It's that time of year again - common cold season. And, why is it that it sometimes takes so long to get rid of? No one size fits all answer here, but from my experience, I offer a few remedies, and of course, some of these remedies revolve around food.
First off, I am getting over a cold right now. Less than a week ago, I went to try on bridesmaid dresses, and the places was an ICEBOX. Literally, it was freezing -- and lo and behold, the next day I woke up with a super sore throat. Immediate things I typically do when this happens: gargle mouthwash or saltwater. It kills whatever is harboring in my throat. But, the real problem is my immune system. It wasn't strong enough from the beginning to fight the germs already around. So, my plan of attack when I am sick or getting sick is to boost the immune system and create an environment for my body to heal.
I used to load up on vitamin C. I don't know if it really works, because most of the time for me, it doesn't help all that much. It might offer a sliver of help, but I believe most of the help comes through other means. Vitamin C might be more a marketing game than your answer.
Here are a few ideas:
1) Stay warm. Western medicine does not emphasize this enough. When your immune system is down or boost your immune system, take every effort to stay warm. Wear an extra layer, scarf, hat, extra socks, heaters, hot water bath or hot water spa for feet, cover exposed skin, extra blankets at night. Drink warm water, don't drink cold (your organs work extra hard to get the cold water to your body temp). Don't have cold feet -- all your major blood veins run through your feet, this will keep your blood flow moving.
2) Drink hot soup. The soup warms up the inside, and when you have a homemade chicken soup, it is highly nutritious for your blood. Try to load up on garlic and onions in your soup or meal. Don't underestimate the power of broth or soup, and I typically strip the saturated fats from the soup.
3) Steep ginger and drink as tea. Ginger is powerful for empowering your immune system. Peel the ginger, cut in slices and put in 2 cups of water or so. Try to make it more potent than diluted. Boil for a few minutes, then steep. It should open up sinuses and give you a "fire-y" feel.
4) Drink goji juice. So, for this one, I am promoting a supplemental juice that my family started to buy a couple of years ago. It's called NingXia Red - and is a blend of goji and other berries, but this stuff is AMAZING. I took 2 shots of it the day my throat started to get sore, and the sore throat subsided - I probably would have been fully better by the third day but I went outside in the cold for a while the third day, which then caused me to wake up with stuffy sinuses and a runny nose since then. I should listen to my own advice...Here's the link: http://www.youngliving.com/essential-nutrition/goji-juice
5) Don't eat junk. It will cause your body to fight even harder. And, please don't eat sugary anything, breads, cakes, cookies, candy, etc. This reduces your immune system.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Inflammed?
Toxins inflame. Obesity inflames. Sugar inflames? A ravaging beast of the 21st century: inflammation. Inflammation is our bodily reaction to harmful stimuli, protecting our body by removing injurious stimuli and initiating healing (taken from the Wikipedia entry on inflammation). Without inflammation, our wounds would not heal. We need the response. But longer term, chronic inflammation leads to unnecessary "bystander" damage to tissue when the initial "removal" response is no longer needed. Why is this important? Because what we eat can either propagate the occurrence of inflammation or what we eat can help fuel our anti-inflammatory body reaction. Without an anti-inflammatory response, cellular destruction results, and disorders and disesases like cancer follow. And, I read in an abstract (I pasted the link below) that obesity (read: extra fat) represents a state of chronic low-level inflammation. Which explains why studies are linking obesity to major diseases.
I want more anti-inflammatories! What should I eat? (btw, I made up that term anti-inflammatories)
A top contender on the anti-inflammatory list is turmeric. It is the yellow powder used in curry. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and has been used for generations in India. Eat curry! I make it in chicken, potatoes and carrots - yum - in a Chinese curry sauce. Other anti-inflammatory foods include garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables, fennel, ginger, raspberries, blueberries, goji berries just to name a few.
I typically saute the vegetables - eat them fresh and eat them often.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1783744/
I want more anti-inflammatories! What should I eat? (btw, I made up that term anti-inflammatories)
A top contender on the anti-inflammatory list is turmeric. It is the yellow powder used in curry. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and has been used for generations in India. Eat curry! I make it in chicken, potatoes and carrots - yum - in a Chinese curry sauce. Other anti-inflammatory foods include garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables, fennel, ginger, raspberries, blueberries, goji berries just to name a few.
I typically saute the vegetables - eat them fresh and eat them often.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1783744/
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The Berry of Thanksgiving
I love cranberries. And, cranberries love me. As Thanksgiving approaches, many traditional meals will include some sort of cranberry compote or cranberry sauce. In my opinion, the cranberry should get a bigger share of glory during the year. Cranberries occasionally come up in recipes, but not mass consumption until Thanksgiving. I am generalizing here, but I think it holds some validity. Why do I think cranberries deserve more glowing reviews and increased consumption?
1) Cranberries have antioxidants. Cranberries, like raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc. are loaded with antioxidants that boost immunity, energy and a host of other bodily functions that are probably not understood.
2) Cranberries are sour, but with added sugar, they burst with sweet flavor. I am not a proponent of consuming lots of refined sugar, but when you combine cranberries with sugar, it can bring your oatmeal, salad, chicken salad to a whole new level. If it stays in a dish or salad for long enough, dried cranberries (Craisins) will absorb the moisture and become more plump, adding a nice texture to food.
3) Cranberry juice, although loaded with sugar, but in small amounts can be a good alternative, non-alcoholic drink when combined with club soda. It's better than a coke. And, it holds some trace of antioxidants in the juice. Who would have thought that the bar could even offer you some antioxidants?
I hope you enjoy the cranberry at Thanksgiving, and also consider giving it a longer life outside of Thanksgiving dinner if you don't already. The best way to buy it, if you have one available, is from Costco: Ocean Spray Craisins. And, Craisins run some great commercials.
1) Cranberries have antioxidants. Cranberries, like raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc. are loaded with antioxidants that boost immunity, energy and a host of other bodily functions that are probably not understood.
2) Cranberries are sour, but with added sugar, they burst with sweet flavor. I am not a proponent of consuming lots of refined sugar, but when you combine cranberries with sugar, it can bring your oatmeal, salad, chicken salad to a whole new level. If it stays in a dish or salad for long enough, dried cranberries (Craisins) will absorb the moisture and become more plump, adding a nice texture to food.
3) Cranberry juice, although loaded with sugar, but in small amounts can be a good alternative, non-alcoholic drink when combined with club soda. It's better than a coke. And, it holds some trace of antioxidants in the juice. Who would have thought that the bar could even offer you some antioxidants?
I hope you enjoy the cranberry at Thanksgiving, and also consider giving it a longer life outside of Thanksgiving dinner if you don't already. The best way to buy it, if you have one available, is from Costco: Ocean Spray Craisins. And, Craisins run some great commercials.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Is that really cheese?
This is America. People love cheese. It is amazing to me just how many varieties of cheese exist and how many people love them. Not long ago, some friends (who have super cute dogs named Izzy and Mathman :) ) introduced me to Robusto cheese and truffle cheese. Out of this world delicious, and amazing on a French baguette.
Although cheese in and of itself has been eaten for centuries, not all cheeses are made equal. The premium cheeses imported from farms that actually pasture-feed their cows (meaning grass, natural habitat) versus the majority of commercial farms in America that feed their cows corn, soy, or some concoction thereof produce cheeses that are vastly different. The grain-fed cows produce milk heavy with Omega-6’s and little Omega-3 fatty acids, whereas pasture-fed are more balanced with more Omega-3 fatty acids. OK, so why does this matter?
Diets heavy in Omega-6 without the balance of Omega-3 tend to cause people to become fat, and it increases the risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, and inflammation. This is major. And, this is happening.
In a previous post, I wrote that olive oil is for beautiful women (and for men, we hope you are beautiful too). One reason is because olive oil is low in Omega-6 fatty acids. Vegetable oils such as corn and cottonseed are high in Omega-6’s.
Moderate consumption of cheese (which was done for centuries) should not significantly contribute to burgeoning waistlines; however, it does in this country, in our modern age. I see a few choices. Research and get to the source of your cheese if you want to consume regularly. Or, balance it out with foods that have A LOT of Omega 3’s (somehow…seems difficult). Or, eat on occasion…which is what I do.
For more information: http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Black Monday
Since my blog is about food and love, this post is about love. For all my business school friends out there, don't you remember Black Monday when so many couples broke up? And, it was a perfect time to figure out which ones were now single because you secretly felt some disappointment when you heard they were taken? Well, interestingly, I did ask myself at some point, I wonder if there is some stat that shows just how many breakups happen, and does it really happen after Thanksgiving?
[interject eerie music]. The stat exists. And, the source is even better - it comes from Facebook. Based on Facebook status updates, the number of status changes to break up dramatically increases to a peak after Thanksgiving and to another peak during Spring Break. There could be so many explanations for why, but isn't it interesting that people think alike? Maybe it was after arguing over who's house to go to for the holidays. Or, someone didn't invite the other for the holidays. Or even the new year is coming, and the last few months gave people a reason to reflect, and the reflection was: I am with the wrong person.
Interestingly, aside from Mondays, summer holidays and April Fools' Day, which are more popular days to break up, the one day that people rarely break up on is...Christmas. Labeled as "too cruel." Maybe people still do desire to show a little kindness -- and give some sort of gift at Christmas...
Check out the site, you really should, if you read this blog posting:
www.informationisbeautiful.net
Lastly, to all my single friends out there, we have at the very least one thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. And, no need to listen to breakup songs.
[interject eerie music]. The stat exists. And, the source is even better - it comes from Facebook. Based on Facebook status updates, the number of status changes to break up dramatically increases to a peak after Thanksgiving and to another peak during Spring Break. There could be so many explanations for why, but isn't it interesting that people think alike? Maybe it was after arguing over who's house to go to for the holidays. Or, someone didn't invite the other for the holidays. Or even the new year is coming, and the last few months gave people a reason to reflect, and the reflection was: I am with the wrong person.
Interestingly, aside from Mondays, summer holidays and April Fools' Day, which are more popular days to break up, the one day that people rarely break up on is...Christmas. Labeled as "too cruel." Maybe people still do desire to show a little kindness -- and give some sort of gift at Christmas...
Check out the site, you really should, if you read this blog posting:
www.informationisbeautiful.net
Lastly, to all my single friends out there, we have at the very least one thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. And, no need to listen to breakup songs.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Get to the Source
The lesson learned is to be curious about what is in your food, where it came from, how it was grown or raised, and ask whether your source is reputable and trustworthy.
Not the first time that anyone has heard about food contamination, but there was an article today about the high levels of contamination in imported seafood from precarious places including Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia. In certain cases 40-50% of seafood testing comes out positive for drugs like chloramphenicol, nitrofurans and malachite green,which are banned from all food (I can't even pronounce them!). Seafood with the worst records of contamination: shrimp, catfish, crabmeat and tilapia.
I believe this goes back to the whole problem of fish/seafood farming. Yes, the demand for these foods have dramatically increased, there is high risk of overfishing the wild, but to farm them in sewage water or even the same water of the wild that shows ecosystem imbalance should not persist. The result time and time again is sick fish. Antibiotics is not an answer; the detrimental impact of drugs, antibiotics, hormone injections on humans defeats the purpose of food. Food is suppose to build your body up, not get more sick as a result.
And, by the way, I met three people over the weekend who don't know each other, and all of them had food poisoning of some sort. And, one was from calamari in Iowa.
Here's the article: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40198123
Not the first time that anyone has heard about food contamination, but there was an article today about the high levels of contamination in imported seafood from precarious places including Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia. In certain cases 40-50% of seafood testing comes out positive for drugs like chloramphenicol, nitrofurans and malachite green,which are banned from all food (I can't even pronounce them!). Seafood with the worst records of contamination: shrimp, catfish, crabmeat and tilapia.
I believe this goes back to the whole problem of fish/seafood farming. Yes, the demand for these foods have dramatically increased, there is high risk of overfishing the wild, but to farm them in sewage water or even the same water of the wild that shows ecosystem imbalance should not persist. The result time and time again is sick fish. Antibiotics is not an answer; the detrimental impact of drugs, antibiotics, hormone injections on humans defeats the purpose of food. Food is suppose to build your body up, not get more sick as a result.
And, by the way, I met three people over the weekend who don't know each other, and all of them had food poisoning of some sort. And, one was from calamari in Iowa.
Here's the article: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40198123
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Olive Oil for Beautiful Women
Food and love can be found in one place. Olive oil is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It can be used in sauteing, baking, dressing, or dipping, basically cooking anything except in high temperatures (like no deep frying or major pan frying). I love olive oil, and here are my reasons:
1) super healthy, great for your skin and does not leave you feeling fat like saturated fats or vegetable oils do
2) versatile - growing up we really only used corn oil, but olive oil works really well in Asian cooking or any type of cooking
3) look for extra virgin and cold pressed/first pressed -- this process is not the conventional, chemically refined way that vegetable, corn, canola, Crisco, or other cheap oils are made
4) with some salt and freshly ground pepper, olive oil is perfect for dipping that french baguette or Italian bread. And, because olive oil is not saturated fat, you can drench your bread and really enjoy.
Why else for olive oil? For all those Claudia Bassols fans out there from the TV show Spain On the Road Again, she says that basically every morning she has a piece of bread with some salt, maybe pepper, and TONS of olive oil -- and man, she does put a lot on. She says you can put as much olive oil as you want, because it just won't make you fat. Of course, I don't think she means you can drink it in obscene amounts, but I do think she is right from my personal experience, and she shows it.
Check her out at http://www.claudiabassols.com/. She has beauty, personality and warmth. One of the most beautiful women in the world, in my opinion.
1) super healthy, great for your skin and does not leave you feeling fat like saturated fats or vegetable oils do
2) versatile - growing up we really only used corn oil, but olive oil works really well in Asian cooking or any type of cooking
3) look for extra virgin and cold pressed/first pressed -- this process is not the conventional, chemically refined way that vegetable, corn, canola, Crisco, or other cheap oils are made
4) with some salt and freshly ground pepper, olive oil is perfect for dipping that french baguette or Italian bread. And, because olive oil is not saturated fat, you can drench your bread and really enjoy.
Why else for olive oil? For all those Claudia Bassols fans out there from the TV show Spain On the Road Again, she says that basically every morning she has a piece of bread with some salt, maybe pepper, and TONS of olive oil -- and man, she does put a lot on. She says you can put as much olive oil as you want, because it just won't make you fat. Of course, I don't think she means you can drink it in obscene amounts, but I do think she is right from my personal experience, and she shows it.
Check her out at http://www.claudiabassols.com/. She has beauty, personality and warmth. One of the most beautiful women in the world, in my opinion.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Reel Club Review
Yesterday was my birthday! In celebration, we went to Reel Club, the seafood restaurant. It is located in the west suburbs of Chicago. Nice ambiance, but the food was just OK. I ordered a tapioca crusted whitefish with a pistachio slaw. Alert! When it says crusted, you really don't know if it is pan fried or deep fried. However, at this restaurant, it was unhealthily deep fried. A bit disappointed for a healthy eater. Taste was on the salty side, but the pistachios added a nice combination of flavor to the fish.
We also ordered the lobster stuffed sole fish. Portions here are small! But only because they use a ton of butter to fill you up, so don't think you will walk out hungry. The sole had a light taste, the tomatoes balanced out the sweet fish, the fennel was a nice touch (but could have used more). Best when ordered with a side of white rice. It felt more healthy than my deep fried whitefish.
We also ordered the white tail tuna entree with olive risotto. I didn't taste it but I was told it was pretty good. The risotto was packed with butter making the dish kind of rich.
Saving grace to the meal - the side of garlic broccoli! Yum! Garlic gives it bite, and it was cooked tender. Here's a winner!
Overall, these Reel Club options were not a meal for the light minded.
We also ordered the lobster stuffed sole fish. Portions here are small! But only because they use a ton of butter to fill you up, so don't think you will walk out hungry. The sole had a light taste, the tomatoes balanced out the sweet fish, the fennel was a nice touch (but could have used more). Best when ordered with a side of white rice. It felt more healthy than my deep fried whitefish.
We also ordered the white tail tuna entree with olive risotto. I didn't taste it but I was told it was pretty good. The risotto was packed with butter making the dish kind of rich.
Saving grace to the meal - the side of garlic broccoli! Yum! Garlic gives it bite, and it was cooked tender. Here's a winner!
Overall, these Reel Club options were not a meal for the light minded.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Fatty Restaurant Encounters
Healthy or fatty? What do you think of when you hear of Jason's Deli? Panera Bread? Corner Bakery? In-and-Out? Yummy....I bet. Maybe healthy restaurant? Or healthy fatty restaurant? Their marketing department probably answers to healthy. But, how does anything on the menu with uber cheese or buttery delight constitute as healthy? Does healthy in this context mean fatty too?
My opinion on these restaurants is that they are great alternatives to fast food or greasy spoons because these restaurants care about their ingredients. But, don't be fooled that the Club Royale at Jason's Deli or the blueberry muffin at Panera is going to help you stay slim. Culprits to weight gain are still the same: sugar, cheese, butter, etc. However, if you are going to splurge, restaurants who offer better ingredients will likely taste better and be better for you in the long run than processed junk.
I found an interesting article off Yahoo! Health that helps you understand menu jargon. Go to a place that serves quality ingredients, and know what will be fatty and what is not so much. For instance, picking scampi means lots of butter. Picking parmigiana means breaded and fried. Picking au gratin means cream, cheese, and some other buttery goodness. And, one of my own learnings, picking crispy means deep-fried!
Check out the link:
Fattiest Restaurant Words to Avoid
My opinion on these restaurants is that they are great alternatives to fast food or greasy spoons because these restaurants care about their ingredients. But, don't be fooled that the Club Royale at Jason's Deli or the blueberry muffin at Panera is going to help you stay slim. Culprits to weight gain are still the same: sugar, cheese, butter, etc. However, if you are going to splurge, restaurants who offer better ingredients will likely taste better and be better for you in the long run than processed junk.
I found an interesting article off Yahoo! Health that helps you understand menu jargon. Go to a place that serves quality ingredients, and know what will be fatty and what is not so much. For instance, picking scampi means lots of butter. Picking parmigiana means breaded and fried. Picking au gratin means cream, cheese, and some other buttery goodness. And, one of my own learnings, picking crispy means deep-fried!
Check out the link:
Fattiest Restaurant Words to Avoid
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Healing for the hurting heart
A continuation on love from Bob Moeller’s talk. Why is a recognizing a hardened heart so important? For one, unresolved pain will block our ability to give and receive love. We will look to the other person to fix us. We will step on each other’s pain for a lifetime (or choose to leave). And, if we do marry, we may spend years feeling like we married the wrong person.
Bob had a pretty interesting insight: If we come from a troubled or dysfunctional home, 90% of us will marry our most difficult parent.
I have definitely seen this. Unfortunately…
Is there hope? Yes there is!! A softened heart is the way back. God’s solution is to bring healing. Bob goes into many verses.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me…He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted…” Isaiah 61:1
“I will give you a new heart and a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26
Ask God to examine your heart (Psalm 139:23-24). Confess every area of hardness of heart and sin to God and to someone you trust (James 5:16). Forgive people who have damaged your heart. Ask Him to soften and heal your heart (Psalm 51:10).
This blog entry is for all the broken people out there in the world. I wish the misery would stop. We all need healing.
Monday, November 1, 2010
How hard is your love?
Since this blog is about finding food or love, today’s posting is about love. I went to a conference on relationships over the weekend, and it was by far, one of the most insightful I have ever experienced! I even bought his book! The speaker was Bob Moeller and his website is www.forkeepsministries.com. He and his wife, Cheryl Moeller, give conferences, counseling and do speaking engagements.
A few things to ponder upon…
The heart is the heart of every relationship. Your relationship is reflective of the state and condition of your heart. The other person does not make up for what you lack or struggle with. The problems or crux of relationship issues are expressed quite vividly through Jesus’ reply in this verse: “Moses permitted you divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.” Matthew 19:8. A heart that is hard is unable to give and to receive love. The relationship this heart is in can be damaged…badly. And, a relationship was not originally designed to be hurtful or damaging, and neither was a heart to be hard.
A few signs of a hard heart: living with consistent sadness or depression, feeling unusually anxious or fearful in relationships, an inability to express your deepest feelings to those closest to you, the ability to detach or emotionally disassociate from painful situations, always giving in to keep the peace, constantly performing for others to avoid their rejection, and many more.
This insight has led me to think – what is the state of my heart? Do I see this in my own life or in the relationships around me? How about you?
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