blog

Asparagus soup

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 19:35:06 +0100

Just made a delicious batch of asparagus soup and thought I would share the recipe:
1 1/2 pounds asparagus
4 C chicken broth
sea salt
1/4 C flour
4 tbls butter
pepper
lemon
2 tsp. chopped chives
2 tsp. chopped chervil

Snap woody bottoms off each asparagus stalk and discard. Chop tips off and set aside. In a large saucepan, bring 4 c chicken stock and asparagus stalks to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until very soft, 40-45 min. Using a blender, immersion blender (my favorite!), or food processor, puree asparagus stalks with broth until smooth. Return to pot (if not using an immersion blender) and add asparagus tips. In a separate pan, melt butter, add flour to create a roux without browning it. Add roux to the pureed mixture and stir until it thickens. (Should only take a minute or two.) Remove from heat, season with salt, pepper, chives, chervil, and a squeeze of lemon. Serves 6.

Note: recipe tastes just great without chives and chervil so no worries if you don't have any!

Asparagus has natural diuretic properties, promotes heart and bone health as well as providing you with energy due to it's B vitamin content. It contains only 43 calories per cup, making it an ideal choice for healthy weight loss.

Natural Allergy Relief

Mon, 24 May 2010 16:40:11 +0100

Spring has sprung, the flowers and trees are in bloom, and so are allergens like pollen and hay fever. For those of you who suffer from allergies, try one or more of the following natural remedies.

Bee pollen: Bee pollen is often considered one of nature’s most complete foods. In Chinese medicine it is regarded as an energy and nutrition tonic. In addition to being a super food, bee pollen aids allergy sufferers by desensitizing them to pollen. When introduced to a small amount of the allergen, your body will produce antibodies that will eliminate the allergic response. Very similar to what vaccines do to our bodies. Bee pollen comes in loose granules, as well as in pill form. Check your local farmers markets in order to get pollen created by local bees. This is the best as the bees created it by coming in contact with local plants and trees. (Which is what you are allergic to.) In Rochester, the best place to get it is at the Public Market. There is a great vendor who sells local, raw honey as well as the bee pollen. Alternatively, you can find it at Lori’s Natural Foods. Try sprinkling a teaspoon over yogurt, or mix it in a smoothie. If loose granules aren’t your thing, then go for the pill form. If you are allergic to bee stings, then check with your doctor prior to trying this remedy.

Stinging Nettles: Yes, the plant whose leaves sting you in the garden may also relieve your hay fever symptoms. It comes in pill, tincture, and tea form. Some studies have shown that it reduces the amount of histamine your body produces while undergoing an allergic response. In Germany, stinging nettle leaves in pill form are used to treat arthritis.

Quercetin: Is a plant flavanoid that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Foods rich in quercetin are green and black teas, apples, cranberries, tomatoes, cherries, leafy green vegetables and more. You may also find it added to supplements and vitamins.

Vitamin C: Will naturally boost the bodies immune system helping to fight off the histamine reaction that occurs during an allergy attack. So before you head outdoors, double up on your vitamin C.

*Note: The use of herbs is a long standing approach to enhancing the body and treating illness. However, herbs can trigger side effects and may interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs with care, under the supervision of a health care provider.

Natural Soda

Thu, 20 May 2010 21:58:40 +0100

For those of you who crave soda, you must check out Zevia. It's a natural soda that's sweetened with stevia and erythritol. This means that it's low glycemic and has no sugars or artificial sweeteners. Stevia is a plant that's much sweeter than sugar, and erythritol is a sugar alcohol that doesn't affect blood sugar or cause gastric distress as it is readily absorbed by the body. Plus this zero calorie beverage has only 10 grams of carbs, and 15 mg of sodium, making it a great choice for those trying to lose weight.

My two favorites are ginger root beer and ginger ale. Since trying it though I've noticed that they have new flavors like black cherry and dr. stevia. Hmmm, I imagine that's something like dr. pepper. While I enjoy a nice cool glass of water, every now and then it's nice to have a flavored carbonated beverage to quench my thirst.

To find out what stores near you carry Zevia, check out their website: http://zevia.com/

Get control of your type 2 diabetes

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:44:23 +0100

Over 21 million Americans suffer from type 2 diabetes. The hardest part of having diabetes for most people is figuring out what to eat and when. If you would like to learn:

What foods to eat
How to prepare delicious meals in 20 minutes or less
What type of exercise will energize you
How to lose weight

Then please join me for a six week lecture starting Sat. March 20th from 1-2 pm. Classes will be held at Irondequoit Wellness Center. The Center is located at 1880 E. Ridge Rd. Suite 2. Cost is $129 if you register before March 1st. After that the cost is $179.

To register please call 585/544-3759.

Bonus: The first 5 people to register will receive a book that's a must have for diabetics.

Do We Need Supplements?

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:07:22 +0100

Many of us feel that we eat right so there is no need to take a multi-vitamin right? Well, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveys, only 11 percent of Americans meet the USDA'S guidelines for eating five to nine servings of fresh fruit and vegetables daily.

This is significant because there are approximately 40 micro nutrients found in fruits and vegetables that help us to live and thrive. On average, Americans eat too much white sugar and flour, poor quality fats and meats, and not enough nuts, complex grains, fruits and veggies. In a recent article, nutrition researcher Bruce Ames says nutrient shortfalls in modern diets are now so widespread, and the increased risk of major chronic disease so likely, that we can't afford to wait for definitive scientific proof of the role of supplements or for our habits at the table to improve. If you aren't sure you're eating a perfect diet (and who among us is certain we eat five to nine servings of fresh produce each day?), supplements can even the score. "My feeling is you try to eat a good balanced diet, cut out sugary soft drinks and empty calories, but take a multivitamin as insurance," says Ames.

That being said, how do you choose which multivitamin is right for you? My suggestion is do not base it on cost. Remember, you are taking a supplement to help you ward off disease. Sometimes the cheapest brands out there are the equivalent of eating sugary, fatty foods. You want something that is pharmaceutical grade and readily absorbed by your body. My favorite brand is Nutrametrix. I love it because due to it's isotonic form, it's absorbed into your body within 5 minutes. The term “isotonic” refers to having the same fluid pressure as your own tears, plasma and lymph. Normally, when food is consumed, it goes through a lengthy process in the stomach to become an isotonic solution before it is passed to the small intestine for absorption. Since Isotonix supplements are already in an isotonic solution upon ingestion, they undergo very little dilution and digestion in the stomach, allowing for rapid absorption by the intestine.

A good way to test your own pills absorption rate is to put them in a glass and add a tablespoon of vinegar. The vinegar mimics your stomach acids, and whatever is broken down in a half hour is what your body absorbs. A nurse I know refers to one popular brand of vitamin as a "bed pan bullet". Yup you guessed it, how it goes in is how it comes out. Sure it might only be $8/month, but it's like taking $8 and flushing it down the toilet.

If you do decide to purchase the Nutrametrix vitamins I have two tips for you. One, never store the plastic measuring cup on the bottle after you use it. (Any moisture that seeps into the product will cause it to cake.) Two, it tastes like citrus, so if you hate the taste of oranges, don't buy it. Also, if you enjoy the product then next time you order buy the 90 day supply. It will reduce your cost down to $17/month, which is a great deal for a high quality vitamin.

Tip for Great Tasting Chicken Soup

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:42:26 +0100

Hello All!

It is downright chilly today in Upstate NY! Cold weather always has me craving soup. My favorite is Chicken soup, and I must say, I make a fabulous chicken soup! What's the secret? Next time you're boiling a chicken carcass, add a half a lemon to the pot. I squeeze out just a little bit of the juice first, and then toss the lemon half in along with celery, onion, carrots, sea salt and a bay leaf. After an hour, take the lemon out. It leeches the calcium out of the chicken bones which makes a tasty as well as nutritious soup!

Do you have a secret ingredient that you would like to share?

Breakfast Tip

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 22:01:57 +0100

I need a little protein in the am to get my engine running and to keep those hunger pains at bay. This time of year, I crave hot cereal. The only problem is 2 hours later I’m starving. If you’re like me, here’s a little trick you can do to sneek some protein in. In the last minute of cooking any hot cereal, stir in 1 tbsp. of protein powder. I also add nuts and fruit to my hot cereal for an extra bit of fiber and healthy fat. You could also add an egg or egg white for protein, but I was looking for something different, as I eat eggs a few times a week.

Tip for Thyroid Health

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:46:38 +0100

Add tuna, shrimp, sea vegetables such as Nori, and eggs to your diet. They contain iodine which makes thyroxine, a hormone that is key to thyroid function.