Whole Health Nutrition News
June,
2005
In
this issue:
Smart Snacks, Tue. June 7th, 7-9PM.
Richmond Highlands Rec Center, Shoreline. If you're looking for
fresh ideas for healthy snacks that will stabilize your blood sugar and leave
you feeling energized, this class is for you! We will discuss the effects
of food on mood and energy, learn the three components of a healthy snack,
and sample several delicious snacks that are easy to assemble and take with
you when you're on-the-go.
15 Minute Meals, Sunday, June 12th, 12:30-3:30PM, Cooks World,
U Village. 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.
Main Dish Salads, June
30th 7-9PM. Everett Senior Center, Pacific and Lombard. We will be making some
wonderful summer salads using seasonal produce, grains such as quinoa, and
other unique ingredients. These salads are easy to prepare, are meals in
themselves and perfect for warm summer evenings.
Cancer Experts Reissue Warning About
Grilling
WASHINGTON, DC - In time for Memorial Day and the beginning of the cookout
season, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is offering its
yearly warning: research suggests that grilling meats, poultry, or fish may
raise the risk of breast, colon, stomach and prostate cancers.
High-heat cooking methods
like grilling and broiling cause "muscle meats" (red meats, poultry,
game and fish) to produce compounds collectively called heterocyclic
amines (HCAs). One kind of HCA
has been on the Department of Health and Human Services list of cancer-causing
agents since 2002. In February of this year, three more HCAs that arise from
grilling meat were added to the list.
Another class of
carcinogens on the list of cancer-causing agents are polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
PAHs are formed when fat drips onto hot coals or stones. These potent
carcinogens are deposited back onto food by smoke and flare-ups.
"That
doesn't mean that people have to avoid grilling," said Karen Collins,
RD, AICR Nutrition Advisor. "We now know that it's possible to significantly
lower the health hazards associated with grilling by following a few simple
guidelines."
Marinate meats before
grilling. This could reduce the amount of HCAs produced, in some studies by as
much as 92 to 99 percent.
Pre-cook meats in the oven
or microwave, then briefly grill for flavor.
Keep meat portions small
so they need only a brief time on the grill.
Use lean meat and trim
the fat to reduce the chance of fat dripping onto the coals, because it's
these drips that cause that smoke and flare-ups that create PAHs. Covering
the grill with punctured aluminum foil will help.
Use tongs or a spatula to
turn food and flip frequently to help limit formation of HCAs.
Remove all charred or
burnt portions before serving.
Grill less meat and more
veggies and fruits instead. The natural sugars in these foods caramelize during
grilling, making them sweeter and more succulent.
A
reminder to buy local
The food industry is consolidating at an alarming rate. The top companies
producing meats, grains, and other staples now enjoy virtual control over the
markets for their products. It's gotten to the point where much of our
nourishment depends on a handful of giants. And they're shipping foods an
average of 1500 miles to reach your plate, a practice that strains anyone's
notion of "fresh."
But a quiet revolution is
in the air, and we the eaters hold the power for change. Retailers are posting
more information about where our food is raised. And new ways of buying direct
-- like farmers' markets -- are providing us with tastier and more diverse
choices.
Let's take a look at this
shift by following a tale of two tomatoes -- Traveling Tom and Local Lucy.
We'll see the deep problems that the industrial system is causing. We'll also
see how some family and organic farmers are raising healthier foods locally --
a revolution that will benefit all of us.
Think
our food system is working? Think again.
The nature of food has changed dramatically in the last 60 years. More and
more, our food is raised on huge farms, under terms set by distant corporations
that control the process from gene to market. And while we might spend less at
the checkout stand, there are other costs to pay, and no one escapes the bill.
Pesticide poisonings,
rural towns on the ropes, the diminishing quality of our water and soil: these
are just a few of the problems. Nothing symbolizes what's wrong with this
system as clearly as Traveling Tom, a tomato that's bred to be picked green and
then gassed to redness. We deserve better than this.
An alternative is on the
rise, led by Local Lucy, the tomato next door. One taste and you'll never
go back. When you buy her and other foods raised near to home, more of your
money makes it back to the farmer, helping to keep families on the land. It's
quite a ripple effect from the purchase of a simple tomato. But Lucy's a special
fruit -- the vanguard of a Buy Local revolution.
To check out the story of
the two traveling tomatoes go to
http://www.sectionz.info/ISSUE_3/content_1.html
What's in Season
Strawberries are in season
this month! Did you know the strawberry is a member of the rose family? There
are many farms in our area where you can buy these wonderful fruits directly
from the farmer - this link will give you some ideas:
http://www.pugetsoundfresh.org/schedule_result.asp?productID=68&productName=Strawberries
Alternatively, you will
likely find them at your local farmers market. One caveat however - it's best
to buy organic in the case of strawberries, particularly if buying strawberries
from a supermarket. Most strawberry fields are sprayed with a fungicide called
methyl bromide, which depletes the ozone layer, and the strawberries themselves
are also sprayed with many different pesticides. See this link for more info:
http://www.foodnews.org/highpest.php?prod=PFR20A14&
Note: there are some local
producers of organic strawberries, and others may be only minimally sprayed
- just ask the farmer.
Nutritionally, strawberries
are a rich source of phenols. Phenols serve as potent antioxidants that have
repeatedly been shown to help protect cell structures in the body and to prevent
oxidation in all of the body's organ systems. Strawberries' phenol content
makes them a heart-protective fruit, an anti-cancer fruit, and an anti-inflammatory
fruit, all rolled into one.
In terms of traditional
nutrients, strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C,
vitamin K and dietary fiber.
Recipe of the Month
Enjoy fresh organic strawberries
as a dessert mixed with these ideas for flavored sugars. It doesn't get any
easier than this!
Hull and slice a pint of
organic strawberries and stir in the flavored sugar.
2 Tbs organic sugar
½ tsp lemon or lime zest.
Either process the sugar
and zest in a spice grinder or stir in a bowl until well combined. Serve
layered with strawberry or mango sorbet in a tall glass.
2 Tbs organic sugar
1/8 tsp cardamom
Follow above directions.
Serve over rice or quinoa pudding (in my recipe book if you have one).
2
Tbs organic sugar
4-6
fresh mint leaves - you can find mint at a farmers market for $1.00/bunch
Follow
above directions and toss with strawberries and cubes of mango.