Easy Cauliflower Soup

This is one of my favorite quick and easy soups.  There's only a few ingredients, no need to bother measuring because you're just "chopping and throwing" and it cooks up quickly.  Here's the best news about it:  it's truly "food as medicine" because the cauliflower, onion and parsley are powerful detoxifying agents and the ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and is a digestive aid.  Broccoli can be substituted for the cauliflower.

Detoxifying Cauliflower Soup

1 head of cauliflower

1 onion

1 inch piece of fresh ginger

olive oil

2.5 pints of vegetable or chicken stock

or

2 pints of stock and 1 cup of water

salt and pepper to taste

parsley for garnish

1.  Quarter an onion, mince the ginger, and break the cauliflower into florets.

2.  Heat a large pot and coat with olive oil.

3.  Place the onion, ginger and cauliflower in the pot and cook until they begin to "sweat."

4.  Add the stock (and water if using) and bring to a boil.

5.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower softens,

6.  Season with salt and pepper.

7.  Puree with an immersion blender until creamy or remove batches of the soup and puree in a food processor.

8.  Garnish with fresh parsley.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic and Ginger

To celebrate the Jewish New Year, it's traditional to serve something sweet. In years past, I usually served tzimmes, a mixture of sweet potatoes, carrots and dried fruit.  But since giving up all forms of sugar, I wanted to find a sweet potato recipe without added sweetener.  Someone in one of the Blood Sugar Solution classes I run suggested sweet potatoes with garlic.  These were insanely easy to prepare and so yummy!  Sweet potatoes have their own sweetness for ushering in a "sweet new year."

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic and Ginger
serves 4

1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes, washed and cubed (1-inch cubes)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1″ section fresh ginger, grated (I used a mini food processor)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil. 

In a mixing bowl, stir together the sweet potatoes, garlic, ginger, olive oil and a little salt and pepper. The sweet potatoes should be well-coated with the mixture.

Pour the sweet potatoes onto the prepared cookie sheet, spreading out to form one even layer.

Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Stir and flip the sweet potatoes. Return to the oven and cook for another 25 minutes. The potatoes should be lightly browned on one side and cooked through.

Adequate Folic Acid Levels During Pregnancy May Lower Autism Risk

The risk of having a child with autism has increased to one in 80. While this number is staggering, new research is helping to explain potential causes. In a new study, scientists found that women that consumed significantly more folic acid during the first month of pregnancy had a reduced risk of having a child with autism. Folic acid supplements are already suggested for use by women of childbearing age to prevent neural tube defects. Folic can also be found in many foods.To learn more, go to "Folic Acid Intake During Pregnancy Linked to Reduced Autism Risk" in the June, 2012, issue of Natural Standard's Integrative Medicine Newsletter.

Yummy Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free Coconut Milk Ice Cream

My search for a gluten free, dairy free, sugar free ice cream is over.  I came across this recipe on the paleodietlifestyle blog and made it without adding honey.  Yes, it's full of saturated fat, but coconut milk in moderation can be a satisfying treat.  I added raw cacao nibs and unsweetened coconut.  The result: heavenly!

Coconut vanilla ice cream recipe

• 1 can full-fat organic coconut milk
• 2 eggs or 4 egg yolks (yolks alone will give even more richness)
• Seeds from 2 fresh vanilla beans or 4 tbsp real vanilla extract.

Possible additions (add any or a combination of the following):

• 1/2 cup of berries (chopped or blended to a puree)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/4 cup finely chopped mint
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts
• Lemon, lime or orange zest
• 3 tbsp raw honey
• 1/4 cup 70 % dark chocolate or raw cacao nibs

1. Boil water in a pot or double boiler and reduce to a simmer.
2. Place a heat proof bowl over it in a double boiler fashion and pour in the coconut milk. Add vanilla seeds or vanilla extract to the coconut milk and heat until hot, but not boiling. 
3. Whisk the eggs or yolks in a separate bowl. Add one ladleful of the hot coconut milk to the eggs while whisking vigorously. This slowly brings the temperature up without cooking the eggs and risking that they scramble. Add two or three more ladlefuls of the coconut milk while whisking continuously.
4. Blend the tempered eggs mixture with the rest of the coconut milk in the double boiler.
5. Whisk for a couple of minutes non-stop to form a thick custard. Make sure it doesn’t get too hot and the simmering water doesn’t touch the bowl.
6. Once the custard is ready, remove from the heat source and let it cool on the counter or refrigerator.
7. You can add any additional ingredients once the custard is cool to the touch.
8. Let it cool even more in the refrigerator before freezing it.
9. Place in an ice cream maker and follow the instructions or put in a baking dish in the freezer and stir vigorously every 30 minutes for about 2 to 3 hours until it’s set.
10. Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving so it softens a bit. Serve with additional coconut milk, berries, mint, coconut flakes or any other flavoring you might enjoy.

Insufficient Vitamin D Linked to Weight Gain

A new study links vitamin D “insufficiency” to added weight gain.   The study focused on older women, and found that four out of five (80 percent) had insufficient levels of vitamin D … a finding with serious implications for bone health.   The finding of a widespread lack of vitamin D was bad enough, but the researchers also found that women who lacked vitamin D gained more weight than those with blood levels deemed sufficient.   Dr. LeBlanc called that weight-gain finding unprecedented: “This is one of the first studies to show that women with low levels of vitamin D gain more weight, and although it was only two pounds, over time that can add up.” (KP 2012)   The study was conducted by researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, the University of Minnesota, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Maryland.    

Drinking Kale Juice at the San Francisco Airport

Love the San Francisco airport!!  I usually bring my own dehydrated kale chips when traveling, but at this airport there's a wonderful restaurant, The Plant.  They have great organic salads and juices. I ordered the kale, parsley, cucumber, lemon (hold the apple to reduce the sugar load) juice.  The perfect drink before a long flight.

Would love to hear your suggestions for healthy travel food.

Follow My Blog and Be Inspired to Take Back Your Health and Reverse Diabesity

"My cabinets are emptying out and my refrigerator is filling up!" I'm thrilled to hear participants in my Blood Sugar Solution group program (which follows the curriculum developed by Dr. Mark Hyman in his best-selling book, The Blood Sugar Solution) voice comments like this because it means they're removing sugar-laden processed foods and adding fresh foods that their great-grandmothers would have recognized as food. Stay tuned for more postings about how people are successfully reversing "diabesity."

Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Increased Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

According to a new French study, women with higher intakes of vitamin D may be at a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but not of developing other, less common forms of dementia (Annweiler C et al. 2012).

 

In this “prospective” study, they followed 498 women – aged 76 to 84 (average 79.8 years) – for seven years. None were taking vitamin D supplements, and all were living at home.

 

The women with the highest estimated vitamin D intakes from food were 77 percent less likely to have developed Alzheimer’s within seven years.

More Evidence that Omega-3's Curb Inflammation and Decrease Risk of Heart Disease and Cancer

What the heck are soluble adhesion molecules, and why should you care?

Well, they’re proteins belonging to the family of “cell adhesion molecules” (CAMs), and they’re implicated in cardiovascular disease and cancer.

CAMs are markers for specific inflammatory processes that impact white blood cells, blood platelet cells, and endothelial cells … with generally negative effects.

The endothelium (inner layer) of blood vessels is made of endothelial cells, which are very active players in the health of our arteries … and appear to play indirect roles in cancer growth.

Now, two new studies indicate that higher intakes of omega-3s (EPA and DHA) from fish inhibit a specific kind of CAM, with consequent benefits to heart and immune health.

Both studies looked at the effects of omega-3s on blood levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1). Researchers from China’s Jilin University analyzed 18 randomized clinical trials that tested omega-3 supplements and collected data on the participants’ blood levels of sICAM-1 (Yang Y et al. 2012). Their analysis indicates that omega-3 supplements can reduce blood levels of sICAM-1 in healthy people and people with unhealthy blood fat profiles. This seems to reveal a new way in which omega-3s may help prevent atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular disease.

Adding a new insight to the inflammation-moderating effects of omega-3s, the Chinese team found that supplements reduced inflammation by inhibiting activation of monocytes, which proliferate in response to inflammation.

Chronic inflammation drives atherosclerosis, the leading cause of cardiovascular disease.
It’s become clear that white blood (immune-system) cells – especially macrophages – promote arterial plaques, which are prone to rupture, leading to strokes, heart attack, and possible death. Like macrophages, monocytes appear to promote the formation of arterial plaques and fuel their growth by forming “foam” cells, producing free radicals, and more.

As the researchers wrote, their finding “… supports the notion that omega-3 [supplements can help] to prevent the development and progression of atherosclerosis.” (Yang Y et al. 2012)

A team from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris report that higher blood levels of omega-3 may counteract the pro-cancer properties of sICAM-1 (Touvier M et al. 2012).

Vitamin D Shrinks Fibroid Tumors in Rat Study

Three out of four women develop benign uterine fibroid tumors. While only some fibroids cause symptoms or need treatment, millions of women suffer their effects. Drugs may shrink the tumors, but effective, worry-free, non-surgical treatments have proven elusive. So it’s encouraging to hear that vitamin D shrank uterine fibroids in rats dramatically … albeit animals genetically predisposed to developing fibroids.

Although rats and people share much in biomedical terms, they don’t always react to nutrients and drugs the same way. Accordingly, the results of a new study concerning benign – but potentially painful, life-hindering – uterine fibroid tumors must be repeated in human trials.

In prior research from Nashville’s Meharry Medical College, vitamin D inhibited the growth of human fibroid cells in the test tube. The new rodent experiment was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and provides a promising new lead in the search for a non-surgical treatment for fibroids, a painful and costly condition.

Fish Oils Shown to Improve Cognitive Functioning

Low blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with smaller brain volume and poorer performance on tests of mental acuity, even in people without apparent dementia, according to a new study.

In the analysis, published online in the journal Neurology, scientists examined 1,575 dementia-free men and women whose average age was 67. The researchers analyzed the fatty acids of the subjects’ red blood cells, a more reliable measurement than a plasma blood test or an estimate based on diet. They used an M.R.I. scan to measure brain volume and white matter hyperintensities, a radiological finding indicative of vascular damage.

People in the lowest one-quarter for omega-3 levels had significantly lower total cerebral brain volume than those in the highest one-quarter, even after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking and other factors. They also performed significantly worse on tests of visual memory, executive function and abstract memory than those in the highest one-quarter. There was no significant association with white matter hyperintensity volume.

Mild Hydration Can Alter Mood

Even mild dehydration can alter a person's mood, energy level, and ability to think clearly, leaving them ‘cranky’ and tired, say researchers. Follow the link below to learn more.

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Mild-dehydration-may-modify-mood-say-scientists

Cocoa offers "Consistent Benefits" for Heart Health

Consumption of cocoa and the compounds it contains offer significant and ‘consistent’ benefits to blood flow and blood pressure, says a new meta-analysis of 42 studies.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Cocoa-offers-consistent-benefits-for-heart-health-Meta-analysis

Higher Intake of Soluble Fiber May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

Higher intakes of soluble fiber, but not other types of fiber, may reduce the risk of breast cancer, suggest findings from a meta-analysis from Imperial College, London and the University of Leeds.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/More-fiber-may-reduce-breast-cancer-risk-Meta-analysis

High Fructose Corn Syrup or Sugar-Can your body tell the difference?

The body may absorb more fructose from high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) than it does from sucrose, according to a new study published in the journal Metabolism. To read the full detail of the study, use the link below:
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science/HFCS-and-sugar-Can-your-body-tell-the-difference-after-all

Eating Fish May Protect Young Women From Heart Disease

New research suggests that consumption of omega-3 rich fish may help to protect young women of childbearing age from heart disease. The study was published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association, and is the first population-based study to assess the risk of developing heart disease in women of childbearing age.

According to research over eight years, women who rarely or never ate fish had 50% more cardiovascular issues than those who ate fish regularly. When compared to women who ate fish weekly, the risk of heart disease was 90% higher for those who rarely or never ate fish.

The researchers analyzed the data from nearly 49,000 pregnant women between 15 and 49. The women were asked about dietary behaviors and then hospital records were checked for heart-related admissions. Those women that took fish oil supplements were excluded from the study so that the results could be based purely on dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids. The results showed that both inpatient and outpatient admission for heart disease was much more prevalent among women who reported eating little or no fish. It was also shown that even women who ate fish only a few times a month benefitted.

This study adds to a constantly expanding body of science supporting the cardiovascular health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.

Junk Food Expands Your Waistline And Shrinks Your Brain

According to a new study published in the journal Neurology, elderly people who consume a lot of junk food with high levels of trans fats are more likely to experience brain shrinkage linked with Alzheimer's disease than those who consume less trans fats. Additionally, it was found that people with high levels of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids had reduced brain shrinkage. This study is one of the first to specifically measure blood nutrient levels, as opposed to basing conclusions on less precise data like food intake surveys.

The study assessed the blood nutrient levels of 104 healthy people, with an average age of 87, who had few known risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. The research concluded that those with high levels of trans fats in their blood performed poorly in memory and thinking tests, while the people with higher levels of vitamin B, C, D, E, and omega-3 fatty acids, performed well. The researchers then scanned the brains of the participants, and found that those with high vitamin levels had larger brains, and those with high trans fats were prone to brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer's.

Although dairy and meats contain trace amounts of trans fats, the vast majority of trans fatty acids are formed during the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oil. The food industry relies on trans fats for their extended shelf life and flavor stability. But scientific research has proved that trans fats increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, and now increase the risk of Alzheimer's. All the negative press on trans fats has increased pressure on food manufacturers to reduce or remove trans fats from food products. So, read your labels and maybe think twice about reaching for that candy bar.

New Studies About Alzheimer's Disease

It's no secret that a well-rounded diet high in omega-3 fatty acids and rich in vitamins found in fruits and vegetables is good for your overall health and longevity. But a recent study supports the longstanding notion that a healthy diet can also help prevent Alzheimer's disease.

According to this study, which was released in the journal Neurology, scientists associate these fish-rich diets and foods with high levels of vitamins B, C, D, and E nutrients with increased cognitive performance and decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, or "brain shrinkage."

The study found that people who consume diets high in trans fats, primarily found in fast foods, fried and frozen foods, were more likely to have brain shrinkage and lower scores on the thinking and memory tests than people who ate very little trans fats.

Although there have been similar studies in the past that primarily depended on participants' memory recall and questionnaires, this is the first study using nutrient biomarkers in the blood to look at the effect of diet on memory, thinking skills and brain volume.

In a different study, supported by the National Institutes of Health, new research links "silent strokes," or small spots of dead brain cells, to memory loss in the elderly. The study detected silent strokes in roughly one out of four older adults, and those who did have silent strokes scored somewhat worse on memory tests than those without silent strokes.

Researchers found this to be true whether or not the patients had a small hippocampus, which is the main memory center of the brain. Since the study showed that the volume of the hippocampus and silent strokes were associated with memory loss separately from one another, the results also support stroke prevention as a means for preventing memory loss.

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and the only one in the top 10 without a way to prevent, cure, or even slow its progression. But hopefully, with studies like these, we are getting closer to understanding ways to prevent and, perhaps, cure this mysterious brain disease.