Holistic Nutrition Bytes--San Francisco Nutrition Consultation » antioxidants

Delicate & Delicious

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:16:34 +0000

Want a dish to boost up your immune health? Add more antioxidants to your meal with this dish I made tonight. The fish is high in omega 3 fatty acids and is poached in green tea, which is very high in antioxidants. It would be perfect to cook for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day. It is very delicate, fancy, and really delicious. I adapted this recipe from Chef Jennifer Una, who is a Natural Chef. I served it over spinach, but you could use pea shoots or chard.

Green Tea Poached Cod
Serves: 6
POACHING LIQUID INGREDIENTS:
5 cups water
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
5 bags green tea
1 onion, diced
4 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 lb black cod (sablefish) or other white fish
2/3 tsp. minced ginger
Salt and pepper

Vinaigrette Ingredients
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame oil, toasted
4 tsp. grated ginger
2 tsp. tamari soy sauce
1 tsp miso

DIRECTIONS:
• Heat 5 cups of water in a saucepan until it begins to simmer. Turn off the heat and add the green tea bags. Cover and steep for 5 minutes and then remove the tea bags.
• In a deep skillet, add the green tea, ginger, garlic and onion. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
• In the meantime, prepare the fish, removing any bones and cutting into desired pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add sesame oil to poaching liquid and place the fish gently in the liquid. Make sure the liquid is at a gentle simmer and cook the fish 8-10 minutes or until translucent.
• In the meantime, whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette and prepare the greens. Heat wok on medium heat and add sesame oil. Add the greens and the garlic and sauté, tossing gently with tongs for about a minute until the greens wilt slightly. Make sure the garlic does not burn. Remove to a platter.
• Remove the fish from the poaching liquid when finished cooking and lay on top of the greens on the platter.
• Drizzle with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with the scallions.
Serve.

Turmeric: Wonder Spice (recipe included)

admin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 02:14:52 +0000

Plants are medicine. Herbs and spices have healing properties and are easy to integrate into your diet. They can be used to boost antioxidant levels, relieve stress, enhance sleep and relaxation, improve female hormones levels, reduce PMS symptoms, enhance fertility, relieve pain, and improve organ function.

One of my favorite spices, especially in the midst of a liver cleanse, is turmeric. Used widely in Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric is a member of the ginger family and gives curry its vibrant yellow color. Curcumin is the particular constituent responsible for turmeric’s bright hue.

looks like ginger.

Turmeric has been getting a lot of attention lately for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It is particularly helpful for joint pain, making it very effective for arthritis since it reduces both the pain and swelling associated with arthritis. It’s also very high in antioxidants, helping your body fight free radical damage and therefore keeping you feeling and looking younger. Here are turmeric’s key benefits:

*helps maintain healthy digestion
*potent blood cleanser
*may be useful in combating allergies
*liver cleansing properties
*superior antioxidant – protects cells and DNA from oxidative damage
*good for immune health
*promotes healthy, radiant skin

I’m using turmeric quite a bit right now for its blood and liver cleansing properties (and, let’s face it, who doesn’t want glowing skin and protection against DNA damage?). You can fine it in capsule form at health food stores, but why not just use it fresh? I find it freshly ground in the bulk section of my local natural foods store. It’s fresh and organic (avoid irradiated spices). I’ll throw a teaspoon into smoothies, or add to stir-frys, eggs, salad dressings, soups or stews.

For therapeutic purposes, take 1-2 teaspoons per day, mixed with cow, goat, or nut milks (ayurvedic method), or in smoothies, soups, etc. Or if you just desire an extra super antioxidant dose of miracle spice (when free radical damage is heightened: during times of stress, or a bad hangover, for example), throw some into your cooking. It pairs especially well with indian cuisine and is also yummy with lentils.

Now, just in time for Easter, here is a DELICIOUS moroccan inspired spiced lamb dish. Enjoy!

SPICED LAMB WITH LEMON ZEST AND PRUNES

SPICES
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. turmeric (If fresh is available, even better. Grate or press about 1 to 2 tsps.)
1 tsp. cumin
cayenne pepper to taste
3 sticks of cinnamon
sea salt and pepper to taste
fresh ginger, 1 TBSP grated
fresh garlic, 4 cloves, pressed or chopped
fresh cilantro to taste
fresh parsley to taste
1 TBSP fresh lemon zest

OTHER MAIN INGREDIENTS
4 carrots, chopped into 1 1/2 inch pieces or so (large dice)
1 onion, chopped
kalamata olives (maybe 10 or so)
prunes (around 6)
coconut oil for cooking
1 to 2 cups of chicken stock

Lamb loin, 1 -1/2 lbs for approximately 4 servings. Chop it into about 2″ size pieces to stew.
______________________________________________

*Mix all dry spices.

*Chop lamb and coat with dry spices, let sit or marinate for an hour to overnight. Do not put wet spices into dry mix.

*Cook chopped onions and carrots until mostly done, set aside.

*Use same pot, add more oil and cook lamb- browning it. To brown properly, make sure you have enough heat, but not too hot. Heat pan first, then add oil. Wait 20 seconds, to let oil heat, then add meat. Do not stir, let brown on one side, then another. Only put enough lamb in the pan at a time that you can brown. Use enough oil. Keep taking it out once browned and add to the bowl with the cooked carrot and onion.

*Add all lamb, carrot, onion, ginger, garlic, prunes and zest to pan with more oil. Add chicken stock to cover. Simmer until meat is tender, perhaps 45 mins, this will depend on the size you cut the meat. Add more stock if necessary. Season to taste.

*Last 5 to 10 mins of cooking add the cilantro, parsley, olives.

*Serve with brown rice, quinoa, or cous cous (if you are doing gluten.)

Healthy Skin

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:32:10 +0000

Your skin is your largest organ and is often the first outward sign of internal imbalance. If you suffer from acne, rosacea, or problem skin, a few natural adjustments just may make all the difference.

Conventional treatments include topical solutions that usually contain salicylic acid or antibiotics. These might do the trick, but these methods treat the surface rather than uncovering the underlying cause of your skin troubles. Plus, taking antibiotics for an extended period of time can be incredibly disruptive to your inner ecology. Antibiotics provide a perfect environment where yeast (or bad bacteria) can outgrow the good bacteria, become pathogenic, and create toxic waste products that weaken your body and overwhelm your immune and endocrine systems. This is one reason you may experience yeast infections from antibiotic use.

First off, take a look at your diet: are you eating mostly processed foods? Are you eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) of hamburgers and french fries, pasta, muffins, potato chips, coffee, sugar, soda, and candy? These refined foods lack nutrients, contribute to inflammation, congestion, unstable blood sugar, and deficiency. For beautiful skin, make sure you are getting enough antioxidants to fight free radical damage, a number one cause of wrinkles and aging. Antioxidants also protect you from damage incurred by sun exposure, a necessary source of vitamin D. Antioxidant-rich foods include fruits such as berries, cherries, and citrus, leafy greens, and green & white teas.

Hidden food allergies or sensitivities can trigger acne and rosacea, and cause inflammation, skin eruptions, and other “unexplained” skin issues. The seven most allergenic foods are citrus, wheat, milk, eggs, nuts, shellfish, and soy. You can eliminate any one of these foods for 14 days and reintroduce the food on day 15 on an empty stomach to see if you have a sensitivity. Watch for any symptoms whatsoever (bloating, fatigue, congestion). Anything adverse means you are sensitive to said food. Try a gluten, soy, and dairy-free diet for 60 days to reduce internal inflammation. Often, cutting out wheat can reduce acne quite dramatically.

Secondly, consider your liver. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: your liver is your hardest working organ. It must neutralize and detoxify everything you breathe, eat, drink, apply to your skin, and are exposed to in your environment. If your liver becomes congested from poor diet, too many over the counter or prescription drugs (VERY hard on the liver), too much alcohol, sugar, or processed foods, it cannot thoroughly detoxify your body. The result? Toxins back up into your system, hormonal imbalances occur, you may experience constipation, and all of this can manifest as acne or skin eruptions or rashes. Drink plenty of filtered water, eat organic, get enough fresh produce, and try milk thistle or oregon grape root to help a sluggish liver detoxify.

Thirdly, take a look inside your bathroom cabinets. Read the labels on your products! Are your products full of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and other chemicals you cannot pronounce? Watch out for sodium laurel sulfates, “fragrance” — the name under which endocrine-disrupting chemicals hide — and propylene glycol.

Use only organic, natural cleansers, lotions, and toners on your face. Be aware that just because a product is labeled organic does NOT mean it won’t contain chemicals! Read labels! Look for aloe vera, witch hazel, carrot, rosehip, natural oils (like borage or pumpkin seed or jojoba), green tea extracts, herbs, and essential oils. Tea tree and neem can be useful for acne.

Make sure you are getting enough vitamin C, which is the building block of collagen, necessary for healthy skin and maintaining elasticity. Zinc is an important antioxidant and deficiency has been linked to acne. Probiotics and probiotic foods such as kefir, yogurt, and cultured vegetables help maintain regularity, and a backed up digestive tract means inner toxicity, which can cause acne. A good digestive cleanse using psyllium and flax powder combined with digestive enzymes and probiotics could be just what you need to detox your colon and prevent toxic build-up.