Thursday, July 7, 2011

Food Additives.

Take a look at this website. It's very interesting and helpful.

cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Cranberry Cous Cous Summer Salad

This is a great recipe as a side or a meal and especially wonderful on a hot day : )

1/2 cup organic orange juice

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup whole wheat cous cous

1 cup diced mango

1 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup chopped yellow onion

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt and pepper

Bring all liquids to a boil. Add cous cous, remove from heat and cover until all water has absorbed and the cous cous is fluffy. Let the cous cous cool in the fridge for an hour. Add the rest of the ingredients, put in serving bowl and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Bon appetit!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

be fierce, be fit, be kind, be happy, be you.

I wanted to share this blog with my readers. The title says it all :) Jackie Roth is an inspiration to women, young and old!

http://livingbeyondbc.wordpress.com/2010/12/21/be-fierce-be-fit-be-kind-be-happy-be-you/

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Enhanced water is a hype!

I constantly see people walking around with vitamin water and other enhanced waters in their hands. I really just want to shake them and let them know that their $3 beverage is a waste of money, time and calories. These drinks claim that they are enhanced with B vitamins, minerals and vitamin C. News flash, B vitamins and vitamin C are water-soluble and you SHOULD be getting these vitamins through your diet. So, in the long run you are paying three bucks to pee out whatever vitamins and minerals you are "drinking" because your body excretes what you don't need. If your enhanced waters contain fat-soluble vitamins(vitamins A, E, D, and K) then you would have to eat a meal that contains a good amount of fat directly before drinking it. So, stop wasting money on a drink that DOES NOT contain real fruit juice, has empty calories and really will not provide any nutritional value. Instead, eat a diet rich in fruit and veggies and if need be, take a quality multi vitamin :) Do not believe the hype!

Also. . .

Coca Cola owns Glaceau Vitamin Water

Pepsi Co owns SOBE

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The Gluten Craze!

Every time I turn on E! or read a magazine, I am hearing about gluten free diets. This celebrity lost weight on a gluten free diet or so and so went gluten free and lost 40 lbs. UGHHHHHH it's exhausting.
Gluten (from Latin gluten "glue") is a protein composite that appears in foods processed from wheat and related species, including barley and rye. It gives elasticity to dough, helping it to rise and to keep its shape, and often giving the final product a chewy texture. Gluten is the composite of a prolamin and a glutelin, which exist, conjoined with starch, in the endosperm of various grass-related grains. Gliadin, a water-soluble, and glutenin, a water-insoluble, (the prolamin and glutelin from wheat) compose about 80% of the protein contained in wheat seed. Being insoluble in water, they can be purified by washing away the associated starch. Worldwide, gluten is a source of protein, both in foods prepared directly from sources containing it, and as an additive to foods otherwise low in protein.

The fact of the matter is that a gluten free diet is not a fad weight loss trend! It is a serious problem. Many many people have a wheat intolerance and do not even know it. Gluten is in so much stuff now a days and it causes symptoms that you may not even know you have because you have lived with them so long that it seems normal. Abdominal pain, bloating, gas and diarrhea. Unless you cut out gluten for a period of time and start to notice a difference, you may never know you have an intolerance. An intolerance and a wheat allergy are different because unlike allergies, most intolerances are not caused by an immune system response but by a reaction in the digestive tract. Celiac disease is popping up left and right in our country and it is another major problem. Celiac disease is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy. The damage is due to a reaction to eating gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats. I know a handful of people who are in their 30's who are JUST NOW getting diagnosed. I do not believe in fad diets and I do not believe that their are short cuts for being healthy and losing weight. If you think you have a gluten intolerance then cut it out of your diet for 2 weeks. Most people feel less bloated and they are more regular, it is similiar to a dairy intolerance. Oh and one more thing. . . EAT LOCAL!!!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Community Supported Agriculture

Everyone can make a difference!

http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Spelt Pasta with Artichoke and Spinach

This is a great gluten free pasta recipe for any occasion

Ingredients:

3 cups spelt pasta

1 shallot, finely chopped

6 oz artichoke hearts

1/2 cup basil, finely chopped

3 minced garlic cloves

2 1/2 cups chopped spinach

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp EVOO

2 cups dry white wine

Cook pasta. In a large saute pan, saute shallot and garlic in olive oil for two minutes. Add white wine until it reduces by half. Add lemon juice and artichoke hearts. Saute until artichokes are hot and tender. Add pasta to the pan and toss together. Place in a large serving bowl and slowly fold spinach and basil into the pasta. Drizzle a little EVOO and salt and pepper to taste!