Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

Put More Bugs in Your Gut and Other Things I learned at the 2013 Annual Integrative Medicine Nutrition and Health Conference in Seattle:

Friday, May 24th, 2013

By: Jen Mager, ANP

I returned last week from what was probably the best conference I have ever been to in my entire career as a health professional.  There was so much wonderful information and I want to share some of the key points. The food served at the conferences was beyond delicious as well as nutritious. Meeting Dr. Weil and having had the opportunity to hear him speak several times during the conference was amazing as well.

1. Modern industrial food is bad for us.  It promotes chronic inflammation by giving us the wrong kinds of fats and carbs and not providing enough of protective phytonutrients found in fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices.

2. We are living in a culture where people have a tendency to demonize foods.  The truth is somewhere in the middle and people must be educated about the differences between good fats, bad fats, high and low glycemic load carbs.  Rebecca Katz was quoted as saying that “Nutritional analysis leads to culinary paralysis”.  Real food is healing. Fat isn’t bad. A diet high in refined carbs is.  Get back in the kitchen, cook real food and share it with those you love.

3. A review of 21 studies looking at saturated fat (Krauss 2010) was presented. These studies failed to find a connection with heart disease.  The real culprit just kept coming back to a diet high in refined sugar-laden carbs.

4. Health happens when we have a good balance of stress and support.  Moderate stress is actually beneficial…Think exercise.  Exercise puts our bodies in a state of moderate stress.  The benefit derived is priceless.

5. The traditional Mediterranean and Japanese diets are most significantly associated with low risk for disease, longevity and good health. 

6. PUT MORE BUGS IN YOUR GUT! An overwhelming theme, which ran through the conference.  Gut flora, gut flora and gut flora. Antibiotics as well as the Western diet have a detrimental influence on intestinal microbiota. The intestinal microbiota is linked to many aspects of human health. Probiotics and a good healthy diet is key!

7. Eating a wide variety of plants reduces your risk for illness.

My very favorite recipe, which Dr. Weil demonstrated at the conference. I have been making this often at home and have converted even the pickiest eater. Enjoy!

Best Kale Salad Ever

Ingredients:
4-6 cups kale, sliced into shreds, mid-ribs removed. (My favorite is the Lacinto, also called dinosaur kale)
Juice of 1 lemon
3-4 TBSP Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, mashed
Salt, pepper and hot red pepper flakes to taste
2/3 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan Reggiano cheese, grated
½ cup freshly made breadcrumbs, lightly toasted (I substitute toasted crushed pine nuts for my gluten free folks)

Instructions:
Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and a generous pinch of hot red pepper flakes.
Pour over kale and toss well
Add cheese and toss again
Let kale sit for 30-60 minutes
Add breadcrumbs or pine nuts and serve

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Food as Medicine, gastrointestinal health, Integrative Medicine, Jen Mager ANP, Nutrition, Preventative Health, Recipes | Click Here to Add a Comment »

Lentil Dal Recipe for a Beautiful Body and Mind

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

by Beth Netter, M.D.

lentils

Today I am offering you a recipe that is not only delicious but it is also full of beautiful earth foods that provide your body and mind great energy and health-promoting nutritional strength to help balance the damage done via oxidation of tissues, disease, and mental stress. Along with sunshine, gentle exercise, deep breathing and meditation, foods like this support your immune system in functioning at its best, and help you feel happier and healthier.

It includes lentils (which contain 26% protein, along with vegetables, and quinoa which contains all of the essential amino acids our body needs to support protein-based tissues in our bodies but cannot produce on its own). This recipe was created by the founders of the American Meditation Institute in Averill Park, NY.

AMI’s DAL (Bean Soup) Preparation time: 40 minutes. Serves: 6 – 8

Ingredients:
1/4 tsp. – salt
1 cup – split lentils (Masoor Dal; red lentils)
5 cups – hot water (approximately)
1 tsp. – salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric
2 Tbsp. – ghee (clarified butter—see below)
1 medium onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro (or ½-1 teaspoon dry)
1 Tbsp. toasted onions

Pick through beans, removing organic debris and stones.  Rinse very well.

When you’re ready to cook:  Dice carrots and celery (about 1/4 inch pieces).

Peel and cut onions in half, top to bottom. Place cut side down and cut into very thin slices. Set aside.

Place lentils and hot water in medium saucepan with carrots and celery. Bring to a boil on high heat.  Cook with the lid off. Skim off any extra white “froth” that arises.

Add turmeric and immediately lower heat to medium low and continue cooking.

Place the ghee and sliced onion in a medium skillet on medium heat. Cover pan. Stir occasionally as onions brown, loosening any areas that stick and always replacing the cover after each stir. Continue until about half the onions have browned and all are translucent and limp — about 25 minutes.

When the beans lose shape and form a creamy soup (about 25 minutes), add salt. Reduce heat to very low. Add cilantro, cooked onions and toasted onions. Cover and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors.

Store in jars and use as needed in the days to come.
To prepare a delicious meal with this lentil dal:
Add 3 to 4 vegetables in one dish: Green beans (Green Giant frozen with roasted almonds), kale, Swiss chard, carrots, asparagus, spinach, kale, sweet corn cut from the cob, Brussels Sprouts, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes (yams)

To Cook Vegetables: Pick 2-3 vegetables and cut up into very small pieces. Low boil the vegetables in a ¼ cup of water and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil or ghee (clarified butter) for 10 minutes.
Once these are cooked, combine vegetables with a nice portion of the lentil dal, a big scoop of quinoa (in lieu of pasta or rice), and cubed avocado. A sprinkling of roasted almonds adds crunch, flavor and a protein boost.

To cook quinoa:
1 cup quinoa (You can soak overnight if you would like. It tastes better. Rinse the quinoa in that pot a few times, drain).
2 cups water.
Bring to boil and turn to lowest heat. Cooks in 10-15 minutes. It should be soft but not soupy.
Ghee is clarified butter—butter that has been slow cooked, the solids removed, and a more “clean” oil remains. It does not have to be refrigerated. It does contain saturated fat but is an alternative to butter or margarine. I bring this to work for lunch every day and find it provides all the energy and nutrients I need.

Enjoy and let me know how it goes!
Warmly,
Beth

Posted in Beth Netter MD, Food as Medicine, Nutrition, Recipes | Comments Off

The Healthy Healing Tasty Joys of Flax Seeds

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

By Beth Netter, M.D.

flaxbloom1

Omega-3 fatty acids help support health and healing in almost every cell in the body. Flax, a phyto-nutrient (plant nutrient) rich in Omega-3’s, is readily used by the body to naturally support healthy cells in the brain and heart. It is rich in both DHA and EPA.

Flax is one of the best sources of lignans. The lignan properties help the body to decrease inflammation and oxidative damage caused by stress, toxins, bacteria, viruses and cancer. So flax may help heal the effects of arthritis, cancer, skin damage (inside or outside the body), or immune system deficiencies.

Flax has a high fiber content so it keeps the bowels running smoothing and alleviates constipation. Notice what your skin looks like the next time you are constipated. Then try adding daily ground flax seeds to your diet. Drink at least 1-2 glasses of water a couple of times each day. Then notice: What happens to your skin? Your bowels? Flax has been used to help alleviate gastritis, enteritis and colon damage precipitated by chronic laxative use.

Flax forms a mucilage which supports a balanced blood sugar. It may decrease the risk for diabetes.

Flax helps to decrease total cholesterol and LDL ( “bad”) cholesterol, and is part of a regimen to lower the risk for atherosclerosis.

Why Flax is Great for Women

Flax is a phytoestrogen which means it is a plant that can support an estrogen and progesterone balance in the body. Flax is considered to be an “adaptogen” in that it knows how to adapt to what the body needs in order for body and mind health to be at its best. In Dr. Christiane Northrup’s book, the Wisdom of Menopause, she notes that phytoestrogens do not tend to cause estrogenic tumors to grow. Instead, these smart plants bind to estrogen receptors and exert, potentially, an anti-cancer effect by limiting the overgrowth of cancer cells. For women, flax, through its adaptogenic effect, may help balance estrogen levels by wisely raising levels of estrogen when it is low or by lowering estrogen levels when it is too high. By consuming 1-2 tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseed on a daily basis a woman may be able to be “naturally” relieved of hot flashes, depression, anxiety, night sweats or other symptoms experienced by some women during menopause. Flax seed and flax oil are also used to help women alleviate difficult PMS.

And if that wasn’t good enough… There are no known adverse effects due to flax consumption.

Flax as food and medicine

Flax can be consumed as the freshly ground flax seed. The amount of flax seed in “flax bread” will probably be quite low. In an inexpensive coffee grinder just plunk in 1-2 tablespoons of flax seeds and grind away. Add the freshly ground meal to any vegetables, quinoa, oatmeal, yogurt, cereal, fruit, or just stir into a glass of water. Remember to drink plenty of water whenever ingesting a high-fiber food. The bowel needs the fluid to maximize the health effects of the fiber. One of my favorite breakfasts is: quinoa, flaxseeds, soy lecithin, a cut up fig, and almond milk. It’s so tasty and full of pH balancing (alkalizing) foods to help decrease oxidative stress and inflammation.

You can also take 1-2 tablespoons of flax oil daily. However, you will not get the fiber that the ground seeds offer. You will still receive the benefit of the Omega-3 fatty acids and other body balancing/healing properties. So why not use a little of both?! Make sure to keep your flax oil in the refrigerator and occasionally check to make sure it hasn’t gone rancid. Flax oil may also be taken in capsule form. You can take up to 1,000 mg a day.

Enjoy!

I will be sharing more natural holistic therapies like these at the Women’s Wellness Week at OMEGA Institute in June and again in September, 2009. For more information go to www.eomega.org

Posted in Beth Netter MD, Nutrition, Recipes, Women's Health | 6 Comments, Click Here to Add Yours »

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