Posts filed under 'Food As Medicine'
For a week or so, DH and I are trying an experimental (to us) diet of basically just fruits and vegetables. (No sugar, no oil, no meat, no dairy, no grains.) My first thought was AAAAGGGHHH! However, it is anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol, anti-high blood pressure, and anti-heart disease. Like I say, it is an experiment and don’t panic — we will be eating Christmas cookies in another week or so. For now, we’re going to see how we feel after a week of wholesome, natural, good-for-you stuff.
So far, so great. I won’t say I didn’t feel like I was starving for the first couple of days, but I’m having fewer headaches and am sleeping better than usual. DH is feeling pretty good, too.
My problem is that I was raised on a meat-starch-vegetable diet. At every meal, there was meat, bread or potatoes, and a vegetable. Most of this was cooked in or topped with margarine or oil. As an adult, I have basically cooked this same way. From looking at my old posts, any of you can see that most of my dinners include these three basic foods.
So it’s a bit of a challenge for me to come up with a full day’s menu using nothing but fruits and vegetables. For the next few days, I will be giving you some of my successes. I’ll keep the failures to myself.
Saturday I made a vegetable soup and served it with baked potatoes. DH LOVED it, so it gets the honor of being put on my blog:
Vegetable Soup and Baked Potatoes
1 can vegetable broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 c. shredded cabbage
1/2 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. chopped onion
seasonings to taste — salt, pepper, celery salt
optional - other vegetables such as carrots, leeks, garlic, navy beans
2 large baking potatoes
To bake the potatoes, wrap in foil and prick (very important, don’t forget to prick!) Place them in the oven at about 400 degrees and forget about them for an hour.
For the soup, start with just a little of the broth and cook the cabbage and onions. When they are soft, you can dump everything else in.
When it’s time to eat, split the potatoes into quarters and top with the soup instead of the usual cheese / sour cream / chives / bacon combination.
Like I say, DH really loved this, and although I’m not a big veggie / potato fan, I found it beyond edible.
December 4th, 2007
Replacing the ground beef or sausage with black beans makes this dish much better for you, and honestly, I liked it just as much as old-fashioned Italian-style lasagna.
Continue Reading October 2nd, 2007
This is an oldie that I am re-posting because it’s springtime, a great time to grill…
I love a challenge. Especially when my kitchen skills are involved. A few days ago I was issued a challenge - why don’t we have more recipes that use healthy, beneficial foods? Face it, recipes using cream of mushroom soup and shredded cheddar cheese abound. Not hard to find at all. And, don’t get me wrong, those foods are tasty. Yummy. Delicious. Just not top-of-the-line good for your heart and your health.
It got me to thinking about phytonutrients, free radicals, antioxidants, hdl vs. ldl cholesterol, and so on. I got the following information from The World’s Healthiest Foods website.
Plums - Plums (and their dried counterpart, prunes) have been the subject of repeated health research for their high content of unique phytonutrients called neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acid. These substances found in plums and prunes are classified as phenols, and their function as antioxidants has been well-documented.
Salmon - Salmon is low in calories and saturated fat, yet high in protein, and a unique type of health-promoting fat, the omega-3 essential fatty acids. As their name implies, essential fatty acids are essential for human health but because they cannot be made by the body, they must be obtained from foods. In addition to being an excellent source of omega-3s, salmon are a great source of selenium, a very good source of protein, niacin and vitamin B12, and a good source of phosphorous, magnesium and vitamin B6.
Avocados - Avocados contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that may help to lower cholesterol. In one study of people with moderately high cholesterol levels, individuals who ate a diet high in avocados showed clear health improvements. After seven days on the diet that included avocados, they had significant decreases in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, along with an 11% increase in health promoting HDL cholesterol. Avocados are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure. Adequate intake of potassium can help to guard against circulatory diseases, like high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke.
Here is my totally unique, brand-spanking-new recipe for Plum Chipotle Salmon Fillets - enjoy:
Plum Chipotle Salmon
serves 4 / prep. time: 30 minutes / cook time: 15 minutes
2 whole black plums - fresh
1 - 2 T. chipotle peppers (from a 7 oz. can of chipotles in Adobo sauce) Be sure you have at least one pepper - I used three when I made this
2 t. sugar
2 T. ketchup
1 T. olive oil
1 pound fresh salmon fillets
1 avocado
1 t. lime juice
Cut the plums into bite-sized pieces and place in a saucepan with about 1/2 c. water. Heat to a simmer and continue simmering for about 15-20 minutes, until the plums are fairly soft and the peels are falling off. Allow the plums to cool, then chop finely in a kitchen chopper, along with the peppers, sugar, ketchup, and olive oil. Marinate your beautiful pink salmon fillets in this sweet and spicy mixture for several hours.
(At this point, I tasted some of the sauce on a cracker and thought it was way too hot. That’s what prompted me to add the ketchup and sugar. It still seemed too hot, but I forged ahead and was rewarded. The end result was not nearly as spicy as this middle stage.)
Grill or bake your salmon as you usually do. At our house, this means I fire up the grill and cook over low heat for about 5 or more minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillets. While they cook, chop your avocado and sprinkle it with lime. You and your lovely family can decide how much, if any, avacado to top the salmon with.
The end result is a mildly sweet and spicy, tender salmon fillet topped with cool, creamy avocado.
What could be better for you, your heart, your health, and your taste buds?
May 10th, 2007
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