Recipe Name
It's the middle of summer and the vegetables are abundant. I love picking up red potatoes at my local CSA. Green beans are plentiful and the tomatoes are starting to come in. Here is a quick and easy salad. Reprinted from The China Study Cookbook.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds unpeeled red skin potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
- ¾ pound fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
- 1 red bell pepper, diced small
- 1 small yellow onion, diced small
- ½ cup All Purpose Vinaigrette
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp dried tarragon or 2 Tbsp minced fresh tarragon, or substitute rosemary or thyme
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.
- 2. Add the potatoes and green beans, and cook over medium heat for 7 minutes or until tender.
- 3. Drain and rinse the vegetables under cold water. Add the vegetables to a bowl, then add the remaining ingredients.
- 4. Gently toss to mix well.
All Purpose Vinaigrette Ingredients by Chef Del Sroufe
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup minced shallot
- ground black pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.
How do you want to live?Hunter S Thompson said on designing your life "Beware of looking for goals; look for a way of life. Decide how you want to live and then see what you can do to make a living within that way of life."
When you think about changing your lifestyle to include healthier habits and an optimal way of eating, you might be thinking of the obstacles that come with it.
There are several impediments to changing routines, particularly when adding new tasks and activities, such as food preparation and exercise. One reason is that people usually do not have large blocks of unoccupied time.
People usually say, “I understand what you are telling me to do and why it is a good idea but I’m so busy now I don’t know how I’ll find time to shop, cook, and exercise.”
Since you don’t have free time now and you can’t manufacture more – we all have to work within a 24-hour day – changing the way you plan and schedule in order to do more with the time you have are the keys to success.
Creating a time management system for yourself can help you fit in your healthy habit changes. It is simple, but requires commitment and the willingness to set and stick with schedules. Remember that it is only by repeating the right behaviors in a stable context over a long period of time that you will form and maintain good habits. I am going to share what has worked for me.
The first thing you will need is a paper planner (yes, paper, not your phone calendar) that allows you to see an entire week at a time with weekend days grouped together. Your planner should also have times to write in your activities from 8AM to 9PM on weekdays, and space for each day to write lists of things to do, reminders, birthdays and other things to remember.
Start by writing in all of the recurring activities you do each year, and the events you have already scheduled. Examples of recurring things would be your monthly book club meeting, piano lessons on Wednesday night at 7PM, and the annual meeting for a charity you support that takes place on the first Tuesday in June. Examples of things you have already scheduled would include things like the Alaskan cruise you are taking in July. Then write in birthdays, anniversaries, the dates you need to file your sales tax returns and all of the other happenings you don’t want to forget. Write in your workday hours, if applicable.
The times not already blocked out are what you have left for everything else, and you should write in the days and times each week you will be doing everything needed to maintain your life. These things include buying a birthday present for the party you are attending next week, taking your car in for an oil change, and of course, shopping for food, batch cooking, and exercise. The key is consistency, both in writing everything in your planner, and keeping the appointments you make with yourself to do the things you have decided are important to you. This system works if you make your mind up to do it.
Sometimes I just don’t feel like doing the things I’ve committed to, like shopping, at a specific time. Most people have to do things regularly that they may not feel like doing in the moment, like filing a tax return, taking care of children, and going to work. At some point you have to make the decision that not feeling like doing it is not a valid reason to not practice good habits. You don’t tell the IRS that you just didn’t feel like filing your tax return, or your employer that you’re just not in the mood to come in today. You have lots of experience in rallying to do things when they need to be done. Toughen up, put on your big girl or big boy pants, and do the right thing!
Doing the same thing over and over is how you develop a routine that can lead to better habits. We all can come up with excuses to justify our bad behavior.
For things to change, you’ve got to change. For things to get better, you’ve got to get better.
Liz Fattore
Nurture Your Health
Licensed Food Over Medicine Professional
Your Wellness Lifestyle Starts HereTurmeric is a plant that grows mainly in India, Asia and Central America, and is related to the ginger family. The ground root of the plant is used as a spice, and turmeric is an ingredient in curry powder. Its main ingredients, curcuminoids, are yellow and are often used to color foods and products like cosmetics.
Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric and is used widely in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for many health conditions, including breathing problems, skin diseases, wounds, gastrointestinal distress, liver disease, inflammation, and pain. Other bioactive components include demethoxycurcumin, bis-demethoxycurcumin, and turmeric essential oils. The typical turmeric product used for treatment is an extract that is standardized to between 80% and 95% curcuminoids, most of it is curcumin.
Curcumin is a safe and effective natural compound for treating pain related to common musculoskeletal disorders. Turmeric and curcumin do not modulate COX-1 activity, but instead modify the action of COX-2 enzymes, affect NF-κB signaling, and reduce production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin and phospholipase A2.
Many studies have documented the efficacy of curcumin for pain relief and lowering inflammation. For example:
A study including 107 patients with knee osteoarthritis randomized to take 800 mg ibuprofen or 2 g curcumin daily for 6 weeks showed that curcumin was as effective as ibuprofen for reducing pain.
Three months of treatment with curcumin resulted in improvement in pain and mobility, and reduction in treatment costs for patients with osteoarthritis.
A study in which patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomized to take 500 mg curcuminoids 3 times per day or matched placebo showed that those taking curcumin had significantly greater reductions in pain and improvements in physical function as compared to those taking placebo.
A double-blind crossover study in which rheumatoid arthritis patients were randomized to take 1.2 g of curcumin per day or phenylbutazone (NSAID) for 2 weeks showed that curcumin was just as effective as phenylbutazone for reducing joint swelling and morning stiffness and improving walking time. There were no adverse side effects reported.
A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies concluded that 8-12 weeks of treatment with 1000 mg/day of curcumin can reduce pain and inflammation for patients with arthritis, especially osteoarthritis, with improvement similar to the results of treatment with ibuprofen and diclofenac sodium.
Curcuminoids are considered by the FDA as GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) and clinical trials confirm that it is safe, even at high doses of up to 12,000 mg.
The most common drug treatments for joint and musculoskeletal pain are analgesics and NSAIDS, but these drugs have serious gastrointestinal and cardiovascular side effects. Curcumin is a viable alternative that is at least as effective without these side effects.
It is important to remember that a limitation of both drugs and supplements is that they do not resolve the cause of pain. Thus, in most cases, they should be temporary measures to provide relief while physical therapy, exercise and other modalities are used to permanently resolve pain.
The objective of Nurture Your Health is to learn how to remain or become a healthy person, rather than to remain or become a sick patient. Most people do not pay attention to their health until they are sick. It is important to prioritize learning about health and investing time and resources in adopting the right diet, engaging in the right exercise, and paying attention to other factors that lead to optimal health. Make learning about health interesting and fun. Use this information to take control of your health and make better and informed decisions about what you eat, which lifestyle choices you make, and the medical care you receive.
This information is not a substitute for medical advice.
Liz Fattore
Nurture Your Health
Licensed Food Over Medicine Professional
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Appelboom, T, Maes N, Albert A. “A new curcuma extract (flexofytol) in osteoarthritis: results from a belgian real-life experience.” Open Rheumatol J 2014 Oct;8:77-81
Prasad S, Gupta SC, Tyagi AK, Aggarwal BB. “Curcumin, a component of golden spice: from bedside to bench and back.” Biotechnol Adv 2014 Nov;32(6):1053-1064
Kuptnirasaikul V, thanakhumtorn S, Chinswangwatanakul P, Wattanamongkonsil L, Thamlikitkul V. “Efficacy and safety ot Curcuma domestica extracts I patients with knee osteoarthritis.” J Altern Complement Med 2009 Aug;15(8):891-897
registry of Merivac, a curcumin-phosphatidylcholine complex, for the complementary management of osteoarthritis.” Panminerva Med 2010 Jun;52(2 Supple 1):55-62
Pnahi Y, Rahimnia AR, Sharafi M, Alishiri G, Saburi A, Sahebkar A. “Curcuminoid treatment for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.” Phytother Res 2014 Nov;28(11):1625-1631
Deodhar SD, Sethi R, Srimal RC. “Preliminary study on antirheumatic activity of curcumin (diferuloyl methane)” Indian J Med Res. 1980 Apr;71:632–634.
Daily JW, Yang M, Park S. “Efficacy of Turmeric Extracts and Curcumin for Alleviating the Symptoms of Joint Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.” J Med Food 2016 Aug;19(8):717-729
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Just because you give up dairy, doesn't mean you give up your favorite dressing. This is easy to make and while the cashews make it creamy, they are optional if wanting a lower fat version. Recipe by Chef Del Sroufe
1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for about 1/2 hour
3/4 cup firm silken tofu
2 tsp lemon juice
2 (or less) cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh minced dill (or 2 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp fresh mince parsley
1 Tbsp fresh chives (or 1-1/2 tsp dried)
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Quinoa & Orzo Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 can chickpeas (drain and reserve the liquid)
- 2 medium cucumbers, diced
- small container of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2 scallions, sliced thin
- 2-3 ribs celery, sliced
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Honey Lime Dressing
- 1 cup of the chickpea liquid (aka "aqua faba")
- 1/3 cup white or regular balsamic vinegar
- juice from 1/2 lime
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
Instructions
Cook the orzo and quinoa (separately) and let cool. You might want to drizzle a bit of olive oil on the orzo pasta while it is cooling so that it doesn't stick together. Slice all of the vegetables and add the orzo, quinoa, and chickpeas to a large bowl with the veggies. If you have a stick blender, blend together the dressing ingredients, or whisk until foamy. At this point you can add salt and pepper to taste and herbs of your choice. I like to add marjoram and thyme. Stir in the dressing and top with the fresh parsley!
