BASIL & SPICE--NUTRITION!http://www.basilandspice.com/nutrition/en-US2010-02-09T16:12:36ZSquarespace Site Server v5.9.1 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Review: Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human By Richard Wranghamhttp://www.basilandspice.com/nutrition/review-catching-fire-how-cooking-made-us-human-by-richard-wr.htmlAt Basil & Spice2010-02-09T11:55:01ZBook Review Cooked Raw Susan Schenck Vegan basic books book review catching fire cooking harvard raw richard wrangham vegan

While researching the history of man’s diet, I found that numerous anthropologists felt cooking had some advantages that enhanced man’s evolution. I got a copy of a cooking manifesto, Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human by Richard Wrangham, professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard University. (As a side note, my husband thought this was just another of my books that promote the raw food diet—to him, being human is not a plus; we should instead identify with our divine nature!)

In the first chapter, Richard Wrangham discusses studies showing how raw fooders do not get enough calories, claiming that this could not have sustained our ancestors and therefore, a raw food diet was not what we evolved on. Cooking, he explains, increases the number of calories we absorb.

But, I argue, these raw fooders are on mainly vegan diets, which tend to be lower in calories. What about the nuts, seeds, olives and avocados, which made some of us raw fooders (like me!) actually struggle with our weight at times? These, he insists, were only seasonally available before modern times.

OK, got it. But that only proves we were not raw vegans. What about all the raw meat and eggs our ancestors ate? Wrangham goes on to argue that cooking meat and eggs has been shown in tests to enhance digestibility and absorption of calories. The argument that raw foodists use against cooking meat—that cooking denatures protein—is something that he views as an advantage. Denaturing it makes it easier to digest. Ironically, he cites the exact same study cited by Dr. Brantley (a raw meat promoter and author of The Cure) in which Dr. William Beaumont observes the digestion of a man (St. Martin) with a hole in his stomach. Richard says this study shows that cooked meat digests faster than raw meat! Dr. Brantley claimed the opposite—that raw meat digested faster. So I decided to purchase the book myself to see what the truth of the matter is. (It is free on google books, but I can’t read an entire book without being curled up in my rocking chair, and marking things up is my style of study!)

The author argues that the advantage of obtaining more calories from cooked starches ensured that humans got enough energy for survival. This may be true, but given our obesity epidemic, eating cooked starches is hardly an advantage in modern times. Furthermore, cooked grains and legumes, according to experts on the Paleo diet, were also not common in our diet until agriculture began about 10,000 years ago. These foods contain anti-nutrients (phytates and lectins) which create leaky gut syndrome leading to the diseases of civilization (arthritis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, ALS, and much more).

Richard Wrangham points out that “from an evolutionary perspective, if cooking causes a loss of vitamins or creates a few long-term toxic compounds, the effect is relatively unimportant compared to the impact of more calories.” But evolution is not concerned about the longevity of the individual, only the survival of the species. For example, getting enough calories to remain fertile is great for the survival of the species. But studies abound showing that a calorie restricted diet enables the individual to live longer. So if cooking otherwise toxic tubers, grains and legumes helped us overpopulate the world, cooking did its job to ensure the survival of homo sapiens. But for the individual, eating raw is conducive to superior health and longevity, as proven by all the studies in my book The Live Food Factor.

The author argues that the studies which show cooking produces toxins need not alarm us, because these toxins will affect only animals, since humans have adapted to them. About half the studies in my book are on humans, though. They show that eating raw and giving the body a break from these toxins helps it to detox. Clearly, as Wrangham points out, we have been cooking for tens of thousands of years—enough time to adapt to these toxins. But the problem is that the molecules are so chaotic and unpredictable, scientists believe we will never be able to adapt. Also, blood tests on people who eat cooked food show leukocytosis—an increase in white blood cells (which indicate some toxins they are fighting). Such tests on people after they eat raw food do not demonstrate this increase in white blood cells!

Wrangham gives the old argument that it doesn’t matter if we eat food with enzymes or not, because the stomach digests the enzymes. However, an alternative theory is that in the first 30 to 60 minutes, these food enzymes help to digest the food in the upper cardiac stomach. I always tell people, if you don’t believe it, just eat everything raw for a few days and see how much more energy you have. (So far everyone I know can see a huge difference.) When we eat raw, we spare our pancreases of much labor in cranking out digestive enzymes to compensate for enzymes lost in the heat of cooking.

Richard argues that the human brain became larger not just from eating meat, but also from cooking. I wonder then, how does he explain the 11% shrinkage of the human brain in the last 10,000 years (coinciding with the onset of agriculture, when we began to cook much more)?

This book did make me realize that cooking began much earlier than I had thought. He cites evidence of cooking having occurred 2 million years ago, and credits the reduction of our gut, teeth and mouth size to eating cooked foods.

To the author’s credit, I no longer feel so bad about steaming my turkey. (At least I am not getting all the toxic load that comes with barbecuing or grilling it.) However, for me, it remains clear that raw is law.

Richard Wrangham is the Ruth Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard University and Curator of Primate Behavioral Biology at the Peabody Museum. He is the co-author of Demonic Males and co-editor of Chimpanzee Cultures.

Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human (Basic Books/ 2009) by Richard Wrangham

Susan Schenck is author of The Live Food Factor

10,000+ Fruit Trees Registered Across U.S. In Exchange Program

]]>Chinese New Year 2010: Vegan Almond Cookie Recipehttp://www.basilandspice.com/nutrition/chinese-new-year-2010-vegan-almond-cookie-recipe.htmlAt Basil & Spice2010-02-08T11:17:27Z2010 Blakeway, Jill Chinese Cookie Recipe Vegan almond cookie chinese jill blakeway new year recipe vegan

Jill Blakeway, M.Sc, L.Ac.--

This year Chinese New Year falls on February 14th when we will be saying goodbye to the Year of the Ox and welcoming in the Year of the Tiger. More next week about what the Year of the Tiger has in store for us, but today I thought I’d celebrate by baking Chinese Almond Cookies. These are said to look like coins and symbolize prosperity and so we bake them at this time to wish our loved ones a prosperous new year.

For my version I swapped butter for almond butter and olive oil and replaced the sugar with maple syrup. So here is my recipe for whole grain, dairy-free New Year cookies to wish you all a healthy and prosperous new year.

Happy New Year! Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Vegan Almond Cookies

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

½ cup spelt flour

½ cup almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp ground cardamom

1 cup almond butter

1 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tsp almond extract

½ cup slivered almonds

Preheat the 350 degrees

Method: -

Mix the dry ingredients together. This includes the whole wheat flour, spelt flour, almond flour, baking soda, cardamom and salt.

In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients. This includes the almond butter, maple syrup, olive oil and almond extract.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix lightly until just combined.

Put into the refrigerator for half an hour to firm up.

Drop heaping tablespoons full of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Press down with a fork to make little ridges.

Press the slivered almonds into the cookies to decorate.

Bake for 10 minutes being careful not to overcook because without the usual butter and eggs these cookies are much healthier but can get dry.

Jill Blakeway is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Board Certified Herbalist. A former Professor of Traditional Asian Medicine she is the coauthor of Making Babies: A Proven Three Month Program for Maximum Fertility and The Fertility Plan. She is the Clinic Director at the YinOva Center in New York City, which is a complementary medical center for women and children. www.yinovacenter.com

Book Review: Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility

2010 YinOva Cleanse: Incorporating Gwyneth Paltrow's Miso

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

]]>The Veggie Queen's Raw Kale Saladhttp://www.basilandspice.com/nutrition/the-veggie-queens-raw-kale-salad.htmlAt Basil & Spice2010-02-02T12:51:29ZNussinow, Jill Raw Recipe Salad Tahini jill nussinow kale miso raw salad tahini veggie queen

Jill Nussinow--

Today at the farmer's market a guy that I don't think that I know directly asked me if I'd seen any bok choy at the market. I said, "No" because, I hadn't.

Then he asked me if I'd seen chard, and since I was right at the Triple T Ranch and Farm booth, I pointed to the basket of Swiss chard. He went over to it, and I remarked, "Why don't you use kale, there's lots of it here today?" He walked away and I have no idea what he did.

But I know what I did, I bought collards and 2 different kinds of kale: dinosaur and Red Russian and made a raw kale salad. This is certainly one of my favorite winter salads when the greens are sweetest. There are many variations on this but this is my current favorite. I think that this will change when the vegetables change with the seasons.

The Veggie Queen’s Raw Kale Salad
Serves 2-4
This is easy to make and you’ll get a great dose of greens. Use your favorites types, put in extras to suit your taste. The only limit to what goes into this salad is your imagination. When you massage the greens, be sure to add the love.

2 bunches kale, collards or other greens, washed and spun dry
2-3 teaspoons raw tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons miso (my favorite is South River Miso – brown rice or or mellow white works well) or Bragg’s liquid amino acids
1 teaspoon agave, or more to taste
1 apple, sliced thin, julienned or grated

Remove leaves from large ribs and slice thinly. Put into a large bowl. Add the tahini, lemon juice and miso. Put your hands into the bowl and massage the greens until they are wilted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the agave syrup and apple. Stir well to combine. This tastes best when eaten immediately.

Note: you can also add sunflower seeds or dried fruit to this salad, or go more savory by adding crushed garlic and sliced onion and omitting the apple.

Notice how the greens shrink by about half when they are massaged with the tahini, miso and lemon juice. If you are eating this by yourself, make half a batch at once.

Jill Nussinow, aka The Veggie Queen™, is a culinary educator, cookbook author and Registered Dietitian whose goal is to get consumers to eat more vegetables as the way to deliciously improve their health. She is the author of The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment and is featured in the DVD Pressure Cooking: A Fresh Look, Delicious Dishes in Minutes.

Coconut Gets The Yum Factor

American Dietetic Association Hosts Dr. Michael Roizen

]]>Feb 2010: A Biggest Loser Cheesecake Recipehttp://www.basilandspice.com/nutrition/feb-2010-a-biggest-loser-cheesecake-recipe.htmlAt Basil & Spice2010-02-01T11:53:32ZDIET Dessert Forberg, Cheryl Recipe Ricotta biggest loser cheesecake cheryl forberg diet protein recipe weight loss

Cheryl Forberg R.D.--

We love reading diet books, almost as much as we love eating. You’d never know it, with the explosive rise of obesity in this country. But high fiber, low fat, sugar-busting diets abound. Though they’re not always supported with solid science, we do seem to learn valuable lessons from each passing diet craze. Case in point is the low carb, high protein trend that took the country by storm (and almost didn’t go away).

One of the unintended and sensible consequences of this carbphobic madness is that we’ve finally learned the significance of protein -- lean protein -- in a balanced diet. Not only is it a valuable source of energy, but protein is required in every cell of our body. We need it for growth, for repair and for immune function. We also need it for strong muscles.

Experts are discovering that our current recommended amounts (is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight for adults) may be sufficient to prevent deficiencies, but not enough for optimal health. Whether or not your goal is weight loss, if you’re trying to build or maintain muscle (and burn fat), it’s crucial that your protein needs are met. Individual recommendations vary per person, depending on weight and body composition. If you have any health conditions, such as kidney disease, that may affect your protein requirements, consult with your medical provider to determine your protein needs.

Try to include protein with each meal and each snack so your body can benefit all day long. Lean protein:

Helps build/maintain muscle
Helps promote satiety or fullness thus curbing appetite
When combined with carbohydrate (such as a piece of fruit) helps to slow the release of blood sugar thus minimizing unhealthy “spikes” and sustaining our energy for longer periods

There are plenty of choices from which to choose in three different protein groups.

Animal protein

Seafood: Wild fish and seafood that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These fish include salmon, sardines (water-packed), herring, mackerel, trout, and tuna.

Meat: Lean cuts, such as pork tenderloin, lean cuts of beef including round, chuck, sirloin or tenderloin. USDA Choice or USDA Select grades of beef usually have lower fat content. Avoid meat that is heavily marbled and remove any visible fat. Try to find ground meat that is at least 95% lean.

Poultry: Leanest poultry is the skinless white meat from the breast of chicken or turkey. Egg whites are an excellent source of protein and are fat free

Dairy

Top choices include skim (fat-free) milk, low-fat (1%) milk, buttermilk, plain fat free (or low fat) yogurt, fat free (or low fat) yogurt with fruit (no sugar added), fat free or low fat Greek-style yogurt, fat free (or low fat) cottage cheese, fat free or low fat ricotta cheese. In addition to lean protein, dairy foods are also a robust source of calcium. Aim for three servings a day.

Vegetable

Excellent sources of vegetable protein include beans, legumes and a variety of traditional soy foods. Many of these are also loaded with fiber.

Here is a scrumptious dessert or sweet snack to infuse your day with performance-boosting protein:

Mini Maple Ricotta Cheesecakes with Berries and Toasted Pecans

Using lowfat ricotta cheese and nonfat yogurt instead of cream cheese and sour cream slashes the amount of fat found in a traditional cheesecake. I haven't tried sweetening this with stevia. If you do, please let me know how it works!

Yield: 36 mini-cheesecakes Twelve 3-cake servings

Ingredients:

2 cups lowfat ricotta cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) light cream cheese
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt
1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
3 large egg whites
1 large whole egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cooking oil spray*

Garnish:

1 1/2 cups fresh berries
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
Mint sprigs

Instructions:

Lightly coat 3 mini-muffin pans (12 muffins each pan) with cooking oil spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Add all ingredients to a blender jar or the bowl of a food processor. Blend or process just until smooth. There will be about 4 cups of batter. Divide batter between the prepared pans. The batter will come to the top of the cups.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cool completely. Chill. It is normal for cakes to fall.

To serve: Place 3 cakes on each plate. Sprinkle each serving with 2 T berries and 1 teaspoon nuts. Garnish with mint sprig

Nutrient Analysis for one 3-mini-cake serving

Calories - 120
Fat - 5 g
Sat Fat 1.5 g
Chol 40 mg
Sodium 150 mg
Total Carb 13 g
Fiber 1 g
Sugars 10g
Protein 7 g

A registered dietitian and professional chef, Cheryl Forberg is the nutritionist for the NBC reality series The Biggest Loser and an advisor for Prevention magazine. She has written or contributed to several books, including Simple Swaps (Stop the Clock! Cooking, The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook, and The Biggest Loser: The Weight Loss Program, and the recently published Positively Ageless. She is also a recipient of the prestigious James Beard award for healthy recipe development. To learn more about Cheryl and her work, visit her Web site at www.cherylforberg.com.

FirstLook Review: The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps

Biggest Loser Helen Phillips: Before and AFTER

]]>Chef Adam Graham's Raw Apple Buckwheat Breakfasthttp://www.basilandspice.com/nutrition/chef-adam-grahams-raw-apple-buckwheat-breakfast.htmlAt Basil & Spice2010-01-26T13:15:35ZApple Breakfast Graham, Adam Raw Recipe adam graham apple buckwheat raw recipe sprout

Adam Graham--

Sprouted buckwheat is a really magical food. Most people know buckwheat in terms of buckwheat pancakes but sprouted buckwheat ain’t the same thing. Buckwheat isn’t even a grain like the name “wheat” might imply. It’s a “achene” which is a technical term you can investigate. For simplicity sake let’s just call it a seed that is unrelated to wheat therefore having no gluten. Buckwheat flour used for baking and raw buckwheat groats are unsprouted and contain enzyme inhibitors which need to cooked or sprouted to deactivate. Newbie rawfooders may initially have a bad experience working with buckwheat if they don’t sprout it. Buckwheat needs to be thoroughly rinsed, soaked and sprouted. Check out this post regarding sprouting buckwheat.

Once you have sprouted the buckwheat you have a very versatile ingredient for food prep. Don’t be shy when sprouting buckwheat. The sprouted groats can be dehydrated and stored for later use in recipes.

Buckwheat can have a dominant flavor and texture if not used in the right proportions. When I use it in granola I typically add 3 times the amount of nuts or seeds to buckwheat in the recipe. You’ll know if you have too much buckwheat in a recipe because it will taste bland and have a chalky feel in the mouth.

Buckwheat is a warming food which makes it a great breakfast option during cold months. It is high in calcium and also a great source of rutin which helps to strengthen capillaries. If you bruise easily or are wanting to rid yourself of varicose veins, add buckwheat to your diet.

Here’s a quick and easy buckwheat recipe. I used apple for this version but banana or pear can easily be substituted. I added hemp oil to give the porridge the satisfying effect when fats are added to a recipe. You can add a thick nut or seed milk instead or a nut butter. Have fun with the recipe and adapt it to your liking.

Sprouted Buckwheat Apple Porridge

¼ C sprouted buckwheat

3 T shredded coconut

1 apple – cut up

2 T gojis or raisins – mix in at end

1 T maple syrup, honey or agave

1 T sweet cinnamon or 1 t cinnamon

1 T mesquite

1 T hemp oil

1 t maca

pinch of Himalayan salt

Combine in all ingredients except for raisins/gojis in food processor.

Chef Adam Graham is a vegan live food chef and educator based in Atlantic Beach, FL. Adam received much of his live food training in 2007 while volunteering and working as a chef at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Patagonia, Arizona. At the end of 2008 Adam returned to Atlantic Beach, Florida to help open Shakti Life Kitchen, a vegan raw food restaurant in his home town of Jacksonville. In 2009 Adam formed his own company, The Live Food Experience, which shares the benefits of vegan live foods through teaching, demos and food preparation. Currently Adam is working on a recipe book and DVD scheduled for release in early 2010. You'll find him online at www.livefoodexperience.com

Sneak Peak 2010: Raw Recipe From Live Vegan Chef Adam Graham

]]>10 Things You Need To Eat--Beets: An Aphrodisiachttp://www.basilandspice.com/nutrition/10-things-you-need-to-eat-beets-an-aphrodisiac.htmlAt Basil & Spice2010-01-21T11:38:50Z10 Beets Recipe Valentine's anahad o'connor aphrodisiac beet dave lieberman harper collins recipe the 10 things you need to eat valentine's day

The 10 Things You Need to Eat (HarperCollins/Dec 2009) glorifies important foods which are necessary in the diet of Americans. Written by health columnist Anahad O'Connor and veteran Food Network chef Dave Lieberman, the book identifies the benefits of including beets within the diet.

Advocated by both the Romans and Hippocrates, the father of medicine, beets and their leaves are considered useful in healing and as an aphrodisiac. Try this recipe for Valentine's Day!

Chocolate Beet Mini Cakes

These cakes are light, moist, and delicious. Using high-quality Dutch-process cocoa will give you a dark, rich, and chocolaty cupcake. Though you won’t be able to tell that beets are even in the mix, a mere ½ pound in each batch makes the cupcakes extra moist. And if you’re trying to sneak beets into every aspect of your family’s diet without causing a stir, this is definitely the way to go!

Makes 18 mini –cakes

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

2⁄3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon fine salt

3 large eggs

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

½ pound red beets, boiled, peeled (see page 55), and finely grated

½ cup yogurt

Preheat the oven to 325˚F and line an 18-muffin tin with foil cups. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in one bowl and the remaining ingredients in another. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Fill each muffin cup half full with the mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a mini-cake comes out clean and the mini-cakes start to pull away from the sides of the tin. Cool before serving.

Muffins will keep for 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Superfood Beets: Lowers Blood Pressure By 10 Points For 24 Hours

]]>5* Review: ADA's Guide To Healthy Fast Food Eatinghttp://www.basilandspice.com/nutrition/5-review-adas-guide-to-healthy-fast-food-eating.htmlAt Basil & Spice2010-01-19T12:33:19ZAmerican Diabetes Association Book Review Fast Food Lynette Fleming american diabetes association book review guide to healthy fast food eating hope warshaw lynette fleming

Review By Lynette Fleming

In today’s fast-pace world, it seems impossible to totally avoid fast food, no matter how much I would like to. Whether rushing to out-of-town football games after work or helping my son with a school project, I sometimes find myself with only two choices … eat fast food or don’t eat at all. Sound familiar to anyone?

Guide to Healthy Fast Food Eating by Hope Warshaw, to the rescue! This second edition book, endorsed by the American Diabetes Association, will help you make smarter choices when fast food is your only option. While helpful for everyone, this book should be in every diabetic’s pocket (or pocketbook). In addition to nutrition facts for the most popular fast-food restaurants in America, this book provides tips for diabetes-related dining dilemmas. I wish we would have had it two years ago, when my dad (a 50 year diabetic) passed out cold in a restaurant because he had administered his diabetes medication too long before our meal. Tips for prevention of these sorts of disasters are included in the chapter, "Restaurant Dilemmas and Diabetes."

In each of the chapters offering food selections at thirteen different restaurants, the author gives us the “light and lean” choice, as well as the “healthy ‘n’ hearty” choice. Evaluated on calories, percent of calories from fat, total milligrams of cholesterol, and total milligrams of sodium, the difference between the two lies in the calories. “Healthiest Bets” are marked with a checkmark. A chart of selections gives you the “skinny” on anything else you’d like to know about, such as amounts of saturated fat, sodium, total fat, and exchanges.

If you’re like me, and you sometimes have to make a choice between no food or fast food, this book belongs in your handbag or briefcase, right beside your copy of Eat This, Not That. Fast food doesn’t have to mean fast fat … you just “need the facts, ma’am.” 5 Stars

Lynette Fleming Is Coauthor of Lunch Buddies: Buddy Up for a Better Diet

Book Review: Lunch Buddies by Lynette Fleming and Susan Dudra

]]>The YinOva Cleanse 2010: Week Twohttp://www.basilandspice.com/nutrition/the-yinova-cleanse-2010-week-two.htmlAt Basil & Spice2010-01-19T01:16:45Z2010 2010 Blakeway, Jill Detox angelica home kitchen cleanse detox engine 2 diet jill blakeway yinova

Jill Blakeway, M.Sc, L.Ac.--

Welcome to week two of the YinOva Cleanse.

Last week was all about cleansing our colons. How did you do? Emma and I had a couple of hungry days mid-week but we’re now feeling pretty good. This week we will be cleansing the liver and gall bladder. You can read more about the herbs involved here.

In our house we followed a more restricted diet during the colon cleanse so Emma and I are delighted to be eating more solid food and a broader range of foods. We’re still abiding by the following restrictions but I must say we’re getting used to eating this way.

Avoid :

Dairy products
Red Meat
Alcohol
Coffee
Processed foods (Emma and I have cheated a bit by using some processed foods from the health food store such as rice crackers, rice bread and oatcakes – I’m fine with this)
Wheat
Processed sugars
Shellfish
Optional: Nightshade vegetables

Last night, as we settled down to watch the Golden Globes, I made two detox friendly patés for us to spread on rice crackers. Both are adapted from and inspired by The Angelica Home Kitchen: Recipes and Rabble Rousings from an Organic Vegan Restaurant. Angelica’s Kitchen is a great place to eat when you’re detoxing and I’m really glad it’s just down the road from my office.

Lentil Walnut Paté

Adapted from the Angelica Home Kitchen. (Changed a bit to accommodate what I had in my kitchen.)
2/3 cup green lentils
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cups diced onions
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tbsp mirin
1 1/2 tbsp umeboshi paste (you can use red wine vinegar instead, if necessary, and add extra salt)
1 1/2 tbsp miso
1 tbsp dried marjoram

Rinse lentils, place in a saucepan, cover with water (about 2″ above the lentils) bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
In the meantime roast the walnuts on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees F for 8 minutes.
Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil over a gentle heat for 10 minutes.
Drain the lentils and put them in a blender of food processor with the onions, walnuts and all the other ingredients.
Blend until smooth and serve with tofu sour cream dribbled over the top and wheat-free crackers.

Beet and Butternut Paté

Adapted from the Angelica Home Kitchen. (Originally a recipe for pumpkin pate but changed quite a bit to accommodate what I had in my kitchen.)

1/2 a cup of sun dried tomatoes (dry packed)
3/4 pound of onions diced
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb of beets and winter squash peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 tbsp marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

Boil 2 cups of water, take off the heat and leave the sun dried tomatoes in the hot water to rehydrate for 20 minutes.
Toast the sunflower seeds in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes.
Steam the beets and squash for 20 minutes.
Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until soft.
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Serve with tofu sour cream drizzled on top and wheat-free crackers.

Tofu Sour Cream

From The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter’s 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds (I love this book)

1 pack of Silken Tofu
1/3 cup soy milk
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Blend all ingredients together in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Cover and chill for at least an hour to allow the flavors to blend.

Book Review: Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility

2010 YinOva Cleanse: Incorporating Gwyneth Paltrow's Miso

]]>How To Break The 7 Day Green Juice Fast (2010)http://www.basilandspice.com/nutrition/how-to-break-the-7-day-green-juice-fast-2010.htmlAt Basil & Spice2010-01-15T11:55:46Z2010 2010 Graham, Adam Juicing aadam graham fast green juice

Adam Graham--

Finish Right - Smoothie

Now that you’ve finished your fast, what do you do? What “not to do” is to return to business as usual. You’ve just honored your body and done some deep healing. Don’t blow the benefits with a thoughtless food binge.

Properly coming off the fast/feast is more important than doing the fast/feast itself. Great care must be taken not to undo all the benefits of the fast. Take an amount of days equal to the length of the fast/feast to reintroduce solid foods into your diet. A 1 day fast requires 1 day of reintroduction. Your stomach will have shrunk during the fast so start with small portions and listen to your body. A fast is meant to reset your body to its optimal functioning. If you force yourself to eat the way you ate prior to the fast you might as well not fast at all. Simple foods in small portions is your key to success whether coming off a fast or just living life. If you can apply this rule to your life you will experience health and longevity.

Heathy and I went 4 days and broke the fast on day 5 with citrus. We’ve continued having juice each day while eating fruit and doing green smoothies. The smoothie above was made with Swiss chard, spinach, strawberries, apple, lecithin and a superfood blend of maca, lucuma, mesquite, cinnamon and bee pollen. It was really creamy and smooth.

My Typical break-fast meals for 7 day fast – no fats until day 5:

Start each morning with hot water and lemon or water and apple cider vinegar

Day 1 – water, tea and green juice through out day

Salud!

morning: 1/2 of a ripe papaya
mid-day: 1/2 of a ripe papaya or melon
evening: green juice or miso soup

Day 2 – water, tea and green juice through out day

morning: oranges, grapefruit or pomelo
mid-day: oranges, grapefruit or pomelo
evening: apples, green juice or miso soup

Day 3 – water, tea and green juice through out day

morning: melon
mid-day: green smoothie- apple, berries, spinach, maca, lucuma
evening: apples, green juice or miso soup

Day 4 – water, tea and green juice through out day

morning: diced apples, soaked gojis and cinnamon
mid-day: mixed green salad with light vinegar herb dressing
evening: miso soup and sea veggie salad with kimchi

Day 5 – water, tea and green juice through out day

morning: diced apples, soaked gojis and cinnamon
mid-day: mixed green salad with avocado and a light vinegar herb dressing
evening: blended soup, gazpacho,with avocado

After day 5 you may slowly introduce oils into soups, sauces and dressings. It’s best to slowly reintroduce dehydrated foods, nuts, seeds and nut butters. Any heavy desserts like pies, chocolates and ice creams should be introduced after day 7. If you can’t hold out that long be sure the portion you eat is 1/3 of a serving and listen to how your body responds. Be conscious while eating and establish new health supporting eating habits.

Sneak Peak: 7 Day Green Juice Fast For 2010

Sneak Peak 2010: Raw Recipe From Live Vegan Chef Adam Graham

]]>National Salt Initiative: Reduce 25% From Foods (Interim Target 1/15/2012)http://www.basilandspice.com/nutrition/national-salt-initiative-reduce-25-from-foods-interim-target.htmlAt Basil & Spice2010-01-12T12:08:03Z2012 2012 Kumar, Sonal american heart association national salt initiative new york city reduction salt sonal kumar

Sonal Kumar--

In a press release on January 11, 2010, the Health Department of New York City made public the “National Salt Reduction Initiative,” a New York-led effort to eliminate excessive salt found in packaged and restaurant food.

The limit of salt intake for adults is 1,500 mg; however, the report discloses that Americans consume twice as much salt than necessary in their diets, which knowingly prompts obesity and high blood pressure in addition to increasing likelihood of serious risks, including heart attack and stroke. The numbers are shocking; in one year, 23,000 people die in New York City from a preventable death, a death that can be managed simply by controlling and managing diet and food intake.

It was stated that the unusually excessive quantities of salt in the American diet is not attributed to mere grains that come out of the salt shakers in our homes. Instead, 80% comes from the added salt sprinkled on packaged and pre-made foods that we often eat.

The “National Salt Reduction Initiative” aims to reduce the salt in foods by 25% in five years, a stride that is proposed to decrease America’s intake of salt by 20%.

According to the timeline for the Initiative, January 15, 2012 will be the interim target date when mid-effort evaluations will be done. Two years later on the same date, the Initiative will evaluate overall accomplishment.

While the effort started out as American-based, the “National Salt Reduction Initiative” has inspired other countries to follow the heart-healthy change. In fact, the United Kingdom has already reduced salt use by 40%. Countries, such as Canada, Australia and Ireland, are also diligently making an effort to improve health by following stringent reductions.

The American Heart Association condones the initiative, celebrating the significant result—improved health— that will ensue from the change.

Sonal Kumar is an undergraduate student of Columbia University. In addition to contributing to Basil & Spice, Sonal is a Science Chief of her college’s paper, Columbia Daily Spectator—one of the oldest running college daily papers in the nation. She has independently started a science and health section, “Columbia Under the Microscope.” Her zeal for writing—especially on topics of health, nutrition, and wellness—fortifies her decision to incorporate writing in her professional career. She one day hopes to write essays for the Times and follow in the footsteps of physician-journalist Dr. Sandeep Jauhar.

Salmonella-Frogs Link, 80% Affected Under Age 10, 36% Hospitalized

]]>