital to the health of the human body that it is found in every human cell. Iron is primarily linked with protein to form the oxygen-carrying molecule hemoglobin, which is why insufficient iron can quickly translate into anemia. Iron enhances oxygen distribution throughout your body, keeps your immune system healthy and helps your body produce energy. A cup of Swiss chard supplies 22.0% of the daily value for iron.
Anti-Inflammatory and Cardiovascular Benefits from Swiss Chard's Vitamin E
Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamin E, the body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin E travels throughout the body neutralizing free radicals that would otherwise damage fat-containing structures and molecules, such as cell membranes, brain cells, and cholesterol. By protecting these cellular and molecular components, vitamin E has significant anti-inflammatory effects that result in the reduction of symptoms in asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, conditions where free radicals and inflammation play a big role. Vitamin E has also been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer, help decrease the severity and frequency of hot flashes in women going through menopause, and help reduce the development of diabetic complications.
In addition, vitamin E plays an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Vitamin E is one of the main antioxidants found in cholesterol particles and helps prevent free radicals from oxidizing cholesterol. Only after it has been oxidized is cholesterol able to adhere to blood vessel walls and initiate the process of atherosclerosis, which can lead to blocked arteries, heart attack, or stroke. Getting plenty of vitamin E can significantly reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis. In fact, studies show that people who get a good amount of vitamin E are at a much lower risk of dying of a heart attack than people whose dietary intake of vitamin E is marginal or inadequate. Just a cup of cooked Swiss chard contains 16.6% of the daily value for vitamin E.
An Excellent Source of Fiber
Swiss chard's health benefits continue with its fiber; a cup of Swiss chard provides 14.7% of the daily value for fiber, which has been shown to reduce high cholesterol levels thus helping to prevent atherosclerosis. Fiber can also help out by keeping blood sugar levels under control, so Swiss chard is an excellent vegetable for people with diabetes. Swiss chard's fiber binds to cancer-causing chemicals, keeping them away from the cells lining the colon, providing yet another line of protection from colon cancer.
Manganese-Energy Production Plus Antioxidant Protection
That same cup of Swiss chard will also provide you with 29.0% of the day's needs for manganese. This trace mineral helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates, and is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids that are important for a healthy nervous system and in the production of cholesterol that is used by the body to produce sex hormones. Manganese is also a critical component of an important antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is found exclusively inside the body's mitochondria (the oxygen-based energy factories inside most of our cells) where it provides protection against damage from the free radicals produced during energy production.
Cardiovascular Protection Brought to You By Swiss Chard's Riboflavin and B6
A cofactor in the reaction that regenerates glutathione, riboflavin help ensure adequate levels of one of the body's most important antioxidants. Among glutathione's many beneficial activities, it protects lipids like cholesterol from free radical attack. Only after it has been damaged by free radicals does cholesterol pose a threat to blood vessel walls. In addition, riboflavin is necessary for proper functioning of B6. Vitamin B6 is involved in an important cellular process called methylation at the juncture where homocysteine, a dangerous molecule that can directly damage blood vessel walls, is converted into a helpful amino acid, methionine. Without riboflavin's assistance, vitamin B6 cannot change into the active form in which it catalyzes this conversion. Once again, we can rely on Swiss chard, which supplies us with both nutrients. A cup of Swiss chard contains 8.8% of the daily value for riboflavin along with 7.5% of the daily value for vitamin B6.
Vitamin E-rich Leafy Greens Slow Loss of Mental Function
Mental performance normally declines with age, but the results of Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP) suggest that eating just 3 servings of green leafy, yellow and cruciferous vegetables each day could slow this decline by 40%, suggests a study in the journal Neurology (Morris MC, Evans DA, et al.) Compared to people who consumed less than one serving of vegetables a day, people who ate at least 2.8 servings of vegetables a day saw their rate of cognitive decline slow by roughly 40%. This decrease is equivalent to about five years of younger age, said lead author Martha Clare Morris, ScD, with Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
The prospective cohort study, funded by the National Institute of Aging, used dietary data from 3,718 participants (62% female, 60% African American, average age 74). Mental function was assessed with four different tests: the East Boston Tests of immediate memory and delayed recall, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, taken at the start of the study and then again after 3 and 6 years.
After adjusting the results for potential confounders such as age, sex, race, education, and cardiovascular risk factors, the researchers found that consuming an average of 2.8 vegetable servings each day was associated with a 40% decrease in cognitive decline, compared to those who ate an average of less than one (0.9) serving a day. Of the different types of vegetables, green leafy vegetables had the strongest association, said Dr. Morris.
Surprisingly, no relationship was found between fruit consumption and cognitive decline.
Morris hypothesizes that this may be due to the fact that vegetables, but not fruits, contain high amounts of vitamin E, which helps lower the risk of cognitive decline. Also, vegetables, but not fruits, are typically consumed with a little fat, such as olive oil or salad dressing, which increases the body's ability to absorb vitamin E.
The Rush University researchers plan further research to understand why fruit appears to have little effect and to explore the effects of citrus fruit, specifically, on cognitive decline.
Bottomline: If you remember to enjoy at least 3 servings of leafy greens each day, you are much more likely to remember other things as well!
Description
Chard is a tall leafy green vegetable commonly referred to as Swiss chard and scientifically known as Beta vulgaris. Chard has a thick, crunchy stalk to which fan-like wide green leaves are attached. The leaves may either be smooth or curly, depending upon the variety, and feature lighter-colored ribs running throughout. The stalk, which can measure almost two feet in length, comes in a variety of colors including white, red, yellow and orange. Sometimes, in the market, different colored varieties will be bunched together and labeled "rainbow chard."
Chard belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and shares a similar taste profile: it has the bitterness of beet greens and the slightly salty flavor of spinach leaves. Both the leaves and stalk of chard are edible, although the stems vary in texture with the white ones being the most tender.
History
Swiss chard isn't native to Switzerland, but the Swiss botanist Koch determined the scientific name of this plant in the 19th century and since then, its name has honored his homeland. The actual homeland of chard lies further south, in the Mediterranean region, and in fact, the Greek philosopher, Aristotle wrote about chard in the fourth century B.C. This is not surprising given the fact that the ancient Greeks, and later the Romans, honored chard for its medicinal properties. Chard got its common name from another Mediterranean vegetable, cardoon, a celery-like plant with thick stalks that resemble those of chard. The French got the two confused and called them both "carde."
How to Select and Store
Choose chard that is held in a chilled display as this will help to ensure that it has a crunchier texture and sweeter taste. Look for leaves that are vivid green in color and that do not display any browning or yellowing. The leaves should not be wilted nor should they have tiny holes. The stalks should look crisp and be unblemished.
To store, place unwashed chard in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. It will keep fresh for several days. If you have large batches of chard, you can blanch the leaves and then freeze them.
Article By The worlds Healthiest Foods.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary and Balsamic Vinegar
(4-6 servings, adapted from a recipe by Lynn Rosetto Casper found on Foodieview.)
2 lbs. butternut squash cubes (about 6 cups)
2 T extra virgin olive oil1 T + 1 tsp. best quality balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. very finely chopped fresh or frozen rosemary, or slightly less dried rosemary (be sure it's especially finely chopped if you use dried rosemary)
sea salt to tastefresh ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss squash cubes with olive oil, 1 T balsamic vinegar, and rosemary. Put on cookie sheet or dish large enough to hold it in a single layer. Roast until squash is very soft and starting to get slightly caramelized, about 40 minutes.Remove from oven, put squash in bowl, and toss with additional 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and pepper. You can mash slightly, I kept mine rather chunky. Serve hot. This is also excellent made ahead and reheated. For a meal where there are lots of demands on the oven, it could be cooked early in the day and kept warm in a crockpot while other things bake.
2 lbs. butternut squash cubes (about 6 cups)
2 T extra virgin olive oil1 T + 1 tsp. best quality balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. very finely chopped fresh or frozen rosemary, or slightly less dried rosemary (be sure it's especially finely chopped if you use dried rosemary)
sea salt to tastefresh ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss squash cubes with olive oil, 1 T balsamic vinegar, and rosemary. Put on cookie sheet or dish large enough to hold it in a single layer. Roast until squash is very soft and starting to get slightly caramelized, about 40 minutes.Remove from oven, put squash in bowl, and toss with additional 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and pepper. You can mash slightly, I kept mine rather chunky. Serve hot. This is also excellent made ahead and reheated. For a meal where there are lots of demands on the oven, it could be cooked early in the day and kept warm in a crockpot while other things bake.
Sauteed Broccoli Rabe with Balsamic Vinager
1 large bunch broccoli rabe
1 T extra virgin olive oil (or more)
1 T best quality balsamic vinegar (or more)
salt, pepper to taste
Cut the stems off the broccoli rabe and discard, and cut leaves into thick ribbins crosswise. (I didn't do this, but I would next time.) Heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add broccoli rabe and saute 3-5 minutes, until semi wilted, but still a little bit crisp. Turn off heat, drizzle balsamic vinegar over the broccoli rabe, season with salt and pepper and serve hot.
Recepi By: Kaylan
1 T extra virgin olive oil (or more)
1 T best quality balsamic vinegar (or more)
salt, pepper to taste
Cut the stems off the broccoli rabe and discard, and cut leaves into thick ribbins crosswise. (I didn't do this, but I would next time.) Heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add broccoli rabe and saute 3-5 minutes, until semi wilted, but still a little bit crisp. Turn off heat, drizzle balsamic vinegar over the broccoli rabe, season with salt and pepper and serve hot.
Recepi By: Kaylan
Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Percorino-Romano Cheese
(Makes 4 servings,
1 lb. broccoli flowerets, cut so flower ends are not over an inch across (about 6 cups cut broccoli flowerets)
2 T extra virgin olive oil sea salt to taste
1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice (I used about a tsp. more)
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese (not packed)
Preheat oven to 450 F. Trim broccoli stalks so pieces are close to the same length. You may want to peel the broccoli with a vegetable peeler if the skin seems tough, but I didn't. Cut apart broccoli flowerets so pieces are the same size and each flower end is less than an inch across. (To avoid the mess from trimming broccoli, cut through the stem part, then pull flowerets apart. Toss broccoli with 2 T olive oil, and sprinkle with salt to taste. If using a metal roasting pan, I would spray the pan with non-stick spray or olive oil.) Spread out broccoli pieces in roasting pan. Roast broccoli until pieces are bright green and starting to get browned edges. (I turned after 10 minutes, and then again after 5 minutes, and cooked for 20 minutes total roasting time.)Toss broccoli with fresh lemon juice and then sprinkle with Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
1 lb. broccoli flowerets, cut so flower ends are not over an inch across (about 6 cups cut broccoli flowerets)
2 T extra virgin olive oil sea salt to taste
1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice (I used about a tsp. more)
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese (not packed)
Preheat oven to 450 F. Trim broccoli stalks so pieces are close to the same length. You may want to peel the broccoli with a vegetable peeler if the skin seems tough, but I didn't. Cut apart broccoli flowerets so pieces are the same size and each flower end is less than an inch across. (To avoid the mess from trimming broccoli, cut through the stem part, then pull flowerets apart. Toss broccoli with 2 T olive oil, and sprinkle with salt to taste. If using a metal roasting pan, I would spray the pan with non-stick spray or olive oil.) Spread out broccoli pieces in roasting pan. Roast broccoli until pieces are bright green and starting to get browned edges. (I turned after 10 minutes, and then again after 5 minutes, and cooked for 20 minutes total roasting time.)Toss broccoli with fresh lemon juice and then sprinkle with Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Breakfast Banana Smoothie
Breakfast Banana Smoothie
Provided by TasteForLife Community
From the American Institute for Cancer Research, www.aicr.com5 minutes prep time Serves 2
What you need:
2 medium bananas, peeled and sliced
1 container (8 oz) nonfat plain yogurt
1-1/2 c skim milk
1 tsp toasted wheat germ
Dash of cinnamon or nutmeg
What you do:
In a blender, combine bananas, yogurt, milk, and wheat germ. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into chilled glasses. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 262 Calories, 15 g Protein, 48 g Carbohydrates, 4 g Fiber, 2 g Total fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono), 188 mg Sodium, Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B12, Iodine, Phosphorus, Pantothenic acid, Calcium, Vitamin A, B1 (thiamine), B6, Biotin, C, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Potassium, Selenium
Provided by TasteForLife Community
From the American Institute for Cancer Research, www.aicr.com5 minutes prep time Serves 2
What you need:
2 medium bananas, peeled and sliced
1 container (8 oz) nonfat plain yogurt
1-1/2 c skim milk
1 tsp toasted wheat germ
Dash of cinnamon or nutmeg
What you do:
In a blender, combine bananas, yogurt, milk, and wheat germ. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into chilled glasses. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 262 Calories, 15 g Protein, 48 g Carbohydrates, 4 g Fiber, 2 g Total fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono), 188 mg Sodium, Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B12, Iodine, Phosphorus, Pantothenic acid, Calcium, Vitamin A, B1 (thiamine), B6, Biotin, C, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Potassium, Selenium
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Green Clean
Give your home a fresh sparkle with simple, nontoxic ingredients you may already have on hand.
Green cleaning is amazing for Mother Earth, good for our familie's health and the best part. Awesome for your wallet. Following is a simple guide to makeing and using eco-friendly cleaning formulas that will ensure a glowing and healthy home.
The Kitchen
Oven:
to soften baked-on spills mix 2 teaspoons of Borax Powder (made from natural Mineral) with 2 tablespoons liquid soap and enough water to fill a spray bottle. After applying, scrub off stains with a steel wool and chlorine-free scouring powder.
(Tip: line a lower rack with aluminum foil.)
Countertops:
some essential Oils- including those derived from lemons, grapefruit,and oranges- are antiseptic and antiviral, so they'll be extra tough on Gems. One Caveat: D-limonene, a sustance found in ortange peels, can cause severe allergic reactions in some people when in dought, use hot water and soap to kill germs, and let your countertops air dry.
Linoleum Floors:
Unlike standard detergents. vegetable-based surfactants use biodegradable oil derived from plants- including soy, coconuts, and corn- to attract grease and dirt. Another plus: Eco-Friendly cleaners often forgo phosphates, a detergent additive that suffocates freshwater ecosystems.
The Bathroom:
Bathtub
Sodium carbonate, the mineral in what is also known as washing powder is a natural abrasive that gives you scrubbing power to remove soap scum without toxins.
Toilet:
The source of the tartness in tomatos and citrus fruit, citric acid attacks and dislodges the mineral deposits that can hold grime onto the bowl- and it doesn't have a harsh smell, like some toilet bowl cleaners.
Mirrors:
The classic way to clean: Spray the mirror with White Vinegar. To make the process even more eco, use recycled newspaper or a washable white cloths rather than paper towels.
The Living Room:
Coffee Table:
Made from the waxy coating of a palm leaf, Carnauba wax is a natural, nontoxic emolient that gives wood surfaces a nice smooth luster.
Carpet:
Green cleaner: Club soda. The carbonation (and often salt) in club soda helps lift stains. Pour onto spills as quickly as possible, leave for a few minutes, then blot. Keep a six-pack of screw-top club soda bottles in your pantry for quick cleanups.
Air:
If you're allergic to some plants, you might have a problem with a lavander, a common natural fragrance. Instead opt for Cinnamon or Vanilla Essential Oils. Because hydrocarbon propellants are highly flammable, eliminate the aerosol in favor of a pump spray.
Happy and Healthy Cleaning.
Green cleaning is amazing for Mother Earth, good for our familie's health and the best part. Awesome for your wallet. Following is a simple guide to makeing and using eco-friendly cleaning formulas that will ensure a glowing and healthy home.
The Kitchen
Oven:
to soften baked-on spills mix 2 teaspoons of Borax Powder (made from natural Mineral) with 2 tablespoons liquid soap and enough water to fill a spray bottle. After applying, scrub off stains with a steel wool and chlorine-free scouring powder.
(Tip: line a lower rack with aluminum foil.)
Countertops:
some essential Oils- including those derived from lemons, grapefruit,and oranges- are antiseptic and antiviral, so they'll be extra tough on Gems. One Caveat: D-limonene, a sustance found in ortange peels, can cause severe allergic reactions in some people when in dought, use hot water and soap to kill germs, and let your countertops air dry.
Linoleum Floors:
Unlike standard detergents. vegetable-based surfactants use biodegradable oil derived from plants- including soy, coconuts, and corn- to attract grease and dirt. Another plus: Eco-Friendly cleaners often forgo phosphates, a detergent additive that suffocates freshwater ecosystems.
spray windows and mirrors with white vinegar, a classic eco-friendly cleaner:
dry with washable cloths.
The Bathroom:
Bathtub
Sodium carbonate, the mineral in what is also known as washing powder is a natural abrasive that gives you scrubbing power to remove soap scum without toxins.
Toilet:
The source of the tartness in tomatos and citrus fruit, citric acid attacks and dislodges the mineral deposits that can hold grime onto the bowl- and it doesn't have a harsh smell, like some toilet bowl cleaners.
Mirrors:
The classic way to clean: Spray the mirror with White Vinegar. To make the process even more eco, use recycled newspaper or a washable white cloths rather than paper towels.
The Living Room:
Coffee Table:
Made from the waxy coating of a palm leaf, Carnauba wax is a natural, nontoxic emolient that gives wood surfaces a nice smooth luster.
Carpet:
Green cleaner: Club soda. The carbonation (and often salt) in club soda helps lift stains. Pour onto spills as quickly as possible, leave for a few minutes, then blot. Keep a six-pack of screw-top club soda bottles in your pantry for quick cleanups.
Air:
If you're allergic to some plants, you might have a problem with a lavander, a common natural fragrance. Instead opt for Cinnamon or Vanilla Essential Oils. Because hydrocarbon propellants are highly flammable, eliminate the aerosol in favor of a pump spray.
Happy and Healthy Cleaning.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Mediterranean Style Roasted Vegetable Salad
Mediterranean‐Style Roasted Vegetable Salad by SimplyCooking.Wordpress.com
1 eggplant
1 onion
2 summer squash
1‐2 mild chiles
2 T olive oil
salt & black pepper
garlic
lemon
cumin
fresh basil
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Cut 1 eggplant and 2 summer squash/zucchini into fairly large chunks. Add 1 onion, sliced, and 1‐2 mild
chiles such as Anaheim, diced. Toss all the vegetables in a roasting pan with 2 tbsp. olive oil, coarse salt
and pepper. Roast until browned at the edges, about 25 minutes.
Whisk together 2 tsp. garlic paste or 2 pressed garlic cloves, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. lemon juice and
1
tsp. cumin. Toss with the vegetables and add more salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over with
shredded basil. Serve hot or at room temperature.
1 eggplant
1 onion
2 summer squash
1‐2 mild chiles
2 T olive oil
salt & black pepper
garlic
lemon
cumin
fresh basil
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Cut 1 eggplant and 2 summer squash/zucchini into fairly large chunks. Add 1 onion, sliced, and 1‐2 mild
chiles such as Anaheim, diced. Toss all the vegetables in a roasting pan with 2 tbsp. olive oil, coarse salt
and pepper. Roast until browned at the edges, about 25 minutes.
Whisk together 2 tsp. garlic paste or 2 pressed garlic cloves, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. lemon juice and
1
tsp. cumin. Toss with the vegetables and add more salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over with
shredded basil. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Sugar
I am going to start by telling you that sugar can rec Havoc in your body. Do your best to eliminate them from your home and eating them. Not only will you feel better but by eliminating sugar you will, loose those pesky pounds and look Fabush.
Sugar: lifts you up and then lets you down. Asking for more and more. Hard to give up I know. Trust me I just did and although only for one day today I can feel better, not even graving it. White sugar is very processed. Nature grows food as a whole and should be eating as a whole. White sugar creates in valences in our bodies. When we eat foods that are missing pieces or have been removed through processing our bodies get confused, and stress out trying to make up for the missing elements. As opposed to creating natural balance this food "processed" creates imbalance. White sugar sucks vitamins and minerals from our blood and bones. Because white sugar is UN-whole our bodies give up vitamins and minerals in order to process all that sugar. Food should give us nourishment. Sugar causes tooth decay, bone loss, depression and weak blood. Not so sweet after all ha?
White Sugar Suppresses Your Immune System: When we eat sugar our blood sugar soars to abnormal levels. In order to bring it back down, our pancreas releases a hormone called insulin to handle all the excess sugar. When the sugar has been metabolized, too much insulin remains, and this excess insulin causes imbalances in the rest of our hormones especially our immune system. Making you weak and vulnerable to disease. Sugar also over work the liver. When the liver has too much to handle it deposits the extra toxins in the tissue of our body.
Sugar Puts You On A Roller Coaster: This may include Nausea, Headaches and fatigue. When the blood sugar is crashing it brings on anxiety, dizziness and heart palpation and depression. It also makes you want more sugar. This can also lead to mood swings. Not good.
White Sugar is Associated with Cancer: When your blood sugar soars, too much insulin is produced. This excess insulin promotes the growth of certain kinds of cancer cells. Including the breast, Ovaries, lung, colon, prostrate and stomach.
Sugar Makes you Fat: I am a walking example, I have gained about 10 extra pounds thanks to sugar. Every soda, every cupcake every extra glass of wine will for sure give you an extra pound her or there.
Sugar Contributes to Insulin Resistance and Diabetes: When you eat refined sugar your blood sugar skyrockets to abnormal levels. In order to balance the situation, your pancreas releases lots of insulin. to help usher the sugar into your cells, where it's used as fuel. If you are eating candy and other foods high in sugar, your blood is filled with sugar.
As you chance your way of eating. You will become more sensitive to what food is doing to you.
Tips: Anything ending in "ose" should be considered White Sugar.
Dextrose, Glucose. Sucrose, Maltose, and Fructose are all simple sugars that show up on food labels everywhere.
High Fructose Corn Syrup: HFCS This is very addictive just like white sugar. It's in everything today. Also keep in mind that the corn used for this has been Genetically Modified. HFCS is suspected to cause insulin resistance. Believed to be a big contributor to our ever climbing obesity rates.
Organic Evaporated Cane Sugar: is slightly less processed then white refined sugar, but watch out for this as well. Sucanat, Florida Crystals and milled cane as well as Turbinado, Muscovado and Rapedura sugars.
Good For you Sweetness: Brown Rice Syrup, Barley Malt, Maple Syrup, Molasses, Fruit, gods candy.
Sugar: lifts you up and then lets you down. Asking for more and more. Hard to give up I know. Trust me I just did and although only for one day today I can feel better, not even graving it. White sugar is very processed. Nature grows food as a whole and should be eating as a whole. White sugar creates in valences in our bodies. When we eat foods that are missing pieces or have been removed through processing our bodies get confused, and stress out trying to make up for the missing elements. As opposed to creating natural balance this food "processed" creates imbalance. White sugar sucks vitamins and minerals from our blood and bones. Because white sugar is UN-whole our bodies give up vitamins and minerals in order to process all that sugar. Food should give us nourishment. Sugar causes tooth decay, bone loss, depression and weak blood. Not so sweet after all ha?
White Sugar Suppresses Your Immune System: When we eat sugar our blood sugar soars to abnormal levels. In order to bring it back down, our pancreas releases a hormone called insulin to handle all the excess sugar. When the sugar has been metabolized, too much insulin remains, and this excess insulin causes imbalances in the rest of our hormones especially our immune system. Making you weak and vulnerable to disease. Sugar also over work the liver. When the liver has too much to handle it deposits the extra toxins in the tissue of our body.
Sugar Puts You On A Roller Coaster: This may include Nausea, Headaches and fatigue. When the blood sugar is crashing it brings on anxiety, dizziness and heart palpation and depression. It also makes you want more sugar. This can also lead to mood swings. Not good.
White Sugar is Associated with Cancer: When your blood sugar soars, too much insulin is produced. This excess insulin promotes the growth of certain kinds of cancer cells. Including the breast, Ovaries, lung, colon, prostrate and stomach.
Sugar Makes you Fat: I am a walking example, I have gained about 10 extra pounds thanks to sugar. Every soda, every cupcake every extra glass of wine will for sure give you an extra pound her or there.
Sugar Contributes to Insulin Resistance and Diabetes: When you eat refined sugar your blood sugar skyrockets to abnormal levels. In order to balance the situation, your pancreas releases lots of insulin. to help usher the sugar into your cells, where it's used as fuel. If you are eating candy and other foods high in sugar, your blood is filled with sugar.
As you chance your way of eating. You will become more sensitive to what food is doing to you.
Tips: Anything ending in "ose" should be considered White Sugar.
Dextrose, Glucose. Sucrose, Maltose, and Fructose are all simple sugars that show up on food labels everywhere.
High Fructose Corn Syrup: HFCS This is very addictive just like white sugar. It's in everything today. Also keep in mind that the corn used for this has been Genetically Modified. HFCS is suspected to cause insulin resistance. Believed to be a big contributor to our ever climbing obesity rates.
Organic Evaporated Cane Sugar: is slightly less processed then white refined sugar, but watch out for this as well. Sucanat, Florida Crystals and milled cane as well as Turbinado, Muscovado and Rapedura sugars.
Good For you Sweetness: Brown Rice Syrup, Barley Malt, Maple Syrup, Molasses, Fruit, gods candy.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Fun Falafel Feast
Serve this popular Mediterranean appetizer for dinner—your guests will ask for seconds.
9 oz. cooked chickpeas
1 clove garlic
Salt, to taste
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. flourVegetable oil for deep-frying
Combine all the ingredients, except the oil for deep-frying, and blend in a food processor.
Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Make balls (about the size of a lime) out of this mixture.
Heat the oil for deep-frying and deep-fry 4 to 5 balls at a time.
4 Servings
Makes 4 servings
Serve this popular Mediterranean appetizer for dinner—your guests will ask for seconds.
9 oz. cooked chickpeas
1 clove garlic
Salt, to taste
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. flourVegetable oil for deep-frying
Combine all the ingredients, except the oil for deep-frying, and blend in a food processor.
Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Make balls (about the size of a lime) out of this mixture.
Heat the oil for deep-frying and deep-fry 4 to 5 balls at a time.
4 Servings
Makes 4 servings
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Planet Friendly Changes
Here are Three planet changes to help make our mother earth a better place for us all.
1.Bike to work: For every gallon of gas we use it produces more than 19 pounds of carbon dioxide the plus side is that while biking we can burn up to 600 calories per hour.
Share the road. Riding your bike may not work for every one the eco friendly way to do this is by carpooling Carpooling one day a week, eliminates about 400 pounds of CO2 per person annually organize a carpool amoung your co- workers.
2. Eat Organic and Local: You are what you eat, and this is not always good news. Considering the number of chemicals used to grow crops, raise lifestock and preserve your favoriate foods. It's likely that we are ingesting traces of these chemicals. This is why we need to be mindful when it comes to our choices. mindfulness also involves knwing where food comes from and how it is grown. The Health bebefits: Buying organic and local is the safest choice considering the long list of downsides to conventionally produced food. The same chemicals used to keep conventionally grown apples, peppersand other fruits and vegetables pest and disease free can cause a host of health problems. Including birth defects, nerve damage and Cancer. According to a report published by the Environmental Working Group. Noshing on the most contaminated crops which include Peaches, Strawberries, lettuce and carrots means you will ingest an average of 10 pesticides per day. Organic produce is a great alternative because it's chemical free. Studies have shown that organic produce has more antioxidants micronutrients and fewer nitrates than their conventionally grown counterparts. It's not also produce that 's cause for conern according to the CSPI, beef from grain-fed cattle is a major source of saturated fat and cholesterol. Which in turn increases your risk of heart disease. look for Grass-fed beef and bison. which are leaner and may contain up to five times the number of Omega 3. When it comes to Poutry and Pork look for products that are label "Free Range" and "Organic" to be sure you are getting the healthies cust. Because these cost more, opt for meatless meals a few times a week. Given the average meal travels 1,500 miles before it reaches our table. Choosing Organic and Local is a great way to make smaller Carbon footprints. 15% of the pesticides that are sprayed on crops actually hit their target, the rest of the chemicals are released into the soil, water and air resulting in contamination of water ways illness and death in birds and aquatic life. Erotion and air pollution. Raising livestock is also a significant source of enviromental stress. A nonvegetarian diest is uses almost three times more energy and 13 times more fertilizer than a vegetarian diet.
3. Reduce your toxin exposure: You may be surprised to learn that the products you use to keep your hair shiny, your skin soft and your home sparkling are often chemical cocktails masquerading in pretty packages. The latest science shows that the chemicals in the products we use are getting into our bodies and disturbing our environment. Swapping out chemical laden conventional products with natural alternatives can really pay off when it comes to your health now and down the road. Studies have linked the chemicals found in these conventional products including ( triclosan, 2 butoxyethanol, and antibacterial Quats and alkylphenol ethoxylates) to allergies and asthma, anemia and even certain cancers. Two of the biggest offenders are phthalates and parabeans . Both are endocrine disrupters, which means they may interfere with productive process potentially interfering with infertility, endrometriosis, brest cancer and fetal adnormalities. Endocrine disruptors have also been linked to early puperty in gilrs, and deformaties of the male productive system. Many of the products we use on our bodies are absorbed through our skin and can go directly in our bloodstream. When we use chemical laden products to clean our home we inhale those chemicals because they linger in the air. When it comes to minimazing your chemicals exposure reading labels is a good start U. S. regulations requiere all beauty products to list ingredients on the packing. So reading can help you identify toxins. Unfortunately even products that seem sfe can contain powerful chemicals. Look for cleaning products that have been certified by non profits Green Seal or Ecologo, which have more rigorous safety, health and environmental standards than the Federal Government requieres. When it comes to Beauty products Like the USDA Organic seal. Which certifies that the products have undergone a stringent approval process, and do not contain several key ingredients of concern. Chemicals that are powerful enough to inpact your health also do their share of damage to the environment. After each use, the chemicals in your shampoo, soap, cleaning products are washed straight down the drain, and would end up in your drinking water. A joint study done by the EPA and Baylor University in Waco Texas, found chemicals like Galaxolide and Tanalide, commonly used in Fragrances in beauty and cleaning agents were polluting waterways and present in the tissue of fish as a result of chemical runoff in rivers and streams.
So remember it's not jut about Health, its also about the planet and how we can help make this place better for us all.
1.Bike to work: For every gallon of gas we use it produces more than 19 pounds of carbon dioxide the plus side is that while biking we can burn up to 600 calories per hour.
Share the road. Riding your bike may not work for every one the eco friendly way to do this is by carpooling Carpooling one day a week, eliminates about 400 pounds of CO2 per person annually organize a carpool amoung your co- workers.
2. Eat Organic and Local: You are what you eat, and this is not always good news. Considering the number of chemicals used to grow crops, raise lifestock and preserve your favoriate foods. It's likely that we are ingesting traces of these chemicals. This is why we need to be mindful when it comes to our choices. mindfulness also involves knwing where food comes from and how it is grown. The Health bebefits: Buying organic and local is the safest choice considering the long list of downsides to conventionally produced food. The same chemicals used to keep conventionally grown apples, peppersand other fruits and vegetables pest and disease free can cause a host of health problems. Including birth defects, nerve damage and Cancer. According to a report published by the Environmental Working Group. Noshing on the most contaminated crops which include Peaches, Strawberries, lettuce and carrots means you will ingest an average of 10 pesticides per day. Organic produce is a great alternative because it's chemical free. Studies have shown that organic produce has more antioxidants micronutrients and fewer nitrates than their conventionally grown counterparts. It's not also produce that 's cause for conern according to the CSPI, beef from grain-fed cattle is a major source of saturated fat and cholesterol. Which in turn increases your risk of heart disease. look for Grass-fed beef and bison. which are leaner and may contain up to five times the number of Omega 3. When it comes to Poutry and Pork look for products that are label "Free Range" and "Organic" to be sure you are getting the healthies cust. Because these cost more, opt for meatless meals a few times a week. Given the average meal travels 1,500 miles before it reaches our table. Choosing Organic and Local is a great way to make smaller Carbon footprints. 15% of the pesticides that are sprayed on crops actually hit their target, the rest of the chemicals are released into the soil, water and air resulting in contamination of water ways illness and death in birds and aquatic life. Erotion and air pollution. Raising livestock is also a significant source of enviromental stress. A nonvegetarian diest is uses almost three times more energy and 13 times more fertilizer than a vegetarian diet.
3. Reduce your toxin exposure: You may be surprised to learn that the products you use to keep your hair shiny, your skin soft and your home sparkling are often chemical cocktails masquerading in pretty packages. The latest science shows that the chemicals in the products we use are getting into our bodies and disturbing our environment. Swapping out chemical laden conventional products with natural alternatives can really pay off when it comes to your health now and down the road. Studies have linked the chemicals found in these conventional products including ( triclosan, 2 butoxyethanol, and antibacterial Quats and alkylphenol ethoxylates) to allergies and asthma, anemia and even certain cancers. Two of the biggest offenders are phthalates and parabeans . Both are endocrine disrupters, which means they may interfere with productive process potentially interfering with infertility, endrometriosis, brest cancer and fetal adnormalities. Endocrine disruptors have also been linked to early puperty in gilrs, and deformaties of the male productive system. Many of the products we use on our bodies are absorbed through our skin and can go directly in our bloodstream. When we use chemical laden products to clean our home we inhale those chemicals because they linger in the air. When it comes to minimazing your chemicals exposure reading labels is a good start U. S. regulations requiere all beauty products to list ingredients on the packing. So reading can help you identify toxins. Unfortunately even products that seem sfe can contain powerful chemicals. Look for cleaning products that have been certified by non profits Green Seal or Ecologo, which have more rigorous safety, health and environmental standards than the Federal Government requieres. When it comes to Beauty products Like the USDA Organic seal. Which certifies that the products have undergone a stringent approval process, and do not contain several key ingredients of concern. Chemicals that are powerful enough to inpact your health also do their share of damage to the environment. After each use, the chemicals in your shampoo, soap, cleaning products are washed straight down the drain, and would end up in your drinking water. A joint study done by the EPA and Baylor University in Waco Texas, found chemicals like Galaxolide and Tanalide, commonly used in Fragrances in beauty and cleaning agents were polluting waterways and present in the tissue of fish as a result of chemical runoff in rivers and streams.
So remember it's not jut about Health, its also about the planet and how we can help make this place better for us all.
Monday, June 14, 2010
What is In Season ( June, July, August)
The following are what will be in season for the months of June, July and August.
Most organic Co- ops will include some if not all in the boxes. Enjoy
1. Apricots
2. Beets
3. Bell Peppers
4 Black Berries
5. Butter Lettuce
6. Cantaloupe
7. Casaba melon
8. Chayote Squash
9. Cherries
10. Corn
11. Cucumbers
12. Eggplant
13. Figs
14. Grapefruit
15. Grapes
16. Green Beans
17. Honeydew Melon
18. Jalapeno Peppers
19. Lima Beans
20. Limes
21. Lychees
22. Nectarines
23. Okra
24. Passion Fruit
25. Peaches
26. Peas
27. Plums
28. Radishes
29. Raspberries
30. Summer Squash
31. Tomatillo
32. Tomatoes
33. Watermelon
34. zucchini.
Enjoy all this healthy and yummy fruits and vegetables.
Most organic Co- ops will include some if not all in the boxes. Enjoy
1. Apricots
2. Beets
3. Bell Peppers
4 Black Berries
5. Butter Lettuce
6. Cantaloupe
7. Casaba melon
8. Chayote Squash
9. Cherries
10. Corn
11. Cucumbers
12. Eggplant
13. Figs
14. Grapefruit
15. Grapes
16. Green Beans
17. Honeydew Melon
18. Jalapeno Peppers
19. Lima Beans
20. Limes
21. Lychees
22. Nectarines
23. Okra
24. Passion Fruit
25. Peaches
26. Peas
27. Plums
28. Radishes
29. Raspberries
30. Summer Squash
31. Tomatillo
32. Tomatoes
33. Watermelon
34. zucchini.
Enjoy all this healthy and yummy fruits and vegetables.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Why Organic
There is no more important single thing we can do to have a bigger impact on helping the planet and our bodies than choosing real organic foods.
Organic foods are produced without the use of chemicals, herbicides, fungicides, petroleum-, sewage- or sludge-based fertilizers or chemical pesticides. Organic food is not bio-engineered, genetically modified, nor is it irradiated. Poultry and Beef are fed only organic feed, are grazed on organically maintained pastures, and are not given antibiotics, hormones or animal by-products
Conventional farmers use millions of pounds of pesticides each year, much of which ends up in our drinking water and oceans. Pesticides and chemicals kill off living things - bugs and animals that may eat the food as well as
In short, pesticides cause disease and death. That's their goal, to kill off the bugs and pests. But they are having serious impacts on the lives of humans and especially on our future, our very own children. This is particularly important in the amounts and combinations of these pesticides. Since most children are picky eaters, they will eat more of one thing meaning more of certain chemicals. The long-term effect of these pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and chemicals, and the effect of the 'cocktail' of pesticide combinations on growing children has not been completely studied but it's clearly impacting fertility, development, health, and longevity. Pesticides can cause birth defects, cancer, nerve damage, impact our immune system, and disrupt our hormonal balance.
More recent news suggests that conventional foods may help us keep unwanted weight on our bodies. We all know the liver's function is to clear our bodies of toxins. The latest research indicates that the toxic buildup burdens the liver's function to such an extent that it cannot do it's other important jobs - burn body fat! An impaired liver can therefore cause weight gain.Organic farmers are leaders and innovators at protecting our environment while protecting the crops naturally. Organic farmers work with the natural ecosystem to improve the soil and deter pests. They rotate crops between fields and have diversity in their farms; while the conventional farmer limits crops and farming practices which depletes the soil's nutrients and leads to a real risk of crop damage from disease.Organic farmers plant certain flowers and bushes to attract helpful insects who will then eat or deter pests that might otherwise eat the crops; conventional farms kill off insects and pests, helpful and hurtful to the farmer.Organic farmers work with nature to replenish the soil, do not use toxic pesticides or fertilizers and maintain a biologically sustainable investment in our future. The organic farmer works to create and maintain healthful soil. Worms and microorganisms work to keep the soil strong. The soil feeds the plant. Therefore healthful soil creates food with more nutrition. True, conventional food is devoid of harmful bacteria and bugs, but it is also lower in nutritional value and has less flavor.Chemicals deplete the top soil and cause soil erosion which in turn offers less nutrition to the plant which in turn creates less nutritious food for us. In addition, the chemicals and pesticides are killing off microorganisms. Many of these microorganisms are helpful and are actually healthful. Discoveries of helpful bacteria that turn into cures for disease are found in dirt regularly around the world. In killing off the good and bad organisms, we are creating new super-resistant bugs and strains of insects and pests that require even more powerful chemical pesticides to be killed. Healthy plants are more disease resistant, are more drought resistant, create a better supply of food, create more nutritious food, and grow strong without chemical assistance. It all works together. At home, our own yards can be maintained organically. Years ago, we would to play in the dirt, dirt that was free of harmful chemicals and loaded with helpful microorganisms. As children this set up our immune systems to be strong. Children were healthier. When our children run and play in the yard, we need to make sure that is a yard they can lie in safely and that runoff from our yard is not going to poison our planet and water supply.Conventional farming overseas is even worse than in the U.S. since farmers can get away with more with relaxed environmental laws. Conventional farming overseas is even worse than in the U.S. since farmers can get away with more with relaxed environmental laws. In many countries, conventional farming is destroying the rainforest and causing the demise of plants and animals for the sake of one single kind of "cash" crop ki. Forests are plowed to make way for planting, soil is eroded, chemicals and poisons enter our water systems, animals lose their homes, toxins enter the delicate ecosystem.And talk about doing our part to help curb global warming, conventional farming uses more fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are used to create pesticides and chemicals. They are used to transport them to the farm. Micro-organisms that would otherwise hold carbon are killed releasing carbons into the atmosphere. Once the soil is depleted of micro-organisms, the soil must be enriched with chemical fertilizers which again take fossil fuels in creation and transportation. Conventional farms are more automated and use more fossil fuels generally. They have an over-abundance of manure since they are not using that so that is another issue which must be removed with fossil fuels. Organic farming uses up to 60% less fossil fuel per unit of food.What is Biodynamic? Biodynamic Demeter supervised farming meets all organic standards and takes them even further. This system was created in ancient times to create healthful soil to withstand the test of time. Biodynamic farming takes even more time and money and therefore things cost more, but what it gives us is a true harmony with our land. It works with the plants, animals, and the environment to promote healthy soil and healthy plants.Choosing organic produce and biodynamic products supports local, generally smaller, organic farms and the families who work those farms. Paying organic farmers in other countries a fair wage by choosing Fair Trade products allows them to create strong communities, schools and help children and their families. In addition, and as you would guess, conventional farmers and the people that work in and around the fields (including the people that crop dust and spray the chemicals and pesticides) have a much higher risk of cancer than organic farmers. Organic certification confirms a set of standards:
farmland used to grow the produce must be free of chemicals (pesticides, fertilizers, etc) for at least three (3) years. During the three year period, they are considered "transitional" and before that they are simply conventional.
there is a paper trail to make sure that product is indeed the organic product you expect.
organic poultry and beef are raised on organic feed or organically maintained pastures
organic cows and chickens cannot be given growth hormones, stimulants or antibiotics
organic dairy cows, poultry and cattle must be treated humanely witho clean water,o a clean place to sleep,o access to the outdoors,o exercise, ando fresh air
organic dairy pasteurization must meet hygienic standards
dairy cows may not be sold for slaughter as beef
beef is processed in a certified plant where organic cows are separated from conventional ones and the entire processing line must be cleaned to organic specifications for the organic ones
no more than 5% of the ingredients (excluding water and salt) are conventional; or at least 95% of the product is organic as per the standards of certification
organic products cannot use some organic and some conventional of the same ingredientChemical poisons are dangerous. The environmental impact is great today and sadly, they remain in the ecosystem for decades after use. When we look and see that organic foods are sometimes more than conventional, we need to remember the toll conventional foods are having upon our world and our future. Organic foods are actually less costly when we look at the money it takes to fix the problems created by conventional farming. And yes, EVERY choice, EVERY person, EVERY item counts as a vote in the right direction.Understandably, organic can cost more than conventional, but remember that cheap is not food, cheap is a way to fill the belly that has expensive repercussions long-term upon our health and our planet. It's actually more expensive to produce cheap food, more energy is needed to create each calorie and the clean up of the mess made to our health and our environment is expensive. Instead choose organic whenever possible - particularly for those foods you feed yourself and family most. That will offer you the biggest impact on your own lives and is the best place to start.Organic farming protects our water supply, our wild life, our families, and our future. Choosing organic foods is like voting to go back to a more natural and safer way of breathing, eating, and living. It's a vote for our health today, our children's current and future health, our environment, animals, and our planet.
Article By: Annie
Organic foods are produced without the use of chemicals, herbicides, fungicides, petroleum-, sewage- or sludge-based fertilizers or chemical pesticides. Organic food is not bio-engineered, genetically modified, nor is it irradiated. Poultry and Beef are fed only organic feed, are grazed on organically maintained pastures, and are not given antibiotics, hormones or animal by-products
Conventional farmers use millions of pounds of pesticides each year, much of which ends up in our drinking water and oceans. Pesticides and chemicals kill off living things - bugs and animals that may eat the food as well as
In short, pesticides cause disease and death. That's their goal, to kill off the bugs and pests. But they are having serious impacts on the lives of humans and especially on our future, our very own children. This is particularly important in the amounts and combinations of these pesticides. Since most children are picky eaters, they will eat more of one thing meaning more of certain chemicals. The long-term effect of these pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and chemicals, and the effect of the 'cocktail' of pesticide combinations on growing children has not been completely studied but it's clearly impacting fertility, development, health, and longevity. Pesticides can cause birth defects, cancer, nerve damage, impact our immune system, and disrupt our hormonal balance.
More recent news suggests that conventional foods may help us keep unwanted weight on our bodies. We all know the liver's function is to clear our bodies of toxins. The latest research indicates that the toxic buildup burdens the liver's function to such an extent that it cannot do it's other important jobs - burn body fat! An impaired liver can therefore cause weight gain.Organic farmers are leaders and innovators at protecting our environment while protecting the crops naturally. Organic farmers work with the natural ecosystem to improve the soil and deter pests. They rotate crops between fields and have diversity in their farms; while the conventional farmer limits crops and farming practices which depletes the soil's nutrients and leads to a real risk of crop damage from disease.Organic farmers plant certain flowers and bushes to attract helpful insects who will then eat or deter pests that might otherwise eat the crops; conventional farms kill off insects and pests, helpful and hurtful to the farmer.Organic farmers work with nature to replenish the soil, do not use toxic pesticides or fertilizers and maintain a biologically sustainable investment in our future. The organic farmer works to create and maintain healthful soil. Worms and microorganisms work to keep the soil strong. The soil feeds the plant. Therefore healthful soil creates food with more nutrition. True, conventional food is devoid of harmful bacteria and bugs, but it is also lower in nutritional value and has less flavor.Chemicals deplete the top soil and cause soil erosion which in turn offers less nutrition to the plant which in turn creates less nutritious food for us. In addition, the chemicals and pesticides are killing off microorganisms. Many of these microorganisms are helpful and are actually healthful. Discoveries of helpful bacteria that turn into cures for disease are found in dirt regularly around the world. In killing off the good and bad organisms, we are creating new super-resistant bugs and strains of insects and pests that require even more powerful chemical pesticides to be killed. Healthy plants are more disease resistant, are more drought resistant, create a better supply of food, create more nutritious food, and grow strong without chemical assistance. It all works together. At home, our own yards can be maintained organically. Years ago, we would to play in the dirt, dirt that was free of harmful chemicals and loaded with helpful microorganisms. As children this set up our immune systems to be strong. Children were healthier. When our children run and play in the yard, we need to make sure that is a yard they can lie in safely and that runoff from our yard is not going to poison our planet and water supply.Conventional farming overseas is even worse than in the U.S. since farmers can get away with more with relaxed environmental laws. Conventional farming overseas is even worse than in the U.S. since farmers can get away with more with relaxed environmental laws. In many countries, conventional farming is destroying the rainforest and causing the demise of plants and animals for the sake of one single kind of "cash" crop ki. Forests are plowed to make way for planting, soil is eroded, chemicals and poisons enter our water systems, animals lose their homes, toxins enter the delicate ecosystem.And talk about doing our part to help curb global warming, conventional farming uses more fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are used to create pesticides and chemicals. They are used to transport them to the farm. Micro-organisms that would otherwise hold carbon are killed releasing carbons into the atmosphere. Once the soil is depleted of micro-organisms, the soil must be enriched with chemical fertilizers which again take fossil fuels in creation and transportation. Conventional farms are more automated and use more fossil fuels generally. They have an over-abundance of manure since they are not using that so that is another issue which must be removed with fossil fuels. Organic farming uses up to 60% less fossil fuel per unit of food.What is Biodynamic? Biodynamic Demeter supervised farming meets all organic standards and takes them even further. This system was created in ancient times to create healthful soil to withstand the test of time. Biodynamic farming takes even more time and money and therefore things cost more, but what it gives us is a true harmony with our land. It works with the plants, animals, and the environment to promote healthy soil and healthy plants.Choosing organic produce and biodynamic products supports local, generally smaller, organic farms and the families who work those farms. Paying organic farmers in other countries a fair wage by choosing Fair Trade products allows them to create strong communities, schools and help children and their families. In addition, and as you would guess, conventional farmers and the people that work in and around the fields (including the people that crop dust and spray the chemicals and pesticides) have a much higher risk of cancer than organic farmers. Organic certification confirms a set of standards:
farmland used to grow the produce must be free of chemicals (pesticides, fertilizers, etc) for at least three (3) years. During the three year period, they are considered "transitional" and before that they are simply conventional.
there is a paper trail to make sure that product is indeed the organic product you expect.
organic poultry and beef are raised on organic feed or organically maintained pastures
organic cows and chickens cannot be given growth hormones, stimulants or antibiotics
organic dairy cows, poultry and cattle must be treated humanely witho clean water,o a clean place to sleep,o access to the outdoors,o exercise, ando fresh air
organic dairy pasteurization must meet hygienic standards
dairy cows may not be sold for slaughter as beef
beef is processed in a certified plant where organic cows are separated from conventional ones and the entire processing line must be cleaned to organic specifications for the organic ones
no more than 5% of the ingredients (excluding water and salt) are conventional; or at least 95% of the product is organic as per the standards of certification
organic products cannot use some organic and some conventional of the same ingredientChemical poisons are dangerous. The environmental impact is great today and sadly, they remain in the ecosystem for decades after use. When we look and see that organic foods are sometimes more than conventional, we need to remember the toll conventional foods are having upon our world and our future. Organic foods are actually less costly when we look at the money it takes to fix the problems created by conventional farming. And yes, EVERY choice, EVERY person, EVERY item counts as a vote in the right direction.Understandably, organic can cost more than conventional, but remember that cheap is not food, cheap is a way to fill the belly that has expensive repercussions long-term upon our health and our planet. It's actually more expensive to produce cheap food, more energy is needed to create each calorie and the clean up of the mess made to our health and our environment is expensive. Instead choose organic whenever possible - particularly for those foods you feed yourself and family most. That will offer you the biggest impact on your own lives and is the best place to start.Organic farming protects our water supply, our wild life, our families, and our future. Choosing organic foods is like voting to go back to a more natural and safer way of breathing, eating, and living. It's a vote for our health today, our children's current and future health, our environment, animals, and our planet.
Article By: Annie
Inner Beauty
Inner Beauty
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is essential to maintaining a youthful look. I want to stress three very important things I believe in.
1. Preventation
2. Treatment
3. Maintenance
You can take Preventative measures into your hands and lead a healthier, more vibrant Life.Natural,healthy living is the secret to inner and Outer beauty. When we eat natural foods we simply look and feel better. Healthy eating is a key component of a complete beauty regimen, not to mention a real lifestyle enhancement.As people get older, their bad habits like smoking and eating poorly start to show, whereas people who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables keep their cells clean and healthy, start to stand out and look radiant despite their age.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is essential to maintaining a youthful look. I want to stress three very important things I believe in.
1. Preventation
2. Treatment
3. Maintenance
You can take Preventative measures into your hands and lead a healthier, more vibrant Life.Natural,healthy living is the secret to inner and Outer beauty. When we eat natural foods we simply look and feel better. Healthy eating is a key component of a complete beauty regimen, not to mention a real lifestyle enhancement.As people get older, their bad habits like smoking and eating poorly start to show, whereas people who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables keep their cells clean and healthy, start to stand out and look radiant despite their age.
Which Fruits and Vegetables should we buy Organic?
Not all fruits and vegetables are highly sprayed. Here is a list of the worst to the best conventionally grown vegetables and fruits in terms of their pesticide concentrations found on the food. The Environmental Working Group has determined that you can reduce your intake of pesticides by about 90% if you avoid consuming the to 12 worst contaminated fruits and vegetables.
Here is the list of the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables (these are the ones you should eat organic)
.1.Peaches
2.Apples
3.Sweet Bell Peppers
4.Celery
5.Nectarines
6.Strawberries
7.Cherries
8.Lettuce
9.Grapes (Imported)
10.Pears
11.Spinach
12.Potatoes
Here are the 12 best, least contaminated fruits and vegetables:
1.Onions
2.Avocado
3.Sweet Corn (Frozen)
4.Pineapples
5.Mango
6.Sweet Peas (Frozen)
7.Asparagus
8.Kiwi
9.Bananas
10.Cabbage
11.Broccoli
12.Eggplant
Pesticides can disrupt hormone function and balance and have been linked to cancers, headaches and birth defects, to name a few. According to the National Academy of Sciences, even low doses of pesticide exposure in children and pregnant women can be toxic to developing fetuses and developing brains of children. Redbook magazine published a great article on the rationale for organic foods that can be found in their September 2007 issue of Red Book.Article By: Dr. Dr. Wang believes that the patient as a whole needs to be taken into account, she identifies what is out of balance and then makes a plan to balance and reverse much of the illness and disease. It is incredible to watch the healing power of the body if just given the chance to heal and recover. For more information about her practice, please go to www.naturalhealthcalifornia.com.Wang.
Not all fruits and vegetables are highly sprayed. Here is a list of the worst to the best conventionally grown vegetables and fruits in terms of their pesticide concentrations found on the food. The Environmental Working Group has determined that you can reduce your intake of pesticides by about 90% if you avoid consuming the to 12 worst contaminated fruits and vegetables.
Here is the list of the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables (these are the ones you should eat organic)
.1.Peaches
2.Apples
3.Sweet Bell Peppers
4.Celery
5.Nectarines
6.Strawberries
7.Cherries
8.Lettuce
9.Grapes (Imported)
10.Pears
11.Spinach
12.Potatoes
Here are the 12 best, least contaminated fruits and vegetables:
1.Onions
2.Avocado
3.Sweet Corn (Frozen)
4.Pineapples
5.Mango
6.Sweet Peas (Frozen)
7.Asparagus
8.Kiwi
9.Bananas
10.Cabbage
11.Broccoli
12.Eggplant
Pesticides can disrupt hormone function and balance and have been linked to cancers, headaches and birth defects, to name a few. According to the National Academy of Sciences, even low doses of pesticide exposure in children and pregnant women can be toxic to developing fetuses and developing brains of children. Redbook magazine published a great article on the rationale for organic foods that can be found in their September 2007 issue of Red Book.Article By: Dr. Dr. Wang believes that the patient as a whole needs to be taken into account, she identifies what is out of balance and then makes a plan to balance and reverse much of the illness and disease. It is incredible to watch the healing power of the body if just given the chance to heal and recover. For more information about her practice, please go to www.naturalhealthcalifornia.com.Wang.
Swamp Diva Juice
Swamp Diva Juice
Today I started making green Juice for Myself in the morning. In hopes of loosing weight and been in better health. To my surprise the Juice was not bad at all and I did not mind drinking it. This is something that I will be doing for the next 10 days. The following is the recipe and I hope you guys will try it and let me know what you think.
Makes 1 serving
1- Head of Romaine Lettuce or Celery
5-6 Stalks of Kale ( any type)
1-2 Apples ( for taste)
1- Whole Organic Lemon ( I peeled mine)
1-2 Inches of Fresh Ginger (Optional)Process of the vegetables in the Juicer Pour into a glass and drink to good Health.
From: The Raw Food Detox Book
Today I started making green Juice for Myself in the morning. In hopes of loosing weight and been in better health. To my surprise the Juice was not bad at all and I did not mind drinking it. This is something that I will be doing for the next 10 days. The following is the recipe and I hope you guys will try it and let me know what you think.
Makes 1 serving
1- Head of Romaine Lettuce or Celery
5-6 Stalks of Kale ( any type)
1-2 Apples ( for taste)
1- Whole Organic Lemon ( I peeled mine)
1-2 Inches of Fresh Ginger (Optional)Process of the vegetables in the Juicer Pour into a glass and drink to good Health.
From: The Raw Food Detox Book
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