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!

Diet Tips Filling five two diet recipes

Looking for 5:2 diet inspiration? Here are some tasty AND filling meal suggestions for only 500-600 calories a day!

If youre feeling a tad uninsipired by recipe suggestions for the 5:2 diet then look no further. Weve listed our favourite recipe ideas for the diet du jour from The Fast Diet Cookbook, by Mimi Spencer and Dr Sarah Schenker (£14.99, Short Books). Happy eating!

Breakfasts:
Soft boiled egg (1) with asparagus spears = 90 calories
Watermelon with a quartered fig and parma ham = 185 calories
Yoghurt, plums (2, quartered), flaked almonds (1tbsp) and 2 tsps agave nectar = 264 calories
Grilled portobello mushroom, cherry tomotoes, spinach and a paoched egg = 124 calories
Prawn omelette (2 eggs, 30g prawns, 1/2 courgette) = 207 calories

Lunches:
Ratatouille with rye bread toast = 173 calories
Beetroot soup with a spoon of creme fraiche = 116 calories
White crab and artichoke salad = 226 calories
Tuna Fagioli (tinned tuna, tinned beans, red onion, lemon juice, tomatoes, parsley) = 286 calories
Mushrooms stuffed with mozzarella, pecorino and spinach = 159 calories

Dinners:
Smoked haddock with wilted spinach and a poached egg = 211 calories
Salmon fillet with pesto and ribbon vegetables = 327 calories
Turkey burgers with tomato salsa and corn on the cob = 333 calories
Lean pork meatballs in tomato sauce with steamed kale = 264 calories
2 egg omelette with emmental cheese, tomato and rocket = 300 calories

Source: http://www.womensfitness.co.uk/diet-plans/796/filling-five-two-diet-recipes

Raw Vegan Turkey Lettuce Cups with Cranberry Relish A Great Main Entrée for a Raw Thanksgiving

A Great Raw Thanksgiving Entrée

Ive been developing a raw Thanksgiving menu over the last few months (which I will publish shortly) and although its easy to come up with appetizers, soups, salads and even desserts, it was really hard to think of something that would pass for an entrée. Since my favorite "meaty" raw meal is raw tacos, I thought I could get the same effect by using raw walnuts and poultry seasoning to simulate crumbled turkey. I put it in a lettuce cup with a dollop of raw cranberry relish and voila, a satisfying and meaty tasting Thanksgiving dish. OK, its not baked turkey and gravy but I thought it made a better presentation than a pile of faux stuffing which was my second choice. And, unlike so many raw recipes, it takes minutes to prepare which is important on a day that youll be preparing lots of dishes.

Its Not Just for Thanksgiving

These lettuce cups are also great for lunch or dinner. You can even put the mixture in endive and serve as an appetizer. This recipe provides large amounts of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids in a perfect 4:1 ratio as added bonus!

***

Raw Vegan Turkey Lettuce Cups with Cranberry Relish [makes 4 lettuce cups]

For the Crumbled Turkey

1 cup raw English walnuts

3/4 teaspoons dried sage*

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped*

2 teaspoons Nama Shoyu soy sauce

pinch of black pepper

4 small leaves butter lettuce, cleaned

* 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning can be substituted for the sage and thyme

For the relish [makes enough for 12 or more lettuce cups]

12 oz package of fresh cranberries, rinsed under cold water and drained

10 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

Combine the walnuts, sage, thyme, Nama Shoyu and black pepper in a food processor with an S blade and process until it resembles crumbled ground turkey. Do not over process. Remove and set aside. Rinse out the food processor to make the relish.

Combine the cranberries and pitted dates in the food processor and process until it reaches the desired consistency. This will make more than needed.

To assemble the lettuce cups, divide the turkey crumble into the center of 4 leaves of butter lettuce. Put a heaping tablespoon of cranberry relish in each cup and serve. In a big Thanksgiving dinner with several courses, plan on making one lettuce cup per person. As a whole lunch or dinner, make 2 per person.

Per lettuce cup: 208.3 calories, 19 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4.5 g protein, 8.5 g carbohydrates, 2.7 g fiber, 2.7 g omega 3 and 11.1 g omega 6 fatty acids.

Can You Overcome Insomnia Blogging From The 2013 Nutrition And Health Conference In Seattle Washington With Professor Rubin Naiman

Dr. Rubin Naiman, Director Circadian Health Association and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Arizona

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I’m here at the 2013 Nutrition and Health Conference in Seattle.
I’d like to share a topic near and dear to our hearts – sleep. This presentation discussed “The Role of Nutrition in Sleep and Dreams” by Rubin Naiman.

Seventy million people have insomnia – I being one of them so I was hoping that I’d learn about a magic nutrient or some clever tip to help me and others get a better night sleep. Here’s what I learned from Dr. Naiman:

There is a very complex interaction between eating and sleeping. Our food and nutrition can affect our sleep and dreams. Also, not getting enough sleep can impact poor nutrition. Sleep loss is associated with increased illness and inflammation. Cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune and mood disorders and other illnesses are all associated with sleep loss. Dr. Naiman commented that depression and insomnia are so closely linked that some think they are the same thing.

What I took away from this interesting talk is that most insomnia results from our being “over-consumers”. We over consume food, information, light and energy. Sleep is the dissipation of energy and time for letting go. Because we take on more than we can let go, many of us cannot rest or sleep. Speaking of not being able to “let go”, Dr. Naiman tells of an interesting correlation between constipation and insomnia. Over 50% of people with constipation have insomnia!

Another important “take away” from this talk, one that I could totally relate to, is that the reason we have a hard time sleeping is because we don’t “rest” before we try to sleep. Rest is the essential precursor to sleep. In fact, when we get sleepy, many of us respond to it as a need for more fuel, not rest. We are literally “rest-less”. Rest is the bridge from being awake to sleep. Do you rest before you sleep? Or do you watch TV, work on your computer, or finally make time to get on the treadmill?

Dr. Naiman feels that we  are “less sleepy” and have insomnia are because we are hyper aroused. So how do we slow down enough to get a good night sleep.

There is no magic nutrient (in fact he mentioned that very few cases of insomnia are because of a nutritional deficiency). Sleeping pills and antidepressants actually disrupt critical REM sleep and also disrupt our memory. So when you pop that ambien, you didn’t necessarily sleep well, you just can’t remember that you tossed and turned all night!

One of the reasons we don’t “rest” or enjoy going to bed at night is because we do not value sleep. In fact, many of us view it negatively – almost a waste of time. We look at sleep as not being awake or not being conscious. Sleep is valued only as it helps us in our waking life (it improves our immunity, our memory, etc.) but it is an end in and of itself. Dr. Naiman encourages is to learn to fall back in love with sleep! Remove the things on your nightstand, like your cell phone, your laptop, your book club novel and other items that might beckon you to the waking world.

Melatonin is the hormone our body produces that allows us to sleep. We produce it as a response to darkness. It causes the dilation of distal blood vessels. As the level of melatonin increases, our core body temperature is lowered. But exposure to light can greatly interfere with the production of melatonin and our ability to sleep. Suppression of melatonin has been linked to an increased risk of cancer. In fact, people working on the night shift have a higher risk of cancer.

To help sleep, it is necessary to reduce “light pollution”. Look around your bedroom? Do you have a brightly lit alarm clock, an outside light that shines in your window, or a night light?  These can all effect your production of melatonin and should be removed from your bedroom. 

REM, or dream sleep, is critically important. REM is the time that we digest and assimilate information and emotion. This is really the most important part of sleeping. Most issues related to sleep loss is really from “dream” loss. Alcohol interferes with REM sleep. So do certain medications like anti-depressants. As I mentioned before, no sleeping pill truly creates sleep and they usually damage our sleep in the long run. Chronic sleep loss leads to increased mortality. 

Some myths about sleep that were debunked by Dr. Naiman.
* Turkey in not a sedative. In fact eating anything at night disrupts sleep. 
* Nightcaps are not good. They may help put you to sleep but they don’t allow you to sleep well. 
* Chamomile helps put you to sleep but it’s a diuretic too. In fact he thinks Sleepy Time tea (that contains chamomile) should be called “pee pee time” tea.

Although he briefly touched upon sleep and dream promoting nutrients and supplements like GABA, L-threanin, glycine, 5HTP, tryptophan and melatonin, he reaffirmed the need to address hyperarousal. It is better to “let go” in order to sleep. We cannot override all this inflammation in our lives, our mind, etc. by taking some “pill” or nutrient to sleep. Melatonin supplements (which he himself takes and he was most positive about) is “just an appetizer”. It should just remind you of a natural desire to enjoy sleep. It will gently seduce you into sleep.

So bottom line, we need to regard sleep as fondly and as enthusiastically as we do our waking life. We need to retrain ourselves to want to sleep and give ourselves that “rest” period before we go to sleep to act our bridge to sweet slumber

I will end by sharing how Dr. Naiman’s Jewish mother assessed one’s health by asking these three key questions:
Did you eat?
Did you poop?
Did you sleep?
Could anything affect one’s good health more than these things? Wise woman!

Vegan Coconut And Macadamia Nut CakeThe Perfect Easter Dessert

Coconut and macadamia nuts blend beautifully
in this simple and delicious Easter cake.

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Check out my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen.

Simple and Delicious
When the holidays come, I like to go with a simple dessert, like a cake without icing. Its quick and easy and I get to dress it up with fresh fruit, and a selection of dairy-free ice creams. And what goes together better than coconut and macadamia nuts? 

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Coconut and Macadamia Nut Cake
Vegan
[makes 12 servings]
Requires a 9 inch cake pan and wax paper

Earth Balance or olive oil to grease cake pan
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
6 tablespoons room temperature water
1/2 cup almond or light coconut milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small ripe banana, mashed (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1 1/2 cup King Arthur white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup macadamia nuts

Cut the wax paper to fit the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan. Grease the sides with Earth Balance or olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Make flax eggs by mixing the ground flax seeds and water. Beat until gooey and set aside.

Place the milk, coconut extract, oil, mashed banana, sugar, and flax eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer until well combined.

Make sure the banana is very ripe.
One small banana should yield 1/2 cup of mashed banana.

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and beat until well combined.
Add the coconut and blend in thoroughly with the beater.  

Crush the macadamia nuts and fold into the batter.

Crush the macadamia nuts with the side of a mallet.
Dont overdo - leave big chunks.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Place on a rack and cool in the pan for 15 minutes.

Flip over onto a plate and slowly peel the wax paper off of the bottom of the cake.

Flip back over onto the rack and cool.

Place on a serving platter with the golden top up.  Slice into 12 or more pieces.

Serve with fresh raspberries or other fruit, like pineapple or strawberries, and a scoop of vanilla, or coconut non-dairy ice cream.

Per serving (make with unsweetened almond milk): 226 calories, 14 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 326 mg omega-3 and 760 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 3 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, and 198 mg sodium.

LeBron James’ weight loss shocks NBA fans

LeBron James has undergone a radical transformation. Source: AFP

LEBRON James is a beast no more.

The NBA superstar has shed his substantial bulk over the offseason, stunning fans.

Since making global headlines with his shift from the Miami Heat back to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, James has been on a low-carb diet.

While there has been some concern over the gaunt appearance of one of the world’s greatest athletes, health experts say his leaner frame will prove beneficial.

“There is a growing number of athletes who have been told that they need carbs and now you see them questioning that conventional wisdom,” Dr. Jeff Volek, the co-author of The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance, told Sports Illustrated .

“It does take at least four weeks to adapt to the diet but almost anyone can do it and it’s something they can maintain through competition.”

James isn’t the only player undergoing a dramatic transformation, either, with Knicks star Carmelo Anthony turning heads with his slimming summer of no carbs.Anthony’s trainer Idan Ravin told the New York Post it’s too early to tell whether either James or Anthony will want to play all season this thin.

“[LeBron] might feel the weight loss as helpful now but when he starts playing, not so helpful,’’ Ravin said.

“Everyone is always experimenting.’’

And Ravin cautioned it’s too early to celebrate.

Source: news.com.au