The Hemp Connection [Search results for juice] 

It's been super hot around the country. It's that time of year when hydration is extra important. But water can get boring, and many of the options are just too full of sugar to be realistic in large quantities. Here is a great beverage option that is lower in sugar but more interesting than plain water--the Arnold Palmer.

The classic Arnold Palmer is a half and half mix of lemonade and iced tea. But with the many fruits in season and all of the great non-caffeinated teas on the market, there's no reason to stop there! I spent the afternoon Google searching and found some great, creative lemonade recipes. I've altered them a bit to cut the sugar even more, and asked Kerstin Wingert, a local tea purveyor and copfounder of Souvia Tea, to pair them with some of their offerings to get you thinking about what potential your own local farmer's market holds. I got Kerstin's suggestions back and immediately wanted to head to my own kitchen! Who would want to drink soda when you've got these incredible alternatives?

A think-ahead suggestion, when juicing your fruit, and making the tea, make a little extra for ice cubes to add to your final beverage!

Note: In the lemonade recipes, I've cut the sugar by half from the original recipe, (except in the cucumber and ginger versions) and doubled the fruit. I encourage you to start at this point and then sweeten to taste, rather than oversweetening. Remember that even those these beverages are lower in sugar than soda and juice, they still contain sugar. They will be best tolerated when enjoyed with a meal, to help you tolerate the sugar.

Here is the general link to Souvia's online store. For your convenience, I've also linked each of the individual teas below in case you'd like to try them.

Watermelon Arnold Palmer (lemonade recipe courtesy of Whole Foods Market)
Lemonade: 10 cups 1-inch cubes seedless watermelon, 1 bottle (10-ounce) 365 Everyday Value®
Organic Lemon Juice, 6 cups water. If you use real sugar, start with 1/4 cup and increase to taste.
Iced tea: Honey-Do, a fruit blend of melon, apples and a touch of hibiscus

Raspberry Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 2 cups rinsed fresh raspberries, mashed with 1/3 cup sugar, 1 cup lemon juice, and 2 cups
water. Add more sugar if desired.
Iced tea: Raspberry Honeybush – a naturally sweet tasting infusion that is caffeine free

Peach Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 4 peaches peeled and cubed, 4 C water, 1/2 C sugar, 3/4 C Fresh Lemon Juice
Iced tea: Black Peach – a blend of black teas with the taste of ripe peaches. Or…Cranberry Peach – a
black tea that combines flavors of sweet peaches with the tartness of cranberries.

Blueberry Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 6 cups blueberries, 1/3 cups sugar, 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3 cups cold water
Iced tea: Blueberry Yoghurt – Rooibos from South Africa with blueberries. Freeze-dried yoghurt pieces
add to the smooth flavor.

Pomegranate Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 cup pomegranate juice, 2 1/2 cups water
Iced tea: Pomegrante/Grape – White and green tea blend with pomegranate and grapes – light and
refreshing

Cucumber Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 1 cucumber, peeled and cubed, 1 lemon, 5 c water, sugar to taste
Iced tea: Lemon Souffle– Rooibos with a creamy lemon taste

Strawberry Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 2 pints mashed fresh strawberries, 1 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups water
Iced tea: Strawberry Fields – A mélange of black and green teas with strawberries and pineapple pieces

Basil Hibiscus Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 1/2 cup rinsed, lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped, 3 tablespoons sugar, 4 cups water,
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Iced tea: Lemon Basil Oolong – Formosa Oolong combines the savory taste of basil with sweet citrus note

Mango Mint Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 4 large mangoes, 2 1/2 cup(s) water, juice from 6 medium lemons), 1/4 cup(s) sugar
Iced tea: Moroccan Mint Organic

Lavender Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 1/4 cup dried lavender, 2 cups boiling water, 1/3 cup white sugar, 8 lemons, 5 cups cold water
Iced tea: Quiet Mind – Rooibos with coconut and lavender

Green Apple Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 3 green apples, cored and juiced, juice from 2 lemons, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 cup cold water
Iced tea: Apple/Mango Rooibos

Ginger Arnold Palmer
Lemonade: 1 1/2 cups white sugar, 4 quarts water, 14 slices fresh ginger root, 4 cups fresh lemon juice
In an 8-quart saucepan combine sugar, water and ginger root. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Cool 15 minutes. Remove ginger. Refrigerate lemonade at least 1
hour, or until chilled.
Iced tea: Georgia Peach – Black tea with ginger and peach pieces

I've been getting a lot of questions about juicing lately, so it's clearly a popular trend right now. I love the fact that juicing gets more vegetables into people who normally wouldn't get them. However, there are some important things to know about juicing if your intent is to use it for a healthier diet.

1. Juice contains calories! Ounce for ounce, juice and soda are similar calorie-wise. 8 ounces of either is about 120 calories. Some of the sweeter juices are even more calorically dense. Don't get caught up in the false assumption that because it's juice, it's lower in calories, or that unlimited quantities are permissible.

2. When you juice your vegetables, you remove the fiber. In researching this blog post, I learned that many juicer companies actually sell this point, claiming that without the fiber, the nutrients that are left are more easily absorbed. The fiber itself is an important nutrient! Especially if you're someone who has trouble regulating energy or blood glucose levels. If you're counting on your juice as your source of all of your vegetables, you could be cutting yourself short on fiber.

3. If carrots are what you're juicing, be aware that you can overdose on vitamin A. I've seen this actually happen, it's not just a myth. If the pads of your hands and feet start to get an orange-ish tinge, and you've recently fallen in love with juicing carrots, you might want to think about the connection. Be sure to vary your juice ingredients.

4. Spinach, another common vegetable to juice, eaten in high quantities, is high in oxalates. This compound can prevent the absorption of iron, calcium, and magnesium. It can also promote the development of kidney stones. Oxalates leach out of spinach when it is cooked, but if you're using the juicer for convenience, this extra step may not be useful. Other foods high in oxalates, in case you're using them in your juicer, include rhubarb, beets and sorrel.

5. Juice contains little to no protein. You may find that when you switch to a juice-heavy diet, your craving for sweets increases. What I recommend to people who ask about juicing, is to make a smaller amount of juice and blend it in with milk, yogurt, or protein powder. I actually like to use 1 cup of plain yogurt, a ripe banana, one other piece of a different fruit, plus a handful of veggies and some ground flaxseed. I always vary the fruit and the vegetable to be sure I don't overload on any one food. And I keep the fiber and protein in my breakfast.

If you make those simple adjustments, the possibilities and combinations are endless. Enjoy!

Most people tend to think of soup as a winter/comfort food. I love it year round, but especially in the summer. I use my slow cooker, which doesn't heat up the kitchen. I have a week's worth of lunches or dinners when I'm finished, which I can heat in the microwave. Neither of those appliances heat up my kitchen. Plus, it's a great way to take even more advantage of summer's bounty and all of the related antioxidants. For me, a pretty perfect meal is a fresh salad with a vinaigrette dressing, a bowl of soup, a piece of hearty whole grain bread, and some fresh fruit for dessert. Tonight I'm making a red pepper/cauliflower soup and enjoying some of this week's very cheap cherries for dessert. Here is the recipe. And I'm putting some of my other favorites below. If you want something cooler, I'm giving you recipes for gazpacho and cucumber soup.

Bon appetit!

Red Pepper-Cauliflower Soup (adapted from Sunset Magazine)

6 large red bell peppers,stemmed and cored, halved lengthwise, and pressed flat
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 shallots, peeled and choped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 quart fat-skimmed chicken broth
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 teaspoon sugar
freshly ground pepper
extra-virgin olive oils, chopped fresh chives, and lemon wedges (optional)

1. Preheat broiler to high. Arrange bell pepper skin side up on baking sheet. Broil, watching carefully, until skins are blackened,about 10 minutes. Remove peppers from oven and let cool. Peel over a bowl to collect juices; set peppers and juices aside.

2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add shallots, salt, and cayenne and cook, stiorring until soft, 3 minutes. Add broth and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to as immer. Cover and cook 20 minutes. Add peppers with juices and cook, covered, until cauliflower is tender, 10 minutes. Puree in batches in a blender and add sugar. add pepper to taste.

3. Serve hot or cold, garnished with a drizzle of olive ol, some chives, and a squeeze of lemon juice of you like.

Chicken and Corn Summer Chowder (from Sunset Magazine)

2 slices turkey bacon, chopped (I used an apple-smoked ham hock)
1 onion, chopped
3 tbsp flour
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, chopped
6 cups reduced-sodium or homemade chicken broth
4 cups shredded cooked chicken (you can get this pre-cooked to make it easy)
kernels cut from 3 ears corn
1/4 to 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
2 limes cut into wedges
freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon until fat renders and meat starts to brown. (Alternately, place ham hock into soup at last stage). Add onion, reduce heat to medium, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, until flour smells cooked (like baked pie crust) but hasn't started to brown, about 3 minutes.

2. Add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to keep mixture simmering and cook until potatoes are barely tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and corn and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir inyogurt to taste. Heat through, about 2 minutes. Serve in soup bowls, garnished with tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, a squirt or two of lime juice, and pepper to taste.

Summer Gazpacho (from Sunset Magazine)

4 lbs. tomatoes, cored
1 1/2 lbs. cucumbers, washed and scrubbed
tomato juice base: 3 cups tomato juice, 3/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 large bell peppers, 1 yellow and 1 green, stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup diced onion
1 large firm-ripe avocado
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup Greek yogurt

Chop 3 tomatoes and 1 cucumber. Fill a blendor or food processor with vegetables; with motor running add enough of the tomato juice base to smoothly puree mixture. Pour mixture into a large bowl or tureen. If needed, puree any remaining chopped vegetables. Add to tureen with any remaining tomato base.

Cut remaining tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers into about 3/8 inch cubes. Add to bowl along with onion; mix.cover, and chill until cold, about 2 hours, or up to 1 day.

Peel, pit, and slice avocado into 10 to 12 wedges; coat wedges with lemon juice. Stir gazpacho and ladle into wide soup bowls; top with avocado slices and spoonfuls of yogurt. Offer olive oil to drizzle into portions to taste; season to taste with salt. Makes 9 or 10 servings.

Cold Cucumber Soup (adapted from Emeril Lagasse)
6 pounds cucumbers (about 6 cucumbers), peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped (12 cups)
2 yellow bell peppers, stem and seeds removed, coarsely chopped
4 green onions, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
3 to 4 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Directions

Combine the cucumbers, bell peppers, green onions, jalapenos, cilantro, mint, dill, garlic, Essence, salt, cayenne, yogurt, 2 cups sour cream, olive oil, and white wine vinegar in a large bowl. Working in batches, puree the ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Transfer the soup to the refrigerator until well chilled, at least 2 hours. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve the soup, with each bowl garnished with a dollop of the remaining sour cream and some of the minced chives.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

You know you're a little obsessed with omega-3's when the manager of your local TJ's recognizes you walking in the door and takes you to see a new product. That's ok, it's an obsession that seems to be helping others and it's fun to learn about new and fun ways to get back into nutritional balance!

This time, the product is Omega Orange Carrot Juice from Trader Joe's. It's actually a blend of several juices with the predominant flavor being carrot. One serving has 50 mg DHA. And, unbelievably, it comes from sardines!

I had to try it, so I brought some home. It was tasty! I asked a friend to try it, one whose tastes differ from mine, and it received a second thumbs up. We also tried it blended with 50% with orange juice and that was good as well. It looked kind of like a tequila sunrise as the two colors swirled around each other while we poured our drinks.

The manager who introduced me to this product told me he had a moment of panic when there was a shipping error and he had 100 cases of this juice on his hands. He was concerned people wouldn't want it. So he put his demo people to work concocting ways to serve it. He learned that no matter what they did, plain juice, or blended into a smoothie, it flew off the shelves. I am thinking for anyone doing any baking it would be a great thing to add to muffins or banana bread.

Of course, it's juice, which means it does have calories and carbohydrates, so you still have to watch the portions. But it's such a simple way to add more omega-3's to your diet, simply by switching out calories that were already there, with calories that add even more nutrition.

Give it a try, you might be surprised at how fishless this product actually tastes!

I don't like avocado. I grew up with avocado trees in my own yard and all my neighbors' yards, and never, ever, ever (did I mention EVER?) could I stand the taste of avocado, no matter how it was presented to me. I figured, I probably wasn't missing out on anything anyway. Even at Mexican restaurants, while everyone dug into the guacamole with gusto, I enjoyed the salsa on my chips just fine without the green stuff.

Imagine my surprise, when I started learning about good nutrition and healthy cooking and discovered I was in fact missing out. I learned that avocados are high in monounsaturated fat, which is said to help lower cholesterol, or keep it low. They're also a great source of potassium, fiber, folate — all good for your cardiovascular health!

So here I was, wondering if I'd ever find a recipe using avocados that would actually make this fruit palatable to me (yes, it's a fruit!). I wasn't necessarily going out of my way to find a recipe, but serendipitously, as I clicked through various websites, I came across this recipe for a chocolate avocado cake on Joy the Baker's blog, and the curiosity of baking with this healthier fat source instead of butter was too strong to resist. Plus, I love chocolate.

Monika Woolsey and I have been talking about this cake — and about baking with avocado in general — for weeks now. Today was the day. I didn't follow the recipe to the letter, because I didn't have enough powdered sugar, but really, it could use a little less anyway! Also, I used macadamia nut oil instead of whatever the recipe called for.

The outcome was REALLY surprising, in a good way! The cake itself is moist, but not greasy, definitely chocolatey, without even a hint of avocado. Instead it has a hint of macadamia nut! YUM!

The frosting is another story. I couldn't leave it green, the way it is in the original recipe — 3 avocados and powdered sugar = green frosting. It looked like the slime from Nickelodeon and the sight of it turned my stomach. So I added 3 tbsp cocoa powder, crossed my fingers and turned on the mixer one more time. The result: chocolate frosting. Unfortunately, the frosting doesn't taste as good on its own as the cake does, so I wasn't wild about licking the spatula.

The combination of the two, however, was very good! I will definitely play with this recipe a little more and maybe even make some cupcakes or a batch of brownies like this!

And yes, there are still several cups of sugar and 3 cups of flour, so it's not a miracle food that's great for your health. However, it could work with a little less sugar, and all the good stuff from the avocado bring it up a notch or two in the"good for you" department.

By the way, if you'd like to learn a little more about the avocado, check out the World's Healthiest Foods website — it's a great resource!

Here's the recipe, I'll note my deviations in parentheses…

Chocolate Avocado Cake, with Avocado Frosting

• 3 cups all-purpose flour


• 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 2 teaspoons baking powder


• 2 teaspoons baking soda


• 2 cups granulated sugar


• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used macadamia nut oil)


• 1/2 cup soft avocado, well mashed, about 1 medium avocado (I ended up needing two since the ones I had were so small)


• 2 cups water


• 2 Tablespoons white vinegar


• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2. Sift together all of the dry ingredients except the sugar. Set that aside too.

3. Mix all the wet ingredients together in a bowl, including the super mashed avocado.

4. Add sugar into the wet mix and stir.

5. Mix the wet with the dry all at once, and beat with a whisk (by hand) until smooth.

6. Pour batter into a greased cake tins. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7. Let cakes cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.

Avocado Buttercream Frosting from Alton Brown
(honestly, it's FAR from resembling buttercream!)

• 8 ounces of avocado meat, about 2 small to medium, very ripe avocados (I used 3 small avocados, which only yielded 6.5 oz)


• 2 teaspoons lemon juice (I didn't have lemon juice so I used lime juice)


• 1 pound powdered sugar, sifted (I only had 1/2 pound of powdered sugar, so that's what I used, 8oz)


• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Peel and pit the soft avocados. It’s important to use the ripest avocados you can get your hands on. If the avocados have brown spots in the meat, avoid those spots when you scoop the meat into the bowl.

2. Place the avocado meat into the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment. Add lemon juice and whisk the avocado on medium speed, until slightly lightened in color and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time and beat. Add vanilla extract until combined. If not using right away, store in the refrigerator. Don’t worry. It won’t turn brown!

***NOTE: The stand mixer didn't do a good enough job of making this even remotely close to frosting-like, so I took out my handy immersion blender and went to town on it. The result was a really smooth and shiny frosting with no visible bits and pieces of avocado!

Marissa Kent of Mission Viejo, California wrote a wonderful article about watermelon for her August newsletter. Be sure to check out the watermelon salad recipe at the bottom of the post!

In addition to being a dietitian specializing in eating disorders and a certified diabetes educator, Marissa loves food, cooking, and hanging out at her local farmer's market.

You can learn more about Marissa and her nutrition counseling services at http://www.marissakentnutrition.com/.

One of the most enjoyed fruits during the hot season is the watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), which originated
from Africa. Did you know a watermelon is 95% water, and there are more than 200 to 300 varieties grown
in the United States alone? Only about half a dozen of those varieties make it into your supermarket. There
is even a square shaped watermelon grown in Japan, so that it will fit into refrigerator shelves nicely and not
take up too much space.

Watermelons do grow from a vine, but the melon is on top of the ground. Growing a watermelon can be very demanding. They require a lot of sunlight, space, water, and nutrients.It takes about 90 days for a full mature watermelon. California’s peak season for watermelon is May – October, but in general you can buy watermelon throughout the year.

Picking a watermelon requires both talent and skill, or just pure luck. Ideally you want a firm, smooth melon
with a yellowish creamy-white underside where it touched ground. Ripe watermelons should have a healthy
sheen and a melon smell. One popular way of picking a watermelon is by knocking on the melon with your
knuckles and listening for a dull, hollow sound. The unripe melons have a higher pitched sound.

Most people prefer watermelons for the cool sweet refreshing taste, but little do they know a watermelon is filled with nutrition.

Nutrition values:

1 cup of diced watermelon:
50 calories
11 grams of carbohydrate
0.6 grams of fiber
9 grams of sugar
1 gram protein– (can you believe it!)
11 mg calcium
170 mg potassium– (helps you stay hydrated)
12.5 mg Vit. C
875 IU (International Units) Vit. A
6900 mcg (micrograms) lycopene — Wow!

Watermelon (as defined by its name) mostly consists of water. It’s a great source for keeping your body hydrated during this hot season. Most of the water will come out of your body through sweat or urination. This does not mean it is low in nutritional value!

The top 2 benefits of eating a watermelon are: 1) the values of vitamin A and 2) lycopene. Both of these are antioxidants. Antioxidants help protect the body from damage caused by free radicals (highly reactive and unstable molecules). Vitamin A aids in the building and strengthening of bones, soft tissue, skin, and mucous membranes. Lycopene is in the subcategory of Vitamin A, and has been shown in recent studies to have potential health benefits to reduce the risk of cancer! Watermelon contains potassium. Potassium helps trigger your heart’s squeeze of blood through your body. It also helps with reducing the amount of muscle cramps.

People with diabetes may be concerned with the sugar content of watermelon. However, other foods you eat with watermelon will reduce the impact on your blood sugar.

Glycemic index refers to how fast a specific carbohydrate (bread, rice, potato, fruits, etc… ) food raises the blood sugar within a given time. The glycemic index of a food can change when you eat a combination of nutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fat). Watermelon (as defined by its name) mostly consists of water. It’s a great source for keeping your body hydrated during this hot season. Most of the water will come out of your body through sweat or urination. This does not mean it is low in nutritional value!

The top 2 benefits of eating a watermelon are: 1) the values of vitamin A and 2) lycopene. Both of these are antioxidants. Antioxidants help protect the body from damage caused by free radicals (highly reactive and unstable molecules). Vitamin A aids in the building and strengthening of bones, soft tissue, skin, and mucous membranes. Lycopene is in the subcategory of Vitamin A, and has been shown in recent studies to have potential health benefits to reduce the risk of cancer! Watermelon contains potassium. Potassium helps trigger your heart’s squeeze of blood through your body. It also helps with reducing the amount of muscle cramps.

People with diabetes may be concerned with the sugar content of watermelon. However, other foods you eat with watermelon will reduce the impact on your blood sugar.

Glycemic index refers to how fast a specific carbohydrate (bread, rice, potato, fruits, etc… ) food raises the blood sugar within a given time. The glycemic index of a food can change when you eat a combination of nutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fat).

For example, if you are eating a hamburger and then a slice of watermelon, that will decrease the time it takes to rise the sugar level. You may want to work with a dietitian to learn more about combining and preparing foods to achieve the lowest glycemic index levels in your meals.

The glycemic index of a watermelon is 72, which is high compared to the chart below. Most nonstarchy vegetables, legumes, high fiber fruits and grains, have a low glycemic index.

Here is a chart of the levels of the glycemic index:

 Low (good) glycemic index levels: 55 or less

 Medium glycemic index levels: 56–69

 High (bad) glycemic index levels: 70 or higher

In conclusion, the glycemic index of watermelon is high. If you stay within the recommended portion size (1 cup diced), your blood sugar will not be significantly affected. In addition, if you enjoy watermelon with a meal this will further balance blood sugar.

Enjoy picking out and eating your watermelon while we are still in summer!!!

Watermelon Summer Salad

Dressing:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup minced shallots (1 large)
1 T honey
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Salad:

6 cups of baby arugula, washed
1/8 of a seedless watermelon, rind removed and cut into 1 inch cubes
12 oz of feta cheese, 1/2 inch diced
1/2 cup whole fresh mint leaves, julienned

Directions

Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice and shallots, honey, salt and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly to form an emulsion. If not using within an hour, store the vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator.

Place arugula, watermelon, feta, and mint in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well. Taste and serve immediately

I just tried all of these and they are so easy to prepare and absolutely yummy

Cucumber Watercress Soup
3 1/2 cups cucumber juice (4-6 cucumbers)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 bunch fresh watercress
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp sea salt

Using a juicer, juice the cucumbers. In a high speed blender, combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth
*I added some fresh dill and parsley to this recipe and chose not to use salt, you can try either way

I thought I'd shine a little light on one of the season's antioxidant powerhouses — cranberries. We tend to associate antioxidants with summer foods such as berries, but check out some of the things cranberries can do for you!

--They may keep ulcer-causing bacteria from attaching to the stomach lining.

--They help to prevent cancer

--They help to protect against cardiovascular disease

Cranberries contain the same antioxidant, anthocyanin, as blueberries. What is interesting about cranberries, though, is that they are grown on the water, which helps to increase their anthocyanin content. Antioxidants aren't just created for humans, they're found in plants where they are doing their protective work. You can say that in cranberries, these anthocyanins are working kind of like sunscreen does for us! And they do double duty when you eat them yourself.

Cranberries are most likely to provide the highest benefit when eaten whole (not as a sauce or in a Cape Codder)…so since most of us don't really know what to do with cranberries outside of those two things, I looked up a few cranberry recipes. The salsa recipe comes from http://www.allrecipes.com/, and the rest come from the Cape Cod Cranberry Grower's Association, where you might want to visit for even more ideas.

Here's to red food keeping us healthy!

Cranberry Salsa

1 (12 ounce) bag cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, cut into 3 inch lengths
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 limes, juiced
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt

Combine cranberries, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a medium blade. Chop to medium consistency. Refrigerate if not using immediately. Serve at room temperature.

Cranberry Almond Goat Cheese Log

Servings: 2 logs
11oz goat cheese
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
1 cup natural sliced almonds — divided

wax paper

Place goat cheese in food processor work bowl.

Pulse several times until cheese is crumbled.

Add orange zest and chopped dried cranberry to crumbled goat cheese. Pulse for 5 seconds, or until cheese mixture will start to form a ball.

Remove cheese mixture from work bowl and separate into two balls. Form each cheese balls into a log shape approximately 2x4 inches each.

Place half of the almonds onto a piece of wax paper. Roll one goat cheese log over almonds, covering the entire surface of the log, gently pressing to assure the almonds stick.

Repeat with the remaining second log and almonds. Wrap the logs individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours before serving. Serve on Baguette Croutes (see recipe below).

Cranberry Almond Goat Cheese Logs will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Bake until just golden, 10-12 minutes.
Transfer to a serving tray and let cool.
Spread Cranberry Almond Goat Cheese Log on Baguette Croutes and serve.

Warm Baby Spinach and Cranberry Salad

6 servings

1 package baby spinach, washed and cleaned thoroughly
½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup Italian Salad Dressing
2 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoon olive oil
Place cleaned baby spinach in serving bowl.

Place sauté pan over medium heat. Add oil.

Add pine nuts and sauté quickly until lightly browned.

Add minced garlic and sweetened dried cranberries and stir quickly to coat with oil.

Let simmer for about 30 seconds.

Add Zesty Italian Dressing, stir, remove from heat and pour over baby spinach.

Serve immediately with entrée as a side dish.

Cranberry Couscous

4 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup chopped white onion
1 ½ cups cranberry juice cocktail, heated to a simmer
1 cup couscous
¼ cup chopped pistachios
2 scallions green parts only
½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
salt and pepper (to taste)

In a medium saucepan add olive oil.

Add the white onion, sweetened dried cranberries and pistachios, and saute gently over low heat until onion is translucent and slightly fragrant.

Add the couscous and the warm cranberry juice cocktail.

Stir with a fork to combine, cover.

Let sit for 10 minutes.

Add the scallions. Fluff with fork.

Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.

Turn into serving dish.

Serve hot.
.

It's my absolute favorite time of year, when cherries are cheap. I wait all summer for July! Even though I usually eat all my cherries before I have a chance to do anything else with them, a few years ago I did find a cherry salsa recipe in a Costco cookbook that earns raves every time I take it to a party.

Cherries are a great anti-inflammatory, and they are also high in melatonin. So they do double duty in helping to balance hormones. Eat them plain…throw them in a smoothie…try this salsa…no matter how you pit 'em, you can't go wrong!

From: Favorite Recipes The Costco Way

Cherry Salsa

Mix together in a bowl:

1 1/4 cups pitted, chopped cherries
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp fresh orange juice
1/2 tsp freshly grated lime peel
1/2 tsp freshly grated orange peel
3 tbsp chopped yellow onion
2 tbsp chopped yellow bell pepper
1 tsp finely diced serrano chile
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1tbsp very finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp salt

Enjoy!

Click here for the top ten list of superfoods! Eat these foods and live 10 years longer!

The world has gone koo-koo for antioxidants!

I've been encouraging readers to increase their antioxidant intake, too…but did you know too many antioxidants can be a bad thing?

If you've been reading up on antioxidants, the word polyphenols may sound familiar. They are a category of antioxidants that are believed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Foods high in polyphenol content routinely show up on"superfood" lists and include: tea, wine, berries, beer, grapes, olive oil, chocolate, walnuts, peanuts, and pomegranates.

Before antioxidants were trendy, they were known as tannins. In some circles, tannins were even called"anti-nutrients". They may make protein difficult to digest and absorb, and they can bind and reduce the absorption of non-heme iron, a primary source of iron for vegetarians. If you're juicing and emphasizing any of the above foods, you may also be at risk for issues with protein and iron.

I'm not sure if the the term"polyphenol" has come into vogue to increase the marketability of a compound formerly associated with nutritional problems, or if we simply have learned more about their benefits over time. The important thing is, as with every food you can choose to include in your day, balance, moderation, and respectful use are all key if you truly want to capitalize on their nutritional gifts.

Here are some simple things you can do that can allow you to capitalize on the benefits of polyphenols while minimizing the problems they pose.

1. Avoid falling into the"top ten" trap and eat a wide variety of foods. Mix things up! I like to throw a shot of pomegranate juice into my carrot juice.

2. Be sure your daily diet is adequate in vitamin C, which can help to increase iron absorption. Vitamin C sources lower in tannins include: guava, parsley, broccoli, lychee, persimmon, papaya, canteloupe, and garlic.

3. If you drink orange juice, go for the all-natural kind. Commercial brands often ADD tannins in order to increase the"pucker factor" consumers associate with their product.

4. Enjoy coffee and tea in moderation. Even the"healthy" green kind.

And remember…variety…variety…variety!

It's getting hot outside, and that likely means you're getting thirsty.

A consistency I've noticed, in the years of examining food diaries, is how we seem to write off what we drink as far as its influence on our health. Calories, caffeine, sugar, even healthy ingredients such as antioxidants, get far less credit for what they do, than similar items that we chew! This can get us in trouble when the mercury climbs, and we start to bore of plain water. It's often not the food I try to tweak in a diet, but the juice, soda, or latte that's adding extra calories and promoting an overall imbalance.

If you look in the herbal tea section of your grocery store, you'll see lots of great alternatives. One of my personal favorites is hibiscus. It's not just a beautiful flower! It makes a delicious tea with quite a few health benefits:
--it has diuretic properties, which makes it perfect for PMS
--it is a mild antihypertensive
--one study suggested that it can help to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides
--it contains anthocyanins, those powerful antioxidants we tend to associate with blueberries
--it may have some anti-obesigenic properties

In my part of the country, especially in Spanish-speaking sections of town and REAL Mexican restaurants, we see a drink called Jamaica, which is a hibiscus-based beverage. The restaurant versions are likely too sweet to be consumed on a daily basis; here is a recipe from http://www.chow.com/, which you can probably make with far less sugar than the recipe calls for. I'd start with 1/3 of what is listed and gradually add until you like it.

Agua de Jamaica

3 quarts (12 cups) water

1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger, finely grated
1 1/2 cups dried Jamaica flowers (also known as hibiscus or flor de Jamaica)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from 1 large lime)

Combine water and ginger in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.

Remove from heat and stir in Jamaica flowers and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Let steep 10 minutes.

Strain through a chinois or fine mesh sieve into a large, heat-resistant bowl or pot. Stir in lime juice and set aside to cool. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve over ice.

Gosain S, Ircchiaya R, Sharma PC, Thareja S, Kalra A, Deep A, Bhardwaj TR. Hypolipidemic effect of ethanolic extract from the leaves of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. in hyperlipidemic rats. Acta Pol Pharm. 2010 Mar-Apr;67(2):179-84.

McKay DL, Chen CY, Saltzman E, Blumberg JB. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. tea (tisane) lowers blood pressure in prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults. J Nutr. 2010 Feb;140(2):298-303. Epub 2009 Dec 16.

Alarcon-Aguilar FJ, Zamilpa A, Perez-Garcia MD, Almanza-Perez JC, Romero-Nuñez E, Campos-Sepulveda EA, Vazquez-Carrillo LI, Roman-Ramos R. Effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa on obesity in MSG mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2007 Oct 8;114(1):66-71. Epub 2007 Jul 27.

Chang YC, Huang KX, Huang AC, Ho YC, Wang CJ. Hibiscus anthocyanins-rich extract inhibited LDL oxidation and oxLDL-mediated macrophages apoptosis. Food Chem Toxicol. 2006 Jul;44(7):1015-23. Epub 2006 Feb 13.

My latest and favorite act of procrastination is to walk two blocks over to the new Fresh and Easy store and check out the taste testing samples. (I am there so frequently the demo guy, Stephen, and I, are on a first-name basis!) Last week he had a really great spring green salad with fresh strawberries, made to showcase their blueberry-pomegranate vinaigrette. The taste was excellent; the only problem, however, was that the oil that was used as the base was not one of the ones inCYST likes its fans to prioritize. So I found another recipe online, from a website called Cooking with Dan. It's equally as great on the Fresh and Easy spring green mix.

One important word of caution: If you're trying to conceive, you may wish to file this recipe for future use.

Blueberry pomegranate vinaigrette

1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup pomegranate juice (POM the real stuff works best)
1/4 cup EVOO
1/8 cup Red Wine Vinegar
Basil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic

Blend the blueberries and pomegranate juice together to make a mixture. Then reduce it to a thick sauce on the stove (in a pot of course). Then add the other ingredients and blend it together. I store mine in a tuberware in my fridge and use it on a lot of salads.

Oh! And while I was searching for this recipe I found quite a few links to recipes for blueberry pomegranate martinis at Recipezaar. I'm not much of a drinker and have had maybe two martinis in my life…but the pomegranate margarity I had at Fez Restaurant a few weeks ago…and this martini looked good enough that I might have to pick up the ingredients on my next Fresh and Easy run and have them ready as a reward for finally coming home after the next 8 days of very busy traveling. The Recipezaar page has some comments on the side for alternatives that may be more tasty to the seasoned martini connoisseur

Linda's Blueberry-Pomegranate Martini

2 ounces vodka
1 ounce pomegranate-blueberry juice

Directions

Fill a shaker half-way with ice.

Shake ingredients in a shaker and put in chilled martini glasses.

Cauliflower Couscous

2 heads cauliflower, finely ground in a food processor
1/2 fresh cup lemon juice
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon black pepper
pinch of sea salt
1 bunch fresh parsley, stems removed
1 bunch fresh mint, stems removed
1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed
1 13oz jar pitted Greek olives

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly

Marinated Bok Choy Salad

5 heads baby bok choy
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Nama Shoyu
4 cloves garlic, peeled

Starting from the bottom of the plant, chop the bok choy stalks into half-inch pieces, leaving the leaves whole. In a blender, combine the olive oil, Nama Shoyu and garlic and blend thoroughly. Add to the bok choy, mix well and serve.

Pesto Sauce

2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 fresh lemon juice
pinch sea salt
1 cup raw pine nuts
1 cup fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil

In a high speed blender, combine all the ingredients, and blend until smooth.
(can add 3/4 cup Thai cocunut water if desired)
We served this last night over brown rice linguini pasta and it was delicious!!

Not long ago a woman with PCOS handed me a diet diary for analysis. She had eaten a burger without the bun and a sweetened ice tea for breakfast. Lunch didn't happen until 2 pm, and it was a brownie with ice cream. And finally, she recorded a bowl of cereal for dinner.

One of the things that jumped out at me was that there were no fruits or vegetables in her meal plan. When I asked her about it…she told me she was avoiding carbs!

Fruits have somehow gotten a bad rap because of their carbohydrate content. But they're not the culprit in an unhealthy diet. In fact, fruits are very high in antioxidants, which can help to repair the damage that life stress and the stress of having a chronic disease can create. In my opinion, you can't afford NOT to have fruit.

I chose oranges this week, because I live in Arizona and I have an orange tree off of my patio. It is the most wonderful treat to wake up, pick a few oranges, and have a glass of fresh squeezed juice. Or, when I need a break in the afternoon, to pick a fresh snack for myself. Nothing tastes better than fruit right from the source. I recently made a great salad vinaigrette using orange juice and olive oil as the base. Even with all these oranges, I'm not making a dent in my supply!

If your diet diary mimicks the one I described above, challenge yourself to try the following. Be sure to have a serving of fruit the size of a tennis ball at each meal, or the total equivalent of 3 servings that size of fruit in the course of a day. Challenge yourself to not eat any sources of refined sugar until you've met your daily quota of fruit. See if, when you focus on fruit, your appetite for other sugars diminishes. And in the process, if changing the kind of sugar you eat doesn't help stabilize your energy levels and help you to feel better.

I am thankful for every single person who finds inCYST. It means we are connecting with people our information has potential to help.

I am thankful for all the professionals of inCYST who help to make it the amazing PCOS resource that it is.

And I am thankful for the support of family, friends, and colleagues as I navigate this project on its course.

I hope all of you also have much to be thankful for!

I thought you might enjoy this recipe, perhaps you can use it to toast your thanks with. It's beautiful, and tasty. Oh, and by the way…it is also healthy!

Cranberry Raspberry Green Tea Spritzer (adapted from recipezaar.com)
SERVES 8

Ingredients
3 cups boiling water
6 tea bags (preferably green tea)
1 cup cranberry-raspberry juice, chilled
1 cup club soda, chilled

Directions
1. Pour boiling water over tea bags, then cover & brew for 5 minutes. Remove & squeeze the tea bags over the brewed tea, then pour into a large pitcher, & set aside to cool. If it needs to be sweetened, add the sweetener of your choice, to taste.
2. When cooled, add fruit juice to the tea, & stir to combine. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
3. When ready to serve, add club soda & pour into ice-filled glasses.

I had a bag of really sweet plums this week, as well as a few frozen chicken breasts. So I Googled both of these with the word"salad"…and found this really nice recipe from the Northwest Cherry Growers:

I didn't use the rice, and I bet if you like quinoa, as shown in the picture and in this second recipe, you could substitute that to further improve the protein content and glycemic index. I also used only half of the canola oil, and threw in a handful of sliced almonds instead.

Fruit and protein are a great combination for an easy summer dinner. And an easy way to get ideas, is to do what I did, Google the fruit and protein you have along with the word"salad". There's a pretty good chance someone has posted a recipe somewhere!

PLUM GINGER CHICKEN SALAD

Makes 4 servings, each serving equals three 5 A Day servings.

Ingredients

• 1 (4-to 6-ounce) package long grain and wild rice mix
• 2 cups cooked boneless chicken breast cubes
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 4 plums, sliced
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Prepare rice mix as directed; cool to room temperature.

Combine rice, chicken, green onions and sliced plums in large mixing bowl.

To prepare dressing, combine oil, lemon juice, soy sauce and ginger; pour over rice mixture and toss lightly.

Chill until served.

Enjoy!

I have a new favorite recipe that I thought you would like! If you use the anchovy paste, you'll get additional omega-3's; if you're vegan it's fine to use soy sauce. I use lite soy sauce to cut the sodium content. I have also cut the oil in half from the original recipe; feel free to add more if you need it. Just remember that it is the fat in the Caesar that can throw the calories out of whack.

Add chicken or salmon…or even canned tuna…for protein…and you've got a tasty, hormone-friendly meal!

Kale and Romaine Caesar Salad

Ingredients

- 2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 T anchovy paste from a tube (or substitute soy sauce)
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 3 T olive oil
- 2 T + 2 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 4-5 oz. romaine lettuce, thinly sliced, washed and dried
- 4-5 oz. dark green kale, washed, dried, and thinly sliced

Preparation

Blend the lemon juice, anchovy paste (or soy sauce), garlic, and Dijon in a food processor and pulse together a few times. Add the olive oil one tablespoon at a time, pulsing for a few seconds after each tablespoon is added. Stir in 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan and season the dressing with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Put dressing in the fridge and chill until ready to use, or if you want to make the salad right away, chill it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so.
Thinly slice romaine lettuce and kale into 1/2 inch strips. Wash, then spin dry or dry with paper towels.

Place the kale strips in a salad bowl, and pour in salad dressing. Massage dressing into kale with your hands until the leaves change color. Add romaine and toss to coat with dressing. Add the remaining 2 T of freshly grated Parmesan to the salad and toss again. Serve right away.

I was intrigued by a recipe I recently received from idealbite.com for Organic Butterstick Squash Soup. What in the world is a Butterstick Squash I thought??? Well, it turns out it is a summer squash also known by cucurbita pepo. And did you know that, botanically speaking, squash is a fruit? Who knew??? Anyway, the recipe looks delicious and if you cannot find Butterstick Squash, regular old yellow squash will do. Oh, and as an added bonus, the hazelnuts contain omega-3s and the cranberries are high in antioxidants. Enjoy!

Be sure to check out the Ideal Bite website for more eco-friendly tidbits!

Organic Butterstick Squash Soup
(serves 4-6)

Ingredients (local or organic whenever possible):
1 yellow Butterstick squash (or 5 yellow squash)
2 Tbls. butter
1 Tbls. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
2 tsp. lemon juice
12 cups of vegetable stock (canned is fine)
pumpkin seed oil
hazelnuts
fresh cranberries

Peel squash, reserving skin. Dice the squash and saute' over high heat with butter, stirring constantly. Cook for approximately a minute and a half to dry out the squash, but don't let it caramelize. Add salt and pepper, add 4 cups water and cook for 10 minutes. Blanch the skins in boiling water for 45 seconds. Puree the cooked squash and skins together in a blender with the lemon juice. In a separate saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Pour stock into blender with mixture, and puree to soup consistency. Pour entire mixture back into pot and bring to a boil. Serve in bowls drizzled with pumpkin seed oil and garnished with hazelnuts and fresh cranberries.

I don't have to tell you this is one of your crucial vitamins. It's important for becoming pregnant, staying pregnant, and helping your unborn baby to grow and develop. It's just a super hard nutrient to get in, when your appetite is driven by carbohydrate cravings.

PCOS Diva, once again, has created a wonderful set of menus focusing on including folate. Check them out (below), pick even one to try and see if it's something you can add to your rotation.

Last week I had the opportunity to eat at a wonderful and popular restaurant in Venice, California, Lemonade. Today's picture is a photo of me with my plate and my friend's plate from that lunch. You couldn't go wrong in that place, practically everything on the menu offered a hormone-friendly benefit. It was such a contrast to the weekend before when I found myself in an unfamiliar part of town when the lunchtime hungries rolled around. I walked in to a Burger King. And while I ordered the chicken sandwich, I had to special order to keep the sauce off, and everywhere I looked, if there wasn't a promotional ad encouraging me to eat something sugary or fatty, someone WAS eating something sugary or fatty. I rarely step into these establishments and I felt completely out of my element.

I'm guessing it works the other way around. If you're used to fast food restaurants, a place like Lemonade might seem a little intimidating. So for another writing gig, I went through Lemonade's menu and listed the items they offered that were high in folate.

A big part of eating better is getting used to being in environments that support the change. It's not going to happen in a place where the profit margin is largely supported by foods that do not support health. In a place that is devoted to making healthy eating easy, the hardest decision you're going to have…which I faced in Lemonade…was figuring out WHICH healthy route to go!

If you think the reason you cannot eat better because you don't enjoy cooking, or do not feel like you have the time to do it, get in the habit of patronizing establishments that incorporate the foods we encourage you to eat. Order a little extra to take home for dinner, or if you're eating dinner out, for lunch the next day. Make it hard for yourself to have a reason to walk into fast food world. Eventually, you'll wonder why it was ever even an option.

Folate foods (foods with asterisks are fortified with added folate)

Breakfast cereals
Beef liver
Cowpeas (blackeyes)
Breakfast cereals
Spinach
Great Northern beans
Asparagus
*Rice, white
Vegetarian baked beans
Green peas
Broccoli
*Egg noodles
Broccoli,
Avocado
Peanuts
Lettuce, Romaine
Wheat germ
Tomato Juice
Orange juice
Turnip greens
Orange
*Bread
Egg,
Cantaloupe
Papaya
Banana

I'm sitting at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market this afternoon, waiting for a meeting with a client. I love their aguas frescas, and it's always fun to try one at the Market, because their flavor creations are creative…and they make your tastebuds dance!

If you've never heard of an agua fresca, it's a Mexican specialty, typically made with some type of fruit juice as a base. However, the juice is diluted with water and spiced up with a variety of flavors. Here's one of my favorite links if you're interested in trying some in your own kitchen.

Today, the Market made an agua fresca that tasted just like Bloody Mary Mix. Mario, their fresca master, is somewhat of an artist, and he didn't have the exact recipe to share, but I did get the ingredients (see below). If you're super creative, DO try this at home!

By the way, their version is named the Bloody Natalie, after one of the Market's employees. She's been extra helpful on a few inCYST projects, and I wanted to use this blog post as an excuse to give her a shout out, and thank her for her support of all of you readers. Here's a little bit about Natalie from the Market's website. Stop by, say hi, thank the human Natalie, and taste the liquid one!

Flame grapes
Tomatoes
Carrots
Celery
Red beets
Purple cabbage
Orange peppers
Thai chili
Cucumber
Garlic
Radish
Ginger
Parsley
Bail
Cumin
Coriander
Black pepper