Tag Archives: cancer diet

Re-Post: Cilantro Citrus Garlic Chicken Slow-Cooked

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 I had to share this delicious recipe with you from Unwind Cooking. 

It is full of goodness from the herbs, garlic and citrus.  If you can use fresh, organic herbs instead of dried.. all the better.  But even dried herbs retain their antioxidant richness, and citrus is awesome. 

Choose organic ingredients, and chop the lemons into bite size pieces, because you want to eat the whole fruit.. there is HUGE health benefit to eating the pith and rind of citrus fruits.

Cilantro Citrus Garlic Chicken Slow-Cooked

Posted by ⋅ January 16, 2013

Citrus Cilantro Garlic Chicken Crock Pot

Cilantro Citrus Garlic Chicken

This chicken only gets better the next day when you can make them into shredded chicken tacos with guacamole. But no need to shred because the chicken falls apart nicely.

Cilantro Citrus Garlic Chicken Slow-Cooked.

Breast Cancer and Diet: Not Just What, but When – David L. Katz, MD

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Please read this article by Dr. Katz (Director, Yale University Prevention Research Center) and pass it on to any one you know with young daughters or sisters.

 ~ Be Well.  ♥

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My one time patient and student, Nicole Larizza, earned her MS degree in nutrition studying the effects of nutrition in childhood on breast cancer risk in adulthood. Her important insights have led her to establish an organization dedicated to the early prevention of breast cancer, Nourish Our Girls.

I found the information Nicole shared with me important and provocative- and felt it deserved to be shared. My questions and her answers follow to that end.

 Breast cancer typically presents during adulthood. Why is nutrition during childhood and adolescence important?

As women, we tend not to think about breast cancer until mid-life – our 40s, 50s, and beyond – when our friends, sisters, mothers, or coworkers are diagnosed with this dreaded disease. But adult breast health is largely determined much earlier in life when the breast tissue is developing. During this time, the breast is most vulnerable and sensitive to nutritional and environmental stimuli. Research shows us that consumption of certain foods during the breast development process may actually change the physiology of the breast, thereby making it more or less susceptible to future cancer.

One example of this is soy foods. Regular consumption of whole, traditional forms of soy during puberty is associated with the growth of fewer terminal ductal-lobular units (TDLUs) in the breast. These TDLUs are the end point of each mammary duct that extends out from the nipple, and are the site where the overwhelming majority of breast cancers originate. If we reduce the number of TDLUs in the fully-developed breast by altering a girl’s pubertal diet, then we reduce the opportunity for cancer to occur there.(Messina, 2009) This is just one of many examples about how diet during the breast development stage may affect physiology and influence risk as a result.

 

2. How does a girl’s nutrition during childhood and adolescence affect her risk of breast cancer later in life?

The development of cancer is a multi-step process at the cellular level. Very simply, it begins with initiation when a single cell is damaged. This is followed by promotion as the damaged cell replicates and makes more damaged cells, and finally culminates with progression as masses of damaged cells spread throughout the body, infiltrate other tissues, and affect function.

This process may take up to 35 years. (National Academy of Sciences, 1982) With women being diagnosed at earlier ages now – in their 40s, 30s, and even some in their 20s – think about when that disease process may have started! The food a young girl eats may directly affect her risk of breast cancer by intervening at the earliest points along the cancer continuum. The presence of antioxidants and other nutrients may protect cells from becoming damaged in the first place, and may slow down or prevent the promotion of cell damage thereafter.(Murillo, 2001) Conversely, toxins and anti-nutrients like sugar and synthetic fats may actually cause cell damage or create a cellular environment in which cancer grows and thrives.(Liu, 2010)

More indirectly, but just as important, certain dietary patterns and food intakes during childhood and adolescence are associated with the timing of menarche. Earlier menarche is an independent risk factor for adult breast cancer because it extends the window of exposure to estrogen. Estrogen has been implicated as a stimulus for cell division as well as a promoter of hormone-receptive breast tumors. As such, women with a higher lifetime exposure to estrogen have higher rates of breast cancer.(DeAssis, 2006) Any behaviors we can modify to delay that first period, and shorten the window of estrogen exposure, may therefore result in decreased cancer risk. These behaviors include eating a lower fat, lower protein, higher fiber diet, as well as being physically active and maintaining a lean body weight.

 

3. Which foods or dietary patterns during childhood/adolescence help to reduce risk of adult breast cancer?

Based upon available clinical evidence, there are essentially five dietary patterns that appear to be protective. The mechanisms of action are yet to be completely elucidated, but these patterns are associated with reduced risk of adult breast cancer and other breast cancer biomarkers… Read full article by clicking here.

Cooking Up the Cure’s Gluten-Free Pizza Dough Recipe

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After only two attempts, I am happy to announce an easy, and quick GF pizza dough that even kids will enjoy.  We have had 2 ‘build your own pizza’ dinners using my recipe, and it was happily munched by all.. ages 10, 13, 17, 26, 28, 47 and me!  ;)

Imagine that after two dinners, I did not snap one photo of the baked product… sheeesh.  We ate them faster than I could reach for my iPhone, touch the camera icon and snap the shot!  Next time I will update with a mouth-watering pic.

Anyway, the flour combo in this pizza lends it high fiber, so you can actually enjoy two minis with no worries.  Choose toppings that are known for solid antioxidant value, and you’re get a super great meal. (Side salad makes a nice veggie boost.)

CUTC Gluten-Free Pizza Dough

  • 2 c. Bob’s Red Mill All-purpose Flour
  • 1 ½ c. Oat or Barley Flour
  • ¼ c. Olive Oil
  • 1 ½ tsp. Sea Salt
  • 6 tsp. Xanthan Gum or Tapioca Starch
  • 2 pkgs. active dry Yeast
  • ½ tsp. Sugar (for proofing)
  • 1 ½ c. very warm Water
  • Add : ¼ c. chopped organic Parsley or Green Onion, or 1 tsp. dry (1 Tbs. fresh) Oregano, if you want to be adventurous

Place yeast and sugar in warm water to proof.  Set aside for 15 minutes.

Place flours, oil, salt and xanthan gum in Food Processor or mixer with dough blade.  Blend until crumbly.  Add herbs if you’re using any, and slowly add 1 c. of the water while processor/mixer is on.  Add as much of the rest of the water until dough holds together and is soft to the touch, but not very sticky.  If it is too sticky sprinkle a little flour and process until incorporated and dough is smooth.

Mini pizza toppings

Mini pizza toppings

Place dough in a glass or stainless steel bowl that has been lightly oiled, cover and let rise for 45 minutes.

I like to pat the circles out by hand to 1/4″ thickness (thinner is better), but you can take 4 oz. of dough (for mini pizzas) and roll with a rolling-pin, or make one large or two medium pizzas.

Top with your choice of sauce, and chopped veggies and herbs.. then finish off with shredded Rice Cheese.

Mini GF pizza

CUTC Mini Gluten-Free Pizza

Bake in lower half of 420º oven for 12 – 15 minutes, or until bottom is golden brown and cheese is puffy.

Will make 6 – 7 small pizzas depending on size.  Also fun for appetizer size pizzas.

~ Enjoy! ♥

Paint a Flower Pot and Cook a Bowl of Happiness

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I pinned photos of cleverly painted flower pots on my PInterest page recently, and got the ‘paint a pot’ bug!  I went down to Ace Hardware and spent more  money on paint than can be justified…although I only bought 3 pints and a pint of primer.  The clay planter pots weren’t much, so I picked up 4 of them.. in different sizes.

Patience is NOT a strength of mine! I had no choice but to prime the first 3 I wanted to tackle, and wait until the next day to dabble with painting them.  The paint colors I chose were a deep turquoise, a hot pink and bright yellow… figuring I could mix them to make orange, purples and greens.

I am not as creative as my daughter or son are, and am happy with simple designs that appeal to my easy to please eye.  So here is how it went:

Flower pots Phase2

Flower pots Phase1

Pots are primed, and first go at color.

Flower pots Phase4

Almost done… tomorrow is the official unveiling!

The cats have been very curious about my activities on ‘their’ porch.  So far no painted cat.

Following is a wonderful meal in a bowl.  The ingredients are high in nutrition, and combined create all you would expect from a pot of comfort food.

This dish can be made with a variety of spices; Indian, Italian, Middle Eastern, Asian or spicy South American.

Bowl of Happiness: Veggie, Bean and Lentil Stew

  • 1 Tbs. Coconut oil or extra virgin organic Olive Oil
  • 3 medium cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup diced organic White Onion
  • 1 Tbs. Ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp. Sea Salt
  • 1-1/2 tsp. Cayenne
  • 1 tsp. ground Ceylon Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. Allspice
  • 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
  • 1 organic Broccoli, cut into pieces
  • 2 c. organic Carrots, cut in 3/4″ chunks
  • 2 c. organic Zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 6 – 7 organic Red Radishes, halved
  • handful of mushrooms (opt.)
  • 15 oz. of Tomato Sauce
  • 1/2 – 1 c. hot Water
  • 1/2 c. organic Red Lentils, or Split Peas, rinsed
  • 1 c. cooked Cannelini Beans (or your favorite bean)
  • Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, and dried chili flakes for garnish

Yoga pot 1

Heat oil in a large pot or skillet over medium heat.

Yoga pot 2

Add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for a few minutes until the onions is translucent. Add cayenne, cinnamon and allspice. Stir mixture for 3-4 minutes.

Yoga pot 3

Add vegetables,  tomato sauce and 1/2 c. of water. Bring to a boil. Add lentils and beans, cover and simmer on low heat until lentils are cooked and  vegetables are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Yoga pot 4

If needed, add the rest of the hot water for stew-like consistency.  Serve in deep bowls garnished with cilantro and chili flakes.

Enjoy with a tossed green salad in a lemon-garlic-olive oil dressing.

Yoga pot 6

~ Sahtein! (double health) ♥

The PROM photos… and Golden Beets and Radish Side Dish

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I said I would get permission to post Prom Day photos of my son and his sweetheart. He said it was fine to do so.

Having gone to high school overseas where we don’t have a Prom equivalent, I never experienced this event myself, but I surely was excited for them!

Prom 2013, Darin and Olivia 2

Prom 2013, Darin and Olivia

On to the Beets. . . !

I love golden beets!

I also like the color they turn the dish they’re in.. Golden.

This is a simple, healthy (of course) and quick side dish that will add pizzaz to a meal.  We will use green tea to cook the vegetables, adding an antioxidant boost to the already super good for you veggies.

Golden Beets and Radish Side

  • 4 organic Golden Beets, cut in quarters
  • 4 – 5 large organic Radishes, cut in quarters
  • 1 organic White Onion, cut in half and then quartered
  • 1/2 c. brewed green tea (a mild flavor like Sencha)
  • 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
  • 2 Tbs. Extra Virgin organic Olive Oil
  • Dash of Turmeric
  • Dash of Ceylon Cinnamon

Place cut up vegetables in a medium pot and add tea.  Bring to boil.  Add salt and pepper and turn heat to low.

Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes or until beets are just tender.  Do not over cook… (I like mine with a little crunch).

Strain into a bowl.  Drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle lightly with turmeric, cinnamon. Adjust salt to taste.

OTHER OPTIONS:

  1.  You can drizzle a little lemon juice on the veggies, and instead of turmeric add a dash of cumin.
  2. Chop parsley and add when served.
  3. Mix in cooked quinoa pilaf.
  4. Add apples cooked with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg.golden beets, radish and onion

~ Bon Apetit! ♥

Edible Arbors and Quick Mini Healthy Tostadas

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I have been thinking about arbors and trellises lately.  I placed my order for a trellis yesterday, and can’t wait till it arrives.

J has been at work in our backyard again this year, and transformed the area around our mulberry tree and benches by adding new tan bark.  It took three times as many bags of the stuff as I would have guessed… and most of a morning.

So now I long for a trellis with a climbing rose, like New Dawn: The yardstick against which all repeat flowering climbers are judged. In 1997 ‘New Dawn’ was voted the most popular rose in the world at the 11th World Convention of Rose Societies. Silvery, blush-pink, 3″ double flowershttp://cookingupthecure.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/old2bgarden2bphotos2b152.jpg?w=652http://cookingupthecure.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/newdawn1.jpg?w=652

Another thought I had was to grow a vegetable in some unusual way, and today while thumbing through Sunset magazine at my chiropractor’s office I saw the picture below and loved it!

What a great idea.. beans happily growing on a decorative arch.

Runner bean trellis

So gotta get some beans… dialing Jack. :D

Lunch yesterday was a rushed affair.  I had an open house to visit, and Carrot Soup for 14 to make.  One of my favorite new finds are these mini organic corn tortillas from WholeFoods.

Mini Tostadas pkg

If you remember our Good Carb Formula, then you can see that these are very acceptable, and meet the blood glucose test, i.e. fiber x 10 = more than total carbs.  In this case 30 to 27.

corn tortillas nutrition info

And at 27gr of carbs per 4 tortillas, you can have a yummy and filling meal.

Mini Corn Tostadas

It’s fun to add creative toppings and play with flavors.  Since I was literally flying out the door in minutes, I used what was ready and handy to create these…

Mini Tostadas

Guacamole, chopped tomatoes, green onions, chopped radishes, daiya cheese (or rice cheese), jalapeno peppers, and on the side some low fat re-fried organic black beans with cilantro garnish. All the veggies are high in vitamins and antioxidants.

Pop for two minutes in the toaster.. and Viola!  Lunch!

You can add shredded Chicken cooked with smoked paprika, or cubes of baked Cod for a more substantial meal.

Mini Tostadas 2

~To Your Health! ♥

Signs of Spring and Pumpkin Spice Wheat-free Pancakes

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It’s a glorious day in this California valley.  The temperature is mild and the sun is chasing clouds, creating the familiar haze and sun kaleidoscope.

The fruit trees in our backyard began their awakening and blooming a couple of weeks ago, and are now stretching their limbs and shaking off all traces of winter.  Our fruiting mulberry tree is twice as full as it was last year.  I am expecting many juicy berries!

Mulberry spring 2013

purple flower pot

Even the cats are enjoying a lazy Saturday.

Cheby in a pod

Today is Junior Prom.  My son and his adorable girlfriend looked over-the-top gorgeous, him in his Dad’s classy Tux and O. in a deep purple over the knee, gathered at the waist dress with silver lace on top. She wore silver heels, a silver purse and matching nails.  I’d post a photo, but need their permission first.

So this morning, I decided to create a pumpkin pancake recipe from scratch.  We all loved them, and I hope you do too.

Pumpkin and Spice Pancakes, wheat-free

  • 1 c. organic Oat Flour
  • 1/4 c. organic  Rye Flour
  • 3 Tbs. freshly ground Flax Seeds
  • 2 Tbs. Xylitol, grind with the flax seeds
  • 1 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. Ginger
  • scant 1/4 tsp. Allspice
  • 1/3 c. organic Pumpkin Puree
  • 1/3 c. + Almond Milk
  • 2 Hi-Omega 3 eggs
  • 1 Tbs. Maple syrup or Maltitol-sweetened Syrup

Mix dry ingredients together in medium bowl.

Whisk until well blended the pumpkin, milk, eggs and syrup.

Add wet ingredients to dry, and mix with fork just until blended and big lumps disappear.  Add milk if too thick to pour.

pumpkin pancake1

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Rub lightly with coconut oil, and bake pancakes until bubbles from and pop then flip and bake until done.

pumpkin pancake2

Serve with no sugar added jam, Maltitol or Stevia sweetened syrup and your favorite berries.  I had a fresh farm delivery of organic blueberries on Thursday, so sprinkled them on my cakes.  Deelicious!

pumpkin pancake3

~ Bon Apetit! ♥

 

Feeling Fatigued? The Culprit is Likely to Be Hiding in 75% of What You Eat!

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The article below is well-written and very thought-provoking posted by

It seems that every few days a new post appears somewhere in the print or online media pleading with us to recognize that many of the health problems we are now dealing with can be traced to what we choose to feed our bodies.

Addictive ingredients are intentionally built-in to the foods we crave.  One of the most favored addictive ingredient is SUGAR.  From chips, to pasta sauce, to “healthy energy bars”, sugar has found its way into almost every snack and jarred food item.Pies

Time and time again we’ve proven that Wealth is always chosen over Health by the packaged food industry.

Unless we all become aware of this awful plot we are all pawns in, we are not going to recover our right to live in good health, nor are we going to protect our children from the rising risk of obesity and the negative health effects it guarantees.

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Blood sugar () is the body’s main fuel, with the brain claiming a hefty 20% for itself. That’s why low can leave you feeling exhausted, anxious, irritable and brain fogged.

High blood sugar doesn’t do you any favors either. It punishes the blood vessels in your body — from wide arteries to the tiny, cell-wide capillaries. The result is increased risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, nerve pain, blindness, foot ulcers that won’t heal, and amputations.

Unfortunately, we Americans eat a lot of glucose-raising sugar, with an astounding average of 150 pounds of food-processed sugar added to a person’s diet every year.

The result? Some experts predict that by 2020 half of Americans will be either prediabetic or diabetic! But you don’t have to be part of that half…

Colour Sweets

The message to take from this is that to feel well and stay healthy, you have to keep your blood sugar at an optimal level. And a few simple actions can help you do just that!

Click here to read full article.

Baked Almond-Crusted Cod in Big Boss Oil-less Fryer

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Quick dinner tonight.  Didn’t get started until 6:10pm!  Luckily, I had taken 4 Wild Caught Cod fillets out of the freezer last night.  I had a bunch of green beans, a spaghetti squash and 4 sweet potatoes waiting to join in a meal, and tonight was the night.

Almond meal has figured heavily in many recipes lately.  From cakes to cookies to my creation this evening.

So here’s how it went…

I steamed the green beans then added some garlic salt, pepper, a bit of e.v. olive oil and lemon juice.

Then I steamed the spaghetti squash, then scraped the insides into a pan, added some coconut milk, touch of salt, date sugar, cinnamon and a dash of turmeric. While that was re-heating on low, I sliced the sweet potatoes into strips, tossed them in olive oil, salt, Aleppo pepper and a dash of sumac.

Sweet potato fries Big Boss

The potatoes cooked in the Big Boss Fryer first… (10 minutes per batch).

Then I prepared the fillets:

Baked Almond-Crusted Cod

  • 4 Cod fillets
  • 1 Tbs. EV Olive Oil
  • 3/4 c. Almond Meal
  • 1/4 c. Rye Flour (substitute with Brown Rice flour for GF)
  • 2 Tbs. chopped organic Parsley
  • 1 Tbs. Nutritional Yeast
  • 1 tsp. Sea Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
  • Paprika, to taste

Rub fillets with olive oil on both sides.

Mix dry ingredients in a flat dish.

Big Boss Fish prep

Cod coated in almond meal, rye flour, parsley and spices

Dip fillets in mixture to coat, then place on tall rack of Big Boss Oil-less Fryer, or preheat oven to 400º F.

Big Boss Fish

Cod baking in Big Boss Fryer

Set timer for 12 minutes (14 if fillets are  thick).  Bake at 400º.  Watch so that crust does not burn.

Squeeze lemon on top and serve with veggies and baked sweet potato fries!  Voilà! Dinner.

Big Boss Fish 2

Baked Almond-Crusted Cod

~ To Your Health! ♥

 

 

Creamy Carrot-Sweet Potato-Millet Soup and Rainbow T-shirts

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I was browsing through some DIY Pinterest pages on Saturday, and a composite photo caught my eye.  It was colorful and since a young person was in one of the photos, I figured it must be a relatively easy project.

I clicked to enlarge the steps depicted and got hooked on the idea!

I saved it onto my Pinterest page.

J gave me 4 white cotton T-shirts a couple of weeks ago, that he brought home from work.  The project called for a white T-shirt.  I remembered them on Sunday… YAY!

Since I spent a lot of time drawing psychedelic style pictures when I was recuperating 2 years ago, I have a box full of rainbow-colored Sharpies and Fabric markers too.  The project called for those.  Double YAY!  The other ‘ingredients’ were a cup, a rubber-band, rubbing alcohol and a dropper. Check!

INSTRUCTIONS: Place the cup under the T-shirt where you want your first drawing.  Using the rubber-band, secure that section to the top of the cup.

Using Sharpies, draw a design with multiple colors, then slowly drip alcohol onto the image and M-A-G-I-C!! Your drawing turns into a gorgeous blended tie-dye like print!

fabric fun pre 1

Sharpie design1 BEFORE the alcohol

fabric fun post 1

Sharpie design1 AFTER the alcohol

fabric fun pre 2

Sharpie design 2 pre alcohol

fabric fun post 2
Sharpie design 2 AFTER the alcohol!

AND at the half-way point of my first Rainbow T-shirt:

fabric fun final

FUN!  I spent an hour playing with color.  It was like Kindergarten all over again.. lol.

I realized it was getting late and I had 3 people, plus J and I to make a late lunch for.  My daughter and her fiance and one of my nephews would be arriving in 2 hours..and since I wanted to make Osso Bucco and 3 – 4 side dishes I had to get cracking!

One of the dishes I have been wanting to try is a Carrot based soup.  As usual, I messed around with a Carrot soup recipe that sounded good, and the result was astounding!

This is now one of our favorite comfort foods.

The Millet adds substance to the soup,  so it’s more like a porridge.  Instead of Crème fraîche I used Tofu and Almond milk, and believe me it didn’t need anything else.  I also added cardamom to the recipe, since I think it compliments the orange veggies well.

I hope you like this as much as we did.

Creamy Carrot-Sweet Potato-Millet Soup (non dairy)

  • 1 Tbs. organic grass-fed Butter (or E.V. Olive Oil)
  • 1 medium white Onion, chopped
  • 4 c. organic Carrots, peeled and chopped (about 7 – 8 carrots)
  • 1 large Sweet Potato, cut into 3/4” squares
  • ½ c. Millet
  • 3 ½ c. home-made or store bought organic Vegetable Broth
  • 1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh Fennel
  • 1 tsp. ground Cardamom
  • ½ tsp. Sea Salt
  • ½ tsp. Black Pepper
  • ½ c. soft organic Tofu
  • 1/2 c. Almond milk
  • Chopped organic Green Onion (opt. as topping)

In  a 4-qt. pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and stir occasionally until translucent and yellow.  Add the carrots and sweet potato. Stir while cooking for about 10 minutes.

sweetpotatoes

Add the millet, vegetable stock, fennel, and seasoning.  Bring to a boil over med-high.  Reduce to low, cover and cook for 30 – 35 minutes until veggies and millet are tender.  Cool slightly.

Transfer mixture to a food processor, in batches if necessary, and process until smooth, scraping down sides.  Add the tofu and almond milk and mix until incorporated.

Return mixture to pot and reheat.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

Garnish with green onions.

Carrot-Sweet potato soup

Creamy Carrot,Sweet Potato, Millet Soup

~ Bon Apetit! ♥