A New 2012

As the year closes, I want to wish you a wonderful holiday season and a bright turn to the new year that is upon us.  I look forward to what lies ahead, and hope that you and your loved ones are filled with faith and hope.

“The future has several names.
For the weak, it is impossible.
For the fainthearted, it is unknown.
For the thoughtful and valiant, it is ideal.” – Victor Hugo

Wifi and Fertility

Laptops, IPhones, IPads keep us constantly connected (and distracted), but there may be an impact on the body that we cannot immediately see. Wifi connected devices may adversely impact fertility, especially when close to the body.  I still remember reading articles years ago about the impact of cell phone radiation and how it was very bad for children because the radius of the radiation exceed the size of their heads.  Although this context is for adults, wifi might be a similar story.

Argentinian scientists in a study published in a medical journal Fertility and Sterility, describe how they got semen samples from 29 healthy men, placed a few drops under a laptop connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi and then hit download.  Four hours later, a quarter of the sperm were no longer swimming around, compared to just 14 percent from semen samples stored at the same temperature away from the computer.  Nine percent of the sperm showed DNA damage, three-fold more than the comparison samples.

Technology is in its infancy and scientific studies have just begun on its impact on our health.  For me, I would be more cautious than not.  Female reproductive organs are not far away either if using a laptop on the lap or abdomen area.  A separate test with a laptop that was on, but not wirelessly connected, found negligible electromagnetic radiation from the machine alone.  But still, using a laptop on the lap raises the temperature in the reproductive area for both women and men, but is especially harmful for sperm.

What to do?  It is best not to use a laptop connected via wifi on your lap or on any part of the body.  Smartphone wifi and IPad wifi are likely the same, although the electromagnetic radiation is probably less.  We love our smartphones, but maybe play with it on a table instead of directly in the hand.  Especially when playing with it 24/7.  You should definitely not have the phone on you around the clock.  Don't sleep with your phone.  I would set it in another room during sleeping hours.

Also, for men, just because you don't use wifi on your lap doesn't mean you will have healthy sperm.  Staying lean, eating healthy foods, exercising, not taking drugs and not smoking are also very important, if not even more.
 

Source: foxnews.com/health/
Picture Source: Amazon.com

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you and your family!  Hope you partake in some wonderful food and love this holiday.  Thanks for reading and being part of my 'food and love' journey!

Picture source: ilikebigbows.blogspot.com

You Are What You Eat

We have heard of old time "You are what you eat." Recently, I read an article that actually takes this down to the gene level.  At Nanjing University in China, a study testing for the presence of microRNAs (building blocks of genetic material that prevent specific genes from giving rise to the proteins they encode) from corp plants, such as rice, wheat, potatoes and cabbage in blood samples of 21 volunteers.

The different microRNAs from commonly eaten plants were found in the subjects' bloodstream.  They also found that a rice microRNA could control of activity of receptors controlling removal of LDL ("bad" cholesterol).  The findings support co-evolution, a process in which genetic changes in one species trigger changes in another. 

This leads me to question, if genetic changes of plants show up in people's bloodstreams, then genetically modifying foods cannot be an isolated event.  These genetic changes to plants will show up in those who eat them.  Could this contribute to more genetic problems that we pass down to the next generation including allergies, diseases, cancer, you name it?  Cancer existed 50 years ago, but was just not as prevalent as it is today.

One thing to do that combats genetically modified food is to have your own garden.  And, to make sure that the seeds you use to grow your food are non GMO (not genetically modified).  The more non GMO we use, the more chance there is that these good seeds will be preserved and really bring what we need to fight disease and improve wellness of life for the people we love.


More on genetically modified foods, previous post: Someone Wants to Control Your Food
Source: Scientific American

Worth Your Butter

It was during Thanksgiving that I went to the grocery store, buying the ingredients for the big non-turkey roast that we did...Non-turkey because our family is not the biggest fan of turkey in general, and as a result, turkey leftovers may stay in the freezer for a year!  So, we did duck instead, which turned out great. But, in my grocery hunt, I came across pasture-fed butter by Kerrygold.  I know that pasture-fed anything (or I should say, any animal that should feed on grass) is always a better choice.  In general, I don't eat a lot of butter, and have never tried pasture-fed butter.  I decided to give it a whirl.

Boy oh boy, have I been missing out!  It is a similar experience to when I first tried grass-fed milk, the taste was out of this world different!  There was actual aroma to the taste of the milk.  You can read more on my previous post: Got Milk?.  This butter from pasture-fed cows in Ireland was so aromatic.  In my opinion, worth its double in price, especially when you want to spread it on bread or use it for dipping.  Baking, not so much.

We decided to go big one night and bought a couple of lobsters.  Steamed the lobsters, and I used the grass-fed butter for the dipping sauce with garlic and lemon.  I went bonkers.  Lobster and pasture-fed butter, an incredible combination.


Picture source: Kerrygold

Pom Power

If you haven't seen, right now is pomegranate season.  The pomegranates are so juicy, so sweet, ruby red, and plump.  The fruit is shiny and, in many ways, just tantalizing.  I know that many western books depict the apple as the fruit of temptation in the Garden of Eden.  But, seriously, I think it was the pomegranate.  Have you ever eaten one that is in season?  It's ruby red, jewel-like parcels contain 100% juice.  They burst in your mouth with their refreshing sweet flavor, and the seeds have fiber.

I have been eating so many of these delicious fruits, that the other fruits can't keep my attention like a perfectly ripe pomegranate.  If it were really the pomegranate in the Garden, Eve, I don't blame you.

Pomegranates are packed with antioxidants.  "Pomegranate juice contains the highest antioxidant capacity compared to other juices, red wine, and green tea," said Professor Michael Aviram at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.  There was one study presented in San Antonio at the American Urological Association Annual Meeting in which 48 men who had been treated for prostate cancer drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily.  Drinking the juice lengthened the time it took for the disease to develop.  Doesn't stop disease, but the results indicated there may be chemicals in the juice that have cancer-fighting benefits.

Pomegranate juice also has been shown to inhibit the oxidation of LDL ("bad" cholesterol).  And at least five studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect of pomegranate juice on cardiovascular health.

A study published in the Journal of Urology examined the long-term intake of pomegranate juice on erectile dysfunction (in an animal model).  Results suggest that free radicals (oxidative stress) are a contribution factor in erectile dysfunction.  In response, antioxidants protect your cells from free radicals, and is an important part of the daily diet.  It may be time to get your pomegranate on!

Our collection of pomegranates:

Source: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden

Red Flags Before Marriage - Part II

Part II. To read first part: Red Flags Before Marriage - Part I

Continuing on about red flags before marriage we should not ignore.  We should never marry unless we are willing to put the needs of others above our own.  As a single person, it is really easy to think how being with this other person will make ME happy, ME not lonely, and ME feel loved.  Although we all need these things and "receive" in a relationship, it can't be about ME if we want a truly loving, lasting relationship.  The other person can't be our servant.  It won't work, as many married people say.  To love is to sacrifice, which the movies don't focus on or emphasize enough.  Sacrifice is never  easy.



The four red flags I noted in the previous post can also be found in verses in Proverbs.

A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may express itself. (Proverbs 18:2). This kind of person is only interested in expressing him/her -self.

As the door turns upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. (Proverbs 26:14)  This is the lazy.  Isn't the imagery great??  

The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason. (Proverbs 26:16).  Sanity is the ability to know who we really are.

See a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him. (Proverbs 26:12)  The fool won't be open to hearing about his/her faults because he/she thinks he is wiser than you are.  This is life in a bubble.



So, where does this leave us...Where is our hope for making due with what we have or making us better?


1) Understand one another.  Nagging won't do it, and neither will judging.  No one can change another person.  Let God do it.  Accept your mate and gain unity.  Be willing to sacrifice, giving up all your rights to get over conflict.  This is not speaking of an abusive relationship.  An abusive relationship needs help immediately.

2) Get on the same page morally, spiritually and goals. Sympathize with one another.  Be quick to admit your wrong and ask for forgiveness.

3) Do not render evil for evil in the marriage relationship or any relationship.  People are more anxious to get even than to glorify God in a relationship.  This probably ties to the whole sacrifice concept - even when we have a right to get even, if we truly want this relationship to work out, we are willing to put aside those rights and seek for resolution or better understanding.


Sources:
Red Flags You Probably Missed - Dr. Erwin Lutzer

Red Flags Before Marriage - Part I

What are some red flags that we should have seen in a dating relationship before we headed down the aisle? What wisdom can we learn to avoid heading into such disasters?  (Remember, more than 50% of couples divorce, which probably means that more than 50% of us need more guidance).

When I heard these questions asked, my ears perked up, and I turned up the volume.  Free, wise advice is always a bargain.  The advice is not my own, but that of Dr. Erwin Lutzer and here are some notes with a few of my thoughts...

First off, the red flags were ignored.  Meaning that the people who shared their marriage stories he refers to felt something deep down, but never acted upon it or wrote it off in their mind for some reason (perhaps reasoning that they needed to get married now so this was it, or I'm in love, or we've been together for so long...).  I also have to caveat that we all have red flags, and whoever marries us has to overlook that of ours.  Further, we may even possess some of the following traits to some degree.  However, isn't it better to identify and deal with ourselves first (which takes humility) and become a better person to live with?  Then, we can see our situations with more awareness and not overlook important issues.  So, here we go, a few red flags to look for...

1. The narcissist. Enamored by his/her own image, self absorbed, never apologizes for something, always the other person's fault.  Talks about himself/herself a lot.  Or it's always around his work, his schedule.  He/she only cares about you in the dating relationship because of what he/she wants to get.

2. More interested in your physique or how you look or than you as a person.  Shows no sympathy for your hurt or pain, or anyone else's for that matter.  Completely insensitive while dating.  Falling in love with someone's body--that will deteriorate, but falling in love with the person, that will grow.

3. An angry person. Angry people can sometimes be charmers or affirming during the dating relationship.  Sometimes comes out as cynicism.  Don't ignore deep seeded anger if it surfaces.  Initial charm could be a cover for deeper abusive behavior later.

4. Lazy person. Thinks that the world owes him/her a living and blames everything but himself/herself for faults. Also thinks that the world does not appreciate her/him and is still waiting for the world to come around to realize how great of a person he/she is.  One woman said she married the man she dated, saw the laziness beforehand but brushed it aside.  She thought he would change after the "I do."   

Stay tuned for Part II with what to do.

Sources:
Red Flags You Probably Missed - Dr. Erwin Lutzer
Picture: http://blog.redfin.com/

Two Easy Ways to Cut Carrots

Todd Coleman from Saveur.com makes cutting carrots look SO easy.  His technique makes it seem as if the carrots were cooked!  Or it may be that he has an awesome chef's knife (and some skill).

Cleaning the Healthy Way

I wrote a post about a month ago on how toxins are more prevalent than we realize, and how they may have long lasting effects on our health and our future generations (post below).  Today's post is about how to avoid some chemicals and the myriad of toxins found in cleaning solutions.  I have done this for years now, it works and it saves money.  I started to search for more organic methods of cleaning after breathing in all the strong chemicals when cleaning my bathroom for years, and this one is a winner.

My wonder cleaning solution? White distilled vinegar.

Comes in a huge bottle, you can buy it at Costco, Wal-mart or just about any grocery store.  Do note that white distilled vinegar is chemically distilled.  I do not eat this stuff!  And if you do, try to use apple vinegar or rice vinegar, and read labels to see what they put in it.  Heinz has this label showing all these vegetables, but I really don't think it is naturally produced. 

The other thing to note is when you go out to eat, they typically use white distilled vinegar because it is cheap.  This concern is harder to control or to do something about, but it's something to keep in the back of your mind.

How to Clean with Vinegar?
Mix the vinegar with some water.  More water you put in your cup/bucket, the more diluted the solution becomes, but MAKE SURE you add some water.  White distilled vinegar on its own is corrosive.  Use a sponge and douse with the water-vinegar solution and use it to clean your bathroom faucets, bathtub, shower, tile floor, around the toilet bowl, just about anywhere!  [Although I still use toilet bowl cleaner] After you wipe with the solution, go back with a wet sponge with water and wash it down.  You will find that it cleans beautifully and with no water spots.  I would even challenge that it cleans better than a lot of products out there.

I do wear a mask at times while doing this (and definitely when I used to clean with other shelf chemicals).  But even if you don't, I feel vinegar is more natural than the other stuff out there and overall lower risk.

Lastly, over the long run, you will be saving yourself A LOT OF MONEY.


Previous Post: Because Your Baby's Worth It
Picture source: Heinz Vinegar

Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Fall is here, and the pumpkin season is in FULL swing.  Our harvest this year is huge.  Evidence of my claim?

Here you go.  A trunk full of squashes and pumpkins (all in the pumpkin family).  Great thing about pumpkins is that they can sit in a dark cool place for a long while, and then I eventually make them into pies!

Since we are here to find healthy food, it is quite possible to make a healthy pumpkin pie.  Just don't use cream or evaporated milk.  I use whole milk.  Cut your sugar as well in the recipe, which makes the difference between healthy and unhealthy.

Pumpkins are a decent source of fiber and beta carotene.  This will help your #2 (remembering going 3 times a day is normal! Fewer toxins in the body also means healthier organs).  And, the flavor of fresh pumpkin is deliciously fresh and healthy even on its own.  Pumpkin does have some natural sugar content.

Here's a photo of it mashed up.  Look at that AMAZING color.  Chock-full of beta carotene.

I found a really great recipe on www.pickyourown.org that I use as my base when making fresh pumpkin pie (not from a can).  My pumpkins end up in a beautiful pie, pictured here.

Fresh Pumpkin Pie Recipe from Scratch

Ingredients

• a pie pumpkin (see step 1; you can use different types of pumpkin or even a butternut squash)
• 1 cup sugar (see step 10 for alternatives) (metric: 200 grams) [Findfoodlove cuts by at least 50%]
• 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon (metric: 3.8 grams)
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves (metric: 2 grams)
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice (metric: 2 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (metric: 1.25 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional) (metric: 20 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, I don't use any)
• 4 large eggs 
• 3 cups pumpkin glop (ok... "sieved, cooked pumpkin") (metric: 0.7 litre)
• 1.5 cans (12oz each) of evaporated milk [Findfoodlove uses whole milk, and I put in less than their 1.5 cans. I eyeball it, sorry no measurements]
  If you can't get canned evaporated milk, make your own from nonfat dried milk and make it twice as concentrated as the directions on the box call for! 
  If you can't get nonfat dried milk, just use milk.
  If you are lactose-intolerant, use lactose-free milk or soy milk.
  One visitor tried fresh whipping cream (unwhipped) and reported  the pie "turned out wonderful! "
  Another suggests using coconut milk, if you are allergic to dairy.

Note: if you do not have cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger, you can substitute 3 teaspoons of "pumpkin pie spice".  It's not exactly the same, but it will do.
Note: If you can't get evaporated milk, you can substitute nonfat dried milk - make it twice as concentrated as the directions on the box say to reconstitute it. It won't be the same as evaporated milk, but it ought to come close.

For directions and the original recipe: Pumpkin Pie recipe found on pickyourown.org

Peeling Garlic Like a Pro

I saw this on a fellow blogger's site: www.kitchenlore.com

It is too awesome to not share. Garlic stardom.


How to Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds from SAVEUR.com on Vimeo.

Warm Chicken Soup

It's a cold, rainy day in Chicago today.  I think it calls for some homemade chicken soup.  Totally healthy and good for getting over a cold or staying warm.  There are many chicken soup recipes out there, but mine is simple and it starts with Martha Stewart's chicken soup recipe.  I have added my modifications below to add more flavor.

Basic Chicken Soup

• 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into pieces (including back)
• 8 cups water
• Coarse salt
• 3 medium onions, thinly sliced (4 cups)
• 2 celery stalks, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 6 medium carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• Tina's ingredient additions: 2 bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, a little oregano.  Whole chicken should be de-skined

Directions

1. Bring chicken, water, and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large stockpot. Skim foam. Add onions, celery, and garlic. Reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
2. Remove breast, and set aside. Add carrots. Simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes.
3. Remove remaining chicken; discard back and wings. Let cool slightly. Remove meat from bones, and cut into bite-size pieces.
4. Stir in desired amount of chicken; reserve the rest for another use. Skim fat. Season with salt.

Source: Martha Stewart's Basic Chicken Soup
My past posts: Cold Remedy II How to Stay Warm

Cereal - The Sugar Story

I read an article this morning in the Wall Street Journal about how cereal manufacturers, like General Mills, are having a hard time reducing the sugar they put in their cereals.  Much of the discussion and impetus behind reducing sugar is in response to the child obesity epidemic.  They say that their cereals are hitting a sugar threshold, kids just won't eat it the second day if it has less sugar.  For illustration, here is a chart provided in the article of how much sugar is in one serving of their cereals.  Notice that some have been reduced. 

If it takes THAT much sugar to make a cereal taste good, maybe there is something wrong with the cereal, and not the sugar??   

They go on to talk about how they use vitamins/fortified, fiber or whole grain to make the cereal "appear" more healthy.  But don't you think the bigger question is, why would you try to feed your child or yourself a tasteless, processed food that is gross in its raw state but palatable once you add tons of sugar and sodium to it?

Why not just feed your kids oatmeal with mix-ins or eggs?

[Just between you and me, maybe because General Mills doesn't sell plain oatmeal or eggs. haha]

The full article is below.


Past posting on how to make yummy oatmeal: Bring Back the Oatmeal!
Source and pictures source: WSJ: Success Is Only So Sweet in Remaking Cereals

Macaroons vs. the Mini Watermelon

Today is Random Picture Day at FindingFoodorLove.  It's a battle between partially eaten macaroons from my absolute favorite French bakery, Vanille in Chicago (my taste of Paris), and our organic, miniature watermelon from the garden.  No philosophical insight here, just total randomness.  I think the watermelon looks like it has some inherent advantage, don't you think?  Interesting that the colors of my macaroons (red velvet, passion fruit with a hint of coconut, and pistachio *so tantalizing*) are the same colors as my watermelon!  Guess I was thinking 'watermelon' when I was buying the macaroons or more probably, I subconsciously like this color combination.

The watermelon, by the way, was so incredibly awesome.  It was juicy, crisp, sweet, and personal (I consumed 1/2 of the entire thing since it was so small).  I have to admit, the thirst quenching watermelon got me eating it more and more, but left my macaroons half eaten.

Because Your Baby's Worth It

And your baby's baby, and your future generations to come.

If you have been following this blog for awhile, you know that I do not support GMO (genetically modified), pesticides, toxins, even Monsanto.  However, the more I learn, the more I am realizing that although those are definite problems, the everyday toxins that are around us are also a big issue.  And that issue, it sounds, is getting bigger. Not to mention, cancer, obesity, fertility problems are only increasing, not decreasing.

For women, especially pregnant women or women in their child-baring years, this is even more important because we carry the next generation.  There is no mother in this world who would want anything less, that her baby would have the best possible chance of growing up healthy.

[This is going to be a sobering post, so read on if you are ready for it.]  According to an article (sourced below), scientists are becoming increasingly worried that even extremely low levels of some environmental contaminants may have significant damaging effects on our bodies, especially fetuses.  And the problem is that some of the chemicals interfere with our hormonal systems (or endocrine systems) that control our weight, biorhythms, and our reproduction.

Synthetic hormones are used quite often when dealing with the doctor. Steroid shots, drugs to alleviate menopausal symptoms, birth control, etc.  Some taken every once in awhile, but others, not so once in awhile.

Add to that exposure, perhaps what one may have encountered this morning on a run.  Breathing in pesticide laden lawns (and remember, you can't see the pesticides), then going to Starbucks and drinking the plasticizers from the tea cup (I think I will be limiting this habit from now on), and getting exposed to the wide array of ingredients used to perfume the soap and enhance the performance of the shampoo and moisturizer.  And do this day after day, week after week.  These repeated activities don't stay at "low" level exposures in the long run.

Some laboratory studies in mice, and some human subjects, have found that low level endocrine-disrupting chemicals induce subtle changes in developing fetus, having a significant effect in adulthood.

The EPA and FDA are responsible for banning dangerous chemicals and for overseeing food and drug testing.  Scientists and clinicians are concerned their efforts have been lacking, and techniques and methods of analysis for toxicology testing have not kept up since they were developed in the 1950s.

But the scientists haven't been quiet.  Professional societies representing more than 40,000 scientists wrote a letter to the FDA and EPA offering their expertise.  I hope the government will listen and respond.  As an average US citizen who wants to live healthy and be disease free, I want to be supportive of such research and efforts.  My future babies are worth it.


Source: Toxins All Around Us by Patricia Hunt, Professor of Genetics at Washington State University

Cantaloupe Outbreak

 
Food safety is still not safe (although such a complex problem)!  If you haven't heard, there has been a listeria food poisoning outbreak in contaminated cantaloupes, leaving at least 13 people dead amid 72 sickened in 18 states, federal health officials said as of Tuesday, September 27.  This may rank as one of the deadliest food outbreaks in the United States in more than a decade. 

More to come because symptoms of listeria infection can take weeks to become apparent, "we will see more cases likely through October," FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told the Associated Press.  The affected cantaloupes, recalled by Jensen Farms on Sept. 14, 2011, were shipped between July 29 and Sept. 10, ABC News reported. 

If I had any cantaloupes in the refrigerator, I would throw them away, I just wouldn't want to take the risk.  And, cook (or pasteurize, as some people suggest) everything else before consuming if you had possible contaminated cantaloupe in the refrigerator. Articles are saying that the the bacteria isn't killed by freezing or refrigeration.

Symptoms?  For many healthy people, symptoms are flu-like, including fever, muscle aches, diarrhea and nausea, and can appear a few days after you've eaten the listeria-contaminated food, to a couple months after you've eaten it, the Mayo Clinic reported. However, if the infection reaches your nervous system, additional symptoms can include headache, convulsions, confusion and loss of balance.  People who are most at risk include ones with weaker immune systems, pregnant women, elderly, people with diabetes or kidney disease.


Another bit of news: Deaths have been reported in eight states, including four in New Mexico, two in Colorado, two in Texas and one each in Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. 


I came across this in an msnbc article, and thought it was interesting to note and a good reminder:

Summary of U.S. food poisoning outbreaks with the largest tolls


- Jalisco Mexican Products Inc., Artesia, Calif., January 1985. Mexican-style fresh cheese contaminated with listeria caused 52 deaths, including many stillbirths, although a CDC spokeswoman didn't know how many.

- Bil Mar Foods, Zeeland, Mich., October 1998. Hot dogs and deli meats contaminated with listeria left 101 people hospitalized with infections and 21 deaths.

- Peanut Corp. of America, Blakely, Ga., September 2008. Peanut butter and peanut paste contaminated with salmonella Typhimurium sickened 714, and led to 166 hospitalizations and nine deaths.

- Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., Franconia, Pa., July 2002. Sliced turkey and deli meat contaminated with listeria led to 54 illnesses and eight deaths, including three stillbirths.

- Cargill Turkey Products Inc., Waco, Texas, May 2000. Turkey deli meat tainted with listeria left 29 ill and hospitalized and led to seven deaths, including three miscarriages or stillbirths.

- Dole Natural Selection Foods, San Juan Bautista, Calif., August 2006. Spinach tainted with E. coli O157:H7 sickened 238, hospitalized 103 people and led to five deaths.

- SanGar Fresh Cut Produce, San Antonio, Texas, October 2010. Celery contaminated with listeria sickened 10 people, including five who died.

- Jack in the Box, San Diego, Calif., November 1992. Ground beef contaminated with E. coli O157 led to 708 illnesses and four deaths.

- Chi-Chi’s restaurant, Beaver, Penn., October 2003. Hepatitis A infections tied to green onions sickened 565 people, left 128 hospitalized and caused three deaths.

- Raw restaurant-prepared tomatoes. December 1998. Contamination with the rare salmonella Baildon bacteria in restaurant-prepared cut tomatoes shipped to several states left 86 ill, 16 hospitalized and three dead.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com
Source: www.msnbc.com

Cold Feet and Hands

Cold feet and hands.  Most everyone has experienced this to one extent or another, especially when the weather starts to turn cooler.  I know in the last few weeks, my feet were cold even with wool socks on and it is only September!  But for some, the condition can happen in all seasons and during the winter months, it is really frigid and make a person more prone to getting sick.

Cold feet and hands are often due to poor circulation.  And as we get older, particularly when we become elderly, we need to do things to help our circulation (it just doesn't flow like it used to, haha).

I actually do a hot foot spa at night that really helps get the blood flowing.  All our main blood vessels flow through the feet, so if you feel cold, get some hot water and sink your feet in, you will feel an almost immediate difference.

What we eat makes a big difference for our circulation. 

1) Drink warm fluids and eat hot foods.  I remember how once I was feeling so cold but ate a salad and ice cream.  Dumb.  It takes energy to warm up what we consume to our body temperature.  This is why drinking cold water (with ice) when you feel cold is like taking the long, unnecessary route to work.  Drinking water is absolutely necessary and helps your circulation, but why make your body work harder to use it?

2) Eat arginine-rich foods.  Arginine, an amino acid, is suppose to help produce nitric oxide, which is said to expand diameter of the vessels, allowing more blood to flow.  Foods rich in arginine include peanuts, almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, soybeans, pork, beef, chicken, turkey, oats, wheat, barley, chickpeas, salmon, tuna and mackerel.

3) Eat fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices.  Food rich in antioxidants (particularly flavonoids) have been shown to improve the health of blood vessels.  Some of these foods include pomegranates, concord grapes, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, cherries, apples, kale, broccoli, parsley, celery, onions, and chiles.  The herb thyme and cinnamon are also beneficial.


Source: 101 Optimal Foods by David Grotto
Related Posts: Cold Remedy II - How to Stay Warm

Sweet Peppers

I took this shot of one of our red peppers from our garden - doesn't it look so interesting?  I love the unique shapes of each pepper, and dependent on where the plant is, each ripen in slightly different shades.  When the peppers initially grow up, they are green.  Dependent on the seed and the sun exposure, each matures and changes color.  The riper the pepper, the greater the nutrition (and the flavor).

Peppers are low in calories - and when organic, fresh and crisp some of the best snacks hands down.  I can just imagine the crisp juice that flies out with each bite.  I eat them in stir fry, salad, and all types of preparations.  If they are super fresh, I don't want it to go to waste, so I eat them raw.

They are high in Vitamin C and A (beta-carotene) and potassium.  They also contain Vitamin K (bone health) and some lycopene (said to lower risk of prostate cancer).

Be aware that bell peppers were on the 2003 list of twelve foods most contaminated with pesticides (Environmental Working Group).  The organization recommends buying them organic, which is probably good if you can, or use a fruit-vegetable wash.  But nevertheless, such a good food and full of nutrition!


Source: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden

Summer Squash

Summer is now over, and this picture was from a couple of months ago (time goes by so quickly!).  I didn't have such a love for yellow squash, until I started eating it organically grown.  They are easy to grow, and tremendous when sauteed.  I really like the picture I took (above) from our garden, the color of the plant is so crisp and green and complements nicely with the yellow vegetable.  Yellow squash when fresh is sweet and filled with nutrients.

Summer squash is high in heart-healthy potassium.  One cup of cooked squash gives you more than 3x the amount of potassium in a usual supplement.  There is also Vitamin A, beta-carotene, lots of carotenoids that are good for the eyes (yea! I want to be rid of these glasses! haha).

Squash has a high water content and low calories, which is really good for weight loss.  Hence, some people call it a "high volume" food.


Source: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden

Garden Yield

The garden this year is teeming with interesting yield.  Can't believe it's been a month since my last post (Garden Bounty) of what is going on in my garden world.  Here are a few food pictures of what has been harvested (and delightfully consumed).

A picture of our corn.  So the interesting thing about this corn is that the consistency of the kernel is not juicy but chewy.  I actually am not sure I like the texture as much as the 'selected' corn species we get from the commercial farm, but I bet this corn is far more nutritious and fibrous, which is not what most healthy people today connect corn to.  Also, there are hundreds if not thousands of species of corn, so hope to be trying other varieties in the future.

The following is our very own watermelon!  Notice the holes, it is a big overgrown (sorry should have taken plastic wrap off before shooting a picture).  But if you pick your watermelon at the right time, the flavor and crispness of the fruit is DELICIOUS.  Wish I could share bites of this over the internet.

These are our vine ripened tomatoes.  They are a beauty (except for that traumatized one on the right).  They take a long time to grow (and water), but so well worth it.  Especially when you make it into a tomato sauce.

Lastly, check out our bitter vegetable.  I think it looks so cool.  However, I really don't like eating these because it is spicy and bitter!  It is used in Chinese cooking, although a cool looking specimen and packed with nutrients, I am sure, but I usually can do without it...

Pizza Dough Recipe

I have been making quite a few vegetable pesto pizzas lately with our abundant organic vegetable harvest coming out of our garden.  The vegetables burst with flavor, and the homemade pesto complements nicely.  If you follow my blog, I tend to limit my refined flour intake; however, every once in awhile, particularly with our vegetable yield, this pizza is a delicious meal to enjoy and savor.

My pizza in the picture is a bit messed up because I started cutting before realizing that I wanted to take a photo!  Alas, it is what it is, I guess I will just have to make more pizzas to get a better photo.

Some people have asked about my pizza dough recipe, and unfortunately, I don't really have a recipe for this!  But, this one below by Jamie Oliver is pretty close. 

Jamie Oliver's Pizza Dough

• 7 cups strong white bread flour or Tipo "00" flour or 5 cups strong white bread flour or Tipo "00" flour, plus 2 cups finely ground semolina flour
• 1 level tablespoon fine sea salt
• 2 (1/4-ounce) packets active dried yeast
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water

The directions can be found on the foodnetwork website: Jamie Oliver's Pizza Dough

I would do a third of this recipe if making one pizza.  I explore with my recipes, so just use it as a starting point.  You never know what you might discover!

One of my past posts on refined flour: Two Culprits to Low Energy and Burgeoning Waists

Got Milk?

Most of us in the US grew up drinking milk, unless your mom figured out you were lactose intolerant from some allergic reaction.  Milk, in its raw, organic, unpasteurized, nonhomogenized state from grass-fed cows are full of nutrients and fat that we need to stay healthy.  However, what is typically sold in the grocery store is nothing close.  This is what I want to talk about.

Conventional milk typically has tons of antibiotics, steroids and hormones because of the way they "factory" the cows by putting them in areas, where they almost touch, stand still, row after row, many times in the dark, and milk the cows on unnatural schedules in order to maximize the milk production.  This maximization causes the dairy cows' udders to become very painful, heavy and infected.  In response, producers have to put these poor animals on more drugs to lessen the pain, reduce disease, and keep that milk production going around the clock.

This terrible cycle causes large doses of antibiotics and hormones in the milk and meat.  On top of that, they typically pasteurize and homogenize.  Both procedures destroy vitally important health-giving compounds in the milk, destroying enzymes, vitamins, vitamins B12 and B6, and promote pathogens.  However, unpasteurized milk may harbor harmful bacteria (thanks friends for point this out!), as the FDA states, so certain processes may be necessary. 

There also has been talk about a link between milk and cancer, including ovarian cancer.  According to research published in November 2004 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, some Swedish researchers concluded that "our data indicate that high intakes of lactose and dairy products, particularly milk, are associated with an increased risk of serious ovarian cancer, but not of other subtypes of ovarian cancer."  Although we really don't know what kind of milk they were drinking or have multiple, multiple studies, but it should cause us to think about it (especially for those who drink conventional milk with cereal for like every meal--I was one of those in college).

The other thing to really question is why kids hit puberty SO MUCH earlier than people 50+ years ago.  Girls are wearing their first bra at younger ages.  My theory, and personal opinion, is that this abnormality could be very seriously linked to the impact of all the hormones and antibiotics industry uses.  Kids are fed milk from a very young age.  I am sure multiple factors, but this might be one (and potentially big one).

It is vital to know where your food is coming from.  I do drink milk every day for the most part, although I have learned that I can get calcium from many other foods such as kale and other vegetables.  Remember cheese also comes from the cow, so this same practice also impacts the nutritional value of it (to learn more: Is That Really Cheese?).  I drink Organic Valley milk.  From my research, Organic Valley is a co-op of farmers who really care about pasturing their cows and don't use hormones.  In addition, I have switched to whole milk; I was fat free for years.  Since my diet has changed, I now use milk to get some of my saturated fat.




Source: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden