tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92035970708811400322024-02-01T22:24:37.533-08:00Healthy Healing KitchenKastle Key & The Divine Life Playhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11816741180226832461noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203597070881140032.post-3966189391655938092013-04-19T08:38:00.001-07:002013-04-19T10:42:36.503-07:00All Hail Kale ! <img height="640" src="https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/601999_10151562093923944_2007965639_n.jpg" width="467" /><br />
<br />
via : <a href="http://juicegeneration.com/">http://juicegeneration.com/</a><br />
<br />Kastle Key & The Divine Life Playhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11816741180226832461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203597070881140032.post-67750536073324468552013-04-18T15:38:00.000-07:002013-04-18T15:38:18.239-07:00Is Organic Better? Ask a Fruit Fly - NYTimes.comThe next generation is going back to where our grandparents started ~ ! bring it back around to organic and home grown. eat local, eat organic, eat to live longer than a fruit fly!! ;) <br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Check out this Article,<br />
Leslie<br />
<br />
via : <a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/is-organic-better-ask-a-fruit-fly/">Is Organic Better? Ask a Fruit Fly - NYTimes.com</a>: </span><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/04/10/health/10well_fruitfly/10well_fruitfly-articleInline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="272" id="100000002163258" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/04/10/health/10well_fruitfly/10well_fruitfly-articleInline.jpg" style="display: block;" width="190" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Ria Chhabra, a middle school student near Dallas, heard her parents arguing about the value of organic foods, she was inspired to create a science fair project to try to resolve the debate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Three years later, Ria’s exploration of fruit flies and organic foods has not only raised some provocative questions about the health benefits of organic eating, it has also earned the 16-year-old top honors in a national science competition, publication in a respected scientific journal and university laboratory privileges normally reserved for graduate students.</span></div>
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<span class="credit" style="color: #909090; display: block; line-height: 1.223em; margin: 2px 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photo Researchers</span></span><span class="caption" style="color: #666666; display: block; line-height: 1.2727em; margin: 3px 2px;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.5em;"><br />While the results can’t be directly extrapolated to human health, the research nonetheless paves the way for additional studies on the relative health benefits of organic versus conventionally grown foods. Fruit fly models are often used in research because their short life span allows scientists to evaluate a number of basic biological effects over a relatively brief period of time, and the results provide clues for better understanding disease and biological processes in humans.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The research, titled “<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0052988" style="color: #666699;">Organically Grown Food Provides Health Benefits to<em>Drosophila melanogaster</em></a>,” tracked the effects of organic and conventional diets on the health of fruit flies. By nearly every measure, including fertility, stress resistance and longevity, flies that fed on organic bananas and potatoes fared better than those who dined on conventionally raised produce. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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<a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/04/15/health/15well_fly/15well_fly-articleInline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="credit" style="color: #909090; display: block; line-height: 1.223em; margin: 2px 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Courtesy of Ria Chhabra</span></span><span class="caption" style="color: #666666; display: block; line-height: 1.2727em; margin: 3px 2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ria Chhabra stands in front of her project.</span></span><img alt="Ria Chhabra stands in front of her project." border="0" height="286" id="100000002172385" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/04/15/health/15well_fly/15well_fly-articleInline.jpg" style="display: block;" width="190" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">For her original middle-school science project, Ria evaluated the vitamin C content of organic produce compared with conventionally farmed foods. When she found higher concentrations of the vitamin in organic foods, she decided she wanted to take the experiment further and measure the effects of organic eating on overall health.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">She searched the Internet and decided a fruit fly model would be the best way to conduct her experiment. She e-mailed several professors who maintained fly laboratories asking for assistance. To her surprise, Johannes Bauer, an assistant professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, responded to her inquiry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“We are very interested in fly health, and her project was a perfect match for what we were doing,” Dr. Bauer said. Although he would not normally agree to work with a middle-school student, he said, Ria performed on the level of a college senior or graduate student. “The seriousness with which she approached this was just stunning,” he said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ria worked on the project over the summer, eventually submitting the research to her local science fair competition. The project was named among just 30 finalists in the prestigious <a href="http://www.societyforscience.org/MASTERS" style="color: #666699;">2011 Broadcom Masters </a>national science competition. Dr. Bauer, following his lab’s policy of publishing all research regardless of outcome, urged Ria, then 14, to pursue publication in a scientific journal. Dr. Bauer and an S.M.U. research associate, Santharam Kolli, are listed as co-authors on the research.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now a sophomore at Clark High School in Plano, Tex., Ria said she was excited to see her work accepted by a scientific journal. “I had no idea what publishing my research meant,” said Ria, who last week was juggling high school exams, a swim meet and a sweet-16 party. “My mom told me, ‘This is a pretty big deal.’”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ria has continued to work in Dr. Bauer’s lab. For her 10th-grade science fair project she created a model for studying Type 2 diabetes in fruit flies. The work will be presented in a few weeks. She plans to build on that research by studying the effects of alternative remedies, like cinnamon and curcumin, found in turmeric, on diabetes in fruit flies.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ria said she was only just beginning to think about applying to colleges and is intrigued by Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, although she has not ruled any school in or out. Dr. Bauer said that he was happy to have her working in his lab and that her biggest problem was that “she has too many ideas for her own good.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, Dr. Bauer said the study of organic foods and fruit fly health has raised some important questions that he hopes can be answered in future research. The difference in outcomes among the flies fed different diets could be due to the effects of pesticide and fungicide residue from conventionally raised foods.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Or it could be that the organic-fed flies thrived because of a higher level of nutrients in the organic produce. One intriguing idea raises the question of whether organically raised plants produce more natural compounds to ward off pests and fungi, and whether those compounds offer additional health benefits to flies, animals and humans who consume organic foods. “There are no hard data on that, but it’s something we’d like to follow up on,” he said.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. Bauer said he’d love to keep Ria around S.M.U. but realizes that she would have her pick of colleges around the country. “She is really extraordinary,” he said. “If she was a graduate student in my lab, she would be tremendous.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">While far more study needs to be conducted to determine the possible benefits of organic foods on human health, the debate has been settled in the Chhabra household, where Ria’s parents no longer argue about the cost of organic food. “All of our fresh produce is organic,” she said.</span></div>
Kastle Key & The Divine Life Playhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11816741180226832461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203597070881140032.post-61368823564593190292012-07-17T11:46:00.001-07:002012-07-17T11:48:18.449-07:00Raw "Pasta"<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdEY9ljsiL6hXOellcv5rKkdYEPMT_S5K1frc2mh1ODk_hp4uWyVs3tMbKbZxhEsZb7k9UXdm6JfOTN_oK8KHkpC5-bMhS_VAfPpGgFi_lnCSGcBIQU_ziSRN0fJSGaChjMrylSTIFic37/s1600/IMG_0068.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdEY9ljsiL6hXOellcv5rKkdYEPMT_S5K1frc2mh1ODk_hp4uWyVs3tMbKbZxhEsZb7k9UXdm6JfOTN_oK8KHkpC5-bMhS_VAfPpGgFi_lnCSGcBIQU_ziSRN0fJSGaChjMrylSTIFic37/s400/IMG_0068.JPG" /></a><br />
Sometimes I get a craving for a "pasta" dish without the grains and carbs. <br />
Pasta itself is not really all that flavorful.... It is the sauces, the add ins, and the heaviness that most of us *Crave*!<br />
<br />
Zucchini is an excellent "pasta" when it is sliced into thin pieces with a mandolin. <br />
I like to toss with olive oil, fresh veggies, black olives, red pepper, salt and pepper and - of course- fresh herbs. (the herbs can really take it up a notch) Try basil, parsley, cilantro - whatever you favor. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorjtcYmxPxSe6v8XVtR_6nZz50fd1WNETzLSynUHsdtM8NIBt9qDgR3L5PW91GHyYyNC4jz58zQx4dmmEpoWMieSNzPbM5DRUIOc6rcUqd3bXQhdiMyjGlIQFANhucOGJ0aMfsIPCFqpF/s1600/IMG_0061.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorjtcYmxPxSe6v8XVtR_6nZz50fd1WNETzLSynUHsdtM8NIBt9qDgR3L5PW91GHyYyNC4jz58zQx4dmmEpoWMieSNzPbM5DRUIOc6rcUqd3bXQhdiMyjGlIQFANhucOGJ0aMfsIPCFqpF/s400/IMG_0061.JPG" /></a><br />
I usually experiment with whatever is in my fridge or at the farmer's market. no need for a recipe... just follow your growling tummy to create your own raw "pasta" dish. Toss it all in a bowl and serve it up room temperature to bring out the flavors.<br />
<br />
Enjoy !<br />
you can do Raw - it is easy.<br />
<br />
~ xoox ~ leslie </div>
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</div>Kastle Key & The Divine Life Playhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11816741180226832461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203597070881140032.post-80805280104034353032012-05-22T17:25:00.000-07:002012-05-22T17:25:50.164-07:00Add a lil KiCK to your meals this Memorial Day weekend<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjof0KvWM6XQVk81vtndPEYvD0aNv3ROJmR4ObkvZKnxj0M7VG4JAXKdOT1f3vnGGanB3agzL4MQLp55d1pRVU4h1KlBIHWbroxkx_IdKF1n1WhOmOeGFDBjCewfajwNp0qAhPBx5C3qZMx/s1600/IMG_7657.PNG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjof0KvWM6XQVk81vtndPEYvD0aNv3ROJmR4ObkvZKnxj0M7VG4JAXKdOT1f3vnGGanB3agzL4MQLp55d1pRVU4h1KlBIHWbroxkx_IdKF1n1WhOmOeGFDBjCewfajwNp0qAhPBx5C3qZMx/s400/IMG_7657.PNG.jpg" width="272" /></a>Memorial Day Weekend has me longing for big batches of food to share with friends! <br />I am going to be making up a few salads to take to a friend's river house this weekend. <br />
<br />
Here's one of my new favorites : <br /> <b>Black Eyed Pea Salad</b><br />
<br />
You can use whatever you have on hand, but I love to add in jalapenos and lots of cilantro <br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>15 oz black eyed peas (i like to buy them dried) soak overnight and simmer on the stove until they are cooked to your preference</li>
<li>1 chopped green bell pepper</li>
<li>1 -2 chopped red/yellow bell peppers</li>
<li>cilantro... lots and lots of cilantro. </li>
<li>jalapenos ! for some heat </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
toss it all in a big bowl & then whip up this dressing to pour over the top<br />
<ul>
<li>3/4 cup balsamic vinegar</li>
<li>1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>1/4 cup sugar</li>
<li>2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 tsp pepper </li>
</ul>
Let the salad marinate for a few hours so that all the flavors soak in. Enjoy!<br />
you can do this one. easy breezy. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Kastle Key & The Divine Life Playhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11816741180226832461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203597070881140032.post-86613263064937309832012-05-21T15:57:00.001-07:002012-05-22T17:47:58.816-07:00Making Flaxseed Crackers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lDfiL35Q7viIY8GtQMhSK80xhbcUKsjoAKGorIvhfGFey55s3qSZT-IWauQF3ag7dcJitY99MifoDFCbplYJduMvX1Qk-fyKYFOuZmo9MSGqG5V_HS2YFd-IFVjkQGTCN9RyZzdglw-I/s1600/flaxseed+crackers.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lDfiL35Q7viIY8GtQMhSK80xhbcUKsjoAKGorIvhfGFey55s3qSZT-IWauQF3ag7dcJitY99MifoDFCbplYJduMvX1Qk-fyKYFOuZmo9MSGqG5V_HS2YFd-IFVjkQGTCN9RyZzdglw-I/s400/flaxseed+crackers.jpg" width="400" /> </a><br />
Making another batch of flaxseed crackers this morning & trying a
new "parmesan cheese"made from pumpkin seeds!<br />
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</div>Kastle Key & The Divine Life Playhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11816741180226832461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203597070881140032.post-43880686954387659722012-05-12T10:09:00.000-07:002012-05-21T15:54:28.163-07:00Quick Kitchen : Buffalo Salmon Wrap<div class="mobile-photo">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPP-rHkIElvxBk-wSNX5m8lA_jHRaBLSq1PaFFrKlf4GgeyTQqDuyVi4WWo4XQypLk-xAVok_J2QrgMkFwWtQSA2zifm68ZnopKqt3AF4VyN58G9oKMUYK4rD1ai7eONkJQ2In9GK3vSt/s1600/photo-779372.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5741719210845991890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPP-rHkIElvxBk-wSNX5m8lA_jHRaBLSq1PaFFrKlf4GgeyTQqDuyVi4WWo4XQypLk-xAVok_J2QrgMkFwWtQSA2zifm68ZnopKqt3AF4VyN58G9oKMUYK4rD1ai7eONkJQ2In9GK3vSt/s640/photo-779372.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Kastle Key & The Divine Life Playhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11816741180226832461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203597070881140032.post-16239183944338231302012-04-02T10:14:00.001-07:002012-04-02T10:22:14.985-07:00Prepare Meals as INSPIRED- lavish or simple - have more FUN!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEe6L32XwX-Dk0IdMRuuPPk_pcU0O_YMGEBzUcKzQS5vrcMLWeoum3KuVJyzx-VSJO19sIbWEK1gBmyWF4vpIlZBRZPm9Ejvro7nnyh_BRANZ3xE0v4Oe0HMAmW1dyaiwEGOoDHEbgSXd/s1600/preparing+for+meals.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEe6L32XwX-Dk0IdMRuuPPk_pcU0O_YMGEBzUcKzQS5vrcMLWeoum3KuVJyzx-VSJO19sIbWEK1gBmyWF4vpIlZBRZPm9Ejvro7nnyh_BRANZ3xE0v4Oe0HMAmW1dyaiwEGOoDHEbgSXd/s640/preparing+for+meals.jpg" width="640" /> </a><br />
<br />
Gather up what you need for a recipe on the counter, early in the day....<br />
when you walk through the kitchen, you will be more easily inspired to prepare the meal.<br />
<br />
Create your meals when INSPIRED and you will have more fun in the kitchen!<br />
<br />
if you aren't inspired to prepare a lavish meal, just eat SIMPLE!<br />
<br />
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</div>Kastle Key & The Divine Life Playhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11816741180226832461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203597070881140032.post-91002918551929359152012-03-28T14:56:00.001-07:002012-03-28T16:51:56.126-07:00Cooking with Coconut Oil<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvFYK_EQkYWS1cSmnk6EieXEnfp8aA712qxgpuY3oX5cvxpGTu1ZAOcQrEtt_Xt6shkjQvtINl2MW7RLlcCx1L6sJLJiNwb-CX1MVQdFmX51_JNuns0YCm_xobPTw4giBXpMw4kHT9ZPz/s1600/coconut+oil.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvFYK_EQkYWS1cSmnk6EieXEnfp8aA712qxgpuY3oX5cvxpGTu1ZAOcQrEtt_Xt6shkjQvtINl2MW7RLlcCx1L6sJLJiNwb-CX1MVQdFmX51_JNuns0YCm_xobPTw4giBXpMw4kHT9ZPz/s400/coconut+oil.JPG" /></a></blockquote>
I recently discovered Coconut Oil. I have been learning more about
which oils are best for high temp cooking. I've heard that many golden
oils found on the shelves at the grocery are already rancid. Heating
almost all oils starts to hydrogenate the oil. <br />
<br />
There's a lot of great information online and I encourage you to search it out and make your own choices. <br />
Here's an article I read about it on the New York Times blog :<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
Whether coconut oil is good or bad for you remains a topic of debate in the nutrition community. But as Melissa Clark reports on Wednesday in the Dining section, coconut oil is winning some fans.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Two groups have helped give coconut oil its sparkly new makeover. One is made up of scientists, many of whom are backtracking on the worst accusations against coconut oil. And the other is the growing number of vegans, who rely on it as a sweet vegetable fat that is solid at room temperature and can create flaky pie crusts, crumbly scones and fluffy cupcake icings, all without butter.<br />
<br />
via <a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/cooking-with-coconut-oil/">well.blogs.nytimes.com</a></blockquote>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
One reason there is so much confusion about coconut oil is that it contains saturated fat. Federal dietary guidelines recommend that consumers limit saturated fat to less than 10 percent of daily calories. But nutritionists note that not all saturated fats are the same.<br />
<blockquote>
Marisa Moore, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, a nonprofit association of nutritionists, said, “Different types of saturated fats behave differently.”<br />
The main saturated fat in coconut oil is lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid. Lauric acid increases levels of good HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, and bad LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, in the blood, but is not thought to negatively affect the overall ratio of the two. She went on to say that while it is still uncertain whether coconut oil is actively beneficial the way olive oil is, small amounts probably are not harmful.</blockquote>
But the best reason to use coconut oil is the taste it adds to food. “Virgin coconut oil has a deep coconut flavor that persists even after cooking,” writes Ms. Clark.<br />
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</div>Kastle Key & The Divine Life Playhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11816741180226832461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203597070881140032.post-58289356949033393422012-03-28T12:38:00.003-07:002012-03-28T16:45:24.106-07:00Raw Flaxseed Crackers for Munchin & Crunchin!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gsd_KC00kEvt6tEhGe0WX2H6RIHQifeBk-TRxGB-f6xjQHFKy89w0NoLbuBfRCkQi9hGIqAPMFjbXgL9o44DqvT_jI5fuuqh-OYapa6_rxizMM_w8VOyALau2e_W-_twthvnFRurEHXf/s1600/IMG_0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gsd_KC00kEvt6tEhGe0WX2H6RIHQifeBk-TRxGB-f6xjQHFKy89w0NoLbuBfRCkQi9hGIqAPMFjbXgL9o44DqvT_jI5fuuqh-OYapa6_rxizMM_w8VOyALau2e_W-_twthvnFRurEHXf/s320/IMG_0054.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I've been piddling with Raw "Cooking" for years now. <br />
If you know me well, you have heard me say "no rules, just right." What's "just 'right" is usually balanced.<br />
<br />
I don't eat strictly any type of diet. Often I eat vegan, gluten free, or sugar free. I'm not strict, though. I just bring in more and more recipes and habits to my life that will support me living a long and vibrant life from the inside out! And you will see me eat french fries and an occasional steak too, people! <br />
<br />
Lately I have been removing more and more grains from my diet. I decided to start playing around with dehydrated flaxseed "crackers." I read a few recipes and then tried using what I already had in the kitchen. <br />
Here's my first batch. I only have golden flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, and cumin in this batch. I will keep trying new batches though, because it was super simple and they were YUM!<br />
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They lasted me about a week. They were great in avocado dips and with greek yogart on top. <br />
I'll keep you posted on my future recipes as I tweak this one.Kastle Key & The Divine Life Playhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11816741180226832461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203597070881140032.post-36259243152661217402012-03-18T13:27:00.000-07:002012-03-28T16:45:37.787-07:00The Definitive Guide to Grains - What do you think??<div class="posterous_autopost">
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Grains.... are they really the base of our food pyramid? Interesting article via <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-grains/#axzz1qReTZ6YA">marksdailyapple.com</a><br />
What do you think? food for thought!<br />
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<i>Amber Waves of Pain</i></div>
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Order up! Yes, folks, it’s definitive guide time again. I’ve read your requests and am happy (as always) to oblige. Grab your <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/coffee-tea-caffeine-talk/" target="_self" title="Caffeine Talk">coffee</a> (or <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/tea/" target="_self" title="Tea">tea</a>), and pull up a seat. Glad you’re with us.<br />
<a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/diabetes/" target="_self" title="Definitive Guide to Insulin">Insulin</a>, <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/cholesterol/" target="_self" title="Definitive Guide to Cholesterol">cholesterol</a>, <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fats/" target="_self" title="Definitive Guide to Fats">fats</a>… They’re only the tip of the iceberg. I’ve had a few “definitive” topics up my sleeve for a while now, and grains are it for today. Yes, grains. I know <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/simple-complex-carbohydrates/" target="_self" title="Grains Get a Bad Rap">we’ve given them a bad rap</a> before, and it’s safe to say I’ll do it again here. Sometimes the truth hurts, but you know what they say about the messenger, right? Without further ado…<br />
Grains. Every day we’re bombarded with them and their myriad of associations in American (and much of Western) culture: Wilford Brimley, Uncle Ben, the Sunbeam girl, the latest Wheaties athlete, a pastrami on rye, spaghetti dinners, buns for barbeque, corn on the cob, donuts, birthday cake, apple pie, amber waves of grain…. Gee, am I missing anything? Of course. So much, in fact, that it could – and usually does – take up the majority of supermarket square footage. (Not to mention those government <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/welfare-queens/" target="_self" title="Farm Subsidies">farm subsidies</a>, but that’s another post.) Yes, <b>grains are solidly etched into our modern Western psyche – just not so much into our physiology</b>.<br />
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Those of you who have been with us a while now know the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-primal-blueprint/" target="_self" title="Primal Blueprint">evolutionary backdrop</a> I mean here. We humans had the pleasure and occasional scourge of evolving within a hunter gatherer existence. We’re talking some 150,000 plus years of hunting and foraging. <b>On the daily scavenge menu:</b> <b>meats, nuts, leafy greens, regional veggies, some tubers and roots, the occasional berries or seasonal fruits and seeds</b> that other animals hadn’t decimated. (Ever seen a dog at an apple picking?) We ate what nature (in our respective locales) served up. The more filling, the better. And then <b>around 10,000 years ago, the tide turned</b>. Our forefathers and mothers were on the brink of ye olde Agricultural Revolution. And, over time, <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/king-corn-pbs/" target="_self" title="King Corn">grains became king</a>. But, as countless archaeological findings suggest, people became smaller and frailer as a result of this new agrarian, grain-fed existence.<br />
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Ten thousand years seems like a long time, doesn’t it? Think of all the house projects you could get done, the advanced degrees you could earn, the dinner party recipes you could try out, the books you could read. Almost oppressive, isn’t it? But our personal vantage point on the span of <b>10,000 years doesn’t mean much of anything when the context is evolution</b>. It takes a lot to drastically change a major system in the human body. We’re talking a way bigger change than trying out the latest flavor of Malt-O-Meal. <b>Grains were certainly not any substantial part of the human diet prior to the Agricultural Revolution.</b> And even after grains became a large part of human existence, those who were deathly allergic to them or had zero capacity to take in their modest nutrient value were, in all likelihood, selected against. And pretty quickly at that. Those whose health was so compromised by grains that they were rendered infertile early in life were also washed out of the gene pool. That’s how it works. But if you can limp along long enough to procreate (which was considerably earlier then than it typically is now), that new fangled diet of grains got you through. No matter how stunted your growth was, how awful your teeth were, how prone you were to infection.<br />
When I say humans didn’t evolve eating grains, I mean <b>our digestive processes didn’t evolve to maximize the effectiveness of grain consumption</b>. Just because you can tolerate grains to a certain degree, as just about all of us can (thanks to those earlier folks hitting the end of the genetic line), doesn’t mean your body was designed for them or that they’re truly healthy for you or – especially – that you can achieve optimum health through them. We’re not talking about what will allow you to hobble along. We’re talking about the foods that offer effective and efficient digestion and nutrient absorption in the body. And that’s all about evolutionary design. <b>If you’re not after optimal health, you’re probably reading the wrong blog.</b> But if you want to work with your body instead of unnecessarily tax it, if you want to focus your diet on the best foods with the most positive impact, you most definitely are reading the right blog. Now let’s continue.<br />
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Among my many beefs with grain, the first and foremost is the <b>havoc it plays with insulin</b> and other hormonal responses in the body. For the full picture, visit the previous <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/diabetes/" target="_self" title="Definitive Guide to Insulin">Definitive Guide to Insulin</a> from some months ago. Guess what? The same principles still hold. We developed the insulin response to help store excess nutrients and to take surplus (and potentially toxic) glucose out of the bloodstream. This was an adaptive trait. But it didn’t evolve to handle the massive amounts of carbs we throw at it now. And, yes, we’re talking mostly about grains. Unless you have a compulsive penchant for turnips, the average American’s majority of carb intake comes from grains.<br />
The gist is this (as many of you know): <b>Whatever the carbohydrate, it will eventually be broken down into glucose</b>, either in the gut or the liver. But now it’s all dressed up with likely no place to go. Unless you just did a major workout or are finishing tying your running shoes as we speak (which would allow those grain-based carbs to be used in the restocking of depleted glycogen stores or burned as secondary fuel, respectively), that French baguette will more likely get stored as fat.<br />
Why? Because carbohydrates elicit a physiological response that <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203091236.htm" target="_blank" title="Science Daily">favors fat storage</a>. That blasted baguette has already set off a strategic chain of hormonal events akin to a physiological-style Tom Clancy plot: the ambush of baguette glucose, the defensive maneuver of insulin, (if you ate the whole baguette, in particular) the entering reinforcements of adrenaline and cortisol. Why the drama? Because, remember, this was not the standard mode of nutrition in our body’s evolution. And every time it happens, the body is a little worse for the wear. <b>This whole hormonal production taxes the adrenal system, the pancreas, the immune system, and results in a tiny amount of <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/inflammation/" target="_self" title="What's All This Talk About Inflammation?">inflammation</a>. </b>We all know what we say about inflammation, right? (Hint: the blight of modern existence.)<br />
And as for the nutritional value of grains? First off, <b>they aren’t the complete nutritional sources they’re made out to be</b>. Quite the contrary, grains have been associated with minerals deficiencies, perhaps because of high phytate levels. A diet high in grains may also <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6299329?dopt=Abstract%20%20" target="_blank" title="Grains and Vitamin D">reduce the body’s ability to process vitamin D</a>.<br />
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Why not get the same nutrients from sources that don’t come back and bite you in the backside? If you have the choice between getting, say, B-vitamins from chicken or some “whole wheat” pasta, I’m going to say go with the chicken every time. Is pasta cheaper? Yes. Is it healthier? No. The B6 in chicken is more bioavailable, for one. The fact is, you pay too high a physiological price for the pasta source. Let’s get this point on the dinner table as well: <b>whatever nutrients you can get from whole grains you can get in equal to greater amounts in other food</b>. In terms of nutrient density, grains can’t hold a candle to a diverse diet of veggies and meats. (And if the label says otherwise, look closely because the product is fortified. Save your money and buy a good supplement instead.<br />
But, wait, there’s more. Enter the lurker substances in grains that cause a lot of people a whole lot of obvious problems (and probably all of us some kind of damage over time). Grains, new evolutionarily-speaking, are frankly <b>hard on the digestive system</b>. (You say fiber, I say <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fiber/" target="_self" title="Fiber Menace">unnecessary roughage</a>, but that’s only the half of it.) Enter <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/gluten-celiac-disease/" target="_self" title="Dear Mark: Gluten">gluten</a> and lectins, both initiators of digestive mayhem, you might say. Gluten, the large, water-soluble protein that creates the sludge, err, elasticity in dough, is found in most common grains like wheat, rye and barley (and it’s the primary glue in wallpaper paste). Researchers now believe that <b>a third of us are likely gluten intolerant/sensitive</b>. That third of us (and I would suspect many more on some level) “react” to gluten with a perceptible inflammatory response. Over time, those who are gluten intolerant can develop a dismal array of medical conditions: dermatitis, joint pain, reproductive problems, acid reflux and other digestive conditions, autoimmune disorders, and Celiac disease. And that still doesn’t mean that the rest of us aren’t experiencing some milder negative effect that simply doesn’t manifest itself so obviously.<br />
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Now for lectins. <b>Lectins are mild, natural toxins</b> that aren’t limited to just grains but seem to be found in especially high levels in most common grain varieties. They serve as one more reason grains just aren’t worth all the trouble that comes with them. Lectins, researchers have found, <a href="http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0040276&ct=1%20" target="_blank" title="PLoS Bioogy">inhibit the natural repair system of the GI tract</a>, potentially leaving the rest of the body open to the impact of errant, wandering (i.e. unwanted) material from the digestive system, especially when these lectins “unlock” barriers to entry and allow larger undigested protein molecules into the bloodstream. This breach can initiate <b>all kinds of immune-related havoc and is thought to be related to the development of autoimmune disorders</b>. Some people are more sensitive to the damage of lectins than others, as in the case with gluten. Nonetheless, I’d say, over time we all pay the piper.<br />
<b>The bottom line is this: grains = carbs.</b> Unnecessary at best, but flat out unhealthy at worst, they’re not the wholesome staples they’re made out to be. Talk about double taxation: Our bodies pay for what our trusty government subsidizes Big Agra for. <b>The best – really the only way – to achieve a low carb, whole foods diet is to ditch the grains.</b> (Your body will be better off without inflammation, the insulin roller coaster, not to mention the constant onslaught of creepy gluten and lectins.) A diet very low or entirely without grains (low-carb) has been shown to <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070627225459.htm" target="_blank" title="Science Daily">decrease risk for problems associated with diabetes</a>, to lower blood pressure, alleviate heartburn symptoms, and <a href="http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/86/2/276" target="_blank" title="Lose That Belly Fat!">shed abdominal fat</a>. Finally, low carb diets have been <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070627225459.htm" target="_blank" title="Science Daily">associated</a> with significant “reductions in a number of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules.”<br />
<b>The idea here is not to demonize grains. Well, O.K., it is.</b> (But only because our society and medical establishment spends so much time exalting them.) Just as I choose to steer clear of grains as a regular part of my diet, I do occasionally indulge a bit. A tiny bit. And that’s where the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-primal-blueprint/" target="_self" title="Primal Blueprint">Primal Blueprint</a> enters: it’s about informed, not dictated choices. That French bread at an anniversary dinner, a sample of the pasta salad at your Uncle Billy’s steak fry, the saffron rice your daughter cooks for you when you visit her first apartment – they’re thoughtful, <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/art-of-compromise/" target="_self" title="The Art of Compromise">purposeful compromises</a>. (And they’re perhaps very worth it for reasons that have nothing to do with the food itself.) The point of the Primal Blueprint if this: When you understand the metabolic effects of eating grains, you’re empowered to make informed decisions about the role grains will have in your diet. You’re free to enjoy good health and self-selected compromises with a clear conscience and full epicurean gusto!</blockquote>
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via <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-grains/#axzz1qReTZ6YA">marksdailyapple.com</a></div>
Food for Thought</div>
</div>Kastle Key & The Divine Life Playhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11816741180226832461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203597070881140032.post-65515182239128104002011-08-21T15:32:00.000-07:002012-03-28T19:08:05.081-07:00Tomatoes Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Salad<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkOh4mf-b1gsPhofHtf_C9tTQ1DiWg2azUT62mjQc_TCvI37kV046ru943_h7T4jmqTt1m7Ob22X_0hlT2E_SUG2lgtVO9f0hTIB59VDF-dW7pDEIM3bRNN5hoLxPx8MXUD6EQ7fcnswT/s1600/eating+from+the+garden.JPG" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkOh4mf-b1gsPhofHtf_C9tTQ1DiWg2azUT62mjQc_TCvI37kV046ru943_h7T4jmqTt1m7Ob22X_0hlT2E_SUG2lgtVO9f0hTIB59VDF-dW7pDEIM3bRNN5hoLxPx8MXUD6EQ7fcnswT/s400/eating+from+the+garden.JPG" width="298" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCmZ2Da5W9JnOPCjxha7eco8lQgpTs8hdLcDsRyt_JU4q6m8RsYy-rW9L7AP3l5auhJEFHJ3ni1EGFCVZ14MwegfAkNVENSUyno8pyGZgkFKHu442MROFhdOlw-mMrJvaXTta4snBBg-8/s1600/tomatoes.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCmZ2Da5W9JnOPCjxha7eco8lQgpTs8hdLcDsRyt_JU4q6m8RsYy-rW9L7AP3l5auhJEFHJ3ni1EGFCVZ14MwegfAkNVENSUyno8pyGZgkFKHu442MROFhdOlw-mMrJvaXTta4snBBg-8/s320/tomatoes.JPG" width="263" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="text-align: center;">Simple ingredients = delicious salad. </div><div style="text-align: center;">use up the tomatoes from your garden. buy some fresh mozzarella. find some basil & arrange it all on a plate or dice it up and put it all in a bowl. <br />
drizzel with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. sea salt and fresh ground pepper top it all off. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">enjoy!</div>one of my favorite august salads.<br />
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ox leslie</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: NONE;"></div>Kastle Key & The Divine Life Playhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11816741180226832461noreply@blogger.com0