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Fiddlehead Pho

28/5/2016

I love fiddlehead season! It's short though so you got to get it while it's good. The crunchy, crisp, earthy taste of fiddleheads is paired well with a lot of different meals. I put some in a tomato basil pasta the other night and last night was my favourite; Pho, hot steamy, veggie Pho. Pho with fiddleheads, the only thing I like more than eating it was saying fiddlehead pho, makes me feel silly.

What isn't silly is their nutrient density!

Fiddlehead ferns are unique in appearance, taste, and nutrition profile. The curly young shoots carry just 34 calories per 100g. , while their high-quality nutritional profile consists of health benefiting plant proteins, antioxidants, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Their unique sweet taste might come from their richness in vitamin C. 100g of fresh fronds contains 26.6 mg or 44% of daily-required levels. Paired with flavonoid compounds like carotene, this helps scavenge harmful free radicals, and offer protection from cancers, inflammation, and viral cough and cold.

Fresh fronds are also very high in vitamin-A, and carotenes. 100g of fiddleheads hold 3617 IU of or 120% of recommended daily requirements of vitamin-A. Vitamin A is a powerful natural anti-oxidant and is required by the body for maintaining integrity of skin and mucusa. It is also an essential vitamin for vision.

Fern shoots are a very good source of minerals and electrolytes, especially potassium, iron, manganese, and copper. 100g of fresh shoots contains 370 mg or 7% of daily-required levels of potassium. Potassium is a heart friendly electrolyte, which helps reduces blood pressure and heart rate by countering effects from sodium.

They also have B-complex vitamins such as niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin in small amounts.

Best of all they are freakin delicious floating around in a spicy, tangy, coconut creamy broth!!

I'll post the recipe soon, I just got excited about the fiddleheads...

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We March Again, Why GMOs Need to be off the Table

20/5/2016

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The Canadian Cancer Society, The World Health Organization, The Ontario College of Family Physicians, The Environmental Working Group Organization, The International Research on Cancer, and growing list of others have been conducting well constructed independent studies that have no conflict of interest. These studies have compiled into a growing body of work relating pesticides with negative health of human, animals, and the environment.

Why are we 'Marching Against Monsanto', year after year?

Here's just a few reasons;

Known health risks: Genetic modification in plants happens when genes are forced to express certain traits (including pesticides). To do this, the scientists “turn on” all the gene's components, which can mean releasing allergens that would normally not be expressed in a non-GMO variety of plant. Both pesticides and GMOs have been connected with an increased risk of certain types of cancer. There are additional health concerns too, including endocrine and reproductive issues, autism, ADHD, Diabetes, liver toxicity, and even heart disease. (1)

The main function of herbicides and pesticides is to kill unwanted plants and insects. Glyphosate, the most common herbicide used on GMO crops, has been shown to negatively impact the gut bacteria of humans, damaging our first line of defence when in come to our immune function.

Environmental impact: GMO crops and their companion pesticides and herbicides wreak havoc on the environment including polluting air, water and soil. GM seeds require pesticides and herbicides. While some manufacturers have claimed the pesticide use would decrease over time, it's only increased, according to a peer-reviewed 2012 study. (2) This is not the only study of it's kind, and many scientists are confirming glyphosate relation to 'superbugs' that have become resistant and adaptive to the pesticide, requiring more and more to be used.

Glyphosate, marketed by Monsanto as the herbicide 'Roundup', in effect, is an antibiotic, which can destroy soil quality and, in turn, degrade the plant's nutritional value. Cross-polination between GMO and non-GMO crops is common as well, and can destroy natural plant varieties and diversity in the wild, which brings me to my next point.

Food Security: At the core of the GMO industry is the corporate ownership of seed and seed patents. Companies like Monsanto are notorious for suing small farmers for saving seeds or if an adjoining farmers GMO crop 'drift pollinates' on their land. Holding intellectual property rights on access to seed use and the inherent characteristics of nature like drift pollination , is a fundamental crime against humanity's basic needs.

It is up to all of us to protect ourselves and our families because our government refuses to. Here is a list of the biggest GM crops in Canada, if it doesn't say organic, assume it's genetically modified, and assume that there are higher amounts of pesticides and herbicides used in growing or sequenced right into the plant itself.

1. Corn: cornmeal, corn syrup, HFCS, fructose, (previously known as HFCS-90 on ingredients lists)
2. Soy: TVP, tofu, soy flour, soy milk, soy oil, hydrolyzed plant protein, soy sauces, and many more
3. Cottonseed (used in vegetable cooking oils)
4. Canola (canola oil)
5. Sugar from sugar beets
6. Hawaiian papaya
7. Some varieties of zucchini
8. Crookneck squash

For more information on why Health Canada isn't fully protecting us, and why we need to be accountable to our own families follow this link.

Some things that you can do right now;

Let your voice be heard!

Vote with your dollars;

~Buy organic food and products, this cuts down on agricultural pesticide use. (conventional cotton uses more insecticide than any other crop grown)

~Talk to your neighbours about your concerns with pesticide use (it only takes a few reference facts to sound like an expert in the field)

~Plant an organic veggie garden, purchase directly from farmers markets, and get involved with your community.

~Contact your community councilmen/women and voice you concerns about their use in your communities and public spaces.

~Educate yourself about natural lawn care. Find natural ways to treat pests, diotameceous earth, organic corn starch, permaculture, accompany plantings, keeping the lawn mowed, and excepting a few weeds in the sea of manicured green, are just a few things that can start with you.

Have a healthy, happy spring, with long days, clean eats, and wild seeds of knowledge.

References

1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1566222/pdf/envhper00520-0027.pdf

2) http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-study-pesticides-idUSBRE89100X20121002

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Fresh Eats in Spring

14/5/2016

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I have a favorite new staple in the fridge this spring, an update of an old classic, like that mid-century modern armchair that sits among the new century suite, it's clean, crisp, and it makes you happy to see it day after day!

A twist on a picnic classic, inspired by getting to move my (home) office outside almost 2 months early this year, I was yearning for fresh, raw, crunchy ingredients. I wasn't thinking of coleslaw to make, the salad was inspired out of what I had in the fridge...It just ended up being a slaw. My recipes usually start this way, as I can't stand to "run to the store" for just one or two ingredients, I like to be inspired and challenged to make something delicious out of what I already have. This one came easy.

I started with the veggie crisper, spotting a green cabbage, some beets, carrots that I always have in the house, and a bunch of parsley that was intended to be a tabouli salad at some point. There are always some sort of nuts or seeds in my fridge as well, keeping these in the fridge helps preserves the essential fatty acids. The spotlight of the week was walnuts and chia seeds.

Another staple in the condiment door is an organic balsamic vinegar, some apple cider vinegar, a must have for salad dressing ease.

With an avocado hanging in the fruit basket I saw yumminess coming together perfectly, I didn't know until I tasted it how yummy it would be, but the mix of ingredients pointed towards exactly what I was after!

For the full recipe CLICK HERE but first I want to discuss the health benefits of this amazing salad.

Cabbage is boring to some but amazing to me!

Cancer prevention tops all other areas of health research with regard to cabbage and its outstanding benefits. More than 475 studies have examined the role of this cruciferous vegetable in cancer prevention. It is most shown to have the highest benefits from raw cabbage, second best would be lightly steaming it.

Given the roles of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation as risk factors for cancer, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory richness of cabbage would provide anti-cancer health benefits even without cabbage's glucosinolates.Glycosides are bitter sulfur-containing compounds that when hydrolyzed (chewed), form bioactive compounds including some which are anticarcinogenic. Glucosinolates are cabbage's high card with regard to "anti-cancer" benefits. The glucosinolates found in cabbage can be converted into isothiocyanate compounds that are cancer preventive for a variety of different cancers, including bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer.

High in K, C, B6, magnesium, and fibre, it's a hit at under 44 cal/ cup.

Parsley

Parsley is rich in many vital vitamins, including Vitamin K, C, A, B6, and iron, along with other essential trace elements. This means parsley keeps your immune system strong, tones your bones and heals the nervous system. It helps flush out excess fluid from the body, thus supporting kidney function, and studies have shown eating it on a regular basis can help control blood pressure.

Parsley is a good source of folic acid (B6), one of the most important B vitamins. While it plays multiple roles in the body, one of its most critical is in relation to cardiovascular health is its necessary involvement in the process through which the body converts homocysteine into less harmful molecules.

Parsley's oils, particularly myristicin, has been shown to activate the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase, which helps attach the molecule glutathione to oxidized molecules that would otherwise do damage in the body, otherwise known as an antioxidant. The activity of parsley's volatile oils qualifies it as a "chemoprotective" food, and in particular, a food that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens like the benzopyrenes that are part of cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke on foods.

1 Cup is only 22 cals, and meets all of your vit C and A needs for the day.

Beets

Beets are high in immune-boosting vitamin C, fiber, and essential minerals like potassium;
essential for healthy nerve and muscle function, along with manganese; good for your bones, liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Beets also contain the B vitamin folate, which helps reduce the risk of birth defects.

Betanin and vulgaxanthin are the two best-studied betalains from beets, and both have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. The detox support provided by betalains includes support of some especially important Phase 2 detox steps involving glutathione.

Beets contain a lot of great things, including phytochemicals like quercetin and resveratrol. But the positive effects of beets on exercise performance are probably due to their nitrate content, and no, the nitrates from processed foods will not give you the same benefits, I'm talking about the small amounts of naturally occurring nitrates. Studies have shown that beetroot juice improves time to exhaustion during exercise (in other words, you have more energy for a longer period) and reduces the oxygen cost of exercise.

Beet greens are also a valuable source of lutein/zeaxanthin (extremely healthy for the eyes) One cup of raw beet greens may contain over 275 micrograms of lutein! Beet roots are not nearly so concentrated in lutein, but high in carotene, so go ahead and eat it all!

1 cup is equal to "2 servings of vegetables" and only 75 cal.

Walnuts and Chia or whatever

Nuts

Not only do they have high quality protein content, they are also packed with healthy fats that are essential to a wholesome diet. High in Vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids, and very rich in antioxidant levels, these are a common theme among the foods that are best as immune system guards.

Adding nuts and seeds to a meal add the healthy proteins and fats that will help balance your blood sugars throughout the day. For more information on balancing blood sugars, click here.

Enjoy the abundance of nature, and the weekend folks!

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Fiddlehead Pho

We March Again, Why GMOs Need to be off the Table

Fresh Eats in Spring

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Rebecca L. Thornton

Fiddlehead Pho

We March Again, Why GMOs Need to be off the Table

Fresh Eats in Spring

Archives

Categories

Rebecca L. Thornton﻿

Rebecca L. Thornton