Posts Tagged ‘food focus’
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
If I had to pick the ugliest member of the vegetable family…Im sorry celeriac, it would be you. But please, as we are always told, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Celeriac, also known as Celery Root, is a delicious and healthy winter root vegetable that should NOT be overlooked. Despite it’s name, it’s actually a cousin of the green stalk celery everyone is familiar with. This variety is grown almost strictly for it’s root, and not it’s stalk. In season from October to April, this mild tasting vegetable is a great stand-in for, or addition to traditional starches like potaoes and turnips. Unlike most root vegetables, however, celeriac is only about 5-6% starch by weight. It’s rich in phosphorus and potassium, high in vitamin C, niacin, iron, and dietary fiber. Really now, it’s not so ugly after all!
Simply cut away the burly, knotty exterior (you may have to cut off quite a bit) and add it raw to salads for a cool crunch, somewhere in between celery (duh) and jicama in flavor. You can roast them or fry them like french fries, or puree them into a rich and creamy soup. Or, slap on your beret, and make ‘celeri remoulade’, a very traditional French salad of shredded celeriac tossed with a mustard-mayonnaise dressing.
How ever you try it, just make sure you do! Your local farmers market should have them through the winter.
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Tuesday, November 11th, 2008
Okay, I know… brown rice is quintessential hippy food. Lots of people still scoff at it, but it really is a fantastic food staple and should be embraced by all, hippies or not. When you say ‘rice’, most people think white, but lets work on changing that, ok? White rice is the stripped and processed remnants of brown rice, a mere shadow of it’s former self. Aside from being almost nutritionally void, white rice is pure carbohydrate, and breaks down in our systems quickly, elevating our blood sugars and giving us unsustainable, superficial energy. Brown rice provides four times the amount of insoluble fiber as white rice, and an impressive roster of vitamins and minerals such as concentrated B vitamins (which help nervous systems and mental depression), niacin, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and even some vitamin E. This whole grain also contains a small amount of high-quality protein in the form of the amino acid lysine, which helps boost the body’s ability to fight viruses, especially those that cause cold sores.
Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate and therefore burns more slowly in the body, providing a steady stream of long lasting energy, while increasing the brain’s levels of serotonin, the chemical responsible for the feeling of well being… great for extended Greateful Dead concerts. Just kidding. Only hippies like the Greateful Dead. And I don’t know about you, but I’m no hippy. People who consistently eat brown rice report steady energy levels, and an overall feeling of calm and balance in their lives. Sound like any hippies you know? But really, calm and balance are things we are likely all seeking, so cast off your long harbored feelings of disdain for your patchouli doused, dreadlocked breathren, and cook yourself up some brown rice.
For brown rice, and whole grains in general, the majority of digestion occurs in the mouth through chewing and exposure to saliva. But seeing as you read the previous entry in this newsletter, you already knew that! In addition to brown rice, there are many great tasting whole grain rices you can try. Here are some of my favorites:
Wehani Rice
Black Rice
Wild Rice (technically a seed and not a grain, but still delish)
Bhutanese Rice
Jasmine
Basmati
Some of these are nutty, and others are sweet and fragrant. Experiment or mix & match, just don’t forget to chew.
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Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008
Who here doesn’t love sweets!? I do!! But personal experience has proven that not all are created equal.
Sweet flavors release serotonin in our brains, the chemical responsible for our sense of well-being and contentment (low levels of serotonin are responsible for many cases of depression, and anti-depressents often focus on increasing brain levels of serotonin).
This is why desserts and candy make us oh so happy! But being aware of the TYPES of sweeteners we put into our body is very important. There are side effects and health risks from refined sweeteners like white table sugar, and high-fructose corn syrup, and from artificial chemical sweeteners like NutraSweet, saccharin, and Splenda. Because they have been stripped of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, refined sweeteners can spike blood sugar, which can lead to cravings and mood and energy fluctuations. New studies are looking at whether high-fructose corn syrup actually interferers with the hormones in our bodies that tell our brains that we are full. Yet another reason to stay clear of foods containing HFCS.
Using naturally and minimally processed sweeteners can reduce cravings for sugary things, level blood sugar ups and downs, stabilize moods, and have a dramatically positive effect on long-term health.
Here are a few natural sweeteners to substitute in drinks, food, and baking. Since they are all approximately 1.5 times sweeter than refined table sugar, you can use less. You can find them in most supermarkets, and pretty much any natural foods store. When replacing sugar with liquid sweeteners in a recipe, make sure you reduce the amount of other liquids.
AGAVE NECTAR
A personal favorite and the sweetener I swear by (as a hypoglycemic). Agave is made through the extraction and purification of the juice of the agave cactus (the same plant tequila comes from). It does not stimulate insulin production as others sugars to, do it does not create a “sugar rush”. It is a low-glycemic sweetener. It’s very mild in flavor, with only the “amber” variety carrying any sort of actual flavor.
MAPLE SYRUP
Maple syrup is the concentrated extract of the sap of maple trees. It adds a rich, deep flavor to foods and drinks. Make sure to look for 100% pure maple syrup, NOT maple-flavored corn syrup. As with all sweeteners, organic varieties are best. Available is dark and light varieties, the darker being more rich in flavor and less processed.
RAW HONEY
Everyone seems to love honey, one of the oldest natural sweeteners on the market. Honey will have a different flavor depending on the plant source. Some are very dark and intensely flavored. Whenever possible, choose raw honey (it looks creamy and opaque, not clear like most commercial honeys), as it contains small amounts of enzymes, minerals and vitamins. Raw honey is also a useful products to keep around the house in case of cuts, scrapes and burns as it has been used for centuries as a natural anti-bacterial. Check out Manuka Honey!
Tags: food focus
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Monday, June 2nd, 2008
Summer is almost here, and with long, hot days. What better way to cool down than dig in to a bowl of berries, or sticky your cheeks with huge wedges of watermelon! Eating raw fruits in the summer months is highly cooling, (baking it in the winter neutralizes the cooling effect) which is the perfect remedy to hot temperatures. Strawberries, Raspberries, Bluberries, Melons, Peaches. The choices are endless. Fruits are easy to digest, and their cooling qualities are great for people who are overstressed and overheated from mental strain or hot climates (and we ALL know someone like that!). Fruits are filled with fiber and liver stimulants, which act as a natural, gentle laxative. They are loaded with powerful anti-oxidants, which can help prevent free-radical damage in the form of disease and sign of aging.
Whenever possible, make an effort to buy fresh, locally grown fruit as opposed to imported fruits shipped from far away places. New York state is the second largest apple producing state in the country, averaging 25 million bushels a year, yet when you go to the grocery store, most of your apples, organic or conventional, come from places like Chile, New Zealand, and Washington State! Buying from your local farmers market (find it here), will give you access to the freshest apples possible. Eating fresh, local produce will also keep you eating in season, and more in harmony with your environment and climate, not to mention cutting down on the environmental impact of flying your apple half way around the world.
Fruit in the form of juice is also a great choice for cleansing the body and enjoying the bounty of a summertime harvest, but be aware (more…)
Tags: food focus, fruit
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Thursday, April 17th, 2008
Leafy greens are some of the easiest and most kalebeneficial vegetables to incorporate into your daily routine. Densely packed with energy and nutrients, they grow upward to the sky, absorbing the sun’s light while producing oxygen. Members of this royal green family include kale, collard greens, swiss chard, mustard greens, arugula, dandelion greens, broccoli rabe, watercress, beet greens, bok choy, napa cabbage, green cabbage, spinach and broccoli. How do greens benefit our bodies? They are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous and zinc, and are a powerhouse for vitamins A, C, E and K. They are crammed full of fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Their color is associated with spring, which is a time of renewal and refreshing, vital energy. In traditional Asian medicine, the color green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity. Greens aid in purifying the blood, strengthening the immune system, improving liver, gall bladder and kidney function, fighting depression, clearing congestion, improving circulation and keeping your skin clear and glowing
Leafy greens are the vegetables most missing from the American diet, and many of us never learned how to prepare them. Greens can be much more that just a salad! Be creative!
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