Have been using my recipe book "Clean Food" by Terry Walters a lot and absolutely love this book. It not only has great recipes, but really goes through basic cooking methods from the more cooling to the more warming. She really talks about using all of them and combing these cooking methods for a perfect meal. The cool end to the warm end goes in this order:
pickling, sprouting, juicing, raw, blanching, sauteing, simmering,baking, pressure-cooking, broiling, roasting.
She also goes into descriptions of grains, what they are and how to cook them. I was in Severna Park (outside of Annapolis) yesterday and went to my favorite "health food" store called "Good Life Organic Market". I went to the bulk grain section and stocked up on Grains. I bought a few that I have never cooked before such as Amaranth, Millet and Wheat Berries. Terry suggests soaking certain grains such as brown rice, whole oats, hulled barley and wheat berries because they contain Phytic Acid which interferes with the absorption of zinc, calcium, iron and other essential minerals. If you soak for one hour, this phytic acid washes away and you are left with a better complex carb. Even though the Phytic acid is removed she explains that these complex carbs still can create acidity in the body. To neutralize this and make the grains more alkaline-forming, she suggested cooking all your grains with a piece of Kombu (sea vegetable) or sea salt. She explains buy cooking your grains (amaranth, whole hulled barley, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur wheat, couscous, jasmine rice, millet, whole oats, quinoa, sushi rice, teff, wheat berries, wild rice) with a piece of Kombu, it infuses them with minerals and improves digestibility and reduces gas.
The book then goes into the types of vegetables divided into categories:
- Dark Leafy Greens - rich in calcium, chlorophyll, iron and vitamins C and E. These greens help lift our moods, heal organs and help combat stress! These are the "heavy hitter" as the book says: kale, collards, mustard greens, dandelion greens, watercress and romaine. I have been using collard greens as my wraps for my "raw" burritos or hummus, sprouts and veggie wraps and they are really good and have HUGE leaves.
- Cruciferous Vegetables - cancer preventing nutrients and antioxidants. These vegetables break down and break down fats and eliminate toxins. Here are a few: cauliflower, broccoli, Napa cabbage, Savoy cabbage, bok choy, pac choy, tatsoi, brussels sprouts, green and purple cabbages, daison radish, red radishes and watermelon radishes.
- Roots and Tubers - Vitamin A, beta-carotene, minerals, fiber, antioxidants. These roots are: parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, ginger, beets, burdock, lotus root, sweet potatoes, yams - and relatives to this category are carrots, celery, celeriac, parsley and fennel.
- Bulbs - Known to dissolve fats and excess mucus, healthy for the heart: garlic (known for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral properties) leeks, onions, scallions and shallots
- Squash - has blood alkalinizing properties as well as B1, C, folic acid, pantothenic acid, fiber and potassium. Winter squash is also high in vitamin B6 and niacin: Squashes include: acorn, butternut, kabocha, dumpling, pumpkin, buttercup, delicata, red kuri and hubbard (a few I have never heard of)
- Herbs -(parsley, basil, thyme, chives, oregano, rosemary, mint, dill...) herbs can heal sicknesses, cleanse your blood, and lift your mood. Use fresh herbs a lot - they are filled with nutrients including Vitamins E, B6, A, C, K, fiber, iron, magnesium, manganese, calcium, zinc, copper, potassium and Parsley has protein!
TAKE AWAY:
Foods are either acid-forming or alkalizing based on the effect they have on the body. Each food is based on a PH scale of 0-14. Zero is the most acidic and fourteen is the most alkaline. The human blood pH should be slightly alkaline - between 7.35 and 7.45.
As a society, we eat more acid-forming foods and drinks than alkalizing foods. Too much coffee, caffeine, soda, alcohol, processed and fried foods, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and animal proteins are acid forming. High levels of stress also cause acid in the body. Our bodies don't allow our pH to become unbalanced, but if we eat highly acidic food and drinks, our bodies have to work extremely hard to maintain that balance and that's when the trouble begins! Health problems caused by an acid-forming diet and stress include acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, stomach aches, insomnia, headaches, fatigue, constipation, osteoporosis, inflammation, dry skin, cardiovascular damage, diabetes, thyroid problems and weight gain.
By adding MORE alkaline-forming foods in our diet we can help heal our own bodies. All sodas, diet or regular, is one of the biggest culprits of forming acid in the body. It can take the rust off an old car - just think what it's doing to your body! Non-organic animal protein with added antibiotics as well as cow's milk also causes high acidity in the body.
Eat more alkalizing foods such as fruits and vegetables, sea vegetables such as sushi and nori, oatmeal, a little EVOO, green tea and mineral water with a slice of lemon as well as non-dairy milk such as almond milk and squash (like discussed earlier) helps balance pH!
No comments:
Post a Comment