The food industry has created an era of convenience for consumers through packaged, preserved, emulsified, pasteurized, sterilized, irradiated and chemically altered foods. It's not an exact science, but generally speaking the faster a food spoils, the higher the nutrient density it contains. Living foods will perish within days to weeks while processed foods can last months or even years due to the removal of all microorganisms, enzymes, oxygen, and moisture in food.
'Are you thinking about making changes in your dietary choices that are more traditional and nutrient-dense? This process can seem daunting, even to the most experienced cook. But making those changes can cause a huge impact on your health – in ways you might never imagine.
It may seem like too much to go into your pantry, throw everything out, and start from scratch. But, just by making a few simple changes – like switching from rancid, genetically-modified, artificial fats such as shortening and canola oil to healthy fats like butter and tallow, you can lose that extra 20 pounds you’ve been fighting for the last decade, or perhaps reduce the amount of colds and flus you catch each year. The possibilities are endless!'
'Real food enthusiasts are an adventurous lot. Most of us love to try new kinds of foods and taste new flavors. We’re up for whatever comes our way as long as it’s fresh and real and has traditionally been eaten by some culture somewhere.
It’s easy to get the impression that seeking new things to try is a major part of adopting a real food lifestyle, maybe even the biggest part. There are many unconventional dishes, drinks and snacks that turn up on real food websites. Those who are new to the real food scene often think they need to quit eating their favorite foods and start eating only these kinds of dishes instead. They try to work out what kind of meals to plan based totally on these exciting and somewhat exotic recipes.
But copying someone else’s style doesn’t really work out. We each need to develop our own style of real food eating.'
'Many years ago, when I was writing my thesis, I realized that there is a major flaw in the entire concept of taking vitamins to improve one's health. I called it the missing link in vitamin therapy, and the essential idea is that real foods contain a host of nutrients that vitamin pills do not. And we need these other nutrients — often more than the vitamin itself — for healing, prevention and cellular function. In real food, vitamins exist within a complex of interwove, interactive and interdependent nutrients. Vitamins and multivitamins, on the other hand, do not contain this complex and therefore do not act as natural nutrition inside the body.' Read more...
Photo Credit: pinchmysalt 'It’s easy to be skeptical of the word, detox. Why? Well, for starters, the sheer amount of products on the market claiming to miraculously detox your body doesn’t exactly do the term justice.
However, the truth of the matter is this: your body actually detoxes every single day.
Your body’s primary detoxifying organ, the liver, works around the clock to keep your system clean. It uses compounds from the foods you eat to turn toxins into less harmful substances that can be safely excreted.' Read more...
Photo Credit: Milk House Farm Market 'Well Fall is upon us and it’s time to enjoy the many seasonal vegetables available… one of my favorites is Squash! There are a few varieties of winter squash, and the most popular ones are used for homemade soups, pies, desserts, casseroles, pizza, stock, stew, and much more…' Read more...
1. Butter is real. I love food that doesn't need an ingredient list. And butter is as simple as it comes: cream. That's it. No hydrogenation necessary, no flavor additives, no preservatives. Just my style. 2. It's delicious. When it comes down to it, healthy food should taste amazing. And butter definitely fits that bill. Who doesn't like butter? Granted, I'm sure there are some folks out there who don't... but I've yet to meet one personally. Not only does real butter taste a million times better than any "buttery" spread out there, it also makes other food taste great too! Read more...
'I’ve only eaten this by itself so far and it is delicious! To be honest, I don’t unusually think of carrots being able to hold their own but they manage to shine in this yummy recipe. The citrus and cranberries give it a great sweet kick as well so I think I will be putting these on some veggie dogs later this week (and for sure on my usual veggie sandwiches).'
'There is something quite comforting about knowing that everything in the universe has its place – that things are what they are for a reason. Here are 10 very good reasons for why you should eat seasonally.
I hope this inspires you to go out and visit your nearest farmers or green market or maybe even start growing some food of your own.'
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted
2 tablespoons caraway seeds (optional)
1 cup regular or golden raisins (or sultanas)
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
Heat oven to 350°. In the bowl of a standing mixer with paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter, caraway seeds (if desired), and raisins. Combine just until incorporated. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg. Add to dough and mix just until incorporated.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and fold it over onto itself two or three times, shaping it into a round, 8-inch loaf. Transfer loaf to a baking sheet lined with parchment or Silpat (a nonstick silicone baking mat). Score an "X" on the top of the dough. Bake 45 minutes, until well-browned and a toothpick plunged into the center emerges clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Serve with butter and your favorite jam or preserves.
ED.Note: For a healthier version of this recipe: You can use organic white, whole wheat flour (King Arthur brand) and skip the white flour. Make sure all your ingredients are organic and if available use pastured eggs,butter and raw milk. As for sugar--have you tried coconut sugar yet? Yummy! Or you can use raw organic cane sugar. Enjoy!
'Imagine a delicious, versatile, high protein food that could almost magically prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and excessive weight gain. You'd be willing to pay a lot for this food, wouldn't you? Actually, there is probably already some hiding in your kitchen cabinets. If not, it's on the shelf at the nearest grocery store. This food is the mighty bean, an overlooked vegetable that is a research superstar.'
'In the endless quest to separate people from nature, modern medicine now treats food itself as the enemy. Grapefruit. Ginger. Garlic. Green tea. Aloe vera. The Mayo Clinic, long considered one of the premier medical and research facilities in the United States, warns that all of these are dangerous! The risk? That they'll interfere with drugs. That's right.
The Mayo Clinic believes that drugs are the focus of health, while food is dangerous because it can interfere with their drugs. Drugs are the holy grail of modern medicine. They are the first thing that most doctors go to, whatever the complaint. If in doubt, they toss off one of the standards, a steroid or antibiotic or antidepressant. (After all, if your doctor can't figure out what's wrong with you, then you must be depressed. Right?)'
'Are you a calorie counter? If so, your health could be in jeopardy. People who count calories are usually not consuming the right types of foods and often develop all types of problems such as obesity and heart disease.
Calories found in natural, whole foods eaten until your body feels full can never make you gain weight. If you are regularly eating processed, packaged foods and thinking you can get away with continuing to eat those foods because you watch your calories, think again.'
'Packaged, so-called “all-natural” foods. They’re coming at you — fast and strong. As this recent article in the Chicago Tribune points out, all the big players in processed food manufacturing are jumping on the bandwagon of “all-natural” and “healthy” foods:
The companies that introduced products such as Doritos, Miracle Whip, Butterfinger and the venti caramel Frappuccino now maintain that the future lies in the health and wellness category.
A wave of products expected to hit grocery stores in the next year will raise the ante for shoppers’ attention and compete for their trust. What constitutes “healthy” will ultimately be decided by consumers at the cash register.
Apparently the big wigs are starting to notice that health-conscious consumers are chipping away at their market share. So, they’re making changes. They’re making processed foods “healthier” in the hopes of appealing to this growing segment of the population with the allure of products that “align with organic principles” without actually carrying the heavy price tag of organics.'
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (preferably from Crete) 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1/4 cup blanched almond flour/meal 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 8 cups of romaine lettuce, washed and torn into 2 inch pieces 1/2 cup sliced almonds, salted and toasted
In a large wooden bowl, mix the oil, mustard, almond flour, pepper and salt. Add lettuce. Using a pair of tongs, turn the salad with a twisting motion until the dressing has thoroughly covered the lettuce. Mix in the toasted almonds, saving a few for garnish. Serve on individual plates and garnish with the remaining almonds. Serve immediately.
Note: Toast sliced almonds on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool before placing in the salad.
'Earlier last month, Health Canada issued an advisory warning all Canadians with weakened immune systems to make certain they only consume pasteurized foods including hot dogs and deli meats. The deplorable information update was issued by the federal health agency on January 11, 2011.
"Make sure to cook hot dogs and deli meats until they are steaming hot before eating them," stated one bullet point of the advisory.
A health agency that was truly concerned about the health of the population would recommend AGAINST any consumption of hot dogs and deli meats, and not how to cook them safely. There is no way to eat poison safely.'
'Avoid falling into a food rut this winter with AOL Health's top winter superfood picks. With an eye towards seasonality and antioxidant content, we've rounded up eight cold weather all-stars.'
