Happiness is foods for brain health

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out:

added sugars such as high fructose corn syrup, baked goods, sodas; 

fried foods;

potatoes, white bread, white rice;

alcohol;

nitrates.

In:

dark chocolate 70% or higher, 45 grams a week;

strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, one half to one cup a day;

turmeric, black pepper, curry;

dark leafy greens;

fermented foods with live active cultures such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, miso, sauerkraut, kimchi.

Some of the top food sources for vitamin B12, per ounce (daily need is 6 micrograms)

Some of the top food sources for vitamin B12, per 28 grams or roughly 1 ounce (daily need is 6 micrograms):

clams: 27.6 micrograms

liver: 23.9 micrograms

fortified cereal: 5.8 micrograms

mackerel: 5.3 micrograms

king crab: 3.2 micrograms

beef steak: 2.1 micrograms

swiss cheese: 0.8 micrograms

fortified tofu: 0.6 micrograms

eggs: 0.3 micrograms

low fat yogurt: 0.1 micrograms

More here.

Happiness is a morning smoothie

Forty grams of banana

not imported from Havana,

Yogurt, flax and berries bluey

all went in my morning smoothie,

Here in Michigan, not Montana.

 

-- Johnny 

Some of the top mineral-rich foods

Nuts are in a class all by themselves

Seen here:

Almonds, cashews and Brazil nuts

Beans and lentils

Spinach and kale

Salmon and sardines

Sunflower seeds, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds

Oysters, scallops, mussels and clams

Mushrooms

Oatmeal, whole wheat and wheat germ

Milk and yogurt

Beef and lamb

Avocado

Dark chocolate

Parmesan, Swiss and Mozzarella

Apricots, prunes, raisins, figs and dates 

The original 14 superfoods

yogurt

beans

blueberries, salmon, spinach

oats

orange

pumpkin

tea

tomato

soy

turkey

walnut

broccoli

My Current Super Foods Menu

Monday--Burritos (homemade pinto beans, onions, and saved bacon fat from uncured bacon, ground turkey, homemade Mexican seasonings, in an Azteca brand flour tortilla with extra sharp cheddar cheese and fresh toppings including homemade guacamole, black olives, salsa, green onion and chopped spinach)

Tuesday--Basil Pesto Sockeye Pie (canned wild sockeye salmon, eggs, homegrown tomato sauce, homemade basil pesto sauce, rolled oats) with a green salad of romaine lettuce and spinach with a lemon-evoo dressing

Wednesday--Italian pasta with homemade hot Italian turkey sausage, homemade tomato sauce, grated Pecorino Romano cheese and steamed green beans or baby broccoli or a romaine-spinach salad

Thursday--One of two flexible nights in the week like Sunday, but often curry night, usually leftover poultry, butter, garlic, Penzeys curry powder, canned coconut milk, flaked coconut, dried cranberries, diced Fuji apples and chopped almonds served over Jasmine rice with a salad on the side, or Italian meatloaf made with ground turkey, rapini and seasonings, or baked chicken with rice and broccoli

Friday--Filet of something from the sea, these days baked skin-on steelhead trout with lemon pepper, Jasmine rice and a steamed vegetable like baby broccoli or green beans, or a curried salmon-rice cake with a fruit sauce, or sockeye pie leftovers

Saturday--Napoli style pizza baked in cast iron with homemade basil pesto sauce, homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh roma tomato slices, with a fresh salad

Sunday--Charcoal Grill Day: usually hamburgers ground at home from a single piece of Angus chuck served with all the toppings desired on a potato bun and steamed green petite peas with butter, otherwise grilled marinated Otto's chicken (locally grown) with red potatoes baked in the oven, or a stir fry in the wok, or pasta carbonara

Luncheon is usually a homemade barley-lentil soup using homemade chicken broth with some homemade buttered toast, or leftovers like a burrito, and an apple on the side with a square of 70% cocoa chocolate to finish, or a can of Norwegian bristling sardines on rye crackers with a fresh pear

Breakfast is usually stove-top espresso with 2% milk steamed, a hardboiled egg or a fried egg with toast and jam, and a fresh orange, or a blueberry-banana smoothie with homemade yogurt, coconut milk, cinnamon and ground flaxseed meal, or whole oatmeal with berries and walnuts

Wine, especially on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Purists will revolt as purists do, but life is for the enjoying.

The Sidekicks To The Super Foods Which You Can Incorporate At Will

almonds
AMARANTH
artichokes
ARUGULA
asparagus
BARLEY
bay leaves
BUCKWHEAT
bulgur wheat
BOYSENBERRIES
bok choy
BLACKBERRIES
broccoflower
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
sea bass
CASHEWS
carrots
CANOLA OIL
cauliflower
RED & GREEN CABBAGE
chives
SWISS CHARD
clams
CUMIN
currants
CHERRIES
collards
CRANBERRIES
cloves
COUSCOUS
yellow corn
SKINLESS CHICKEN BREAST
daikon root
EDAMAME
purple grapes
GRAPEFRUIT
guavas
HERRING
hazelnuts
ALASKAN HALIBUT
kale
KUMQUATS
kamut
KEFIR
kohlrabi
LEEKS
lemons
LIMES
romaine lettuce
LIVERWORT
miso
MILLET
mustard greens
MACADAMIA NUTS
oregano
OYSTERS
papayas
ORANGE BELL PEPPERS
pineapple
PEARS
sweet potatoes
PLUMS
pistachios
PUMPKIN SEEDS
peanuts
PECANS
Japanese persimmons
QUINOA
rye
WILD RICE
brown rice
RUTABAGA
raspberries
SCALLIONS
shallots
SARDINES
sesame seeds
SUNFLOWER SEEDS
Butternut squash
SPELT
seaweed
SOY MILK soy yogurt
SOY NUTS
strawberries
THYME
tangerines
TURMERIC
triticale
TEMPEH
turnips (& greens)
TOFU
canned Albacore tuna
TROUT
watercress
WATERMELON
wasabi
WHEAT

Buckwheat Yogurt Oatcakes

For about two months, I've been avoiding wheat on most days. Saturday night pizza has been the only exception. Otherwise I'm relying on less grain in the diet overall, using oat bran and oats as before but in smaller quantities, substituting brown rice pasta and corn tostadas for wheat pastas and wheat flour tortillas.

There's reason to believe that wheat is a major contributor to small LDL, which in its turn is suspected as a prime culprit in cardiovascular disease. The usual cholesterol panel you get at your annual physical tells you absolutely nothing about particle size, and doesn't even really measure LDL. It's a calculation, not a measurement.

So when I got the results of a special blood panel back in 2008 and found out my supposedly pretty good cholesterol numbers revealed many small LDL, I started to look into the subject more deeply. Most interesting has been the clinical work of a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, cardiologist named William Davis. His book, Track Your Plaque, has interesting dietary recommendations which frequently dovetail with the super foods menu. And his blog keeps us up to date on all the latest developments. I'm looking forward to my next blood test when we'll see if my small LDL particle count has gone down.

Eliminating wheat isn't easy, especially if toast, sandwiches and wraps, tortillas and pasta play a large role in your diet. And Saturday morning pancakes! So here's a recipe I love, in moderation, which the lady of the house adapted from "Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes" by Marcia Beachy in the More-With-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre.

Buckwheat Yogurt Oatcakes

.5 cup plain fat-free yogurt

.5 cup 2% milk

2 T canola oil

1 egg

.5 cup buckwheat flour

.5 cup oat flour

1 t baking powder

.5 t baking soda

.5 t salt

1 T ground flaxseed

1. Combine the yogurt, milk, oil and egg in a bowl and whisk together.

2. Combine the dry ingredients in another bowl and whisk in the wet ingredients for about a minute.

3. Fry on a lightly oiled griddle.

Makes about eight pancakes.

Yogurt

As proof of its status as a super food, Steven Pratt cites evidence that yogurt plays a role in improving a wide range of problems from cancer, to lactose intolerance, allergies, high cholesterol, inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhea, vaginal and urinary tract infections, obesity, and helicobacter pylori infections, which are involved in gastritis, ulcers, and cancers. It's the bacteria in yogurt which do all this work, and it's important to eat yogurt which has as many live active cultures as possible.

Our favorite brand, Stonyfield Organic Plain Fat Free, has no less than six different strains of live active cultures, and costs less than four dollars per quart. When I buy a new container, I always try to make extra batches from it with my yogurt maker using some fat-free milk because at the recommended cup consumed per day, one person can go through two quarts per week. Our Salton brand yogurt maker turns out a quart each time I use it, and it has been chugging along now for over three decades, saving us tons of money while providing an excellent source of calcium and protein as well.

Yogurt is really easy to make, too. Just heat your milk to between 180 and 185 degrees F and then let it cool to 120 degrees F. I use a cheap instant read meat thermometer with good results. Drop a teaspoon full of fresh yogurt in each 7 ounce reservoir and stir in the cooled milk, cover, place in the yogurt maker and cover with the lid. The yogurt maker "cooks" the yogurt by keeping it at a constant temperature somewhere between 105 and 122 degrees F. After ten hours you simply remove the containers and chill them before use.

My number one way to use yogurt is as a key ingredient in a smoothie, but it can be used to make dips and salad dressings, or as a substitute for sour cream, or to make yogurt cheese to stand as a substitute for mayo.

Yogurt Lemon Thyme Marinated Chicken Breasts

Turkey breast meat, without the skin, is "the leanest source of meat protein on the planet," according to Steven Pratt in his SuperFoods HealthStyle. Its rich nutrient profile of selenium, B vitamins and zinc is thought to cut the risk for cancer while contributing to cardiovascular health. One of its other wonderful features is that it has 27 times less saturated fat than fresh ham, and 22 times less than flank steak! Ninety-five percent lean ground beef has 12 times more saturated fat than turkey breast. Even compared with chicken breast without the skin, turkey breast has 4 times less saturated fat. If the genetic cards you've been dealt put you at risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease, which end of that spectrum are you going to get your meat from? Although higher in saturated fat, boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale for $.99/lb. are hard to pass up.

A delicious way to eat turkey or chicken breast is broiled, but high heat broiling often turns it into rubber. The solution to this problem is to brine the meat, but to save on time, I brine and marinate at the same time, incorporating other superfoods and their sidekicks to add healthfulness and flavor. The last time I made this my family said, "Make it every Sunday!"

Yogurt Lemon Thyme Marinated Chicken Breasts

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

.5 t sugar

.5 t salt

2 T fresh lemon juice

.5 cup plain fat-free yogurt

3 T extra virgin olive oil

1 handful fresh thyme sprigs, washed and dried

Rinse the breasts, dry, and place in a shallow Pyrex baker. Into the bowl of a food processor, strip the thyme leaves off the sprigs. You'll want about two tablespoons full (or substitute one tablespoon dried thyme if you must). Then add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Pour this mixture over the breasts, then lift the breasts a little to coat the undersides. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for up to six hours before using, turning after three hours. I've marinated for as little as three hours with good results. Another way to marinate easily is to use a fresh clean freezer bag. Drop the breasts in and pour in the marinade. Seal it up and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

When you're ready to cook, set the broiler to high with a rack in the center of the oven. Into a stainless steel broiler pan place a smaller rack to elevate the meat while broiling. Remove the breasts from the marinade but don't scrape it off, and place them in the broiler pan. Broil 15 minutes on side one, and about 10 minutes on side two, and serve. You won't be disappointed!

Monday Night "Super Foods" Burrito

With all four elements of the burrito filling prepared as in the previous posts, you are ready to combine them. Once combined, you can set some aside in the fridge for reheating later and freeze the rest. In this post we'll combine everything and make some burritos right away.

Monday Night "Super Foods" Burrito

prepared pinto beans recipe

1 cup reserved pinto beans cooking liquid

prepared brown rice recipe

prepared ground turkey recipe

prepared dry seasoning mix recipe

1 package La Fuerza Tortillas de Harina (preferably "fat-free")

8 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese (preferably reduced-fat), divided into one ounce portions

canola oil

Into the large cast-iron dutch oven containing the prepared turkey, add the dry seasoning mix and a splash of the bean cooking liquid and cook over medium heat, stirring with the hand-held potato masher. When thoroughly mixed and bubbly, add all the drained beans (including the onions and garlic) and stir with the masher. Then add all the rice and stir until combined. Now mash until the mixture reaches the consistency you prefer. Some like it with just some of the beans mashed and creamy and some left intact. Others will like it all mashed. Still others like it as is. Add more bean cooking liquid if necessary to reach the consistency you desire. At most you'll only need a half cup of the reserved liquid. We keep ours on the dry side to make the filling easier to handle. When it's ready, turn off that burner, and light another.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium for two minutes. Scoop up at most 2/3 cup of the burrito filling and drop it in the center of a room temperature 8.5 inch tortilla. Smooth it out from top to bottom down the center and make a little trough in it running the full length. Drop one ounce of cheese slices in the trough, and fold the sides of the tortilla over each other. Pour 3 T canola oil into the skillet, spread it around with a spatula, and drop the burrito in, folded side down to start. Reduce heat to medium low and fry carefully, one minute per side, for four minutes total, or until nicely browned. Add additional oil to the skillet as necessary.

Remove the burrito to an oven safe plate and keep it in a warm oven while you make the rest. Serve topped with your favorite things (no, not ice cream). We like La Victoria brand mild red taco sauce, sliced black olives, chopped green onions, chopped roma tomatoes, avocado slices, and chopped fresh baby spinach and romaine lettuce. Served this way, this meal is composed of at least ten of Pratt's super foods. Eleven if you top it all with some plain, fat-free yogurt. For a quick lunch, skip the frying and the toppings. Just assemble the burrito and heat it in the microwave for a minute or so.

Blueberry Smoothie

Let's face it, the most important meal of the day is breakfast. But who has time? And who has the time to make it healthy? The answer is, you do. Here's a simple, fast way to get some calcium, some good bacteria for your gastrointestinal tract, the rich antioxidants found in blueberries, plus the abundant sources of omega 3 fatty acids, minerals, and fiber found in ground flaxseed meal and raw wheat germ:

Blueberry Smoothie

1 ripe banana

.5 cup frozen blueberries

.5 cup yogurt, Stonyfield Farm Plain Fat Free Organic

2 T raw wheat germ (available refrigerated at most health food stores, usually less than a dollar per pound)

2 T whole ground flaxseed meal, Bob's Red Mill, refrigerated

1 packet Splenda, to sweeten

.5 cup fat free milk, to thin

Add the first three ingredients to your food processor and pulse until blended. Then add the wheat germ and flaxseed meal and pulse. Add some sweetener, and then the milk, pulse, and you're done. You'll need a really big glass for this! Instead of sweetener and milk, you can substitute some fruit juice, if you'd rather. I sometimes do.

So there you go, out the door with four super foods in your tummy, just like that! One nice side benefit of this recipe is that all that ground flaxseed meal kind of "expands" in your stomach after about an hour, making you feel really full. You won't feel like eating for hours. If you don't like the feeling, just adjust the amount down to suit yourself.