Unagi For Stamina

Unagi is one of my favourite combo ingredients at the Blue Fin Sushi bar in Smithers. Its grilled eel and a favourite “replenisher” for the Japanese who hold an annual festival at the end of summer called "doyou-no ushi-no hi" or Eel Day. The tradition was started to replete the dehydrated and possibly stamina-deprived people after a long hot summer.

Nutritionally speaking, unagi contains vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E, which are effective agents for rejuvenating the body.  Unsaturated fatty acids like DHA and EPA are more abundant in unagi than in other seafood. The benefits of these unsaturated fatty acids are decreased cholesterol, lower blood pressure, prevention of vascular diseases, reduced risk of developing arthritis and the promotion of normal brain development, nervous system function and good eyesight.

The best way to eat eel is to barbeque it with a sweet sauce basted on.  Serve on sticks, on crackers with cream cheese or in your favourite California roll.

Bake Your Tomatoes with Oil

Tomatoes are good for us, but did you know cooking your tomato for 15 minutes greatly increases its health benefits?

Its all about the anti-oxidant, cancer fighting lycopene. The darker the tomato or tomato product, the higher the percent of lycopene you will find.

Tomatoes are also high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Potassium, some of which you lose in a cooking process. But the benefits of the lycopene far outweigh the negative.

 Lycopene can stall the growth of cancer tumors. It can protect against skin cancers and sunburns and reduce the risk of prostate, breast, endometrium and lung cancers when heated  with dietary fats ( like extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil). That means your salsas, tomato sauce, ketchup and tomato soups are healthier than you thought!. Low sodium and no sugar added products even more so.

While great for the eyes, a daily, normal intake of oil and tomatoes can protect against sunburn from the inside out. It also boosts the levels of procollagen, a protein that plays a crucial role in preserving skin structure.

So its an apple and a tomato (baked with olive oil) for me, a day to keep the wrinkles and the doctor away.

Throw Tomatoes at Cancer

Tomat (oe) or tomat (a), fruit or vegetable? Call it what you will but the lovely red tomato is one powerful food item that really packs an anti-cancer punch.

It’s called  Lycopene; a carotinoid, a pigment that is found in tomatoes, red carrots, watermelon, papaya, pink grapefruit, guava and certain other red colored fruits and vegetables. When lycopene is consumed as a supplement, it doesn’t have the same effect as eating a whole tomato which also contains beta-carotene, vitamin C and phenols, The synergy of this combination is what really packs the anti-cancer one-two.

Lycopene is water soluble meaning your body will absorb it easier when heated with oil. Toss warmed tomatoes with a TBSP of olive oil and spices before pouring over your favourite whole grain or rice pasta. Blend your tomatoes into a sauce or soup or eat stewed on the side.

Lycopene has strong antioxidant properties, which means that it helps to remove free radicals from your body. Free radicals can harm cells and DNA and are thought to cause many different types of cancers, and other diseases as well as some signs of aging. Free radicals can result from smoking, alcohol, excessive sun exposure and exposure to pollution. They are also a by-product of natural metabolic functions.

As lycopene isn't used by the body in other ways, it is left to mop up free radicals. For example, lycopene can collect in the tissues of the lungs, and '"quench" free radicals there, stopping them before they can damage the cells. Lycopene is thought to be particularly effective in preventing prostate cancer, but it may also be effective in preventing lung, stomach, breast and endometrial cancers. Lycopene may be able to provide internal protection from damaging sun radiation and thus helps to prevent sunburn and skin cancer. It is also thought to help prevent heart disease.

Lycopene is non-toxic and although it is not an essential nutrient for human life, it doesn't appear to do much harm in higher doses. At worst, people who have excess lycopene in their blood will turn an orange color, but limiting consumption generally returns the skin to normal in a few weeks.

That’s a tomato a day, an apple a day, a piece of seaweed and flax seed a day. It’s a good thing I’m hungry all the time.

Toxins Can Be Flushed

T is for Toxin

Everyday our bodies are bombarded with toxins. They get breathed in or absorbed by our skin from household cleaners, beauty products, plastics and cash register receipts to name a few. These can make you feel tired and sluggish.

Add to that the radiation toxins from medical tests like x-rays and cat scans, environmental toxins floating in our air, the chlorine in our pools, our drinking water, even from the sun above. Some toxins your body stores, like the radiation. Others can be flushed. There are boxed “de-tox” kits available on the market, but Dr. Oz recently suggested they may be abrasive or corrosive to your colon.

The longer these toxins stay in your body, the better the chance of them wreaking havoc on your organs. Your body fights these contaminants, but there are things you can do to give it a hand:

  

  1)    Drink lots of liquids every day to aid in the flushing process

2)      Drink the juice of half of one lemon every day. It will help your liver cleanse itself.

3)      Try Dr. Oz’s gentle weekend detox program here: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/48-hour-weekend-cleanse-shopping-list

4)      Try eating the occasional meal without meat to give your digestive system a break. Use nuts and beans to give you protein.

5)      Once a month soak in a warm bath with Epsom salts and a few drops of your favourite scent. Lavender is particularly popular for this. Relaxing is also very good for you.

What is Spirulina?

Spirulina  is one of the world’s Superfoods, meaning it has a dozen or more unique properties that promote optimal health. It is a blue-green variety of cyanobacteria and cousin to algae, dulse, kelp, nori and wakame.

Spirulina has the highest concentration of protein found in in any food and has as much iron as red meat. It has high levels of chlorophyll, a known blood builder and can aid in the production of more stem cells found in bone marrow. It has four anti-oxidants in one, including beta-carotene which can increase life span and build the immune system.

Ingesting spirulina makes its anti-oxidant blue and green pigments available to our cells. This will better protect us against UV radiation at cellular level.

I buy a jar of powdered Trophic Pure Essential “Greens Concentrate” locally at the PharmaSave, but have also seen it in health food stores. It has spirulina as well as a list of other cancer-deterrent necessities in it.

 One teaspoon a day to keep my body in optimal kick-cancer-butt mode.

Save Your Life with Self Examination

"S" is for self examination

Prevention is worth a pound of cure. Never did words ring truer than in this day of cancer epidemics.

The key to surviving cancer is early detection.

Unusual lumps, bumps, masses and changes in skin color or texture on different body parts, sudden change in bowel habits and unexplained loss of weight are a few of the common symptoms which go unnoticed but play an important role in exposing a possible cancer or other medical condition.

Forty percent of breast cancers are found through self-examination. Discovering a hard round pea shaped mass in my left breast prompted concerns for an ultrasound which resulted in finding breast cancer in my right breast. The left was nothing but a tiny benign mass. To me, it was a beacon that saved my breast and possibly my life.

About the age when young men start to shave they need to  learn how to check their balls! From 15-35 is the prime age for testicular cancer and self-examination is very important. Over 95% of testicular cancer is cured if discovered early.

Practicing monthly self-examinations will keep you in touch with your body. Getting help from a spouse could be a fun way to “watch your back.” A partner can literally watch your flipside for you to spot any changing moles or new growths.

For more information on how to self-exam :

 Breast cancer : www.checkyourboobies.org/breastcancer

Testicular cancer  : http://www.tc-cancer.com/about/self-exam.html

Oral cancer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfVTNmqAKSA

Skin cancer: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=164704

Thyroid cancer: http://thyroid.about.com/od/thyroidcancer/a/neckcheck.htm

Radishes: Take A Second Look

Radishes: 

Those crunchy, peppery vegetables are not often seen for their powerful health benefits.

Along with vitamin C the radish offers folate, B vitamins and vitamin K as well as essential minerals that include potassium, manganese, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorous, sodium, copper and zinc. Radishes can be eaten raw or cooked in casseroles or soups. The radish greens can be used in salads, stir-frys or sautéed on their own in oil.

While the fiber in the radish helps fight colon cancer, the vegetable also contains a group of compounds called isothiocyanates, which are shown to be effective against other cancer cell lines. Studies have shown that these compounds  can induce cancer cell death.

White, red, purple or black radishes have also been said to prevent many cancers, support the circulatory system and heart, strengthen the immune system, detoxify the body and are a perfect diet food.  A 1/2-cup serving of radish slices contains only 19 calories and 4 carbs.

You can also use grated radish as a poultice for wasp or bee stings or as a facial for red spots to draw out a clogged pore.

Maybe give the radish a second glance when grocery shopping!