I mentioned yesterday in my Facebook status that I was making black eyed peas, and the response to the recipe was positive enough that I thought I'd share it here!
Black eyed peas are one of those things you don't hear much about unless someone in your family comes from south of the Mason-Dixon line. They are commonly eaten on New Year's Day for good luck. I'm used to having them cooked with a ham hock, served with greens. But I saw this recipe in my new Costco cookbook and had to try it. It's supposed to be a dip for chips, but I loved it as a cold salad.
Black eyed peas, by the way, are a decent source of folate, for those of you who are trying to conceive or who are pregnant.
Enjoy!
Cowboy Caviar
1 lb. frozen corn 1/2 lb. black eyed peas, cooked (I just piled them in the slow cooker first thing this morning) 1 avocado, peeled and diced 2/3 cup cilantro, … Read Morechopped 2-3 green onions, chopped 4 Roma tomatoes 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2 garlic cloves, crushed 3/4 tsp salt 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper 1 tbsp ground cumin
In a medium bowl, combine first 6 ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together next 6 ingredients. Add to the vegetable mixture and toss to coat.
I am half German and, as my grandfather on my other side always reminded me…half Southern! I love having such different cultures as influences in my life. On New Year's Day, that means eating black-eyed peas and sauerkraut. The black-eyed peas are so that my Dixie genes have good luck in the coming year, and the sauerkraut is for my German side to make lots of money.
This year, I decided to make extra black-eyed peas and share them with neighbors (figured I'd never be invited to any potlucks again if I tried to serve them with the sauerkraut!).
Early in the morning, I pulled out the slow cooker, poured in all the ingredients, and forgot about the whole thing until late afternoon. My neighbors were appreciative, but they all seemed to think I'd gone through a whole lot of trouble. I hadn't, really, just took 5 minutes to pour a few basic ingredients in the slow cooker before spending the rest of the day having fun.
I was reminded of how my clients often seem disappointed that what I have to offer them when they ask me to help them with changes…isn't high tech, or expensive, or glamorous. The best changes are always the easiest, the cheapest, the lowest maintenance. Why is it that if it's not complicated, high profile, or involving a lot of money, we don't think it's worthwhile to pursue?
The biggest investment with these peas was the slow cooker. And since I made a double batch, I had dinner for a week.
It's really not about big, dramatic, difficult changes. It's about small changes that stick with you over time. For most of you, I bet the hardest thing about learning to use a slow cooker is remembering to put all the ingredients together before you leave for work. But there is always the ever-handy Post-it note reminder right at eye level in the bathroom mirror.
You'll save money, you'll have a great smelling house when you come in at the end of the day, you won't have to worry about what to cook when you're tired…and what you DO eat will be a little closer to what you know you need to do for better health.
What do you say…about making 2008 the year of little changes that add up to big differences?
Yes, some of us encounter circumstances that bring things we want, our way, a little more easily than they come to others. However, much of what we perceive as"luck", is the manifestation of a collection of prudent choices we've made, coming together to provide us with positive circumstances.
As a dietitian and exercise physiologist, I have lost count of the times that I've heard a client say,"But look at you. You're lucky. You don't have to worry about your weight like I do."
That's complete and total magical thinking, ladies. Some of the choices I make that play a part in what these clients see:
--exercise, sometimes walking, sometimes time at the gym…regardless of what it is, a commitment to being physically active, even on days when I don't feel like it. In fact, more commitment on the days that I don't, because that's when I need it the most.
--certain foods that simply don't come home in my grocery basket. Doesn't mean I don't eat them, but it does mean I don't set myself up to eat too much of them by allowing their colorful packages to stare me in the face every time I walk into the kitchen.
--associating with people whose goals for themselves are consistent with my own health goals. I tend not to stay out too late at parties because I value my sleep, I enjoy being active but also going to museums. I have friends who allow me to be balanced, rather than obsessive in any direction. Friends whose lives revolve around foods I know I shouldn't overindulge in, are not friends I can spend a whole lot of time with and maintain an expectation that I can be healthy.
--spending time with animals and nature to restore my energy reserves.
All of this takes commitment. I'm not known as the Party Girl in my circle. I'm actually kind of a nerd. But I have awesome family and friends, tasty food in my kitchen, I laugh and love a lot, and I fall asleep easily at the end of a day when I've worked hard on inCYST as well as my own physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual health.
What my clients see is not a lucky person who never lifts a finger or never sacrifices, but a person who invests in health, who gets a return on her investment for the effort, and who wants everyone she aspires to help to join her on that journey.
I've never offered the idea that somewhere in all of this you're going to arrive at a place where you won't ever have to make responsible choices. But I do want you to trust that when you make responsible, self-nurturing choices, things that used to elude you suddenly show up on the radar. And I want to show you how it's done.
On that note, here is a recipe from the South for black-eyed peas. They are traditionally eaten on New Year's Day for good luck. But they happen to be high in protein and fiber, excellent for hormones, and a proactive choice you can make to invest in your own health. One small, positive step is a most excellent building block for bringing more positive energy your way.
See you next year!
If possible, use fresh basil in the dressing for this easy salad.
•1 small sweet red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
•.
•Basil Dressing
•1/4 cup cider vinegar
•3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried
•2 to 3 medium cloves garlic, crushed
•1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
•1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1 cup olive oil
•fresh basil or parsley for garnish
Preparation:
In a serving bowl combine black-eyed peas, 1/4 teaspoon salt, chopped onion, celery, and green pepper. Set aside.
In a small bowl or other container, whisk together the vinegar, basil, garlic, sugar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil until the dressing is well blended. You can use a blender for this step, if desired.
In a medium bowl, combine the black-eyed peas, the chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, and basil dressing. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve with a garnish of fresh parsley or basil, if desired.
One of our vegan readers wrote and asked if I had a list of options for protein. This is a copy of a list I compiled for a local vegetarian eating class I teach. Hope it is helpful! Numbers in the far right column are in grams. This is not a comprehensive list. I recognize that nuts are not on here, for example. The purpose of this list is for you to become familiar with a collection of foods you may be familiar with but not know the protein content, and to be introduced to a few new players.
Have fun!
Blackeyed peas 1 cup 14 Cannellini 1 cup 17 Cranberry bean 1 cup 17 Fava bean 1 cup 13 Garbanzo beans 1 cup 15 Great Northern 1 cup 15 Green peas 1 cup 9 Kidney beans 1 cup 15 Lentils 1 cup 18 Lima beans 1 cup 15 Mung beans 1 cup 14 Navy beans 1 cup 16 Pink beans 1 cup 15 Pinto beans 1 cup 14 Soybeans 1 cup 29 Split peas 1 cup 16
Amaranth 1 cup 7 Barley flakes 1 cup 4 Barley pearls 1 cup 4 Buckwheat groats 1 cup 5 Cornmeal 1 cup 3 Millet 1 cup 3 Oat groats 1 cup 8 Oat bran 1 cup 6 Quinoa 1 cup 7 Brown rice 1 cup 5 White rice 1 cup 4 Wild rice 1 cup 4 Rye berries 1 cup 7 Rye flakes 1 cup 7 Spelt berries 1 cup 6 Teff 1 cup 5 Triticale 1 cup 6 Wheat berries 1 cup 25
Cous cous 1 cup 6 Bulgur wheat 1 cup 5 Boca burger 1 13 White wave seitan 3 oz 31 Corn grits 1/2 cup 6 7 grain cereal 1/2 cup 8 Bob's 8 grain 1/2 cup 8 Bob's 10 grain 1/2 cup 12 Bob's Kamut 1/2 cup 10 Bob's Triticale 1/2 cup 8 Cream of Rye 1/2 cup 10 Kashi 1/2 cup 12 Mother's Multigrain 1/2 cup 10 Quaker Oats 1/2 cup 10 Quinoa Flakes 1/2 cup 6 Roman Meal 1/2 cup 10 Wheatena 1/2 cup 10
I've been writing this blog long enough to know that as soon as I recommend a supplement, the post is circulated, reposted, retweeted, ad nauseum. If I talk about changing food choices, it sits there like a bump on a log.
I posted the information about myoinositol supplementation because I knew that many of you are having such a hard time with the side effects of metformin, that it might be helpful to try this compound as an adjunct.
In the process of researching the topic, however, I came to understand that part of the reason many of you have a problem with your myoinositol levels in the first place…is that your dietary choices may have backed you into a corner.
Myoinositol isn't new news, really. Back in 1980 a physician and a dietitian wrote a very nice review article and developed some recommendations for increasing dietary inositol that I'm going to summarize here. In a nutshell, it's a dietary intermediate that is found in high quantities in nerve cells. If your nerves are working harder than they were designed to, as is the case when you don't manage your stress, don't attend to good sleep hygiene, overexercise, and eat a poorly varied diet, there is a really good chance you're going to deplete your myoinositol levels more quickly than you can replete them. That is a consequence for ANYONE not taking good care of themselves, it's not a unique feature of PCOS.
For anyone struggling with medical issues related to hyperexcitable brains, including migraines, epilepsy, anxiety disorder, OCD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, etc., it's highly possible that your daily myoinositol needs are simply higher than average. Everything you see us write about on this blog, from omega-3's to antioxidants, is designed to reduce that hyperexcitability and make it easier for your brain to function as it should. It certainly is not going to hurt to take a supplement, and if you've been asking your brain to run on nutritional empty for a long time, or if you've been working hard to turn your PCOS around with good habits and just don't seem to be getting over the hump with it, supplementing may be a great tool to add to your already good habits.
There is some thought that people with insulin function problems may have alterations in myoinositol function, which could also increase the daily needed dose.
I must iterate, however, that a myoinositol supplement is NOT a substitute for a healthy diet. There is no such thing as a donut for breakfast, a Snickers for lunch, and a binge for dinner…cancelled out by a few pills in a bottle. So my guess is that those of you who are making good changes diet and stress management-wise in conjunction with the supplement are the most likely to achieve the benefit of the supplement. That is just how biochemistry works!
The study I recently quoted (focusing on neuropathy, not ovulation) used a myoinositol dose of 4 grams. The study I quote today found an effective response from a highest dose of 1,500 mg. It doesn't mean that these are the doses recommended for each particular diagnosis, or type of inositol, pill or food…it simply means those are the doses the reseachers decided to study.
However, since that is the dose reported in the ovulation study, and more of you reading this are interested in conception than nerve pain, I'll post the values of the highest myoinositol containing foods and let you figure out what your best food/supplement combination is to achieve that dose (4000 mg or 4 g daily).
I'm going to tell you, what I was thinking as I compiled this list was that if you're only concentrating on carb/protein/fat content, you're cutting out all your myoinositol sources. It looks like Mother Nature makes sure that when we eat carbohydrate as it appears in nature, that it comes packaged with a nutrient important for metabolizing it. It's when we refine that sugar and eat it out of context, as with sodas, candy, baked goods, etc…that we dig a hole for our nervous systems.
We just can't outsmart her, can we?
The complete list can be found at this link.
Myoinositol Containing Foods with more than 100 mg/serving 1/2 cup grapefruit juice 456 1/2 cup canned great northern beans 440 1/4 fresh cantelope 355 1 fresh orange 307 1 slice stone ground wheat bread 288 1/2 cup rutabaga 252 1/2 cup kidney beans 249 1/2 cup orange juice 245 1/2 cup canned oranges 240 1/2 cup canned peas 235 1/2 fresh grapefruit 199 1 fresh lime 194 1/2 cup canned blackberries 173 1/2 cup mandarin oranges 149 1/2 cup canned lima beans 146 1/2 cup kiwi fruit 136 1 cup split peas 128 2 T. creamy peanut butter 122 1 fresh nectarine 118 1/2 cup canned black-eyed peas 117 1/2 cup grapefruit sections, canned 117 Rex S. Clements, Jr., M.D. and Betty Darnell, M.S., RD. Myo-inositol content of common foods: development of a high-myo-inositol diet. Am J Clin Nutr September 1980 vol. 33 no. 9, 1954-1967.
Not long ago, I stopped into Planet Raw, in Santa Monica. It's a very popular hangout for raw foodists, so I wanted to see what the buzz was about. I actually enjoyed perusing the shelves, and they did have some fun things to buy for the more adventurous cook. I'll probably eat there from time to time, as it's a stone's throw away from my office.
However…I had a most disturbing conversation with one of the employees. When she learned that I was a dietitian, she commented,"Cool, maybe you can help then. We're having trouble finding protein sources. Do you have any ideas?"
So I mentioned Growing Naturals, the rice protein powder that I wrote up last week.
"Oh, we don't do rice."
When I asked why, she responded by explaining that Planet Raw's owner"doesn't do rice".
So I suggested pea protein.
"Oh, we don't do peas, either."
When I asked why, she responded by explaining that Planet Raw's owner"doesn't do peas".
I could see I wasn't going to get anywhere because I was in a food religion debate, not an evidence-based scientific discussion, so I politely guided the conversation to its end.
I later went to the website (which you can Google for yourself, I won't provide free advertising for this place through linking), and could find absolutely nothing explaining this philosophy. I saw plenty of advertising for expensive certifications as raw chefs, and courses for raw foodists…which, in essence, kind of seemed like me to be expensive courses on how to promote malnutrition.
I do my best to be positive and inspiring rather than confrontational on this blog, but sometimes I get pushed past my limit of tolerance. This philosophy, especially for women with PCOS who need a decent amount of protein in their diet to reduce the influence of insulin resistance, is simply dangerous.
Of course, a diet that is heavy on the raw, is perfectly fine. It means you're eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts…all great sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. But a completely raw diet needs to be taken on with a lot of thought, not be a source of pride with regard to how many foods you can find an excuse not to eat. Here is why.
At the same time raw food diets have been studied and found to have benefit, they have also been associated with many problems women with PCOS already have.
lower bone density, amenorrhea and underweightness in women, dental erosion with a raw vegan diet,
elevated plasma homocysteine and low serum HDL cholesterol" and vitamin B12 deficiency.
Bottom line? Enjoy your occasional lunch at Planet Raw, and buy their coconut flour. But don't depend on them for advice when it comes to how to eat this diet in a way that allows you to reduce the influence PCOS has on your life.
For the record, I am NOT anti-raw. I am anti-malnutrition, and anti-inflammation. Be sure you know the difference if you choose to pursue a raw foodist lifestyle/food religion.
Fontana, L; Shew, JL; Holloszy, JO; Villareal, DT. Low bone mass in subjects on a long-term raw vegan diet." Archives of Internal Medicine 165 (6): 684–9, 2005.
Koebnick, C; Strassner, C; Hoffmann, I; Leitzmann, C. Consequences of a long-term raw vegan diet on body weight and menstruation: results of a questionnaire survey. Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism 43 (2): 69–79, 1999.
Ganss, C; Schlechtriemen, M; Klimek, J. Dental erosions in subjects living on a raw food diet. Caries Research 33 (1): 74–80, 1999.
Koebnick, Corinna; Garcia, Ada L; Dagnelie, Pieter C; Strassner, Carola; Lindemans, Jan; Katz, Norbert; Leitzmann, Claus; Hoffmann, Ingrid. Long-Term Consumption of a Raw Food Diet Is Associated with Favorable Serum LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides but Also with Elevated Plasma Homocysteine and Low Serum HDL Cholesterol in Humans. Journal of Nutrition 135 (10): 2372, 2005.
Our blog statistics have shown over time, that we get quite a bit of regular traffic from the other side of the world. I have to admit, my advice is hemisphere-centric, since I've never been south of the Equator. So I invited a friend from Australia, Olwen Anderson, who works with PCOS in her part of the world, to share a little bit of advice. Here's hoping for our Aussie readers, it introduces you to someone close to you who can help you, and that what Olwen has to say, is helpful!
Legumes are a girl’s best friend… when you have PCOS
Olwen Anderson is an Australian Nutritionist-Naturopath who specialises in treatment of hormone imbalances and gut disorders. Her blog contains lots of PCOS-friendly recipes: Visit www.olwenanderson.com.au
Been diagnosed with PCOS? Meet your new nutritional “best friend” – legumes.
When you think about food as medicine, legumes should almost be a compulsory prescription for good health. These amazing little vegetables are packed to the brim with nutrition that can help moderate your hormones. They taste great; and once you learn how to prepare and use them, they will open up a whole new culinary world for you.
Legumes include chick peas (or garbanzo beans), black eyed beans, haricot, lima beans, kidney beans, soy beans and many other dried beans that are a staple food in many countries. In fact, legumes are one of the powerful plant foods common in countries where people routinely live happy, productive lives to 100 plus.
Phytoestrogens and fibre are two outstanding features of legumes that will benefit you. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant chemicals that have a molecular shape similar to estrogen. When digested, they ‘latch on’ to the estrogen receptors of cell membranes, and effectively block real estrogen molecules from connecting with the cell. This means that when you have plenty of the right fibre in your diet, you’re automatically reducing the effects of excess circulating estrogen.
Its good bacteria in your intestines that convert plant phytoestrogens to their active form. These good bacteria feed and breed on soluble and insoluble dietary fibre. Fortunately legumes are packed with fibre, so your intestinal bacteria will love them. When there’s plenty of fibre in your diet, your body produces more sex hormone binding globulin. This transporter molecule travels through your bloodstream, picking up and removing excess hormones, including excessive androgen hormones like testosterone. Exactly what you want to happen in your body.
Even better, legumes are packed with nutrients: Some protein, a little of the good fats, and complex carbohydrates. They’ll take ages to digest, resulting in smoother blood glucose management; and they’re packed with minerals too.
But won’t they make me flatulent?
Many women worry that if they start enjoying legumes, they will become windy. To prevent this, start with small quantities (about one tablespoon) and build up over a few days to half a cup so your intestinal bacteria have a chance to adjust.
It’s easy to incorporate legumes into your diet every day:
- Sprinkle chick peas (garbanzo beans) through your salad
- Enjoy some home made baked beans for breakfast with poached salmon
- Fresh broad beans, steamed and mashed, make a great vegetable side dish
- Include legumes in your stews, casseroles and soups. Like minestrone soup; or lentil stew.
You can buy legumes canned; but the dried variety, cooked, taste so much better. (Also, avoiding canned food helps you avoid suspected endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA). Buy dried legumes, soak for a few hours, boil until cooked, (firm but not crisp), then freeze in portion size containers.
I always keep containers of cooked legumes meal-ready in the freezer. Then, if I want a quick meal, I can take one out, stir-fry in a hot pan with garlic, spices, some kangaroo fillet, a few baby tomatoes and a handful of baby spinach leaves. Fast, healthy, one-pot cooking.
Looking for recipe inspiration to enjoy legumes?
- Visit my web site at www.olwenanderson.com.au (recipes tag on the blog)
- Look at recipe books for cultures where legumes are part of the daily diet: South American, Mediterranean, Indian.
Fenugreek you say? What the heck is fenugreek? It's a spice popular in India, northern Africa, and the Middle East that has multiple benefits for PCOS:
--it can lower your lipids --it can help to control blood sugar --it can help improve milk production in women who have trouble breastfeeding --antioxidant action in the face of high blood glucose
In women struggling with lactation, fenugreek tea (made with the leaves of the plant) has been found to be beneficial. The Fenugreek spice has been added to flour to provide functional properties and it has found to be beneficial in this format as well.
And since we're on the topic of hair loss this week, here's an Ayurvedic remedy using Fenugreek:
Mix ground fenugreed seeds with water and yogurt to make a paste. Rub into hair and wash after 30 minutes.
I'm giving you two recipes, the first one from India, and the second one from Ethiopia. If you like spicy foods, you're going to love adding this herb/spice to your culinary creations!
Methi Murgh (fenugreek chicken) from allrecipes.com
Ingredients 1/4 cup cooking oil 1 (4 to 6 pound) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (skin removed and discarded) 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 cinnamon stick 1 black cardamom pod 4 whole cloves 1 large onion, sliced thin 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste 4 green chile peppers, halved lengthwise 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach 1/2 cup chopped fresh fenugreek leaves 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper salt to taste 1 cup water 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
Directions
1.Heat the oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat; brown the chicken pieces evenly on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from cooker and set aside. Add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cardamom pod, cloves, onion slices, ginger-garlic paste, and green chile peppers to the pressure cooker and cook until the onions are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir the spinach, fresh fenugreek leaves, dried fenugreek leaves, turmeric, red pepper, and salt into the mixture and cook until the spinach and fenugreek leaves begin to wilt and darken in color, about 5 minutes. Pour the water over the mixture and return the chicken pieces to the pressure cooker; bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
2.Fasten the lid on the pressure cooker; cook until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Release pressure fully and remove the lid; sprinkle the garam masala over the dish. Cook and stir until the liquid thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Berbere — spiced lentil stew from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant
In a small frying pan, on medium-low heat, toast the cumin, whole cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, allspice, fenugreek, and coriander for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
Discard the stems from the chiles. In a spice grinder or wtih a mortar and pestle, finely grind together the toasted spices and the chiles. Mix in the remaining ingredients.
Store Berbere refrigerated in a well-sealed jar or a tightly closed plastic bag.
Yemiser W'et (Spicy Lentil Stew)
1 cup dried brown lentils 1 cup finely chopped onions 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed 1/4 clarified butter 1 tablespoon Berbere 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika 2 cups finely chopped tomatoes 1/4 cup tomato paste 1 cup vegetable stock 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste plain yogurt or cottage cheese
Rinse and cook the lentils.
Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic in the clarified butter, until the onions are just translucent. Add the berbere, cumin, and paprika and saute for a few minutes more, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Mix in the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of vegetable stock and continue simmering.
When the lentils are cooked, drain them and mix them into the saute. Add the green peas and cook for another 5 mintues. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Roberts KT. The Potential of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) as a Functional Food and Nutraceutical and Its Effects on Glycemia and Lipidemia. J Med Food. 2011 Aug 23. [Epub ahead of print] Middha SK, Bhattacharjee B, Saini D, Baliga MS, Nagaveni MB, Usha T. Protective role of Trigonella foenum graceum extract against oxidative stress in hyperglycemic rats. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2011 Apr;15(4):427-35. Turkyılmaz C, Onal E, Hirfanoglu IM, Turan O, Koç E, Ergenekon E, Atalay Y. The effect of galactagogue herbal tea on breast milk production and short-term catch-up of birth weight in the first week of life. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Feb;17(2):139-42. Epub 2011 Jan 24.
One of my litmus tests for how healthy a vegan's diet truly is, is to listen to how they describe what they eat. If they focus on telling me what they DON'T eat, and have a limited list of what they DO eat, I start to consider that what we're describing is an eating disorder, not a vegan eater.
Here's a challenge to encourage you to be more vegan and less disordered. It comes from the blog http://www.lunchboxbunch.com/., and it's a list of 100 vegan foods. I've been instructed to italicize foods I'd never try, and bold face foods I have eaten. And to encourage you to share the challenge on your own blogs.
I'm a pretty adventurous eater so there are no italics. I did better than I thought I would, actually, since I am not 100% vegan myself. I now have some great items to add to my own list!
Have fun! 1. Molasses
2. Cactus/Nopales 3. Scrambled Tofu 4. Grilled Portobella Caps 5. Fresh Ground Horseradish 6. Sweet Potato Biscuits 7. Arepa 8. Vegan Cole Slaw 9. Ginger Carrot Soup 10. Fiddlehead Ferns 11. Roasted Elephant Garlic 12. Umeboshi 13. Almond Butter Toast 14. Aloe Vera 15. H and H Bagel NYC 16. Slow Roasted Butternut Squash 17. White truffle 18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes 19. Freshly ground wasabi 20. Coconut Milk Ice Cream (not store bought) 21. Heirloom tomatoes 22. Orchard-fresh pressed apple cider 23. Organic California Mango (in season Sept-Oct only) 24. Quinoa 25. Papaya Smoothie 26. Raw Scotch Bonnet (habanero) pepper (just a bite!…hot! 27. Goji Berry Tea 28. Fennel 29. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie 30. Radishes and Vegan Buttery Spread 31. Starfruit 32. Oven fresh Sourdough bread 33. Sangria made with premium fruit and juices 34. Sauerkraut 35. Acai Smoothie 36. Blue Foot Mushrooms 37. Vegan Cupcake from Babycakes nyc 38. Sweet Potatoes and Tempeh combo 39. Falafel 40. Spelt Crust Pizza 41. Salt and Pepper Oyster Mushrooms 42. Jicama Slaw 43. Pumpkin Edamame Ginger Dumplings 44. Hemp Milk 45. Rose Champagne 46. Fuyu 47. Raw Avocado-Coconut Soup 48. Tofu Pesto Sandwich 49. Apple-Lemon-Ginger-Cayenne fresh-pressed juice…with Extra Ginger 50. Grilled Seitan 51. Prickly pear 52. Fresh Pressed Almond Milk 53. Concord Grapes off the vine 54. Ramps 55. Coconut Water fresh from a young coconut 56. Organic Arugula 57. Vidalia Onion 58. Sampler of organic produce from Diamond Organics 59. Honeycrisp Apple 60. Poi 61. Vegan Campfire-toasted Smores 62. Grape seed Oil 63. Farm fresh-picked Peach 64. Freshly-made pita bread with freshly-made hummus 65. Chestnut Snack Packs 66. Fresh Guava 67. Mint Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies 68. Raw Mallomar from One Lucky Duck, NYC 69. Fried plantains 70. Mache 71. Golden Beets 72. Barrel-Fresh Pickles 73. Liquid Smoke 74. Meyer Lemon 75. Veggie Paella 76. Vegan Lasagna (raw optional) 77. Kombucha 78. Homemade Soy Milk 79. Lapsang souchong 80. Lychee Bellini 81. Tempeh Bacon 82. Sprouted Grain Bread 83. Lemon Pepper Tempeh 84. Vanilla Bean 85. Watercress 86. Carrot you pulled out of the ground yourself 87. Vegan In-Season Fruit Pie 88. Flowers 89. Corn Chowder 90. High Quality Vegan Raw Chocolate 91. Yellow fuzz-free Kiwi 92. White Flesh Grapefruit 93. harissa 94. Coconut Oil 95. Jackfruit 96. Homemade Risotto 97. Spirulina 98. Seedless 'Pixie' Tangerine 99. Gourmet Sorbet, not store bought 100. Fresh Plucked English Peas
Again, looking at this list of foods, I thought of the many vegans following our blog. If you're not seeing many foods here you can eat on a regular basis, think multivitamin.
Here's a great example, too, of why even though we love salmon for its omega-3 content, it is not showing up as a source of pantothenic acid. But there's cod, tuna, and lobster. The more you vary your diet, the easier it is to get all the nutrients you need to be in balance.
PCOS Diva does it again with her weekly menus! I almost felt bad about sending her such a short list but she comes up with great suggestions no matter what the challenge…thanks!
Did you know that vitamin C is necessary for collagen formation? And since PCOS ages skin as radically as it ages the rest of your organs, you need this vitamin more than ever?
If you've gone on a drastic low-carbohydrate diet, you may be depriving yourself of many great vitamin C sources, as they tend to come from fruits:
Whenever I make a salad, I throw in some kind of fruit and some kind of seed/nut. Turns out, if I do that and add the vinaigrette with the 2 parts vinegar/1 part oil ratio, it helps to moderate the influence of the sugar in the fruit. And some of the fruits, strawberries, for example, help to keep blood sugar from spiking as well.
Vegetables also have vitamin C:
broccoli bell peppers kale cauliflower mustard and turnip greens brussels sprouts chard, cabbage spinach snow peas tomatoes zucchini asparagus celery lettuce fennel peppermint parsley
As long as you're eating fruits and vegetables, preferably in their whole form, on a regular basis, it's not hard at all to get enough vitamin C. If you're looking for some ideas, PCOS Diva has put together a week's worth of menus focusing on vitamin C.
The relationship between nutrition and pre-eclampsia is getting stronger! Researchers have reported that using a multivitamin supplement containing folic acid in the second trimester of pregnancy helped to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia. Personally, since folic acid is also recommended to any woman who is trying to conceive, I'd recommend taking it all the time instead of trying to guess when is the right time.
I've worked with many women trying to conceive, who have trouble changing their food habits. Some, out of fear of those changes or frustration at the challenge, give up, let the reproductive endocrinologist be the primary person fixing the problem, and figure they'll worry about their diet later.
Bad idea.
What you eat when you're preparing to become pregnant, while you're pregnant, while you're nursing, and while you're getting back into shape after all of that, are all vitally important. There's no such logical strategy as putting nutrition on the back burner, letting the doctor fix the problem, and worrying about the food later. It all fits together…and it affects more than just you!
By the way, good sources of folic acid include: lentils (right now is great weather for soup!),boiled collard greens (great if you're a Southern belle), chickpeas (whoo hoo for hummous!), papaya (always great in a fruit salad), frozen peas (easy to keep in the freezer), asparagus (this is the season when it starts getting cheap), broccoli (easy to keep around), strawberries (not a hard thing to have to eat), oranges (a winter favorite).
Wen SW, Chen XK, Rodger M, White RR, Yang Q, Smith GN, Sigal RJ, Perkins SL, Walker MC. Folic Acid in Early Second Trimester May Reduce Risk of Preeclampsia Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008;198:45.e1-45.e7.
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
So you've been told you need to clean up your nutrition act, and you've stopped eating the Fritos. You've decided to stop being the reason the stock price of your local fast food restaurant has weathered the Wall Street willies. Your salad dressing shelf in your refrigerator is now half of what's in your refrigerator.
Still no luck.
Hey, isn't eating better supposed to be the answer?
Depends on how you define eating better.
I'm noticing with my inCYST classes that a disproportionate percentage of women coming for information have adopted vegetarian practices. And I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't part of the problem.
No, the problem isn't that you're vegetarian. It's how you're defining vegetarian, and it's how you go about being one that matters. Here are my simple rules for being the healthiest (potentially fertile) vegetarian you can be.
1. Define your vegetarianism by what you DO eat.
Most people I know who become vegetarian after eating meat, define that practice in terms of what they DON'T eat. They DON'T do red meat. They DON'T do dairy. They DON'T do fish. DON'T, DON'T, DON'T.
Therein lies the problem.
A most important rule of nutrition is, when you eliminate an entire category of food, for whatever reason, be it meat or wheat, you are also eliminating crucial nutrients that this category contains.
My definition of vegetarian is someone who meets all of their complete nutritional needs without using animal products.
Do you know what fertility-related nutrients you're likely short on if all you've done is cut out meat? If not, read on!
2. Zap yourself with zinc!
Zinc is needed for oodles of reactions that keep your body running, from your brain to your ovaries. Are you eating whole grains? Beans? Pumpkin and sunflower seeds? Nuts? Oops…go get your shopping list, right now, and put them down!
3. Forgetting folate can be fatal
You likely know about this nutrient since there has been so much publicity about its role in pregnancy. Put spinach on your sandwich instead of lettuce…make sure your morning cereal is fortified…eat more beans and split peas…and become savvy with sunflower seeds!
4. Cultivate a copper attitude
It's not as famous as folate, but it still is important to remember. Outside of red meat, its vegan sources are rather random: molasses, green olives, cocoa, nuts, avocadoes, black pepper, sunflower seeds…hopefully at least one of these sounds tasty!
5. Try to remember tryptophan
Tryptophan is a building block for serotonin, one of the major neurotransmitters regulating the brain's hormone center. For vegetarians, there are still a lot of options even if you're not using dairy products or eating turkey. Does your pantry have…cocoa, mangoes, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, oats, dates, chickpeas, peanuts, bananas, and sunflower seeds? It needs to.
6. Allow for algae
If you're vegan, chances are you're not getting enough DHA and EPA, the omega-3 fatty acids primarily found in fish. Become friendly with an ingredient known as Life's DHA, a marine algae source of DHA (unfortunately not EPA), that is being added to vegan-friendly foods. The link I'm providing gets you to the most recent list of foods containing this ingredient that you may want to become proficient at finding.
7. Not all vegan products are created equally healthy. Be sure if you've gone vegan, that you are aware of oils that can interfere with healthy balance. These oils are all vegan, but tend to be pro-inflammatory: safflower, sunflower, soybean, corn, cottonseed, sesame. (Remember my"S and C" rule from previous posts. If you're eating absolutely no meat at all, but you're eating a salad doused with soybean oil-based dressing…that could be a problem. Become familiar with brands that are made with olive or canola oils, or learn to make vinaigrettes. (Canola is the"C" oil exception, by the way.
8. Be happy without hydrogenated.
Hydrogenated = trans fat. Enough said.
9. Forget the fructose…high fructose corn syrup, that is.
It's been connected to insulin resistance in more than one study. And despite what marketers would really like you to believe, more than one nutrition expert does not endorse its use.
10. Be pro-protein
This is the most obvious one…know your complementary proteins and be sure your diet includes them. One caveat…soy may be hard on your thyroid function and is not a good choice if you have a family history of breast cancer. Be sure you are reading labels, as soy is a filler in many, many foods.
I like to look for patterns that make nutrition recommendations easy to recommend. In this post, it didn't work out that way. A lot of these foods are random. If I'm not giving you ideas that seem easy to work into your food plan…think of consulting with one of our experts! That's what we excel at, and that's what we're waiting to help you with.
After all, you became vegan to be healthy, let's work together to do it correctly.
If you're a frequent traveler, chances are you have already had an opportunity to experience the new security measures at the airport, which include the new full body scanner.
One of the biggest concerns about this scanner has been the radiation exposure these scanners emit. Because radiation can affect fertility, a concern of many readers of this blog, I did some fact checking.
What is interesting to note is that before these scanners were even in existence, anyone stepping on an airplane was already increasing their exposure to radiation! In a 1998 study published in Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, scientists concluded that an airline captain is exposed to 37% more radiation per year (219 millirem) than a nuclear power plant worker in the same period of time (160 millirem). For the pilot, that is the equivalent to 22 chest x-rays, for the power plant worker, 16 chest x-rays.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology, in an independent study, reported that the average scan with the TSA backscatter x-ray scanner provides 0.0024 millirem of radiation exposure. Meaning, you would have to have 4,000 TSA scans to equal one x-ray. The people at greatest risk for increased radiation exposure from these machines is most likely the TSA workers themselves, who conduct their work in the presence of the scanners for hours at a time.
Bottom line:
1. Your biggest dose of radiation exposure is actually coming from the time you spend on the airplane at altitude, not the short amount of time in the scanner. 2. If you are a pilot, flight attendant, or frequent flyer with concerns about fertility, it certainly is a good strategy to start being more diligent about your intake of antioxidants. I've listed the important ones below that are consistently recommended as cancer fighters. 3. If you are a reporter researching the scanner issue, instead of scaring travelers, perhaps the more relevant issue is why TSA is not requiring its employees to wear dosimeters to be sure their own exposure over time is not an occupational risk. It might also be a very quick way to identify a machine that is malfunctioning and exposing flyers to unnecessary additional radiation. 4. Flight crews and TSA employees might want to consider packing their bags with more fruits and vegetables. Especially since these are not items commonly available in airport food courts. 5. In addition to the standard security questions TSA members should ask for your 24 hour diet recall to be sure you're sufficiently protected for your flight. (Couldn't resist that one…just KIDDING!) 6. For our specific population most likely reading this post, I strongly recommend you discuss your travel strategy with the appropriate caregiver if you have a history of cancer, are in the middle of infertility treatment, or have a history of sexual abuse. It's best to know what choices are most appropriate for your personal situation before standing in the TSA line.
So if you're heading home at altitude for Thanksgiving, consider that the broccoli, cranberries, and sweet potatoes (even a small extra sliver of pumpkin pie) aren't all that bad if you're going to have seconds. Enjoy them, as well as your family.
BEST ANTIOXIDANTS FOR COUNTERING RADIATION
Vitamin C parsley, broccoli, bell pepper, strawberries, oranges, lemon juice, papaya, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, and Brussels sprouts.
Vitamin E mustard greens, chard, sunflower seeds, turnip greens
Recently the Environmental Working Group's annual"Dirty Dozen" list came out. It is this group's awareness tool for the health risks of pesticides. What is important to remember, in addition to the important message that pesticides in our foods can pose health risks, is that this does not mean that you have to avoid these foods altogether. Here are some ways to keep your favorite fruits and vegetables on your list.
1. Avoid top ten lists of"best foods". Any time you narrow your list of foods you eat to a dozen or so, you automatically concentrate their risks, as well as their benefits. I noticed that on this list of foods (listed below), several foods showed up that are common on diet diaries of clients who are trying to eat"healthy". If you eat blueberries because they are brain friendly, vary them with kiwi and watermelon. Every food has a benefit, and you don't want to miss out!
2. Eat organically. Organic produce is grown without the use of pesticides, immediately eliminating their risk.
3. Use a fruit and vegetable wash. I find them in my local grocery store, but if you don't see them, you can also order them online. Here is a list of brands available at amazon.com.
4. Eat locally and in season. When you eat fruits and vegetables that are not in season, they must be imported. And regulations about pesticides differ in different countries. It's nice to eat cherries in January, but you're going to have a better idea of what rules governed their production if you wait until July and get the ones your local farmer grew. (They are likely going to taste better too, since they weren't picked early and trucked thousands of miles before getting to your table.)
5. Become familiar with the"Clean 15". This is the EWG's other list that doesn't get as much press, probably because good news doesn't sell as much viewership and advertising time. It's the list of the cleanest fruits and vegetables, and it includes: onion avocado sweet corn pinepple mango asparagus sweet peas kiwi cabbage eggplant papaya watermelon broccoli tomato sweet potato
OK, here's the list. Again, just because a food appears on this list doesn't mean you shouldn't have it. It just means these choices should be purchased, handled, and consumed with more delicacy, and should not be consumed in excess just because they're"healthy". If you'd like their wallet guide, and their upcoming iPhone application, click here. Celery Peacches Strawberries Apples Blueberries Nectarines Bell Peppers Spinach (this sample was found to contain as many as 48 different pesticide residues--wash thoroughly!) Kale Cherries Grapes Leafy greens Carrots Pears
Meri, Meri, Meri…you've got me trained like a Pavlov's dog…every time I see an email from you entitled"recipe"…I'm salivating before I even open it!
Photo by http://www.lovjoyphotographer.com/
Chicken Stew with Chick Peas and Plum Tomatoes Prep time: 12 min Cook Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes Yield: 6 servings Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil 4 chicken thighs 1 small onion, chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon salt 1 (14.5oz) can chickpeas, drained 1 large can (28oz) plum tomatoes 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock ¼ cup red lentils ½ cup long grain rice ¼ cup lemon juice ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Directions
1 In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Add the onion, celery, spices, and chickpeas and cook for 3 minutes to heat spices.
2 Pour in the tomatoes and chicken stock and then add in the lentils and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
3 Stir in the lemon juice and divide stew into 6 bowls. Garnish each bowl with 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro and serve. Per serving: Calories 346 (From Fat 82); Fat 9g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 38mg; Sodium 721mg; Carbohydrate 47g (Dietary Fiber 6g); Protein 22g.
