I have been drinking green tea for quite a while now but only a cup a day if that, and only when I remember.  After reading a few articles in several books about the power of green tea I will be drinking green tea daily.

Green tea is rich in polyphenols, is a powerful antioxidant and detoxifier and it causes the death of cancer cells by apoptosis (cell death). One of the polyphenols that it contains is EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate-3)is one of the most powerful molecules against forming new blood vessels by cancerous cells.

After drinking 2 or 3 cups of green tea, EGCG is plentiful in the blood. It spreads throughout the body via the capillary vessels. It sounds very complicated but the best I can explain it is that the EGCG blocks receptors so that cancer cells cannot invade tissue or make new vessels needed for tumor growth.

In a medicine laboratory, the effects of EGCG from green tea were tested on several lines of cancer cells. They found that it slowed the growth of leukemia, breast, prostate, kidney, skin and mouth cancer.

Green tea also detoxifies the body. It helps the liver eliminate cancerous toxins from the body more rapidly.

The effect of green tea is remarkable! Why not drink a few cups in place of your black tea? ( Black tea is fermented, therefore destroying most of the polyphenols)  Decaffeinated green tea still contains all its polyphenols. Great news for those of us who limit caffeine late in the day. If we have forgotten during the day, we can still get EGCG in our blood before bedtime!

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Wow, If you missed it on Dr. Oz today I will give a shortened version. He gave us his 5 superfoods for 2010.
Imo, a purple sweet potato, try a regular sweet potato if you can’t find this.
Turmeric, which I have written about previously, get it in mustard or add it to soups.
Greek Greens, or mustard greens, boil and add a little olive oil and lemon.
Barramundi, if unable to find yet in your area I suggest Salmon which Dr. Oz also showcased today as being a great supply of omega 3.  Last but most exciting to me of all he mentioned is Mangosteen, because I already add it to my diet every single day through my daily dose of a liquid nutritional supplement. I know the health benefits from taking it and have heard Dr. Oz speak about it before, but love to hear him give it the attention it deserves! I haven’t tried the  Barramundi or Greek greens yet but will be looking for them and certainly look forward to trying them soon. If you want to know how you can have mangosteen as well, please leave me a message and I will get back to you.

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Surprisingly we are still eating very healthy! I would use the word semi-vegetarian to describe how we are eating now.( If there is such a word)  We had chicken breast pieces in broccoli and wild rice with soy sauce for dinner one evening last week. Otherwise we had mostly vegetarian meals. Veggie pizza on whole wheat crust has been a staple as well as stir fry veggies on brown rice. I am at a 5 pound weight loss and my husband has maintained a loss of 14 pounds!

While cutting fat is important for everyone ,it’s particularly important for women who are concerned with cancer prevention. Research shows that breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers may all be linked to fat intake! It might not seem like there is a lot a woman can do to reduce their risk of getting cancer but research suggests that lowering your intake of fat can give a woman an advantage over cancer.

Animal studies show a link between the amount of fat in your diet and the risk of breast cancer. The studies point to a connection in humans. We know that prostate cancer and breast cancer are rare in countries where fat consumption is lowest and high where the diet contains a lot of fat.

So, just another reason to cut the fat in your diet! I found a recipe for Low fat Caesar-Style Salad, tried it and liked it! I hope you try it and like it as well.

Caesar-Style Salad Dressing

½ cup nonfat yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon anchovy paste
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a blender or food processor puree all of the ingredients, using only ¼ cup of the parmesan, until smooth. Pour over romaine lettuce and toss well. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Pepper salad if desired.
Makes enough for 6 servings and only 46 calories per serving. 1.4 g total fat.

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My husband has lost 13 pounds and I have kept off 4 of my original 6. He looks great and I don’t look any different but feel great! I’ll take that, (for now). I still want to lose more and know that I just need to hit the treadmill a bit more as well as continue to eat healthy. We have been eating a lot of refried beans and so wanted to share another of our favorite meals.

Refried Beans Tostada or Wrap

Vegetable Broth

1 onion sliced

1 green pepper sliced

Mushrooms, sliced (if you prefer)

1 can fat free refried beans

Corn tortillas

Shredded lettuce

Diced tomatoes

salsa

Saute’ the onion and green pepper in vegetable broth, add more broth as you need it so mixture doesn’t stick to pan. Add mushrooms and continue to saute‘. Heat refried beans in separate container on stove or in microwave. Warm or crisp tortillas in a skillet or in microwave. Layer tortilla with beans, onion mixture, lettuce, tomatoes and top with salsa.

If I have more time I make any kind of brown rice or brown rice mixture and add on top of beans.

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Great news! My husband and I have been on the vegetarian diet for 16 days now. It’s not as hard as I thought! ( I know it’s only been 2 weeks, approx.) He has lost 11 pounds and I have lost 6. Of course he’s going to lose faster, anyone knows that’s the way our bodies are made up. We have laughed about some of our meals and raved about a few. They start to taste better after week one! I think partly our taste buds are adjusting to our new way of eating and cooking and partly because I’m learning to make things taste better without butter, oil and a minimum of salt. Hard to believe I have not used 1 pat of butter, no olive oil and no red meat the entire 16 days. Yesterday my daughter made chicken and I had 1 bite. Delicious! lol

 We plan to continue to eat more vegetables than before and limit our meat and oil usage even after we finish this strict diet. I have learned more ways to use lentils than I ever thought and that oil isn’t the only way to saute. Baked potatoes aren’t so bad with salt & pepper and chives once in a while and split pea soup can be pretty darn good on a cold winter day. So I have included split pea soup for my next recipe that turned out even better than I expected. I hope you will try it!

Simple Split Pea Soup

2 cups green split peas
8 cups water
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 potatoes, chunked
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon black pepper

I added a sprinkling of chicken bouillon and about 1/2 tsp of turmeric when cooking.

Place the peas and water in a large soup pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients, mix well and bring to a boil again.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, until vegetables are tender.  Remove from heat and let rest for 15 minutes to thicken before serving, if desired.  Season with a bit of sea salt before serving (optional).

Hints:  This will thicken even more as it cools, and will be very thick if refrigerated until the next day.  It definitely needed the salt for me but everyone’s taste buds are different!

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I’m finally getting back to my blog! It’s 2010 and I’m excited about getting back to my blogging! I had a wonderful Christmas “break“. Kids heading back to college, one left yesterday beating the snow, the other will leave next weekend. With only one left at home things will be quiet but will they slow down?
I was reminded this morning to be grateful for the wonderful area that I live in! Snow started to fall yesterday evening continuing through the night and still snowing this morning. It’s literally below freezing, I doubt that it’s even 20 degrees outside and our neighbor is blading our road just as he has for several years now. No, we don’t ask or  pay him, he just shows up! What a fantastic rural community I am blessed to live in.
Now to the healthy stuff. My husband and I indulged in way too much fattening food over the holidays and are now ready to shock our bodies back in to healthy mode. We decided to eat a vegetarian diet for a couple weeks to get jump started and hopefully even lose a few pounds. ( OK  more than a few!) So as I try new recipes I will post them. After trying a few that were ok but would not make again, this first one was definitely a keeper!

MUSHROOMS WITH WILD RICE

1 cup wild rice                    ½ pound white mushrooms
3 cups water                        8 fresh shiitake chopped
3 Tablespoons soy sauce                ½ tsp sage
1 onion chopped                    ¼ tsp poultry seasoning
2 stalks celery chopped                pepper

Put rice, water and 1 Tbsp. soy in large saucepan with lid, boil, reduce heat and simmer till liquid evaporates, approximately 30 – 45 minutes depending on the rice that you use. In another pot add onion and celery to about ¼ cup water, cook till soft, add mushrooms and cook 10 minutes. Add the rest of the soy and seasonings, combine all in 1 pot. Season with pepper and a little salt to taste.

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Dr. Oz suggests that the secret to good mental health may be in the use of Turmeric. He thinks that the reason people in India have a lower instance of Alzheimer’s is because they use a lot of turmeric in their food. Researchers’ initial findings support this idea. Turmeric has attracted attention in recent years as a potential treatment for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases.  Some studies have reported that, in certain parts of India, Alzheimer’s affects only a small minority of people, 1% of the elderly population.  In the United States, however, the Alzheimer’s Association reports that there are an estimated five million people living with the disease, which amounts to approximately 13% of adults over the age of sixty five. This is important information!

The use of turmeric, especially in conjunction with other anti-inflammatory drugs, may prove to be a useful preventative treatment for Alzheimer’s, as well as potentially decreasing the symptoms of current patients and slowing the progress of the disease. This is exciting news for Alzheimer sufferers.

Those versed in traditional Chinese healing methods recommend turmeric for the relief of chest pains, and localized pain in the stomach, abdomen and the liver, as well as for nosebleeds and heatstroke. Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine advocate turmeric as a means of curing or relieving general inflammation, conjunctivitis, itching and skin ulcers, colic, constipation, flatulence, and parasites such as ringworms.

Taken internally, turmeric is used to treat headaches, diarrhea, flatulence, colds and fevers, edema, bronchitis, leprosy, colic, kidney inflammation and cystitis. Externally applied, it is thought to help bruising, eye infections, inflammation of the oral mucosa, skin conditions, and infected wounds.

I have been trying to increase the addition of  turmeric to my dishes when it seems appropriate. After researching for this topic I will find more ways to use turmeric whenever I can! Alzheimer’s is a scary and sad disease, one I would like to keep at bay for myself and my family. Add turmeric to your soups, sprinkle on vegetables, brown rice, use in dips, lentils and your homemade salad dressings. Add mustard (containing turmeric) whenever you can. If you have a suggestion to get more in our diet, send your ideas or recipes. I’d appreciate it!

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If you eat a healthy diet, do you need a multivitamin? Not that many years ago most experts and professionals would have said “no”. Today there is quiet a bit of evidence that taking a daily multivitamin makes good sense. It is now believed that intake of several vitamins above the minimum daily requirement, may prevent a variety of cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis, and chronic diseases.

Vitamin A does a lot more than help you see better! It stimulates the production of white blood cells, and helps in creating and repairing bone. Folic Acid as well as the other two B vitamins ( B6, B12) , experts have found may help fight certain kinds of cancer as well as heart disease. There’s no question anymore that vitamin C is important for fighting infections. It is also a powerful antioxidant to help fight harmful free radicals. Vitamin D, of course helps the body absorb calcium. Studies also show that vitamin D keeps certain types of cancer from growing!

Minerals such as copper, fluorine, chromium, zinc, nickel, potassium, magnesium and calcium help fight off serious illness. They do so much more! Potassium for instance, helps muscles contract, helps transmit messages through the body’s nerves and keeps the kidneys and heart working correctly.

Vitamins and minerals work together by strengthening each other therefore helping the body function.
Did you know that your body can make a few vitamins but cannot make a single mineral? Its true, so you must get them from your diet and supplements. Vitamins can do nothing for you without minerals! Minerals are vital to your physical and mental well being.

So how are you going to get what your body needs to function at its best? Dietary guidelines suggest eating 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables daily. This is hard for many people to do on a daily basis, and even harder to get the nutrients because our soil has been depleted over the years. While the majority get enough to avoid deficiency related diseases very few get enough to prevent chronic diseases. If you don’t eat the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables, a nutritional supplement will  at least give you that extra boost to help prevent many cancers and diseases. I’d say it’s the least expensive health insurance I can buy!

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3 cups old fashioned oats
4 ounces sliced almonds
½  cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped dried apricots
½ cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup honey

In large bowl, toss together the oats, almonds, cranberries, apricots, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
In small saucepan, melt butter , stir in honey.
Pour over oat mixture and toss to distribute.
Spread granola onto parchment lined baking pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until oats are toasted and sugar begins to caramelize, 30 minutes at  350.   Watch closely because cranberries can overcook and ruin the taste.
Cool completely on pan, transfer to an airtight container.
I plan to put in pretty jars and give as Christmas presents!

White Bean Chili

3/4 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 1/4 cups water
1 can ( 15 ounce) great northern beans             ( 2 cans if you like more beans)
1 can (4 ounce) diced green chiles
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon ground cumin                           ( I like this a bit more flavorful than it calls for
1/4 teaspoon black pepper                                 so I add more bouillon & more cumin)
2 Tablespoons flour

1. In a large saucepan, cook turkey, onion and garlic until turkey is no longer pink.
2. Stir in 3 cups of the water, beans, undrained chiles, bouillon, cumin and pepper.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ¼ cup water and the flour. When
Chili is ready, add flour mixture and cook for 1 minute more to thicken. Serve.

292 calories, 25 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat ( 2 g saturated), 6 g fiber
Based  on 4 servings.

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

2 scallions
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup buttermilk
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
dill weed to taste

Coarsely chop scallions and add to the bowl of a food processor with the garlic; pulse until garlic is minced. Add the mayonnaise, buttermilk, dill weed and salt and pepper, to taste, and pulse until well combined and smooth.
Note: This dressing tastes better as it sits; make it ahead and keep it chilled in the refrigerator.

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