How To Cleanse Your Heart and Arteries

 

Would you like some fries with that?  How about a super-size?  Two common questions you will hear endlessly wherever fast food or greasy food is served.  Yes!  I would love a heart attack!  While you're at it make it a double!  So my question to you is....do you know what hydrogenated oil even is and why it's so bad for your heart and overall health?

What it is...and why it's bad (naughty, naughty):
Vegetable oils are hydrogenated in order to create a solid or semi-solid state.  So let's think about that for a minute.....a solid oil entering your body and going to your blood.  Well, it's trying to move it's way through your blood system, but the problem is, it's a SOLID and not easy to break down, therefore plaque builds up and eventually your channels will close up shop. 

Why are they on the shelf?  Because they are cheaper to make and have a longer shelf life, which makes them very desirable to the food industry.  They are found in almost ANYTHING!  Peanut butter, frosting, cakes, cookies, chips, coffee creamers, margarine, shortening, candy bars, donuts, tortillas, dips, bread,  and those lovely Girl's Scout Cookies....just to name a few.  Check your labels out...it's pretty interesting.

So, how do you get your body, namely your heart and arteries, rid of this junk???  Well, number one, CUT BACK on the above-mentioned items AND limit your restaurant outings, especially fast food and red meat.  After you do that, then you need to start focusing on specific nutrients, such as lecithin, vitamins E and C, and niacin, (IN WHOLE FOOD FORM) to reduce cholesterol and saturated fats.  Below is a list of foods to buy and vitamins associated with them.  These findings are based on the book, Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford.

Lecithin - legumes, especially soybeans (whole soybeans, not processed) and mung beans, but nearly all beans, peas and lentils are beneficial.

Vitamins C - sprouts, cabbage, parsley, bell peppers and citrus....especially the heart of the cabbage, white of the pepper and white of the citrus. 

Vitamin E and Niacin - unprocessed whole grains such as quinoa, amaranth and oats as well as other whole grains.  The white bread that says, "made with whole grains", or any bread and cereal with this statement for that matter, does not count.  It kills me how consumers buy sugary cereals like Lucky Charms or Cinnamon Toast Crunch and think it's healthy because it says "made with whole grains". 

Here's to a happy, healthy heart and more years on your plate!  Cheers!!

Maca-Goji-Cacao Bars

 

Move over Larabars!  There's a new bar in town and it'll knock your socks off in flavor and nutrition.  I put these bars together in less than 15 minutes and they were ready by the morning for my adventure at the beach with my family.   Packed with protein, antioxidants, iron, magnesium and omega 3's, this little snack proved itself worthy of an anytime meal.
So, this recipe called for almonds and cashews, but I just threw anything and everything in there.  This is how it goes....

Take 8 cups of your favorite nuts (other than cashews)....almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, etc. and place in a food processor.  Grind into crumbs.    This will make about 4 1/2 cups worth. 

 Then take 3 cups of cashews and pulse these in the processor into pieces.  When you are finished with that, combine all nuts together in a bowl and mix with a spoon.

After this you will add the remaining ingredients which are the following:  1 cup soaked goji berries (soaked no more than 15 minutes and drained), 1 cup hemp seeds, 1/2 cup flax seeds or flax meal, 1/2 cup cacao nibs, 1 tsp. sea salt (real sea salt....it should be pink, not white!), 1 tsp. organic vanilla extract, 1 tsp. lemon zest, and 1/4 cup maca.  Bring it all together with 1 3/4 cup raw honey.  Mix until blended.

You will use 3 dehydrator sheets for this.  Make sure you cover your dehydrator tray with a fruit roll up sheet.  Using a spatula, place mixture on a tray and press firmly to the edges until smooth.  Repeat process for all trays and dehydrate on 110 degrees overnight or until a soft cookie/bar like texture is obtained.  If you don't have a dehydrator, I encourage you to invest in one...not that expensive.  Nesco is a good brand.  But you can try this in your oven on the lowest setting with parchment paper lining a cookie sheet.  Obviously, you will be taking some of the nutritional value away, but it will still be yummy and good for you.  You will need to keep an eye on it as it will not take as long as the dehydrator. 

This recipe is a spin off of Matthew Kenney's from everydayraw.  I do NOT use agave because it is not true agave AND it is not low-glycemic as claimed.  It is worse than high fructose corn syrup.  Raw honey is an enzyme-rich food which carries trace minerals.  So, so good!  Especially if you know the bee keeper.  :)

Enjoy!

Beet Benefits

Beets are one of those foods as I kid I swore I'd never eat.  What I've learned is, never say "never".  I am a beet addict in my 30s.  They are pretty much a staple food in my home.  Two reasons for this - they are incredibly nutritious and surprisingly versatile. 

On a nutritious level, beets rank pretty high and are considered to be a  “cardiovascular health” friendly root vegetable. Certain unique pigment antioxidants present in beets as well as top greens have found to offer protection against coronary artery disease and stroke, lower cholesterol levels in the body and have anti-aging effects.  They are low in calories and low in fat and offer a punch of Vitamin C, iron, potassium, magnesium, and manganese. 


When buying beets, buy them with the tops still attached and preferably locally grown or organic.  When you get them home, cut the tops off, wash thoroughly and chop for salad greens.  Add some spinach leaves to the mix for a nice salad.  I usually roast some of the beets in the oven to add to my salad as well. 


Another option is to take a quarter of a raw beet and add it to your morning smoothie.  Instead of a green smoothie, it will be hot pink!  Just an fyi - about 10-15% of the population are unable to break down the natural pigments of beets, therefore, you may experience some pink color your urine, which is completely safe.  Do not be alarmed.  :)

Farmer's Markets

Today was like every Saturday....get up, make sure everyone is fed and head out to the Downer's Grove Farmer's Market for some fresh produce.  There is nothing more exciting for me to do on a Saturday morning.  It's unreal that a pop-tart, sugared cereal lover from the 80s and 90s could transform into a kale chip popping, raw foodie.....but it has and I'm so thankful and grateful!  So, back to the Farmer's Market.  A few weeks ago, I talked with one of the vendors about all of the Farmer's that come to share their produce.  Well...I received an extensive education on the matter and this is why I pretty much just make it a one-stop shop at this particular stand.  Why?  Because all of the produce at this stand (with a few exceptions) is grown on her farm.  Why is this so different, you ask?  Glad you are so inquisitive.  Here's the low down...many of these vendors (when you ask them) only grew a small percentage of the items that are on the table.  For instance, one vendor had about 40 different varieties of fruits and veggies, but come to find out when I asked, he could only claim 5 as coming from his farm.  The rest are shipped from other states to him to sell, which is why the prices are so high.  You, the consumer, are paying for all the gas....and it's not even locally grown.  Even if the tag says, "Grown in Illinois" and it's a later season crop, chances are it's not from here.  For example, 4 weeks ago, the only thing that was in season was leafy greens, but many vendors were selling corn, which is not in season yet.  Why be so picky?  Well, if I'm going to by produce from a Farmer's Market with the intention of supporting local farmers, I better be getting a locally grown head of kale or I might as well head over the Whole Foods. 

This is why my one-stop shop is Lange's Farm.  The husband and wife team are very friendly and their produce is extremely reasonable.  I walked out with 5 bags of fresh produce today for $11.  And they are honest.  They do have 1-3 items that are not from there farm, but she will be upfront and tell you that.  No scammers! 

If you are from the area, make sure to check them out!