In The Mix

My three-year-old daugter loves to be in the kitchen. She climbs up on the stool in her little apron and chef's hat, ready to go to work. One of her favorite projects is trail mix. Every week we put a batch together. It is the easiest and the least messy thing we are whipping up these days. This is a great one for kids. There is no measuring involved, they can choose what and how much of each item, and taste test as they go. It's a quick and fun thing to do in the kitchen and it offers immediate gratification-no waiting for the oven to buzz. Just mix the ingredients together and enjoy! Eat it by the handful, sprinkle it on top of toast with your favorite nut butter, or add it to a parfait. So what is in our trailmix this week?

Cashews-lower in fat than most nuts, high in copper, an essential component of many enzymes, plays a role iron utilization, elimination of free radicals, development of bone and connective tissue, and the production of the skin and hair pigment called melanin; also good source of magnesium, trytophan, and phosphorus.

Soy nuts-contain phytochemicals (called isoflavones), which have been shown in hundreds of studies to help prevent heart disease and several forms of cancer.

Macadamia nuts-a high energy food, full of protein and fiber and loaded with antioxidants, fiber, phytochemicals, protein, minerals, monounsaturated fats.

Goji berries-himalayan superfruit that has been used in Asian herbal medicine for thousands of years, packed with essential amino acids, good source of vitamin C, rich in Vitamin A, and over 20 trace minerals and vitamins including zinc, iron, phosphourus, riboflavin, vitamin E as well as carotenoids, including beta-carotene. Wow!

Coconut chips-add a tasty crunch with fiber and protein.

Sprouted pumkin seeds (by Go Raw)-one of the healthiest foods in the world, high in amino acids, zinc, protein, and iron. *Many believe they can help prevent prostate cancer.

Sunflower seeds-this source of fiber is also high in vitamin E, B1 (thiamin), maganese, magnesium, copper, tryptophan, phosphorus, folate, B5 and selinium, which detoxifies and helps prevent cancer.

Pinenuts-nature's only source of pinoleic acid, which stimulates hormones and helps diminish your appetite; have the highest concentration of oleic acid (a monounsaturated fat that aids the liver in eliminating harmful triglycerides from our body); good source of iron and magnesium.

Pecans-contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals – including vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, several B vitamins; may help inhibit unwanted oxidation of blood lipidslipids, thus helping prevent coronary heart disease.

Walnuts-an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids (a special type of protective fat the body cannot manufacture), have many potential health benefits ranging from cardiovascular protection, to the promotion of better cognitive function, to anti-inflammatory benefits helpful in asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. Also contain an antioxidant compound called ellagic acid that supports the immune system and appears to have several anticancer properties.

Unsweetened carob chips-yummy chocolate flavor without the caffeine.

Genetically What?

I have this great friend. We chat about everything-faith, family, blogging, our kids. Recently she got some very important info at a farmer's market about GMOs. What are GMOs? They are genetically modified organisms, basically food that has had it's DNA modified. Is it safe? Well, there isn't enough research to say for certain, but I for one, don't want anything to do with them. The problem is, like many things in our country, there are no requirements to label them GMO, so chances are you are buying them every day. BUT my friend just learned that by simply reading the code on our produce, we can know just what we are paying for. Here's the way it works:

All produce is labeled with a number coded sticker...

Four digit numbers starting with 3 or 4 mean:
non-GMO, conventionally grown
Five digit numbers starting with 8 mean:
the produce is GMO
Five digit numbers starting with 9 mean:
organically grown

So now, in addition to squeezing, smelling, and even occassionally thumping, there is one more way to go about choosing our produce. While organic is the best and I try to buy organic whenever possible, it is not always available. Now we all have the power to choose and know what we are getting. So what is the big deal with genetically modified foods? Well, there hasn't been extensive research on them, but animals refuse to eat them. Something about that leaves me a bit uncomfortable. Read the article below for more information. Here's to getting all the facts...and here's to your health!

http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/animals_dont_want_to_eat_gmos_so_why_are_we/

The Raw Deal

I am totally into raw food lately. Raw fruits and vegetables are so essential to our overall health, but have you ever gone an entire day without touching even one? I know I have. Life is demanding and we are all so busy. We often get into the habit of grabbing whatever we can without putting much thought into the value of food as nourishment for our bodies. I have been making an effort to be very deliberate with incorporating raw foods into my meal planning. And it has been surprisingly simple!

For breakfast we have been starting with some berries or other fruit and then the other elements of the meal. Fruit is best digested in the morning, so try to limit your intake throughout the rest of the day. Another way to add raw to breakfast is to spread raw almond butter on toast. Grind it fresh when you can, or choose Maranatha Organic. Almond butter is lower in saturated fat than peanut butter (and a little less sticky!). I like to mix the raw almond butter with the roasted kind. You can grind it fresh yourself at Whole Foods and other health food stores. Sprinkle some nuts, seeds and a little sweet agave nectar right on top of the toast for a high fiber, high protein start to the day.

For snacks, lunch, and dinner, we have sliced or chopped veggies ready to go for dipping or tossing in a salad. If you eat raw foods first, you will digest the entire meal more efficiently, eat smaller portions, and be satisfied longer. Raw foods provide us with essential enzymes needed to break down foods. They are rich in water, which helps keep us hydrated, and also in fiber, which binds food together in the digestive tract and helps eliminate waste. This combination of high water, high fiber ultimately leaves us satisfied for longer duration, filling us up so we eat less...anyone out there trying to lose a few pounds?

At last, we may even choose some chopped Macadamia nuts and fresh berries as a topper to our favorite frozen treat-Coconut Bliss! Once again I find myself looking to nature and the wonderful foods that are all around us, ripe and ready to enjoy. Take this simple challenge-see if you can eat just one raw thing with every meal for the next seven days. Here's to your health!

Back to Basics

Alright, I got a little excited in my last post. I try not to take myself too seriously but I am known to be a little passionate from time to time. I am not a health-food Nazi, and I certainly did not just wake up one morning and decide to choose a healthy lifestyle. It was a gradual thing. I have taken information I've learned over several years and slowly weaved it into my daily life. Do I eat out? Yes. Do I overindulge at holiday parties and church potlucks ? Absolutely. I do my best...and I pray about the rest.

What I know is that there are better choices out there for me and my family, for all of us. If we make an effort to eat the simple foods that God created for us, it isn't all that complicated. There are abundant choices of organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds to choose from and a variety of ways to incorporate them into every snack and meal. Here are a few of my favorite ways to do it:

1. Trail Mix-so simple. Grab your favorite variety of raw nuts and seeds, add dried fruit, dates, or grain-sweetened chocolate chips/carob chips and you have a classic on-the-go snack. This is a fun thing for kids to help with in the kitchen and they are more likely to partake since they helped make it.

2. Smoothies-With a high power blender, you can get several servings of fruit and even veggies (great way to sneak them into kids) all at once. Bananas help glue it all together, just keep in mind that they are high in sugar so use small quantities. Choose lots of berries, which are high in antioxidants, and use very little juice or opt for water instead. Sneak in a little cabbage and carrots and mask their stronger flavor with a little frozen grape juice. (Hint: a Vita-Mix is a great investment.)

3. Soup-a great way to throw just about any and all veggies in your fridge into one yummy meal. The possibilities are almost endless.

4. Salad-My husband, along with a few of our close friends, call me the "salad queen". I am a fan of the elaborate salad. We eat salad several times a week. I put a variety of chopped veggies, nuts, seeds, fresh or dried fruit (like cranberries), etc into most of our salads. You can top with gourmet cheese, or add chicken, shrimp,or other meat.

5. Sliced raw veggies and dip-While ranch dressing is a favorite for many, most brands have sugar and other unwanted ingredients. Instead, pair your fresh veggies with hummus. Not only does it offer great nutritional value, it satisfies that need to dunk.

(Hint: chop extra veggies and have enough ready for several days in a row to cut down on meal preparation time.)

Here's to your health!

See This Flick!

Okay, let's just expose the food industry for what it is-an INDUSTRY! I am so fed up with the food industry in our nation. While I shop mostly at health food stores, I do occasionally run into my local supermarket for a few items. And I will give them credit for introducing more organic produce and healthy products, but I just cannot believe, as I walk up and down the isles, that I am surrounded by so many items that are NOT food.

Food is real. We were never meant to eat super high-processed, high-sugar, genetically modified, or MSG/other chemically poisoned food. Did I just say poison? Yeah, I did. The truth is-many people aren't aware of what they are putting in their bodies. We need a dictionary to read half the ingredient list. With an alarming rise in obesity, diabetes, ADD, heart disease...need I go on?...in our country, I hope people will start to ask questions, to demand answers and accountability, to read labels.

Here's the thing...I could really keep ranting and raving about what frustrates me, but I am just going to recommend a movie. I have not had the opportunity to see this film because I cannot find it showing in my area, but I am truly looking forward to seeing it when it comes out on DVD. Here is a clip from Food Inc., a very important and relevant film for us all. Please, please, please, go see this film. It is my hope that it will educate, inspire, and enlighten.