Whole Health Nutrition News

 

January, 2005

 

Happy New Year!

 

In this issue:

 

Karen's Class Schedule

 

Freezer Cooking, Sat. Jan. 15th, Noon-3PM. Learn how to assemble an entire month's worth of meals in one day. Topics include planning, shopping, prep work, and assembly day tips. You'll save time, money and your sanity.

Discover U. Class held at Cook's World near U Village.

Registration: 206-365-0400

 

Gourmet Spa Cuisine, Wed. Jan. 19th, 7-9PM.  Learn the secrets behind delicious spa cuisine with imaginative recipes that use fresh, healthy ingredients, and taste gourmet without all the fat and calories. A great way to lose those holiday pounds! Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes will be demonstrated. Senior Center Demo Kitchen, Everett (Pacific and Lombard)

Registration: 425-257-8300.

 

One Pot Wonders, Thur. Jan. 27th, 7:15-9:15PM. Learn how to create healthy and hearty one-pot meals using whole grain, beans and fresh veggies that virtually cook themselves. Best of all, one pot means faster cleanup and delicious leftovers for lunches or those hectic evenings when there's no time to cook. All recipes adaptable to vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Richmond Highlands Rec Center, Shoreline.

Registration: 206-418-3383.

 

15 Minute Meals, Sat. Jan 29th, 1-3PM, Boys and Girls Club Community Room, Arlington. Are you too busy to cook, but want to enjoy healthy meals that don't come from a fast food restaurant or out of a box? This fun class will show you how to prepare healthy meals with a gourmet taste in under 20 minutes. Several delicious recipes will be demonstrated. We will also discuss ways to make healthy eating convenient, how to stock your pantry, as well as offer timesaving cooking and shopping tips.

Registration: 360-403-3448

 

15 Minute Meals, Sun. Jan.30th, 1-4PM.  Are you too busy to cook, but want to enjoy healthy meals that don't come from a fast food restaurant or out of a box? This fun class will show you how to prepare healthy meals with a gourmet taste in under 20 minutes. Several delicious recipes will be demonstrated. We will also discuss ways to make healthy eating convenient, how to stock your pantry, as well as offer timesaving cooking and shopping tips.

Discover U. Class held at Cook's World near U Village.

Registration: 206-365-0400

 

One Pot Wonders, Monday, Jan. 31st, 7-9PM. Jennings Park Barn, Marysville.

Registration: 360-651-5085

 

Cookbooks

 

I sold out of the first printing of my cookbooks within a month - thanks to all who purchased one- I hope you are enjoying the recipes! I now have the 2nd printing available, in a smaller format but with the same 65 or so recipes, for $10.00 + $1.50 shipping if you want me to mail it to you. Send an email to Karen@wholefoodsnutrition.com to request a table of contents or send $11.50 plus your address to my office at 406 Main St. Ste 111B, Edmonds, WA 98020.

 

I'm working on a Healthy Snacks cookbook next so watch for that in a later newsletter.

 

In-home Classes

 

I am now offering in-home nutrition/cooking classes where you can gather a group of friends/colleagues (5 minimum) and receive a customized cooking class. I can give you lots of ideas for classes, or you can come up with a class idea of your own! The price is reasonable and you are welcome to serve anything from wine to detox tea! These are valuable learning experiences that are lots of fun too. Call me at 425-218-2310 or email me at Karen@wholefoodsnutrition.com for more info or to schedule a class.

 

New Year's Resolutions?

 

Lose weight, eat healthier -- are these one of your New Year's resolutions? Here are some things to consider when making resolutions.

 

The most important point to consider when making resolutions is to decide if you truly are willing to make the effort to kick a bad habit or start a healthy one. Making a decision to change just because it's New Year's Day isn't enough to keep you motivated for long.

 

Lasting change means being prepared to make sacrifices. If you're resistant to making the necessary sacrifices, ask yourself why. Many people resist change because they're afraid of the unknown. Unhealthy habits may be harmful and detract from your quality of life, but they're familiar, and for many that's reason enough to keep them.

 

Once you have decided you are ready to make that resolution and stick to it, you need to develop a plan of action and make that plan a priority. If you want to change your eating habits, be specific about what you plan to do, such as eat breakfast every day, or forgo seconds at the dinner table. When making dietary changes, start small. Set a few realistic goals. In the long run, you'll have better self-esteem and more self-confidence because you'll actually stick with them.

 

Here are a few tips for a healthier diet and lifestyle:

Salads Need Fat

 

A recent study showed that salads eaten with fat-free salad dressing resulted in essentially no absorption of beneficial antioxidant carotenoids, whereas substantially greater absorption of carotenoids was observed when salads were consumed with full-fat dressing.

 

Study participants ate salads consisting of spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots with salad dressings containing 0, 6, or 28 grams of canola oil. With the fat-free dressings, absorption of alpha and beta carotene and lycopene was negligible. Full-fat dressing showed the highest absorption, with reduced-fat dressing somewhere in-between.

 

So, to get the most cancer-protective antioxidant punch from your salad, either use a dressing made from a healthy fat such as extra-virgin olive oil, or add some avocado slices or chopped nuts, which have built-in sources of healthy fats.

 

And instead of eating carrot sticks or red pepper strips by themselves, dip them in some hummus or olive tapenade, both of which contain heart-healthy fats and are delicious to boot. And the additional fat will keep you feeling full longer.

 

Source: Carotenoid Bioavailability is Higher from Salads Ingested with Full Fat than with Fat Reduced Salad Dressings as Measured with Electrochemical Detection, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August, 2004.

 

What's in Season

 

Fennel

 

The grocery store checker may not recognize this tasty root vegetable, it may be incorrectly called anise. Sweet and spicy with some bitter tones, fennel is a warming herb that imparts a clean, natural sweetness with hints of licorice.  Although the whole plant is used medicinally, the seeds are valuable in treating indigestion and gas. Choose white, firm, unblemished bulbs adjoining crisp stalks with bright green feathery tops. Wrapped in plastic and refrigerated, fennel stays fresh up to five days.

 

Preparation Tips: Slice the crunchy raw bulb into salads with apples, oranges, red onion, or crumbly cheeses. Simmer stalks in soups; roast chopped stalks and bulb alongside other vegetables or chicken; snip the fennel fronds into dishes calling for dill or parsley (add at the end of cooking).

 

Health Benefits: Fiber-rich fennel also offers vitamin C, potassium, and folate.

 

Recipe of the Month

 

Roasting intensifies a vegetables' flavor like you wouldn't believe. Don't be afraid to be creative with whatever vegetables are in your refrigerator.

 

Roasted Vegetables with Caramelized Glaze

2-4 fennel bulbs, coarsely chopped

2 small red or Yukon gold potatoes, chopped
2 small yams or sweet potatoes, chopped
1 cup baby carrots, or sliced regular carrots
1 large onion, cut in wedges
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 tbsp.peanut or macadamia nut oil
(use a refined oil for this high temperature roasting)
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. brown sugar

½  tsp. Sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, rosemary, tarragon) optional

Preheat oven to 425F. Scrub potatoes/yams but do not peel. Wash, stem, and seed the bell peppers, then cut into 1 inch cubes. Place all the vegetables in a large roasting pan.

 

In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetables and mix well.

 

Roast vegetables until they become tender, about 30-45 minutes, turning
them over every 15 minutes.