Category Archives: healthy-cooking

How to enjoy last night’s leftovers without a side of toxins

Follow these 4 tips to limit your exposure to phthalates, which can cause insulin resistance and hypertension:“BPA-free” is an important label you probably notice quite a bit. I hope you are heeding the warning and choosing BPA-free products if you use plastics, because BPAs and another “everywhere chemical”—phthalates—do nasty things to humans.

These rather toxic chemicals are quite literally found everywhere. BPA is used in hard, clear plastic products, like baby bottles and some food storage containers. It’s fairly easy to look for the warning labels to avoid exposure to BPA. But phthalates, used in plastics that need to be flexible, like pacifiers and plastic wrap, don’t necessarily come with a warning — and research has linked them to cancer and other serious health problems.

In the past, one particular phthalate, called di-2-ethylhexylphlatate (DEHP) was banned because of concerns over its potential carcinogenic effects as well as its harm to fertility. But research into compounds being used in plastic as supposedly safer, “less toxic” substitutes, are now showing that the new phthalates are just as problematic for your health. They can increase your blood pressure and make you more vulnerable to developing diabetes.

Steps to avoiding toxins in your food

This presents a big problem for you and me because these toxins are in a lot of the products we use every day — including plastic containers and plastic wrap we use to hold and store our food. And according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they are leaching right into your leftovers and into the foods you bring home from the store in plastic packaging.

Those kinds of facts can be confusing. You can’t expect to be an expert on plastics and it can be a daunting task understanding which plastics found in stores have the worst effects.

But there are some uncomplicated solutions: An easy way to cut down exposure is to simply eat fresh fruits and vegetables that have not been wrapped in plastic or packaged in cans lined with plastic.

But don’t stop there. Follow these tips to further limit your toxic exposure:

  • When storing foods in the refrigerator, wrap them in wax paper or aluminum foil instead of plastic. Alternatively, you can store them in glass, porcelain or stainless steel containers.
  • Don’t microwave foods in plastic containers. Transfer them to glass or ceramic. Otherwise the high heat in the microwave can cause phthalates from the plastic to enter your food.
  • Wash plastic food containers by hand. Don’t clean them in the dishwasher. The high heat and detergents used in dishwashers can leach plasticizers out of the containers.
  • When possible, avoid using plastic containers which have the recycle numbers 3, 6 or 7 on the bottom. Those numbers indicate the plastic contains phthalates.
Ridding the rest of your home – and your body of toxins

To limit your exposure to phthalates outside of the kitchen:

  • Keep vinyl toys away from children
  • Choose fragrance-free personal care products when possible

In today’s chemical world, some degree of exposure to toxins like phthalates is just about inevitable. These tips can help you going forward, but what about the levels you’ve been exposed to already? For that, you may want to consider detoxing.  And whatever you do, avoid the plastic.

Remember, Tupperware is a brand, not a material. It’s plastic.

Stay Informed, Stay Healthy.

What Pesticides do to us

Pesticides like Glyphosate can create havoc with our health.

Here’s how: They can-

  • Damage healthy gut bacteria
  • Change normal foods to cause allergies
  • Cause depletion of tryptophan and lead to serotonin deficiency (linked to obesity, depression, and sleep problems)
  • Cause depletion of the amino acid tyrosine contributing to thyroid hormone dysfunction.
  • Disrupt motility of the gut creating symptoms of IBS.
  • Disrupt enzymes in the liver necessary to help the body detoxify.
  • Lead to problems with the liver activating vitamin D
  • Contribute to vitamin A toxicity
  • Disrupt the production of bile acids and contributes to fat malabsorption.
  • Depletes the essential minerals iron, cobalt, zinc, and molybdenum
  • Cause increased inflammatory response

Avoid pesticides. Stay Healthy.

Culinary Medicine – finally being taught in medical schools

Yes!Yes! It’s finally happening. Medical schools (!!) are waking up to the importance of food and nutrition in health and disease.

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As more medical schools across the country adopt Tulane University’s pioneering culinary medicine program, organizers are making sure the curriculum’s core ingredients — recipes, course modules and nutrition research — stay fresh as they travel.

The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine hosted a two-day retreat last week for the 13 universities and healthcare centers that license its curriculum to teach medical students culinary skills to better counsel patients about nutrition.

Other institutions licensing the program include: University of Texas–Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Institute; Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine; UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute; University of Illinois–Chicago; Western University of Health Sciences; Rutgers University School of Medicine; University of Colorado–Denver; Michigan State University College of Health Sciences; University of Texas Health Science Center–San Antonio; University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine; Mercer University School of Medicine; and Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. These are all organizations that have food, lifestyle and health as their core mission.

Eat Healthy. Be Healthy.

Should you buy Almond milk

5 Reasons I’m Not Nuts About Almond Milk

Many of my patients have started drinking nut, rice or soy milk as an alternative to cows milk. Almond milk is particularly popular. People generally regard nut milks as a heath food, imparting many of the benefits of nuts. I personally do not use nut milks, nor do I view them as “health foods”. On the other hand, I’m a huge fan of nuts. I encourage most of my patients to eat 1/4 cup of nuts every day. So here are five reasons why buying nuts makes a whole lot more sense than drinking nut milks. But don’t worry, I will tell you how to make your own nut milks if you still want to have them.

The cost factor. I frequently hear people complain that eating healthy foods is expensive. This is only somewhat true. Processed health foods cost a lot more, and nut milks are no exception. The average price for a 946 ml carton (4 cups) of almond milk is about 3 dollars. This carton contains about 15 almonds. If you buy 15 bulk almonds you will pay about 50 cents. Almond for almond you are paying about six times more! Put another way, if you make your own almond milk it will cost you about 1/6 of the price!

The processing factor. Almonds used for making milk are pasteurized; this means they are exposed to high heat. Heat sensitive vitamins are always damaged by processing of this type. In addition, the skin of the almonds is lost during processing. This results in a loss of additional nutrients as well as fibre.

The protein factor. Raw almonds are a decent source of healthy fats and protein. And yet you will only get a measly 1 gram of protein per cup of almond milk. Why? You are getting approximately 3.8 almonds with ever cup of milk you drink. The bulk of what you get is just water.

The additives factor. Almond milks always contain a bunch of additives. The vitamins are often an attractive feature for many consumers, especially the calcium. However, nut milks typically contain cheap forms of chemically lab processed and poorly assimilated vitamins. All almond milks contain emulsifiers to help thicken and maintain a consistent texture. One emulsifier is called lecithin. It is typically a genetically modified byproduct of soy. Another popular emulsifier is carrageenan. The International Agency for Research on Cancer considers degraded carrageenan to be “possibly carcinogenic in humans.”

The sugar factor. Most, although not all nut milks, contain sugar. On average a cup of almond milk will contain anywhere from 2-4 teaspoons of sugar. On the other hand, the equivalent amount of almonds would contain only traces of natural sugars.

THE GOOD NEWS

If you really want to drink your nuts then there is good news: making nut milks is simple and easy! Just blend nuts with water and strain. Homemade nut milks contain no additives and have all the benefits of raw almonds. If you like them, go nuts!

Butter is Better

Margie King

Butter has gotten a bad rap for many years, starting in the last century with the rise of margarine, which we now recognize as a deadly trans fat. More recently, butter has been shunned in favor of olive oil and canola oil. But here’s why we should reserve a place at the table for good old-fashioned butter.

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The truth is that butter is good for you. Here are 10 benefits of eating real, fresh creamery butter:
1. Butter is the most easily absorbable source of vitamin A which supports the thyroid and adrenal glands, and in turn, the cardiovascular system.
2. Butter doesn’t lead to excess body fat since its short and medium chain fatty acids are burned for quick energy and not stored, and it also gives a feeling of satiety that may decrease cravings and over-eating.
3. It’s rich in anti-oxidants including vitamins A and E, as well as selenium protecting against heart disease as well as cancer.
4. Butter is a good source of dietary cholesterol which acts as an anti-oxidant, repairing damage from free radicals caused by rancid fats, vegetable oils and trans fats. Cholesterol is also important for the development of the brain and nervous system in children.
4. The saturated fat in butter consists of short and medium chain fatty acids which have anti-tumor properties and also strengthen the immune system.
5. Butter contains conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) which are cancer protective.
7. When in its raw state and not pasteurized, butter has an anti-stiffness property called the Wulzen factor, that protects against arthritis, cataracts and hardening of the arteries.
8. Butter is a good source of iodine in a highly absorbable form and necessary for proper thyroid function.
9. It promotes gastro-intestinal health and decreases rates of diarrhea in children.
10. Butter is a good source of vitamin K2 which prevents tooth decay and builds strong teeth and bones.
Remember that the richest benefits are found in raw butter made from grassfed cows.