Jamaican Pumpkin Soup CrockPot Recipe

Day 299.

The year is quickly winding down! Ive gotten quite a few emails in the past few days wondering what will happen to this blog at the end of the year. Nothing. Its not going anywhere, but I do reserve the right to take a vacation! Im kind of a bit pooped.


This soup beats the pumpkin out of the disgusting black bean and pumpkin soup that I made last week.

The flavors in here are rich and distinguished. Its completely fat-free until you add the cream, which is optional. To cut back on cream consumption, I measured out 1 tablespoon per family member and we stirred it in ourselves at the table. The kids adored this and renamed the soup "Sunset Soup." Adam and I then tried to sing "Sunrise Sunset" for them, but we only knew those first two words, so we just sang them over and over again. It was dorky and sweet all at the same time.

The Ingredients.


This soup will serve 6 grown-ups.

2 cups of fresh pumpkin, or 1 (15-ounce ) can
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 yams, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon tumeric (this was the first time I bought tumeric, and I do think its a necessary spice)
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

TO ADD LATER:
--heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon per family member (optional)
--garnish with chopped green onion (I chose not to at the last minute)

The Directions.


Use a 6-quart slow cooker.

I bought a pumpkin specifically for this recipe. I had huge plans to cut out the flesh, discard the strings and seeds and cook the fresh pumpkin. The kids had other plans, and took the pumpkin from me, wrapped "her" in baby blankets and played house for a few days. When I got "her" back she wasnt quite as hard as she was when I first brought her home from the store. I wasnt terribly worried until I committed pumpkincide and cut into her and found a disgusting black moldy mess.

Mrs. Pumpkin Head is now in the compost bin.

SO! If you have fresh non-squishy and moldy pumpkin, go for it. Otherwise, open a can of pure pumpkin and use that.

Empty it into your crockpot, and add the chopped vegetables. Add the spices and sugar. Stir in the vegetable broth and water. I really dont think it matters one whit what gets added first. Its soup. Its going to cook together all day long.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Carefully use an immersible blender to blend about 3/4 of the soup. If you have littles in the house with texture issues, feel free to blend it all.

Serve with a bit of cream to stir in.

The Verdict.

Gorgeous. This is a gorgeous soup. I love it. The kids enjoyed it (they liked it better when it turned yellow with the cream), and Adam and I liked it an awful lot. Id most definitely serve this to guests.

Super good.

Are you having a potluck this Halloween? Here are a bunch of Halloween-type slow cooker recipes to please the goblins in your neighborhood! 

have a happy day!!

Who What Why Can foods have negative calories

Dieters looking for a quick fix may turn to the promise of negative-calorie foods. But can eating actually burn calories?

Spring can be a confusing time for the body-conscious - a time when thoughts drift towards summer on the beach, but chilly temperatures have many reaching for an extra biscuit.

Those looking to shed a few pounds have often clung to the hope of "negative-calorie" foods - a workout for your taste buds that burns calories while you chew.

But do these foods actually exist?

"A negative-calorie food would by definition consume more calories, for the body to handle it and process it, than is contained in the nutrient content in the food.

"Theoretically thats possible," says Tim Garvey, chair of the department of nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

"In actuality there are no negative-calorie foods," he says.

Or, as the esteemed nutritionist Marion Nestle put it in a one-line email to the BBC: "Total myth. Nothing else to be said."

Consider celery, often proposed as a negative-calorie food due to its low-calorie count, high water density, and impressive fibre content.

While all that chewing and digesting of the fibrous food does burn calories, it doesnt burn a lot. "

There may be just 10 calories in a larger stick, but the body takes only one-fifth that much," to process, says Dr Garvey. "Its still calorie plus."

Never mind that man cannot live on celery alone, and few people just eat raw celery.

"Its more of a gateway to cream cheese or peanut butter," says David Grotto, a nutritionist and author of The Best Things You Can Eat.

Thats not to say that celery sticks - along with other high fibre, water-heavy fruits and vegetables - have no value as weight-loss aids.

"These foods do fill up the stomach and increase satiety," says Dr Garvey, keeping you from ingesting more calories later - but not burning off the calories youve already consumed.

But there are other things you can eat or drink that are supposed to work in a different way, by making the body work harder.

One is cold water, which the body has to warm up to 37C (98.6F). But Grotto is not particularly impressed.

"Theres no research to say that cold water drinkers burn more calories," he says.

"Any amount of metabolic hit is not a significant amount - maybe five calories."

Other foods have different ways of increasing the rate at which we burn calories (otherwise known as the metabolic rate). Caffeine, guanine, taurine and green tea extracts all have these properties, says Ron Mendel, who has done research on diet drinks that combine these ingredients.

In a study with only 20 participants, he found that those who consumed a diet drink called Celsius, which debuted in 2005, burned more calories than when they drank diet cola.

"The big picture here is, this is certainly not adding up to hundreds of calories a day by any stretch," says Mendel, the programme director for exercise science at Mount Union University in Alliance, Ohio.

"Theres no magic bullet," he says.

Still, he speculates the small gains could result in a loss of 10lb (4.5kg) over a year.

"I wouldnt say it was going to replace me exercising and make up for me from eating 4-5 donuts a day," he says.

"But if you just make that one change, over a significant amount of time, it could add up to something."

Dr Garvey is sceptical that the change in metabolism could lead to real weight loss.

As a doctor focused on obesity and nutrition, Dr Garvey maintains that the only real way to lose weight is the boring, old-fashioned, unsatisfying and ultimately successful method: eat fewer calories than you burn through exercise - not digestion.

By Kate Dailey

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21723312

My stomach is so small I hardly have any appetite I cant keep weight on and I hallucinate Philip Schofield tells of dramatic effects of 5 2 diet

• Phillip, 52, said he was feeling porky so started the 5:2

• Has dropped from 12 and a half stone to 11 stone in ten months

• Suffered hallucinations as a result of 5.2. diet

• People were asking him if he was alright

• Gwyneth Paltrow has also suffered hallucinations when dieting

Phillip Schofield has revealed  he experienced hallucinations after losing weight on the 5:2 diet.

The presenter of ITV’s This Morning says the strict regime enabled him to shed one and a half stone. He now weighs a trim 11 stone.

But he said that there were side effects, having previously said he was struggling to adapt to the regime.

It allows men to consume only 600 calories two days a week while eating  normally on other days. Schofield,  52, confessed on Alan Carr’s Chatty Man show on Channel 4: ‘I have had hallucinations.’

The presenter said he went on a  diet after he thought he looked ‘a bit porky’ in a picture. ‘I wanted to be 11 stone,’ he said.

‘It took nine or ten months and now I am. My stomach is now so small I have hardly any appetite and can’t keep weight on.’

The 5:2 diet involves limiting yourself to 500 calories a day (600 for men) for two non-consecutive days per week and eating whatever you like for the rest, and has been the years most popular way of slimming down fast.

It was the brainchild of Mimi Spencer and Michael Mosley and has attracted celebrity fans including Benedict Cumberbatch and Miranda Kerr - and it prided itself on helping people lose weight all while improving blood pressure, cholesterol levels and insulin sensitivity.

Audience members were taken aback by his slim frame with one telling The Sun: His legs looked scarily thin. He didnt look right and people were saying he had lost too much weight.

Phillip isnt the only star to have suffered hallucinations as the result of a strict diet. Gwyneth Paltrow says she too was left hallucinating after a 10-day cleanse.

The Iron Man 3 actress is known for being active and eating healthy, but admits she has tried fads like juice cleanses in the past which did her more harm than good.

She explained: Ive done juice cleanses in the past, and in my twenties I did the Master Cleanse, which left me hallucinating after 10 days.

Be aware: a juice detox can crash your metabolism and lead to future weight gain, she wrote in The Telegraph.

Katy Mason, Nutritionist at NutriCentre.com, said: Anxiety, blackouts (memory time loss), difficulty concentrating and hallucinations can have many different causes, and so it is always important to get such symptoms checked out by your doctor. 

However, in this case, Phillip Schofields hallucinations would most likely be caused by low blood sugar levels from not eating enough.

If he had not slept well the night before, had a late night, been drinking alcohol, consumed a lot of caffeine, was stressed or had recently exercised then the situation could be exasperated as these things can contribute to low blood sugar levels. 

When on the 5:2, its really important to make sure you eat sensibly on the low calorie days, making sure your meal has a good ratio of protein to slow releasing carbohydrates.

PROS AND CONS OF THE 5.2 DIET

British Dietetic Association spokesperson, Priya Tew, shared her views....

Pros:
1. The 5:2 diet works as the 2 days of eating 500kcals mean that overall you eat less calories. Eating less calories obviously favours weight loss. 
2. There is some evidence showing that this style of diet can work but it is only a couple of studies and it is not long term evidence. Most people want the weight to come off and stay off for good. We dont know the long-term effects of the 5:2 diet yet.
3. Intermittent fasting may help improve insulin sensitivity although more research is needed to back this up.
4. Fasting can lead to you being more in touch with your hunger cues and responding to them more appropriately.

Cons:
1. The fasting days can lead to lower energy, poor mood and concentration and a preoccupation with food as well as problems sleeping on fast nights. So you end up not able to eat much but constantly wanting to and being grumpy and tired about it! Exercising on these fasting days can be very difficult.
2. You can eat a completely unbalanced diet and end up with a poor nutritional intake as this diet focuses on calories and not getting the right nutrition and balance. In the long-term, eating an unbalanced diet can increase the health risks of chronic disease. For example focusing on eating 5 or more portion of fruit and vegetables, including wholegrains in your diet and having 3 portions of calcium foods per day are important nutritionally but are not considered in an intermittent fasting diet.
3. Although the 5:2 diet is meant to be a long-term solution, for most people it isnt a sustainable way to eat and it takes a lot of discipline. For long term weight loss, long-term lifestyle changes are needed. The risk with this diet is that people lose the weight, then find they cannot stick to the fasting principles and put it all back on again. Yo-yo dieting has been shown to be detrimental and can lead to the weight creeping up over the years.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2657151/My-stomach-small-I-hardly-appetite-I-weight-I-hallucinate-Philip-Schofield-tells-dramatic-effects-5-2-diet.html

Diet Tips 12 Signs a Healthy Menu Item Isnt All That Healthy

Just because a restaurant bills itself as healthy doesnt mean that everything on the menu is up there with kale. Erin Winterhalter, a registered dietitian at MacDonald Center for Obesity Prevention and Education at Villanova University in Philadelphia, says to look out for the telltale signs that a food isnt as healthy as it sounds:

1. Its labeled gluten-free. Unless you have celiac disease or youre sensitive to gluten, gluten-free foods are no safer for your diet or your body than the regular stuff. Look out for calorie bombs like gluten-free mac and cheese, and flourless cakes.

2. A component of the dish is maple- or honey-glazed. These natural sugars may sound appealing and less refined than white sugar, but they still contain unnecessary calories that give sugar-sweetened candy and soda a bad rep. Instead, look for caramelized foods. Theyre cooked slowly, which creates a chemical reaction that breaks down natural sugars to develop a deep, nutty flavor.

3. "Creamy" is used to describe something on the plate. While this could describe a frothy sauce or dressing that is blended for an extra-smooth mouth feel, it probably refers to an item made with milk or cream, which means it could contains a lot of saturated fat. If youre looking at a vegan menu, the item might contain coconut milk or cashew cream, which could have just as many calories as non-vegan versions. Just ask whats in the item and request sauce on the side so you can monitor your portions.

4. Its vegan. Vegetarian proteins like tofu, tempeh, and seitan may be naturally low in calories, and high in protein and fiber, but theyre also low in flavor. To compensate, chefs add sodium and sauces that contribute fat. Beware of menu items modeled after classic pub foods (like wings and nachos), which tend to be highly processed. And remember that your vegan "bacon" "cheese" "burger" could easily contain just as many calories as the real version.

5. Its dairy-free. Its true that dairy-free items tend to contain less saturated fat than cheesy, creamy dishes. But if a chef swaps out regular cheese for vegan cheese, your dairy-free dish might contain just as many calories as a dish that contains cows milk. Also, dairy-free foods tend to be full of fillers and foreign-sounding additives like carrageenan, maltodextrin, and mono and diglycerides. If youre lactose intolerant and crave some gooey goodness, dig in, but watch your portions.

The same warnings go for dairy-free desserts and coffee drinks made with flavored dairy alternatives like vanilla soy milk, which tend to contain added sugars that bump up the total amount of calories. Opt for unsweetened, unflavored alternatives, and remember that foods made with low-cal options like almond milk have less protein than regular cows milk, so they wont really satisfy your appetite.

6. Its made with whole grains. You know that whole grains like brown rice are better for you than refined carbs like white rice, which cause a blood sugar spike that can stoke your appetite shortly after you eat. But rice is rice — its not free of calories or carbs. Look out for meals that feature starchy carbs like pasta as the main event — even if its whole wheat pasta, youll end up with a dish thats extra high in carbs. And if you do go with the pasta? Opt for the seafood special, which will contain lean protein and healthy fats to balance out your meal.

7. Its fat-free. Unfortunately, low-fat often means low-flavor. To compensate, chefs add sugar, which is no better (and probably worse) than the healthy fats found in options like balsamic vinaigrette.

8. Its organic. Organic foods arent always healthier than non-organic foods, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The term itself refers to how a food is grown or produced: without chemical fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and antibiotics (in the case of livestock). In other words, organic foods might be cleaner when they enter the kitchen, but theres no saying whether theyll be healthier (i.e., richer in nutrients and lower in fat) than regular foods by the time they make it to your plate.

9. Its 100-percent natural. "Natural" meat, poultry, and eggs are minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients, according to the USDA. But natural doesnt mean low-calorie or low-fat. So you know that 100-percent natural bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich? Its probably dripping in unhealthy fats.

10. Its made from locally-sourced ingredients.

Restaurants that serve locally sourced foods support smaller farmers in nearby communities. Its not just a noble cause: Locally grown foods make it to your plate more quickly than foods that are grown across the country, which is a good thing because produce begins to lose nutrients after it is picked. In other words, locally grown food should, in theory, be healthier. The thing is, there are lots of factors that figure into the vitamin, mineral, fat, and calorie content of fruits and vegetables, including how they are prepared. So nutritionally, it doesnt really matter whether you grow an artichoke in your own backyard — deep-fry it, and it could sop up just as much fat as an order of fast-food fries. Dont be fooled!

11. Its raw. Because raw foods are minimally processed, they may seem like your best bet. But because cooking can kill dangerous bacteria found in food, a dish made with raw meat, eggs, or unpasteurized milk products can actually make you sick. While raw food advocates claim that cooking kills enzymes in food and reduces the foods nutrients, science suggests that cooking some foods (like tomatoes) can actually help your body absorb more of that foods nutrients. Another thing: Raw vegan meals tend to contain fewer calories and less protein than cooked dishes, so they might leave you hungry and craving some serious dessert.

By Elizabeth Narins

Source: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/advice/a33391/healthy-menu-tips/?click=_artTrnsprtr_4

Raw Vegan Blackberry Strawberry And Mango Breakfast Salad A Healthy Way To Start Your Day

Freeze strawberry tops, with greens, for later use in smoothies.

Its The Weekend!

Its a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning here in Northern California. After enjoying a cup of Yerba Mate tea, I decided to start the weekend with a colorful and healthful fruit salad. Last night there was an amazing sale on blackberries which add color and richness to this salad not to mention their high fiber and antioxidant content.

Its All In The Colors

Ive mentioned this many times - the color of your meal is an indication of its nutritional benefits. Im not talking food coloring - that would make fruit loops appear healthful. Im talking colors from nature. This fruit salad is not only rich in vitamin C and other key vitamins and minerals, but its colors are an indication of the many beneficial plant chemical or "phytochemicals" it provides. These phytochemicals are known to protect us against cardiovascular disease, some cancers and premature aging. There are hundreds of these protective plant chemicals found in nature and by eating 5 to 7 or more servings of colorful fruits and vegetables a day, we are able to get a nice selection of these in our diet.

Serve this fruit salad by itself or with Raw Granola or Agave Sweetened Vegan Granola.

***

Blackberry, Strawberry and Mango Salad

[serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a side dish]

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

4 drops stevia, (optional)

1 cup fresh strawberries, cleaned and sliced

1 cup fresh blackberries, cleaned

1 cup fresh mango, diced

1/4 cup raw English walnuts, chopped

1 tablespoon dried, unsweetened coconut

In a medium bowl, mix orange juice and stevia. Add sliced strawberries and mix well. Add blackberries and mango and toss gently. Top with English walnuts and dried coconut and serve.

Per serving (2 servings total): 232 calories, 11.2 g fat, 2.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4.5 g protein, 32.3 g carbohydrates and 8.3 g of fiber.

Per serving (4 servings total): 116 calories, 5.6 g fat, 1.2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.3 g protein, 16.1 g carbohydrates and 4.2 g of fiber.

Healthy Vegan French Onion Soup with Cannellini White Kidney Beans and Garlic Toast

Cut onions in half length-wise and thinly slice.

Make a quick stock from cremini mushrooms and vegetables.

Home-made mushroom stock replaces traditional beef broth.

Caramelizing onions takes time and patience.

For fewer calories, serve the soup without the garlic toast.

Traditional French Onion Soup

This classic is typically made with a beef stock and topped with a baquette slice covered with shredded cheese (like a Gruyere). The soup is placed in flame-proof bowls and put under the broiler until the cheese melts. This lighter version is made with a home-made mushroom stock. Mushrooms have a "meaty" taste and create a dark broth that gives the finished soup the expected color. By topping it with garlic toast, you avoid the complexity of broiling and handling hot soup bowls. This can be tricky and dangerous during a dinner party. Adding Cannellini or white kidney beans provides added protein and dietary fiber and turns a soup course into the main entree.

Health Benefits of Onions

Onions are in the Allium family. They contain the beneficial sulfur compound, "allyl propyl disulphide". In addition, onions are very high in dietary fiber, vitamin C and chromium. Chromium is an important trace mineral that helps regulate blood sugar as well as cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Onions are also a good source of vitamin B6, folate, potassium and manganese. In addition, red and yellow onions contain a number of important flavonoids such as quercitin, a powerful antioxidant. Quercitin and other flavonoids have been associated with protecting cells against cancer-causing substances and reducing the risk of many cancers. In fact, onions are said to reduce the carcinogenic effects of eating meats barbecued with high temperatures. Onions also have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. They are known to reduce respiratory congestion.

Low Fat, High in Protein and Fiber

This rich and filling soup only has a little over 200 calories per bowl with only 0.4 grams of saturated fat and no cholesterol. It provides nearly 8 grams of good quality protein and more than a third of your daily requirement of dietary fiber.

***

Vegan French Onion Soup with Cannellini Beans

[serves 6]

For the stock

8 cups filtered water

1/4 pound crimini mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half

2 stalks of celery, cleaned and each cut in four pieces

1 large carrot, scrubbed and cut in four pieces

8 peppercorns

1 bay leaf

2 cloves of garlic in skin, cut in half or smashed

Tops of onions used in recipe below

1 tablespoon Tamari soy sauce

Sprig of fresh thyme

For the soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 large onions, thinly sliced (about 10 cups)

1 teaspoon Sucanat or organic cane sugar

2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced (or 1/4 teaspoon dry)

7 cups of mushroom stock from above

1 can cannellini or white kidney beans

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the garlic-herb toast

1 tablespoon vegan buttery spread

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh herbs (thyme or parsley)

6 thick slices of whole grain or sourdough baquette

To make the broth, combine "stock" ingredients above in a pot and simmer partially covered for an hour. Make the onion soup while the stock is simmering. Using a non-stick 5 quart dutch oven or soup pot, saute the onions in olive oil, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes. If you do not have a non-stick pot, use 2 tablespoons of olive oil instead of one. Add the sugar and cook another 45 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions caramelize and turn a light brown.

After an hour, while the onions are still cooking, remove the simmering stock from the stove and strain out the mushrooms and vegetables, reserving the stock. You should have about 7 cups of stock. Discard the veggies but feel free to eat the mushrooms while you are preparing the rest of the soup!

Once the onions are caramelized, add garlic and thyme and saute for a minute. Add the reserved mushroom stock and the cannellini beans and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

While the soup is simmering, turn on the broiler and cut 6 thick slices of baguette. Put a little of the garlic-herb spread on each slice and toast under the broiler.

Divide the soup into bowls and place a piece of garlic toast on each and serve.

Per serving: 228.5 calories, 1.5 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 7.9 g protein, 42.5 g carbohydrates and 9.3 g of fiber.

Trader Joes Vegan Mochi Delicious Dairy Free And Discontinued!

I Finally Found Dairy Free Mochi But Not For Long!

Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK !

Mochi, One of my Favorite Desserts!
Im not sure when I discovered mochi, that little Japanese ice cream dessert covered with a dough-like, rice based, shell. But it was love at first bite. I especially like the doughy texture of the mochi and the frozen, creamy fillings with flavors like green tea, strawberry and mango. But when I became lactose intolerant and stopped eating dairy ice cream, this was one of the things I missed the most.


The Exciting Text Message
One night I received a text message from my daughter telling me that she discovered a delicious dairy-free  mochi at Trader Joes. "Its amazing", she said. "Youve got to get some!" So the next day, off I went in search of this vegan treat filled with 3 flavors of coconut milk ice cream. 


The Last 2 Boxes
At first I couldnt find it but hidden in the back of the ice cream case were the last 2 boxes of vegan mochi. I couldnt wait to get it home - actually I almost ripped open the box in the store but I contained myself!

Dairy-free mochi comes with 6 per box in 3 flavors:
mango, coconut and chocolate.

Not exactly low in calories but if you can eat just one they are:
130 calories, 4 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat and 23 g of carbs.

But are they Gluten Free?
Before introducing this product on my blog, I wanted to check if it was gluten free. Its not always that easy to determine since there are ingredients such as "emulsifiers and stabilizers". So I sent Trader Joes an email asking them if it was gluten free. Their answer was basically, "We always fully disclose all ingredients used in all our Trader Joes labeled products. Therefore we encourage all of our customers who follow a special diet or that have allergen concerns to always read over all of our product labels carefully". Well, telling me to read the label wasnt very helpful. So, basically, I would say be very careful because unless a manufacturer checks to see if the emulsifiers and stabilizers are gluten free, there could be a problem for those of you with an allergy or intolerance to gluten. But for those vegans not concerned about gluten who are looking for mochi, this product fills the bill.


But Are They Good?
They are a bit different than the ones you find Japanese restaurants but they were quite delicious. My favorite was the chocolate, second favorite was the coconut and the mango came in 3rd place for me - but still good. I read some reviews on-line and most vegans adored the product but some didnt like the dough-like coating.


The Bad News
At the end of the email that told me to read the label, Trader Joes informed me that this product has been discontinued in their stores due to slow sales! Since it didnt meet a "minimum sales volume", it will be discontinued so that they can sell things that sell better. However, they said if there was enough "outcry" to bring it back, they might reconsider.


Write Trader Joes
So if this is a product you would like Trader Joes to continue selling, fill out this little form. You may be able to still find a few boxes of this at your local Trader Joes. If so, scoop them up!