26 Days Countdown to my son's Wedding 9/7/2013

10-Minute Orange Treat - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

Today's Recipe

If you don't know what to serve for dessert tonight ...

Try this tangy dessert tonight. One serving contains just 81 calories!

10-Minute Orange Treat

Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind*
• 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 2 TBS honey
• 2-1/2 TBS low-fat yogurt
• 2 medium oranges
• Optional: Top with orange zest

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk lemon rind, lemon juice and honey until the honey is incorporated.
2. Add yogurt and whisk thoroughly.
3. Peel and separate the individual sections of the orange. Be sure to remove the membrane covering from each section. Cut the sections into thirds crosswise. Place in 2 dessert bowls.
4. Spoon sauce over the oranges.

*Use an organic lemon for zest, if possible.
Serves 2
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In-Depth Nutritional Profile for 10-Minute Orange Treat

Healthy Food Tip

Can you tell me more about pasteurization and whether I should consider buying unpasteurized (raw) milk?

The Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) that was first proposed in 1924 by the United States Public Health Service has been adopted, in its 2003 revision, by 46 out of 50 states. (The four non-adopting states have passed similar ordinances of their own.) The PMO calls for the pasteurization of milk as a way of killing any potentially disease-causing bacteria in the milk, including Campylobacter, Escherichia, Listeria, Salmonella, Yersinia, and Brucella. I would also like to note that in 32 states, it is legal to sell and distribute raw, non-pasteurized milk and that both forms of milk exist in the majority of states.
Today there are more pasteurization options in the marketplace than there were in 1924; these options include high-temperature, short-time methods as well as low-temperature, longer time methods. The goal of all methods is the same: to kill potentially pathogenic bacteria that may be present in the milk or milk product (like cheese or yogurt).

Temperature	Time	Pasteurization Type
63°C (145°F)*	30 minutes	Vat Pasteurization
72°C (161°F)*	15 seconds	High temperature short time Pasteurization (HTST)
89°C (191°F)	1.0 second	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
90°C (194°F)	0.5 seconds	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
94°C (201°F)	0.1 seconds	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
96°C (204°F)	0.05 seconds	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
100°C (212°F)	0.01 seconds	Ultra Pasteurization (UP)
138°C (280°F)	2.0 seconds	Ultra-high temperature (UHT) sterilization

Note: * = These temperatures and times are appropriate if the milk does not contain added sweeteners, and if it has not been condensed. If either of those changes applies, then the temperature must be increased by 3°C (5°F). In addition, eggnog is an exception to these rules and must be pasteurized according to a different set of times and temperatures.
There's no debate about the effectiveness of pasteurization for killing unwanted bacteria. There's also no doubt that pasteurization gives dairy products a longer shelf life by lowering the presence of bacteria that cause spoilage. But pasteurization also kills desirable bacteria found in fresh milk, and it denatures milk enzymes that may be active in the human digestive tract when fresh milk is consumed.
There is little research, however, to determine what nutritional benefits are lost when milk is pasteurized. I've seen speculation about changes in protein structure, calcium, amino acid, and vitamin C bioavailability all being triggered by pasteurization, but I have not seen research that confirms or rejects these occurrences.
As I mentioned earlier, in the majority of states, dairy farms are free to produce raw (unpasteurized) milk as long as they adhere to the conditions and restrictions set out in state law. The safety of unpasteurized milk depends on the quality of the cow's life,
including the immediate environment and feeding. It also depends on the quality of handling facilities once the cow has been milked. For these reasons, I recommend a very careful look at any dairy farm's procedures, track record, and publicly available information before becoming a regular consumer of its unpasteurized milk. Producers of raw milk should be carefully monitoring the milk for the presence of microorganisms and will be able to certify that the milk meets all federal and state regulations in this regard.
Because freshness is at a premium, and the product shelf life is greatly shortened (which is not necessarily bad) the dairy should be within driving distance of your residence so you can visit it in person. In some states, like Indiana, where it is illegal for a local dairy to sell unpasteurized milk, cows from the dairy may be leased in order for consumers to obtain a regular supply of raw milk.
In the absence of a very high-quality dairy farm in driving distance from your residence, I recommend purchase of pasteurized milk. Even though it's one step further from natural milk (which I would prefer), the health risks, however small, don't seem like a worthwhile trade-off in exchange for the potential benefits. If a high quality dairy farm, producing certified organic milk in unpasteurized form is available in your area, I would recommend considering this option.

Indian-Style Lentils - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

healthy food tip and recipe
August 10, 2013

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Today's Recipe

If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...

Combine this tasty lentil dish with rice for a hearty meatless meal to add to your Healthiest Way of Eating. It will provide you with a complete protein as well many other health-promoting nutrients.

Indian-Style Lentils

Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium size onion, diced
• 1 TBS vegetable broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 2 cups or 1 15-oz can (BPA free) lentils
• 1 cup frozen spinach

Directions:

1. Dice onions and mince garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting properties.
2. Healthy sauté onion in 1 TBS broth for 3 minutes.
3. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt, tomatoes and lentils.
4. Simmer covered for 5-7 minutes.
5. Add 1 cup frozen spinach and continue simmering for 2 more minutes.

Serves 2 Serve over brown rice.
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In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Indian-Style Lentils

Healthy Food Tip

Can you tell me how to convert the grams of omega-3 fatty acids on your omega-3 chart into teaspoons of oil?

Unfortunately, there is no simple way to convert grams of omega-3 fatty acids in our omega-3 chart into teaspoons of oil. There are two problems that get in the way here. First, remember that grams are units of measurement involving weight and teaspoons are units of measurement involving volume. (Weight is something you measure on a scale, and volume is the amount of space that something fills.) These two different categories of measurement don't have any simple relationship when it comes to food and nutrients. Second, remember that oil is only one component contained in a nut or seed. For example, you cannot make one tablespoon of flaxseed oil from one tablespoon of flaxseeds! Both of these problems leave you with no simple way to convert from grams of omega-3s in flaxseeds into grams of omega-3s in oil. However, here are some general principles you might find helpful:
On average, one teaspoon of oil weights 4.5 grams. This rule applies to all food oils, including flaxseed oil, olive oil, sunflower seed oil, and many others. Since no plant oil consists of 100% omega-3s, one teaspoon of a plant oil can never contain a full 4.5 grams of omega-3s. In fact, even a very omega-3 rich oil is seldom more than 50% omega-3, or about 2-3 grams of omega-3s per teaspoon (at the most). So right off the bat, you know that it's going to take more than one teaspoon of a plant oil to give you more than 2-3 grams of omega-3s.
With the above context in mind, let's look at one specific plant food and one specific oil, which are known to contain omega-3 fatty acids. In this case, we'll use flaxseeds and flaxseed oil as an example since flaxseeds stand at the top of our omega-3 chart. (We could also use other omega-3 containing foods and oils, including rapeseeds and canola oil, walnuts and walnut oil, soybeans and soybean oil, and others.)
In our omega-3 chart, we show flaxseeds as containing an average of 3.51 grams of omega-3s in every 2 tablespoons. As discussed previously, there's no simple way to convert from tablespoons of seeds into an equivalent amount of oil. The only solution is to look up flaxseed oil in a nutrient database (like the U.S. Department of Agriculture's free nutrient database that can be accessed online at www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/).
In a nutrient database, you'll find flaxseed oil to contain about 7.25 grams of omega-3s per tablespoon. You can already see here that half of that amount (1/2 tablespoon) would contain approximately 3.6 grams of omega-3s-very close to the 3.51 grams found in 2 tablespoons of seeds. So, using a nutrient database as your information source (in this case the SR19 version of the USDA database), you can see that it only takes ½ tablespoon of flaxseed oil to provide you with the same amount of omega-3s found in 2 tablespoons of flaxseeds. Once again, while there is no direct way to convert back and forth between our omega-3 chart into teaspoons of plant oil, you can use a nutrient database as a way to make the conversion.
If you are only wanting omega-3 fatty acids and nothing more, you can see that flaxseed oil will provide you with a higher amount of omega-3s more quickly than flaxseeds themselves. However, it is also important to remember that flax oil is not a whole food, and that whole foods like flaxseeds provide you with a far greater variety of health-supportive nutrients. If you are seeking optimal overall nutrition and not simply omega-3s, flaxseeds are the way to go. Because flaxseeds are very small, difficult to chew, and can often pass all the way through your digestive tract without getting digested, I also encourage you to consider ground flaxseeds instead of whole flaxseeds. You can purchase flax that has already been ground. It usually comes in a vacuum-sealed pouch, and just be sure to keep it refrigerated and observe the expiration date. You can also grind your own flaxseeds, and in this case, I recommend grinding only the amount you will be consuming that day.

27 Days Countdown to y son's wedding September 7, 2013

28 DAYS COUNTDOWN TO MY SON'S WEDDING!

Peanut Shrimp - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

Today's Recipe

If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...

Include this easy-to-prepare dish you can enjoy in a matter of minutes as part of your Healthiest Way of Eating! The red coloring of shrimp is a reflection of health-promoting phytonutrients that provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant protection.

Peanut Shrimp

Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 lb medium size shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 TBS + 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 3 TBS low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of your favorite peanut sauce

Directions:

1. Chop garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to Promote its Health Benefits
2. Peel and devein shrimp.
3. Rub shrimp with 2 TBS lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
4. Heat 3 TBS broth over medium-low heat in a stainless steel skillet.
5. When broth begins to steam, add shrimp and sauté. Stir frequently. After 2 minutes, turn the shrimp over and add garlic. Sauté until shrimp are pink and opaque throughout (approximately 3 minutes). Cook 4-5 minutes for large shrimp. Shrimp cook quickly, so watch your cooking time or they will become tough.
6. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and the remaining 1 TBS lemon juice.
7. Serve with mixed greens and top with your favorite peanut sauce.

Serves 2 Printer Friendly Version of Peanut Shrimp
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Peanut Shrimp

Healthy Food Tip

Can you tell me about white tea, and is it true that white tea is even better for you than green tea?

White, green and black tea all come from the same plant (Camellia sinensis), but white tea is made from the unopened leaf buds of the plant, whereas green tea is made from the more mature, opened leaves. (Black tea is also made from mature, opened leaves, but undergoes a controlled fermentation process that results in its darker color.)
Both white and green tea contain a phytonutrient that has been high up on the radar screen in health research. This phytonutrient is a polyphenol called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). EGCG is the primary polyphenol in both white and green tea, and it's a key reason why researchers have been interested in the properties of white tea with respect to prevention of cancer development (tumorigenesis). At this point we only have preliminary animal studies and in vivo laboratory studies in this area. These studies not only fail to look at everyday intake of white tea as part of a daily diet but also often involve specialized extracts made from white tea. But I am hoping that researchers will find enough reason in these preliminary studies to move on to large-scale human studies that examine the potential benefits of white tea drinking in an everyday Healthiest Way of Eating.
I would not call white tea "better" or "worse" for you than green tea. I think of both teas as having health benefits and as being different in their composition.
As always, quality is important when you are purchasing white or green tea, and I recommend organic teas produced by companies that have a reputation for high standards.

Insight of the Day - Your Friday Story by Bob Perks

Your Friday story

“A Change of Heart”
By Bob Perks

Many years ago on a trip to Kentucky for a speaking engagement, I had one of those “meant to be moments” I treasure. The plane was delayed and I was nervous.
They finally announced boarding. Now, I don't believe for a moment that I'm the only person who goes through this. From the moment I enter the plane I start scanning ahead to see my seat.

"Who's sitting next to me on this flight?" I wonder. 

"Is there anyone in my seat already?" 

"Are there any screaming babies nearby?"

Flight time is precious time for me. I sleep, write or read. So screaming babies and frequent bathroom people become a problem.

Today I get to sit next to a beautiful young girl who appears to be about 12 years old. As I approach my seat she seems nervous, perhaps a little apprehensive and I must say very disappointed. You see walking in front of me was this handsome young male teenager. I could see that sparkle in her eye dim as he walked by and I sat down. I'll admit I was nervous and concerned. She was traveling alone and I was one of those strangers her parents told her not to talk to.

"Hi! My name is Bob,"I said.

"Hello!" she replied without giving her name.

Then we spent the next one hour and fifteen minutes not saying a word.

She was a typical kid. She never sat still for longer than five minutes. Often times she reached into her carry on and pulled out what appeared to be six brushes, four packs of gum and all the empty wrappers, a bag filled with jawbreakers, a tube of rainbow colored sugar crystals and a foot long licorice.

Oh, yes she also ate two bags of airplane peanuts. I gave her mine.

It wasn't until the last 15 minutes of the flight that I heard it. That sweet sounding Voice that said "Give her one of your books!"

Again and again I heard it repeat, "Give her one of your books!" And so I opened one up, signed it and said, "I am a professional speaker and author. I'd like to give you one of my books if you would permit me."

She giggled a bit and said “Yes” followed by "Oh, thanks!"

I then began to explain the story.

"It's a fictional story based on actual events. I changed the names but basically much of this is true. My oldest son, Keith had cancer and that's part of this book."

"Oh, I'm sorry",she said. 

"No need to be. He's doing just fine, thank you. Where are you from?" I asked.

Then for the next ten minutes this young lady never stopped talking. In fact, as we were leaving the plane she talked and walked backwards down the aisle.

Much of what she said was all a blur for me after she said these words: "Wow, I just saw the Hershey Medical Center mentioned in there. Is that where your son went for his cancer treatments?" she asked.

"Yes."

"That's where I had my heart transplant," she said with a big bright smile.

Heart transplant. This child had a heart transplant. Then I took notice. Right at the top of her pink t-shirt, just below her collar bone, the beginnings of a scar peeked over her collar. This vibrant young, beautiful girl had the heart of a donor. Obviously a young donor who lived in a family who cared enough to save another child's life.

She continued to share the details of her stay at Hershey. I continued to listen in amazement. For the story she told was a familiar one. She was the girl down the hall we all prayed for. I never knew how things turned out for her until today.

They say some lives cross because they were meant to. This was more than a chance meeting. I discovered that this child leaving Pittsburgh to go home to Kentucky was a patient in the same hospital, on the same miraculous floor, at the same time my son was there. That little Voice inside of me kept telling me to give her a copy of my book. I argued. The Voice won...as always.

The last words she said to me was..."My Mom always told me that God was going to call me home but then He had a "Change of Heart!"  Do you get it?" 

Then she giggled and laughed as she walked through the last door into the arms of her loving family.

I got it. 

Bob Perks is an inspirational author and speaker and a truly remarkable human being. The story you just read is an actual true story. You can receive his messages sent 2-3 times each week by visiting his website http://www.BobPerks.com I know you will be glad you visited his site.

10-Minute Fruit & Cheese Salad - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

healthy food tip and recipe
August 8, 2013

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Foods rich in chromium can help maintain normal blood sugar and insulin levels as well as support normal cholesterol levels. Find out more about Chromium.

Today's Recipe

If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...

This health-promoting salad offers you a quick-and-easy way to enjoy the delicious combination of fruit and cheese as part of your Healthiest Way of Eating.

10-Minute Fruit & Cheese Salad

Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup green seedless grapes
• 3 fresh (or dried) apricots, cut into eighths
• 3 dried figs, sliced medium thick
• 1/2 lb mixed salad greens
• 2 TBS fresh lemon juice
• salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• 3 oz goat or gorgonzola cheese
• optional: 1/4 lb sliced, precooked turkey breast, cut into bite-size pieces

Directions:

1. Toss all ingredients, except cheese, together. Top with goat or gorgonzola cheese.

Serves 2 Printer Friendly Version of 10-Minute Fruit & Cheese Salad
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for 10-Minute Fruit & Cheese Salad

Healthy Food Tip

Can you tell me about the phenols in extra virgin olive oil?

Why is it so important to use 100% extra virgin olive oil? The reason lies in this oil's unique phenol content. Extra virgin olive oil-oil made from the first pressing of the olives-contains the phenols protocatechuic acid, oleuropein, tyrosol, hydrotyrosol, dihydroxyphenylethanol, and other unique phenyl-ethyl alcohols as well as lignans and secoiridoids. (Lignans may already be familiar to you from your reading about flaxseeds. However, it is also important to know that certain lignans-including pinoresinol and acetoxypinoresinol-are key phenol components found in extra virgin olive oil.) These phenols are most concentrated in the first pressing of olives, which make extra virgin olive oil. Subsequent pressings-even those that produce virgin olive oil-do not contain the same concentrations of these unique phenols.
The high phenol concentration in extra virgin olive oil results in three key health benefits. First is the ability of this rich phenol mixture to help protect olive oil's vitamin E. Especially during the process of heating-and even at low heating temperatures-these phenols help to stabilize the vitamin E present in extra virgin olive oil. Second is the ability of this phenol mixture to engage in free radical scavenging. Especially when it comes to the neutralization of free radicals like hydroxyl radical and superoxide anion radical, the rich phenol mixture in extra virgin olive oil is especially important. In fact, research studies have confirmed the ability of extra virgin olive oil's phenols to help protect against free radical damage to LDL cholesterol as well as cellular DNA.
Reduction of inflammatory activity is a third area of potential benefit when it comes to the rich phenol mixture in extra virgin olive oil. Studies in this area have compared extra virgin oil to olive oil from later pressings, and the results show that extra virgin olive oil is able to lower certain markers of inflammation (called TXB2 and LTB2) during a window of time 2-6 hours after consumption of the extra virgin oil where olive oil from later pressings is unable to do so.

Insight of the Day August 8, 2013 - Quote by Allen Klein

"Our attitude is the crayon that colors our world."

Allen Klein
1931-2009, Businessman and Talent Agent

29 DAYS COUNTDOWN TO MY SON'S WEDDING 9/7/2013

30 DAYS COUNTDOWN TO MY SON'S WEDDING 9/7/2013