May
2003 Whole Health Nutrition News
In
this issue:
Healthy
Eating on the Run (aka 15 Minute Meals)
Learn
how to make healthy, delicious meals in under 15 minutes.
Saturday,
May 10th, Noon-2PM UW campus
Registration:
206-68-LEARN
This
class is full, but new section added 5/24 (see below)
Healthy
Eating on the Run (aka 15 Minute Meals)
Learn
how to make healthy, delicious meals in under 15 minutes.
Saturday,
May 24th, Noon-2PM UW campus
Registration:
206-68-LEARN
Food
and Mood
Discover
how our food choices influence energy levels, cravings, and emotions.
Tuesday,
May 13th, 6:30-8:30PM, Frances Anderson Center, Edmonds
Sweet
Treats
Learn
how to make healthy desserts using alternatives to refined sugars and flours.
Thursday,
May 22nd, 7:15-9:15 PM Richmond Highlands Rec Center, Shoreline
Registration:
206-418-3383
Learn
to prepare an international smorgasbord of delicious, healthy dishes.
Monday,
June 2nd, 6:30-9PM, Issaquah PCC
Registration:
206-545-7112
Healthy
Eating on the Run (aka 15 Minute Meals)
Learn
how to make healthy, delicious meals in under 15 minutes.
Tuesday,
June 3rd, 6:30-8:30PM, Frances Anderson Center, Edmonds
Do
you want to make the transition to a healthier, whole foods based diet but need
some encouragement, support, and nutrition education? I will be facilitating a
small group (6 max) for 5 weeks in my Edmonds office beginning Sat. May 31st,
10-11:30AM. We’ll discuss everything from metabolic typing to fad diets and
more. One Saturday we will even go grocery shopping at a natural foods store!
Cost is $125.00. E-mail me, Karen@wholefoodsnutrition.com,
or call 425-218-2310 for more info or to register.
You know it’s summer when mere paved surfaces spring alive with the abundant sights, sounds, smells and colors of an open-air farmers market. From now until summer’s end is the perfect time to add some extra color and nutrition to your plate: vivid green asparagus, crimson beets, sunny orange apricots, rosy radishes…these and more choices abound. If you value fresh, seasonal, locally grown organic food, your regular supermarket can’t compete with the produce offered at farmers’ markets. Many items are fresh-picked that morning, and the prices, especially for organics, can’t be beat.
Shopping
at a farmers market is a more fun-filled and rewarding experience than
wandering the produce aisle of your local supermarket. Farmers markets are a
return to a way of life once commonplace for many of our parents and
grandparents. It’s a great way to teach your kids about how food is grown, and
a chance to build a connection to the land and to the farmers that few children
have these days.
Farmers’
markets are a tremendous resource for communities. Not only is fresh, seasonal
food available for a reasonable price, money spent at farmer’s markets is good
for the local economy – buying directly from family farmers helps them stay in
business. Shopping at farmers markets also reduces energy consumed on food
transportation, and reduces waste by eliminating over-packaging of foods.
So,
this spring and summer, gather up the family and venture out to a nearby
farmers market and support your local farmer! Visit my website at www.wholefoodsnutrition.com/resources.html
for a list of S. Snohomish County/N. King County markets, or visit www.pugetsoundfresh.org for a
complete list.
Feeding
children mostly organic produce as opposed to conventionally farmed produce
could reduce a child’s pesticide exposure, according to a study.
Researchers
interviewed families with children 2 to 5 years old. Children who ate at least
75 percent organic produce and juice were classified as organic while those who
ate at least 75 percent conventional produce were classified as conventional.
The
study found that children who ate primarily organic produce and juice had
one-sixth the level of pesticide byproducts in their urine compared with
children who ate non-organic food.
The
health risk, if any, posed by such exposure is not known. Researchers noted
that this lack of knowledge about the health risks of eating foods treated with
pesticides is a real problem. Some people believe that trace elements of
pesticides in the diet are dangerous, while others say there is no evidence to
prove this assumption.
However,
most health experts say that the advantages of fruits and vegetables in the
diet are likely to outweigh any adverse effects from pesticides. Additionally,
plants produce pesticides in their leaves for protection, so it is impossible
to eliminate all pesticide exposure when eating fruits and vegetables,
according to experts. (Environmental Health Perspectives, March,
2003;111(3):377-82.)
My
comments: It is important to have a proper perspective. If you don’t
have your act together in the basics of healthy food selection, (eliminating
refined, processed foods, trans fats etc.) choosing organic foods or produce
will probably have very little influence on your health.
Many
people struggle to obtain organic foods because of finances or time
constraints. I feel that while organic is always preferred if practical, you
should not become distressed if you are choosing commercially raised produce.
Buying your produce at farmers markets is one way to reduce your pesticide
load.
I
tell people it is better to eat non-organic vegetables than no vegetables, but
try to avoid conventionally grown foods (especially for children) that contain
relatively high levels of pesticides. Apples, peaches, pears, strawberries, and
green beans typically have the highest levels of pesticides. Bananas, oranges,
pineapples, most melons, and broccoli are typically lower in pesticides. Check
out www.foodnews.org for more info on
pesticides in food.
Diet and Prostate Cancer
Diet, not genes, are apparently what protect Japanese men from prostate
cancer. American men have ten times more prostate cancer, but men born in the
USA of Japanese parents have the Western rate of disease. Japanese eat more soy
and less meat, fat, and processed foods, and this may be what protects them.
(Reuters Health, Study Suggests Western Diet Tied to Prostate Cancer, April 28,
2003.)
Obesity and Cancer A new study shows that obese people are more likely to die of cancer, specifically, prostate and stomach in men, and breast, uterus, cervix, and ovary in women, as well as colon, liver, and pancreas, and others in both sexes. (Overweight, obesity, andmortality from cancer... N Engl J Med 2003 Apr 24;348(17):1625-38.)
Produce Pick of the Month - Asparagus
Tender asparagus is in season this month. Packed with
folate (260 mcg per cup), asparagus is a vegetable to include in your diet if
you’re newly pregnant or planning a pregnancy, as folate has been shown to
reduce the risk of spina bifida. Folate is also important for a healthy
cardiovascular system as it lowers levels of homocysteine – a risk factor for
heart disease. Asparagus also contains inulin, which promotes friendly bacteria
in the large intestine.
Look for firm, thin stems with deep green or purplish
closed tips. Store asparagus upright in a jar filled with 1 inch of water. Use
within a day or two after purchasing for best flavor.
Recipe of the Month – Asparagus with Orange Sesame
Butter
|
1 ½ pounds asparagus |
1 Tbs orange juice concentrate |
|
1 Tbs olive oil |
1 tsp toasted sesame oil |
|
½ tsp sea salt, divided |
Freshly ground black pepper |
|
2 Tbs butter |
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds |
1. Snap the
ends from the asparagus – they’ll break at the point of tenderness. Rinse well.
Pat dry.
2. Spread
asparagus in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive
oil and sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt. Shake pan to distribute ingredients. Roast in
a preheated 400 degree oven 10-12 minutes, until tender.
3. While the
asparagus is cooking, melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the juice
concentrate, sesame oil, ¼ tsp salt, and several grindings black pepper. Keep
warm.
4. Transfer
asparagus to a serving dish. Drizzle with the butter, sprinkle with sesame seed
and serve immediately.