Category: Blog

INTERVIEW WITH MR. ORANGE TREE LANE- GO!

A little girl on Long Island in New York was walking on thin ice chasing a little puppy who got away. It became too thin to support her weight and only her screams heard by someone in a home nearby saved her life. A brave NYC cop named Matthew crawled on his stomach to get her, and a fireman scooped up the errant puppy. (1) So what does this have to do with carrots, and cabbage and such? You might say that many of us are walking on thin ice in regards to our fruit and vegetable consumption. You might feel safe enough, but what is holding you up, or what is keeping the health you now enjoy from being compromised in the future? The “ice” beneath your feet may be thinner than you realize. Are you chasing puppies and not paying attention?

*THREE-FOURTHS MISS THE MARK*
“A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says two-thirds of Americans don’t get the recommended two servings of fruit a day; three-quarters miss the target for vegetables.” (2)

So maybe you don”™t like vegetables and you feel just fine not eating them.

*CHRONIC DISEASES*
The USDA claims that eating more fruits and vegetables “reduces risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancers in certain sites (oral cavity and pharynx, larynx, lung, esophagus, stomach, and colon-rectum). Diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.” (2)

You can’t decide not to worry about this issue without being similar to the little girl chasing a puppy on thin ice. Table Leg #3 for Orange Tree Lane is Fruit and Vegetables because of the huge difference most of us need to make in how many we consume. We need to eat dark green and orange vegetables as well as beans and starchy vegetables every week in the amount of 2 ½ cups a day IN ADDITION to 2 full cups of fruit each day. (3) How are you doing?

*AMAZING WEIGHT LOSS STORY*
As chance would dish it out, a new documentary was just released called “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”, and its focus is the dramatic 100 lb. weight loss of Aussie business man Joe Cross, a man who was also taking numerous medications for an unfixable autoimmune disease which kept miserable, red itchy patches of skin inflamed all over his body. Under the care of a doctor he started a 60 day juicing fast to cleanse his body and start a new way of eating with, you guessed it, more Fruits and Vegetables in his diet for the rest of his life. It is fascinating to see him emerge from behind the fat right in front of your eyes while he chronicles his cross country tour drinking only fresh fruit and vegetable juice. The story takes a dramatic turn at the end when he gets a call from a morbidly obese truck driver whom he met along the way asking him for help. The man seems to go from death to life right before your eyes. You will be dusting off your juicer I promise. I was able to get it from Netflix and here is a trailer you can watch.

I doubled this delicious and simple * Minestrone Soup this week and it stretched into two dinners and a few lunches. *Super Kale and Greens Salad will show you how to enjoy a nutrition powerhouse without losing any nutrients because of heat. *Spicy Korean Beef, Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes got a rare 10 score from the whole family. I doubled the cauliflower to get even more vegetables on the plates, and just eating this delicious meal together around the dinner table gave us precious and rare time to talk and laugh together…priceless.

I hope you love the recipes as much as we did, and don’t forget to watch the VIDEO I made for the Spicy Korean Beef to make your cooking faster and easier.

Here’s to more fruits and vegetables this week, and always,

(1) http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/18/ny-cop-matthew-dematteo-rescues-sarah-thalhammer-11-who-fell-t/?test=latestnews

(2) http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter5.htm

(3) http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter5.htm

(4) (3) http://www.oprah.com/health/Four-Weeks-to-Healthy-Eating

Pictures haunt me; at least some do. You can tell me forever about difficult situations people are living in around the world and I will try my best to care, but when you show me a picture of someone’s face and I can see their soul through their eyes, then you have me hooked. The other day an audiologist showed me live footage of my inner ear and I was fascinated by it because seeing it with my own eyes transformed the idea of an “inner ear” into a visual reality. Pictures can motivate, communicate, teach and inspire in a matter of seconds…

which is why I ran outside just now before the sun went down so I could snap a picture for you of Orange Tree Lane Table Leg #2, Fiber. What you are now looking at is the insoluble fiber separated by my juicer from the liquid part of radishes, beets, celery, parsley and green apples. Now that I’ve given you some visual interest, let’s talk about the amazing role that both soluble (dissolves) and insoluble fiber have in the health of your heart and liver. It’s the best “house cleaner” you’ll ever pay for!

SOLUBLE FIBER COLLECTS CHOLESTEROL
According to the National Institute of Health, “Coronary Artery Disease is the most common type of heart disease. It”™s the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women.” (1) Fortunately, studies show that fiber can help keep your heart healthy. In the arteries leading to the heart, plaque build-up from things like extra cholesterol in the blood can eventually causes blockage. When this happens blood cannot get through to the heart to provide enough oxygen, resulting in heart attack, damage to the heart muscle, or even death.

Soluble fiber, the kind found in beans and oatmeal, has the wonderful job of collecting cholesterol in the blood that would otherwise end up sticking to the walls of the arteries, and then eliminates it from the body so that it doesn’t accumulate. (2) In this scenario you might say the maid got to the dust before it even had a chance to settle.

LOVE YOUR LIVER
Choosing whole grains, fruit, vegetables and legumes not only keeps passages to the heart free from blockage, but it also lessens the workload on your liver. When fiber is present in sufficient amounts it sweeps up toxic waste on its own way out of the intestines and colon. If this fails to happen then the toxins are re-dumped into the blood stream and the liver must filter it out all over again. It’s an all around bad situation, like when the kids won’t take out the trash! Since a healthy liver is absolutely essential for health, keeping it from overwork should be a priority for us all.

NEW PLACES TO GET IT
Trying new sources of plant protein is a powerful fiber change for your diet because while animal meat provides great protein, it has absolutely no fiber. On the other hand, good plant sources of protein like beans and quinoa are rich in fiber. For instance, one cup of kidney beans provides a whopping 30% of your recommended daily allowance for protein in addition to almost 50% for fiber. Besides that, beans also have virtually no fat, making them a triple crown win. (3)

The American Heart Association lists these foods as excellent sources of soluble fiber: beans, peas, oat bran, oatmeal, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, strawberries and apple pulp. (4) How much should we be getting? Anywhere from 25 grams for women and older children to 38 grams for men. One apple or cup of oatmeal has 3 grams of fiber, compared to 1 c. of cooked beans and 10 grams, a whopping 40% of a woman’s daily need! (5)

REPLACE JUST ONE
Make it a goal this week to replace at least one refined flour food with it’s whole grain counterpart. Lasagna Ole’ will take care of that goal right away with it’s whole grain lasagna noodles, or find more fiber in the beans and whole grain flour of Best Vegetable and Bean Soup with Dumplings.

Let Fiber Maid work for you this week by filling your plate with more fresh, fiber rich plants like fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains. You won’t regret it.

PS- (If fiber rich food is new to you, increase your levels slowly for greatest comfort. ie- half whole grain and half regular spaghetti noodles instead of all whole grain.)

(1) http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Cad/CAD_WhatIs.html (2) http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1236979840760CAUSES_DEATH.pdf (3) http://dietaryfiberguide.com/high-fiber-foods/best-dietary-fiber-sources-vegetables/ (4) http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=87 (5) http://dietaryfiberguide.com/high-fiber-foods/best-dietary-fiber-sources-vegetables/

A king wrapped in ermine slams his jewel covered hand down hard on the round table, sending ominous title waves of pulsating anger up like a serpent to slither through the rafters and around the heads and necks of all the warriors assembled in the great hall. “We will conquer all!” he bellows while bringing his other hand down flat on the majestic surface….and then it crashes to the ground crushing his royal left foot, much to the shock and consternation of all present.

Let me give you a moment to get over your disappointment at what a lame ending this story has. The moral it teaches us is that what holds up the table on which you lay your battle plans is of utmost importance, and especially if you are at war.

You are at war against the ever present enemies oxidation, mutation, inflammation and degeneration which have united together and want to make you weak so they can conquer your territory, your body. You are the one endowed with the authority to declare war, and your kitchen table is where you gather your forces and plan your strategy to annihilate the enemy. So what’s holding up your table? Don’t go looking under there now silly, because symbolically I mean what is the backbone of your plan? Where will you strike the hardest and most relentlessly? Can I make a few suggestions?

VITAL WATER
In the interest of keeping things simple and doable, let’s spread this discussion out over a few weeks so that we can discuss the four different table legs of Orange Tree Lane one at a time. “Water” is the first because water is so absolutely foundational to who we are in the physical sense. Next to air, we need water more than anything else for survival and more than half our bodies are literally composed of it. Water fills our cells and cushions them all around on the outside. It delivers all of the elements needed to sustain the life to the cell and then removes toxic waste products for elimination from the body. I think it’s safe to say that not much happens of any consequence in your flesh without the presence of H2O in some way or another. (1)

HYDRATION MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD
Let’s start with the constant need to eliminate waste. A body without enough water is like a construction site without trucks to bring the correct building supplies and take away the debris that accumulates. Your skin may be the first indication that all is not well, but other undesirable effects of dehydration that make you feel and look worn out are headache, tiredness, inability to think, indigestion and heart burn, and even depression. (2) We should probably try drinking more water on a regular basis first before reaching for other things to help !

IMPORTANT TO HEALING JOINTS
The cartilage that cushions your joints is made up mostly of water. Some of that joint pain could be the construction site continuing on with faulty machinery while waiting for the supply trucks to come, or in other words, damaged cartilage being used without being repaired properly. (3) We wouldn’t want the house we live in built under those circumstances because we want it be solid and strong! Water brings nourishment to repair joints which have taken a beating.

DIGESTION
You may have heard it said that your health is only as good as your digestion because that is how what we eat is taken apart to be used to create and sustain more life. Poor digestion caused by lack of water will cause nutrients to pass through the body without being used. Also, without a sufficient amount of water toxic waste collected by the kidneys and liver cannot be eliminated and will have to be recirculated and re-filtered, which causes stress to those two vital organs.

HOW MUCH?
So how can we make sure we are drinking enough water? We’ve all heard the advice to drink about 1/2 gallon, 64 oz., or 8 cups of water a day. Or some say take your body weight, divide in half, and drink that many ounces of water a day. (140 lbs.=70 oz. of water needed daily.) Try drinking a full glass of water when waking up, bringing water to sip on wherever you go during the day, drinkng a cup whenever you get the urge to snack on something (and snack on fruit instead of other things), and making water your drink of choice most of the time. I like to float a tea bag in my water. After about 3 minutes it has a very subtle and delicious flavor of the tea I have chosen, and it makes drinking more water much more interesting!

Lots of small changes throughout the day can easily add up to a fully hydrated, efficient and active cell repair system in our bodies. By drinking enough water you are using a solid table leg which will protect your toes at a most opportune moment.

We will conquer our enemies if we fight like we mean it!… but never without water.

For me personally, I’ve just accepted the fact that water is what I drink, just as I have accepted that I eat whole grains rather than refined. More on that coming next week by the way. Stay tuned for Table Leg #2 of Orange Tree Lane: wonderful Fiber.

May the water be with you,

(1) http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=148
(2) http://studenthealth.oregonstate.edu/answerspot/message.php?message=2038
(3) http://nutritioninfo.tripod.com/id19.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283/NSECTIONGROUP=2

Into the plastic black yard bag they go… the “fantastic NFL sweatshirt” that wore like a limp, tattered old flag, the teacher recommended novel that is so bad I feel guilty giving it away, or the fingernail polish paint pen that I could only create blobs with on my freshly painted fingernails. If you clean out your closets I’m pretty sure you will also find some things that were supposed to be a fantastic deal but ended up being a disappointment because of false advertising or a bad recommendation. I promise I will not do that to you today. I want to tell you a little about beans, and I promise that they will not disappoint.

I am a rather new bean convert because I discovered their value later in life. According to the Bean Institute (1) they are:

*Rich in soluble and insoluble fiber which lowers cholesterol and benefits the colon and digestion
*Super lean source of environmentally friendly protein , 21-25% protein by weight and the cheapest source you will find
*Only 2% fat, and 85% of that is unsaturated
*Great sources of many vitamins and minerals including iron, folic acid, copper and magnesium

What’s not to like about super high fiber content, lean protein ( and coupled with a whole grain, a super low saturated fat, COMPLETE PROTEIN source), outstanding vitamin and mineral content, versatility, taste, and dirt cheap price tag? No wonder so many people in this world can live off of beans as a main staple of their diet. What keeps so many of us from us from consuming the USDA recommended 3 cups of beans or legumes every week?

SOAKING EASES DIGESTION
I know the little song about beans being musical fruit, etc. No need to repeat the whole thing, but one way to combat that is to leach out some of the sugars that are difficult to digest. I do this by soaking my beans for 24 hours at least, rinsing them a few times within that time period, and cooking them in a crock pot while I sleep. The soaking takes care of a good portion of the sugars and is the easiest thing you will ever do in the kitchen. Then cooking them overnight in the crockpot is the second easiest thing you will do. Watch my video and you will see what I mean!

EAT BETTER QUALITY MEAT USING OUR BEAN RECIPES
Another barrier is not having enough recipes to use them in. I can help you there too as you will regularly see bean based recipes here at Orange Tree Lane, along with thoughtful research about the many wonderful nutritional benefits of eating them. I use them also to save money so that we can eat better quality meat. Since a bag of beans costs about $1.50, we can enjoy vegetarian eating on some nights of the week and then spend more on the meat we do buy. The cows we eat are grass fed, hormone free, free range “happier” cows, and that makes me happier too.

I’ve chosen some old favorites for this week’s menu with an eye towards beans in the Quick Black Bean Enchiladas and Julia’s Favorite Chili. That one in particular is in the classic Orange Tree Lane style of making red meat a part of our diet rather than the star of the show by sharing the spotlight with, you’ve got it, beans.

In most recipes you can swap out the beans specified with your favorite variety, or take a plunge and try something new. Either way, I’m learning to recognize a good deal when I see one, and beans are it.

Happy cooking!

Molly
Test Cook and Research Specialist for Orange Tree Lane

PS- (Increase the amount of beans in your diet gradually for the greatest comfort. And soak them!)

See an older post about beans:
http://orangetreelane.com/blog/beans_for_your_heart

(1) http://beaninstitute.com/health-benefits/nutritional-value-of-dry-beans/

Here are a few things I had no control over this holiday season… what came inside all the pretty wrapped boxes, the weather, the fact that one of our chickens woke us up at 4 am with a “cocka doodle doo”, the number of shoppers out there on the 23rd competing for my parking spaces, to name a few. What I did have control over was the number of sticky buns and cranberry cookies I ate after making them, the play I chose to take my husband to, the simple vegetable meals I ate to compensate for extra holiday feasting and the water I was sure to drink all day long.

MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR BETTER HEALTH
I didn’t get to choose my height, talents, or family, but I do get to choose what I eat, and what I eat will determine to a great extent how I will feel, my energy level, and my overall vitality. “Eating more fruits and vegetables is one of the most important dietary habits you can adopt to prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension and to manage your weight. Vegetables in particular will cost you little in the way of calories while offering huge health benefits.” (1) There are a few things about our health that we do have control over, and specifically, how well we fuel our bodies for life! Wouldn’t you like to be free from burdens that plague a body deficient in crucial vitamins, minerals and nutrients and feel as good as possible?

‘”HALF THE PLATE, FEEL GREAT!”
So let’s start the new year by rehearsing the Orange Tree Lane motto, “Half the plate, feel great!” What that means is, make it your goal to sneak more fruits and vegetables into every meal, even half your plate! Lots of little changes like adding fresh cut vegetables to snack on before dinner, increasing the vegetable ratio in recipes where they already exist, sneaking them into recipes to create texture, or learning to snack on fruit instead of grain-based carbohydrates are small adjustments that add up to powerful changes.

EXERCISE
In addition to good fuel our bodies need EXERCISE! For some of you that is like a dirty word, but either way, this is one thing you can take control of and your health depends on it. Using a menu planner like Orange Tree Lane will help you streamline your daily cooking and shopping so that you will have at least a little time every day to get out and move. If you need some creative encouragement, health coach Dana Demetree has self talk tapes to help the mental obstacles you might face, as well as many other little tricks to get you going.

MENU THIS WEEK WILL HELP YOU FIND TIME AND VEGETABLES
Our paired chicken recipes and the Portuguese Turkey Soup in this week’s menu streamline your meal preparation and include lots of healthy green vegetables to start you on our way to “half the plate”.

It’s going to be an exciting year filled with little steps that take you closer and closer to your health goals. Happy New Year everyone!

Striving to choose well right along with you,

Molly
Test Cook and Research Specialist for Orange Tree Lane

(1) http://www.oprah.com/health/Four-Weeks-to-Healthy-Eating

PS- Want to read more about our mantra? Go to http://orangetreelane.com/blog/half_the_plate_feel_great

Creative people like to shake things up, evidenced by the fact that I relinquished control over the Christmas tree and it is now sporting very untraditional midnight blue, teal and pink balls and sparkly strings of pink beads. Ba humbug! There’s just something about the red balls nestled in the green boughs that compensates for the relative lack of significant southern California weather change to help bring in the feel of the season. Fortunately there is another red sphere that shows up at this time of year, and for years its arrival has been a seasonal pleasure for my whole family. (No, I’m not talking about santa’s red covered belly!)

I’m talking about cranberries. Cranberry Walnut Cookies are absolutely wonderful, and I only make them this time of year using fresh cranberries, walnuts, and chunks of white chocolate. They are so special to us and delicious that even I have not tried to make them more “healthy”. Besides having a delicious tangy flavor, the cranberries in these cookies are remarkably nutritious all on their own.

Many plants like fruits and vegetables produce chemicals, which when consumed join our immune system in fighting the battle against disease and degeneration. One of these chemicals produced in abundance by cranberries is called “proanthocyanidin”, a flavinoid antioxidant. Research has shown its powers to prevent and treat E coli, viruses, cavities, ulcers, and even cancer. (1)

Cranberries are also a friend to your liver and kidneys, listed along with green tea and dandelion root as natural cleansers of both. (2)

This is typically a crazy, busy week of the year, so take advantage of the time efficient, paired recipe combination of Black Bean Burritos and Tasty Turkey Chili, along with a very easy German Skillet Stew. You can also jumpstart your own cranberry intake with Best Cranberry Walnut Cookies, Blake’s Shake from last week, or Pumpkinseed Cranberry Granola on this week’s menu. If you take advantage of MEAL EXTENDERS, three nights of cooking could stretch into a week of meals!

TO MENU

We’re going to go see Christmas lights soon, and I am expecting plenty of red. If you do the same, remember the season’s gift to your body of fresh seasonal cranberries.

Molly
Test Cook and Research Specialist for Orange Tree Lane

(1) http://www.livestrong.com/article/22922-cranberries-diet/

(2) http://www.livestrong.com/article/197535-natural-home-remedies-for-liver-kidney-cleanse/

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither Orange Tree Lane or any of its affiliates take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

NASA thinks they may have discovered an alien life form at Mono Lake. Our imagination would love for it to be an adorable E.T. like creature who crash landed his spaceship there, but it isn’t so. Actually, it’s a bacteria that seems to thrive with arsenic when all other forms of life do the opposite. (1) We’ve been looking for aliens outside of our planet, but is life that plays according to different rules right here among us, at the market?

Some of us think of the enormous, thick green leafy vegetables like kale and collard greens as another life form, and definitely not something in a normal human diet. I used to go faster past that part of the produce section because it just seemed strange and out of place, like a science fiction movie. And I completely sympathize with anyone who feels like stopping and trying to figure them out is too much because life is complicated enough.

ANTIOXIDANT BETA CAROTENE
Let”™s address the “why” first. The dark green color indicates the presence of a powerful antioxidant called beta carotene. When our body turns food into energy, one byproduct is nasty, electron deficient molecules called free radicals. Beta carotene gives them free electrons so that they no longer try to steal electrons from healthy cells. It”™s that stealing that leaves healthy cells mutated and scarred, from the cell membrane and right into the DNA of the cell. (2)

SATISFIES THE THIEF
Like all anti-oxidants, beta carotene gives a desperate “thief” the money he is looking for so that priceless treasures at his mercy, our healthy cells, are not compromised. Unchecked free radical damage “may become irreversible and lead to disease including cancer,” declares the National Cancer Institute. (3) So that is the answer to why we should eat the dark green leafy stuff.

RECIPE IDEAS
How? Glad you asked. This week the strangeness of these dynamic vegetables will dissipate when you follow the step by step directions for cooking collard greens and kale in the menu recipes “Fish & Greens” and “Garden Herb Roasted Chicken” (with video!). And don’t forget to watch our “Cooking Greens” video too in the archives if you are a green newbie.

OTHER BENEFICIAL PROPERTIES
Kale alone, one of my favorite dark leafies, has been shown to have not only anti-oxident, but inflammation and cancer -preventative properties as well. They seem to be out of this world when their nutrient density is compared to most other foods! (4) I’m personally still learning to put the dark greens into my diet, but I don’t see how I could ever say I am truly interested in living a long, healthy life without exploring this mysterious territory of a dark greens. Feeling brave?

Sometimes odd, but not an alien,

Molly

Teat Cook and Research Specialist for Orange Tree Lane

Nutrient dense dark green leafy vegetables and their treasure chest of nutrients:

collard greens *rich in vitamins A,K,E,C
mustard greens *potassium
kale *magnesium
spinach *calcium
swiss chard *folate
rainbow chard *iron and B vitamins

“Researchers can now identify over 45 different flavonoids in kale. With kaempferol and quercetin heading the list, kale’s flavonoids combine both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits in way that gives kale a leading dietary role with respect to avoidance of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.” http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=38&tname=foodspice

(1) http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/12/02/alien-life-nasa-titan-arsenic-bacteria/
(2) http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/antioxidants/#reference
(3) http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/prevention/antioxidants
(4) http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=38&tname=foodspice

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither Orange Tree Lane or any of its affiliates take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

A friend of our family came to dinner one time when the kids were small and proceeded to build a magnificent parking structure with the large sized lego blocks he found strewn on the floor. For some reason, a picture of him with this masterpiece on his lap and a huge smile on his face is forever burned in my memory.

He could have built any number of things from those same blocks, just like the amino acids we digest from protein can be rebuilt into many different kinds of body tissue. You may recognize the names of three, popular essential amino acids, meaning the ones we must get from our food: Tryptophan ( in turkey), Arginine and Lysine. People with wounds need extra daily grams of protein so that the amino acids in that protein can be rebuilt into extra tissue needed for damage repair. Athletes are considered a part of that group too because their intense physical activity results in a greater need for muscle repair.

Most Americans consume plenty of protein, but animal protein sources like meat and cheese are also laden with saturated fat. Saturated fat from healthy animals does perform vital bodily functions, but an excess of it will contribute easily to the storage of extra bodily fat…and that is not healthy. Researchers at the Harvard School of Nutrition have just completed a study which shows that reducing saturated fat in the diet will also reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease by almost 20%. (1) So we want the amino acid building blocks from protein, but we also want to control our intake of saturated fat. Solution? Quinoa! (keen-wa)

Unlike other sources of plant protein, quinoa provides all of the essential amino acids in the same way that animal sources do. Even better, it is blessed with some super nutritional benefits that animal products lack!

– Fiber in abundance
– Great source of the mineral manganese (for reducing swollen blood vessels which cause migrane headaches). (2)
– No saturated fat or cholesterol
– 3-7 times CHEAPER than meat products

And it matches red meat in:

– iron content

Of course, beef gives twice as much protein ounce for ounce, and you can’t bar-b-q quinoa in the back yard. But you have to admit that it has a lot to offer as a compliment to beef, or even as a vegetarian night alternative.

You won’t believe how easily quinoa can fit into your diet when you try the Hearty Meatballs, Chicken Asparagus, and Chocolate Mint Quinoa Tart from the menu this week! (I added up all the quinoa I needed for the week and cooked it at one time to save lots of time.)

So let’s build a better body with “Mother Grain” quinoa and the teeny, tiny building blocks it provides,

Molly
Test Cook and Research Specialist for Orange Tree Lane

(1) http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2010-releases/saturated-fat-polyunsaturated-fat-cut-heart-disease-risk.html

(2) http://worldshealthiestfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142#healthbenefits

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither Orange Tree Lane or any of its affiliates take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

Kids are so funny. I once told my now grown son that I was going to an open house at his preschool. A few years later in first grade, when he was more a man of the world, he laughed while telling me, “When I was in preschool I thought an open house meant they opened all the doors and windows at school, and I could never figure out why the parents would go to see that.” Two people thinking different things about the same words.

TWO MEANINGS
And then there are words that have two different meanings, like the chemist who told a waitress, “I think I’ll just have some H2O. His companion followed suit with, “I think I’ll have some H2O too” Of course he died after drinking his because H2O2 is actually poisonous hydrogen peroxide! You see, one statement can mean two things. Here’s another one for you, “Being thankful is good for your heart.”Will being thankful give me a happier heart? Yes, definitely. Stopping to be thankful for what you have should make you a happier person. But did you know being thankful can improve the condition of your physical heart as well? (You should have seen it coming.)

GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE
Our nervous system has what some have called a gas pedal and a brake, which together regulate the timing of our heart beat. “The sympathetic part speeds the heart rate and raises blood pressure, allowing us to take quick action when needed (fight or flight). The parasympathetic part of the nervous system slows the heart rate and blood pressure and relaxes the glands.” (1)

CARDIAC COHERENCE
Some studies have shown that an ongoing attitude of gratitude creates a more perfect balance between these two impulses. This better cardiac coherence equals less stress hormones like cortisol in our system, and an overall healthier environment for the other hormones like estrogen, progesterone and androgen. In addition, people who practice gratitude have less headaches, muscle pains, weakened immune system, depression or poor sleep, and therefore enjoy better overall health. (2)

Basically, being thankful causes a more perfect rhythm for my heart beat and maintains a healthy balance of hormones. Pausing to take a very deep breath and then exhaling slowly when angry, stressed or frightened has the same effect. That”™s one technique I have long been familiar with, but now I have an even greater appreciation for what I can do to maintain a healthy heart… be more thankful!

This year I’m still thankful for that guy in the picture most of all, and for my little family. Also, age and experience clarify the notion that life is fragile; that each day you wake up to is a gift. I’m also thankful for whatever time I have left to get it right. So what are you most thankful for this year? Let’s benefit our hearts by being thankful now and all throughout the year.

I have another set of paired recipes for you this week, which means that making one meal gets you well on your way to having another one done at the same time. Could you use some more time this week while the kids are home and the holiday approaches? I’ve also updated the savory Blended Marinade Kabob which I definitely didn’t kebab in order to save time. Plus putting it over quinoa added some vegetarian protein and was great with leftovers for lunch the next day. And finally, try the very easy Creamy Pumpkin Dip for your special plans.

Molly

Test Cook and Research Specialist for Orange Tree Lane

PS- (Menus 60- 62 side dishes are trimmings you might use in a scrumptious Thanksgiving feast: Beet to the Thyme, Cheese & Corn pudding, Creamy Pumpkin Dip, Green Bean Casserole, Fall Salad with Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette and Sweet Potato Pie. You can now remake your favorites for the holiday.)

(1) http://www.healthy-heart-meditation.com/heart-coherence.html
(2) http://www.drnorthrup.com/news/news_article.php

Yesterday I was sitting in a group along with a little five year old boy who looked miserable..red rimmed eyes and a persistent cough. I encouraged him to drink lots of water because at the moment that was all I could do. I found myself later that night with a group of college aged kids and one of the boys and a very similar, miserable sounding cough that just wouldn’t quit. This time I was in my own house so I made him a hot cup of camomile tea sweetened with a big spoon of unpasteurized honey. While so many signs of the season are beautiful, like rainbow colored trees and decorated stores, this winter change of headaches, runny noses and painful coughing is much less welcome. There are as many home and professional remedies for colds and flu as the day is long, but what is the most natural way to fight the common cold or flu?

VITAMIN D FROM THE SUN
With the exception of small children like the little girl in front of me at a Pop Warner football game wearing a sleeveless cotton dress, most of us are covering up more now…like her parents and me who were wearing ski parkas and still shivering whenever the sun went behind the clouds. Most of us know that modern day dairy products are fortified with vitamin D, but “the body also manufactures vitamin D from cholesterol, through a process triggered by the action of sunlight on skin, hence its nickname, “the sunshine vitamin.” ” (1) Colder weather means more clothes, which means less sun on the skin and less protective vitamin D being manufactured within. Is there is a connection then between less vitamin D and more cold and flu?

DESTROYS CELL WALL OF INFLUENZA VIRUS
Research has shown that vitamin D “increases the body’s production of a remarkable class of proteins, called antimicrobial peptides. The 200 known antimicrobial peptides directly and rapidly destroy the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, including the influenza virus, and play a key role in keeping the lungs free of infection.” (3) The Harvard School of Public Health examined an interesting trial study which tested vitamin D’s affect on cold and flu viruses. For a period of four months, 340 children were given either a placebo or 1,200 IU of vitamin D each day. In the end, the children given Vitamin D were 40% more likely NOT to become infected with the flu virus type A (more severe like H1N1). (2)

SEE IT HAPPEN!
Viruses do not have their own DNA so they must invade a healthy cell in order to multiply. (You simply must take a few minutes to watch this animation of a virus invading a cell and multiplying. I was mesmerized!) In this graphic reproduction you can see for yourself how those vitamin D generated antimicrobial peptides wage their warfare within against viruses like the ones that cause cold and flu.

HOW MUCH?
Vitamin D has been getting a lot of press time these day for many things being discovered about it’s power to fight infection and disease, but today I just wanted to focus on its role in helping us to fight the winter flu. A completely naked body under the summer sun generates 20,000 IUs of vitamin D in 48 hours. The National Institute of Health recommends anywhere from 660-4,000 IUs of vitamin D for adults per day, and if gotten from the the sun only that would mean “5”“30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 AM and 3 PM at least twice a week to the face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen…” (4)

WHERE?
The flesh of fatty fish and fortified food items like orange juice and milk provide the most vitamin D from the diet:

cod liver oil (1 Tbsp.) 1,360 IU
salmon (3 oz.) 447 IU
tuna (3 oz.) 154 IU
fortified orange juice-1 c. 137 IU
egg- 1 88 IU

So after you come in out of the winter sun, find some more vitamin D this week in D-Salmon Patties w/ Caesar Spinach Dressing. With the holidays coming you might want to practice making Broccoli Cheddar Quiche with its vitamin D in the eggs and cheese, or speedy and Easy Beef and Kale Enchiladas for a delicious company breakfast or busy shopping day dinner. The two side dishes might also be a great addition to your Thanksgiving feast so give them a try now.

I won’t personally be wearing any sleeveless cotton dresses to sports events for awhile, but I will be looking for those moments during the day when the sun is generating the most heat and make a point to show more skin while I eat more vitamin D rich fatty fish like salmon and tuna. I can’t think of a more natural way to fight infection than to pause a little longer in the sun…can you? Care to join me outside for a tuna fish sandwich?

(1) & (2) http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vitamin-d/index.html
(3) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/51913.php
(4) http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind

PHOTO: Credit goes to me for a glorious sunrise here at Orange Tree Lane last winter.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither Orange Tree Lane or any of its affiliates take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.