Snappy Summer Snack

Posted on May 2, 2009 by Ana

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Sugar Snap Peas – Nature’s Snappy Candy

Every year around this time, one of my favorite healthy whole food snacks begins to appear in the local farmer’s market – sugar snap peas.

If you have never eaten these little green jewels in an edible shell raw, you are in for a tasty surprise. They are sweet, yet low in sugar.

They’re refreshing, especially when stored in the fridge. They make the perfect dipper or can be eaten as is. And their crisp personality will satisfy the snacker in you.

The best news is they’re fast food! Just wash, drain and toss them in a to-go container. You can pull the tops off and “de-string” them as you eat.

These delicious members of the legume family pack some nutritional punch as well. They contain vitamin K for bone health and blood clotting, B-vitamins including folic acid, and plenty of vitamin C.

Look for ones whose pods are firm, velvety and smooth. Their color should be a lively medium green. Those whose green color is especially light or dark, or those that are yellow, whitish or are speckled with gray, should be avoided.

Enjoy them right on the spot or store in the refrigerator for tomorrow’s feast.

Posted in disease prevention, Energize Your Life, farmer's markets, finding joy, general health, green foods, healthy eating, healthy habits, natural health, natural medicine, nature, nutrition, raw foods, seasonal foods, seasonal health, Superfoods, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Keeping Your Produce Fresh

Posted on May 2, 2009 by Ana

fruits_vegetablesMany times when we start to incorporate more fresh produce into our diets, there is a learning curve regarding how much to buy and how to store it optimally. No body wants broccoli rotting in a back corner after 5 days!

So, here are some quick and easy tips to maximize freshness and your dollars – less waste.

1) Buy as much as possible from your local farmer’s market where it has been picked that day. The majority of produce from local grocery stores is weeks old when you finally buy it.

2) To extend the life of your produce, store it in Green Bags (Ever Fresh  at http://www.evertfresh.com/ or Debbie Meyer at https://www.greenbags.com/?cid=587724 or www.hsn.com) or use the new E.G.G. (Ethylene Gas Guardian, found at http://www.4theegg.com/).

3) Store as much as possible in your “crisper”.

4) Try wrapping the ends of greens with wet clothes or organic paper towels. This seems to help them last longer and keeps them from wilting.

5) To save time and plastic, take your green bags to the market with you. Then everything is ready to be stored upon arrival.

6)Mushrooms, jicama and Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) should be store in paper bags to prevent them from molding.

7) Tomatoes should be kept at room temperature.

8) Potatoes and onions should be stored in a cool, dark, dry environment. Not in the refrigerator.

9) Avocados should stay at room temperature until they ripen, then refrigerate.

10) Items like apples and oranges can be left out in a basket, but will last longer in the fridge.

11) Berries will do best refriderated in a container that allows some airflow.

12) Asparagus will stay freshest if you put the ends in water and cover them with a bag. Use as soon as possible.

13) Fresh herbs should be used within a few days. To store them longer, try processing in the food processor with a little olive oil. Divide into ice trays, freeze, then store the single portion doses in the freezer in baggies or glass containers.

Now, happy produce shopping!

Posted in anti-aging, cleansing, cooking, disease prevention, Energize Your Life, environmental consciousness, family health, farmer's markets, finding balance, general health, getting healthy, green foods, Health on a budget, healthy eating, healthy habits, immune health, longevity, natural health, nature, nutrition, seasonal foods, simplify, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Cleansing with Celery

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Ana

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Allow me to introduce one of my favorite foods: celery!
It really seems so humble, but I have found myself loving it more and more everyday. It is light, refreshing, has natural sodium and minerals (that we need), is great as a snack, in your salad, in your smoothie or soup. It is known as a wonderful cleansing and “diet” food because it is low in calories and high in fiber. In fact, you burn more eating and digesting it than you actually take in. I use it a lot as a digestive aid for “denser” foods like nut butters, nuts and seeds or chicken. The high enzyme content helps to digest these foods meaning less indigestion, but also less fat storage. And the minerals and protein in cashews, for example are much easier to digest when paired with some fresh stalks of celery.

Below are some excerpts from an article from NaturalNews.com by Sheryl Waters:
“Fresh, light green celery with glossy ribs is the best for eating. Celery is truly economical; all parts of the plant are edible and one cup contains only about twenty calories. There is no waste. It’s a great food and has a number of known health benefits.

Celery can provide a sense of calmness. It can also help lower blood pressure. People with gout should be fans of celery because it lowers uric acid.

Drinking fresh celery juice is said to reduce appetite. Taken before a meal it may help with weight loss.

People seldom think of celery as a real food in and of itself. In today’s culinary world, celery is used as a seasoning, a garnish or a snack, but Hippocrates considered it a medicine and recommended it for kidney health.

High in calcium and Vitamin C, celery should be a part of your daily diet. It is an excellent finger food and best when eaten raw. Avoid the large, fibrous bottom ends and for best flavor, store celery in a part of the refrigerator where it won’t freeze.”

I have encountered some people who find celery boring or lacking in flavor. My suggestion is to pair it with more flavorful items. Fill celery ribs with almond butter and pair with an apple for a wonderful snack. They can be used for dipping sticks with guacamole, salsa, egg salad or chicken salad. Other options include pairing with artichoke dip or tapenade.

If you are fortunate enough to have a high-speed blender, blend celery, apple and coconut water for a post workout electrolyte boost.
I have even processed celery, zucchini, cilantro and garlic in the Vita-Mix or food processor, then combined it with mashed avocado for a tasty veggi-guac dip or wrap filling.

Enjoy!

Sources:

Ryder, E. J. 1979. Leafy Salad Vegetables. AVI Publishing.

Newall, C.A., Anderson, L.A., & Phillipson, J.D. 1996. Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Health-care Professionals, The Pharmaceutical Press, London.

Bartram, T. 1995. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, 1st edn.,Grace Publishers, Bournemouth.

Posted in beauty, boosting metabolism, cleansing, cravings, detox, gluten-free, healthy eating, raw foods, weight loss | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Coconuts!

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Ana

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Today in the first meeting of the Devana Spring Cleanse Workshop, we got on the topic of young coconuts and coconut oil. Just a little additional supportive info.

Here is some general information about Coconut Water: (from LivingFoods.com)

“It’s a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It’s the fluid of life, so to speak.” In fact, during the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water – siphoned directly from the nut – to give emergency plasma trasfusions to wounded soldiers.

* Coconut Water is More Nutritious than whole milk – Less fat and NO cholesterol!
* Coconut Water is More Healthy than Orange Juice – Much lower calories
* Coconut Water is Better than processed baby milk- It contains lauric acid, which is present in human mother’s milk
* Coconut water is naturally sterile — Water permeates though the filtering husk!
* Coconut water is a universal donor– Its identical to human blook plasma

“Coconut water is the very stuff of Nature, biologically Pure, full of Natural Sugars, Salts, and Vitamins to ward off fatigue… and is the next wave of energy drinks BUT natural!”, according to Mortin Satin, Chielf of the United Nation’s Food & Agriculture Organization.

Coconut water contains more potassium (at about 294 mg) than most sports drinks (117 mg) and most energy drinks.

Coconut water has less sodium (25mg) where sports drinks have around 41mg and energy drinks have about 200 mg!

Coconut water has 5mg of Natural Sugars where sports and energy drinks range from 10-25mg of Altered Sugars.

Coconut water is very high in Chloride at 118mg, compared to sports drinks at about 39mg.

Data is based on a 100ml drink.

And a little on coconut meat/extra virgin coconut oil:

Because lauric acid has potent anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, recent studies have considered coconut oil as a possible method of lowering viral levels in HIV-AIDS patients. The lauric acid may also be effective in fighting yeast, fungi, and other viruses such as measles, Herpes simplex, influenza and cytomegalovirus.

Because the short-and medium-chain fatty acids of extra virgin coconut oil and coconut milk are easily and quickly assimilated by the body, they are not stored as fat in the body like the long chain triglycerides of animal products. Studies have shown that populations in Polynesia and Sri Lanka, where coconuts are a diet staple, do not suffer from high serum cholesterol or high rates of heart disease.

Extra virgin coconut oil used in a study conducted in the Yucatan showed that those who used the coconut oil on a daily basis had a higher metabolic rate. Though they regularly consumed considerable quantities of the saturated fat, the participants retained a lean body mass. Another facet of the Yucatan study noted that the women participants did not suffer the typical symptoms of menopause.

Below from YoungCoconuts.com
# The coconut is one of the greatest gifts of this planet.
# Coconuts are a prehistoric plant which can survive many months floating at sea.
# The coconut is a natural water filter that takes almost 9 months to filter each liter of water. The water travels through many fibers being purified where it is stored away STERILE in the nut itself.
# This coconut water is pure clear and is one of the highest sources of electrolytes known to man.
# Coconut water is identical to human blood plasma which makes it the universal donor. Plasma makes up 55% of human blood. The other 45% is hemoglobin which can be derived from chlorophyll. By drinking coconuts with green juice we give ourselves a instant blood transfusion.
# Coconuts in their young stage of growth are the most health enhancing.
# Coconuts are a great blood purifier.

The oil can be used on steamed veggies, in salad dressings, to sauté and cook with, in smoothies (especially with green foods for a “blood transfusion”).

Happy coconutting!

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Instructions For Life

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Ana

In honor of Spring’s Transformational Energy, I wanted to share this excerpt from a book (see credits below) that I found inspirational. Spring is a great time to re-evaluate, clean out and start fresh. Now, you can create and nurture what you want to grow.

Wishing you a beautiful April!

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
Follow the three R’s: respect for self, respect for others, responsibility for all your actions.
Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Spend some time alone every day.
Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation of your life.
In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
Be gentle with the earth.
Once a year, go some place you’ve never been before.
Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
Approach love and cooking with the same reckless abandon.

From Life’s Little Instruction Book: 511 Suggestions, Observations, and Reminders On How To Live A Happy And Rewarding Life by H. Jackson Brown, Rutledge Hill Press.

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