2011 Holiday Challenge

This season if you can commit to this challenge over the next six weeks and follow a few simple guidelines throughout the holidays, Dr. Fuhrman is offering:

• a free six week membership to DrFuhrman.com*
• a free Eat To Live Vook (a video enhanced ebook)
• an entire support system of holiday recipes
• special support from Dr. Fuhrman's Nutritional Education Institute faculty and medical team on medicine, nutrition and motivation

The challenge involves only a few simple promises to make, taken from his book, Eat To Live.

Here are the fundamentals:

• Eat a large salad every day
• Enjoy a generous serving of steamed greens with mushrooms and onions
• Satisfy your sweet tooth with three fresh fruits a day
• Have at least one fulfilling serving of beans each day

Here's what you are promising to omit:

• Avoid white flour
• Avoid sugars & artificial sweeteners

Throughout the challenge, you will have plenty of support. We will answer your questions online in the Member Center. We encourage you to log your progress with "My Health Manager." Seasoned veterans of the Eat To Live diet-style will also be there to help you.

Here is how you get started:

Step 1: Join us on Facebook to share this exciting experience and encourage your friends to also make the commitment for a better life and incredible holiday. OR (If you don't have a Facebook account you can still participate via the Six Week Challenge forum in Dr. Fuhrman's Member Center which is free for 6 weeks)

Step 2: If you are not already a member of my online Member Center, sign up for your FREE* six week membership and Eat To Live Vook.

Step 3: Enjoy the holidays! Share your experiences and gain support in the new Six Week Challenge forum.

There is more – the challenge is just the start! By joining the challenge you will have the opportunity to participate in a contest where you may be eligible to win an all expense paid trip to my 5th annual 2011 Health Getaway in Park City, Utah at The Grand Summit Hotel at The Canyons. The winner or winners will be chosen based on their documented results during the challenge and into the new year.

I hope you enjoy this holiday gift to help spread the message of good health and healthy eating.

Help our earth cool down

Help our earth cool down. Reducing methane, black carbon - watch this video and learn about  how you can help.
http://www.worldpreservationfoundation.org/live.php
Also watch the following trailers and short films here http://www.worldpreservationfoundation.org/ecotrailers.php?id=23

okra power!

Last night I cooked okra 2 ways with the same ingredients: Tomatoes, garlic, onion.  At the end I added zucchini spaghetti which I made with a peeler.  

1st was stir-fry and second was slow-cook.  Both turned out very nice.  This is the first time the kids tried this vegetable and after a little encouragement they gobbled it up :)

Here is some more info I found online:

When you shop for fresh okra, look for good green color with few or no gray spots, firmness and moderate size, as large pods can sometimes be fibrous and too tough to eat. A good test of okra's maturity is to press a very sharp knife blade against the pod, perpendicular to its length; if it cuts easily with no resistance, it is perfect. If the knife meets resistance, the pod will be too fibrous to eat.
Besides the pods, okra leaves can be cooked or eaten raw in salads. During the Civil War, when coffee was scarce because of Union blockades, the seeds were roasted for a coffee substitute. Okra oil, which is high in unsaturated fats, is also extracted from the seeds.

Lately we have been having okra in soups and it comes out great either chopped or whole.  It's a little slimy when you cut it and cook it, but the flavor is out of this world, literally like nothing else we tried.

What's wrong with bagged lettuce?

In the present day questions such as these and the information to make a decision are generally obfuscated and not generally considered by many.  We generally go about our day, and we buy our food not giving it a second thought.  I know I don't have the time to research every single product that I buy, but thinking about this opens up some interesting facts about where food comes from and more questions.

My focus for the last several years has been food preparation, and as a result I have becoming increasingly aware of where food comes from and how it was treated from harvest until it ends up in my home.  My values about food have developed and I came to understand that for any individual, what they choose to buy, eat and drink is a very complex and therefore I only offer you my perspective and nothing more. 

I prepare a variety of different foods and I strive that the food on my table are: 

• Health promoting (to the best of my knowledge and experience)
• Non-polluting (how and where they are grown) / pollution free (no chemical residue)
• Satisfy me and/or family at the present moment ( taste,smell, desires, etc) 
• Do not cause any undesired side affects (altered moods, after-taste, intoxication, health issues)

Eating outside of the home is a little different, but generally these values hold true with some exceptions which I will save for another post. 

So what's wrong with buying bagged lettuce?

Keeping in mind that this question can be argued both ways. Bagged lettuce does offer convenience in prep time and seems to last longer in the fridge.

Let's try to list out some facts about it and you decide if there is anything wrong with it. 

• Do you know the variety, where it was grown, and who grew it? 
• It's important if you want to minimize the distance your food travels, reducing pollution. 
• Also the less it travels, the less likely it was treated after harvest, and contains less chemical residue. Its packaging is possibly less polluting as well. 
• Is it in season? Seasonal produce is generally better 
• Is it a heirloom lettuce, local to it's surroundings, or a hybrid variety?  Local heirloom variety is best. 
• Is it GM food? They haven't developed any GM (genetic modifications) for lettuce as of this post, but other produce are GM such as corn and soybeans. 
• Do you know how it was grown? 
• Specifically if the soil was organic, or if it even needed soil. What was used, if anything to fertilize it, keep little critters or bigger animals off. 
• Also who planted it, maintained the fields and who harvested it?  It may be important if fair labor is important to you, or if the farm or processor has a history of poor practices.
• How and when was it harvested and processed?
• What was used to harvest, process it, wash it? 
• Was liquid solutions of bleach(sodium hypochlorite) or chlorine(hypochlorous acid) or gas used to sanitize it? 
• Was there any other treatment or processing after harvest? Radiation, x-rays?
• What else is in the bag?  Plastic bags are filled with lettuce in factories and sealed with what inside?
• If it's local, it's more likely to be fresher (0 - few days old) and contains more benefits when you eat it. It's also likely to be less processed
• How much does it cost per pound or per ounce?
• Lettuce comes in 6oz, 8oz, 10oz, 12oz bags but knowing what you pay for it is valuable.  Generally the higher price equals organic but not all the time. 

What you can do so you know more about the answers to these questions.  

• Grow your own food and teach your family to grow some too
• Join a local CSA or buying club
• Go to local farmers markets
• Eat more local and seasonally
• Demand better produce
• Buy more fresh, raw, unadulterated food including loose lettuce. Wash it and chop it yourself! Learn how to store it. 
• Read product labels and research the company so you know more.

Foraging for mulberries

How sweet they are - I just love picking these mulberries from a park right by where my kids go to school.  I will have to invest in getting a dropcloth or a sheet because it's quite an exercise picking them with my hands. Plus you have to wear a glove or walk around with red hands!

There are two kids, red and white.  I like them both and my kids do as well.  

garden update June 2010

garden 091
Originally uploaded by shenyap

I took some pictures on our garden. There are still some plants there that I am not sure about :) I didn't plant them.

A tiny amount of plant food offers a tiny amount of benefit.

I enjoyed reading the post at DiseaseProof about the latest research study claiming fruits and veggies offering modest protection against cancer. Here is the point that clears it all up for me:

A tiny amount of plant food offers a tiny amount of benefit.

That is not how I would have interpreted this study, but it makes perfect sense.  Even for a person who eats a diet of "everything in moderation" or a diet of nothing but take out and restaurant foods, or even "I try to eat very healthy diet" -  Still eating a little more fruits or veggies each day was shown to be a little better as far as developing disease...

Many of the news stories on this subject neglected to mention the fact that the researchers found a dose-response relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and cancer risk – this means that as the number of servings increased, rates of cancer decreased. 

 So in conclusion he adds:

Most people are confused about nutrition, and results like these can add to the confusion. There is clear evidence that unrefined plant foods protect against chronic disease, but modest nutritional improvements offer only modest health benefits. Cutting back on cigarettes does not offer much protection against lung cancer either.  It is the total package of a well-designed, nutrient-dense diet, regular exercise, and a healthy weight that offers optimal benefit. We can win the war on cancer.

I just went shopping and got some lettuce, brussels sprouts, radishes, bell peppers, and my fridge is full of other fruits and vegetables including carrots, eggplant, kale, oranges, apples.  My freezer has some berries, broccoli, peas, corn.  There are so many delicious combinations one can make with all of this food.  It's also good to remember that the more we fuel our bodies with real, whole foods, the better it functions.  Here's to health!

Click here to learn more about nutrient density
More about a link to diet and getting cancer

References
i. Higdon JV et al. Cruciferous Vegetables and Human Cancer Risk: Epidemiologic Evidence and Mechanistic Basis. Pharmacol Res. 2007 March ; 55(3): 224–236
ii. Larsson SC, Hakansson N, Naslund I, Bergkvist L, Wolk A. Fruit and vegetable consumption in relation to pancreatic cancer: a prospective study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15:301–305.
iii. Zhang M, et al. Dietary intakes of mushrooms and green tea combine to reduce the risk of breast cancer in Chinese women. Int J Cancer. 2009;124:1404-1408
iv. Powolny AA, Singh SV. Multitargeted prevention and therapy of cancer by diallyl trisulfide and related Allium vegetable-derived organosulfur compounds. Cancer Lett. 2008 Oct 8;269(2):305-14.

School Food Lunches

I stumbled on a blogger posting what the kids eat for lunch, and actually eating it and commenting on it. If we are going to raise the bar on school lunches or snacks, it isn't stacked very high in my opinion.  Take a look these kids are eating very poorly, if they are eating the whole thing.  Right now I pack a lunch for my kids to daycare, and it looks like this is going to be a job going forward into their school years, until they are old enough to pack their own lunch.  What are the kids are served regularly for this teacher?

• Chicken nuggets / patty
• Pizza
• Meatball subs
• Little Veggies
• Some Fruit
• Chips / milk
• Cheese

GMO and Alfafa

Monsanto is trying to approve Alfafa GM seeds - This is a petition with objections to be submitted to the USDA. Does anyone else object to another GM crop to contaminate our food supply?

GMO is bad news - just search for it on Google 

Raw Beet Salad with walnuts

Raw Beet Salad with Walnuts
Prep Time:  15 - 20 minutes

Beets are a root vegetable related to swiss chard. The pigment that gives beets their rich, purple-crimson color-betacyanin-is also a powerful cancer-fighting agent, which has been demonstrated in several studies. Beets' Betaine Helps Lessen Inflammation and are powerful anti-oxidants, and are a great source of minerals like folate, potassium, magnesium, and manganese.  While beets are delicious cooked this salad is all raw. Remember that you don't need to peel the skins of the root vegetables, but simply scrubbing them is enough - just make sure that you are buying organic.

Ingredients
4 cups beets grated
1 cup carrots grated
1/2 c raw walnuts
1 cup dried fruit ( currants, prunes)
1/4 chopped parsley
1 T flavored  vinegar, unseasoned rice vinegar, or lemon juice
1 tbsp Date Sugar (optional)


Directions
1. Lightly toast walnuts for 2 minutes
2. Wash and grate beets/carrots.  Using a food processor is faster, but I used a box grater. Wear gloves or wash your hands with some lemon juice since they will stain. Place in a bowl.
3. Add all of the other ingredients except walnuts and stir to mix.
4. I let this sit overnight in the refrigerator and added walnuts prior to serving to let the dried fruit loosen up and absorb some juices, but it's ready to eat as you make it.

References
About beets from whfoods.com

Help Jamie Oliver with his wish

Help Jamie Oliver with fulfilling his wish:

“I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.”

One thing he mentioned we do is to teach our kids to cook healthy meals at home. No one can argue that we all need to eat more vegetables, so lets teach each other and our kids on how to prepare more of them.  I know there are many opportunities to do so every day.  Think about what's most important to you - is it a life free of disease, suffering, doctors visits, pain, etc?

I realize that priorities change with time so maybe these things become important when you actually get sick, or get older.  If you are a parent, model healthy eating at home and get educated about what foods you should eat most of for great health  and your child will inevitably pay attention and learn from you.

Another thing is to support the organizations that align themselves with promoting health instead of organizations that promote drug research.  Think of the millions of dollars we give to do the research, instead of supporting nutrition education for kids or local farmers who deliver fresh produce.

 

Organic Infant Formulas with DHA/ARA

Parents should be aware of the following Notice about Infant Formulas with DHA/ARA

In 2001, US infant formula manufacturers began adding a novel source of DHA and ARA that is manufactured by Martek Biosciences Corp. This DHA is derived from strains of algae; the ARA is manufactured using a non-toxigenic soil fungus. In 2006, organic infant formula companies began promoting their use of this same ingredient. The following is the manufacturing process described by Martek:
"The oil is then separated from the dried biomass by hexane extraction and centrifugation and/or filtration, followed by winterization. The hexane phase undergoes additional centrifugation/filtration to remove solids then the winterized oil is heated and treated with acid. Subsequently, the oil is treated with caustic, centrifuged, bleached and deodorized." ¹ Learn more at Cornucopia Institute
Sam Zeller, Ph.D. - Martek Biosciences Corporation, Food & Drug Administration Agency Response Letter, GRAS Notice No. GRN 000137
life'sDHA is a registered trademark of Martek Biosciences Corporation.

Also this report by Cornucopia Institute about the soybean industry sheds some light on companies  who we can trust and those who we probably cannot.  

One Green meal a day Challenge

One Green meal a day Challenge

Have you seen Food Inc?  Let's take action! Here is how this works: Plan on eating one meal made entirely of Whole Foods. Have them anyway you like raw/cooked/sprouted/baked/steamed/mixed/juiced/blended/etc...  

Examples of some Whole Foods include 

•  Vegetables(Broccoli, Spinach, Cabbage, Carrots, Tomato)
•  Fruits(Apples, Pears, Oranges)
•  Beans/Legumes (Navy, Mung, Split Peas, Lentils)
•  Grains (Quinoa, Rice, Barley)
•  Nuts/Seeds (Walnuts, Brazil Nuts, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds)

Committing yourself to replacing one of your meals with one meal consisting of only vegetables each day can be a real challenge for some people, if you are new to this, relax and start by participating in the One Green Meal A Week initiative and build yourself up to one meal a day. 

Why is it a Green Meal Challenge? Here are some facts that will help answer this question:

• Eating 1 lb. of meat emits the same amount of greenhouse gasses as driving an SUV 40 miles (more info)
• Eating more Fruits and Vegetables is protective against all disease (more info)
• More than 260 million acres of U.S. forest have been cleared to create cropland to grow grain to feed farmed animals.
• It takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of meat!
• An area of rain forest the size of seven football fields is destroyed every minute to make room for grazing cattle, and eating less animals saves acres of tress every year.
• Of all raw materials and fossils fuels currently used in the U.S., more than one-third goes to raising animals for food.
• You save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you would by not showering for an entire year!
• Here is a nice site that more visually explains the impact of our food choices

Holiday Dinner Recipes

I just made two dishes for our New Years Dinner - I will call them Peachy Keen Salad and a YB-Rice.  Every year we celebrate by having a holiday dinner where we remember and remeniss of the current year.  The good, the bad, and just everyday non-eventful normal stuff :)

All ingredients are organic for extra goodness.

To make the YB-Rice you need some Rice, Vegetables, Dried Fruit, Nuts/Seeds, Seasoning, Liquid

Rice

3 cups brown rice

1 cup wild rice

Vegetables

Broccoli

Green Peas

Spices

1 tbsp garlic powder

1tbsp fiesta mole seasoning (tomato based seasoning)

1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast

2 tbsp dried chives

Dried Fruit

1/2 cup Raisins

1/2 cup cranberries

Nuts/Seeds

1/2 cup Walnuts small chunks

1/4 cup sliced Brazil nuts

1/8 cup ground flax seeds

Combine and rinse the rice, place in a big pot with a few sprays of oil, and spices. I added the garlic and mole, reserving the yeast and the chives for last step. Turn the pot on and bring about 5 cups of water to a boil in a kettle and pour it over the rice.  Cover and cook on high heat for 5 minutes.  Turn down the heat to medium and cook for another 20 min, then cook 5 min on low and turn off the heat and let stand covered for 15 min.

At this point the rice is done, add the vegetables, with the nuts/seeds and the yeast (if using) and dried fruit and mix it up well and cover.

To make Peachy Salad

Take some greens, veggies, spices, fruit, berries, and nuts/seeds that you have on hand.  This recipe is what I had at the time.

Greens

2 Shredded Romaine stalks

Vegetables

Diced zucchini

Diced radish

Spice

Red Onion

Sliced Greens of Green onion, no white part

Dried Fruit

Raisins

Mulberries

Cranberries

Berries/Fruit

1/2 cup Blueberries

1 Persimmon                                        

Nuts/Seeds

Sunflower seeds

Sesame seeds

Hemp seeds

Pecans

Peachy Keen Dressing - measurements are approximate

Fruit

1 cup Frozen Peaches

few pieces of Dried Mango

Nuts/Seeds

3tbsp Hemp seeds

Vegetables

Broccoli (sneaked a few in there)

Liquid

1/2 cup Orange Juice

1/2 cup Pear Vinegar

Mix the salad ingredients, add the fruit on top.  Blend the dressing in high power blender. Enjoy!