The Benefits of Juicing

Fresh Juice! I love juicing. I feel like every cell in my body says thanks when I take the first sip.

Juice is  yet another controversial topic in the world of nutrition. Nutrition brings controversy because nature encourages diversity. Amen to that!

Juicing can be extremely healing; especially for those of us who forget that when eating, chewing precedes swallowing (hey there fast eaters!). The juicing process makes the nutrients of the vegetables and fruits readily available for absorption. Juicing (and blending) saves the body digestive energy, allowing more energy to be put towards healing and detoxification.

Especially with juicing greens, the separation of chlorophyll from its fibers will allow for easy assimilation of this green sunlight energy. Chlorophyll is the Fast Track to our main sources of life: oxygen and liquid sunlight.

Most store bought juices (unless otherwise noted) have been pasteurized and no longer contain the nutritional benefits of fresh juice. Almost all contain more sugar than nutrients.

We have to be careful with juicing to not have too much sugar. When juicing fruits and vegetables, all the fiber is removed. Nature is perfect; she packages the perfect ratio of fiber to sugar in our fruits and vegetables to keep our blood sugar levels somewhat stable. However removing the fiber (which is there to keep us full) can easily flood our system with too much sugar.  Beware breakfast orange juice drinker… You could be setting yourself up for a crash with sugar or caffeine cravings later in the day.

While we will benefit from juice’s high levels of readily available nutrients, eating solid foods is what will keep the digestive system strong as these nutrients  move more slowly through the digestive track. Eating fibrous vegetables gives the body time to break down and absorb the nutrients it might miss in the quick assimilation of juice.

It is also recommended to “chew” your juice when drinking in order to create some saliva, an important component to digestion.

The most important thing to be aware of when juicing is that you do not juice too much fruit or sweet root vegetables. I recommend fruit or sweet roots (like carrots) be no more than a third of your juice. This can be difficult because, admittedly, carrot juice is really delicious! Eventually you will use even less than a third, as you get more adventurous (you can juice most anything.) The sweet juices are great as a treat, but minimizing the sugar content will prove to be the healthiest way in the long run.
The greens are miracle workers but can sometimes be bitter. Lemons are great to add to every juice; the citric will neutralize the bitterness (not to mention the vitamin C!).

There are many juicers our there for purchase. If you are new to  juicing, cheaper juicers work quite well. Keep in mind that most basic juicers require you to drink your juice right after juicing. Not to worry- juicing and clean up takes me a total of 5(ish) minutes.

Or you could try juicing the old fashioned way… chimpanzees often chew fibrous foods to remove the juice before discarding the fiber, and gorillas juice by filling their mouths with leaves and fruit, using the mass of leaves to press the juice out of the fruit, then discarding the fiber. Personally, I’ll keep using the juicer.

Juice Bars Around Boston

Boston is not yet abundant in health food restaurants but there are unpasteurized juices in various locations:

JOOS: delivers juice to a depot near your home after you order it online. The product is organic and of very high quality, juiced fresh before delivery.

Prana Cafe: in Newton/ Watertown

Red Lentil: Watertown

Life Alive: Cambridge

Blue Shirt Cafe: Somerville

570 Market: South End

Trident Bookstore and Cafe: Boston

(Please share with the community if you know any other juice bars around Boston by commenting on this post.)

Juice Recipes From The Film 'Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead'

Apple-Pear
1 Apple
2 Pears
1 Piece Ginger (thumb sized)

Carrot-Kale Combo
1 Green Apple
3 Handfuls spinach
6-8 Kale Leaves
4 Large Carrots
1 Piece Ginger (thumb sized)

Green Lemonade
1 Green Apple
3 Handfuls Spinach
6-8 Kale Leaves
½ Cucumber
4 Celery Stalks
½ Lemon

All Green
Use as much greens as needed
Romaine Hearts
Kale or Collards
Spinach
2 Handfuls Parsley
2-3 Celery Stalks
½ Lemon
1 Piece Ginger (thumb sized)

Apple-Beet-Carrot
1 Apple
2 Beets
3 Large Carrots
1 Piece Ginger (thumb sized)
Spinach / Kale – (optional)

Spinach-Fennel-Cucumber
1 Fennel Bulb
1 Cucumber
2-3 Celery Stalks
Loads of Spinach

Mean Green
1 Bulk of kale
4 Stalks of celery
1 Cucumber
2 granny smith apples
½ lemon
Ginger root (thumb sized)

The Excitement of Being Toxic

Excitotoxins have an exciting effect on brain cells (sounds exciting!) … while causing a pathological process by which nerve cells are damaged and killed (not so fun.)

In today’s food industry, harmful amounts of excitotoxins are found in up to 80% of all processed food. MSG (one of many glutamates found in foods,) hydrolyzed proteins, and other similar substances are all too common ingredients.

When scientists want to make mice fat ASAP (for the purpose studying obesity,) they feed them MSG. Regardless, the food industry has engineered chemically created flavors such as this one that keep us coming back for more. Are we addicted? Just as tobacco companies knowingly added more nicotine to cigarettes to make them addictive, we’re now in an invisible food trap that has also imprisoned us.

With a chemical formula that makes us feel instantly fulfilled, we are actually  providing ourselves with little to no nutrients. Most of us, who may have been encouraged by our doctors to lose weight, are in truth starving to death on a cellular level.

We struggle with hunger and blame our bodies and ourselves for being weak. Meanwhile our body is doing its best to keep us healthy! It calls in search of the nutrients it needs to function correctly.
Advertisements tell us that if we eat these chemically altered foods; we will be slim and happy. However most of these foods cause weight gain and disease. Many of these chemicals both inhibit our metabolism as well as increase the production of fat (as part of the defense mechanism to isolate the chemicals).

Diet soda alone is suspected of  being a major contributor to the impairment of brain function, neurological function, vision, and increased chances of seizures (especially when regularly consumed instead of a meal.) While it advertises freedom, most independent studies show that it hooks us on even stronger sugar cravings (due to our taste buds’ reaction to the extreme sweetness.)

The FDA does not carry out independent studies to test a food before it is marketed. Instead it relies on studies funded by the same company producing the product. The heart association puts its stamp of approval on foods loaded with trans fats because the product meets the sodium requirements. Classy.

In our industrialized version of better living, we have created over 75,000 synthetic chemicals since 1940. These days over 200 chemicals can been found in some newborn’s umbilical cords. Most are either food-born, environmental, or beauty product derived (“your makeup looks killer!”)

It is time to relearn better living that is in harmony with the organic compounds of our bodies and our planet.  We need to recover. It’s no joke when our neurological system has been affected.

Spring is an excellent time for a reboot as the body is naturally designed to excel in its detoxification process. Eat dark leafy greens every day (kale, parsley and cilantro are highly recommended!) as well as gelatinous fibers (chia seeds rock!) Water and vegetables are your BFFs (consume more vegetables than fruits.)

In general, think more about what healthy stuff you can  add  to your diet rather than freaking out about what you need to eliminate. The more nutrients your body receives and assimilates, the more you’ll naturally begin to eliminate what no longer serves you.  Exercising and a clean diet need each other. Tomorrow is never better than today to do something proactive.

The Calcium Paradox

The calcium paradox is that the US rates as one of the highest in both calcium intake and osteoporosis.

Clearly the problem is not that we are not getting enough calcium, but that it is not getting absorbed.

Science has named these factors as the main causes of calcium excretion:

• Smoking
• Air pollution (city living)
• Excess alcohol (one glass of wine can raise the amount of calcium excreted in the urine from the average 5mg up to 25mg)
• Excess sugar and refined carbohydrates
• Excess protein in the diet (mostly from excess meat)
• Excess caffeine (mostly in the form of coffee, soft drinks and caffeine pills. One cup of coffee can raise the excretion of calcium up to 75mg through urine)
• Phosphoric acid (comes mostly from soda) will cause the bones to leach out calcium.
• Stress will cause calcium excretion. In a relaxed state we generally release 5-10mg of calcium in our urine. A momentary stressful moment can cause for up to 75mg to be released.

What does this mean?

This is NOT about never having a glass of wine or never experiencing stress. However if we tend to have a couple of glasses of wine, a couple of coffees, a sugary snack, and we’re a little high-strung, these things add up on a daily basis.

Dairy Products:

For over 35 years research has shown that calcium from dairy products is more poorly absorbed than calcium from leafy greens, nuts, and seeds. While dairy might have other benefits, it is not optimal for calcium absorption. Unfortunately due to the dairy lobbyists, this is not what the general public is taught.

(To read more about calcium and dairy, read the article Truth or Dairy.)

Calcium Supplements:

Most calcium supplements are made form calcium carbonate. This is the calcium found in limestone, chalk, and rocks. It is the same calcium that is mixed in the plaster on our walls. The body can only absorb up to 10% of it.

The Relaxation Response:

Bone density has been proven to increase with mental relaxation.  Most of us function on a low level of stress throughout our entire day.  This low-grade stress is the most commonly linked source of dis-ease.

Healing always begins with relaxing.

Related Article:
Food For Healing Broken Bones

Making Your Own Sourdough Breads

Sourdough vs. Yeast Based Breads

The Egyptians first leavened bread around 2300 BC. Mixing flour and water, they left it to ferment uncovered for several days. This mixture was then added to additional flour and water and baked into bread. This kind of natural leavening remained the basis of Western bread baking until the 20th century. In the 1950s commercial yeast was introduced, enabling bread to be made in less than 3 hours. These days some commercial bread can be made in less than an hour.

The importance of unleavened sourdough breads is that the proofing (the slow rising process) is needed in order to break down the complex carbohydrates and proteins and make them compatible for human digestion. The fermentation process serves as a digestive aid to all complex carbohydrate foods including other grains, beans, and vegetables.

The slow rising of a sourdough allows the bran in the flour to break down, releasing minerals that we are unable to digest in yeasted breads. It is when wheat gluten is properly fermented that it is the healthiest for human consumption.

Some theories state that yeasted breads are the main contributor to what has made wheat and gluten one of the highest allergenic foods we eat. It is not uncommon for people to have sensitivity to commercially yeasted breads but not experience the same sensitivities to naturally leavened whole grain sourdough bread.

It is similar to the controversy with soy which also can only be considered a health food if it is fermented long enough. Correctly fermented wheat provides us with 18 amino acids (proteins), complex carbohydrates (a super efficient source of energy), B vitamins, iron, zinc, selenium and magnesium, and maltase.

Sourdough bread rates a 68 on the glycemic index as opposed to the rating of 100 by other breads. Foods that have low ratings on the glycemic index are prominent in societies that tend to have lower rates of diseases such as diabetes.

How To Make a Sourdough Starter

There are various ways for making a sourdough starter; many include adding ingredients like grapes or potatoes, which provide extra sugar for the yeast to feed on and grow. I prefer the method of using only flour and water. There are a variety of yeasts and we want to be sure to be cultivating a kind that thrives best on flour. Besides, this method cuts out more of the sugars.

1 cup of warm (not hot!) water
1 cup of organic white whole wheat flour (you can use regular whole wheat too. The white wheat berry is lighter, producing a bread that is not as dense as bread made from regular whole wheat flour, which is made from the red wheat berry.)

Mix the flour and water with a wooden spoon in a jar. Cover with cheesecloth, and keep in a warm place (aim for about 80 degrees, but no warmer than 85.) The natural yeast from the air will be drawn to the flour and settle into the mixture. Keep the yeast covered with the cheesecloth for three days, mixing it once or twice a day with a wooden spoon. As soon as it's foamy and full of bubbles, your starter is ready to use!

While your first sourdough starter will take a couple of days to progress, after this first 2-3 day period it will be ready for immediate use at all times, provided you continue to feed it.

Once you've made a starter, take good care of it: sourdough starters impart more and more flavor the longer they live. Store your starter in a jar in the fridge, and be sure to feed it weekly, whether or not you're baking with it. Sourdough is a living culture, if you don’t feed it, it will die. Add equal amounts of flour and water.

Fresh Milled Bread (basic recipe)

2 cups white whole wheat flour (or other)
1 cup rolled oats, ground into a powder (a coffee grinder works great for this!)
4 Tbs of any of the following seeds ground (in coffee grinder:) sesame seeds, flax seed, sunflower seed, pumpkin seed. (I use 1 Tbs of each)
¼ cup sourdough
1¼ cup water

If you have a food processor with a plastic dough blade, add all ingredients except the water into the processor. While the machine is on, add the water gradually until the dough is all rolled into a ball. This should happen within seconds.

If you do not have a food processor, mix all ingredients in a bowl, adding the water last, until the dough is formed.

The dough should be on the damper side.

Shape into a ball or loaf and let it rise on a non-aluminum tray for 2 hours.

Knead the dough again, pressing out any air. Reshape into loaf. Let is rise on a non-aluminum tray for another 4-6 hours.

Fill an ovenproof dish with water and place it on the bottom rack of a cold oven. Place the loaf on the middle rack. With the bread in the oven, heat to 425 °F (in most ovens, this takes 10-15 minutes) and bake at that temperature for an additional 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350°F and bake for an additional 45 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a rack.


Walnut Cranberry Bread


The lighter bread in the picture is the recipe above. The darker bread contains walnuts and cranberries, butternut squash for moisture and a drop of maple syrup.


2.5 cups white whole wheat flour
1.5 cups rolled oats, ground into a powder (a coffee grinder works great for this!)
4 Tbs flax
¼ cup starter
1 Tbs maple syrup
½ cup butternut squash puree or sweet potato puree (can use canned)
1.5 cups of water
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped

If you have a food processor with a plastic dough blade, add all ingredients except the water, walnuts and cranberries will go into the processor. While the machine is on, add one cup of water. Turn the machine off and add the cranberries and walnuts. Turning the processor back on, proceed to gradually add the remaining half cup of water. The dough will unify into a ball as it spins around in the processor. 

If you do not have a food processor, mix all ingredients in a bowl, adding the water last, until the dough is formed.

The dough should be on the damper side.

Shape into a ball or loaf and let it rise on a non-aluminum tray for 2 hours.

Knead the dough again, pressing out any air. Reshape into loaf. Let is rise on a non-aluminum tray for another 4-6 hours.

Fill an ovenproof dish with water and place it on the bottom rack of a cold oven. Place the loaf on the middle rack. With the bread in the oven, heat to 425 °F (in most ovens, this takes 10-15 minutes) and bake at that temperature for an additional 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350°F and bake for an additional 45 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a rack.

Understanding Macronutrient Balance: Fats, Proteins and Carbohydrates

The macronutrients in our diet are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, (and water)

Fat is the New Healthy: Eat Fat, Get Thin.

A common imbalance in our modern day diet is the consumption of too much unhealthy fat. These fats are the refined and hydrogenated kinds.

Many of us might be consuming significant amounts of unhealthy fats due to false advertising of food or simply by eating out a lot. However there is a large percentage of our population that is so fat conscious, that we’re not eating enough fat as a result of its bad rep.

We live in a nation with the largest fat-free food industry and yet we are the most obese. Our collective weight issues lay in the quality of fats we eat, not in fat itself. Most fat free products are extremely low in quality: yogurts are filled with processed sugars, foods are filled with chemicals, and milk is chemically altered and flooded with hormones.

Headlines news- Low fat diets are passé! Science has changed. Most low fat diets are rooted in a toxic belief that fat in food equals fat in the body. This is not an absolute truth and is often a misconception.

If we are on a fat free diet and not losing weight, chances are that our bodies have gone into starvation mode. If the body does not receive the basic macronutrients it needs to function, it will consider itself in famine. Not knowing if it will receive these nutrients anytime soon, it begins to store fat and inhibits the building of muscle in order to sustain energy. 

It’s time to get over the fat phobia. The phobia itself might be making us fat.

Poor quality fats as well as the processed carbohydrates and artificial ingredients that supplement fat-free foods tend to lead us to craving more carbohydrates and more unhealthy fat. If we are low in fat and protein, we will almost definitely find ourselves binge eating.

A fat deficient diet often leads to dry hair, dry skin, brittle hair or skin, mood issues, digestive, redness around the eyes, deficiency in fat soluble vitamins A D E, and the already mentioned inability to lose weight. Fat deficiency also tampers with memory, cognition and brain function.

When adding in EFA (Essential Fatty Acids,) we will most likely see a difference in skin and hair as well as the stabilization of our mood within as little as two weeks. Within a few months, chances are we’ll be losing weight rather than gaining it. These fats are found in unrefined oil present in food such as extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, unrefined sesame oil, fish, avocado, and nuts. We can also take a fish oil (or flax oil if vegan) supplement, which tend to be most digestible when consumed during a meal.

Carbohydrates: Forget Simple; Keep it Complex

Most of the population has a diet excessive in processed carbohydrates. If the bulk of our diet contains processed carbohydrates, we will often experience symptoms such as weight gain, fatigue, binge eating, cravings, indigestion, heightened PMS and mood swings. If consumed in large quantities over a long period of time, we may develop a variety of conditions such as diabetes, depression (as insulin blocks serotonin,) yeast infections, and ADHD.

These carbohydrates appear in fast food, junk food, packaged food, breads, and all the sugars added to our pre-packed foods. Often referred to as “empty calories,” these carbohydrates are stripped of all their nutrients during a refining process. Since the body taps into its own storage of minerals and vitamins when digesting, empty calories not only provide no micronutrients (minerals and vitamins,) but we end up further depleted after using our stored ones to digest them.

Like with fat, many of us have become carbophobic. Carbohydrates are extremely important to our health! They provide us with the energy we need to function. They are not bad! They become hazardous when the majority of our carbohydrates intake is in its lowest quality versions. We have been educated through past diet fads to fear carbohydrates and often we forget that not all carbohydrates are created equally. Be sure to get complex carbohydrates in the form of vegetables, beans, and grains. When eating whole grains, try to have the majority of them in an unprocessed form. While a whole wheat bread or pasta is preferable than its white flour version, it is still a refined food that plays its effects on our blood sugar levels.

Protein Deficiency:

Often when we try to lose weight and cut down on calories, the first calories to go are breakfast calories. We may have nothing more than coffee or a bagel and work till lunch with out fueling the body with any sustenance. If lunch then is just a salad, we may not be having much protein till dinner.  

Overeating at evening and night often has to do with daytime starvation. If this could be you, reevaluate your intake of protein and healthy fats during the day. These foods help us feel grounded and satiated. If we consume little more than carbohydrates and caffeine during the day, when its time to settle down in the evening the body will gorge on anything to help it feel grounded… going from one extreme to the other.

Focus on protein earlier in the day and include meat, fish, eggs, nuts, tofu and tempeh. Beans might work for some but as they are pretty low in protein, if this is your main source and you have some health complaints, you may need to reconsider your protein resources. If you are vegan, consider adding a high quality protein shake into your diet. Hemp, pea and brown rice are all good sources.

Too little protein can lead to sugar and carbohydrate cravings, low energy, low mood, and the inability to build muscle and lose weight. Our response to stress tends to last longer and have a stronger impact.

Stress and Micronutrients:

When the body is in stress mode, it excretes nutrients. Water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and B as well as all minerals get released through urine (as well as through perspiration.) When stressed, a urine test will reveal a 50% increase in calcium, zinc, and other vitamins and mineral that have leached.  The body releases the micronutrients and holds onto macronutrients as fat.

Quality of Food:

When it comes to macronutrients, we need to be sure that they are nutrient dense.

The basic combination of fresh, real, home cooked, and cooked/served with love all effect nutrient density.

Much of our diet is mass-produced in a way that leaves little to no nutrients in our food. This means decreased nutrition to the body, which in turn increases our appetite and cravings because the body is looking for its needed nutrients.

When we are not getting what we need from food, the body sends out more hunger signals. This increases appetite and food cravings and will lead to binging. Often at this point we beat ourselves up thinking it’s about lock of will power.

Increase the quality: upgrade meats to antibiotic and growth hormone free (grass fed is best,) free-pasture laid eggs, home made pizza with organic cheese, organic produce, etc’. Many people have reported that taking hormones out of their meat and dairy products has resulted in weight loss.

When we mostly eat out and order out, our internal body wisdom gets dumbed down (it gets dumber!) As we start to eat in a more conscious way (simply by cooking for ourselves or taking a moment to notice and appreciate our food before eating,) we start to connect to the subtle messages we receive from our body regarding our personal nutritional needs (i.e. what foods we need and when.)

The nutrition world pulls us in various dietary directions, resulting in us losing our confidence to connect to our own body wisdom. Start a dialog with your body and you will discover things on your own.

Related Articles:
The Pros of Protein
The Food Pyramid... What Should I Eat?
Understanding Digestive Rhythm
Overeating- It's Not About Willpower

It's Not What You Eat, But How Much You Digest...

How we digest is often an overlooked factor in our attention towards healthy eating.  Despite a well-balanced diet, if we are having trouble digesting our food, we may actually be malnourished.

We may be eating “the right things” but not absorbing  them. Have you ever found yourself more tired after a meal than before it? If digestion is weak, our body will have to draw energy away from other systems to use towards digestion, leaving us feeling tired or fog brained.

The digestive enzymes needed for the initial breakdownof  food particles are contained in our saliva. By chewing our food properly we are able to assimilate the nutrients form our foods better.

Other digestive enzymes are present in living foods (foods that have not been processed and would spoil if left out.) These enzymes have been thoroughly destroyed in almost all processed foods, despite being marketed as healthy. Eating a diet high in processed foods puts a huge strain on the pancreas that now needs to manufacture the enzymes lost in processing in order to enable digestion. Since the pancreas is also involved in the regulation of stress hormones, a diet high in processed foods directly lowers our resistance to stress.

It is a good idea to minimize eating and drinking anything pasteurized, as by definition, pasteurization heats the food to the point where everything that was alive in the food is now dead. These days, most store-bought juices, most milk and dairy, and most cans of vegetables are pasteurized, so check labels and buy unpasteurized when possible. While raw milk is not readily available, cheeses made from raw milk are becoming more popular. Look for local brands of orange juice that are unpasteurized and be sure to include fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.

During spring, be sure to not overcook your food. Lightly steam vegetables and remove from the heat before the color changes from bright to dull. When eating animal products such as red meat, enjoy pasture-fed, non-medicated meat. During spring it is best to reduce our normal intake of animal proteins.

In order to improve digestion and assimilation, we need to eat more foods rich in enzymes. Adding raw foods to each meal helps, as well as consuming fermented foods. Lacto-fermentation is an ancient method to preserve food (prior to the invention of refrigeration,) and the fermentation process greatly increases the vitamin content and enzymes needed for digestion. Consuming fermented vegetables, dairy, grains and meat also promotes healthy flora in the intestine, which also aids in the assimilation of the food. Many common foods are fermented, such as cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, tempeh, sauerkraut, pickles, pickled ginger that comes with sushi, miso, kefir, and corned beef. (When eating fermented dairy, look for unpasteurized raw milk products.)

If you are interested in reading more on the topic, Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions cookbook is a great resource for your library.

Ghee (Clarified Butter): What Is It? And Why You Want To Use It

According to Ayurveda, ghee is said to be beneficial for the whole body. Traditionally, ghee has been used to promote memory and brain function as well as heal inflammation and enhance digestion. Modern science tells us that ghee also harbors phenolic antioxidants which bolster the immune system. 

If you are familiar with the doshas in ayurvedic medical philosophy, ghee is best for Vatas, soothing for Pittas, and balancing for Kaphas in moderation. For cold, dry, stiff and airy (Vata) types, ghee adds heaviness and lubrication to the body in the joints and in digestion. Ghee is cooling and soothing for the fire-based ailments (Pitta), such as fever, acidity, and inflammation. For all three doshas, ghee helps memory and is a healthy fat that is good for the liver and immune system, though Kaphas should consume it in moderation as it also helps build body mass.

Ghee is none other than butter that has been clarified; having had the impurities of saturated fat and milk solids removed.  Ghee is lactose-free.

In yoga, ghee is said to lubricate the connective tissues and promote flexibility,

You can use ghee as you would use butter. Remember that ghee is fat, and only a certain amount of total fat is necessary in the diet.

You'll find ghee at the health food store, or you can easily make it yourself.

* When buying or making ghee, or any dairy product, look for organic. All toxins like to settle in body fat, and especially mammary glands, which makes it important to choose organic animal products like milk and butter, otherwise they tend to be the most laden with impurities like pesticides, herbicides and other toxins found in air, water and feed.

How To Make Ghee

Cut 1 pound of unsalted butter into large cubes (keep all cubes at approximately the same size) and melt over a medium-low heat in a heavy pot with a rather thick bottom and high sides.

When the melted butter starts boiling, it will begin to create a popping sound as moisture evaporates from the butter. You may need to adjust the heat slightly to be sure you hear constant sizzling and spitting sounds.

As the butter continues to boil uncovered, the amount of foam will decrease. You will notice curd solids beginning to form and sink to the bottom of the pot. As a result, the butter will become more and more transparent.

From time to time, gently stir the surface with a wooden spoon to better check the transparency of the melted butter. Don't go deep with the spoon; the purpose is not to stir but to check if the clarified butter is taking a clear golden color.

When the clarified butter has become transparent and there is very little foam left on the surface, the ghee is ready. All solids should have settled in the bottom by now. This process should take anywhere between 10-15 minutes depending on the cooking heat.

As soon as it turns a beautiful golden color and begins to smell like popcorn, immediately remove the ghee from the heat. At this stage it can burn very quickly. If the ghee has become darker in color, it has been overcooked.

Let it cool a little. Pour the golden liquid through a fine sieve, a tea strainer or cheesecloth into a glass jar. Discard the brownish curds at the bottom of the pot.

Clarified butter can be kept covered without refrigeration. Once cool it will solidify like butter.

Anti-inflammatory Sweet Ghee Spread

6 Tbs. of ghee
4 Tbs. of honey (preferably raw.) Amount can be adjusted according to your liking.
6 tsp. of turmeric
6 tsp. of cinnamon
5 tsp. of ginger (dried, not fresh)

Mix the ghee and honey in a jar. You may need to soften them by placing the jar in a bowl of hot water (or soften in microwave). Mix in all spices and store in a tight-lid jar. This spread can last for months without spoiling. Enjoy it on toast..

A Winter Way Of Eating

The New England winter climate is mostly cold and dry. Just as the trees and plants around us have dried, we may experience the dryness of our own skin and lips as well as a drop in our body temperature.

As things change externally, our inner body changes in a similar manner and we must care for our bodies accordingly.

Foods For Winter

*  Since winter is cold and dry we need to avoid similar food to maintain warmth and moisture within.
*  Warm, home-cooked foods are ideal, cooked with easy-to-digest oils such as ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil, but not deep-fried.
*  Use cooking methods such as steaming, roasting, stir-frying or poaching in order to heat the food all the way through.
*  Avoid raw foods, which are cold in nature such as salads, cold fruits, ice (especially in drinks), ice cream and raw vegetables as these tend to cool the body.
*  Incorporate foods that create moisture and warmth. Minimize the consumption of crackers, rice cakes and breads, as they are very dry.

Flavor

*  The flavors that nourish and balance the body in the cold, dry, winter season are the sweet, sour and salty tastes. It's best to eat less of the astringent, bitter, and pungent flavors in winter, although all six tastes should be included in your diet.
*  From the less ‘favored’ flavors use ginger (unless you run both an extremely hot body temperature and a hot temper) and radish for pungent to keep warm, enjoy leafy greens and dandelion root for bitter, and cranberry or apple for the astringent flavor to aid detoxification during these months.
*  Root vegetables and grains will provide the sweet flavor. Refined sugars will create more harm than good.
*  For salty flavor reach for small amounts of high quality sea salt and an abundance of sea vegetables.

Food Suggestions


*  Warm hearty soups, healthy lean meat and root vegetable stews, whole grains, and roasted nuts.
*  Cereals, grains, and legumes: brown rice, oatmeal, millet, soybeans, and mung beans.
*  Meat, poultry and fish.
*  Nuts (avoid in excess if you have a lean or lanky body combined with a quick and restless mind.)
*  Root vegetables such as yams, sweet potatoes, yucca, potatoes, beets, turnips, ginger, ginseng, taro, burdock, carrots, parsnips, as well as, fennel, onions, chives, scallions, garlic and leeks.
*  Herbs, spices, condiments and oils: peppermint, basil, ginger, turmeric, parsley, gogi berries, licorice, cinnamon, cloves, chamomile, pepper, honey, and sesame oil.
*  Fruits and nuts: (at room temperature) apples, clementines, cranberries, red grapes, grapefruit, persimmons, dates, figs as well as lemons and limes.
*  If eating dairy (choose organic products!) avoid having them cold. Using ghee (clarified butter) is a great butter substitute.
*  Hydrate! Hot water and room temperature only. If drinking with a meal, sip hot water slowly.
*  The salty taste is attributed to the kidney and bladder, so by adding some salty foods in your diet during winter you can improve the function of these two organs. In Chinese medicine these are the meridians/organs governed by the water element that can be most affected by the dryness of the season. Incorporate some of the following foods to support the kidney and bladder function in winter: burdock root, eggs, fish, miso soup, nuts, tofu, and sea vegetables (such as arame, hijiki, kelp, kombu and wakame.)
*  This is not the season to be eating a fat-free salad and cracker diet. Play with steaming or roasting vegetables for salads and if eating things like toast for breakfast, spread a thin layer of ghee or butter on top.
*  To promote consistency, regularity and a sense of calm it is important in winter to keep a regular routine with your meals.

Pass The Salt: A Source To Winter Health & Iodine

Iodized Table Salt

With cooling weather, falling leaves animals preparing for hibernation, plants retreating underground and darkness arriving earlier, nature has begun its preparation for winter.

Meanwhile inside, in the comfort of my own kitchen, the salt shaker has made a reappearance on the dinner table...

Salt carries a contractive/grounding energy that coincides with the ‘downward and inward’ natural direction of the season. As the body redirects its energy for the winter, small amounts of high quality salt can be supportive for winter health.

Not all salts are created equally.

The salt we are most commonly consume is iodized table salt. This salt is a commercially refined table salt that has been heated to such high temperatures that the chemical structure of the salt has mutated from its natural state. It is chemically cleaned, bleached, and treated with anti-caking agents. (That’s why it pours so easily.) Common anti-caking agents used in the mass production of salt are sodium alumino-silicate and alumino-calcium silicate. Both are sources of aluminum, a heavy metal that has been suspected to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Himalayan Pink Salt

Celtic Sea Salt

During the refining of table salt, mined natural sea salt or rock salt is stripped of more than 60 trace minerals and essential macro-nutrients. Refined salt is similar to refined sugar in the sense that they have both been stripped of their nutrients and are concentrated to a degree that throws the body off balance.

To avoid refined salt, minimize the consumption of processed foods (especially soups and microwave dinners), many of which are extremely high in refined salt which is added as a preservative. Furthermore, forget about the salt shakers at most restaurants and switch the salt you cook with at home.
 
The best salts to purchase are sea salt. There are many on the market, from plain old sea salt to fleur de sel, gray french sea salt, and Hawaiian sea salt. Many are coarse, but you can grind them to make them fine.

Using a coarse salt, you will most likely need to use less of it to reach your desired flavor. It is best to add salt at the end of the cooking process to maintain its mineral contents as well as to minimize the amount needed.

I most commonly use Himalayan pink salt, considered the highest grade of natural salt; it contains 84 elements and helps your body maintain a healthy electrolyte balance. You can even add a pinch to filtered water, along with the juice of a lemon, for a natural sports energy drink post-workout.

Natural sea salts promote health  and can aid your body in maintaining normal blood pressure. [Click here for more information on different salts.]

The importance of Iodine:
Refined salt is usually fortified with iodine, which is responsible for many of the body’s health functions including thyroid support (iodine is needed for under active or hypothyroid), fighting infection, and helping the body fend off cancer and mood instability. Severe lack of iodine causes goiter (swelling of the thyroid in the neck), a result of the thyroid gland swelling.

Iodine deficiency can show up in the body as fatigue, foggy thinking, cold hands and feet, dry skin, thin hair, and constipation. If you suspect you might be deficient, ask you doctor to run the 24 hour urinary iodine load test or click here for Dr. Douillard’s mail in test

Natural Sources of Iodine:
We do not get enough iodine from high quality sea salt since much of it is lost during packaging and transportation of the product. However there is no need to seek out iodine artificially as an additive. Be sure to incorporate natural sources of iodine from the following foods:

1. Sea Veggies: the number one source of iodine in food, kelp is the superstar (also available in capsules for a more vigorous treatment).
 
2. Fish: Pacific cod, Atlantic sea bass, black perch and Atlantic haddock are fish high in iodine.
 
3. Animal Foods: Animal foods such as turkey, chicken, high quality dairy and eggs are a decent source.
 
4. Other: Baked potatoes with skin and legumes can contain some iodine.

Sea Vegetables

No food group serves as a better iodine source than sea vegetables. The estimated amount of iodine needed by an adult each day is 150 mcg (micrograms). Depending upon the specific type of sea vegetable, this guideline can be met by 1 teaspoon. A gram of iodized table salt typically contains about 65 micrograms of iodine, whereas kelp contains 100-200 mcg, dulse contains 150- 300 mcg, and wakame contains 79 mcg.  

Kelp is particularly interesting with respect to iodine because some studies suggest that up to 35% of the iodine contained in some varieties of kelp is actually stored in the same forms in which iodine is found in our thyroid hormones.


Simple ways to add iodine to your diet, purchase kelp or dulse shakers and sprinkle on a warm dinner meal or over a salad. Click here to see what seasonings you can purchase at most health food stores.

Further more, click here to discover all different sea vegetables available at health food stores with explanations of how to best use them along with a variety of recipes individualized for each product.


In addition to iodine, sea vegetables (or seaweeds) provide a wide and abundant variety of minerals and vitamins, including calcium and iron, and can help balance hormone and thyroid levels in the body.



Studies have documented sea vegetables to reduce blood cholesterol, remove metallic and radioactive elements from the body, counteract obesity, strengthen bones and teeth, aid nerve transmission, improve digestion, and soften hard masses and tumors.
Eating too many processed foods or foods grown in mineral-depleted soil can result in a lack of minerals in the body, leading to cravings for salty or sugary foods. Adding sea vegetables to your diet can help balance your energy levels and alleviate cravings.

The Food Pyramid... What Should I eat?

The Food Pyramid, a model created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has become an iconic illustration of what the USDA says is the element of a healthy diet. The Pyramid model has been taught in schools, appeared in the media and has been plastered on cereal boxes and food labels.

Tragically, the information conveyed in this pyramid hasn’t pointed the way to healthy eating. This symbol doesn't give enough information to help us make informed choices about our diet and long-term health. It continues to recommend foods that aren't essential to good health, and may even be detrimental in the quantities recommended. 

Every five years, the US Departments of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services update their nutrition recommendations for citizens.  The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans continues to reflect the tense interplay of science and the powerful food industry. The panel that writes the guidelines must include nutrition experts who are leaders in pediatrics, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and public health. Unfortunately the selection of the panelists is always subject to intense lobbying from organizations such as the National Dairy Council, United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, Soft Drink Association, American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, and Wheat Foods Council. With panelists representing diverse industries, creating the guidelines has become more of a negotiation process to appease all sides, rather than keeping the focus on the public’s best interest. 

Several of the new recommendations represent important steps in the right direction while others remain mired in the past. 

Positive changes include the continuing development in the recognition of individual caloric needs and recommendations for overall smaller portions. There is a shift to a more plant-based diet that emphasizes vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Furthermore the guidelines emphasize the importance of significantly reducing the consumption of foods with added sugars, solid fats, sodium and refined grains.

Vital changes that have yet to be made include the following: 

* Grains: The guidelines lack instruction showing the difference between unrefined whole grains and

their refined versions. This is a shame since refined starches (found in cereals, breads, pastas etc.‘) behave like sugar, having adverse metabolic effects and increasing the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Pictures on the food pyramid of highly refined products such as white bread and pasta continue to represent examples of grains. Simply put, Special K is not a whole grain just as ketchup is not a tomato. 

Recommendation: Keep experimenting with unrefined whole grains. While you may have been eating wheat products your whole life, have you ever tried wheat berries from which the flour is derived?  View recipes for ideas. 

* Protein: The guidelines continue to lump together red meat, poultry, fish, and beans (including soy products) with little differentiation between each type. We are asked to judge these protein sources by their total fat content, making choices that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free. Due to the meat and dairy industries’ involvement in the guidelines, suggestions to lower the recommended amounts have not been approved.   

Recommendation: Because of our bio-individuality, protein requirements vary dramatically from person to person. Many people feel lighter and clearer when they reduce animal products. If you notice that you feel better when eating animal protein, enjoy it in smaller portions together with an abundance of vegetables. Click Here to learn more about plant-based and animal protein.

* Fat: Since the 2005 guidelines there has been more differentiation between detrimental fats like trans fats and health-promoting fats. While this has been an improvement to our past fat phobic education, most of us still have no idea what oils we should be using. 

Recommendation: Let ‘unrefined’ be your guideline. The unrefined label can easily be found on oils such as olive or sesame. Some brands of sunflower or canola can be found unrefined in health food stores. Saturated oils such as butter, ghee or coconut are always unrefined but should be used with care for cardiovascular health. 

* Dairy: The recommendation to drink three glasses of low-fat milk or eat three servings of other dairy products per day to prevent osteoporosis is another step in the wrong direction. Millions of Americans are lactose intolerant, and even small amounts of milk or dairy products give them stomach aches, gas, or other problems. This recommendation ignores the lack of evidence for a link between consumption of dairy products and prevention of osteoporosis as well as ignoring the suspected association of dairy with the causes of more serious diseases. 

Recommendation: Minimize your intake of milk and choose other dairy sources instead. Enjoy fermented products like yogurt and kefir and experiment with goat dairy products for better digestion. Choose raw dairy when available. Milk sensitivities often appear as digestive, respiratory or skin disorders. Try eliminating dairy from your diet and enjoy leafy greens, sesame, soy, flax, and seaweeds for their high calcium values.  Due to the antibiotics and hormones used in the US dairy industry, choosing organic is highly recommended. 

For more information Click Here

* Water: The USDA makes no mention of the importance of water. 

Recommendation: With the body made up of 75% water, it is essential that we continuously replenish this source. Drinking more water helps all of the body’s systems to run smoothly, enabling our organs to comfortably perform their functions. When the body is too dry it contracts. Drinking water helps relieve symptoms such as body tension, headaches, or any other stress related disorder. Hydration also keeps the skin smooth and clear.

Always keep a bottle of water on hand. 


Related Article: 
USDA's Replacement of Food Pyramid 

What's The Deal With Wheat?

Wheat berries are a suitable choice as a whole grain in the summer as they have a cooling thermal nature to them. According to Chinese medicine, this grain helps calm the mind and can be used as a remedy for palpitations, insomnia, irritability, menopausal symptoms and emotional instability. Wheat absorbs a wide range of minerals from the soil and is said to be a vital food in the process of growth and development. It encourages growth and weight gain so is especially good for children and frail individuals. Wheat, however, should be minimized if one is obese or if dealing with tumors or growths.

Wheat often causes allergic reactions as result of the flour products we normally consume that have been made with flour rancid from oxidation. Wheat flour should ideally be used immediately after grinding. Some people who are allergic to processed flour products can still digest cooked wheat berries or sprouted wheat. 

Wheat Berry Salad

1 1/2 cups wheat berries

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped tart dried cherries/ dried cranberries (sweetened with apple juice concentrate rather than sugar) 

1 scallion, white and green parts, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot combine the wheat berries with enough water to cover the wheat berries by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook uncovered for 1 hour, or until tender. Wheat berries retain a firm, chewy texture when cooked. Drain and let cool. Toast the walnuts in a medium dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the wheat berries, walnuts, celery, dried cherries, scallions, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste, with salt and pepper.

Variation: add beans such as garbanzo or edamame and add your favorite vegetables such as green beans, peppers, asparagus, broccoli, etc’. 

Bulghur Wheat Tabouli

Bulgur is made from boiled wheat berries that are then dried and cracked. To avoid buying oxidized grains, purchase it in a sealed package and once opened, store in an airtight container.

1 cup bulgur

1 cup boiling water

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¾ cup parsley, chopped

2 scallions, chopped

1 tomato, diced

Juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

2-4 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

(or 1 teaspoon dried mint)

salt to taste

Place Bulgur in a mixing bowl, pouring over it the boiling water. Cover the bowl and let it stand for

15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let it cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, gently toss all ingredients together. 

Grow your own Wheatgrass

Place wheatgrass in a container with soil, covered with an additional thin layer of soil, and water regularly until grass is grown. Grind or juice for its cleansing properties.