Are You Lactose Intolerant?

photo via buildaroo.com

Well, if your body doesn't make enough lactase, then you probably are. Lactase is made by the small intestine. When lactose passes through your digestive system, lactase (an enzyme) is necessary for breaking down (digesting) the lactose. So if the lactase isn't there, or if there isn't enough of it--you get problems.

What kind of problems? Well, first of all--symptoms of lactose intolerance usually begin 30 minutes to 2 hours after you eat or drink milk products. Symptoms may include:

• Bloating
• Pain or cramps
• Gurgling or rumbling sounds in your belly
• Gas
• Loose stools or diarrhea 
• Throwing up

The best and easiest way to determine if you really are lactose-intolerant is simply to stop eating all dairy for a few days and see if these symptoms disappear. Then you can try adding small quantities of dairy back into your diet to see what your threshold is. 

If you determine that you are lactose-intolerant (and remember your physician is a good resource and should be consulted before making any major diet changes), then you need to find other sources of calcium. This is very easy. Calcium is found in numerous places. Here are just a few (and tofu is definitely one of them!):

• Broccoli, okra, kale, collards, and turnip greens
• Canned sardines, tuna, and salmon
• Calcium-fortified juices and cereals
• Calcium-fortified soy products such as soy milk, tofu, and soybeans
• Almonds

More information can be found here: WebMd, Mayo Clinic and PubMed Health.

Here's to your good health!

Going Ginger. . .

photo courtesy joyfulbelly.com

Ginger in slices, powdered, or however else you like it (I've taken the root and bitten off bites to prevent motion sickness on a trip to and from France and it works!)--is not only tasty, but extremely beneficial healthwise.

Take a look:

It helps eliminate congestion. So go right ahead and add a slice or two to your lemon toddy (half to a whole lemon squeezed and added to a cup of hot water and honey). Not only does it add yet another element of cold-fighting benefits, it also tastes great. The zing in ginger brings out the flavors of the lemon and honey.

According to this article in boost-immune-system-naturally.com, this amazing root is anti-bacterial (even killing salmonella), contains anti-inflammatory agents, combats chills and fevers, has been shown to fight some cancers (breast, ovarian, colorectal carcinoma) and a host of other disorders.

It lowers blood cholesterol levels, stimulates circulation, has natural blood-thinning properties, and is therapeutic in the treatment of high blood pressure. So do you think that this tasty food may just be a blessing as it pertains to heart disease and stroke?

It also helps relieve headaches, reduces severity of post chemotherapy nausea, supports good kidney health, helps with morning sickness, and even promotes menstrual regularity.

The above is just a sample of all the purported health benefits. You can read more about it on the website cited above as well as many other resources, including:  healthbenefitsofginger.com/ and whfoods.comwhfoods.com.

So what does ginger contain to be able to support so many aspects of our health? Well, it's high in potassium (which supports healthy blood pressure), it contains manganese (protects lining of heart, blood vessels), it helps assimilate calcium, and it contains iron, zinc, beta-carotene as well as vitamins A, C, E, and B-complex.

So next time you make a stir-fry, or broil salmon or chicken, or make a pot of tea, mash up some sweet potatoes, make a tasty and beneficial soup. . . add a bit of ginger (fresh is always best, but powdered is just fine) and know you're doing your body (and taste buds) good.

Jam-packed in macronutrients

photo via infiniteunknown.net

Soybeans are rich in nutrients. But have you ever heard of macronutrients? Since those in soybeans differ in some important ways from most other legumes, it's important to know what macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories or energy. Nutrients are substances needed for growth, metabolism, and for other body functions. Since “macro” means large, then by now you've probably figured out that macronutrients are nutrients needed in large amounts. The three macronutrients are: Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. As it turns out, soybeans are higher in both protein and fat than other beans and are relatively low in carbohydrate.

According to soyconnection.com, soybeans get about 35 to 38 % of their calories from protein compared to approximately 20 to 30 % in other legumes. That's pretty significant when you consider that legumes are known as a high source of protein anyway.  The aforementioned article also states that under guidelines adopted by the FDA and the World Health Organization for evaluating protein quality for children and adults, soy protein isolate receives a rating of 1, which is the highest possible score. To put it in perspective, the quality of soy protein is equal to that of meat and milk proteins, which everyone recognizes as top sources of protein. But many people don't want or can't from a health standpoint get their protein that way.

Approximately 40 % of the calories in soy come from fat; most legumes (with the exception of peanuts) contain between two and 14 % fat.  Now keep in mind that the fat in soybeans is primarily unsaturated. The polyunsaturated fat content of soybeans contains linolenic acid (7% of the total fat content), an omega-3 fatty acid. This is important, because omega-3 fatty acids may be essential nutrients for infants and they may also help to reduce risk of both heart disease and cancer.

The wonders of lemon

photo via bigoven.com

One friend of mine puts it on everything from broccoli to eggs. My daughter and I have been squeezing it on fish, salads, veggies and dips as long as I can remember. My yoga teacher told me that she’s been having it with warm water and honey as a beginning to her day and that she hasn’t had a cold in years.

A wonderful doctor told me many years ago--when I had a severe case of the flu for which I was nearly hospitalized--that one of the best things to decongest and clear the system is a lemon toddy--the juice of a whole lemon in hot water and honey. A folk remedy, she said, that along with many, many cloves of garlic in clear chicken broth, does wonders to combat colds, bronchial congestion, coughs, etc. So it looks like all of us are onto something. Intuitively, taste-wise, and good medicine-wise.

Most of us know lemons are full of vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant in our bodies, but that’s not all. Lemons contain a host of beneficial properties, including one that actually increases peristalsis (the bowel pumping action that helps us eliminate waste). As a detoxifier, it’s powerful medicine--particularly for the liver. And for those of us who take statins (that includes red yeast rice, btw), this is of particular interest. The liver’s job in our bodies is to filter out toxins. Think of how important this is! But once this has taken place, where do those toxins go? They turn into free radicals, which are harmful to the liver. So there needs to be a counter-balance. That’s one of the reasons vitamin C is so important. One of its functions is to counter this free-radical activity.  Further, when food is not entirely digested, some of it makes it way to the bloodstream and subsequently the liver, which puts a strain on this important organ. Vitamin C helps prevent food from entering the bloodstream and it helps clean the liver from toxin build-up.

In researching this post, I discovered some fascinating things about lemons that perhaps you didn’t know either. Did you know, for instance, that in addition to vitamin C, lemons contain healthy doses of flavonoids, B-complex vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and fiber? Not to mention 22 anti-cancer compounds (according to an article on Care2) that includes limonene—“a naturally-occurring oil that slows or halts the growth of cancer tumors in animals.  Lemons also contain a substance called flavonol glycosides which stop cell division in cancer cells.”

These are only some of the health wonders of lemons. (Here's one of particular interest to diabetics: lemon lower blood sugar levels when they are high.) So start your day off with a lemon toddy and get inventive with all the ways you can add this wondrous food to your daily life. Here’s a start:

Next time you make a stir-fry (with tofu, of course), add a bit of lemon juice just before serving. In fact, throw in some thinly sliced slivers of lemon rind as well. Or, of you prefer, slice a whole lemon in several very thin slices and either add that to the stir-fry just before serving, or top your dish that way. The thing is, you can hardly go wrong with adding lemon. Bake, sautee, etc. Bon appetit!

Deep-Fry It and Marinate!

These delicious recipes appear here via HubPages. Recipe created by Melissa Ray Davis

Here's what you need:

• One 16 ounce brick of extra-firm tofu for every four people.
• Cutting board and knife
• Cloth Napkin or dish towel
• Teflon pan OR a very well-seasoned cast-iron pan * (we prefer cast-iron)
• Spatula
• Prepared marinade in a bowl (see recipes at end for suggestions)

* A note on the pan: Melissa suggests that if you are using a normal cooking pan like stainless steel or other varieties that don't have a non-stick coating, you will most likely have a lot of trouble with the tofu sticking to the pan, since no oil is used.  Although Melissa reports that teflon isn't supposed to be dangerous at low to medium heat, Melissa has switched to using a very well-seasoned cast-iron pan.

photo via Melissa Ray Davis, HubPages.com

Preparation:

(First, prepare your marinade. See recipes at the bottom of the page.)

Drain the tofu and cut it so that your pieces are a half an inch thick. (Note: TofuYu tofu doesn't need much, if any, draining at all. . . ) For most recipes, you will want to then cut it into triangles, but some recipes call for strips.

Put the tofu pieces between two absorbent cloth napkins or woven dish towels (NOT terry cloth) and gently press, enough to get a lot of water out but not hard enough to squish it.

Dry-frying:

Use a Teflon or well-seasoned cast-iron pan at medium heat on an electric range, low to medium-low on a gas range. Slow cooking is the key to keeping the tofu from sticking to the Teflon and insures that the water has time to evaporate out before the outside is browned. Do NOT use oil. (Unless you are using a cast-iron skillet that is not that well-seasoned; i.e.--if the pan surface is completely dry with no oil residue. If that's the case--put in just enough oil to coat surface)

Place your tofu in the pan leaving room around pieces. You may need to fry a few batches to give it enough room. As the tofu cooks, use a spatula to frequently press down on each piece. You will see the water seeping out and sizzling in the pan. Once the bottom sides are very firm and golden in color, flip the tofu pieces and fry the other side, again frequently pressing each piece with a spatula. When they are golden and firm on both sides, they are done.

Marinade:

The dry-frying method has left your tofu dry and firm, ready to suck up the flavors of a marinade like a sponge. Place the tofu pieces in the marinade and stir well, making sure the tofu is submerged. Marinate for at least a half an hour and then use this delicious firm and flavorful tofu in a stir-fry.

Marinade Recipes:

Here are some example marinades that work well with dry-fried tofu. These marinades also do well with meat.

The following Marinades should work for one 16 ounce block of tofu after frying.

Simple, All-purpose Tofu Marinade:

• 1/2 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos (for a salty, smoky flavor)*
• Splash of rice vinegar
• 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• water to cover

Chinese Tofu Marinade:

• 1/2 cup shoyu (or soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup rice wine (or sherry)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or crushed
• 1 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

Thai Tofu Marinade:

• 1/2 cup fish sauce (or soy sauce)
• 1/2 cup rice wine (or sherry)
• 1/4 cup palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• Splash of rice vinegar
• Juice from 1/2 lime
• 1 small shallot (or half onion), finely minced
• 1 tbsp chili paste
• 1 tbsp finely minced lemon grass (fresh or dried)

According to the website, Bragg's liquid aminos contains the following essential and non-essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein):

• Alanine
• Arginine
• Aspartic Acid
• Glutamic Acid
• Glycine
• Histidine
• Isoleucine
• Leucine

• Methionine
• Phenylalanine
• Proline
• Serine
• Threonine
• Tyrosine
• Valine
• Lysine

Mediterranean Salade a la tofu

via http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/

photo via destination360.com

Plenty of vitamin C in this delicious mix. And here's some other good health news: the parsley is a rich source of antioxidants and even folic acid, which is one of the most important of the B vitamins--important for cardiovascular health. Also assists in preventing colon and cervix cancer. And those delicious tomatoes are extremely nutritious as well--they are antioxidant, even as it pertains to bone health and help to prevent a variety of cancers (breast and prostrate, for example)! Some studies have linked tomatoes with a decreased like of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's. . . So eat up and enjoy the health treat you're giving your body.

 

What you need:

• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 cup diced seedless cucumber, (1/4 medium)
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

How to make:

1. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, parsley, olives, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl; toss gently to mix. Serve within 1 hour.

Nature's Detox Wonders

This article is via http://www.care2.com/greenliving/dr-michelles-top-12-detox-superfoods.html and compiled by Michelle Schoffro Cook

photo via citrustreesonline.com

Almonds—are high in fiber, calcium, magnesium, and useable protein that helps stabilize blood sugar and remove impurities from the bowels.

Avocados—lower cholesterol and dilate blood vessels while blocking artery-destroying toxicity. Avocados contain a nutrient called glutathione, which blocks at least 30 different carcinogens while helping the liver detoxify synthetic chemicals. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that elderly people who had high levels of glutathione were healthier and less likely to suffer from arthritis.

Beets—contain a unique mixture of natural plant chemicals (phytochemicals) and minerals that make them superb fighters of infection, blood purifiers, and liver cleansers. They also help boost the body’s cellular intake of oxygen, making beets excellent overall body cleansers. Aphrodite, according to legend, ate beets to retain her beauty. She was definitely on to a good thing since beets, in addition to all the benefits listed above, also help stabilize the blood’s acid-alkaline balance (pH), which in turn supports healthy detoxification.

Blueberries—contain natural aspirin that helps lessen the tissue-damaging effects of chronic inflammation, while lessening pain. Blueberries also act as antibiotics by blocking bacteria in the urinary tract, thereby helping to prevent infections. They have antiviral properties and are loaded with super-detoxifying phytonutrients called proanthocyanidins.

Cabbage—contains numerous anti-cancer and antioxidant compounds and helps the liver break down excess hormones. Cabbage also cleanses the digestive tract and soothes the stomach, which could in part be due to its antibacterial and antiviral properties. Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage (kale is another excellent choice—see below) demonstrate powerful detoxification activity, including neutralizing some of the damaging compounds found in cigarette smoke (and second-hand smoke). They also contain a compound that helps the liver produce adequate amounts of enzymes for detoxification.

Cranberries—have powerful antibiotic and antiviral substances to help the body cleanse harmful bacteria and viruses from the urinary tract.
Keep reading to learn about the foods that eliminates radioactive waste, neutralize compounds in cigarette smoke, and more…

Flaxseeds and Flaxseed Oil— are loaded with essential fatty acids, particularly the omega-3s. They are essential for many cleansing functions and maintaining a healthy immune system. They are also critical to maintaining a healthy brain. The health of every cell in your body is dependent on getting adequate amounts of essential fatty acids.

Garlic—helps cleanse harmful bacteria, intestinal parasites, and viruses from the body, especially from the blood and intestines. It also helps cleanse buildup from the arteries and lowers blood pressure. Garlic has anti-cancer and antioxidant properties that help detoxify the body of harmful substances. It also helps cleanse the respiratory tract by expelling mucous buildup in the lungs and sinuses. I am referring to fresh garlic, not garlic powder, which has virtually none of the above properties.

Kale—contains powerful anti-cancer and antioxidant compounds that help cleanse the body of harmful substances. It is also high in fiber, which helps cleanse the intestinal tract. Like cabbage, kale helps neutralize compounds found in cigarette smoke and contains a substance that jump-starts the liver’s production of cleansing enzymes.

Legumes—are loaded with fiber that helps lower cholesterol, cleanse the intestines, and regulate blood sugar levels. Legumes also help protect the body against cancer.

Lemons— are superb liver detoxifiers. In addition, they contain high amounts of vitamin C, a vitamin needed by the body to make a substance called glutathione. Glutathione helps ensure that phase 2 liver detoxification keeps pace with phase 1, thereby reducing the likelihood of negative effects from environmental chemicals. Vitamin C and other antioxidants found in lemons are integral to ward off cancer, fight the effects of pollution and cell damage. Fresh lemon juice contains more than 20 anti-cancer compounds and helps balance the body’s pH levels.

Seaweed—could be the most underrated vegetable in the Western world. Studies at McGill University in Montreal showed that seaweeds bind to radioactive waste in the body so it can be removed. Radioactive waste can find its way into the body through some medical tests or through food that has been grown where water or soil is contaminated. Seaweed also binds to heavy metals to help eliminate them from the body. In addition, it is a powerhouse of minerals and trace minerals.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/dr-michelles-top-12-detox-superfoods.html#ixzz1jM4DmS8S