We made this at my cooking class last Saturday and it was a big hit. I wrote the recipe for cooking everything together in a wok, but I actually browned the chicken in a skillet and added the ginger and garlic to that. It works well either way.
My daughter, Theodora, chopped all the vegetables and stirred together the sauce before class. That’s most of the work; the cooking only takes a few minutes. We just warmed up some brown rice I had cooked the day before to complete the meal.
To save time at home, cut the veggies and prepare the sauce ingredients a day or more ahead. (A good chore for a teenager That way you can have a fantastic meal within minutes when you want it.(more…)
Did you know that at least one-third of all cancers are caused by poor diet? Definite health benefits come from centering your diet around vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and legumes. This combined with regular exercise, a healthy weight, alcohol used only in moderation, and avoiding tobacco are the fundamentals for disease prevention.
Many experts believe as much as 50-60% of degenerative disease is due primarily to dietary factors! Here are some tips that will maximize your protection.
Eat 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. If you have trouble getting this much in, cover your bases with a whole food concentrate to make up for the nutritional shortfall.
Eat dark green leafy and cabbage family vegetables daily. Try to include a wide variety - broccoli, spinach, kale, chard, mustard greens, collards, bok choy, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, turnips, and others.(more…)
The nutrients in plant foods are called phytochemicals. Phyto means plant, so these are just plant chemicals. Plant foods contain many thousands of these health-promoting substances. They include enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and many other protective chemicals.
Only plants, including vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, contain these healthy chemicals. And research shows that the more plants foods you eat, the lower your risk of cancer and other diseases.
Consider Your Diet
Beyond eating plenty of plant foods, variety is important for optimal disease prevention. If you just stick with familiar foods, you miss out on nutritional benefits many other foods offer. When was the last time you ate kiwi or cherries? How about mango and guava? Do you eat fresh pineapple? What about papaya?(more…)
Do you eat lots of brightly colored fruits and vegetables? The colors correspond to different plant chemicals or phytonutrients. Many fruits and vegetables contain flavonoids, a very large and diverse family of antioxidant phytochemicals.
Blueberries are the richest sources of potent antioxidants in our American diet, but the following foods are also high in flavonoid life-preservers:
Two clients came to my inaugural cooking class today and we all enjoyed a great time sharing with one another and a wonderful lunch of brown rice topped with tasty stir fry and crispy tofu. Cooking started at 11:00 and we were done eating by noon.
Here’s the recipes although I really didn’t follow the stir fry very closely as I had different vegetables on hand and no seaweed. That’s one of the great things about stir fries - you can use whatever you have. Just try to have some green veggies and some orange and/or red to give plenty of contrast.
When I cut up the vegetables, I put the ones that take longer to cook in one bowl and the ones that cook quickly like tomatoes, peppers and summer squash in another. I start frying the harder veggies first and then add the others along with the garlic and ginger after a few minutes.(more…)
Melatonin is manufactured by the pineal gland in the center of our brain and secreted during darkness. Besides its well known functions of setting the biological clock and controlling circadian rhythms, melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant. It is able to significantly reduce levels of oxidative stress in the body due to damage by toxic molecules called free radicals. These reactive species are produced by the thousands every second of the day in most body cells as a normal byproduct of metabolism.
It’s Also in Food
According to Russel Reiter, Professor of Neuroendocrinology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, “Melatonin is found in all vertebrates and invertebrates, even in algae, slime molds and bacteria, so we not only produce it in our bodies, but we eat it in our diets.” Happily, this health enhancing hormone has been found to be present in walnuts in greater amounts than in any other plant food. Reiter conducted research that shows the melatonin in walnuts to be easily absorbed and utilized by the body.(more…)
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death due to cancer worldwide. (Lung is first, primarily due to smoking). The American Cancer Society (ACS) recently released a report declaring that at least half of all cancer-related deaths could be prevented through lifestyle changes and earlier detection.
Dairy and Legumes
Consuming 2 to 3 servings of low-fat dairy each day is linked to lower breast cancer risk, according to ACS research that studied a group of postmenopausal women. Similar reduction was not observed among those who took calcium supplements.
Eating a couple of servings per week of beans and lentils appears to significantly lower breast cancer risk, according to research conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health. This is believed to be due to their high content of antioxidant flavonols. Legumes are also rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber.(more…)
Next to the thyroid gland, iodine is most concentrated in breast tissue where it helps to normalize the impact of estrogen. Iodine effectively turns off estrogen receptor sites in the breast. When iodine is insufficient, breast tissue overreacts to estrogen and this can result in cancer promotion.
Unfortunately, depletion of iodine in soils as well as low consumption of iodine-rich sea vegetables and seafood has led to nationwide suboptimal intakes. Try including varieties of sea weed in your diet. Wakame is good in soups with miso (fermented soybean paste). Kombu is often cooked with beans and is reputed to make them more digestible..
Hijiki and Arame are tasty when soaked in warm water for a few minutes and then cooked briefly with some chopped onion and carrot slices sauteed in sesame oil. Add a few slivered almonds and a little soy sauce for a dish that’s a perfect accompaniment to fish.
Dulse is good in salads and the powdered form can be sprinkled over vegetables, rice, or any food that can be enhanced by its salty flavor. Nori is used in making sushi rolls (see my Recipes page). Oriental stores also carry seasoned Nori strips that are good eaten alone or with other foods.(more…)
Stop and smell the roses or the orange, lavender or basil. Recent research done at the University of Tokyo and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reveals how fragrances are able to reduce the negative impact of stress on our immune system.
A Powerful Fragrance
Researchers used a fragrant compound, linalool, found in basil, thyme, cinnamon, bay leaf, lavender, and fruits such as citrus and mangoes. For many years, linalool has been used extensively in aromatherapy oils as its calming effects are widely recognized.
However, prior to this research, linalool was thought to act solely upon the nervous system. Scientist Akio Nakamura and his colleagues found that the therapeutic effect extends beyond the brain to the immune system itself.
Scent-Sniffers Stay Cool
In the study, a group of restrained rats were exposed to the linalool scent and a similarly stressed control group was not exposed to fragrance. At the end of two hours, immune markers of both groups were measured. Laboratory tests showed that stress hormones in both groups were significantly raised at the end of the two-hour stress period.
Normally, stress hormones would be expected to suppress immune response. However, while the control rats showed the expected drop in white blood cell counts, those that were exposed to linalool maintained normal levels. Moreover, the fragrance minimized activity in more than 100 genes activated by stress.
Two Big Benefits
For double immune boosting from their extremely powerful antioxidants as well as the scent-sational benefits, try using basil, thyme, cinnamon and bay leaf more in your cooking. Aromatic herbs and spices can affect immune response even before they enter your stomach!
The skin problems plaguing many of us - like acne or blotchy complexion - are frequently secondary symptoms of poor nutrition. Regular cleansing, toning, and moisturizing with quality products is important, but inner health is the biggest factor in the appearance of your skin.
The old adage “you are what you eat”, literally applies to how our skin looks and feels. As our largest organ, the integrity of our skin benefits from the same foods that have a positive effect on our heart and other organs. In fact, research suggests that eating foods rich in antioxidants can provide powerful anti-aging effects.
Skin Regeneration
New skin cells are created at the lowest, or basal, layer of skin and gradually push their way up to the next layer, known as the granular layer. Within four weeks of their creation, new cells come to the surface layer, called keratin.
Cells from the keratin layer are constantly being sloughed off. But when excess toxins due to poor diet, lack of exercise, or disease, buildup in the body, it begins to show in your skin. A dull, pasty complexion, acne, blotches, and exema are some of the typical symptoms of compromised health.(more…)
That way you can have a fantastic meal within minutes when you want it. (more…)
Iodine and Sea Vegetables
The skin problems plaguing many of us - like acne or blotchy complexion - are frequently secondary symptoms of poor nutrition. Regular cleansing, toning, and moisturizing with quality products is important, but inner health is the biggest factor in the appearance of your skin.
