4 Nutrient Dense Coleslaws

What? Did you know cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables, have powerful properties protect against brain disease and strengthen your immune system? It’s a vegetable I used to avoid – blech.

Cabbage was cultivated going back 6,000 years. It was grown chiefly for medicinal purposes in ancient times. Today science is proving its brain-protecting, cancer-fighting, immune-boosting properties.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Joel Fuhrman MD” source_title=”Super Immunity” full_quote=”Cruciferous vegetables are twice as powerful as other plant foods. They contain an array of compounds with powerful immune-boosting effects which can serve to attack microbes such as viruses; heighten resistance to viral infection, enhance defenses against bacterial infections, and have natural antimicrobial effects that can boost natural cellular defenses. A 20% increase in cruciferous vegetables intake corresponds to a 40% decrease in cancer rates. ” short_quote=”Cruciferous vegetables contain compounds with proven and powerful immune-boosting effects “]

Cruciferous vegetables also contain sulphorophane, a powerful phytochemical that effectively reduce the occurrence and severity of  Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke while also enhancing stem cell growth.

Well! That certainly motivated me find a way to not just to eat cabbage but to enjoy it.

That’s when I discovered coleslaw. When I realized coleslaw doesn’t have to be slathered in mayonnaise, I discovered a whole new salad world.

Coleslaw from Dutch term koolsla (kool is the Dutch word for cabbage and sla part is Dutch abbreviation of salade). Dutch settlers brought their recipe for chilled cabbage salad to New York in the late 17th century.

Boring white cabbage is fun when tossed with other shredded cruciferous

  • red cabbage
  • Brussels sprouts
  • broccoli
  • cauliflower

Double the fun, flavor and nutrient density by adding other plant foods:

  • spinach
  • shredded carrots, or beets
  • apple or jicama matchsticks
  • chopped cilantro or parsley
  • toasted nuts or seeds
  • luscious chunks of avocado, seasonal mango, peach or pear for delightful textural contrast

Suddenly coleslaws aren’t just immune-boosting, brain protective arsenals, but also bright, beautiful, delicious, and gratifying.

Do you have a favorite coleslaw recipe?

Here are some of mine

Crimson Coleslaw

Purple cabbage has extra health benefits. The purple color comes from anthocyanins –  part of the flavonoid family of phytochemicals. Studies show they may improve blood flow, cognitive function, and help maintain thinking and memory by reducing inflammation and by inhibiting DNA damage in the brain.

Colored Coleslaw

This of this as a base recipe and change it up

  • mix two different color cruciferous vegetables – shredded Brussels sprouts or broccoli
  • swap the kale for spinach or another leafy green
  • use pumpkin seeds or other nuts
  • toss in a handful of seasonal fruit

Bell Pepper Coleslaw

The red, yellow, orange bell peppers change up the flavor and increase the nutrient density with carotenoids.

Crunchy Cruciferous Salad

 

 

Té de Cumpleaños

As our plane descended into the valley of Cochabamba, my heart took flight. The gentle mountains encircling the valley opened in welcoming embrace. As we landed, I saluted Tunari, the valley’s highest peak standing proud and seemingly eternal.

My father waited outside the baggage terminal, emotion making his embrace fierce. He had counted down the days for our arrival for almost two months.

Arriving at my childhood home, my feet automatically took me around our little bit of heaven, greeting the avocado tree — every limb bent with heavy fruit –, the valiant little lemon tree also loaded with large, generous fruit, the bougainvillea and roses, every tree a friend, every flower a celebration of Mother Nature.

The afternoon was spent in a frenzy of baking preparing for tea the next day to celebrate dad’s 74th birthday. Teatime was a daily event in his and in my growing up years. As Bolivia has joined the fast pace of other nations, daily teatime seems to be fading into the past. But Té de Cumpleaños, tea parties for birthday celebrations, are still tradition.

My guiding parameter for tea parties is: two savory items, two or three cookies and a cake.

Knowing I had only about 24 hours to make this tea party happen, I chose tried and true recipes I knew I could easily pull off. With one exception. The mighty little lemon tree in the garden tempted me with its bounty. I knew I had to make something with those enormous, marvelous lemons. I found this recipe for Lemon Meltaways and wow-wee-wow! I have a new favorite cookie recipe. The first cookie I taste-tested was so spectacular, the entire first cookie sheet risked disappearing.

The Sandwich Cake was an easy choice. My mother was famous for her Sandwich Cakes. She always made the bread from scratch. On occasion I do too, particularly as a labor of love. But because of my time crunch, I used store-bought loaves. The garden’s bountiful avocado tree provided creamy avocados that I mashed with garden-fresh lemon juice and chopped onion. The other fillings for the sandwich cake were romesco, (a roasted red bell pepper pureed with toasted almonds). The third filling was an egg salad with black olives making the fillings colorful and tasty. The “frosting” is cream cheese beaten with plain Greek yogurt.

The Parmesan scones were also an easy choice. My dad is mad about cheese. These scones are impossible to resist. They don’t look particularly attractive, but one bite and oh my oh my yum.

The Chocolate Coconut Macaroons are quick and easy to make and outrageously delicious to eat. But in my haste trying to make everything in one afternoon, I poured the melted chocolate onto the beaten egg whites before it had cooled off, rending my egg whites runny. Appalled at the thought of having to throw them out, I kept adding coconut to rescue the consistency. Having almost doubled the amount of coconut from the original recipe did restore the batter but changed the texture and flavor of the macaroons. No one but I knew the difference and they were eaten at the same rate as the cookies I make from the original recipe. Phew. Disaster averted.

I take pride in making homemade birthday cake but this time, I bought a traditional Torta de Penco, from one of Cochabamba’s long-established pastry cafes. This is my dad’s absolute favorite cake. Crispy layers are stacked with dulce de leche filling.

As everyone sat down around the table that once was in my great-grandparents’ house, my heart again took flight with happiness at this gathering of beloved extended family, and with thankfulness for the food on the table.

Additional cookies for celebratory tea time

Orange Marmalade Cookies

Joy of Baking: Thumbprint Cookies

Epicurious: Italian Almond Cookies

Epicurious: Pignoli

Savory alternatives

Epicurious: Tuna Empanadas

Tea sandwiches (open-face) with chicken salad, egg salad, and/or Olive Tapenade

Color My Salad

What comes to mind when you think of salad? For years I assumed a salad was lettuce perhaps with tomatoes or carrots. Or maybe a Caesar salad or coleslaw slathered in mayonnaise.

But loving color in my food and learning about Nutrient Dense Foods it’s been huge fun overturning my preconceived notions of salad. Salads can be flavorful, colorful, and wildly nutritious. Salads create possibilities limited only by our creativity.

I now toss all kinds of marvelous concoctions in my salad bowl. Salads are full of heart-healthy, cancer fighting, cell-building ingredients. Eating salads regularly is one of the best ways to stay healthy. The variety and colors of salads bring an abundant array of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, minerals and phytochemicals into every bite. Fiber reduces bad cholesterol, helps control blood sugar, and helps digestive health. Lowering cholesterol and preventing constipation can in turn prevent chronic and life-threatening diseases.

Eating seasonally means summertime is a true feast for our tables and palates. Summer brings a lovely abundance of vegetables and fruits into my kitchen creating marvelous possibilities for fresh, vibrant and ah yes, colorful salads! Cool and crunchy, with various textures and flavors, summer salads are fun to eat.

Local, seasonal foods simply have more flavors. Picked when they are sun-ripe makes produce crispy, juicy, luscious and tasty! Local, seasonal produce also has more nutrients that strengthen our immune system and ward of viruses and disease. Building a lifestyle around seasonal foods not only enhances the flavor and diversity of my food, it also connects me with nature.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Joel Fuhrman MD” source_title=”Eat to Live” full_quote=”Raw uncooked vegetables and fruits offer the most powerful protection against disease, and I encourage my patients to eat huge salads and at least four fresh fruits per day. As the amount of raw fruits and vegetables are increased in a person’s diet, weight loss and blood pressure are lowered. Raw foods contain enzymes that offer significant nutritional advantages to protect against disease. Consuming a significant quantity of raw foods is essential for superior health” short_quote=”Raw uncooked vegetables and fruits offer the most powerful protection against disease”]

In this post I focus only on leafy green-based salads. There are whole worlds to roam with coleslaws, or bean salads or grain salads; we’ll talk about those another day.

Mighty greens pack a powerful punch of nutrients just on their own. Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables have more micronutrients than any other food.

[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”right” source_site=”LiveStrong” source_url=”http://www.livestrong.com/article/386542-what-are-the-benefits-of-eating-salads” full_quote=”Your chosen leafy greens do more than just lay a foundation for your remaining mix-ins. In fact, leafy greens pack a powerful punch of nutrients all on their own. Although each type of leafy green offers different health benefits, they’re packed with fiber and low in calories. Fiber also improves the health of your digestive system. Dark green lettuce, kale and spinach are packed with vitamins A, C, E and K, while bok choy and mustard greens also provide many of the B vitamins. This combination of vitamins supports the immune system, protects bones and keeps the cardiovascular system healthy. ” short_quote=”This combination of vitamins supports the immune system, protects bones and keeps the cardiovascular system healthy.”]

My general guidelines

  • Use leafy greens as the foundation: arugula, spinach, baby kale, mixed greens or romaine. Leafy greens I use organic as much as possible. Conventional spinach is high on the Dirty Dozen list because of the amount of pesticide residue
  • Add something soft: avocado, mango, peach, berries
  • Add green onions or red onions and usually garlic in the salad dressing
  • Add nuts or seeds

To make a meal out of my salad, I add leftover fish or meat (chicken, thinly sliced pork tenderloin, sliced steak. And/or leftover grains (brown rice, quinoa, barley etc) and beans (lentil, garbanzo, black, white – either leftovers or canned).

Salad dressing is always homemade. Store-bought salad dressings, even expensive fancy ones from organic stores, have more additives than necessary including sugar.

Making salad dressing is quick and easy. 

I was going to say here are some of my favorite salads, but truth be told, my favorite salads are too many to list as they are composed with whatever happens to be fresh that week. But here is a start.

Rainbow Salad, more than a recipe, this is a concept. Starting with a base of leafy greens, I make a “rainbow” of color: strawberries, blueberries, carrots, almonds, raspberry, cucumber. Or carrots, red cabbage, mango, pumpkin seeds, celery. With some creativity of ingredients, any color (and flavor) combination is possible.

Spinach, Mango, Purple Cabbage

Arugula Peach Salad

Watermelon Arugula Salad with Feta

Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad

Epicurious: Mixed Greens with Feta, Almond and Blueberries

 

What are your favorite salads?

 

For more empowerment

9 Good Reasons to Eat Salad Every Day

Dr. Axe: Eating Seasonally for Better Nutrition and a Better World

10 Reasons to Eat What’s Seasonal

 

What’s the Catch?

Fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids beneficial to the brain and heart and are excellent sources of protein, vitamins and minerals. Fish is part of my dinner rotation at least once a week.

But did you know eating fish is risky for for our health and for the planet?

Risk to our Health

Contamination can override the nutritional benefits of eating fish. Mercury and man-made chemicals known as PCBs are the primary culprits.

Mercury comes from coal-burning power plants emissions and falls into nearby waterways and fields. Small fish near mercury-laden industrial sites swim away and pass mercury up the food chain.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”left” source_author=”Marion Nestle” source_title=”What to Eat” full_quote=”Because virtually all waterways in the US are heavily contaminated with mercury or other chemical pollutants, the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) safety limits are invariably stricter than those of the FDA. The EPA is responsible for protecting the public’s health against pollutants in air and water. Since toxic contaminants in water get incorporated into fish, the EPA issues advisories about which fish are safe to eat. All fish are contaminated with PCBs, agricultural pesticides, and dioxins from industrial waste and emissions. Although most of these chemicals have been discontinued or banned for years, they persist in the environment and pollute streams, lakes and oceans. All fish have PCBs, but farmed fish have more because farmed fish need proteins and fats to help them grow; they grow better when those nutrients come from fish meal and oils, but these feeds contain high concentrations of PCBs” short_quote=”Virtually all waterways in the US are heavily contaminated with mercury. All fish are contaminated with PCBs, agricultural pesticides, and dioxins from industrial waste and emissions. “]

Farmed fish are fed the equivalent of dog food: pellets of fishmeal and fish oil, soy protein, vitamins and minerals. The pellets also contain meat-and-bone meal made from leftover meat, blood and bones of cows, pigs and other animals (the same by-products excluded from “natural” beef because of concerns about mad cow disease). Because the price of farm-raised fish depends on the cost of feed, there’s pressure to use the cheapest ingredients possible. Farmed fish are less active, so they have twice the fat of wild fish. Their omega 3 content depends on what they are fed and varies by species and by farm.

Risk to our Planet

Overfishing is depleting our oceans of sea life. Do we really want to be the generation that exterminates fish from the sea? By some estimates tuna population has declined by 90 percent. And overfishing threatens not just the livelihood of billions of people but their food supply. Without fish we could all face a food crisis. The answer is sustainable management. With smarter fishing rights and management systems, it’s possible to reverse the incentives that cause overfishing. Fishermen’s interests are tied to the long-term health of a fishery. Their income improves along with the fish population. We can make a difference every time we buy fish at the grocery store or order sushi by learning what fish to select and support smart fishing.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Marion Nestle” source_title=”What to Eat” full_quote=”Formerly abundant fish are disappearing from the oceans. By some estimates, the biomass of large predatory fish has declined by 90% since the preindustrial fishing area. Most of the world’s fishing zones are considered to be unsustainable, meaning that fish cannot reproduce fast enough to replace the ones that get taken. Some fish are considered endangered—among them certain species of salmon, sturgeon and trout —due to overfishing—too many boats using too efficient methods to catch the too few fish that remain. Fish do not have a chance against modern catching methods. Attempts to protect spawning grounds, to limit catches, or to enforce catching rules run against business and government interests.” short_quote=”Formerly abundant fish are disappearing from the oceans. By some estimates, the biomass of large predatory fish has declined by 90% since the preindustrial fishing area”]

So what to do?  Choose seafood healthy for us and for our planet.

  • Buy only from providers that I know have vetted their fish.
  • Use Seafood Guides that identify fish safe to eat (tested for mercury and PCB content) and fish that are sustainable.
[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Marion Nestle” source_title=”What to Eat” full_quote=”As an individual, you can express your dismay about the current situation directly by voting with your fork. Inform store managers that you have no intention of ever buying fish on the “Avoid” list. If seafood managers get that message, they may demand more thoughtful action from their suppliers, suppliers may demand better support from their trade associations and trade associations may demand more consumer-friendly policies from the government.” short_quote=”As an individual, you can express your dismay about the current situation directly by voting with your fork.”]

For more empowerment:

How to Eat Fish and Still Save the Earth

“It turns out global survival and delicious seafood are possible if we’re smart about what we eat. Here, pre-eminent food writer Mark Bittman teaches you how to hunt for your next great meal.”

Home delivery of sustainable seafood

Sea2Table

Seafood Buying Guides

[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”left” source_site=”Seafood Choices” source_url=”http://seafoodchoices.com” full_quote=”Which wild fish are sustainably harvested? Is it okay to eat tuna? What kind of salmon should I buy? Are there farmed fish that are environmentally responsible choices?  Seafood Choices Alliance works with conservation organizations around the world that are working to answer these and other important questions regarding the sustainability of our seafood supply. Click on the links below for further information.” short_quote=”Which wild fish are sustainably harvested? Is it okay to eat tuna?  What kind of salmon should I buy? Are there farmed fish that are environmentally responsible choices?”]

Seafood Watch: Consumers Guides

Environmental Defense Fund: Seafood Selector – “Fish Choices that are Good for You and Good for the Oceans”

Smart Seafood Buying Guide

Marine Stewardship Council: Fish to Eat

 

 

Finding My Way

I lost my way with Color My Food. It got so big and overwhelming

  • recipes
  • photos
  • menus
  • prep guidelines
  • shopping lists
  • blog posts on food and health

I lost sight of why I started doing this. And I got tangled up with the logistics and technology of creating and sustaining a website (I’m so NOT technical!), that I felt paralyzed.

Last weekend I had the great fortune to be part of a fellowship of wise women, in a place of centennial living oaks where birdsong and loving breezes centered me. In that place of tranquility I found my way back Color My Food– by cooking and sharing my love for delicious, nutritious food.

Color My Food is about sharing:

  • how I think about eating
  • what I cook
  • how I cook

in hopes of making it easier for others to cook and savor real food, get full menus, and obtain morsels of knowledge about food and health.

When I think about eating, I trust ancestral nutrition. Over tens of thousands of years humans adapted to a diet of fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and small amount of lean meat (wild game and fish). That diet enabled human bodies to stand erect and to develop the brains of modern humans.

Nature has an incredible way of knowing how to heal: cuts scab over, broken bones mend, cancer cells fended off, but only if given the needed building blocks of physical nutrients. I trust the mysterious and incredible symphony of nutrition found in food the way nature intended.

When I think about cooking I get visions of colorful, flavorful nutrient-dense food floating in my head.

Nutrient-dense food has the most nutrients per calorie. These are whole foods as close to their natural state as possible: vegetables, whole-grains, legumes and fruit. They contain a rich tapestry of

  • essential nutrients (vitamins and minerals)
  • enzymes
  • phytochemicals (natural plant chemicals)
  • pH stabilizing factors (vital to preventing cancer cells and preventing chronic inflammation that causes disease)
  • substances required for a healthy gut bacteria

I seek recipes that bring nutrient-dense foods together in harmony. I swim out into the Internet — Epicurious and Pinterest are my most frequent ports of call — in search of colorful, delicious nutrient-dense recipes. I’m like a baleen whale swooping in gigantic mouthfuls of seawater, expelling excess and retaining only krill for nourishment. That’s my recipe collecting process. I delight in looking at recipes and get excited when I find a muffin recipe that promises Mother Nature in every bite: oatmeal, fruit and nuts, or a salad recipe of vibrant hues, a chorus of greens, bell peppers, berries, grains and pumpkin seeds, or a meat dish simmering in aromatic spices and lovely vegetables…

I have a knack for finding recipes loaded with an array of vegetables, spices and herbs, it’s a hunting skill honed over several years. And I love challenging myself to bump up the nutrients in a recipe and further expand the variety and quantity of whole foods by adding broccoli, garlic, nuts or other superfoods.

I search for ethnic recipes, knowing these are rich in spices, herbs and flavor. Spices and herbs have been used for millennia to treat disease and even more importantly, to PREVENT disease. I love the world tour my kitchen offers: Thai on Monday, Moroccan on Tuesday…in any given week the foods of three or more different countries make an appearance on our plates.

I place my found recipes in a treasure chest of promises: for a robust immune system, disease fighting powers, memory and concentration enhancing capabilities. On a weekly basis I avidly look through my treasure chest and pull out recipes for a weekly menu with seasonal produce in mind.

I make a grocery list that takes me primarily to the perimeter of the grocery store; transforming my shopping cart into a cornucopia of Mother Nature’s bounty, filling it with marvelous vegetables in colors of the rainbow: kale and arugula, beets or red cabbage, red and green bell peppers, sweet potatoes and red onions. Back at home, I unload my bags with thankfulness for all that produce.

It’s visually delightful to see an array of colors in my pot or mixing bowl, the more colors the happier I am because it looks pretty and because I know all those colors are good our health. This delight and the satisfaction of taking bites loaded with flavor and texture feed body AND soul.

So step into my kitchen where eating Mother Nature’s colorful foods is a way of life.

Heaven help me, I shall find my way through the technology and logistics of websites and Internet to share what I do in a way that is helpful to you.

Do let me know, if you like what you see here. I’d be over-the-moon-excited if you make something or learn something new. Pray do tell if you do.

Eating for a Healthy Brain

Do you worry about brain disease? It seems everyone knows someone that’s been affected by stroke, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Eating for a healthy brain is important to me since my father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Not only for his sake – nutrition plays a significant role in the progression of Parkinson’s – but also for my brain health and of those around me.

A healthy diet can reduce risk of brain stroke by reducing cholesterol and blood pressure while also improving blood flow and antioxidant capacity. Increasing evidence indicates a healthy diet could also help prevent Alzheimer’s.

Regular intake of fiber and antioxidant-rich foods is the best prevention against brain disease. Fiber and antioxidants are naturally concentrated in whole plant foods. Plant foods contain 64 times more antioxidants than animal foods, making the case again for a plant-based diet.

Strokes happen when blood flow to the brain is cut off depriving the brain of oxygen, usually because of cholesterol-filled plaques in our arteries but sometimes when a blood vessel bursts and bleeds into the brain. It might last only a moment, but silent strokes can multiply and reduce cognitive function until dementia develops. The goal is to reduce the risk of both massive strokes and mini-strokes.

Our brain is about 2% of our body weight but can consume up to 50% of the oxygen we breathe. In Alzheimer’s, cholesterol plaques develop in the brain tissue, narrowing the arteries in the brain. This reduces blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Some experts suggest Alzheimer be reclassified as a vascular disorder.

There’s no cure for Alzheimer’s; but it might be preventable. Reducing cholesterol plaque in the brain might reduce development of Alzheimer’s.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Michael Greger MD” source_title=”How to Not Die” full_quote=”Diet and lifestyle changes could potentially prevent millions of Alzheimer cases a year. The journal Neurology of Aging published The 2014 Dietary and Lifestyle Guidelines for the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease advising that vegetables, legumes (beans, peas and lentils), fruits and whole grains should replace meats and dairy products as primary staples of the diet” short_quote=”Diet and lifestyle changes could potentially prevent millions of Alzheimer cases a year.”]

A healthy diet can reduce risk by:

  • reducing cholesterol and blood pressure
  • improving blood flow and antioxidant capacity
  • decreasing artery stiffness
  • preventing blood clots from forming
  • reducing inflammation
  • preventing the circulation of oxidized fats in the bloodstream that can damage the sensitive walls of small blood vessels in the brain

It’s SO important to teach our children to eat lots of plant foods, giving them a foundation for life. Stroke is considered an old person’s disease, but risk factors may begin in childhood. Researchers found that by the time children were 14, there was clear difference in arterial health or those consuming different amounts of fiber in their daily diets. It doesn’t take much: one more apple, a quarter cup of broccoli, 2 tablespoons of beans a day during childhood can translate into meaningful effect on artery health later in life.

That said, it’s never to late to start eating healthier. Choosing antioxidant-rich, high fiber foods makes a difference.

What to Do?

  • Eat more fiber. Fiber is naturally concentrated in whole plant foods. Less than 3% of Americans meet the minimum daily requirement for fiber. Increasing fiber by just 7 grams a day – a bowl of oatmeal with berries or a serving of beans –may be associated with 70% risk reduction. Fiber helps control cholesterol and blood sugar levels which in turn can reduce artery-clogging plaque in brain’s blood cells. Fiber also lowers blood pressure reducing risk of brain bleeds
  • Eat antioxidant-rich foods. Include a variety of fruits, vegetables at every meal to continuously flood our bodies with antioxidants to help ward off stroke and other age-related diseases.[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Michael Greger MD” source_title=”How to Not Die” full_quote=”Those who ate more antioxidant rich foods had the lowest stroke risk. Diets comprised mainly of animal-based foods are low in antioxidant content, while diets based mainly on a variety of plant-foods are antioxidant rich, due to the thousands of bioactive antioxidant phytochemcials found in plants. Supplements don’t appear to help, Mother’ Nature’s powers cannot be stuffed into a pill. ” short_quote=”Those who ate more anti-oxidant rich foods had the lowest stroke risk.”]
  • Eat more citrus (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit). Citrus fruit intake is associated with reduced stroke risk; they have a phytochemical that appears to increase blood flow throughout the body, including the brain
  • Spice it up, add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to oatmeal, 1/4 teaspoon of tumeric into salad dressings and food. Toss fresh cilantro or mint into salad. The flavor compounds in herbs (cilantro, mint, parsley etc) and spices (i.e. cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg etc) are powerful antioxidants
  • Get more potassium. Potassium-rich foods: greens (spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage), beans and sweet potatoes. Bananas don’t make the list of top 1000 foods with highest levels of potassium
[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Michael Greger MD” source_title=”How to Not Die” full_quote=”For much of human history we ate so many plants we got upward of 10,000 mg of potassium every day. Nowadays, less than 2 % of Americans reach the recommended daily intake of 4,700 mg of potassium because we don’t eat enough unprocessed plant foods. A 1,600 mg potassium increase per day is associated with a 21% reduction in stroke risk. Imagine how much lower your risk would be if you doubled or tripled your intake of whole plant foods.” short_quote=”Nowadays, less than 2 % of Americans reach the recommended daily intake of 4,700 mg because we don’t eat enough unprocessed plant foods”]
  • Replace sodas with iced black, green or herbal teas, Concord grape juice, cranberry and pomegranate juice.  Check labels to avoid those with artificial sugars, especially fructose corn syrup

Choosing antioxidant rich, high fiber foods makes a difference to our health and reduces the risk of brain disease.

For more empowerment:

Skip the Pharmacy and Hit Your Farmacy for Abundant Health

The most powerful tool you have to change your brain and your health is your fork.

Preventing Alzheimer’s with Lifestyle Changes

Lifestyle changes could potentially prevent hundreds of thousands of cases of Alzheimer’s disease every year in the United States

Prevent Age-Related Brain Shrinkage

It is known that a Western diet is associated with dementia — the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease are almost identical to those for cardiovascular disease.1 In contrast, higher vegetable and fruit intake is associated with decreased risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

The Healthy Mind Cookbook

Food: The Most Powerful Weapon against Disease

What we eat can help us stay healthy or make us sick. For health, the majority of our food should come from real food, mostly plant-based. The best foods for health are nutrient-dense, superfoods.

This will help us be the exception rather than what is sadly become the sickly normal. There’s an unprecedented health crisis in the United States:

  • heart disease, cancer and diabetes are increasing
  • two-thirds of people are obese leading to numerous medical ailments
  • nd for the first time, younger generations have shorter life expectancy than their parents
[su_expanding_quote_without_link source=”The China Study, Colin T. Campbell” full_quote=”By any measure, America’s health is failing. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and over 15 million Americans have diabetes. Heart disease kills as often as it did thirty years ago, and the War on Cancer has failed. Half of Americans have a health problem that requires taking a prescription drug, and over 100 million Americans have high cholesterol. These issues all come down to three things: breakfast, lunch and dinner. ” short_quote=”America’s health is failing…These issues all come down to three things: breakfast, lunch and dinner.”]

Chronic diseases can be traced to the nutrient-poor American diet; 60% of calories are from processed foods made with added sweeteners, white flour, oils, generally mixed with additives, coloring agents and preservatives to extend shelf life. Americans consume less than 5% of their calories from unrefined plant foods such as fruits, beans, seeds and vegetables.

[su_expanding_quote_without_link source=”Eat to Live, Joel Fuhrman MD” full_quote=”Medical science now proves that three of the leading causes of death are related to food and lifestyle: heart disease, diabetes and cancer.” The most pervasive killer in the US is heart disease. The rates at which we die from cancer are among the highest in the world. One out of 13 Americans now has diabetes, an increase of unprecedented proportions; among people in their 30s diabetes has increased 70% in less than ten years.” short_quote=”Medical science now proves that three of the leading causes of death are related to food and lifestyle”]

Most of the damage to our food and health caused by industrialization of our eating can be reversed. The most powerful weapon against disease is the food we choose to eat every day. By eating differently we can boost our immune system, reduce the need for pharmaceutical drugs and reverse deaths from heart disease, cancer and diabetes, generate health and a sense of physical and mental wellbeing. Knowing this, I choose a plant-rich, whole-foods lifestyle, with moderate intake of meat, and minimal processed foods.

[su_expanding_quote_without_link source=”Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food” full_quote=”Diseases that now kill most of us can be traced directly to the industrialization of our food: the rise of highly processed foods and refined grains; the use of chemicals to raise plants and animals in huge monocultures; the superabundance of cheap calories of sugar and fat produced by modern agriculture, and the narrowing of biological diversity of the human diet to a tiny handful of staple crops, notably wheat, corn and soy. This is the basis of the Western diet: lots of processed foods and meat, lots of added fat and sugar. Wherever in the world people give up their traditional way of eating and adopted the Western diet, there soon followed a series of Western diseases – obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer” short_quote=”Diseases that now kill most of us can be traced directly to the industrialization of our food”]

What to do? My rule of thumb is to make good food choices 60 – 70% of the time and aim for:

  • Minimal processed or fast foods
  • Aim for two vegetables/fruits and nuts/seeds every breakfast ( fresh fruit, green smoothies, oatmeal/grains or nutrient-dense muffins rather than coffee and processed cereal or bagels)
  • Greens/cruciferous, whole-grains, onion, daily
  • Beans and berries at least four times a week
  • Less meat and better meat (natural or organic) alternating vegetarian and omnivore dinners
  • Water or iced teas (herbal, green and black tea) instead of sodas or juice
  • Dairy as an occasional indulgence rather than an everyday necessity

It seems expensive to buy whole-grains and nuts/seeds, but by re-allocating grocery dollars from dairy, processed cold meats and breakfast cereals we can stay within budget. Better meat and fish (natural or organic) is possible by reducing frequency (every day to a couple times a week) and selecting quality over quantity.

The more of us who vote with our forks for a different kind of food, the more commonplace and affordable organic produce and meats will become.

I believe healthy food must be delicious to facilitate lifestyle rather than feel deprived and
“on a diet”.

Additional resources on Food and Health:
Dr. Fuhrman: Check out the Learn section

NutritionFacts.org
Simple Green Smoothies.com

Fantastic resource for easily incorporating more greens and fruits into daily life. The FREE 30-day challenges provide weekly recipes and shopping lists for four weeks.

 

Seeds of this Blog

Does food affect our brain? How does what we eat affect our health? Those questions are the seeds that have grown the content of colormyfood. They’re the cornerstone of my eating lifestyle and why I cook the way I do.

My father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2008. This disease causes the brain to stop producing dopamine (a neurotransmitter) that helps regulate movement and ultimately affects common daily activities.

After going through shock, denial and grief, I launched into an all-out effort to learn about Parkinson’s, its prognosis and treatment. My dad is my friend and mentor. His life is the stuff books are written about and movies are made of — fighting the Communists at the height of the Cold War when Cuba sent Che Guevara into Bolivia to overthrow the government and use our country as the base for the Communist take over of all of Latin America. My childhood was interspersed with dad going into hiding because there was a price on his head for planning revolution, a brief exile, a bomb thrown at our house until finally after tremendous sacrifice, the tide turned and in 1979 my dad became an architect of Bolivia’s democracy. He served as Congressman, Senator and Ambassador in his passion for building a better country. But that’s a different story.

Back to Parkinson’s; we found a world-renowned Parkinson’s expert in Houston and for the next 7 years, my dad followed Dr. X’s prescriptions of continuously increased dosage. Every checkup, I asked if nutrition mattered. The doctor’s only diet recommendation was to reduce animal protein because it interferes with the absorption of Parkinson’s medications.

My blind faith in the world-renowned expert eroded as I witnessed my athletic, handsome father’s brisk walk convert to a shuffling gait, his hands freeze and handicap his ability to use his beloved camera or the computer so instrumental to his prolific writing. Reaching beyond “what the doctor said”, we sought additional alternatives: consistent exercise, physical therapy, acupuncture, and yes — food.

The more I researched, the more I kicked myself for not doing so earlier. Obviously diet has a direct impact on our health. Duh. But what I didn’t know is how much diet can impact the health of our brain.

I wish I knew in 2008 what I now know. Would it have made a difference in the progression of my father’s disease? I’ll never know. But I do believe what I’ve learned can help slow further progression. I have faith it will help my brain’s health. And I’m keenly motivated to share what I’ve learned with hope it may help others.

I’ve chewed through more books than I can recall, spent innumerous hours on the Internet seeking and digesting credible information and made endless notes.

Now I’m streamlining what I’ve learned into weekly blog posts on food and health.

Join me on this empowering discovery of food as a path to wellness. Jump in with your own experiences and lessons learned, with your questions or comments.

And on colormyfood you’ll also find recipes to incorporate knowledge into what you eat.

Next week’s blog post will be on food and brain health.

For Further Empowerment

Dr. Hyman: 7 Steps to a Super Brain

Dr. Amen: 10 Steps to Brain Healthy Eating

Dr. Greger: Treating Parkinsons with Diet

Plant-based diets in general, and certain plant foods in particular, may be used to successfully treat Parkinson’s disease.

The Healthy Mind Cookbook

More than a cookbook of colorful, flavor-bursting recipes, this wonderful resource show us how nutritional and culinary science can help us to live healthier.

 

Why I Try to Avoid GMOs

Genetically modified foods (GMOs) are a direct extension of chemical agriculture; they’re developed and sold by the world’s biggest chemical companies. GMO seeds are patentable. This means that biotech companies can control and restrict their use— and thereby control our food supply. Monsanto is not only the leading producer of genetically modified seeds but also the prime producer and pusher of herbicide glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) that’s used worldwide.

GMOs were primarily engineered to withstand direct application of herbicides. They don’t offer increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit. And there’s increasing evidence connecting GMOs with health problems and environmental damage.

I try to avoid them because:

1. GMOs are not safe and are linked to health problems. More than 60 countries including all those in the European Union, Australia and Japan have significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”right” source_author=” Stephanie Sacks” source_title=”What the Fork Are You Eating” full_quote=”Folks, you have been a science experiment for the biotech industry without even knowing it. GMOs have never been tested for true safety for human consumption; they have been presumed safe by their creators and your government for decades. There is no evidence supporting the safety of GMOs for human consumption, there is some evidence suggesting the dangers.” short_quote=”GMOs have never been tested for true safety for human consumption”]

Genetically modified foods have been linked to toxic and allergic reactions, sick, sterile, and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ studied in lab animals. The effects on humans of consuming these new combinations of proteins produced in GMOs are unknown and have not been studied.

The (U.S.) federal government does not require genetically modified food be tested for carcinogenicity, for harm to fetuses or for risks over the long term to animals or humans.  Few such studies have been conducted by independent scientific institutions.

Doctors around the world warned that GMO foods may cause unexpected health consequences that may take years to develop.

2. GMOs require increasingly toxic pesticides leading to environmental damage. As weeds became resistant, growers applied more herbicides to try to control them. A recent study found that from1996 to 2011 the use of GMO crops increased herbicide use by 527 million pounds, putting consumers and the environment increasingly at risk.

Use of toxic herbicides like Roundup has increased 15 times since GMOs were introduced. GMO crops are also responsible for the emergence of “super weeds” and “super bugs:’ which can only be killed with ever more toxic poisons. The long-term impacts of GMOs are unknown, and once released into the environment these novel organisms cannot be recalled.

GMOS  damage soils and transfer GMO genes in the environment, contaminating neighboring crops and potentially creating uncontrollable weeds.

  • Genetically modified, herbicide-tolerant crops have spurred “superweeds” pest plants that have mutated to survive herbicides.
  •  Toxic herbicides are harmful to beneficial insects.
  • Toxic herbicides run off into waterways and leaches into the groundwater, where it is drawn back up for use as drinking water and crop irrigation. Soil biology is negatively impacted when it’s used to grow GMO crops, due primarily to the heavy use of weed killers, not to mention the negative impacts of long-term mono-cropping and fossil fuel-based fertilizers. Multiple studies are finding the key ingredient in Monsanto’s RoundUp weed killer (glyphosate) is present not only in soil and groundwater, but even in the air and rainfall.

What To Do?

  1. I try to shop Non-GMO as much as possible

2. Take Action

For Health Empowerment check out:

GMO Facts

Myths and Realities of Genetically Engineered Crops

GMO Environmental Risks

15 Ways to Take a Stand and Avoid GMO Foods

Real Food for Breakfast Matters

How do you jump-start your day? Breakfast is a daily opportunity to re-affirm wellness as a priority and to refuel in a tasty and energizing way, even if I’m in a hurry. As a mother, I know that children eating the standard American diet are not getting enough nutrition or fiber. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breakfast gives our children:

  • Better memory
  • Better test scores
  • Better attention span to decreased irritability
  • Healthier body weights
  • Improved overall nutrition

Making breakfast a routine for children also paves the way for healthy eating habits as they grow up. And lowers risks for major diseases down the road. Let’s empower them on a daily basis and give them a foundation for positive eating habits.

[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”left” source_site=”Mayo Clinic” source_url=”http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/food-and-nutrition/art-20048294?pg=1″ full_quote=”It might be the last thing on your morning to-do list, or worse, it might not be on your list at all. But a healthy breakfast refuels your body, jump-starts your day and may even benefit your overall health. Don’t skip this important meal. If you skip breakfast because you want to save calories, reconsider that plan. Chances are you’ll be ravenous by lunchtime. That may lead you to overeat or choose fast but unhealthy options — perhaps doughnuts or cookies a co-worker brings to the office.” short_quote=”A healthy breakfast refuels your body, jump-starts your day and may even benefit your overall health.”]

Put some color in my breakfast and I know I’m off to a good start. Include macronutrients (protein, healthy fats and carbs from plants) and micronutrient diversity (veggies, fruits, spices, nuts and seeds)

Warm weather go-to breakfast?

  • Homemade granola layered with Greek yogurt or drizzled with coconut milk, topped with fresh season fruits and sprinkled with seeds (hemp, chia, sesame)
  • Overnight grains (oats buckwheat) with apple, blueberries, mango—whatever is in season and deliciously ripe. If fresh fruit is not available, dried apricots, cranberries or raisins

Wintertime?

  • Deliciously spiced, yummy fruit-enriched hot oatmeal or buckwheat. Simply by changing out fruits, nuts and spices, it doesn’t get boring or repetitive.
  • Quinoa egg muffins

Add a beautifully colorful smoothie  that sounds like dessert ( Red Velvet ,  Pineapple Upside Down Cake Chocolate Covered Cherry) singing with vitamins and phytonutrients and my body shouts “thank you!”

Red Velvet Smoothie – Simple Green Smoothies

Nutrient-dense smoothies like Dr. Hyman’s Green Breakfast can even be a stand-alone breakfast. Caution: when you start partaking of green smoothies, your body will love it so much you just might turn a corner that won’t allow retreat.

Smoothies are also a simple way to get children (and husbands!) to eat more fruits and vegetables. Invite them to “drink a color!” Call it a green monster or the blueberry princess elixir. Summon their imagination to breakfast.

Weekends facilitate baking breakfast breads loaded with lovely fruits and/or vegetables like (Cranberry Nut Bread, Sweet Potato Zucchini Bread), muffins (Carrot Apple Muffins, Very Berry Muffins, Pumpkin Apple Muffins)  to mention a few.

Pancakes and waffles rise to a whole new level with  Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes, Sweet Potato Blender Muffins, the options are innumerous. Drizzled with honest-to-goodness real maple syrup (try it; you won’t want to go back to the fake stuff!), raspberry pureé or applesauce, taste buds celebrate and bellies are happy. Double the recipe, freeze them and you have breakfast on-the-go during the week.

Breakfast is a habit. As with all habits, bad ones can be broken and new ones can be made and strengthened with time. If breakfast has been sacrificed on the altar of expediency (or for a few more smacks of the snooze button), it can be reinstated on your list of good habits and reign supreme on your priorities.

  • The right breakfast foods give you energy, recharge your brain and body to be more efficient in what you do, setting the stage for smart decisions all day.
  • Breakfast eaters have a higher intake of essential vitamins and minerals, and generally have lower serum cholesterol levels (associated with reduced risk of heart disease)
  • Breakfast restores glucose levels, an essential carbohydrate needed for the brain to function.  Many studies have shown eating breakfast can improve memory and concentration levels and can also make us happier as it can improve mood and lower stress levels.
  • In studies amongst children, breakfast can improve attainment, behavior and has been linked to improved grades.

It begins with an active plan that includes having appropriate items on hand. Stumped? Drop me a note in the comments and I will send a breakfast plan your way. Ring the breakfast bell! Let’s bring it on!

For more empowerment:

American Academy of Pediatrics: Breakfast for Learning

Shake Up Your Wakeup: Why Breakfast is Important

Five Ways to Fit in Breakfast

Mayo Clinic: Health Breakfast, Quick Flexible Options