GMO Foods

A list of processed foods and brands which contain GMO ingredients (and alternatives which don't!):
http://www.truefoodnow.org/shoppersguide/guide_printable.html

From the Cooper Institute: Exercise

"According to a new study, even low levels of weekly exercise (below the current recommendations), provide major health benefits. Researchers conducted a 12 week study on 106 healthy, but sedentary adults between the ages of 40 and 61. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first group briskly walked 3 days a week for 30 minutes. The second group briskly walked 5 days a week for 30 minutes. The third group was the non-walking control group. After 12 weeks, the findings revealed that blood pressure and waist and hip girth decreased significantly in both of the walking groups. Overall fitness also increased in both of the walking groups. The researchers noted that these positive changes are enough to make a difference to an individual's risk of heart disease. There were no changes in the control group. Hopefully, these findings will encourage people who haven't been able to make time for the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week. Remember, some activity is better than none!"

My salad last night (and other recent food-related stuff)

I saw this somewhere recently and wanted to try it, so I mixed it up last night and liked it. I'm posting it here to share and also to remind me if I happen to forget about it (since it was a first-timer, and may not readily come to mind again without a memory prompt).

I mixed together: half a tomato (diced), half a cucumber (diced), 1/2 cup or so of cottage cheese, and 1 green onion (both green and white). I knew I liked all the ingredients separately, but didn't know about combining them -- but it was good. Different, but good.

It made a nice little low-carb, low-cal salad; very filling, very tasty. I try not to do much dairy, so cottage cheese is a little bit of a splurge, but you can't do everything (no grain, no dairy, no meat) all the time -- so I guess I just rotate through them, and in doing so get a lot less of all 3 than I used to. I ate it just like this, but if you wanted I think you could put it on salad greens and eat it that way, too.

Another interesting salad combination I saw this week but haven't tried yet: watermelon, feta cheese, and red onion. Hmm. Several of the comments said it was very good. I have watermelon and red onion right now, and am planning to go to the store today; maybe I can pick up some feta cheese and try it. Feta cheese is not my favorite, but I'm willing to try again.

Oh, and speaking of cheeses and new foods, here's something new I tried and really enjoyed. Okay, let me give you the Aleecia version (the full story): it was about to be the third weekend of celebrating the kids' birthdays. David and I had decided -- celebration, but no more cake. So I wanted something that would be a nice treat and ideally something you could put candles in (so trying to think of an alternative to apple crisp -- yummy and relatively healthy, but not very candle-friendly) -- and saw this idea online: take strawberries and cut them in half length-wise, then fill with a mixture of cream cheese and honey (kind of like you do for devilled eggs). I used a decorative icing thingie for the cream cheese filling, and this looked so pretty on the tray! We put candles in the middle and sang Happy Birthday; it turned out really nice. It is definitely something to do for parties or showers or potluck dinners. It's kind of like strawberry cheesecake but with more strawberry than cheesecake. Very easy, very bite-sized (so in my mind good for big crowds). Well, this doesn't end up using much of the cream cheese (it doesn't take a whole package), so I had this leftover cream cheese-honey mixture. For Jayden, I'm not as worried about breads and dairy as I do for me, because it's okay for her to gain weight, etc. So I had some of the pitas I like to get from Super 1/Brookshire's, and I get the idea to make her a "cream cheese sandwich." I lightly toasted the pita and then added the cream cheese filling (plus a little extra honey for a nice treat); we all loved it. David and I have to keep from eating them; Jayden eats a whole pita of it by herself. If you like cream cheese, I think you'll like this, too. (Think the Toaster Strudels they make with the cream cheese filling; it's like that.) This makes a nice dessert, snack, or even breakfast. It's yummy! You'll have to let me know if you try it.

Vreni Gurd: Artificial and Natural Flavors

"Do you know why fast and processed food, from french fries, hamburgers, ice cream and chicken fingers to microwave popcorn, flavoured yogurts, baked goods, breakfast cereals, fruit drinks and beer all taste so good? The chemical wizardry behind the artificial and natural flavours added to the processed food adds back the flavour that was taken away during the processing and storing of the foods. The long list of chemicals that make up the flavours is hidden behind the words "artificial" or "natural" flavours."

Read the entire article on Vreni Gurd's blog:
http://blog.wellnesstips.ca/blog/index.php/?p=126

Quotes

I love this:

"People change for two reasons, They either learn so much they want to or they hurt so bad they have to." (author unknown)

We experienced this last year in relation to our health, but it's so good and so true for all of life. This quote is a keeper!

And, more specifically related to health, I thought this was very interesting:

"I don't always go into details about the possible side effects of drugs. I tell them all drugs are poisons with possible beneficial side effects."-Dr Jay Gordon

I liked that. I think that's a great perspective. So many today treat medications as an automatic fix and jump to a "pill" without even thinking about a possible cause for their illness. We all still have a lot to learn, but the first step is a mindset change.

"High Cholesterol does not cause Heart Disease"

Read Vreni Gurd's article online: http://www.wellnesstips.ca/high%20cholesterol.htm

Summer Salad Recipe

A new salad recipe for us to try (from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/08/a-yummy-scrummy-new-summer-salad.aspx):

INGREDIENTS:
SALAD:
1 pint organic cherry tomatoes
2 cups black, pitted olives
1 cup organic green beans, chopped large
DRESSING:
Approx 1/2 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
About 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 squeeze of lemon juice
GARNISH:
Sprig of fresh mint or oregano

PREPARATION:
Place tomatoes, olives, and green beans in medium bowl.
Place olive oil, garlic oregano, and lemon juice in small bottle and shake.
Pour dressing over salad and toss well.
Garnish with sprig of fresh mint or oregano.

Eggs and Diet Soda (but not together -- in fact, enjoy one and avoid the other!)

"Slowly the evidence is mounting that there is absolutely no need to be afraid of eating eggs, despite the fact that they are high in cholesterol."

"The other interesting study that was publicized this week noted an association between soda pop, both diet and regular, and metabolic syndrome and heart disease. The association for regular pop is a no-brainer, but that diet pop is also problematic is surprising, as diet pop contains no sugar nor high fructose corn syrup, so why would such an association exist?"

Read the entire post online on Vreni Gurd's blog:
http://blog.wellnesstips.ca/blog/index.php/?p=116

Body Detox

Check this out: http://www.bodypurenow.com/

(We've ordered one box of these to try.)

--Aleecia

What the World Eats

Fascinating!

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/What-the-World-Eats-21099.aspx

Practical Uses for Soda

This is awesome! A handy reference for later. But it does make you think: people actually want to drink this stuff? And it does all this? =-)

http://www.thebachelorguy.com/34-uses-for-that-can-of-soda-other-than-quenching-thirst.html

(I bought a 2-liter Coke just last week to keep working on cleaning up an old cast iron skillet David's grandmother left here. Haven't had a chance to use it yet, though -- but I have done this before after I let my cast iron skillet, the one I now use all the time, get rusty a year or so back.)

Fast Food Strawberry Milkshakes

Another good video by Luci Locke, this one on the ingredients in a fast food strawberry milkshake. I hope it makes you think twice before you order! (And even better, maybe not go at all ....)

=-)

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Fast-Food-Milkshakes-Exposed-27226.aspx

"Natural" Soft Drinks - a video by Luci Locke

I thought this video was great. Should you buy (and drink) the new "healthy" soft drinks and teas? Well, it depends ....

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Those--quot-Natural-quot--Soft-Drinks----Are-They-Really--28358.aspx

Sugar in our Diet

Another link from mercola.com:

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Why-Americans-Keep-Getting-Fatter-22958.aspx

Primitive Diet

Here's a video posted on mercola.com. Of course I don't agree with the evolutionary part of this video, but the experiment and results (9 volunteers in a zoo for 12 days, eating an "ape-like" diet) are really neat! I enjoyed watching this.

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Can-Eating-Like-an-Ape-Change-Your-Health-in-12-Days--23880.aspx

Another Tuna Salad recipe

Here's a tuna recipe my sister sent me that we can try; she made it and said it was really good.

INGREDIENTS
1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon curry powder
1 dash garlic powder
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
1 cup chow mein noodles
Lettuce Leaves

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, combine tuna, peas, celery and onions. In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, soy sauce, curry powder and garlic powder; stir into tuna mixture. Stir in almonds; top with noodles. Serve on lettuce if desired.

My Throw-Together Lasagna Success Story

I've always been a fan of lasagna. Pasta, cheese, tomato sauce -- who could resist? Well, Thursday I had lasagna on the brain. We hadn't had lasagna in ages. Plus, with working on the house right now, we're doing a lot of "satisficing" with meals -- so my first thought was to pick up a frozen lasagna at the store on my way out the house. We do have an oven in the house we're able to use, so I figured I could heat that up and that would be our supper.

When I got to the frozen food aisle, I wasn't completely satisfied with either the prices or the ingredients on my lasagna choices. Then, a brainstorm: I wonder if I could put a lasagna together for us? Worst case scenario: I learned it didn't work. But, it ended up turning out really well! We were even able to share leftovers with David's family, and they liked it too. It's definitely a do-over! (In fact, I bought ingredients tonight to make it again this week.)

Here's what I did -- oh, let me give you the ingredients list first:

1 box wheat lasagna noodles (you'll only use half)
1 jar pasta sauce (I used a chunky kind)
1 large carton cottage cheese
1 2 cup bag shredded mozzarella cheese
1 bag frozen spinach (I used half)
1 container baby portabella mushrooms (I used half)

In my (foil, disposable) baking pan, first I put down a layer of pasta sauce, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Then I put four uncooked lasagna noodles, which worked out right for my size pan. Then, I put a layer of cottage cheese, then mozzarella cheese, then spinach and mushrooms. Then another layer of noodles and another layer of sauce, the rest of the cottage cheese and some mozzarella (but save some for the top), another layer of noodles, then more spinach and mushrooms and cheese. Well, that may not be exactly right, but something like that. I covered it and baked it for about 30 minutes at 350, give or take -- and yummy!

I was trying to think about other veggies that would be good in this, too. I think some small carrot bits would be good. Cooked bell pepper and onion would be good. You could always add a meat layer or two, too. I just didn't want to fool with it, and we didn't miss it.

So tonight at the store I only had to buy cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese and pasta sauce; I had the other ingredients already left over from Attempt #1.

So, now we have a recipe for an unbelievable lasagna -- tasty and unbelievably easy! (And not TOO terribly expensive, either.) You'll have to let me know if you try it.

Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes

This sounds like a good idea: (from a Yahoo group I've joined)

Mix 2 cans tuna, shredded carrots, raisins, maybe some diced apple and mayonaise. Then hollow out tomatoes and chop up the middle part you took out and add it to the tuna. Mix it well. Then stuff the tuna mixture back into the tomatoes. These are good served with just crackers or with mac and cheese.

Vitamin D and Cancer

"An exciting study was published this week in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that indicates that getting enough Vitamin D is important for reducing one's risk of cancer."

Read Vreni Gurd's article online at http://blog.wellnesstips.ca/blog/index.php/?p=130

Apples - Peel and all

Traditionally, apple peels have been considered healthy because of their fiber content, as the peel contains about 75 percent of the dietary fiber in an apple. But a recent study has shown that the peel also contains most of the beneficial phytochemicals responsible for apples' anticarcinogenic effects.

Scientists processed more than 200 pounds of Red Delicious apples, and extracted phytochemicals from about 24 pounds of peel. They screened the compounds for anti-cancer effects in laboratory cultures of human liver, breast, and colon cancer cells, and identified a group of compounds with potent anti-cancer properties.

Specifically, 13 triterpenoids from the peels of Red Delicious apples were identified and confirmed to be highly effective against cancer. Exactly how and why these biochemicals seek and destroy cancer cells is still unknown. Apple consumption has previously been linked to a reduced risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke.