I'm working with a client who wants to publish a three volume book on her family genealogy. She comes from a very interesting and historic family, which has made the project a lot of fun. I'm doing the layout and design, plus helping with the research.

She and her husband have a big garden, and one day while I was working he came in with several gigantic heads of cauliflower. Her eyes got big and she said, "What am I going to do with that much cauliflower?"

One of my facebook friends had posted a recipe for roasted cauliflower. It looked really good so I printed it out and took it to my client, who made it for dinner that very night. The next day she was raving about how good it was. Cauliflower is avoid for me, but I saved the recipe thinking that it would probably be good with other roasted vegetables.

Yesterday I decided to fix okra for lunch. My Honorable Husband said he would eat a little, but he wasn't a big fan of okra. It is beneficial for us both, so I wanted to prepare it in a way that might make him change his mind about okra. I was thumbing through cookbooks, when I remembered the roasted cauliflower recipe. I decided to make roasted okra.

Here is the original recipe.
1 head cauliflower, cut into 1/2 -1 inch florets
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs,
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup olive oil - make sure the florets are well coated
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400º.
Toss florets with olive oil, bread crumbs and cheese. Spread in a single layer on jelly roll sheet lined with nonstick foil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast 30-40 minutes, until nicely browned

I looked for gluten free bread crumbs at the grocery store. The first package I picked up was obscenely expensive. Irks me how food companies will take advantage of people with dietary concerns. Then lower on the shelf, I found gluten free bread crumbs by a company called Four Sisters and a Brother. There are NO avoids, and the price was reasonable - Hallelujah! If your grocer doesn't carry them, you can buy them on line.

Because Parmesan Cheese is already salty, I did not add any additional salt.

As okra cooks, it produces a slimy juice. While it roasted, I stirred it three times. The first two times made the bread crumbs absorb the juice so that the coating stuck to the okra almost like fried okra. The third time I stirred was too much. Some of the coating fell off. I can see there is an element of finesse to perfect this recipe with okra. I'm sure it's easier with other veggies.

The outcome - in a word was delicious. I liked it. HH liked it. The leftovers are not going to last for long.

Most mornings I try to glance at the Bing health news site, just to see what is happening that I might need to know about. This week two studies were released by two different Journals that reached different conclusions about salt. Arrgh! At first I was irritated. Then a remembered that conflicting studies about protein and fat were what convinced me that the science behind the Blood Type Diet was true.

Some news sites reported one study and some reported the other, but Brittney R. Villalva did a good job of covering both. Here are excerpts from her article.

While a number of governmental organizations have worked to drop the amount of salt contained in processed foods, the actual impact has been unsubstantial, according to a study published May 13 in JAMA Internal Medicine. The average amount of salt contained in packaged, processed foods only decreased by 3.5 percent, the study indicates, while sodium content in restaurant food increased by 2.6 percent.

"The strategy of relying on the food industry to voluntarily reduce sodium has proven to be a public health disaster," author and Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) executive director Michael F. Jacobson said in a press release.

But at the same time, a study conducted by the Institute for Medicine has declared that dropping sodium content in excess in one's diet could also pose health side affects. While the study maintains that Americans still consume far too much salt and are in excess of the recommended 2,300 milligram maximum- it also suggests that those who have gone to great extents to severely reduce the amount of salt in their diet have not benefited medically.

"We're not saying we shouldn't be lowering excessive salt intake," Dr. Brian Strom of the University of Pennsylvania, who led the IOM committee, told the Associated Press. But below 2,300 mg a day, "there is simply a lack of data that shows it is beneficial."

The American Heart Association maintains that people should consume no more that 1,500 mg of sodium per day. The average American consumes about 3,400 mg. Many are still convinced that the large sodium intakes are resulting in numerous health problems.

The first thing that I wanted to know was whether Dr. D'Adamo took a position on salt intake. I don't have all of his books, but the ones I have don't mention salt except to say that it is neutral.

In one of his Ask Dr. D'Adamo columns he had this commentary on a study about heart disease.

...numerous studies (many harking back to the 1950's) have linked ABO type to higher levels of cholesterol and coronary artery disease. This study again demonstrates the power of defining diet by blood group: By using this system, you eat not just for today, but for tomorrow. If you are type A, you'll want to take the advice of the 'broad-band paleo-dieters' with less than a grain of salt.

This fits in with my Type A husband's problems with blood pressure. So I'll keep him on a low salt diet. But what about Type Os?

In Heidi Merritt's "On the Diet" column, she frequently recommended drinking water with "a pinch of salt and lemon." I tried that for a while, but it seemed to make me retain water weight, so I dropped it.

Adelle Davis focused her attention on keeping sodium and potassium intake in balance, warning that people eating a modern diet got way too little potassium for the amount of sodium they were consuming.

I remember many years ago trying a liquid potassium supplement that I eventually stopped taking because I started feeling faint when I was exercising. But then I tend to have low blood pressure.

The really confusing factor in all of this is that my Type O son, who is under 30 years of age, already has high blood pressure and is on a low dose of blood pressure medication. Because he is a single young professional, who eats out a lot, he has a hard time following his doctor's advice to decrease his sodium and increase his potassium.

I am left with the déjà vu feeling that something is missing in all of these studies. Perhaps one of these days someone, maybe Dr. D., will figure it out.

My Darling Daughter now has her own blog. As a pastor's wife, she usually blogs about spiritual issues in the culture. However this week she posted a pumpkin recipe that is incredibly delicious. Those of you who have read my blog for a long time have watched DD grow up from her middle school years. I'm going to post her whole blog so you can catch a glimpse of the young woman she has become. The Pumpkin Pudding recipe is at the bottom.

I love the reactions people give when they ask what the "orange stuff" that I'm eating is. I reply "pumpkin" - and then wait. The response is always - "Like, pumpkin pie?" "No... just pumpkin." "Oh..." [followed by a really grossed out look].

What can I say... I love pumpkin!

Not only is it a delicious vegetable, but it is also a very nutritious vegetable. Pumpkin is rich in beta-carotene, a pro-vitamin that is converted to vitamin A in the body - which is essential for eye health and may be linked to preventing coronary heart disease. It is also a great immune booster. One cup of pumpkin has ten grams of fiber, four grams of protein, and only eighty calories. The pumpkin seeds are also good for you. They have protein, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. They have high levels of phytosterols which can reduce cholesterol and help prevent against some types of cancer.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

To me, one of the best ways to glorify God with your body is by putting good things into it. If I nourish my body - the body that God designed uniquely for me - I am honoring Him. What I put into my body is important. Just as what I watch and hear affect my mind and heart, the food and drink I put into my body also affect me.

When my Heroic Husband prays for our food, he almost always says, "...and let us eat this food in a way that honors You." I love that! I want to live in a way that honors God - so why would I not want to eat in a way that honors God?

I was very blessed and fortunate to grow up in a home where health was important. When I was little, my Marvelous Mother fixed good food for me. As I grew older, she taught me to cook healthy food for myself. Today, we still love getting together and cooking delicious, healthy meals.

The other day, while I was looking at the benefits of chia seeds (and they are really good for you too), I came across a new pumpkin recipe. I decided to modify the ingredients a little and try it out.

As I was quickly mixing it together that night, my Heroic Husband asked, "What is that?" I said, "I don't exactly know, but it will either be really good or really bad." Let me tell you - it is really good!

Pumpkin Pudding
Ingredients
1/4 Cup Chia Seeds
1/4 Cup Pure Canned Pumpkin
1 Cup Almond Milk
1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar
1/2 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Dash of Nutmeg

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Make sure to mix them well - the chia seeds and cinnamon like to clump together - as does the pumpkin.
[NOTE: Your mixture will look NOTHING like pudding. It will be a watery substance. Do not worry! As the chia seeds sit, they will absorb the access liquid.]
Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.

3 John 1:2
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

It’s almost been a month since my last post and progress has been great. I’m down 15 pounds and have another 10 pounds to go. I know my body will find its own ideal weight but I want to get down to 180 lbs before I run my 10th and final Bix 7 road race. Two years ago I signed up for what would have been my 10th and final Bix race but I hurt my right knee just a few days before the race. It took over a year after my surgery to be able to run pain free. The Bix 7 race is very demanding and there are a lot of people. I’ve become accustomed to the small amount of people who run a half or full marathon.
Since I have less cartilage between my right Femur and Tibia, I have to cut back on my longer/ harder runs anyway to save my knees.

I didn’t think I would lose weight so fast now that I’m 13 years older than when I first started ERFYT, but I’m not going to argue. My Hunter GenoType sure makes it easier.

Los incómodos síntomas de la menopausia; sofocos, irritabilidad ó cambios de humor pueden combatirse realizando unos pequeños cambios en la alimentación y practicando ejercicio físico moderado. Una dieta variada y equilibrada rica en calcio, con abundantes frutas y verduras y un bajo consumo de sal, azúcar y proteína animal (siempre y cuando no sean sangre tipo O o B ), incluso puede llegar a eliminar la necesidad de tomar los fármacos de reemplazo hormonal o los relacionados para evitar el aumento de peso.

A continuación veremos algunos de los alimentos aconsejados para aliviar los típicos síntomas provocados por la menopausia:

– Calcio: ayuda a prevenir la osteoporosis, una enfermedad muy característica que suele aparecer en la mayoría de las mujeres durante la menopausia. Lo aconsejable es tomar al menos 1.000 mg. de calcio al día en mujeres de 30 a 50 años y llegar a los 1.200 mg. para las mujeres a partir de 50.
Los alimentos que pueden aportar una gran cantidad de calcio son; leche desnatada o semidesnatada, yogur desnatado, queso (sobre todo el parmesano), las sardinas de lata, la judía y las verduras en general (recalco, su swami les dirá que si y que no de acuerdo a su fisiología y mas).

– Ácidos grasos Omega 3: ayudan a prevenir la enfermedades de corazón, reduciendo los triglicéridos y la presión arterial. Los alimentos más recomendados son los pescados (al menos dos veces por semana); salmón, sardina, caballa o trucha, también pueden encontrarse en las nueces.
algunos de los alimentos aconsejados para aliviar los típicos síntomas provocados por la menopausia:

– Magnesio: tiene un efecto tranquilizante aliviando la irritabilidad, la ansiedad y el insomnio, también ayuda a que los huesos absorban mejor el calcio reduciendo además los niveles de colesterol LDL (malo). Para mujeres en edad adulta se recomienda un consumo de al menos 320 mg. de magnesio al día; puedes encontrarlo en grandes cantidades en alimentos como; el trigo, las almendras, los anacardos o la escarola.

– Fitoestrógenos: ayudan a aliviar los sofocos y mejorar la sequedad vaginal, además reducen los niveles de colesterol en sangre y previenen la osteoporosis. El alimento más recomendado y conocido es la soja que debe considerarse un alimento primordial en una dieta equilibrada (siempre y cuando la soja sea una opción recomendada en su reporte nutrigenomico personalizado); adicionalmente existen otros muchos como; los cereales, los tomates, los pimientos, las zanahorias, los cítricos y en general la mayoría de frutas y verduras.

– Vitamina E: previene la mayoría de enfermedades cardiovasculares, además de aliviar los sofocos y evitar la flacidez del pecho. Lo recomendable es tomar al menos 15 mg. pudiendo llegar hasta un máximo de 250 mg.; los alimentos en los que puedes encontrar abundante vitamina E son; los huevos, el arroz, los guisantes, los espárragos, las patatas y el aceite de oliva (no como en los viejos tiempos que se le daba aceite de germen de trigo a todos).

La artrosis es una enfermedad degenerativa crónica que afecta de forma evolutiva a las articulaciones, generalmente rodillas, tobillos, muñecas y codos. Especialistas en nutrición y dietética confirman que una de la formas para combatir esta enfermedad es llevar una dieta equilibrada baja en grasas insaturadas de origen animal, evitando las grasas derivadas de la leche.

Además es conveniente aumentar el consumo de vitaminas antioxidantes (vitaminas C y E), de minerales que fortalecen los tejidos musculares y los huesos (calcio, fósforo y potasio) y alimentos ricos en fibra (frutas, legumbres y cereales integrales) para eliminar con mayor facilidad los tóxicos que contribuyen al empeoramiento de esta enfermedad.

A continuación veremos en detalle los alimentos recomendados y los que debemos eliminar de nuestra dieta para mejorar la artrosis:

Alimentos recomendados (de acuerdo a su SWAMI personalizado ya que factoriza por medio de algoritmos y complejos cálculos bio moleculares):

– Frutas: principalmente la piña y el plátano.
– Verduras: apio, nabo y col.
– Lácteos: yogures y queso fresco.
– Pescados y carnes: siempre mejor pescado azul y en el caso de las carnes principalmente pavo y pollo.
– Otros: cereales integrales, legumbres (cocinadas con poca grasa) y frutos secos.

Alimentos no recomendados (nuevamente recalco, lo siguiente de acuerdo a su fisiología molecular la cual factoriza SWAMI)
Evitar las grasas: carnes rojas, embutidos, margarina y alimentos fritos, rebozados o enharinados.

Según expertos, y después de realizar un estudio, el yoga puede ayudar a aliviar tanto los síntomas físicos como los mentales ocasionados por la menopausia. Y es que el yoga puede ayudar en muchos aspectos y no sólo a las mujeres con menopausia, sino también a personas que sufren estrés o ansiedad.

La menopausia, ese momento de la vida que se da aproximadamente entre los 45 y 55 años, significa el cese de fertilidad en la mujer. Pero no solamente eso, ya que también trae aparejados ciertos cambios no solo fisiológicos sino también emocionales. Varios remedios naturales para la menopausia pueden servir para hacerla más llevadera... Ese inevitable momento de la vida de toda mujer que es la menopausia, puede ser llevado de una manera mucho menos engorrosa si se recurren a ciertos remedios caseros contra ella. Uno de los más efectivos, según varios especialistas, es el aceite de linaza. Al poseer ácidos Omega 3 y 6, este aceite tiene incidencia directa en muchos factores que trae consigo la menopausia. Ayuda a la piel a verse mejor, combate la depresión y la fatiga, baja el nivel de colesterol y previene el cáncer de seno. Puedes emplearlo directamente como aderezo para las comidas diarias.

Otro aceite, en este caso el de prímula, tiene un efecto similar pero con incidencia en otros factores molestos de la menopausia. Ayuda a combatir los dolores de cabeza, la retención excesiva de líquidos y también el mal humor, otra de las consecuencias más comunes de la menopausia.

Los llamados “calores”, otro de los tópicos comunes de esa etapa de la vida, pueden verse reducidos siguiendo cada quien los lineamientos que arroja su SWAMI y mediante otro remedio casero: baño con sal de magnesio. De esta manera se recuperan nutrientes perdidos. También los masajes en el abdomen con aceites esenciales de rosa o de jazmín están recomendados. Además, puedes consultar otros tratamientos naturales que junto con su reporte nutrigenomico SWAMI coadyuvan a contrarrestar los síntomas de la menopausia.

Porque resulta tan efectivo un reporte SWAMI bien llevado? Porque elimina todo alimento que pueda causarle un proceso inflamatorio crónico, y a la vez, resetea su DNA regulando aquellos genes positivos y aplacando los negativos que en ocasiones hemos heredado de nuestros padres, abuelos, etc.

Nuestra herencia genética jamas debe ser nuestro destino. Los invito a que juntos tomemos nuestra salud en nuestras manos y no la dejemos en manos de la industria farmacéutica.

Los invito a que juntos descubramos acerca de su individualidad genética y tomen las riendas de su bienestar físico y mental, reseteando su ecosistema bacteriano y fortaleciendo su metabolismo bajando de peso de manera natural. Dejen que SWAMI les diga como hacerlo y marque el camino.

On the Blood Type Diet, there are no beneficial grains for Type Os. That led me to be virtually grain free for quite a while…which was a bad decision…but one I've dealt with in other blogs. The GenoType diet does have beneficial grains for Hunters and Gatherers, and I make sure I have one or more servings a day of brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, or millet.

One of the beneficial Type O grains is teff. I had never seen it in a store and never heard of anyone eating it until today.

Our Strong Son invited us to meet him in Austin for lunch at an Ethiopian restaurant called Aster's. I was ready for a food adventure, but my Honorable Husband was extremely skeptical. Aster's has a buffet for Sunday lunch that is very reasonably priced. I love buffets at international restaurants because I can sample a lot of different foods.

SS told us that instead of using silverware, we were supposed to tear off bits of bread and pick up our food with the bread. Our server must have known we were new to this, because he brought us forks. I filled my plate with delicious smelling vegetables and meats. I resolved to eat with a fork - because when I hear "bread," I think "wheat."

I had three different meat dishes. One was very spicy, but the other two were wonderful. I also got Atakelt Wott (cabbage, green beans, carrots, onions, garlic, and ginger, in a turmeric sauce) and Gomen (collard greens cooked with onion, garlic, and spices). I have got to google a recipe for Gomen. It was categorically the best collard greens I've ever eaten.

SS filed his Dad's plate with salad, rice, and some vegetarian lentil dishes. And he gave his Dad a piece of Ethiopian bread, which looks like a brown tortilla.

We were all eating, and enjoying our food, when someone picked up a card on the table that told about the bread, which is called Injera. It's not made of wheat. It's made of Teff. When I heard that, I had to try it, and I liked it. So I began to eat my meat Ethiopian style, picking it up with the bread.

The card referred to a website - teffco.com¸ where you can order Teff in the United States, and the price seems reasonable. I think I'm going to order their sample pack so I can try both the grain and the flour.

I bought a new food processor on Monday. Tuesday morning, I decided I wanted to use the new machine to make muffins. I peeled some pears and mashed them with a fork. They were quite watery, so I added some chia seeds to thicken the mixture. I used 1 tablespoon of chia seeds for 4 small over-ripe pears. I let that thicken while I brought the new food processor in from the car and figured out how to use it. The mixture probably sat about an hour.

I made the banana muffins first, so the chia mixture could thicken longer. I put two over-ripe bananas into the bowl of the food processor, added 2 eggs, and blended. Then I added about ¼ cup of carob powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda and blended again. Then I added a cup of almond meal- a little at a time, blending after each addition. Then I made the pear muffins: First I blended the pear/chia mixture smooth, then added eggs and almond meal, blending after each addition.

This was enough for 6 of each kind of muffin. The texture with the food processor was MUCH smoother than the ones I’d mashed by hand, even smoother than the ones I’d mixed with the electric mixer. Plus adding baking soda helped them get much fluffier- I could have done that on Passover, but I simply didn’t think of it.

Today I made hummus. I’ve been buying ready-made hummus for most of the school year, for my kids to pack in lunches. Hannah literally packs this daily. She’s a creature of habit, and gets annoyed when I change brands. I’ve been hesitant to try making it at home when she likes the ready-made one, but then I realized this is better. I’ll no longer be at the mercy of “what Costco has in stock today.” Nor will I have to compromise on the purity of the ingredients. I can keep making it the exact same way, every time, and she’ll know what to expect.

I wasn’t able to get to the store today to buy anything, as Jack is home sick today. I’d already bought chickpeas earlier in the week, and I soaked them yesterday afternoon and cooked them in the crock pot overnight. I’d forgotten to buy tahini, but I had about ¼ cup of sesame seeds in the spice cabinet. I blended those in the coffee grinder, and then put them in the food processor with lemon juice and spices, as suggested in a recipe I found online. The only glitch was trying to figure out how much home-cooked chick peas were equal to “1 15 ounce can.” I started with a cup, but the hummus was too watery and too spicy. So I added a little more at a time, and ended up using 2 cups total. There were still over 4 cups of chickpeas left, so I froze them in 2 cup portions. It would have been easier to make 3 batches of hummus and freeze it ready-made, but I’m out of sesame seeds. Besides, this way Hannah can comment on the hummus and I can adjust the spices in subsequent batches if needed. I now know that 1 pound of dried chickpeas makes 3 batches of hummus.

My next project is crackers. I made some before Passover, but it was a hassle in my mini-food processor. Besides, the mini food processor is “meaty” since I’ve used it to make chopped liver in the past. This means that any crackers made with that machine cannot be eaten with dairy products. What good are crackers if they can’t be enjoyed with goat cheese? I’m keeping the new machine pareve (neutral) so they can be eaten with anything. I have rice and quinoa cooking in the oven now, and I’ll either make the crackers later today or tomorrow.

During Passover, I have limited ingredients to work with. Rice flour is not permitted to Ashkenazi Jews, and many things that are theoretically acceptable for Passover use are not available with reliable certification. I’ve never been able to find agave or molasses for Passover, so I do allow myself small amounts of honey.

There are certain techniques for baking during Passover that most kosher cooks are familiar with. Even for those without health-related dietary restrictions, Passover cooking is different. Matzah meal can be used in baking, but it won’t act like regular wheat flour. Gluten gives baked goods a nice texture, as it stretches out and holds the dough together before baking. But when you’ve got gluten that’s already been mixed with water and baked before being crumbled and used as a cooking ingredient, it doesn’t have those dough-smoothing properties. While just as hard on your body, the gluten is useless from a baking perspective.

Good kosher cooks have learned how to compensate for the lack of gluten in baking. The most popular technique involves separating eggs. Then you whip up the egg whites in a separate bowl until they’re light and foamy. Meanwhile, the other ingredients (including the egg yolks) get mixed in another bowl. The last step is to gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture- if you’re too rough you’ll destroy the fluffiness of the egg whites- and then spoon the batter into prepared baking dishes.

I used this technique to make some banana muffins over Passover. I started by mashing a few over-ripe bananas. Then I added the egg yolks to the mixture while putting the egg whites in another bowl. I also added the pulp from the almond milk I’d made earlier in the week. I added some lemon juice and salt to the egg whites and whipped them up. When they were stiff, I blended together the ingredients in the other bowl. It didn’t seem sweet enough, so I added a little bit of honey to the batter. Then I folded in the egg whites and put it into the muffin papers. I’d prepared 12 muffin papers in my 2 foil cupcake tins, and then realized I’d made too much batter for 12 muffins. I was afraid to keep the batter out too long, in case it fell and the texture was ruined, so I put more muffin papers into a rectangular foil pan. The muffins weren’t as round, but it worked fine. The end result was SO light and fluffy that I wondered if they would have come out better without separating the eggs.

I made more banana muffins later in the week. I didn’t have any more almond pulp, and didn’t need to make any more almond milk, so I used ground almonds instead. This batch didn’t need added honey and overall had a better flavor.

I baked a chocolate cake loosely based on a recipe I found in a kosher cookbook. I did the egg-white thing, mixing a few whole eggs into the egg yolk mixture because the yolks broke when I tried to separate them. I also added brown sugar, vanilla, and cocoa powder. I used some oil and tapioca starch to “grease and flour” the cake pan, and mixed the extra bit of tapioca starch into the batter- probably about a tablespoon total, maybe two. The cocoa powder and dry sugar provided most of the bulk for the cake. That came out light and fluffy and delicious.

I tried to bake a honey cake using the tapioca starch for solidity, and only honey for the sweetener so it would be free of refined sugars. It came out horrible- the edges were too dry and crumbly, and the center was gooey like a pudding. Basically, the batter separated before it could solidify, and the texture was awful. I ended up throwing it out. I guess Passover cakes need something more solid than starch to hold them together- the solid sugar helps provide some texture. A cake made with only honey for sweetness would need nut flour to hold it together.

I baked some more almond meal muffins today, even though Passover is over. I started with an overripe pear- I peeled it then mashed it with a fork and added egg yolks. I beat the egg whites until stiff in another bowl, then blended the pear/egg mixture, then added some almond meal until the texture looked right. It seemed kind of watery- I guess pears are more watery than bananas- so I added a little rice flour too. I folded in the egg whites and put into prepared muffin tins.

But I’d prepared 12 muffin tins and only had enough batter for 6 muffins. So I made more muffin batter. This time I mashed up a ripe banana, and I was too lazy to separate out the eggs so I whipped up the banana with whole eggs until fluffy. Then I added the almond meal and put into muffin tins to bake. I didn’t use any added sweeteners in either of today’s muffins.

The banana muffins came out good even without separating the eggs- though they’re denser than the pear muffins. I still haven’t decided if I’ll bother separating eggs when I make muffins again.