Creating Meals to Heal?

Let's take a journey together down a side path that not many Americans travel.  I lived in Asia for many years and find their cultures fascinating and so much more advanced (or should I say steeped in history) when it comes to food than ours. 

MOST Americans eat for pleasure.  There is no other way to put it.  We don't eat for nutrients, we don't eat for health, we don't eat for healing.  If we have a craving - we fulfill it.  Managing how we eat, and what we eat is quite important for that second pillar of health - diet. 

I guess part of the reason I love Asian food so much is that they don't use a lot of fillers, sugars, or straight salt in their foods.  No substitutions.  Lots of herbs, fish, and fresh vegetables.  They eat very little in the way of "bread" and instead eat quite a bit of rice - rice is their base in almost every meal.  Their deserts are based around fruits and enhancing their flavors. 

Asians shop daily for the freshest foods - both meat, freshly slaughtered; and fruits and vegetables, pulled in fresh from the fields.  They have small refrigerators, because they have no need to store things for long periods of time.  Everything is eaten fresh.

We have known for a LONG time that Asians live longer than Americans.  They have far less heart disease, obesity, strokes, cancer, ADD / ADHD, and high cholesterol.  Part of it can be contributed to the fact that most Asians live a much less hectic lifestyle than Americans, but that is only a small contribution.  Their diet plays a much larger part.

Vegetables should be the core to all our meals.  If you are like my nieces that only eat "certain color" vegetables - and none of them are green, you are weakening your system.  It is important to remember that we have one body - and however we feed it will be returned to us when we get into our 60s - 70s - 80s - and hopefully beyond.  If you feed your body processed foods, processed sugar, processed pre-prepared foods - you are not giving your body anything to help it heal itself - grow new cells - help your existing cells live longer... we all would love to look 10 years younger - but if you feed your body trash - it has no way of rejuvenating itself to create a longer life for your body.  Not only do these vegetables help your physical body - they help your mental well being too.  They make you happier, calmer, energized, relaxed... all the things you need to live a long healthy, happy life!

Try your vegetables in different preparations.  Try them raw - all of them.  Even the ones you aren't used to eating raw - you may like them better this way.  There are certain vegetables I won't eat cooked, but I will raw.  Try both baby vegetables and fully grown to see if you like the sweetness of the young vegetables better than their robust flavor when fully grown.  Try them stir-fried or sauteed - again all of them.  I love stir frying my vegetables.  I prepare in the morning - julienning my carrots, chopping my vegetables, and setting them aside in three separate bowls - foods that take 2 - 3 minutes (cauliflower / broccoli / carrots / asparagus), foods that take 1 - 2 minutes to cook (mushrooms, pea pods, red cabbage), and then foods that just need to get a kiss of heat (bok choy, Chinese cabbage, spinach, bean sprouts).  Add some fresh cilantro, basil, garlic, onion, or any other herbs that you might like to try.  Experiment!  You will know that you have cooked them long enough as soon as they change color.

Try vegetables that you didn't like as a child.  Our taste buds change constantly.  And as you remove the processed foods, artificial colors and flavors, you may find that certain foods you didn't like five years ago, you now crave!  Asparagus and Avocados are two of them for me.  I can't get enough of them now - but I use them very differently than I did many years ago too. 

Herbs are just as important for your diet.  The more herbs you use the less salt and flavorings you will need.  I am quite heavy handed when it comes to herbs in my foods.  I also like lots of heat - cayenne is a standard in almost all my meals. 

Dr Hyman also has some good reasons to try the Asian diet style.  In this article he provides detailed benefits of certain Asian vegetables, herbs, roots.  http://drhyman.com/eat-your-medicine-food-as-pharmacology-7716/?utm_source=Publicaster&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=drhyman%20newsletter%20issue%20#37&utm_content=Get+the+story

Blessings... E

One a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

No, I am not talking about an apple... there is a much better fruit that you should eat first thing in the morning before you eat anything else.... This is another one from my grandmother... Thanks Grams!

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose.  Combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, imp rove your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises , thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine,"eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe it’s time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Blessings - E