Our "Moo-ve the Dairy Over" Challenge Kickoff

There are just a few more days left for our Replace the Meat Challenge.   There are tons of delicious plant-based recipes for you to experiment with on the Web, including on our Health Ministries homepage at www.RaleighAdventist.org/Health.  

And now for our next challenge. . .

 "Moo-ve the Dairy Over!" 

For the whole month of July, let's try going dairy-free.  Our kickoff for this challenge will be Tuesday, July 3rd at 6:30 pm in the community center.   Can you imagine delicious lasagna, bread and butter, and vanilla ice cream without the dairy?   Come taste and learn how to prepare these plant-based alternatives.   E-mail register4health@embarqmail.com by Sunday, July 1st to register for this event! 

Also, check this blog throughout the month of July for information to help you with our new challenge.

Staying Meatless While on the Road

With the kids being out of school and summer having arrived, it is time to take those long awaited family vacations.  It is not as difficult as you think to find healthy plant-based meals while traveling. 

Click here to learn ways to keep the cows happy while you're on the road! 

Can A Plant-Based Diet Meet Protein Needs?

According to Dr. Winston J. Craig, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan:

You can be sure that a plant-based diet is able to meet the protein needs of healthy individuals, provided that the diet contains an adequate level of calories and includes a variety of unrefined grains, legumes, and vegetables. 

Dietary surveys confirm that vegetarian diets contain both the quantity and quality of protein necessary for optimal health.   In fact, plant protein provides an additional bonus.   Legumes and whole grains contain a variety of substances (such as phytosterols, unsaturated fat, soluble fiber, isoflavones, saponins, ferulic acid, and other polyphenolics) that help lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and lower the risk of diabetes and various cancers. 

Plants were created to sustain human life.   Science is proving every day that plant foods are a major contributor to optimal health.

Surviving Without the Meat

Wondering if you could survive without meat in your diet?   Consider these two compelling graphics:

Recipes from "Replace the Meat" Kickoff

Dilip Barman, President of the Triangle Vegetarian Society and also a gifted culinary artist, tantalized our taste buds at our kickoff with the following three crowd-pleasing, plant-based recipes to help us with our "Replace the Meat" challenge:

TEMPEH IN RADICCHIO

* Tempeh (preferably Lightlife Wild Rice or Flax tempeh) {prep: dice 1/4" or slice 3/8", depending on size of radicchio leaves}
* 1 Orange or yellow bell pepper {prep: 3/8" cube}
* 4 medium shallots {prep: fine dice}
* 1/2 pound fresh spinach {prep: wash and dry}
* Dozen pine nuts
* 1 head radicchio {prep: wash thoroughly and separate leaves}
* Dried tarragon or fresh oregano
* 1 organic orange (firm, to be zested) {prep: wash}
*Extra virgin olive oil for sauteing
*Sea salt or coconut aminos (optional)

Saute tempeh in olive oil in large skillet until golden brown.  Drain on paper towel.  Saute shallots for about one minute until clear and add bell pepper.  After pepper softens, add spinach in batches as it cooks down and darkens.  Add pine nuts and shake skillet for about 60 to 90 seconds, until nuts are light brown.  Toss in tempeh, herbs, and orange zest.   Serve on radicchio leaves.  Top with seasoning, if desired, to taste.


MIXED-VEGETABLE QUINOA

* Mixed seasonal vegetables (e.g. carrots, zucchini) {prep: wash and diced 1/4"}
* Vegan boullion cube
* 2 cups quinoa
* 1 large red onion {prep: 1/4" dice}
* Rosemary sprig {prep: wash}
*Extra virgin olive oil for sauteing
*1/8 to 1/4 tsp. turmeric
*1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

Add just enough oil to cover bottom of large stock pan and preheat.   Saute veggies for about one to two minutes over medium or medium high heat.   In final 30 seconds of saute, add cumin and stir constantly to prevent it from burning.  Then add one part quinoa to two parts water, turmeric, and boullion cube and bring to boil.   Let simmer three to four minutes, cover, and turn off heat.   Cook for about seven minutes more until quinoa is done.   Add rosemary to taste. 


CITRUS ASPARAGUS

*Dozen asparagus spears {prep: wash and cut off bottom 1/8" of spears, diagonally}
* 2 shallots {prep: thinly slice}
* Juice of 1 tangerine or orange
*Extra virgin olive oil for sauteing
*Sea salt and hot pepper (optional)

Saute shallots with olive oil in pan for about one to two minutes, until they become a little clear.   Add spears and saute for about two minutes until asparagus is dark green and at the desired texture.   Remove from heat source.   Place spears on serving dish and sprinkle with juice and seasonings, if desired.  

To see more of Dilip's tasty plant-based recipes with photos, visit his blog at http://dilipdinner.blogspot.com/.

June Challenge Kickoff

Don't miss "Meatless Cooking" with Dilip Barman, president of the Triangle's Vegetarian Society, which hosts our country's largest vegan Thanksgiving Dinners each year. These dinners draw crowds of over 1,000 people!   Dilip is a gifted culinary artist and will be sharing quick, simple, low-cost and tasty meatless dishes with us to kickoff our challenge for June: "Replace the Meat!" The date and time are Tuesday, June 5th at 6:30 pm in our community center.   Please register at register4health@embarqmail.com by Friday, June 1st to ensure adequate foods to sample.

Blender Gluten-Free Brownies

These may not sound as good as chewy chocolate brownies, but they do satisfy a sweet tooth in a healthy way!!!

3/4 cup long grain brown rice
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Soak brown rice with lemon juice in water at least 8 hours or overnight.   Drain, then process in a blender with:
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup unrefined oil (olive or coconut)
1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt

Using a sieve, whisk together with:
1 cup unsweetened carob powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. ground flax seed
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Pour into a medium rectangular baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. 

Tips for Kicking the Sugar Habit

It’s been labeled the sweetest poison, toxic, and harmful and recently in ‘Hungry For Change’… a drug. Unfortunately it does seem a little extreme to label a food as a drug but when you look at how sugar (especially the highly refined and processed kinds) are metabolized by your body then you can begin to understand why.

Sugar when taken in excessive amounts can lead to cravings and addictions, quite similar to those with alcohol and tobacco, yet we have no problem labeling them as drugs. As Jason Vale says from the 'Hungry For Change' film, "it's illegal to give a child cigarettes and alcohol, and so it should be, but it's not illegal to give them white refined sugar or refined fats."

We're allowing ourselves and our children to become addicted to this substance causing soaring rates of obesity, one of the leading causes of preventable death. Here are some tips on how you and your children, can kick sugar cravings for good.

Eight Simple Tips For Kicking Sugar Cravings

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1. Avoid Processed Junk Foods
You know from watching 'Hungry For Change' that sugar and processed foods can be as addictive as heroin. Eating sugar artificially stimulates a region of your brain called the nucleus accumbens, to produce dopamine, the pleasure neurotransmitter. Soon dopamine levels drop and we start to feel “flat”...or a bit “down”. We crave this pleasant, feel-good feeling again...so sugar leads to addiction.

2. Boost Your Serotonin
Serotonin, aka “the happiness hormone,” can be raised through a natural low glycemic diet, daily exercise and plenty of deep restful sleep. When you have sufficient serotonin, you are less likely to have cravings for sweets.

3. Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth With All Natural Stevia
The all-natural sweetener, stevia, has zero calories, does not raise blood sugar levels and is 300 times sweeter than sugar. If you have sugar cravings and want to satisfy your sweet tooth safely, stevia is your best bet. Stevia comes in a liquid and powder form from your local health food store.

4. Drink Plenty of Water
You may sometimes think that your body is asking for sugar, when in fact it’s dehydrated and really craving water! Try this simple delicious cravings-buster lemonade: In 8 oz. of water, add the juice of ½ lemon and 5 drops of stevia. You could also try a warm cup of green tea, sweetened with stevia with your meals. This way your sweet taste is satisfied and you won’t want a dessert.

5. Keep Your Blood Sugar Stable
Eat several small, healthy meals throughout your day instead of three large portions to avoid dips in blood sugar. Your evening meal should be one of the preferred gluten-free grain-like seeds (quinoa, millet, buckwheat, amaranth). If you do this, your body will produce more serotonin, you’ll feel happier and you’ll sleep much better at night.

6. Have Plenty of Greens
Loaded with nutrition greens help boost your energy and help reduce cravings for sugar and processed foods.Green juices are an amazing way to add life giving and detoxifying plant chlorophyll to your bloodstream. As Jason Vale says in 'Hungry For Change', "juicing is the ultimate fast food, it is a 15 minute nutrient express to health". Some of my favorite and simple green juice recipes include:

Green Juice Recipe Ideas:

- Celery, lemon and pear (or apple)
- Celery, cucumber, lemon (leave the skin on) and pear (or apple)
- Celery, cucumber, kale, lemon and pear (or apple)
- Celery, cucumber, lemon, parsley and pear (or apple)

I also like to stir whatever green powders I have on hand, try barley grass, wheatgrass, spirulina or chlorella powders.

7. Eat More Sea Vegetables
Loaded with vitamins and minerals, seaweed or sea vegetables make for a a great addition to salads and meals! They are mineral-rich while eating anything with sugar immediately depletes minerals from your body. Sprinkle dulse flakes on your salad or an avocado. Add seaweed to your soups for a rich salty and mineral flavour. mmm...

8. Eat and Drink More Fermented Foods and Drinks
Fermented foods and drinks can be one of the most important ways to reduce or even eliminate cravings for sugar. Try live fermented kefir, sauerkraut, kim-chi, kombucha tea, natural plain yoghurt, coconut kefir or any of your favourite fermented foods. You’ll be amazed at how the sour taste of fermented foods and drinks relieves the desire for sugar and processed foods.

 

Adapted from "Hungry for Change" TV.

Handouts from Tame the Sweet Tooth Kickoff

If you weren't local or were local, but couldn't make it to Tuesday's kickoff for our Tame the Sweet Tooth challenge, don't despair! 

We learned that the more any sweetener deviates from the actual food grown, the more unhealthy it is for you.

Click here and look for "Tame the Sweet Tooth" handouts.  You'll find:

• a list of almost 70 different names of sugar;
• reasons why refined sugars are poisonous;
• healthier replacements for refined sugars;
• delicious recipes for desserts with no refined sugars - sorry, but samples aren't available!

Keep visiting our blog during the month of May for more useful information on sugar and wholesome recipes for scrumptious desserts!

Our Health Challenge Kickoff for May

"Tame the Sweet Tooth" will be our Health Revolution challenge for May!

Is sugar really toxic? Can desserts be healthy AND delicious without the refined sugars? Come taste and see at our kickoff on Tuesday, May 1st, at 6:30 pm in the community center at 4805 Dillard Drive in Raleigh.  Dr. Cynthia Howell of Hallelujah Healthy Habits, LLC will be our guest speaker. E-mail register4health@embarqmail.com to register or for more information.

Get the Most Out of Whole Grains: Soak Them

There are enzyme inhibitors in whole grains that can interfere with digestion and other substances that prevent us from absorbing minerals and vitamins.  And here's how, according to Sally Fallon's "Nourishing Traditions":  

Phosphorus in the bran of whole grains is tied up in a substance called phytic acid.   Phytic acid combines with iron, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc in the intestinal tract, clocking their absorption.   Whole grains also contain enzyme inhibitors that can interfere with digestion.  Traditional societies usually soak or ferment their grains before eating them, processes that neutralize phytates and enzyme inhibitors and in effect, predigest grains so that all their nutrients are more available.   Sprouting, overnight soaking, and old-fashioned sour leavening can accomplish this important predigestive process in our own kitchens.   Many people who are allergic to grains will tolerate them well when they are prepared according to these procedures."


You can soak raw whole grains like rice, millet, quinoa, wheat, and buckwheat in water with 1 to 2 tablespooons of lemon juice.  You can rinse the grains to remove the acidic taste after 12 to 24 hours and then cook in fresh water.

This blender pancake recipe adapted from Kim Wilson's Everyday Gluten-Free uses presoaked grains:

1 1/4 cup brown rice
3/4 cup raw buckwheat
2-3 tbsp. sesame seeds (optional)
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. baking powder
1 3/4 - 2 cups water
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tbsp. pure maple syrup (optional)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbspo. ground flax
3/4 tsp. unrefined sea salt

Soak brown rice, buckwheat, and seeds with water and 2 tbsp. of lemon juice for at least 8 hours.   Drain the grains and seeds.   Add to blender with the rest of the ingredients, except for baking powder.   Blend until smooth.  Add baking powder and blend briefly.    Makes over 3 dozen 3 1/2 inch pancakes.

"Whole Grain" Does Not Necessarily Mean Whole!

Did you know that the top two ingredients in Eggo's Nutrigrain WHOLE Wheat Waffles are water and enriched flour (white flour)?

Food manufacturers can make whole grain claims or use words like "multigrain" on their product labels although the product contains highly-refined white flour. 

Here are some examples: 

Let's Add Excitement to Our Blog - Let's Share Whole Grain Recipes!

During this first week of April, let's share simple, tasty plant-based recipes that use whole wheat, oats, and/or whole grain cornmeal.

Please see the instructions on the right sidebar of this page for posting your recipes as a comment.

To get us rolling, here's a recipe for Buckwheat-Oat Pancakes:

Blend until smooth:
2 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 tbsp. cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup whole grain light buckwheat flour (You can grind buckwheat groats in the Vita-Mix!)
1/4 cup whole grain yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp. salt

Cook on a hot skillet as you would any pancakes and enjoy!

Whole, Refined, Enriched - What's the Difference?

We see these ingredients in packaged foods on the shelf in supermarkets, but how do we know which is best for optimal health?   You can decide after reading these brief descriptions from the Mayo Clinic:

• Whole grains. These are unrefined grains that haven't had their bran and germ removed by milling. Whole grains are better sources of fiber and other important nutrients, such as selenium, potassium and magnesium. Whole grains are either single foods, such as brown rice and popcorn, or ingredients in products, such as buckwheat in pancakes or whole wheat in bread.
• Refined grains. Refined grains are milled, a process that strips out both the bran and germ to give them a finer texture and extend their shelf life. The refining process also removes many nutrients, including fiber. Refined grains include white flour, white rice, white bread and degermed cornflower. Many breads, cereals, crackers, desserts and pastries are made with refined grains, too.
• Enriched grains. Enriched means that some of the nutrients lost during processing are added back in. Some enriched grains are grains that have lost B vitamins added back in — but not the lost fiber. Fortifying means adding in nutrients that don't occur naturally in the food. Most refined grains are enriched, and many enriched grains also are fortified with other vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid and iron. Some countries require certain refined grains to be enriched. Whole grains may or may not be fortified.

For the month of April, try choosing whole grains!

Our April Challenge: "Choose Whole Grains for Whole Health!"

Our Health Revolution challenge for this month is "Choose Whole Grains for Whole Health."   Our kickoff will take place on the second Tuesday in April at 6:30 pm in Raleigh on the 10th instead of the first Tuesday of the month, due to Easter weekend.    Great Harvest Bread Company in Cary will present a delightfully tasty and engaging seminar for the young and old on the importance of whole grains, and each attendee will be able to get a free loaf of fresh, wholesome bread!   To get your free loaf of bread or for more information, e-mail register4health@embarqmail.com. 

Champion Juicer Sale

Commercial and household champion juicers are on sale - at least today - for $265 and $235, respectively.   These prices include shipping!  

Go to Champion for more details.

Does Organic Mean Pesticide-Free?

NO!    Read the following shocking response from a local certified organic farmer:

"Certified organic is not pesticide free although it could be.    . . . .  we are a certified organic farm and we have very low use of pesticides that are approved for use on organic farms by OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute)."

Therefore, it is important to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, especially before juicing or using them in smoothies, even if they are organic! 

See this link for wash recipes that are supposed to neutralize pesticide residue:

Homemade Veggie/Fruit Washes

You can use lemon juice in place of the vinegar in the recipes.   Also, we are unaware of any scientific proof that these washes do what they claim to do!  If you have such proof, please share it on this blog along with your favorite washes!

Free Physical Assessments for April Fitness Classes!

If you have been dreaming of transforming your body and your life, this announcement is for you! 

Fitness classes will begin in April at the community center of the Raleigh SDA Church. To get things started, Dr. Jim Strunk of Dawn of Health Chiropractic Center will be offering all class members a free physical assessment to evaluate your needs and help guide goal-setting. After the assessment, members will work with fitness trainers Alexa Broome, Kimberly Strunk, and Lisa LaFave to design a personalized exercise plan that revolves around each person's goals and fitness level.

This is the perfect opportunity to give yourself and your family the gift of health and utilize the professional knowledge you need to get started, and best of all, you won't have to pay for it!

If you are interested in a personal physical assessment, please e-mail 

register4health@embarqmail.com

now to schedule your appointment.   Assessments will be conducted on Mondays and Thursdays, on the following dates between 6:30 pm and 8:15 pm in the community center: 

March 19th, 22nd, 26th, and 29th.

There will be a limited number of people that can receive assessments, so respond soon!

Stay tuned and get your sneakers out!

7-Day Juice Fasting for Detoxing

Why detox?  Although we can do our best to avoid toxins by eating organic foods and using natural skin and hair products, we are exposed to unavoidable environmental toxins in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the foods we eat.

During the month of March, let's try juice fasting.   Juice fasting is a gentler process of detoxification compared to water fasting.  Also, fresh vegetable juices have the highest density of nutrients per calorie so you shouldn't feel as hungry while fasting.   

There are several free juice fasting plans to choose from on the Web.   Click on the following three seven-day juice fasting plans that have been successfully tried by others: 

• Juicing Shack  

• 7 lbs in 7 Days (Click here if interested in trying this plan with others and for recipes.)

• 7 Day Juice Cleanse  (Involves juicing twice a day and eating raw food meals.)

Water - Nature's Detoxifier

We need water.  Our bodies are composed of about 75% water.  Both blood and the brain are approximately 80% water.  Our lungs are actually 90% water.   No wonder our health deteriorates when we don't drink enough pure water! 

The amount of water we drink is related to the toxicity of our bodies.  Nearly all of the body's internal processes, including digestion and elimination, depend on pure water.  The sugary water that is often found in sodas, bottled fruit juices, coffee, alcohol, and even sports drinks, introduces toxins to every tissue, gland, and organ of our body.   These drinks put undue stress on our internal cleansing organs like the colon, liver, and kidneys.

So starting this month, guzzle down at least 1.5 to 2 liters or about 6 to 8 glasses of pure water every day!