Yesterday, Livestrong.com sent me an article regarding the ingredients in an Egg McMuffin.  Now, I know that Egg McMuffins are not a healthy choice, but I was astounded to read just exactly what we are putting into our bodies.  Included in the list, (go to Livestrong.com to read the article in it's entirety), are extremely toxic chemicals that in other parts of the world are banned.  If food manufacturers use these banned chemicals, they go to jail!  However, in this country, they are used in Egg McMuffins and who knows what else. 

This is just another reason why it is so imperative to get processed foods and artificial ingredients out of our diets.  Because these ingredients do not come from nature, our bodies just don't know what to do with this "stuff" when we eat them.  Our cells are constantly bombarded with these toxic substances.  Because our bodies are nothing short of miraculous, our "defender cells" try to isolate these "foreign invaders", (ie toxic chemicals) before they do damage to us.  However, when we are constantly ingesting so many processed and artificial ingredients, it is a constant battle.  Over the years, eating this way damages our cells and we end up with all kinds of problems.

However, it doesn't have to be this way.  One way to get a boat load of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber is to make a green smoothie.  This is the MOST NUTRITIOUS drink you can put in your body.  Your body will be flooded with so many vitamins and nutrients to help "fight off" all those toxins.

This is my recipe I make for my entire building at work.  The first time I made them I had to put the smoothie in paper cups so no one could see the color....if they looked at it they wouldn't drink it.  However, after they realized how good it TASTED, I now put the smoothie in tall glasses and the color bothers no one.  We have been doing this now for about 2 years...every morning we start off with this drink.  Believe it or not, they can't wait to come in on Monday morning for their drink...your body will actually start craving all that goodness!!

DEBBIE'S GREEN SMOOTHIE


Romaine lettuce/kale/spinach
Apple, remove seeds, skins on
Very ripe banana
Ripe pear, skin on
Berries (if available)
2 T flaxseeds
ice cubes
water

1. Put about 5 ice cubes in the blender with enough water to crush.  Add whatever greens you are using, sometimes I add just one, other times I use all three.  The more greens, the more vitamins.  Blend adding small amounts of water if needed.
2. Add cut up apples, pear and berries and blend.  Again, add water when needed.  
3. Add banana and flaxseeds.  Continue to blend for about 1 minute.
4. Add water if the smoothie appears to be too "thick", a little at a time until desired consistency.

I have a Vitamix blender which is an extremely powerful blender.  I'm not saying you need to buy one, there are others on the market that are powerful also.  I will say, though, you do need a powerful blender to make this so the smoothie doesn't have a "stringy" texture. 

So, if you have no time for breakfast, blend this up and take it out the door with you.  It is more nutritious than anything else you put will eat or drink all day!!

Green smoothie or toxic Egg McMuffin.........

People ask me all the time what kind of bread is really the best to eat, not only for weight loss, but also what's the healthiest.  Well, as most people would guess, whole wheat is on the list, but nutritional experts also recommend rye and pumpernickel.  These grains are slow to be digested not causing your blood sugar to spike out of control as it would from white flour breads.  

But, don't be fooled by the whole-wheat labels.  Food companies love to say their product is made from whole wheat or whole grains making the product appear to be healthy for you.  It's NOT!!  Cereals are the biggest culprit...for instance, on a box of Fruit Loops they make their product sound healthy.  However, there is 12 grams of sugar per serving, (most children/adults eat more than a serving), which translates to 41% of the product, when measured by weight has more sugar than many of the popular brands of cookies. Yet, the information on the box states this cereal is a "good source of fiber and other whole grains".  More sugar than most cookies....for breakfast!!

There is nothing more colorful than a display of different kinds of vegetables and fruits.  Remember, the compounds in the fruits and vegetables that give the plants these beautiful colors, protect our cells from free radicals, (cancer causing cells), and destroys them.  The more colorful the vegetable or fruit, the more antioxidants they give us.  Nature is smarter than any drug company out there!

People ask me all the time what I eat on a daily basis.  They don't realize the wide variety of choices that are out there.  Because we are creatures of habit, a typical lunch-time meal is some sort of deli meat sandwich with chips, maybe some soup, cookies, or maybe a piece of fruit.  The nutritional value of eating that lunch is close to nothing, not to mention the sodium, fat and cholesterol wrapped up in that.  Well, let me help you with much better choices.  

Well, here it is, Monday again...the weekend is over, back to our work routine.  I'm hoping you had time to make a batch of beans or whole-grains over the weekend so dinners this week will be a snap!

The recipe I choose to share with you today is from straightupfoods.com.  This is an Indian Dal soup, but to me it is more like a hearty stew.  It is really good!  Not only does it taste good, but it's so good for you.  It has red lentils and chickpeas in it, so you get a boat load of protein, and there is kale in it which is one of the superfoods on the planet.  

For those of you who are not familiar with kale, you have to try it.  It is the dark green, curly leafed vegetable that's usually right next to the romaine lettuce section in the grocery store.  The leaves are "heavier" than a lettuce leaf..You just tear the leaf away from the thick stem and cut it up and throw it into soups, stews, or saute it with some onions, garlic and mushrooms.  Delicious!  This particular recipe is a really easy recipe, just throw everything into a soup pot and let it cook....or put everything in a slow cooker, set it on low and let it cook all day.  Dinner's waiting for you when you  get home.

So, the recipe for this "stew" is as follows:

INDIAN DAL SOUP
5 cups water
1/2-1 onion, diced
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t cardamom powder
1/2 t chili powder
1 cup red lentils
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups diced potatoes, about 2-3 medium potatoes
2 cups kale, cut into 1/4 inch strips
3 T ground sesame seeds
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped finely

Place 1/4 c of water in to a large soup pot and saute the onion for a few minutes.  Add the ginger, garlic powder, cumin, nutmeg, cardamom and chili powder and mix well.  Add the remaining water, lentils, garbanzos, tomatoes and potatoes.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, until lentils are tender.  Just before serving, add the last three ingredients, the kale, ground sesame seeds and basil, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  

So, your menu for today could look like this:

Breakfast:  oatmeal with cinnamon and fruit
Lunch:  Big garden salad with lots of vegetables and a bowl of soup
Snack:  Apple or any other piece of fruit
Dinner:  Hearty stew

It's easier than you think to eat healthy....it just takes a little bit of planning.  Really, this is not rocket science.  The beans take the longest to prepare, (or just use canned beans, they are ready to go but cost a little more), so if they are cooked dinner takes no time at all. 

Tomorrow I will give you some ideas for lunch in case you have had enough soup and salads.  But remember, green leafy vegetables are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.  They fight off all the toxins we put in our bodies on a daily basis....try to eat green leafy vegetables EVERY DAY...you will be well protected!

Email me with any questions or comments!

Because today is Sunday, and it's so cold outside, it's a perfect day for some comfort food!  Now, comfort food doesn't have to mean foods that are really high in fat, cholesterol and calories.  The recipes I would like to share with you are really healthy recipes, but taste like they aren't!

Before I get to the recipes, if you have time this weekend, remember to make a pot of beans and or a whole-grain so dinners next week are simple.  If making your own beans, remember, soak overnight, (or soak about 8 hours), drain, rinse, cover the beans with water, (about 2 inches above beans), and cook about 1 - 1 1/2 hours, slow boil.  Taste the beans after about one hour...you don't want them mushy, but you also don't want them "hard" as they don't digest as well.  The more you make beans, the easy it is to realize when they are done....you will be able to tell just by looking at them.  

So, today's recipe's star attraction is lentils.  Lentils are the exception to the rule, they do not need to be soaked overnight.  Just rinse them before using them in your recipes.  

LENTIL CHILI AND CORNBREAD CASSEROLE

CHILI:
2 onions, chopped
3 T minced garlic
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup chili powder
1 T ground cumin
2 t paprika
1 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried oregano
2 bay leaves
5 cups vegetable broth
2 cups lentils
1 15 to 16 oz can whole tomatoes, chopped
2 medium green bell peppers, chopped 
2 stalks celery, chopped

CORNBREAD CRUST:
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
3 T baking powder
2 t Ener-G Egg replacer, beaten until frothy with 1/4 water
1 T honey 
1 1/4 cups warm water

Cook the onion and garlic in the water in a large pot until the onion is soft, 5-7 minutes.  Add all of the seasonings and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetable stock or water and bring to a boil.  Add the lentils, cover partially, reduce the heat, and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the tomatoes, green pepper and celery.  Simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.  Spoon into an 11 x 9 casserole dish.  Discard the bay leaves. 

Preheat the over to 375 degrees.  Combine the cornmeal, flour, and baking powder.  In a separate bowl, combine the Egg Replacer mixture, honey and water; add to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.  

Spoon crust mixture over the top of the casserole.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

POTATO CORN CHOWDER
2 onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
6 1/2 cups water
6 potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cups frozen corn
1 15 oz can white beans, (cannelli, navy, or great northern), drained and rinsed--if you made your own, even better
1 t dried marjoram
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t dried basil
1/4 t dried rosemary
1/4 t dried savory (I personally don't have this spice, I would leave it out)
1 cup unsweetened Almond Milk
Salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Place the onion and celery in a large soup pot with 1/2 cup of water.  Saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients, except the beans, milk and fresh parsley.  Cover and cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.  

Remove about 1 cup of the soup and place in a blender or food processor.  Puree and return to the soup pot.  Add the beans and milk.   Stir well and heat through.  Add salt and pepper according to your taste.   Garnish with some chopped fresh parsley or basil before serving, if desired.
NOTE:  I typically add more beans to recipes to make sure everyone is getting adequate protein.  If you decide to add more beans, you may need to increase the liquid you are using, in this case water.  Use your own judgement...I tend to like my soups and chowders thicker, some people prefer them a little more brothy....adjust to your taste!!

You could serve a big garden salad with either of these recipes and have a complete, really healthy, really delicious meal. 

If you haven't done so already this weekend, try and get those beans and whole-grains made today.  Believe me, dinners next week with be a breeze!

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me....I would love to help you!!

Because I work in a busy medical office, I have the pleasure of helping so many people with their diets.  I can't begin to tell you how many people have had their lab work done and end up with high cholesterol numbers.  Fortunately, in the practice I work in, the doctors order a test called an "NMR" which is a very advanced test for cholesterol.  The old standard cholesterol tests, according to researchers, do not give true accurate numbers.  So, people go along thinking their cholesterol is good, when in fact, it is not so good.  

So, the first words out of most  people's mouths when they get this news is, "I eat healthy, how can my numbers be so high?"  Then we get down to the nitty gritty and after listening to what the majority of people are eating, their diet is horrible!  The next question they ask is, what do I do?  Of course, the physicians are trained to diagnose a disease and prescribe a pill to treat the symptoms.  Remember, this is not a cure for high cholesterol.  And, let's not forget all the horrible side effects that come from cholesterol medication: two of the most common,  it can effect your liver and many people experience muscle aches and pains to the point that they feel like their body is full of arthritis.  This is where I come in.  However, as soon as I begin talking about a Whole Food Plant Based diet, (WFPB), they look at me like I'm from another planet.  "What do you MEAN cut way back on meat and dairy?  How can anyone stay on this diet?  This is way too drastic."  

Then I say, "Having your chest cut in half, a doctor putting his hands in your now open chest cavity and working on your heart and surrounding clogged arteries is drastic.  Eating real food is NOT so drastic!"  

Now, I have their attention and they begin to LISTEN to how they can change their numbers and reverse this whole cholesterol issue simply by eating the right foods.  It's really as easy as that!  And, for the people that diligently follow this way of eating, their cholesterol levels DROP LIKE A ROCK...NO MEDICATION NEEDED!!  So, let me share with you some easy recipes that are so good.  The recipes today come from the book, Forks Over Knives:  

CHANA SAAG (An Indian dish, so simple and delicious)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced small
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 T grated ginger
2 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1 t turmeric
1 t fenugreek
1 t crushed red pepper
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 c unsweetened Almond Milk
2 pounds fresh spinach, chopped, (about 12 cups)
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
salt to taste

Place the onion in a large saucepan and saute over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, or until it is browned.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of water at a time to prevent from sticking.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the jalapeno pepper, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, and crushed red pepper.  Cook, stirring often for 4 minutes, only adding water if necessary.  Add the tomato and cook for another 5 minutes, then add the almond milk, spinach and beans.  Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Cook until the spinach is wilted, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt.


RED LENTIL DAL
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 bay leaf
1 T grated ginger
1 t turmeric
1 T ground cumin
1 T ground coriander
1/2 t crushed red pepper
2 cups of red lentils, rinsed
salt to taste
Zest of 1 lemon

Place the onion in a large saucepan and saute over medium heat for l0 minutes.  Add water, 1-2 tablespoons at a time to prevent sticking.  Add the garlic, bay leaf, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander and crushed red pepper and cook for another minute.  Add the lentils and 4 cups of water and bring pot to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and have started to break down.  Season with salt and add the lemon zest. 

CAULIFLOWER-CREAM PASTA
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 cups vegetable stock
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 sage leaves, minced
1 small butternut squash, (about 1 pound), peeled, halved, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound whole-grain pasta, cooked according to package directions, drain
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the cauliflower and vegetable stock in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil. Cook over medium heat for l0 minutes, or until the cauliflower is very tender.  Remove the pan from the heat and puree the sauce using an immersion blender or in a blender with a tight-fitting lid, blend until smooth and creamy.  Set aside

Place the onion and red pepper in a large saucepan and saute over medium heat for 7-8 minutes.  Add water, 1-2 tablespoons at a time to prevent sticking.  Add the garlic, sage, and squash and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the squash is tender.  Add the cauliflower puree and cooked pasta, and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  

If anyone has tried other recipes and really liked them, please share them with me....I would love to hear from you!!

One of my favorite quotes to use is:  "If you knew how meat was made, you'd probably lose your lunch!"  

That quote is so true...I am constantly researching nutrition...this is my passion.  Because I have a very hard time learning about how animals are treated from the time of their birth right through until it's time for the slaughter house, I won't go into detail with you.  It literally turns my stomach.  So, I tend to leave this part of why we shouldn't be eating meat out of the equation, because on the other side of that same coin, meat is so detrimental to our health.  Health is my main goal in this way of eating....I know some people begin to eat a Whole Food Plant Based diet because of the horrific treatment of "farm raised" animals, but my primary reason for doing this is for our health.  However, knowing how the animals are raised and treated motivates people even more into eating a WFPD diet.  By the way, when I refer to meat, that means anything with a face and a mother...cows, chickens, turkeys, pigs, fish ( I know fish is not "meat"), etc.  Some people think that when I refer to meat I mean beef only.

Milk is addictive--chemically.  This is a fact.  Casein, the protein that is in milk, crosses the blood-brain barrier and becomes something called "casomorphin".  Yes, that sounds like morphine, because casomorphin is also an opioid.  Nature designed it that way so young annimals would enjoy nursing, come back for more, and live to reproduce themselves.  It's the circle of life.  This is great if you're a calf, puppy, kitten, etc.
 
Here's the problem for us...breast milk has only 2.7 grams of casein per liter.  Cow's milk has 26.  It takes, on average, 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese or ice cream, so you are looking at a lot of casein, (research shows casein feeds cancer cells), and as a result, casomorphin.  In these quantities, this becomes a multiplied opiate addiction, and it can feel like opiate withdrawl when someone tries to get away from cheese and ice cream.  People experience headaches, depression, digestive abnormalities, irritation and anger, as well as cravings that are really hard to deal with. This is one reason why so many people have such a hard time giving up dairy.  We were all taught from as far back as we can remember, the virtues of dairy.  Most of us were weaned from breast milk or formula as infants, and started right on cow's milk...this was the "right thing" to do.  The PR power of the dairy industry is huge...they show up in magazines, newspapers, television, pop-ups on the internet, talk shows, etc., etc., etc.  They continually tell us how important it is to get as much dairy in our diets as possible...what they neglect to tell us is casein feeds cancer cells, dairy comes with saturated fat and cholesterol that clogs our arteries, exacerbates neurological problems in children, not to mention, 97% of the world's population is lactose intolerant!!   97%.  That's HUGE!!  Humans were not meant to drink cow's milk any more than we are suppose to drink dog's milk, cat's milk, or any other kind of animal's milk.

People tell me all the time eating healthy is too expensive...they just cannot afford it.  When you take a good look at the most expensive items on your grocery list, most of the time it is meat.  Making a change to a Whole Food Plant Based diet, (WFPB), won't automatically save you money, but it's easy enough to plan healthy, flavorful meals with a budget in mind.  The best way to cut back on food expenses is to eat out less frequently and limit pricey convenience foods...but that holds true with any kind of "diet". (I really don't like using the word "diet" because this is a lifestyle change, not a diet that we have a start and finish date set.   When I use the word "diet", my definition translates to the food we eat everyday).  

I don't know about you, but when I was growing up our choice of beverage was water or milk...take your pick.  There was no soda, juice or any other sweetened drinks in my house.  The only time we were allowed to drink soda was on special occasions like holidays or birthdays.  If we didn't choose milk with our meals, then we had water.  Period.  My mother was "taught" by the Dairy Industry the importance of milk and other dairy products for strong healthy bones in growing children.  Unfortunately, eating and drinking dairy products is contributing to our health care crisis.  Believe me, I was as shocked as you are by learning the facts about dairy.