Chocolate Milk -- Evil or Saint?

There is a huge debate going on among healthy folks over whether chocolate milk -- milk flavored with sugar, lots of sugar -- is evil or a saint.

One of my favorite tv chefs, Jamie Oliver, weighed in on the evil side on his new show Food Revolution.  Watch this video:



Jamie points to the evil effects of sugar on our bodies, especially for children who are the biggest consumer of sugar-flavored milk, to the point that chocolate milk has almost as much sugar as a sugary soda.  Rumor has it that Jamie gets chocolate milk banned from Los Angeles schools (tweets Michael Pollan, a pretty good source).

On the other side of the debate, Men's Health Magazine touts chocolate milk as a saintly superfood in their article about the Chocolate Milk Diet: "It’s essentially three eight-ounce servings of chocolate milk consumed at key points throughout your day: one when you wake up, a second before you exercise, and a third directly after your workout. Or, if it's your day off, just pattern them for morning, afternoon, and night. Sounds good, right?"

To conclude the debate, one of my favorite blogs Civil Eats declares chocolate milk as Soda In Drag.

Do you declare choco-milk as a super food and drink it after you exercise?  Or do you ban your kids from touching the stuff?

Back...

I hope you all have missed me!  I've been out recovering from foot surgery and catching up with work after being out on medical leave. But, I'm back now and ready to keep you up-to-date on holistic nutrition and food topics.  What topics are you wanting to hear about?

Quinoa Johnny Cakes with Blueberry Syrup

We were in Scottsdale AZ recently and visited a great restaurant called True Food Kitchen. If you ever find yourself in Scottsdale you have-to-go-there! Somehow Dr. Weil has something to do with the creation of it. Anyway, they serve fresh, local, seasonal, organic, sustainable, etc etc dishes and they do it awesomely. This last visit we had Quinoa Johnny Cakes for breakfast. They were so good. I haven't been able to find a recipe for the ones True Foods served, but here's a recipe that might be close if you used a whole wheat version of pancake mix: Quinoa Johnny Cakes with Blueberry Syrup 1/2 cup cooked quinoa 1 pint fresh blueberries 1 1/2 cups sugar-free maple syrup 2 cups prepared pancake batter (can be made from scratch or a mix) Add cooked quinoa to pancake batter and mix thoroughly. To make syrup, simply combine syrup with blueberries over a low heat until the blueberries begin to pop. Cook Johnny cakes on a seasoned griddle or non-stick pan. If you like the edges crisp, cook the cakes in melted butter. Serve with blueberry syrup and dust with confectionary sugar. Serves 6 to 8.

Egg Labeling

Egg labeling can be confusing, and maybe many marketers mean for it to be.  “Confuse the consumer” may be their mantra so they can avoid expensive certifications and treatment of the chickens, but still sell eggs at a premium price as if they are something special.  Education is the key to buying eggs and knowing what the labels really mean.

Trader Joe's Egg Label Education Poster

USDA Certified Organic requires the flocks are fed organic feed without animal or poultry by-products; the birds have access to the outdoors, shade, shelter, exercise areas, fresh air, and direct sunlight; barn lighting no longer than the longest day of sunlight; no antibiotic use; and no induced molting. 

Biodynamic farming is a nongovernmental certification that declares the entire farm as sustainable and biodynamic.  These rules are more stringent than those for organic food production.  Biodynamic food producers adopt overall lifestyles that strive to preserve water, energy, and surrounding natural habitat.  They observe farming methods that allow natural livestock behaviors.  Egg-laying hens must be outdoors as much as possible, vegetarian-fed with 80% of feed produced on the farm, and subjected to no growth promoters, antibiotics, or practices such as beak trimming and forced molting.

Certified Humane label comes from the Human Farm Animal Care organization, which verifies that the farm meets certain criteria for the humane treatment of hens, including cage-free environments with natural living space, an environment that allows for natural behaviors like preening and scratching, vegetarian feed, and no antibiotics in the feed. 

Free Farmed eggs provide a guarantee that claims such as “free range”, “cage-free” and “no antibiotics” are genuine.  Farmers must also have clean living conditions and safe waste management systems.

Kosher eggs have been examined for blood spots since Jewish dietary laws prohibit the consumption of blood. All USDA-certified eggs are examined for this flaw, so most government-certified brands are labeled as kosher.

Other labels such as cage-free, free-roaming, or free-range are not verified.  About 90% of American hens are raised in cages that restrict the hens living space. According to the USDA and FDA, “cage-free” means the birds live outside cages but are still confined to an enclosed building.  Some producers use the term “free-roaming” to mean the same thing as “cage-free”. Keep in mind that “cage-free” does not necessarily mean that the hens are sun-bathing everyday – hens like to stay near their nests, food, and water and may not actually venture outside.  An argument against free-range hens is that they are exposed to avian diseases from migratory fowl and salmonella from rodents than hens in cages whose environment is limited.

Grass-Fed labeling has no USDA-approved definition and, therefore, no regulation.  Chickens cannot live on only grass -- they need protein as part of their natural diet. If left to their own devices, chickens eat bugs for protein.  They should be fed a ration of legumes, grains, fish meal, vitamins and minerals, and a bit of corn.  If you see marketing terms on eggs such as “100% grass fed”, it is not a healthy hen and you shouldn’t buy them.  The more accurate term may be Patured hen, but this label is, likewise, unregulated.

Raised Without Antibiotics means that the chickens have never received antibiotics from birth to slaughter as growth promotion or as medicine. This term is defined by the USDA and regulated by requiring the farms to show paperwork proving the claim. Labels like “No Antibiotics Used” or “Not Fed Antibiotics” are not well understood because they imply the chickens were not given growth promoting antibiotics but may have still received antibiotics for disease.  Unfortunately, there is no valid system to audit these claims.

Vegetarian Fed means the chicken ate a diet that includes grains, corn, cottonseed, and soybean meal, but no man-made feed containing animal or fish proteins with grains.

Some labels should be read critically to determine the oversight of the individual farm’s practices.  For example, Hormone Free is a misleading term because the law has disallowed use of hormones in poultry for over forty years.  Likewise, Additive-Free is meaningless because additives are not permitted in egg production anyway and the hard shell prevents the insertion of chemicals.  Farm Fresh is redundant because all eggs are raised on farms of one size or another. Eggs are one of nature’s most perfect natural protein sources, so when Natural as a label means nothing.  Fertile as a label means that the hen was raised in a yard with roosters and the egg may be fertile.  The USDA normally discards fertile eggs. Fertile eggs may contain slightly higher levels of male hormones, but are not significantly more nutritious than unfertile eggs.

All eggs, regardless of labeling, have similar nutrition profiles.  A large egg has 70 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein.  White-shelled eggs and brown-shelled eggs are the same; the egg shell color just depends on the breed of chicken. Omega-3 eggs come from chickens whose feed has been enriched with omega-3 fatty acids.

Blogger Dan Greenblatt came up with an egg label cheat-sheet to fold up and put in a wallet.  This can serve as a reminder when you are at the grocery store regarding the meaning of egg labels. 

Resources:

Are specialty eggs worth the price?. (2011, April/May). Clean Eating, 4(4), 23.

Greenblatt, Dan. (2008, September 20). Egg labeling guide based on new york times article. Retrieved from http://dangreenblatt.com/blog/2008/09/20/nyt-egg-labeling/  

Greenblatt, Dan. (2008, September 9). Trader joe’s wants you to know your eggs. Retrieved from http://dangreenblatt.com/blog/2008/09/09/trader-joes-eggs 

Stewart, K.L. (2007). Eating between the lines. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin.

Family Dinner

Remember the dining table?  At my house right now it is cluttered with papers and books and opened mail. But a couple of nights a week, my hubby and I push the clutter down a few inches and find a spot to put a dinner plate on to share a meal together. It has become more important now that time is more limited for us than ever.



July 2010 Dress Down Dinners fundraiser for Team in Training

 Dinner together is an important part of our lives.  As children, we both had regular family meal time with no television, telephone, or other distractions. We believe family dinner was an important part of our raising.  Now, when we have John's son, we try to continue this tradition because it is not a part of his regular home life with his mom.  We've taught him table manners, how to hold a fork and knife, the importance of wiping your mouth, and how to not push food off the plate and onto the table.  But, we believe the family dinner, even if we only get to do it occasionally with him, will instill other values as well.

Time Magazine wrote in its article about The Magic of the Family Meal:

Studies show that the more often families eat together, the less likely kids are to smoke, drink, do drugs, get depressed, develop eating disorders and consider suicide, and the more likely they are to do well in school, delay having sex, eat their vegetables, learn big words and know which fork to use.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1200760,00.html#ixzz1GCt6Y8re

They call the family dinner "civilizing children" and I tend to agree.  At dinner with John's son, we also talk about movies we've seen recently and not just the fight scenes, as boys like to do.  But, we exercise critical thinking skills to break down what was good or bad about movies, tv shows, and music. We talk about money and how to spend wisely.  We talk about nutrition, especially since he has several food sensitivities.

But, our family dinner goes beyond just the days when John's son is here.  My family has had a long-standing tradition of Sunday dinner as long as I can remember.  Growing up, all of my uncles, aunt, cousins, grandmothers, and maybe a few people we didn't even know, would come over to our house after church on Sundays for lunch.  When possible, we'd watch the Cowboys play, cheer for the team, and fall into a nap with our bellies full.  These Sunday lunches also played a role in shaping who I've become. Usually the lunches were pot-luck and everyone would bring something.  My mom enjoyed cooking so much that we always had too much food.  John and I continue the Sunday lunch tradition, even though it's down to just us and my dad most of the time.

We've also shared our family's dinner tradition with our friends.  When John decided last year to run a triathlon for Team in Training to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, we held Dress Down Dinners with 10-12 friends each of 4 nights to raise money for the cause.  John prepared a 6-course gourmet dinner, leaving everyone full and happy.  We raised over $6,000 for charity during that time.

So, I encourage each of you to bring back the family dinner.  DVR your favorite show, turn off the tv, and share time together at the dinner table a couple of nights a week.  Talking about the events of the day or whatever is on your mind, and listening to your family talk about what's on their mind, can only strengthen the family relationship.

I love soup!

I love soup!  Soup is such comfort food to me.  I'm not sure why -- my Mother hated soup and almost never made it.  I love how soup warms you up from the inside.  When I had my stomach surgery, my hubby made me sweet potato and squash soup and they were so yummy.



So, I was especially happy today when I read this article on Customizable Soups in the New York Times by Mark Bitman.  He says there are 4 types of soups: creamy (vegetables puréed with dairy); brothy (a strained vegetable stock, with quick-cooking ingredients added); earthy (with beans); and hearty (the vegetables sautéed first, to deepen their flavor). He believes that you can work through the recipes in the article and at the end you will know how to make soup without a recipe.

Here's a creamy soup recipe from Mark Bitman:

Creamy Spinach Soup Put 1 chopped onion, 2 peeled garlic cloves, 3 cups water and salt and pepper in a pot over high heat. Boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer until the onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Add 10 ounces chopped spinach and 1/2 cup parsley leaves; cook until the spinach is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup Greek-style yogurt and purée. Garnish: A spoonful of Greek-style yogurt and chopped parsley.

Here's a brothy soup recipe:

Vegetable Broth With Toast
Put 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped onions, 1 small chopped potato, 2 chopped celery ribs, 2 garlic cloves, 10 sliced mushrooms, 1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned are fine), 10 parsley sprigs, 1/2 ounce dried porcini, 8 cups water and salt and pepper in a pot over high heat. Boil, lower heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft, 30 minutes or longer. Strain and serve over toasted good bread. Garnish: Chopped celery leaves.

Here's an earthy soup recipe:

Bean Soup
Put 1 1/2 cup dried beans, 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery ribs, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves and 6 cups water in a pot over high heat. Boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until the beans are soft, at least 1 hour, adding more water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish: A drizzle of olive oil.

And, last, a hearty soup recipe:

Minestrone
Sauté 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped carrot, 1 chopped celery rib and 1 teaspoon minced garlic in 3 tablespoons olive oil for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups cubed potatoes and salt and pepper; cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned are fine) and 5 cups water. Boil, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup chopped green beans; simmer for 20 minutes. Garnish: Chopped parsley and grated Parmesan.

If you are a soup lover you really should read the full article.  I can't wait to try them.

The Easiest Peppermint Marshmallows

On cold winter days, I enjoy making homemade marshmallows and enjoying them on top of a cup of warm cocoa. I thought you might enjoy my recipe for Peppermint Marshmallows:

The Easiest Peppermint Marshmallows

2 packages Knox gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring
2 teaspoons peppermint oil
¼ cup It’s a Grind’s Peppermint syrup
Powdered sugar

In mixing bowl, bloom gelatin into cold water. In a saucepan bring the remaining water to a boil and add sugar and peppermint syrup. Stir until dissolved (about a minute) and boil until firm ball stage, about 245-250 degrees.

Pour 1/3 of the sugar mixture into the gelatin and stir with a High Temperature spatula for 5 seconds then add the rest of the sugar mixture, stirring the entire time. Start mixing on medium and then move up to medium high. When mixture changes color (about 4-5 minutes), add vanilla, peppermint oil and salt; continue mixing until doubled in volume and white and fluffy. It should start to slightly pull away from the edges.

Line 9x13 pan with deep layer of powdered sugar. Pour into pan. Sift a generous amount of additional powdered sugar over the top of the mixture in the pan.

Cool until set about 1-2 hours at least (longer on humid day). Run a small knife around the inside edges of the pan. Invert the pan onto the prepared cutting board. The mixture may still be a little sticky and need coaxing out of the pan.

Sift more powdered sugar over the marshmallows once it has been unmolded. Cut into squares and roll in powdered sugar to coat cut sides. Store excess in large airtight freezer bags. Yield 40 squares (or 20 BIG ONES!!)

How Many Sweet Potatoes Can One Family Eat?

            Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution where a community of individuals pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. CSAs usually consist of a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit, in a vegetable box scheme, sometimes includes dairy products and meat.

The American concept of CSAs came from the philosophies articulated in the 1920s by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), and then actively cultivated in post-WW II Europe in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.[1] The ideas crossed the Atlantic and came to life in a new form, CSA, simultaneously but independently in 1986 at both Indian Line Farm in Massachusetts and Temple-Wilton Community Farm in New Hampshire. The two original CSA farms are still thriving today.

Since that time community supported farms have been organized throughout North America — mainly in the Northeast, the Pacific coast, the Upper-Midwest and Canada. North America now has at least 13,000 CSA farms of which 12,549 are in the US according to the US Department of Agriculture in 2007.[2] Some examples of larger and well established CSAs in the US are Angelic Organics and Roxbury Farm. The largest subscription CSA with over 13,000 families is Farm Fresh To You in Capay Valley, California.[3]

Bobbi Sheahan and her husband have four children, the oldest being 8 years old, living in Plano, Texas.[4]  Bobbi decided to join a CSA because she and one of her daughters are vegetarians, and she wanted to provide healthier meals for her family.  She searched for a source for fresh, seasonal produce when possible, preferably local and organic. She has been a member of two different CSAs. 

One, a small, local farm in the Dallas, Texas area, has a weekly drop-off in the Dallas area for $25/week year round, but some weeks they take off.  A friend referred her to this CSA.  “In the fall, there are only so many squash and sweet potatoes that a family can eat,” says Sheahan. “We were overwhelmed with squash and sweet potatoes and didn’t want anymore!”

The second CSA, Urban Acres, is a larger cooperative that serves as a middleman for local produce, but also has a retail store.  Urban Acres provides two size options, $30 every other week for a small bin, and $50 for the larger bin, plus an annual membership fee. The pick up for Urban Acres occurs at a local gym in the Dallas area and the produce is provided year round.

The most annoying problem with being a member of a CSA, according to Sheahan, is having to pick up the box at an inconvenient location.  She suspended her membership in Urban Acres because the pick up location was a 20-minute drive from her house on busy Saturday mornings with children’s activities. When they establish a pick up location nearer to her house, she will resume her membership.

The small local farm pick up is at a friend’s house, which is more convenient but still an imposition for her.  Inconsistency and lack of flexibility in the time the box is available for pick up can also present a challenge.  “The farmer may have a thousand things to do for that day and not get to town at exactly the time promised,” according to Sheahan.  “So, sometimes we have to wait around or rearrange the schedule.”  But, the box must still be picked up within a small window of time when it becomes available.

Sheahan says it does not necessarily save her money compared to the grocery store.  “Last fall, we ended up giving away a lot of potatoes because we just couldn’t eat them all.” Overall the larger CSA box does provides all of the produce her family will need over the time period without having to supplement from the grocery store.  However, the smaller farm’s box does not provide enough produce for her entire family, but they do offer eggs, meat, and milk in addition to the produce.

In spite of the challenges, she enjoys being a member of the CSAs because she enjoys the fresh produce and feels good about supporting “a local farmer who isn’t controlled by big companies like Monsanto.”  Another benefit of the CSA is that it forces her to prepare and try a new vegetable, like radish greens, that she might not otherwise try.

The best CSA that Sheahan belonged to was in California, where the farm delivered to her door with a bin she left outside.  “That was heavenly – the perfect form of CSA.”

---

[1]  McFadden, S. The History of Community Supported Farms, Community Farms in the 21st Century: Poised for Another Wave of Growth? Rodale Institute. http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/features/0104/csa-history/part1.shtml (February 2, 2011).

[2] National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2007 Census of Agricultural State Data, Table 44. USDA.   http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_044_044.pdf (February 2, 2011).

[3] Anderson, M. “Capay farm, distributor buys West Sac warehouse.” Sacramento Business Journal.  Sacramento, CA. August 22, 2010. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/08/23/story3.html (February 2, 2011).

[4] Interview with Bobbi Reilly Sheahan, February 2, 2011.

Tapas History and Recipes

Tapas are essentially snacks, but are often combined to make up a full meal. Spaniards usually have dinner between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.. After work but before dinner, everyone goes on a tapeo – a tapas-bar-spree. The tapeo reflects the Spanish approach to life. The tasting and tippling comes from an unabashed love of play and pleasure. Hone entertaining is uncommon in Spain, so tapas bars serve as a de facto living room – a place to eat, relax, meet friends, watch soccer games, and have a drink.

Tapa means “cover” in Spanish. Arguing the evolution of tapas history is a favorite Spanish pastime. One story is that the 13^th-century Castilian king Alfonso X El Sabio (The Learned) was instructed by his doctor to eat several mini-meals a day with wine; hence, tapas. Another theory is that the tapa first appeared because of the need of farmers and workers to take a small amount of food during their working time, to carry them over until the main meal.

However, the most commonly accepted theory is that tapas as we know them originated from Andalusia in the 19^th century as small saucers set over wineglasses in taverns to keep the aroma in and the flies out. Eventually, someone hit on the idea of putting complimentary morsels of food on the saucers to increase bar sales.

Many cultures have their version of tapas. In the U.S. it is called a “snack”. In Middle Eastern cultures, it is known as mezze, or in Chinese, dim sum. France calls their snacks hors d’oeuvre; Japan, okashi.

The traditional drink with the tapa is wine or sangria.

Here's a couple of my favorite tapas recipes!

Roasted Figs Stuffed With Honey Peppered

Serrano Ham and Tronchon with a Sherry &

Cabrales Cream Drizzle

By Chef John O’Neil

8 each fresh figs
2 ounces Cabrales (Spanish bleu cheese)
8 slices Serrano Ham, thinly sliced
8 teaspoons Tronchon (Spanish semi-soft cheese)

4 ounces heavy cream
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 ounces shallots, minced
1 tablespoon honey, slightly warmed (easy to drizzle )
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces dry sherry
Fresh black pepper -- 2-3 grinds over each fig

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

First, wash and lightly pat dry figs. Split them in fourths starting at the top of the stem and only cut 3/4 of the way down, keeping the fig intact. Next divide the Tronchon into 8 equal portions (about the size of a fingernail). In each fig place a piece of the cheese and loosely close back up. Wrap all figs in one slice of the Serrano ham. With the warmed honey, use a teaspoon to drizzle it over the figs (much like you would do to a cinnamon roll). Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper (more or less depending on your taste -- keep in mind that the ham is a little salty and it needs to be balanced with at least some pepper). Place in pre-heated oven for 8-12 minutes (check at 8 minutes -- your oven may need a little more time, depending on how hot it gets).

Next, while the figs are in the oven, heat a small non-stick pan to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and count to five, then add shallots and sauté (count to 10 you want them soft). Add garlic next and count to 15. Take pan off heat and add sherry (may flame up so tilt pan slightly away). Reduce sherry to a glaze in the pan. Add cream and reduce by 1/3, stirring with a rubber spatula. (At this point, check figs!) When cream is reduced, turn down the heat to medium & add the Cabrales bleu cheese; stir and count to 10, then turn off heat. Season with salt and fresh pepper and set aside

(Check figs again.) When figs are ready, pull from the oven and place each one on a family style plate or individual appetizer plates. Drizzle with the cream sauce -- only about a teaspoon will do.

Enjoy!

Serving Size : 8.

Camarones el Diablo

By Chef John O'Neil

6 yellow tomatoes, peeled

1 pound uncooked shrimp

3 cloves garlic, sliced thin

2 tablespoon shallots, minced

1/2 cup onion, very small chop

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 sprig chopped fresh thyme

2 ounces sherry

6 slices baguette bread, toasted

1/2 of one chipotle in adobo sauce, minced

1 teaspoon serrano chile, minced

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

salt and pepper

Salt and pepper shrimp just before cooking.

Set large sauté pan to medium-high, add oil and sauté shrimp until light pink, about 30-45 seconds. Remove and set aside. Turn pan down to medium. In the same pan, add garlic, shallots, chipotle, serrano, and flakes sauté for about 1 ½ minutes and take pan off of heat. Add sherry and thyme and reduce until almost dry. Turn up heat to medium-high, add butter and let it slightly brown, then add tomatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6.

Quinoa with Ruby Port and Cranberry Compote

Several people have told me how much they enjoyed my post on Quinoa and asked for more recipes using this superfood. So, here's one that I love:

Quinoa with a Ruby Port and Cranberry Compote

2 cups (inexpensive) ruby port
3/4 cup orange juice (about 3 good size oranges or use any prepared orange juice)

12 oz. dried UNSWEETENED cranberries (I’ve only found these at Whole Foods in the bulk aisle.)

8 dried black mission figs; chopped (I’ve found these at Whole Foods or Central Market in the bulk aisle.)

1 cup dried Zanté currants (I’ve found these at Whole Foods in the bulk aisle.)

1 cup dried peaches, finely sliced (I’ve only found these at Central Market in the bulk aisle.)
1 tablespoon grated orange rind

1 cup chopped cashews (optional, but adds protein and texture)

1 cup sugar or Splenda

1 box prepared Quinoa- about 2½ cups cooked

Combine port, juice, cranberries, figs, currants, peaches and orange rind in nonstick 2qt sauce pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to medium and continue cooking until the volume is reduced by half. This should take about 20 minutes, but be careful because this is very easy to burn!!

When the volume is reduced by half, taste and check the consistency. It should be thick like maple syrup and taste very sweet, light and fruity. (Since stovetops and perception are subjective it should have the consistency of melted jelly and all the fruit should be tender and soft.) If it is still too thin, simmer for 5 more additional minutes and recheck. If fruit is still hard and the liquid is gone then add about ½ cup of water at a time and continue on medium heat.

In large mixing bowl mix the quinoa, cashews, and compote together. Serve cold warm, or anywhere in between -- it will be great either way.

Tip: Reduce the compote even further to a thick goo and use as a glaze for pork, fish, or chicken dishes. This freezes very well in a freezer bag for 3-4 months.

Portion Sizes

In this piece from 20/20, John Stossel interviews people about portions and serving sizes compares to label information.  Many of the food labels do appear somewhat skewed in how their items are labeled – such as the pickle saying a servings size is ¾ of a spear.  I’m not generally a fan of more governmental regulation; however, this does seem to be an area where the manufacturers of processed food items are misleading the public.  Maybe there should be regulation along the lines of “a portion size can be no less than one whole part of the item as presented”.  In other words, if you are going to make a serving size of pickle spears, the portion size can be no less than one spear.  Or, for the muffin, a portion size can be no less than the one muffin.  That would leave the onerous on the manufacturers to either present the whole information about the whole muffin, or make smaller muffins.

On the other hand, stupidity on the part of the buying public as to the portion size or calorie count cannot be blamed on the manufacturers.  Maybe people are confused about portion sizes, but it actually seems that many people do not really care about calories or portion sizes.  They just want to eat what they want in the amount they want.  Then, they are surprised when they gain weight or can’t fit in their clothes.

The free market system cannot be blamed for the stupidity of its purchasers.  The companies make what sells.  The buyers determine the supply and demand of the items available.  If people weren’t buying, then they wouldn’t be selling.

Having been through massive weight loss – over 90 pounds due to lap band surgery – I can attest to the difference between what we *think* is a portion size versus what really is a portion size for a normally sized person.  As one woman in the video said, “how small is that person?”  Well, really the size of the person should not matter for the portion.  A person wouldn’t be “oversized” if his or her portions aren’t oversized.

But, some blame also needs to be placed on the overprocessed convenience foods of our generation.  If a person eats grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, and brown rice, maybe the portion sizes become more obvious than when chowing down on some pizza or muffins.

Education is the key to clearing up the confusion about what to eat and how much of it.  But, there’s so many disagreements about what the best information is that it creates difficulty in agreeing on what information is given out.  Can we all agree to eat a high-GI diet?  Or are there some “experts” that maintain a low-carb diet is “it”?  Can we agree that muffins are bad for breakfast and oatmeal is better?  Of course not.  So, the misinformation continues and it is up to the consumer to listen to all the viewpoints and determine for himself or herself what is best.

What do you think?

What the Heck is All This Organic Stuff About?

Food Labels

The Food Safety and Inspection Service defines the following label terms:

• Certified: Meat that has been stamped with this label has been "evaluated" by the USDA "for class, grade, or other quality characteristics."
• Natural: Use of this label is permitted if the product contains "no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed."
• No Hormones: This label applies only to beef. Since hormones are not supposed to be given to pigs or chickens, pork and poultry products cannot legally be tagged with this label without the disclaimer "Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones."
• No Antibiotics: This label can be used on beef and poultry products, provided that the producer supplies "sufficient documentation … that the animals were raised without antibiotics."

What Is "Organic"?

Organic food differs from conventional food in the way it is grown, handled, and processed. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.
A company cannot label a food to be "organic" if it does not meet the USDA standards. Additionally, the USDA has a voluntary labeling process. If you see the use of the USDA organic seal, that means the food is "95% organic".

Don’t confuse the terms "organic" and "natural" – they are not interchangeable. "Natural" meat is defined by the USDA as "meat that contains no artificial ingredients, and that is minimally processed." This definition does NOT refer to the way the animals were raised, only to how the meat is processed. Meat labeled as "Natural" may or may not have additional claims on the label.

Super Sprowtz

I love this video -- All The Veggie Ladies -- and this company Super Sprowtz is doing some really cool things too!


Meet the Super Sprowtz! from Super Sprowtz on Vimeo.

Disease = Food = Soil

Common sense tells us that bad diets cause bad health. Too many of us don’t eat enough fruits and veggies. But, of those fruits and veggies that we do eat, the loss of micronutrients from our food undermines our health and contributes to physiological and psychological illness.2 The USDA says that Americans lack sufficient amounts of calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E to maintain good health.1

Interestingly, a new standard of malnutrition has developed. Type B malnutrition, a.k.a. multiple micronutrient depletion, is used to describe those who have plentiful sources of calories/food, but the quality of the food fails to provide sufficient micronutrients to properly nourish the body.2 This malnutrition has been linked to the rising prevalence of diseases such as child hood leukemia, childhood obesity, caridovascular disorders, osteo and rheumatoid arthritis, mental illness, hyperactivity, etc.2 Thus, the chemical composition of food is essential in dietary treatment of disease.2

Where does our food get its chemical composition? Food gets its nutritional makeup from the soil.

Good soil quality means good nutritional density of the food grown therein. But, food grown in nutrient deficient soil lacks nutrients to keep people healthy.1 Nutritional value in foods has declined due in part to mineral depletion in the soil.1 Without adequate nutrition, especially from minerals, research shows that people develop chronic disease.1 Food with high nutrient values comes, in part, from enhanced mineral nutrients in the soil.1

Even the USDA acknowledges that nutrients lost from the soil can have a long-term effect on nutrient content of plants.4 Neither the current USDA standards nor the standards set forth by the organic industry address the nutrient content of foods.1

So if disease is caused by poor food quality and food quality is linked to soil quality, it makes sense that we can improve the occurrence of the more common nutritionally-related diseases in our society by improving the soil quality where food is grown.

There are 17 known essential minerals and many other trace minerals needed for good health.1 In fact, minerals may be more vital to health than vitamins.1 One study reported in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry in June 2007, reported a near doubling of flavonoids in tomatoes grown according to organic standards as opposed to conventional standards.3 And, the gap between the flavonoid levels in the organic versus conventional tomatoes increased steadily over time as the organic methods were continued to be used. The longer the fields were managed organically, the greater the nutrition premium. They concluded that plant nutrient cycling within higher quality soil in the organic plots was one explanation for the higher nutrient content. The linkage between improved soil quality and more nutrient-dense food is evidence in support of organic principles – "feed the soil to better feed the plant".3

In short, food purchased at any grocery store, even such reputable stores as Whole Foods or Sprouts, are unreliable in determining nutrient quality. The buyer has no knowledge of the soil quality where the food was grown. This provides another very good reason for everyone to use the space they have to raise as much of their own food as is possible. At home, in your own garden, you can control the mineral content of the soil used to grown food by, for example, adding trace minerals back to the soil and increase the nutrient density of the food you and your family eats. Improved food improves disease; improved soil improves food; therefore, improved soil must improve disease. For you and your family, your garden can be your first line of attack on the nutrient value of your food and against Type-B malnutrition.

Resources:
1 Marler, J.B. and J.R. Wallin, (2006) "Human Health, the Nutritional Quality of Harvested Food and Sustainable Farming Systems." Nutrition Security Institute.
2 Thomas, D. (2007) "The Mineral Depletion of Foods Available to Us As a Nation." Nutrition and Health 19:21-55.
3 Benbrook, C. and A. Greene. (2008) "The Link Between Organic and Health: New Research Makes the Case for Organic Even Stronger." Organic Processing Magazine, view at  www.organic-center.org/reportfiles/OPma08CoverStory2.pdf December 30, 2010.
4 United States Department of Agriculture. (August 24, 2010.) "Food Composition: Nutrient Changes Over Time." view at http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=3&tax_subject=279&topic_id=1468&level3_id=6746&level4_id=0&level5_id=0&placement_default=0 December 30, 2010.

Clean Eating, Not the Soap and Shower Variety

Clean Eating can be simply defined: If you could have hunted for it, fished for it, plucked it, or gathered it, it belongs on your table. The remaining processed foods that make up our modern American diet have been attributed to the modern illnesses and diseases.

Much like a well-trained army, your body will perform at its best when it’s given the right equipment. That begins with the right foods, rich in all the substances that protect and support the cells, organs, tissues, and blood vessels.

1. No Trans Fats

Is there any doubt left that man-made trans fats are the worst fats on the planet? Trans fats are found in hydrogenated margarine, baked goods, packaged snacks, and in oils commonly used to cook french fries and other fast foods. Approximately 30,000 deaths due to coronary heart disease each year are directly linked to the consumption of trans fatty acids, and trans fats promote not only heart disease and obesity, but may also increase the likelihood of cancer, diabetes, and immune dysfunction. What else do you need to start checking food labels and eliminate trans fats from your diet? Look for the words “partially hydrogenated” on the food labels and don’t buy it or eat it!

2. No Sugar

If I asked you what the main ingredient is in an unhealthy diet, you would probably say “fat”, right? Well, you would be wrong! The percentage of total fat in your diet turns out to have very little correlation to poor health (it’s the type of fat that’s the problem – see above). But one thing that does correlate to poor health is SUGAR.

Experts are beginning to see that a lot of what’s bad about the standard American diet has more to do with processed sugar and carbs than it does with fat. Sugar – and any fast-dissolving carb like white bread, processed cereals, or potatoes, which turn into to sugar quickly in the digestive process – does two things to your body.

First, sugar and processed carbs raise blood sugar (even in people without diabetes) and clog up the works, especially in small capilaries. Second, a high sugar intake raises the hormone level of insulin, which is the body’s main mechanism for removing sugar from the bloodstream and getting it into cells (again, even in people without diabetes). A high level of insulin raises blood pressure and closes the door to the fat cells, making “burning” fat impossible.

A diet made up of the right proportion of protein, good fats, and low-glycemic carbs (meaning carbs that take longer to digest) is the way to go. High-glycemic carbs (meaning carbs that digest quickly and turn into sugar) are linked to diabetes, obesity, some cancers, and macular degeneration.

3. Eat more plant foods.

What do type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, cancer, heart disease, stroke, Parkinson’s, and rheumatoid arthritis all have in common? Research shows that all of these conditions may begin with an inflammatory process. A diet high in hydrogenated fats, lacking in omega-3 essential fats and fresh produce, and high levels of daily stress are all thought to promote chronic inflammation. Plant foods are loaded with powerful anti-inflamatories that will improve overall health by reducing the inflammation we naturally encounter, as well as that we have the ability to avoid but don’t.

4. Eat foods high in anti-oxidants.

Have you ever burped after drinking beer or carbonated beverages? The gas is a byproduct of ingesting the carbonation, right? The same process happens in your body when your cells process the nutrients you eat, the byproducts are called “free-radicals”. These free-radicals are naturally occurring, but can also be caused by stress or exposure to pollution, smoke, or other environmental conditions. Over years of exposure, free-radicals wander around the body, causing problems ranging from simply aging to cancer. Anti-oxidants are like a broom that sweeps up the free-radicals in the body and neutralizes their destructive capabilities.

The most powerful anti-oxidants are Vitamins C and E and the minerals selenium and zinc. A simple rule of thumb for choosing foods high in anti-oxidants is “the more color the better”. For example, iceberg lettuce is very pale green and low in anti-oxidants; spinach is bright, dark green and high in anti-oxidants.

Anti-oxidant rich foods include:

Vegetables:

Sweet yellow, red or green peppers

Broccoli

Brussel sprouts

Squash

Kale

Spinach

Mustard greens

Artichokes

Carrots

Zucchini

Fruits:

Strawberries

Kiwis

Berries

Tomatoes

Grapefruit

Oranges

Apricots

Peaches

Nuts and Seeds:

Dry-roasted almonds

Sunflower seeds

Brazil nuts

Pecans

So, if you want to continue improving your health, but don’t know where to start, begin by simply eliminating sugar, processed carbs, and trans fats from your diet. Add foods that are plant-based or high in anti-oxidants. Disease prevention – and Clean Eating – doesn’t get any simpler than that.

Adapted from “Add 6.6 Years to Your Life with Clean Eating” by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS, Clean Eating Magazine, Vol 1, Issue 2, Spring 2008.