I found out recently that a friend of mine has a brain tumor. She's working on raising money for a biopsy. She is raising money through this store.
I decided to have a fundraiser in the form of a healthy food night dinner party. I've done healthy food nights before for free. I buy inexpensive food and prepare healthy, simple, yet tasty recipes to encourage people to eat this way as well. For this event, I made more food than usual, and asked for a suggested donation of $10. It was a small event, but I feel like it went well.
I made a kale, white bean, and tomato stew using canned organic tomato sauce, onions, garlic, cannelini beans, kale, carrots, seasoned with a little paprika, thyme, and garlic. The tomato sauce had some salt in it already.
I also made a black rice salad with a dijon dressing that included dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and water. This salad had japonica black rice (which was on sale) and also had chopped sun-dried tomatoes and crushed walnuts. It was meant to have greens added, but I ran out of time and there were plenty of greens in the other dishes.
The other salad I made was mostly raw: raw chopped collards and some spinach, chopped apples, with my favorite tahini curry dressing that contained curry powder, lemon juice, tahini, and water. I brought optional currants that people could add to the salad.
The dessert got a lot of praise. I wanted to make something with berries, since these are protective against cancer. I wanted to make something that was mostly whole foods and mostly raw. I got some dates from my local farmers market (the apples, kale, and lemons were from there too). I thawed some mixed organic berries and blended them up with a little bit of lemon juice and vanilla extract. I slightly melted some raw coconut butter (this stuff is probably not incredibly healthy in large quantities, but more ideal that coconut oil, and so rich and delicious) and mixed all this together. I sliced the dates along one side, removed the pit, and stuffed each date with a little of the coconut-berry filling. I had considered putting in some raw cacao nibs, but ran out of time to deal with that.
So over all, I had a variety of whole plant foods, many of which are protective against cancer, including the kale and collards (cruciferous veggies- in the cabbage family), garlic, onions, carotenoids in the carrots and tomatoes, turmeric in the curry powder, and the good stuff (antioxidants) in dark berries (and probably the black rice). Plus a healthy dose of fiber. Oh, and walnuts have some omega 3 fatty acids.
Of course eating this one meal isn't going to prevent or reverse cancer. Eating this way on a regular basis can help protect you against cancer. Discussion reversing cancer would be tricky for anyone to discuss, even seemingly doctors. But if you are fighting cancer, it makes sense to eat a whole foods plant-based diet.
Further reading: Eat For Health - The Anti-Cancer Diet
Foods for Cancer Prevention | T. Colin Campbell Foundation
Here are some other links I've been sharing with friends and family dealing with cancer:
http://anticancerliving.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/tumor-shrinking-on-vegan-diet/
http://www.thechinastudy.com/PDFs/ChinaStudy_Excerpt.pdf
http://crazysexylife.com/category/diet-lifestyle/
http://www.healingdaily.com/conditions/Gerson-therapy.htm
video/audio: China Study: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfWSHaaPiE8
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/859
http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/1-anticancer-vegetable/
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Improvements
My workplace provides free annual health screenings, which has provided some insight into how what I eat (and my physical activity) affects my health. I have been working on eating better for several years with gradual (though in some ways drastic) improvements. I was surprised in some ways to find out 2 years ago, that my cholesterol and blood pressure weren't ideal. I lost the information for that test, but I know that my total cholesterol was somewhere between 180 and 195 (LDL between 100 and 110) and my blood pressure was between 130/80 and 140/90. I was especially surprised that even though I've been vegan for so many years, my cholesterol wasn't as low as it could be (since cholesterol comes from animal products, though it is also produced by the body).
In the next year, and especially leading up to the next test, I tried to eat many more greens, raw veggies, fruits, and less oils, and even less processed foods (which was already pretty low). I was also riding my bike a bit more and had started an exercise routine that I stuck with better. The next test showed great results. My total cholesterol had dropped to 147 with LDL at 68. I didn't do much to improve my diet or exercise over the course of this past year, although I have maintained a better diet than ever before. I just received my newest test results which weren't drastically different but still showed marked improvement: Total cholesterol was 141 and LDL was 56. My HDL (good cholesterol) went up from 68 to 76. My triglycerides, which I have no information about from 2 years ago, were 49 last year and 45 this year. I don't have my blood pressure information from last year, but this year it was 100/72.
It was nice to be able to see such a big difference from 2010 to 2011 and then still an improvement from 2011 to 2012. It gives me more confidence that nearly anyone is capable of making similar and potentially even greater improvements to their health.
In the next year, and especially leading up to the next test, I tried to eat many more greens, raw veggies, fruits, and less oils, and even less processed foods (which was already pretty low). I was also riding my bike a bit more and had started an exercise routine that I stuck with better. The next test showed great results. My total cholesterol had dropped to 147 with LDL at 68. I didn't do much to improve my diet or exercise over the course of this past year, although I have maintained a better diet than ever before. I just received my newest test results which weren't drastically different but still showed marked improvement: Total cholesterol was 141 and LDL was 56. My HDL (good cholesterol) went up from 68 to 76. My triglycerides, which I have no information about from 2 years ago, were 49 last year and 45 this year. I don't have my blood pressure information from last year, but this year it was 100/72.
It was nice to be able to see such a big difference from 2010 to 2011 and then still an improvement from 2011 to 2012. It gives me more confidence that nearly anyone is capable of making similar and potentially even greater improvements to their health.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The China Study's Compelling Arguments for Plant-based Diet
I had read bits of the book The China Study here and there, but I finally borrowed the book and am reading it more thoroughly. I highly suggest checking it out. To me it is rather validating since I have been vegan for nearly 12 years. There is a lot of compelling evidence that more animal protein directly correlates with worse health.
At the same time, I think the emphasis may be too much on the lack of animal proteins and not enough on the presence of a variety of phytonutrients like anti-oxidants and other nutrients that benefit health that are only more recently being discovered. All the beneficial chemical compounds in veggies like broccoli and kale for example. Also, while the author recommends a whole foods plant-based diet, I feel that some people may feel like all they have to do is go without the animal products and reap healthy benefits. Having been a junk food vegan until a few years ago, I know that vegans are perfectly capable of being unhealthy. Even in the last year of eating especially healthy foods, has shown lowered cholesterol (yeah, it was actually not at an ideal level), blood pressure, and body fat. Not to mention other benefits. Anyway, here's some intriguing excerpts of the book's intro. The link below allows you to read a lot more of the intro without having the book in your hands.
I will potentially change my views on the message of this book. I know for example that it goes into depth to question whether fiber is beneficial in and of itself, whether it is part of a synergistic set of nutrients that are beneficial, or whether it just displaces unhealthy foods like animal protein (meaning the more fiber in the diet the less animal protein).
Anyway, here's some of the book:
At the same time, I think the emphasis may be too much on the lack of animal proteins and not enough on the presence of a variety of phytonutrients like anti-oxidants and other nutrients that benefit health that are only more recently being discovered. All the beneficial chemical compounds in veggies like broccoli and kale for example. Also, while the author recommends a whole foods plant-based diet, I feel that some people may feel like all they have to do is go without the animal products and reap healthy benefits. Having been a junk food vegan until a few years ago, I know that vegans are perfectly capable of being unhealthy. Even in the last year of eating especially healthy foods, has shown lowered cholesterol (yeah, it was actually not at an ideal level), blood pressure, and body fat. Not to mention other benefits. Anyway, here's some intriguing excerpts of the book's intro. The link below allows you to read a lot more of the intro without having the book in your hands.
I will potentially change my views on the message of this book. I know for example that it goes into depth to question whether fiber is beneficial in and of itself, whether it is part of a synergistic set of nutrients that are beneficial, or whether it just displaces unhealthy foods like animal protein (meaning the more fiber in the diet the less animal protein).
Anyway, here's some of the book:
Some of the findings, published in reputable scientific journals has shown that:
- Dietary change can enable diabetic patients to go off their medication.
- Breast cancer is related to levels of female hormones in the blood which are determined by the food we eat
- Consuming dairy foods can increase the risk of prostate cancer
- Antioxidants, found in fruits and vegetables, are linked to better mental performance in old age
- Kidney stones can be prevented by a healthy diet. And two excellent books have been written about reversing heart disease, even severe heart disease, with diet alone.
These findings demonstrate that a good diet is the most powerful weapon we have against disease and sickness. An understanding of this scientific evidence is not only important for improving health; it also has profound implications for our entire society. We must know why misinformation dominates our society and why we are grossly mistaken in how we investigate diet and disease, how we promote health and how we treat illness.
...
What we found was shocking. Low-protein diets inhibited the initiation of cancer by aflatoxin, regardless of how much of this carcinogen was administered to these animals. After cancer initiation was completed, low-protein diets also dramatically blocked subsequent cancer growth. In other words, the cancer-producing effects of this highly carcinogenic chemical were rendered insignificant by a low-protein diet. In fact, dietary protein proved to be so powerful in its effect that we could turn on and turn off cancer growth simply by changing the level consumed. Read more.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Easy Quick Meal: Curry-seasoned grain and veggie dish
Here's a quick, easy, and cheap meal idea. This works especially well if you have a pre-made batch of rice or quinoa, but you can cook some quinoa pretty quick or brown rice if you have a bit more time. Although I don't like frozen veggies as much as fresh, it's good to have some frozen veggies on hand in case you run out of fresh. My favorite for this dish is a carrots and peas combo. Cauliflower would be good too. You can cook up anything: garlic, onion, carrots, greens, sweet potato, eggplant, squash, etc. Tomatoes add a great flavor. Chickpeas are good in this too.
I suggest water sauteing the veggies, adding some curry powder to taste and some optional salt or Bragg's liquid aminos. Adding extra garlic powder and/or lemon juice might minimize a desire for salt. Stir in the cooked grains when the veggies are pretty much done, and heat until it's all hot if the grains had cooled. You can also add some coconut milk if you have it on hand, and I especially like this with crushed cashews.
As a general time-saver for the week, cook up a batch of maybe 2 cups dried rice or quinoa (per person) to use with different dishes. Do this on a day you have an extra hour or so, perhaps even at the same time that you're cooking up a batch of beans, or doing housework. You can read more about cooking quinoa here. You should also view this article about how quinoa is becoming more expensive for those for whom it has been a staple in their diet.
I suggest water sauteing the veggies, adding some curry powder to taste and some optional salt or Bragg's liquid aminos. Adding extra garlic powder and/or lemon juice might minimize a desire for salt. Stir in the cooked grains when the veggies are pretty much done, and heat until it's all hot if the grains had cooled. You can also add some coconut milk if you have it on hand, and I especially like this with crushed cashews.
As a general time-saver for the week, cook up a batch of maybe 2 cups dried rice or quinoa (per person) to use with different dishes. Do this on a day you have an extra hour or so, perhaps even at the same time that you're cooking up a batch of beans, or doing housework. You can read more about cooking quinoa here. You should also view this article about how quinoa is becoming more expensive for those for whom it has been a staple in their diet.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Banana Ice Cream: just made from bananas!
If you're going to freeze bananas, you're going to want to peel them and cut them in thirds, if not smaller, then keep them in a plastic bag or container. You can use them in smoothies, but for ice cream, you can simply blend them up with a little bit of water or milk substitute. If you're not so concerned about the fat or calorie content, adding coconut milk and/or peanut butter is excellent. Of course you can add all sorts of things: chocolate, carob, chopped nuts, coconut flakes, other fruits, flavorings (vanilla extract is great), etc.
If you don't have a food processor, a blender might work. Or, a friend of mine actually uses a champion juicer and doesn't have to add water and that turns out like soft serve.
If you have some dates, make a banana date shake by making banana ice cream and blending it up with date pieces and more liquid, adding some vanilla extract if you have it.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Arugula Salad
Adding nuts, or seeds is a good way to add the healthy fat (which your body needs and the fat also helps you absorb nutrients from other plants), in particular the flavor of the fat, without adding too many calories such as if you used oil. I would be using more avocados if it were easier for me to get some under $1/each.
The day I got the arugula, I made a salad with arugula, chopped apple, and a tahini dressing (tahini, lemon juice, garlic powder, water, and a bit of Bragg's liquid aminos) that was good as well.
Also the other day, I thought I'd be adventurous and try to make an almost-raw soup with arugula. I blended arugula with water, miso, tahini, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and dulse flakes. That was all, unless I'm forgetting something. I'm going to work on trying to write up recipes as I go. This is a challenge for me, which is why I don't have more complete recipes.
Arugula is a member of the cruciferous (Brassica) family, so it's related to all those nutritious veggies like kale, collards, cabbage, broccoli, brussells sprouts, etc. It has a very distinctive taste that unfortunately isn't as versatile as the other milder greens. At the same time, it adds to the variety of healthy foods available. If you get a chance to purchase it for a low price, or to sample it somehow, take the opportunity. It might be a bit hard to find, or expensive.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Sweet Potatoes are More Healthy and Versatile that You Might Think
I put a sweet potato in the toaster oven to bake for lunch tomorrow and thought I'd share this somewhat new appreciation for this root veggie. I don't remember when I first had sweet potatoes, but it might have been in my Whole Foods Cuisine class- part of the nutrition program at the school I studied herbalism around 5 years ago. In that class I learned that usually what they call yams here are actually sweet potatoes. It's rare to actually find real yams in stores in this country. They are root veggies, but they're not closely related to sweet potatoes.
I might have been lucky that my family never served that sweet potato dish with marshmallows and sugar (something that passes off as part of the meal and not dessert?) during holidays. Sweet potatoes are sweet, but not nearly as sweet as that dish, and is of course a complex carbohydrate- a good carb. Plus, as I mention below, it may even be beneficial for those with Type II diabetes or at risk.
I think sweet potatoes are a great veggie to have around because they're relatively cheap compared to a lot of vegetables. I buy them at $1.99/lb. and one half-pound sweet potato is good enough for a meal for me. It's something you can buy that doesn't rot as fast as other veggies if you don't use them right away. I have found that I can eat it baked with nothing on it, hot or cold. So assuming I think of it and throw one in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 350 or 375 degrees, I can just put it in a container and eat it later, like on my break at work. If I bake it, I don't eat the skin, but if I boil it, it's with the skin on. It boils up pretty quickly if cut in small pieces- I usually slice it thinly. Steaming is probably a more ideal method so you don't lose nutrients in the water. If you cook it in soup, you'll be consuming the water as well.
You can add salsa or some other sauce or dressing to a baked sweet potato. I once made coconut chutney that was so delicious with the sweet potato. I use sweet potato in similar ways as regular potatoes. It has a similar texture and the flavor isn't so strong that it doesn't work with most things. I make a potatoes "au gratin" with a miso and tahini sauce (equal parts miso and tahini, with some water for creaminess and usually some garlic powder and maybe some dijon mustard- this is just added to boiled sliced (sweet) potatoes and not baked) and I discovered that this is good with sweet potatoes. Sweet potato can be added to curries, Mexican dishes like with beans, and in salads. Use sweet potatoes as the starchy part of a meal (instead of grains) with green leafy veggies.
According to "The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods", sweet potato has been shown to help control blood sugar levels and "improve the response to the hormone insulin" (baking may increase the glycemic index, however). It contains carotenes- more the darker the sweet potato. They have vitamin C and B6, also manganese, copper, biotin, pantothenic acid (B5), B2 and fiber. A type of protein in sweet potatoes has anti-oxidant effects as well. According to the World's Healthiest Foods website,
By the way, the leaves of the plant are edible as well. Also if you happen to be able to get a good portion of the stem and leaves, I was informed that you can plant the stem (where it was broken off the rest) into the ground and it will propagate. This actually worked in my experience. You can also plant a "sprouting" sweet potato and get a new plant as well. I did both of these at my last garden.
See also my post on Sweet Potato Breakfast.
I might have been lucky that my family never served that sweet potato dish with marshmallows and sugar (something that passes off as part of the meal and not dessert?) during holidays. Sweet potatoes are sweet, but not nearly as sweet as that dish, and is of course a complex carbohydrate- a good carb. Plus, as I mention below, it may even be beneficial for those with Type II diabetes or at risk.
I think sweet potatoes are a great veggie to have around because they're relatively cheap compared to a lot of vegetables. I buy them at $1.99/lb. and one half-pound sweet potato is good enough for a meal for me. It's something you can buy that doesn't rot as fast as other veggies if you don't use them right away. I have found that I can eat it baked with nothing on it, hot or cold. So assuming I think of it and throw one in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 350 or 375 degrees, I can just put it in a container and eat it later, like on my break at work. If I bake it, I don't eat the skin, but if I boil it, it's with the skin on. It boils up pretty quickly if cut in small pieces- I usually slice it thinly. Steaming is probably a more ideal method so you don't lose nutrients in the water. If you cook it in soup, you'll be consuming the water as well.
You can add salsa or some other sauce or dressing to a baked sweet potato. I once made coconut chutney that was so delicious with the sweet potato. I use sweet potato in similar ways as regular potatoes. It has a similar texture and the flavor isn't so strong that it doesn't work with most things. I make a potatoes "au gratin" with a miso and tahini sauce (equal parts miso and tahini, with some water for creaminess and usually some garlic powder and maybe some dijon mustard- this is just added to boiled sliced (sweet) potatoes and not baked) and I discovered that this is good with sweet potatoes. Sweet potato can be added to curries, Mexican dishes like with beans, and in salads. Use sweet potatoes as the starchy part of a meal (instead of grains) with green leafy veggies.
According to "The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods", sweet potato has been shown to help control blood sugar levels and "improve the response to the hormone insulin" (baking may increase the glycemic index, however). It contains carotenes- more the darker the sweet potato. They have vitamin C and B6, also manganese, copper, biotin, pantothenic acid (B5), B2 and fiber. A type of protein in sweet potatoes has anti-oxidant effects as well. According to the World's Healthiest Foods website,
It's important to have some fat in your sweet potato-containing meals if you want to enjoy the full beta-carotene benefits of this root vegetable. Recent research has shown that a minimum of 3-5 grams of fat per meal significantly increases our uptake of beta-carotene from sweet potatoes.There's also information on that website about compounds in sweet potatoes that have anti-inflammatory effects.
By the way, the leaves of the plant are edible as well. Also if you happen to be able to get a good portion of the stem and leaves, I was informed that you can plant the stem (where it was broken off the rest) into the ground and it will propagate. This actually worked in my experience. You can also plant a "sprouting" sweet potato and get a new plant as well. I did both of these at my last garden.
See also my post on Sweet Potato Breakfast.
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