5 WAYS: Salad Dressing

(Source)

So salad dressing is one of those things that I think many people don't really think about making because it is so easy to buy. But I promise you that once you start making your own salad dressings you will never want to go back. It is so easy, probably cheaper, and definitely healthier for you.

Most salad dressings are made with soybean oil. I go into why I don't eat soy in This "Health" Food's SOYld Reputation and Just SOY No.

One important thing to remember is to use "first cold pressed" olive oil. This comes from the first pressing of the olives and it is the best kind. Also, I use a blender/mini food processor to make my salad dressings (especially the creamy ones). I find that it just blends everything up better.

Creamy Peppercorn

• olive oil
• cashews, raw 
• apple cider vinegar, raw 
• lemon juice
• cracked peppercorns

Honey Vinaigrette

• olive oil
• apple cider vinegar, raw 
• honey, raw
• sea salt & pepper

Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• honey, raw
• cashews, raw

Honey Mustard

• olive oil
• apple cider vinegar, raw
• honey, raw
• mustard seeds
• cashews, raw

Herb Vinaigrette

• olive oil
• apple cider vinegar, raw
• sea salt & pepper
• fresh or dried herbs: sage, rosemary, thyme, basil, garlic

You can basically add raw cashews to any salad dressing and make it creamy. I usually do some different variation of the ones above depending on what I feel like but it is so simple!! 

FACT: Eating Fat Does Not Translate Into Getting Fat

I wanted to write this as a follow-up to 'Tis the Season to Get Fat, because I know a lot of people have the misconception that you will loose weight by eating low-fat foods. This is a very complicated topic so I will boil it down for you as best I can.

Everything that you eat breaks down into 3 different components: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. (There are many other things like vitamins and minerals that we get from food, however for the sake of this discussion I will be focusing on these three.) Your body needs all three of these to function properly, and your body knows the difference between the good forms and the bad forms.

Let's talk specifically about fat. I grew up being told that fat was bad for you and anything fat-free was healthy. It all started long before I was born...

"The demonization of saturated fat began in 1953, when Dr. Ancel Keys published a paper comparing saturated fat intake and heart disease mortality. His theory turned out to be flimsy, to say the least, but the misguided ousting of saturated fat has continued unabated ever since. Fortunately, the truth is finally starting to come out, as medical scientists have begun to seriously question Keys' findings."

"Keys based his theory on a study of six countries, in which higher saturated fat intake equated to higher rates of heart disease. However, he conveniently ignored data from 16 other countries that did not fit his theory. Had he chosen a different set of countries, the data would have shown that increasing the percent of calories from fat reduces the number of deaths from coronary heart disease."

"And when you include all 22 countries for which data was available at the time of his study, you find that those who consume the highest percentage of saturated fat have the lowest risk of heart disease."

"Furthermore, many have now realized that it's the trans fat found in margarine, vegetable shortening, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils that is the true villain, causing far more significant health problems than saturated fat ever could!"

"Still, despite the scientific evidence, the low-fat dogma remains a favorite among most government health authorities. Case in point: the most recent food chart issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in December of last year, recommends reducing your saturated fat intake to a mere seven percent of caloric intake—down from its previously recommended 10 percent…" (Original Source)

I don't like citing studies to back up my opinions (mainly because I do not trust that the results are accurate due to biases), but I respect the information that Dr. Mercola puts out (excerpt from above). I am far more impressed with personal experiences, trials, and tribulations. So let me tell you about what I have been doing. I eat full fat everything, but I also eat mainly whole foods. I eat organic butter, organic dairy, I eat whole eggs, I eat avocados, I eat all nuts, and just about anything else you could think of that is considered "fattening". Moderation is key here. Since I started doing this about a year ago, I have lost about 10 lbs. I workout a few times a week, and I eat mainly whole foods- meaning I eat mostly un-processed foods- meaning I make most of my food from scratch and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. I still use flour and eat pasta, but try to always eat whole wheat/grain if it is processed.

Back to fat...I read an entire book dedicated to explaining fat that was written by Mary G. Enig, PhD. She is a nutritionist/biochemist who has spent her career studying and analyzing fat. My understanding of good and bad fats started when I read Mary's book, Know Your Fats.

"As we close the second millennium, the prevailing clinical approach from both the nutrition and medical communities in the United States is to condemn a high dietary intake of almost all fats. This emphasis on reducing dietary fat intake has developed from concerns about diet/serum cholesterol, coronary heart disease (CHD) and dietary fat/cancer relationships that have emanated from organizations such as the American Heart Association (AHA), the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's National Cholesterol Education Program, and the US Department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines. Many official and quasi-official, articles and publications written for the public reflect this view. Unfortunately, for the consumer and the clinician, many of these articles have multiple misstatements about fats, oils, and cholesterol in general, and about the hydrogenated fats and oils in particular. The kindest thing that can be said about the authors of these misstatements is that they are misguided and not sufficiently knowledgeable about the chemistry of fats and oils and hydrogenation."

FYI...this is a technical definition of fat straight out of her book, "Fats and oils (technically called lipids) are basically made up of collections of molecules called triglycerides. If the collection is liquid at ambient (room) temperature, it is called an oil; if it is solid, it is called a fat." She gets way technical and I figured that I would lose the majority of you on this, but if you are really interested I suggest reading the book for yourself.

Below are some common misconceptions from Know Your Fats...

• Calling animal fats "saturated" is not only misleading, it is just plain wrong. For example, beef fat is 54% unsaturated, lard is 60% unsaturated, and chicken fat is 70% unsaturated. 
• None of the naturally occurring fats and oils is made up of only all saturated or all unsaturated fatty acids; rather they are mixtures of different amounts of various fatty acids. 
• The food industry knows that cookies and crackers, as well as cakes, pastries, and donuts have to be made with a fat at least as firm as a soft fat like lard, so the industry changes the liquid oils, such as soybean, corn, canola, cottonseed, and sometimes peanut and safflower oils, into fats by a process called partial hydrogenation. 
• Partial hydrogenation increases the degree of "saturation" of the fat and has created an entirely new class of fats called trans fats. Trans fats have a very, very long shelf life, unlike the original, highly unsaturated oils they were made from. The unsaturated oils become rancid (bad, spoiled, you wouldn't want to eat them) easily if they are not stored very carefully...a-hem...this is why your box of Ritz crackers can sit on a grocery store shelf for months and then in your cabinet for months!

For shitz & giggles I looked up the ingredient list of Ritz Crackers...Ingredients: ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), SOYBEAN OIL, SUGAR, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, SALT, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA AND/OR CALCIUM PHOSPHATE), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), NATURAL FLAVOR, CORNSTARCH. (Original Source)

• The word Omega is used to designate unsaturated fatty acid families. Saturated fats (cocoa butter, dairy fats, nutmeg butter, palm oil, tallow) do not have an Omega designation. Omega 3's and 6's are considered "essential" because our bodies cannot make them. There are also Omega 9's, however our bodies can make them so they are  not considered "essential"
• Saturated fatty acids are not all the same. They come in different lengths. The shorter ones of the type found in butter, coconut oil, and palm kernel oil, have much lower melting points than the more common longer chain saturated fatty acids ( ). 
• When shorter chain fatty acids are used by the body for energy, they do not produce as many calories as the longer chain fatty acids. This is why there are fewer kilocalories in a pound of butter than a pound of margarine made with seed oils. While this difference in calories is small, it is still significant because most people have been lead to believe that butter has more calories than margarine. 

Here are just a handful of examples of what trans fats do to us when we eat them... (P.S. after I read this book I cut out all foods that have hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils in them)

• When people eat fats containing trans fatty acids (hydrogenated oils), these fatty acids are deposited in varying amounts in some of the tissues, and they have an effect on the way the organs in the body function. 
• Feeding trans fatty acids from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to adult humans lowers HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol).
• HDL is significantly decreased, LDL is increased, and the more recent studies have shown that the heart disease marker called Lipoprotein [a] is increased, especially in people who already have high levels of this lipoprotein.
• INTERESTING...saturated fatty acids lower Lipoprotein [a] levels, so an adequate amount of saturated fatty acids in the diet is a good thing to have.
• Consuming trans fats raises the blood sugar levels and causes people to weigh several kilograms more than people consuming the same amount of fat that is not hydrogenated. 
• When researchers have examined the fat in milk that mothers are producing, they have found up to 17% of the fatty acids as trans fatty acids. That is very high, but when they measured the levels in mothers who were not eating foods with trans fatty acids, the levels were so low that they found less than 1%. 
• Feeding infants with milk containing trans fatty acids that came in through the mother's diet causes a significant decrease in visual acuity. 

The bottom line is that we eat a lot more unhealthy fats than we realize. It would be safe to say that anything fried at a restaurant has been fried in partially hydrogenated oil. It is also safe to say that the majority of the snack foods, deserts, and baked goods that you buy have partially hydrogenated oils in them. Even some "health" foods include this disaster of an ingredient in them....so CHECK YOUR LABELS! Start incorporating more homemade meals with whole foods. If you are pregnant or breast feeding it is soooo important to eat foods without hydrogenated oils (or high fructose corn syrup) in them. It's one thing to knowingly do something to yourself (many of us do it everyday- we smoke, we drink, we eating garbage) but it is another to do it to your perfect baby. (I don't want to make you feel like I am talking down to you or making you feel guilty...but TOO BAD I AM! DON'T FEED YOUR CHILDREN TOXIC GARBAGE...THINK FOR YOURSELF...DO YOUR OWN DAMN RESEARCH...BE AWARE!)

I am giving you the Jess Face (with perfect hair)

Do you worry about eating too much fat?

I'm a lover, not a fighter...usually

The one exception to that is in regards to cancer. I am working on doing everything in my power to "fight it". Over the long haul I hope to drastically increase my health so that cancer doesn't survive in my body. I just read an article put out by The American Institute for Cancer Research about foods that fight cancer. It was somewhat shocking to read an article like this coming out of one of the major institutes. Below is a summary of what The American Institute for Cancer Research is advising....

• No single food or food component can protect you against cancer by itself. But scientists believe that the combination of foods in a predominantly plant-based diet may. There is evidence that the minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals in plant foods could interact in ways that boost their individual anti-cancer effects. This concept of interaction, where 1 + 1 = 3, is called synergy. (Meaning that the sum of the two parts is more powerful than the two individually- like when I tell you to use turmeric, black pepper, and yellow onions.)

• Eating a predominantly plant based diet can help prevent weight gain and protect against those cancers whose risk is convincingly increased by higher body fat (cancers of the colorectum, esophagus, endometrium, pancreas, kidney and breast in postmenopausal women).

• AICR recommends that at least 2/3 of your plate should be filled with vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans. (OMG! They are so right!) Much of the laboratory research on diet and cancer suggests that eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans will protect against cancer. Scientists are investigating how and why these foods may prevent the development of tumors.

• Beans
• The active ingredients in beans that scientists believe may play a role in cancer prevention include: saponins, protease inhibitors and phytic acid. These compounds, called phytochemicals, are found naturally in plants and appear to protect our cells from damage that can lead to cancer. Beans are also rich in fiber. 
• Berries
• Berries are good sources of vitamin C and fiber. According to AICR's second expert report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, foods high in vitamin C probably protect against cancer of the esophagus, while foods containing dietary fiber probably decrease colorectal cancer risk.
• All berries, but particularly strawberries and raspberries, are rich in ellagic acid. In laboratory studies, this phytochemical has shown the ability to prevent cancers of the skin, bladder, lung, esophagus and breast. Research suggests that ellagic acid seems to utilize several different cancer-fighting methods at once: it acts as an antioxidant, it helps the body deactivate specific carcinogens and it helps slow the reproduction of cancer cells.
• Strawberries also contain a wide range of other phytochemicals, called flavonoids, each of which seems to employ a similar array of anti-cancer strategies.
• Blueberries contain a family of compounds called anthocyanosides, which many scientists believe are among the most potent antioxidants yet discovered.
• Cruciferous Vegetables 
• The cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, bok choy and kale. According to AICR's second expert report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, non-starchy vegetables, like those listed above, probably protect against some types of cancers. This protective effect is strongest for cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and stomach. Research on cruciferous vegetables highlights several components that have been linked to lower cancer risk.
• Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
• Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, mustard greens, collard greens, chicory and Swiss chard are excellent sources of fiber, folate and a wide range of carotenoids (they act as anti-oxidants) which seem to prevent cancer by acting as antioxidants – that is, scouring potentially dangerous “free radicals” from the body before they can do harm. Some laboratory research has found that the carotenoids in dark green leafy vegetables can inhibit the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells, skin cancer cells, lung cancer and stomach cancer.
• The Second Expert Report also noted probable evidence that foods containing folate decrease risk of pancreatic cancer and that foods containing dietary fiber probably reduce one’s chances of developing colorectal cancer.
• Flax Seeds
• Flaxseed is available as flaxseed flour, flaxseed meal (which has the texture of cornmeal), flaxseed oil and whole flaxseeds. The whole seeds are not digested well, so they provide little nutritional or health benefits unless they are ground.
• Flaxseed is the best dietary source for substances called lignans. Lignans are classified as phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) because they seem to mimic the action of estrogen in the body. Note that flaxseed oil does not naturally contain lignans, although some manufacturers add them during processing.
• Flax is also the richest plant source of one kind of omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). In some studies, this fat has shown promising health benefits, including offering potential protection from heart disease and some cancers.
• Garlic
• Garlic belongs to the family of vegetables called Allium, which also includes onions, scallions, leeks and chives. According to AICR's Second Expert Report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, foods belonging to the allium family of vegetables probably protect against stomach cancer. Moreover, the evidence in the report shows that garlic, in particular, probably decreases one’s chances of developing colorectal cancer.
• The protective effect of garlic was shown to have a dose response relationship. In other words, highest exposure to the food showed the greatest decrease in risk.
• Grapes
• Grapes are a rich source of resveratrol, a type of natural phytochemical. The skin of the grape contains the most resveratrol, and red and purple grapes contain significantly more resveratrol than green grapes. Grape jam and raisins contain much smaller amounts of this phytochemical. Red wine also contains resveratrol. However, with AICR’s second expert report noting convincing evidence that alcohol is associated with increased risk for cancers of the mouth, pharynx and larynx, esophagus, breast (pre- and postmenopausal) and colon and rectum (in men), wine is not a recommended source of resveratrol.
• Studies suggest that polyphenols in general and resveratrol, in particular, possess potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In laboratory studies, resveratrol prevented the kind of damage known to trigger the cancer process in cell, tissue and animal models.
• Green Tea
• In laboratory studies, green tea has been shown to slow or completely prevent cancer developent in colon, liver, breast and prostate cells. Other studies involving green tea have shown similar protective effects in tissues of the lung, skin and digestive tract.
• Studies that track the diets of human subjects over several years (particularly studies conducted in Asia, where green tea consumption is common) have also associated regular usage of green tea with lower risk for bladder, colon, stomach, pancreatic and esophageal cancers.
• Tomatoes
• The tomato’s red hue comes chiefly from a phytochemical called lycopene. Tomatoes have attracted particular attention from prostate cancer researchers because lycopene and its related compounds tend to concentrate in tissues of the prostate.
• Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, together with a group of related compounds collectively called the “red family,” has displayed anti-cancer potential in a variety of laboratory studies. In the laboratory, tomato components have stopped the proliferation of several other cancer cells types, including breast, lung, and endometrial.
• Whole Grains
• The term “whole grain” means that all three parts of the grain kernel (germ, bran and endosperm) are included. Refined grains usually have the bran and germ removed, leaving only the starchy endosperm. Brown rice is a whole grain, white rice is not. Other whole-grain foods include wheat breads, rolls, pasta and cereals; whole grain oat cereals such as oatmeal, popcorn, wild rice, tortilla and tortilla chips, corn, kasha (roasted buckwheat) and tabouleh (bulghur wheat).
• Whole grains are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and hundreds of natural plant compounds, called phytochemicals, which protect cells from the types of damage that may lead to cancer. In addition research points to specific substances in whole grains that have been linked to lower cancer risk, including antioxidants, phenols, lignans (which is a kind of phytoestrogen) and saponins.

The moral of this story is that this is a HUGE step for any major cancer association to take; the reason being that there is no money in it for them to promote eating healthy to prevent cancer. Cancer is big business, billions if not trillions of dollars for the big pharma companies. I am not sure when they updated their website with this information, however I am guessing it was recently because this just popped up on my Google Alerts in an article from today. Anyway, I wrote about this in my post Cancer Fighting Superstars about 3 months ago (whoop whoop...I beat them!) But all bragging aside...it is really great that The American Institute for Cancer Research is promoting eating a plant based diet. This what we call PROGRESS!

NOTE: Soy was one of the cancer fighting foods, however if you have read my post about soy...you will understand why I did not include it. And against my better judgement I also included the partabout how the AICR does not recommend red wine ;( (that's me crying). 

Let me tell you my opinion about studies and statistics. (I hope you know by now that I have many opinions and I can't keep them inside of me.) Basically there are thousands of studies done every year, and many times the results depend on who is funding the study and the outcome that the researchers desire. I personally think that the field of nutrition is in its infancy and we don't know everything that happens when we eat all these foods. Researchers have only scratched the surface. I am more impressed with the personal triumph stories that I have been coming across; people who have healed themselves with whole foods and super foods (sometimes in conjunction with traditional cancer therapies like chemo and radiation). 

Each of us are completely different inside. I mean we all have the same organs, but the way each of those organs functions is different. That is why some people thrive as vegetarians, and some people need to eat meat. We are individuals. I can sleep 8-10 hours a night- EASY! I know people who can sleep 5 hours a night and function all day. I'm rambling. Long story short- it is more important to listen to what your body is telling you than to twist yourself up with all of these studies. 

SUPERFOOD: Chia Seeds

I recently found out about chia seeds while I was on a call with my health coach. I don't remember what she said I should do with them, but I did remember that she said I should try them. So I did. You can get them at Whole Foods for sure, not really sure where else but check your local health food stores.

I spent a few minutes looking up what exactly I should do with these seeds. Apparently, they can be used in just about anything. Literally. Here is a link to 40 things you can do with them plus some actual recipes. The consensus is that you can use them whole and raw, ground and raw, whole and soaked in water, whole and cooked; just about any way that you want to use them. They are small like poppy seeds and have a slightly nutty flavor, but are said to take on any flavor they are mixed with.

What makes these little black balls so healthy?

Chia is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than flax seeds. And it has another advantage over flax: chia is so rich in antioxidants that the seeds don't deteriorate and can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid. And, unlike flax, they do not have to be ground to make their nutrients available to the body. Chia seeds also provide fiber (25 grams give you 6.9 grams of fiber) as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.

Another advantage: when added to water and allowed to sit for 30 minutes, chia forms a gel. Researchers suggest that this reaction also takes place in the stomach, slowing the process by which digestive enzymes break down carbohydrates and convert them into sugar. (source)

I had grand visions of what I was going to do with these seeds...but instead I just made granola bars. Since chia seeds are high in fiber, I figured it would be best to start off with small amounts. If you are wondering why...let me refresh your memory with the story of what some types of fiber do to me. Anyway, back to granola...

• 3 c. Irish style oats
• 3 tbsp. chia seeds
• 3 tbsp. wheat germ
• 3 tbsp. flax seeds
• 1/2 stick organic butter
• agave nectar (can use honey as well), enough to make a goo
• 1/2 c. 100% cocoa chocolate nibs
• 1/2 c. shredded coconut
• 1/2 c. sliced almonds

Toast the oats in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Combine everything else in sauce pan (medium heat) except chocolate, almonds, and coconut.
Simmer while oats are roasting.

In a large bowl, combine roasted oats with chocolate, almonds, & coconut

Pour in goo and mix.

After done "tasting", spread mixture in an 8x8 baking pan.
Pre-cut into bars.
Bake in 300 degree oven for 25 minutes.
Leave in pan and put in refrigerator until cool and hard. 

Or, just eat warm and crumbly right out of the oven!

You can use this as cereal, with yogurt, as granola bars, or a warm topping over ice cream. AND...even though this is a sweet food, it is packed with super foods (chia seeds, flax seeds, 100% cocoa chocolate nibs, almonds, coconut, wheat germ, and whole oats). Yes there is butter in it. BUT FAT ISN'T BAD! Get that out of your head. Everyone needs fat in their diet for our bodies to function properly. And if you are concerned with weight loss, I eat at least one full fat food (butter, olive oil, coconut, avocado) every day, and I have lost a total of 10 lbs in the last year. Figure that one out...oh wait, they have. The "eat low fat products to loose weight" recommendations were not based on science. 

My new rule of thumb is to use the highest quality, most natural, least processed foods I can find.  I am not concerned any more with cutting out one type of food or another because it is labeled as bad. TRUTH: "bad" foods go in and out of style like clothing. One decade it's protein, the next it's fat, the next it's carbs. This has been true of the last century. Just in my lifetime I have seen the badmouthing of fat and carbs (I'm not even 30 yet). 

P.S. Just got a new camera...notice how profesh my pictures are starting to look?

Garden Leftovers

Not sure if I mentioned this, but I started a vegetable garden this year. It was a rather large feat (basically because I underestimated the time necessary for the scope of it. It took a few months to plan, a few days to prep the land, a few more to plant, a few to weed, and a few to harvest.

Now that it is the end of my first year as a gardener, I can look back with 20/20 hindsight and realize how much easier it could have been if I had done it completely differently. For the amount of stuff we planted, I wasn't too impressed with the yield. But it was only the first year.

We got green bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, kale, collards, chard, leeks (what the hell do I do with leeks?). What I was impressed with, however, was the cayenne peppers. I planted two plants from seed in May, and for a while I wasn't too sure if we were ever going to get anything. But all of a sudden about a month ago, the plants were bursting with peppers. So much so that I didn't really know what to do with them. I like hot peppers and all, but I only use like 3 at a time, once a week if I am lucky.

So what to do with all these peppers?

I happened to have a bottle of olive oil that was 3/4 empty. So I figured that would be the simplest way to use a lot of them. I put a bunch in (until it was probably about 1/2 full) and filled the rest with oil. Voila! I will have spicy olive oil shortly.

Cut the tops off before you put them in the bottle.

Did you know the seeds are the spiciest part of hot peppers?

You can also do this with any other herb or spice. I am eventually going to do a few different kinds just to have for cooking and dipping.

• Basil
• Bay Leaves
• Cilantro
• Chives
• Coriander 
• Dill
• Garlic
• Oregano
• Peppercorns
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Sea Salt
• Tarragon
• Thyme

I will report how the cayenne pepper oil turns out after it seasons for a few weeks!

The Dreaded Salad Isn't So Bad

Well I am back on the wagon! Since I have put myself on this eating challenge almost 2 weeks ago I have been looking for different ways to get a variety of raw foods into my diet so that I don't have to drink my vegetables as much. It is getting kind of old.

I have learned a few things:

• Anything I put in there tastes amazing when it is loaded with salad dressing
• With that in mind, I put my salad in a large Tupperware container, drizzle dressing, and shake until the entire thing is coated (you can also toss it in a large bowl). This allows you to use less dressing and fully coat everything!
• You can really put so many things in salads
• I am actually starting to enjoy eating them
• It is very easy to eat out because every restaurant has salads

First things first- the dressing. I would venture a guess that most (99%) of salad dressings sold in supermarkets are made with soybean oil (I have spent a ridiculous amount of time reading labels). Now after reading The Whole Soy Story by Kaayla T. Daniel, I cut ALL soy out of my diet because I realized that unless soy is fermented properly it is actually an anti-nutrient (means your body sucks nutrients out of your body to be able to process it properly). Most soy that is in our foods today is not fermented, but created in a laboratory or and highly processed.

Then there is the other 1% of salad dressings that are "organic" and made with canola oil. For whatever reason they taste like capital S-H-I-T and are super expensive. So....I make my own dressings! I don't know why people don't do this because it is so cheap and easy and tastes so much better than store bought dressing. Here are two:

CREAMY

• extra virgin olive oil
• apple cider vinegar
• handful cashews
• juice 1/2 lemon
• squeeze of Dijon mustard

Put all of these in a blender (I use a Magic Bullet) until smooth. You may be saying "What a minute! That seems like alot of fat!?! Well it is but it is good fats. Your body needs fat to function properly and it needs the right type of fats. Also, the fat in the dressing will make you feel more satiated. As long as you are cutting out other bad fats in your diet you will be fine. 

BALSAMIC

• extra virgin olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• squeeze spicy brown mustard
• squeeze of honey
• juice 1/2 lemon

Put these in a shaker or a Tupperware to shake until blended. If you have to use more dressing than you think is necessary to eat your salad, then do it! The benefits from eating all of these veggies is well worth it.

Here are some great salad combinations:

MY FAVORITE

• romaine lettuce
• tomatoes
• red onions
• balsamic dressing

JAM PACKED

• spring mix greens
• baby spinach
• arugula
• kale
• broccoli
• carrots
• tomatoes
• cucumber (yes they are more than just water)
• onions
• creamy dressing

SWEET TOOTH

• spring mix greens
• baby spinach
• raw almonds
• raisins
• dried cranberries
• carrots
• diced apples
• cooked quinoa 
• balsamic dressing

GREEK

• arugula 
• baby spinach
• kale
• artichoke hearts
• feta cheese
• black or green olives
• tomatoes
• red onions
• balsamic dressing

FRUIT SALAD

• pineapple
• berries
• melon
• cherries (not maraschino) 
• kiwi
• grapes

If this sounds like too much, most grocery stores have salad bars (I personally think Whole Foods has the best). It may be more expensive than buying the ingredients and making it at home, but in my case I cannot eat all of the ingredients fast enough so I would end up throwing away alot of produce. If you are cooking/eating for one it is much more economical to take a scoop of this and a scoop of that rather than buying entire bunches, bags, or containers. 

But where do I get my protein you ask? I ask you, Where do cows get their protein? Believe it or not, there is protein in plants, and that is exactly where cows get their protein that you eat- from grass! Quinoa is also an excellent source of protein that is actually a whole grain. If you feel you need more protein, you can always add raw nuts, eggs (make sure they are organic farm raised or free range), chicken, or steak (please do yourself a favor and try to find grass fed or humanely raised meat...and if you need some motivation watch Food Inc. It is not crazy graphic but it will open your eyes to the meat industry- see right sidebar for link...or it is also on Netflix.)

Stay away from croutons- fried in bad oil, high fructose corn syrup and soybean flour! I will be posting soon about homemade breads and what you can do with them (bread pudding, croutons, bread crumbs. Super easy and tastes AMAZING!

Enjoy!

Food vs. Food Like Substances

Author Michael Pollan talks about his rules for eating food vs. food like substances (what most of Americans eat) and some of his thinking behind his convictions. I just finished one of his books, In Defense of Food and it is was a great awakening to me that WE DON'T EAT FOOD...WE EAT THE PRODUCTS OF FOOD SCIENCE! 


Food is:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole Grains
• Beans
• Legumes
• Fresh Dairy
• Humanely-raised Meat
• Herbs
• Spices

Food Like Substances are:

• Gogurt Portable Yogurt
• Protein Bars
• Lucky Charms Cereal
• Entenmann's Apple Puffs
• Oreos
• Frozen Dinners
• Easy Mac Macaroni & Cheese

I have been in the process of changing over my diet from food like substances to food for the past year. These are some easy ways to make small changes quickly that will make a huge impact in the way that you feel.

• Buy organic dairy. This ensures that there are no hormones or antibiotics fed to the cows which end up in your body after you eat their dairy products.
• Buy grass-fed or humanely raised meat. This ensures that these animals are raised on their natural diet and allowed to exhibit their natural behaviors. The animal is healthier, the meat is healthier.
• Do not buy anything containing hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. These are two toxic food additives that harm you every time you eat them. HFCS makes everything taste sweeter which feeds your cravings for more sweets, and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils make food like substances last for years on the shelves (gross!).
• Replace one meal with a fruit and vegetable smoothie. Any blender (you know... the one you bought to make margaritas and mudslides) will do. I buy a huge batch once a week (usually no more than $30-$40 worth) and it lasts me just about all week. I try to put at least 5 different fruits and/or vegetables in my smoothies. I find that when I make a healthy choice in the morning it ripples through my food choices for the rest of the day. Plus you will find it will make you feel amazing!
• Do not stress about eating healthy all the time. Or you may become ORTHOREXIC! Just kidding. Make healthy choices as often as you can, and when there is absolutely no possible way of eating something healthy (fruits, veggies, food that is not heavily processed, or covered in gobs of cheese) just think of it as your free pass to indulge in something you would not normally eat but you enjoy.

If you make only these 5 changes you will start to feel the positive effects. You don't have to "go to extremes" like eating only raw food, eating no meat, or not accepting dinner invitations because you know they will not be serving "healthy" food. These 5 upgrades will make a positive change in your life. 

American Meat... from factory to our plate?

While researching and analyzing foods for my own knowledge and good health, it has come time to discuss the complex topic of meat. I stopped eating meat a year and a half ago because I realized that I became nauseous after eating dinner (which was pretty much the only meal that would include meat). I decided that I would stop eating meat for a while to see if it helped (it did). I thought I would rather cut it out of my diet instead of masking the sick feelings with medicine- which is what most people do. So for one year I ate no chicken, beef, pork or other meat products. (I did however eat fish and eggs.)

How could you treat this guy poorly?

I stopped eating meat before I developed an interest in the quality of the foods that we eat so I wasn't really concerned with why I was feeling nauseous after eating meat. Now I am. After about a year of eating a meat-free diet, I started eating meat every now and again (usually steak) because I just craved it- I would say about 4-7 times a month. In all of my reading, I have come to understand that my food's food is extremely important.

There are several factors on this topic which I would like to bring to the table....

#1 All meat sold at large grocery chains (maybe with the exception of Whole Foods and Fresh Market) is raised on factory farms. The animals are fed an unnatural diet of corn and soy (insert Big Agra Companies) which promotes an unhealthy abundance of Omega-6's fats (pro-inflammation). A seed based diet (corn & soy) is so unnatural for these animals that it causes them to get sick and need antibiotics (insert Pharmaceutical Companies). Then comes the topic of slaughter, which in America is one giant question mark. There is a shroud of secrecy around the practice of slaughtering and multitudes of stories from the first-handers about how horrific it is- you can YouTube those videos and testimony- it's disturbing to say the least.

#2 Animals in the wild naturally seek out the healthiest possible diet that they can find. Cows will eat grass. Pigs will eat grubbs, bugs, and acorns. Chickens will eat insects. There is nothing about factory raised animals that is natural. I am not going to get into the ethical reasons for being anti-factory farming, but there are plenty of them if you want to look into it (look up Eating Animals written by Jonathan Safran Foer). "All Natural" labels on factory farmed meat are contradictory- just like most health labels paid for by the food companies...see my post: FDA & Other Health Associations- I wouldn't trust them.

#3 Don't think for a minute that the animal's food does not effect you after you eat that animal. It is the same concept as high levels of mercury in fish. The large fish (tuna, shark) are at the top of the food chain. They eat smaller fish that have accumulated levels of mercury, who eat smaller fish that have accumulated levels of mercury (you get my point). It is called biomagnification, and guess what? Humans are at the top of the food chain. So the growth hormones and antibiotics that are fed to our cows while they are being milked, and to our pigs before they are slaughtered...end up where? IN OUR MEAT AND DAIRY! Cows for instance are meant to graze on grass. Their digestive system is meant to break down leaves (grasses) not seeds (corn & soy). When a cow is allowed to eat its natural diet it will produce meat that is higher in Omega-3 fats (anti-inflammatory). The same goes for chickens and the eggs that they lay. Fresh-laid eggs, when you crack them, have bright orange yolks that do not break easily. The more orange the yolk, the healthier the chicken.

#4 Small farms still exist. I live in NJ and even we have small farms. I actually visited one last week for a couple of reasons. First was to see how the animals were raised (100% grass fed or not, and came to learn about humanely raised animals). Second was how the animals were cared for (like livestock or pets). Third was how they were slaughtered. Fourth, to see if I could really tell a difference in how the meat and eggs tasted.

I drove up to the farm (a house with gated pastures and pens, chicken coops, and woods) and met the incredibly nice lady who runs the farm...every day. She was a wealth of information and talked almost the entire time she walked me around to meet each and every one of her animals. Every one had a name, a notable personality, a health record, and many were children and grand-children of others. This was all from memory. She explained the difference between the goats and the sheep, the pigs and the chickens in terms of what they ate naturally, what they ate in the winter, and what needed to be supplemented if and when they were sick. The animals on her farm were far more than livestock...they were her pets.

She explained the difference between 100% grass fed and humanely raised animals- humanely raised being that the animals are primarily allowed to eat what they would in nature, only supplemented or given antibiotics in the event of sickness or a serious medical condition, never given growth hormones, and allowed to exhibit natural behaviors. I was able to see the supplemental feed she gives the pigs and chickens. She even ripped off the labels for me to read the list of ingredients (most people don't even do that for themselves, and she was doing it for her animals). I asked her about where she sent the animals to slaughter and to my surprise it was right down the street to a local butcher. Her animals were not sent to feedlots and anonymous slaughter houses.

After my 2 hour visit (4 hours round trip) I had decided that I will never buy my meat from anyone other than a small farmer who is willing to take 2 hours out of their day to speak with a customer about their farming practices and the quality of their meat. I do not believe that my safety is in danger by ingesting meat that comes from a small farmer who may not be under the same regulations as the big guys. AND the meat isn't any more expensive than what you would buy in a grocery store. The only difference is that everything is not available all of the time and I buy in bulk and freeze it because I cannot just run down to the grocery store to pick it up.

BUT the true test was when we cooked it. The meat (uncooked) even looked and smelled different. It was darker in color and did not have that dead animal raw meat smell. We cooked the skirt steak (our absolute favorite) the same way we always do...hot sauce, Jamaican curry, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. The meat was more tender and had a completely different flavor than the traditional store bought steak. It was a great eating experience, however it is different when you are eating meat that you know. When you pick up a package of meat at the store, there is no thought of the animal that was raised half way across the country (or possibly the world). I did however think of that while I was eating the steak that was raised in the middle of NJ on the farm that I had visited that day.

Something to think about, but I encourage everyone to explore this subject and look into eating locally for yourselves. Some great websites to find out where you can buy locally and humanely raised meat products are:

Eat Wild
Humane Farm Animal Care

Meat and Cancer Prevention

Everything that I am reading now is focusing on how a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables is the best way to prevent cancer (and heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc). There are strong correlations between the amount of animal products Westerners eat and the types of chronic diseases we inflict upon ourselves (that's right I said it- you are responsible for all of the shit you put into your mouth and the resulting sicknesses!) 

So how can I advocate eating meat? Well simply because everyone is not going to be able to or want to go 100% raw. I myself am in the process of increasing the raw factor of my diet (by diet I mean eating habits not Atkins, South Beach or Zone), however I love to eat a nice piece of meat every once and a while, and like to eat eggs and (organic) butter on my whole wheat bread. (This may change once I start seeing results from increasing the raw portion of my diet)

I believe in moderation. If you like something eat it, but in moderation. Over the past year and a half I have drastically cut down on the amount of meat that I consume. I do not want to eat meat every day, but I still eat it every once and a while, and when I do want to make sure it is the highest quality meat I can get my hands on. My sister on the other hand has been a vegetarian for over 10 years now, and she is grossed out by meat. People are different- what more can you say?

But as far as cancer prevention goes...the less meat and dairy the better. 

Cancer Fighting SUPERSTARS!

If you want a quick introduction on the best cancer-fighting foods out there read on! This post references all of the culinary suggestions written about in Foods to Fight Cancer: Essential Foods to Help Prevent Cancer by Richard Beliveau, PhD and Denis Gingras, PhD. Their book does a fantastic job of breaking down how each of these foods fights cancer. The best thing you can do is start incorporating ALL of these foods into your diet EVERY DAY!

Cabbage

"Vegetables from the cabbage family have an almost magical ability to fight against the development of cancerous cells in the body. Of all edible plants, cruciferous vegetables are probably those that contain the largest variety of phytochemical (cancer fighting) compounds with anticancer activity."

Green or white cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, oriental cabbages, mustard plant, watercress, radishes, turnips.

Cooking Instructions: cruciferous vegetables should never be soaked or boiled in water. They should be either steamed or stir-fried. Frozen vegetables are blanched before freezing and loose most of their anticancer molecules. Use fresh vegetables and chew cruciferous very well to release the 

anticancer molecules.

Garlic & Onions

"Garlic and other members of the Allium family slow the development of cancer both through their protective action against the damage caused by carcinogenic substances and their ability to prevent cancer cell growth." 

Garlic, onions, leeks, shallots, chives

Cooking Instructions: the anticancer molecules in the Allium family are released when the vegetables are crushed, chopped, or chewed. 

Turmeric

"Turmeric was already featured in the list of over 200 medicinal plants mentioned in a series of medical treatises dating from 3000 BC. Turmeric has an honored place in the Indian Ayurvedic tradition (from ayur, life, and vedic, knowledge). In the Ayurvedic tradition, turmeric, considered a food with cleansing and purifying properties, is used to treat a wide variety of physical ailments, including digestive disorders, fever, infections, arthritis, and dysentery, as well as jaundice and other problems associated with the liver. Studies showed that the anti-inflammatory molecules in turmeric might (*see note below*) be useful in the prevention and treatment of several different types of cancers, including stomach, intestinal, colon, skin, and liver cancers; the effect was seen at both the initiation and promotion stages of tumor development."

**NOTE: all of these books use the words might and may because there is no "definite proof" however the stats on the rates of cancer in the west (more) vs. the east (less) are proof enough for me to start incorporating these simple foods into my cooking. 

Cooking Instructions: Turmeric needs to be accompanied by black pepper for it to be absorbed by the body. Use in a yellow curry sauce or to season meat or fish. Best with black pepper, garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder.

Green Tea

"Green tea is an exceptional source of powerful anticancer molecules that make it a key feature of any diet designed to prevent the growth of cancer. In spite of their common origins, the chemical composition of green tea and black tea is completely different. In the course of the fermentation process used to make black tea, dramatic changes occur in the nature of the polyphenols (anticancer molecules) that were originally present in the leaves: they oxidize to produce black pigments."

Brewing Instructions: Select a Japanese green tea, which are higher in anticancer compounds, and  brew for 8-10 minutes. Drink within one hour of brewing. Try to drink 3 cups daily. 

Berries

"Most berries are an exceptionally abundant source of several classes of polyphenols that possess anticancer potential. Of all the fruits analysed, blueberries are in first place, closely followed by raspberries, strawberries, and cranberries, and far ahead of most of the fruits and vegetables that form a regular part of our diet."

Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, 

Eating Instructions: Eat raw or freeze to use in smoothies. Fresh is always preferred.

Omega-3 Fats

"While the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids obtained through diet by the first human beings was probably around one to one, the ratio has now become more like twenty to one! This imbalance tipped in favor of Omega-6 fatty acids may have negative repercussions on the development of some chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. This is because Omega-6s are used by the body to synthesize molecules that play a role in inflammation, but Omega-3s are needed for the synthesis of anti-inflammatory molecules. Increasing the intake of Omega-3s while decreasing that of Omega-6s may significantly reduce the risk of all inflammatory disease and cancer."

Fresh walnuts, nuts, walnut oil, canola oil, flax seeds, sardines, herring, mackerel, Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout. 

Tomatoes

"Lycopene is the pigment responsible for the tomato's red color, and the tomato, whether considered a fruit or a vegetable, is the best dietary source of lycopene. The lycopene of our cultivated tomatoes is unfortunately much lower than that of the original wild growing species. (All the more reason to grow your own heirloom varieties!!) Products made from cooked tomatoes are particularly rich in lycopene. The rupture of cell walls exposed to heat allows for a better extraction of the molecule and causes changes in its structure that let it be more easily assimilated into the body. Fats also increase the availability of lycopene, so cooking tomatoes in olive oil is an excellent way to maximize the amount of lycopene that can be absorbed."

Tomato paste, tomato sauce, ketchup, condensed tomato soup, canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, tomato juice.

Cooking Instructions: Use olive oil when making sauce. Also great with onions and garlic!

Citrus Fruits

"Citrus fruits are essential foods for cancer prevention. This is due to their capacity to act directly on cancerous cells as well as their potential for enhancing the anticancer effects of other phytochemical compounds present in the diet. Citrus fruit consumption, whether in the form of whole fruit or (fresh) juice, supplies the body with an incomparable source of specific anticancer molecules, while also providing the necessary daily requirements of many vitamins and minerals."

Oranges, lemons, grapefruit, limes, mandarins, clementines, tangerines.

Wine

(My favorite subject!!)

"Numerous studies have pointed out that people who consume moderate amounts of alcohol on a daily basis have a mortality risk lower than either those who abstain from alcohol or those who drink to excess. Moderate quantities of alcohol (2-4 glasses of wine per day for men and 1-2 glasses of wine per day for women) significantly diminish the risk of death by 25-30 percent, for all causes of death. However, when these amounts are exceeded the mortality risk increases very rapidly. Red wine is perhaps the most complex beverage in all of the human diet. This complexity is due to the long process of grape fermentation, which causes important changes in the chemical composition of the initial fruit pulp, allowing the extraction of 

certain molecules. We should remember that countries where wine consumption has been linked to lower mortality rates, particularly Mediterranean countries, are characterized by a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts. These cuisines use olive oil as the principal source of fats and use meat 

only in moderation."

Red & green grapes, red wine (pinot noir), white wine.

Chocolate

"Cacao beans are composed of 50-57% fat. True, these lipids are mostly saturated: 35% stearic acid and 25% palmitic acid. However, a good proportion (35%) is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid found primarily in olive oil and known to have positive effects on cardiovascular system health. Chocolate's principal lipid, stearic acid, is only weakly absorbed into the body, where it is partially (about 15%) transformed into oleic acid by the liver. Thus dark chocolate is a food that can be described as neutral as to its impact on blood cholesterol. Chocolate contains an abundance of polyphenols; a small square of dark chocolate has twice the polyphenol content of a glass of red wine and about as much as a cup of green tea brewed for the correct length of time..... Real Chocolate vs. chocolate candy: Fine dark and milk chocolates have little in common with the products consumed in large quantities by North Americans, which are more chocolate-flavored candies than chocolate. These products contain very little cocoa (federal laws prohibit their being labeled "chocolate"). Instead of cocoa butter, they contain fillers, such as saturated fats. This is why "chocolate" candy, which contains more fats and sugar than does dark chocolate, is a source of cholesterol."

Soy Free Brands: Pure Icelandic Chocolate, Theo Organic Fair Trade, Alter Eco Fair Trade, Equal Exchange Chocolates.

Eating Instructions: Should be 70% cocoa or higher. A few small squares pair great with a glass of red wine after dinner.

NOTE: This book (Foods to Fight Cancer: Essential Foods to Help Prevent Cancer) also devotes a chapter to soy. This is such a complex and controversial vegetable that I will be writing an entire post on it in the future. 

No Cure, Big Problems