Honey is a natural preservative and sweetner

I love honey! I have it in my tea every morning, and put it on toast, English muffins, bagels, and the occasional peanut butter and banana sandwich. (LOL, I just made myself hungry writing that.)

I also add it to my favorite homemade salad dressing, which I make by blending olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a dollop of organic mustard and another dollop of honey.

So guess what? A recent study shows that the added honey is helping the salad dressing stay fresh while making it sweet and also giving me some antioxidants. Ooooooo, another reason to love honey!

Note to Commercial Food Scientists: You don’t need to put nasty chemical additives and high fructose corn syrup in salad dressing. Cut it out!

Antioxidant-rich honey is a healthy alternative to chemical additives and refined sweeteners in commercial salad dressings, said a new University of Illinois study.

“To capitalize on the positive health effects of honey, we experimented with using honey in salad dressings,” said Nicki Engeseth, a U of I associate professor of food chemistry. “We found that the antioxidants in honey protected the quality of the salad dressings for up to nine months while sweetening them naturally.”

Engeseth’s study substituted honey for EDTA, an additive used to keep the oils in salad dressings from oxidizing, and high-fructose corn syrup, used by many commercial salad-dressing producers to sweeten their salad dressing recipes.

“We chose clover and blueberry honeys for the study after an analysis of the sweetening potential, antioxidant activity, and phenolic profiles of 19 honeys with varying characteristics,” said the scientist.

The dressings were also compared to a control dressing that contained ingredients found in current commercial salad dressings, she said.

Engeseth explained a problem the scientists encountered in using honey in a salad dressing system. “Salad dressings are emulsions-they contain oil and water; and to keep these ingredients together in one phase, manufacturers rely on emulsifiers and thickening agents to avoid thinning of the dressing and separation of the oil and water phase,” she said.

When the researchers found that enzymes in the honey broke the emulsion by attacking the starch that was used to thicken the dressing, they came up with a new formulation that used xanthan gum as a thickening agent, which they then used in all the dressings, she said.

The researchers then stored the dressings under various conditions, including 37 degrees Celsius (accelerated storage) for six weeks and 23 degrees Celsius and 4 degrees Celsius for one year, followed by an evaluation of their oxidative stability.

“After nine months of storage, both types of honey were as effective as EDTA in protecting against oxidation or spoilage. Blueberry honey performed slightly better than clover,” she said.

Engeseth said that many consumers prefer products with natural ingredients and that salad dressings made with honey should appeal to these consumers.

“There’s such a wide range of salad dressings on the market–some unique salad dressings as well as inexpensive products that perform beautifully. If manufacturers are interested in developing salad dressings that have a healthy twist, we’ve demonstrated that using honey as both an antioxidant and a sweetener is one way to do this,” she said.

The article was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Co-authors are Carolyn Rasmussen of Kraft Foods, Sophia Leung of Newlywed Foods, Lia M. Andrae-Nightingale, a former U of I graduate student, and Xiao-Hong Wang and Shelly J. Schmidt of the University of Illinois.

Link

Photo by Blentley

Thanks, Linda!

Tofu-veggie stir fry

This recipe from Rachel MacIntyre at The Friendly Kitchen is pretty much exactly how and what I like to cook. Local food here in Hawaii has lots of stir fry dishes, all basically chopped veggies with some sort of meat or tofu (I use tofu). The only changes to this recipe I might make are that I use olive oil instead of sesame, no onions, and instead of the sauce, I use plain organic tamari.

I’m a huge eater of broccoli and baby bok choy, and I use tons of garlic and ginger in lots of different dishes. But if you need it simpler, as I sometimes do, you can just fry up the tofu and add some broccoli and tamari, steam a few minutes and it’s done– it’s delicious just that simple.

For rice, I use basmati white or brown. If I’m feeling fancy, I might use jasmine.

TERIYAKI TOFU STIR-FRY WITH BROCCOLI, CARROTS, AND BABY BOK CHOY
serves 4

4-5 Tbs. Toasted Sesame Oil
1/2# extra firm organic tofu, drained 15 minutes, sliced very thin
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 bunch organic broccoli, cut into florets
3 organic carrots, peeled and cut into rounds on a bias
1 head baby bok choy, stems cut into matchsticks, leaves roughly chopped

Teriyaki Sauce:
2 Tbs. Mirin
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup wheat-free tamari

1. In a largish saute pan, heat the sesame oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and saute on each side for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides. Transfer tofu to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

2. Return the pan with the sesame oil still in it to the stove. Add onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened. Add bok choy stems. When they begin to soften, add the broccoli and carrots.

3. As the broccoli and carrots are cooking, dissolve the cornstarch in the mirin in a glass measuring cup. Add agave and tamari to the measuring cup and set aside.

4. When broccoli and carrots are al dente(tender crisp), add bok choy leaves and stir. Cook for 30 seconds. Then, add the sauce, and just as it begins to thicken, remove from heat. Toss tofu into the pan, stir it all around, and serve with steamed brown rice.

Link

Thanks, Rachel!

Spiced Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew over Toasted Millet

In celebration of Thanksgiving, The Canary Report presents the first of what I hope are many fine recipes from Rachel MacIntyre, a private chef with insight into food allergies and sensitivities who has graciously offered to share her expertise with us. She has a great food blog at The Friendly Kitchen, where she advocates for organic, sustainable ingredients.

Rachel’s done a wonderful job at adapting this squash and chickpea stew recipe to give you good nutrition while staying away from food allergy or sensitivity triggers. Remember if there’s any ingredient to which you might have a sensitivity, contact Rachel and she’ll help you find a substitute as best she can. And don’t forget to visit The Friendly Kitchen and give her some comment love– she’s been wonderfully gracious at offering her consultation services to us canaries!

Here is Rachel’s intro and recipe for Spiced Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew with Toasted Millet:

Millet is a very popular gluten free grain used in Indian and African cuisine. It has a somewhat nutty flavor and a nutritional profile that is very similar to whole wheat, making millet flour an excellent substitute in gluten free baking. It is super diverse and can be used in savory and sweet dishes. Admittedly, I’ve not taken full advantage of all the ways this wonderful grain can be used, but I’m so obsessed with it at the moment that I’m sure you will be seeing much more of it in posts to come.

So, now that I’ve gone on and on about the side dish of this meal, let me tell you that the stew itself is a healthy, comfort food knockout. I’m kind of a sucker for one pot meals with loads of veggies in them, especially when they have some sort of ethnic flare, so when I saw this recipe, I was totally on board.

The combination of millet and chickpeas contains all of your essential amino acids, so you vegans and vegetarians out there can eat this meal knowing that it is providing your body with complete proteins. Plus, with the addition of butternut squash and spinach you are getting tons of antioxidants and minerals to keep your body nourished and strong through these colder months of the year.

SPICED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKPEA STEW WITH TOASTED MILLET
serves two hungry folks
adapted from a recipe by the Food Network Kitchen

For the stew:
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, small diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (my favorite is Muir Glen Fire-Roasted)
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. cumin
1 small butternut squash, cut into 1 inch pieces (learn the easiest way to cut up a butternut squash here)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 lemon juiced and zested
1/4 cup raisins
4 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup sliced almonds

For the millet:
1/2 cup millet
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, vegetable broth, or water
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbs. raisins
salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a medium sized pot, saute the onion in olive oil over medium high heat. When it begins to soften, add the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute before adding the spices and crushed tomatoes.

2. When the cinnamon stick just begins to unfurl, add the squash, chickpeas, broth, lemon zest and raisins. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, covered, until the squash is soft, about 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring the broth for the millet to a boil in a small saucepan.

4. In a dry saute pan over high heat, toast the millet until it begins to smell nutty. Add the toasted millet to the boiling broth and lower the heat to a simmer. Add the raisins, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes or until the millet is fluffy and looks like cooked couscous. When the millet is done, stir in the lemon zest, season with salt and pepper and keep warm while you finish the stew.

5. When the squash is soft, stir in the spinach and add the lemon juice. Continue to stir the stew over low heat until the spinach is just wilted.

6. Serve the stew with the toasted millet on the side and garnish with sliced almonds.

Other Millet Recipes in the Blogosphere:
Vegan Pumpkin, Millet, and Chocolate Chip Mini-Muffins at Eat’n Veg’n
Grandma’s Grain at 101 Cookbooks
Allergen Free Pumpkin Waffles at Karina’s Kitchen
Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies at Karina’s Kitchen
Millet Pie with Spinach and Feta at Serious Eats

Link

Thanks, Rachel!

Meet Rachel MacIntyre from The Friendly Kitchen

I’m so excited to share this with you!

A private chef with insight into food allergies and sensitivities has graciously offered to share her expertise with the flock at The Canary Report, giving me permission to post her recipes and photos from time to time.

I’d like to introduce you to Rachel MacIntyre, who blogs at The Friendly Kitchen: Allergy Friendly and Eco-friendly Recipes from a Private Chef’s Kitchen.

Rachel is a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu Program at the Texas Culinary Academy in Austin, Texas, where she honed her skills in the art of classic French cuisine.

“Upon graduation, I learned that I had developed several food allergies, including wheat, dairy, eggs, and yeast, and was no longer able to eat most of the foods that I loved to cook,” she says in her bio. “Using this ‘impediment’ as an opportunity to explore different arenas in the culinary world, I began to learn about and experiment with vegan/vegetarian foods, Macrobiotics, raw and living foods, and allergen-free cooking.

“I embraced an organic, plant-based diet that excluded my allergens and factory farmed meats, resulting in a dramatic change in my health and well-being. Deciding that I wanted to help others on their path to healing as well, I started my own business offering catering, personal chef services, cooking classes, and nutritional consultations for everyone, but with a special focus on people with specialized diets.”

In addition to blogging, Rachel works full time as a private chef in Austin.

Here’s what she has to say about her blog The Friendly Kitchen:

1. All meats, dairy, or eggs used in these recipes are specifically sourced from organic, pasture-raised, humanely-treated animals. The use of any factory-farmed animal products is NOT recommended. Not only are these factories harmful to the animals, they’re also not good for you or our planet.

2. Always choose local and/or organic produce when available. Or, better yet, try growing your own!

3. If there is a recipe that you would like to try but you are allergic to one (or more) of the ingredients, let me know and I will try recommend some substitutions or alternatives for you.

Did you hear that? If you need to tweak a recipe because of something you might be sensitive to, she’ll try to help you find a substitute! I really look forward to partnering with Rachel to find foods and recipes that work for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, many of whom also have severe allergies or sensitivities to certain foods. I’m also hoping we can dialogue about food sources and packaging, which can be problematic for peeps with MCS.

So go visit Rachel at The Friendly Kitchen, and look for The Canary Report’s first post of one of Rachel’s recipes on Wednesday, just in time for Thanksgiving.

Aloha and Welcome to the flock, Rachel!

Banana bounty

We have tons of banana trees in our yard, so every week or so a bunch like this is ready for harvest. The thing about bananas is you go from zero to 100 in about 24 hours! One day they are all green and the next all yellow. If you don’t get them down off the tree quickly, the birds beat you to the bounty.

On harvest day, I always eat about 10 before we even get them into the house. It’s always fun to share with neighbors; hands from this bunch went out to about five households. The next day, one neighbor brought me banana muffins she’d made! I love that, trading and sharing abundance.

Lucky we live Hawaii!

Making sense of the USDA Organic label

Understanding the USDA Organic label will help you make better choices when planning for a chemical-free diet.

Here’s the scoop:

Making sense of organic labeling can be difficult, and many consumers do not understand the significance of the USDA Organic label. Since October 21, 2002, the following guidelines were established by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) to assure consumers know the exact organic content of the food they buy.

Single-Ingredient Foods
On foods like fruits and vegetables, look for a small sticker version of the USDA Organic label or check the signage in your produce section for this seal.

The word “organic” and the seal may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese, and other single-ingredient foods.

Multi-Ingredient Foods
Foods such as beverages, snacks, and other processed foods use the following classification system to indicate their use of organic ingredients.

100% Organic—Foods bearing this label are made with 100% organic ingredients* and may display the USDA Organic seal.

Organic—These products contain at least 95–99% organic ingredients (by weight). The remaining ingredients are not available organically but have been approved by the NOP. These products may display the USDA Organic seal.

Made With Organic Ingredients—Food packaging that reads “Made With Organic Ingredients” must contain 70–94% organic ingredients. These products will not bear the USDA Organic seal; instead, they may list up to three ingredients on the front of the packaging.

Other—Products with less than 70% organic ingredients may only list organic ingredients on the information panel of the packaging. These products will not bear the USDA Organic seal.

Keep in mind that even if a producer is certified organic, the use of the USDA Organic label is voluntary. At the same time, not everyone goes through the rigorous process of becoming certified, especially smaller farming operations. When shopping at a farmers’ market, for example, don’t hesitate to ask the vendors how your food was grown.

*Salt and water are not included.

Link

Why organic?

Clara explains why organic produce is better. Warning: seriously CUTE.

Link

Fresh from the garden

Remember the cherry tomatoes from my garden in yesterday’s post? Well, here they are for dinner tonight. Cut in halves with chunks of Muenster cheese, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil & organic balsamic vinegar. Some organic whole wheat crackers on the side. Dinner!

Food matters

I’m curious: Does your diet impact your chemical sensitivity? Do you eat organic? Do you try to eat the most nutritious food possible? I’d love to hear your comments on this.

Here’s an interesting interview at Common Ground of two filmmakers about their documentary Food Matters.

Despite the billions of dollars of funding and research into new so-called cures, people continue to suffer from a raft of chronic ills and everyday maladies. Patching up an over-toxic and over-indulgent population with a host of toxic therapies and nutrient sparse foods is not helping the situation. In a personal quest of discovery, James Colquhoun and Laurentine ten Bosch set out on an independent mission to uncover the wholesome truth, ultimately producing and directing the documentary film Food Matters.

The film seeks to uncover the business of disease and, at the same time, explore the safe, cheap and effective use of nutrition and supplementation for preventing and often reversing the underlying causative aspects of illness. The Food Matters duo has independently funded the film to remain as unbiased as possible, delivering a clear and concise message to the world - food matters.

Joseph Roberts: What inspired you to produce Food Matters?

James Colquhoun: The biggest single motivator for us was personal experience. My father was quite unwell at the time. He was suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, anxiety and depression and not responding well to a raft of medications. He was suffering quite severely from the side effects. That spurred our personal interest in sourcing alternatives for healing and looking at the source of the problem, as opposed to masking symptoms which medications often do.

That led us to study at the Global College of Natural Medicine. We were quite surprised that many others are familiar with the concept that you can eat well to prevent illness. We also discovered that nutritional therapy and detoxification processes can reverse illness - heart disease, diabetes, depression, cancer and mental illness. That was a really big turning point for us and we were quite motivated to inform as wide a population as possible.

JR: Which basic principles did you discover?

JC: Metabolic illnesses play a part in just about every illness that exists - you have an over-toxicity and a lack of nutrients. These can be caused by any number of things, but in order to reverse these illnesses, we need to look at detoxifying the body and replenishing nutrients. Those concepts basically facilitate our bodies to create balance and self-heal. Everyone is familiar with how your body heals itself when you cut yourself or if you have some sort of scar. It’s not such a different concept whether you have a cut on your arm or heart disease or diabetes and so forth. Once you restore balance to the body and give it the environment that creates optimum health and balance, it will regenerate and self-heal.

Link to full interview and more about the film

October 1st is World Vegetarian Day

I struggle all the time with the issue of eating meat. I do not want to eat mammals, not for health reasons, but for ethical imperative: I love animals and cannot bear the suffering endured by mammals meant as food, especially those grown in commercial feed lots destined for an inhumane slaughter.

So I eat mostly fish, but I know even fish are sentient beings as well, with distinct personalities and the desire for happiness (yes, this is Buddhist teaching). I see the fish in my ponds and I know they are extremely aware of their beingness: they are curious, social, delight in play, and are very unhappy when sick. So it’s also hard for me to eat fish!

So I was interested to discover that October is World Vegetarian Month, with the kick off on Oct. 1^st.  Here’s some food for thought from Myriam Black at The World is my sOyster Weblog.

There are many reasons that men, women and children decide to cut animal flesh out of their diets. These are the main ones:

1. Animal cruelty issues -factory farm operations (where most of your meat comes from) is often cramped, cruel and rampant with disease

2. Environmental issues -animal farming takes up way more resources than farming plant based stuff. By the time you factor in all the resources that go into feeding a cow and how much that cow actually feeds you, it ends up being a net loss of energy overall. It’s much better for the environment if we eat plants, which give much more energy per acre than a cow. Plus, less cattle production means less soil contamination in our veggies too. There are also large areas of trees that are being cleared to make more space for livestock productions. Eat an asparagus, save a tree!

3. Health issues -there are very few vegetarians that don’t notice a dramatic change in their health after giving up meat (and even more so when they give up eggs and dairy too). These include more vibrant hair, smoother skin, better eyesight, better hormone balance, better blood pressure, higher energy levels and better weight management. This has also helped some of our top athletes compete better too.

4. Financial issues -I think we all agree that meat and milk are bloody expensive. My grocery budget has remained the same since we stopped eating meat but having no meat or dairy in my grocery cart has allowed me to invest my dime into foods that are extra healthy for me, like extra fruits and veggies, organic produce, hemp protein powder, pure fruit juice and other yummy goodies like that.

5. Culinary reasons -I have always loved cooking! And when we went vegetarian and later vegan I had to rethink the way that I viewed vegetables on my plate. Instead of being the garnish beside my chicken breast they have become my main masterpiece! There is a whole new world of food and flavors out there to be discovered, especially in ethnic cuisines.

I implore you to give vegetarianism a chance. The earth, your body, the animals, your wallet and your taste buds will thank you!

Link

I found Myriam’s post through Elisa Camahort at Blogher, who writes about vegetarianism:

What are my guiding principles?

1. Any step is better than no step. No one is a 100% perfectly humane human. Perfectionism is an easy excuse to keep you from even trying to do one thing…you may ask “What’s the point of only swearing off veal?” I say that it all matters it all helps, and you should do what you can do…until you can do better.

2. I am veg*n because I can be and there is no compelling reason not to be. Can’t you be? Why shouldn’t you be? And couldn’t you start small and work up? What have you actually got to lose? Conversely: what might you gain?

3. Yes, veg*nism can be better for your health, and yes, it can better for the planet’s health. (It can also not be those things…it all depends on how you do it.) I am not a religious person. I’m not even particularly a spiritual person. But I deeply believe that this is the most beneficial spiritual practice I follow. I believe it promotes both my personal well-being and promotes peace in the wider world. I know I have been a catalyst for others to head down the veg*n path, and is is not because I harangue or vilify or preach. I simply encourage people to be informed, and think about it and make conscious choices. And to do whatever they feel they can manage to do right then. That’s all.

4. Yes, I vote absolutely religiously, but how I spend money is also a vote, of sorts, every single day. I do believe economic “encouragement” drove many cosmetics companies to drop animal testing, for example, and that’s a good thing. We all consume, but we can do it consciously.

That’s my testimony in honor of World Vegetarian Day. What will you do to mark the day? Make veggie meals? Patronize a veggie restaurant?

Link

Link to photo by coincoyote at flickr

Another reason to eat your broccoli

A substance found in broccoli may limit the damage which leads to serious lung disease, research suggests.

There are many reasons to make broccoli a staple in your diet. Here’s another:

Broccoli ‘may help protect lungs’

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often caused by smoking and kills about 30,000 UK residents a year.

US scientists found that sulforapane increases the activity of the NRF2 gene in human lung cells which protects cells from damage caused by toxins.

The same broccoli compound was recently found to be protective against damage to blood vessels caused by diabetes.

Brassica vegetables such as broccoli have also been linked to a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Link to BBC

Link to great recipe for Broccoli Salad with Avocado from drweil.com

Alternative sweetners better for good health

Link to Healthy Child Healthy World

Be brave and make a green smoothie

I’m big on smoothies. My base is usually banana and soy milk, and then I add whatever I have on hand: blueberries, strawberries, wheat germ, protein powder, whatever looks like a good combination.

Here’s a great vid to help you get over the fear of adding something GREEN. I know it sounds weird, but if you chop up a dark green leafy vegetable like kale (a super food) into a smoothie, you will never know it’s there– in fact, it’s delish! Tricks like this will give your nutrition a boost, especially if you aren’t getting your 4 veggies and 3 fruits a day.

It’s a given that you’re eating organic, right?

Link

The Meatrix

The movie that started it all! The Meatrix spoofs The Matrix films and highlights the problems with factory farming. Instead of Keanu Reeves, The Meatrix stars a young pig, Leo, who lives on a pleasant family farm… he thinks. Leo is approached by a trenchcoat-clad cow, Moopheus, and joins him on a journey to learn more about what goes on behind closed barn doors at factory farms. The Meatrix was created and produced by Sustainable Table and Free Range Studios.

Deep Tomato Quiche - Open Pie

We have chickens that give us fresh eggs every day, so I’m always on the lookout for new recipes that include eggs. I came across this recipe from one our island’s cooking divas, Sonia Martinez. She has a very fun blog called Sonia Tastes Hawaii with recipes and tons of photos of island life.

I like Sonia’s recipes because she uses fruits and vegetables that are easy to find locally, in our own yards or at the local farmer’s market. The goat cheese is also locally made– yummy!

The only things I change in this recipe are soy milk for the milk, and I’ll grab whatever cheese I have on hand.

Quantities are approximate as I didn’t really measure anything.
Ingredients are listed in the order in which I added them.

1 deep dish pie shell (*) or your own favorite recipe
1 heaping Tablespoon Dijon Country Rough mustard

Brush mustard over bottom and sides of pie shell and bake until light
golden - I do this while oven is heating up to 350o F

1/4 cup shredded medium sharp Cheddar
One layer ripe tomato slices
Sprinkle chopped garden onions
Sprinkle chopped fresh basil
Sprinkle chopped fresh chives
Dot with little mounds of chevre - about 1/2 teaspoon each (**)
One layer ripe tomato slices
Add another layer of the chopped onions, basil and chives
Top with another 1/4 cup shredded medium sharp Cheddar

Beat 4-5 eggs (depending on size)
Add milk and beat together
A touch of salt & fresh ground pepper

Pour over the pie filling and let it rest a bit so the liquid will go
all the way to the bottom. Add more egg/milk if needed to top it

Bake at 350o F until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, let rest
for a few minutes, slice and enjoy!

It was delicious!

(*) I keep some in the freezer for emergencies
(**) I used a full small 4 ounce log of chevre (creamy goat cheese)

YIELD: 6 servings for normal people - 4 for us

Link

Woman transforms toxic experience into new business

Wendy Banks developed environmental sensitivity by working in a greenhouse where insecticides and herbicides were used. She got her sensitivity under control through diet, the right health care specialists and avoiding toxic air. Then she did a very smart thing: she started a business supplying customers– individuals and restaurants– with fresh, locally grown food.

“I’m a farmer’s daughter,” she says. “I grew up healthy.” But then she started a greenhouse business selling flowers and bedding plants. “I was working long hours in an enclosed environment, buying flats of flowers that had already been sprayed. There was moisture, humidity, mould, stress was high, and my eating habits were bad. I was eating packaged food. In the end I was dragged right out.”

Her hands and feet went tingly and numb; she lost her vision in one eye; she became lethargic; her thinking became fuzzy; she developed allergies, arthritis in her hips, ankles, and wrists. “I was in pain all the time. And then my equilibrium went.”

Doctors suspected a thyroid condition. Then lupus. Then Lyme disease. Then multiple sclerosis. Finally a doctor told her to get out of the greenhouse and seek alternative medicine. The greenhouse is killing you, he told her.

She quit the greenhouse, and spent five years reading everything she could get her hands on about food. She ate only fresh food, made sure she was well rested, drank plenty of unchlorinated water, and saw auto-immune specialists, a physiotherapist specializing in integrated manual therapy, and a doctor specializing in environmental medicine.

She has regained her sight, and her sensitivity is now under control, but she will never be free of it. She will always have multiple chemical sensitivity. But she’s full of energy, and in her new business, she finds that she is her own best advertisement, not just because she now knows so much about food, but because she’s a walking testimony to eating well.

Link

Photo by katie at Flicker.

Want yummy, safe ice cream? Make your own!

Anna, whose whole family has chemical sensitivities due to mold exposure, has a great blog called Please Step Away If You Are Wearing Perfume (love that name). This week she found a scary report on the chemicals in some commercial ice cream. Her solution is so simple, yet so empowering: Make your own!

Oh my Goodness. I already knew that ice cream is loaded with chemicals but if you want to know more check out Harmful Chemicals turn treat to threat from Natural News. I am so glad that I make almost everything from scratch. My vitamix blender even makes ice cream so we don’t have to go for those added chemicals. It is amazing how sick we are making ourselves just eating what is supposed to be healthy. That was my small rant for the day. All I can say is that I’m lovin’ ‘it’ (my own homemade food).

Link

Check out Anna’s blog for practical everyday solutions to living a chemical-free life.

What makes green tea so special?

I am a green tea addict. It’s always the lure of a mugful (no weenie tea cups for me!) of hot green tea that gets me to roll out of bed in the morning. Truth be told: I used to buy expensive organic green tea at the health food store, but now I get the less expensive at Cost U Less. I’m hoping the health benefits outweigh the non-organic status.

My first brew of the day is a double-bag potful steeped for about five minutes, then poured into a huge latte cup and blessed with a spoonful of honey and a generous dose of soy milk. Yum. I toodle out to the front lanai trying not to spill, settle into the wicker chair, and read the morning paper.

So what’s so great about green tea? Well, it has amazing health benefits. Here’s a good description on The Miracle of Green Tea:

The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.

Links are being made between the effects of drinking green tea and the “French Paradox.” For years, researchers were puzzled by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.

Why don’t other Chinese teas have similar health-giving properties? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.

Bottoms up!

Link

Photo by tim at Flickr, clockwise from bottom: Coco Mint green tea, Genmai Cha green tea, Citron green tea.

Zeer is here!

Check out this fabulous food website, Zeer, with reviews, communities, discussions, foodie confessions, product information, mobile shopping lists, organization tips and so much more.

Join Communities

Going green or organic? Looking for a healthier diet? Or are you passionate about wine, beer or your pet? With Zeer you can join communities that match your needs and interests and get advice that’s relevant to you.

Link

Thanks for the tweet Pistachio!

Pistachio Zeer is up: reviews, grocery lists, community, groups by allergies, diet restrictions, etc: “Healthy heart” “low gluten.” Ratable reviews.

Whole wheat bread recipe

07/14/08

Miss Molly over at I Learned Something Today found a great whole wheat bread recipe with step-by-step instructions and photos. Thanks, Miss Molly!

Link to bread recipe.

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