Dairy Free Milk Shake

As many of you know, I avoid dairy products as much as possible. I am always trying new recipes and modifying old recipes using alternative dairy ingredients. Well, I love ice cream. Yes, I do buy the coconut milk ice cream...but it is very expensive. In my quest to curb my ice cream craving, I came up with this twist on my original smoothie recipe. I created this to mimic a banana chocolate shake. It is fantastic and my husband requests it all the time!!

This is a double recipe - makes 2 16 oz. glasses.

2 cups original hemp milk
2 frozen bananas, peeled and chopped
2 T. peanut butter
2 T. cocoa powder (I like Green and Blacks, which is fair trade and organic)

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Best when enjoyed with a straw (according to my husband)!

The Truth About Trans Fats a.k.a. Partially Hydrogenated Oil

After a little "vacation" from the blog world, I am back and ready for more! The topic of trans fats is one that really gets me going. So, let the rant begin!

So, what is a trans fat anyway? It is a specific type of fat formed when liquid oils are made into solid fats (i.e. shortening). This is accomplished by adding hydrogen to the oil - this is called hydrogenation. They do this to make it more solid, enhance flavor and extend shelf life of the product. Plus, this is much more affordable for the food industry.

Why is it bad for me? Trans fats increased bad cholesterol (LDL) and decrease good cholesterol (HDL). Additionally, is causes heart disease and stroke and recent studies show is even contributes to diabetes. Serious effects happen at low levels of consumption. For instance, the Harvard School of Public Health did a study on this and found that if you add just 2% more calories from trans fats it increases your risk for heart disease by 23%. Additional studies found a direct link between the spike in heart disease in the U.S. and the release and regular use of trans fats in our everyday foods. Remember, heart disease is still the #1 killer in America.

The nutritional labels lie! But you say, hey I read the nutritional labels of my food and only buy the stuff that says Trans Fat 0 g. According to FDA regulations, food labels can legally do this if the trans fat per serving is 0.49 grams or under. What does this mean? You are actually consuming trans fats and being mislead by the agency that is supposed to protect us. In other words, when a label shows 0 grams trans fat per serving it may contain up to 0.49 grams of trans fat per serving.

How much can I consume and still be safe? The American Heart Association recommends limiting your daily intake to less than 2 grams. Supermarket shelves are loaded with processed foods labled as 0 grams of trans fats. The consumption of these hidden fats adds up fast. For instance, suppose you are using margarine or another buttery spread labeled 0 grams of trans fats per serving, but it actually contains just under 0.5 grams per serving. If you use 2 servings per meal, you are already over your 2 g daily limit.

Look for hidden fats. To identify products containing trans fat despite a Nutrition Facts panel claiming zero grams trans fat per serving, consumers can read ingredient lists and look for ingredients referred to as “partially hydrogenated” oils or “shortening.”

Common foods that contain trans fats. Trans fat can be found in foods including shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, potato chips, cookies, pies, bread, peanut butter, snack foods, fast food, salad dressing, fried foods, baked goods, breakfast cereal and other processed foods with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

What are my alternatives? There are a lot of natural foods available today that do not use these fats. Check out your grocer's natural food section and you will be surprised by the selection of foods that are readily available to us that are made with safe, all natural ingredients. You know, the foods that have ingredient labels that you can actually understand and recognize all of the contents.

First, avoid too many processed foods. I know, people are busy and love the convenience. Think about your health and the health of your family. Is it really worth it? When it comes down to it - NO NO NO. Your health is everything and you need to do everything in your ability to preserve it - you only get one body and one chance.

Look for natural oils such as canola, peanut, olive, palm fruit and soybean...avoid anything that says "partially hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated" as well as coconut oil and palm kernel oil (unless they are unrefined). Earth Balance is a great margarine or butter alternative. It is widely available in grocery stores and is made from a blend of natural oils.

Thanks for reading and smart eating to all!

Skin Cancer 101

Of course, this is a very important topic to me. I want to share all I know so that maybe I can make a difference in someone's life. That difference meaning prevention of or early detection of malignant melanoma to decrease mortality. I took much of the following literature from my own graduate research project.

Cancer:

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States. Approximately 9.8 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life (American Cancer Society, 2008). In 2004, 1,342,126 people were diagnosed with cancer in the United States, and 553,880 died of their cancers (Centers for Disease Control, 2008). One third of these deaths are attributed to suboptimal diet and physical activity practices. Maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active throughout life, and consuming a healthy diet can substantially reduce the lifetime risk of developing cancer, as well as influence overall health and survival after a cancer diagnosis (American Cancer Society, 2008).

Melanoma: Just the Facts

It is now the most common type of cancer, with approximately 1.3 million new cases diagnosed annually in the United States

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2008 there will be 62,480 new cases of melanoma in this country and approximately 8,420 people will die of this disease this year

One American dies of melanoma almost every hour and more than seventy five percent of skin cancer deaths are from melanoma.

The survival rate for patients whose melanoma is detected early (before it has reached the lymph nodes) is about 99 percent. The survival rate falls to 15 percent for those with advanced disease.

Melanoma is the second most common form of cancer for young adults 15-29 years old.

The incidence of melanoma is increasing at a faster rate than that of any other type of cancer.

About 65 percent of melanoma cases can be attributed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers in the United States.

Prevention Tips:

Avoid being outdoors for prolonged periods, especially in the middle of the day, 10 am – 4 pm

Protect your skin with clothing, including hats with a brim

Use Sunscreen and lip balm with SPF of 15+ every day

Wear Sunglasses regularly

Avoid tanning beds and sun lamps

Check suspicious moles regularly

Children need extra protection

Can't Get Enough Hummus!

I have been a huge fan of hummus since my first introduction to this wonderful food way back when I took a trip to see my sister in the United Arab Emirates. I have done a lot of experimenting with different spices and flavors and have found my true favorite to date. This is a double recipe b/c I like to have a lot on hand.

4 cups prepared chick peas (you can use canned if you prefer, just rinse before using to remove excess sodium)

1 whole head of roasted garlic (cut top of head off, place garlic in tin foil, drizzle with olive oil, wrap tightly and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until garlic is soft. The cloves will be soft and pull right out of the skins)

1/2 cup diced kalamata olives

6 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice

Lemon Zest from 1 lemon

1/2 cup filtered water

6 T. Tahini

Olive Oil

1 jalapeno diced (seeded and veined to diminish heat)

Spices to taste can include cumin, red pepper flakes, paprika, cayenne pepper - i just sprinkle in until it tastes good!

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. As it is blending, drizzle in some olive oil to enhance the flavors and consistency.

You can play with the amount of olives, garlic, lemon juice/zest and spices to make it according to your own taste.

I love to eat this on toast, sandwiches, crackers and veggies!

Amy's Breakfast Obsession

OK, so I have become a huge fan of fruit smoothies for my breakfast choice. I have also recently gained a new love of hemp milk...so creamy and nutty! Yep, I think everyone needs to try this new recipe.

1 cup hemp milk
4-6 frozen strawberries
1/2 frozen banana (sliced)
1 T. ground flax meal
1 T. nut butter (almond, peanut, whatever)

Place all in a blender and blend until smooth. This makes one 16 oz. glass full of yummy goodness...hmmmm.

The Dirty Dozen

I have gathered the following information from a well regarded healthy living cook book that I call my bible. The title is The Balanced Plate by Renee Loux. This is a fabulous resource and has provided me with an extraordinary amount of useful health information.

Eating organically grown food is a clear, intelligent and delicious choice. Finding and affording only organic food can be tough. So, do the best you can! Certain foods are definitely worth the extra money and effort (or worth avoiding altogether if organic is not available). The list below contains the “dirty dozen” and are those foods which are contaminated with the highest amount of pesticides and chemicals. Even washing and peeling doesn’t get rid of the toxins. The research used to compile this list was based on extensive independent studies run by the FDA and USDA for more than 100,000 samples of food. The chemical pesticides detected in these studies are known to cause cancer, birth defects, nervous system and brain damage, and developmental problems in children.

1. Meat: Beef, Pork, and Poultry: The EPA reports that meat is contaminated with higher levels of pesticides than any plant food. Many chemical pesticides are fat-soluble and thus collect in the fatty tissue of animals. Animal feed that contains animal products compounds the accumulation, which is then directly passed to the human consumer. Antibiotics, drugs and hormones are standard in the meat industry, which are accumulated into the tissue of the animal and then passed on to the consumers. Ocean fish carry a higher risk for heavy metals than
pesticides, though many fresh water fish are exposed to high levels of pesticides from contaminated water.

2. Dairy: Milk, Cheese, and Butter: For reasons similar to those for meat, the fat in dairy products poses a high risk for contamination by pesticides. Animals concentrate pesticides and chemicals in their milk and meat. Growth hormones and antibiotics are also serious concerns and are invariable found in commercial milk, cheese and butter.

3. Strawberries, Raspberries and Cherries: Strawberries are the crop that is most heavily dosed with pesticides in America. On average, 300 pounds of pesticides are applied to every acre of strawberries (compared to an average of 25 pounds per acre for other foods). 36 different pesticides are commonly used on strawberries, and 90 percent of strawberries tested register pesticide contamination above safe levels. Raspberries trump strawberries with the
application of 39 chemicals: 58 percent of the raspberries tested register positive for contamination. Cherries have 25 pesticides applied with 91 percent contamination. If you can’t find these organic – AVOID! Frozen, organic varieties are easy to find in most grocery stores.

4. Apple and Pears: With 36 different chemicals detected in FDA testing, half of which are neurotoxins (meaning they cause brain damage), apples are almost as contaminated as strawberries. 91 percent of apples tested positive for pesticide residue. Peeling apples reduces some of the chemicals, but does not eliminate all. Pears rank dangerously near apples, with 35 percent pesticides and 94 percent contamination.

5. Tomatoes: It is standard practice for more than 30 pesticides to be sprayed on conventionally grown tomatoes. The thin skin does not stop chemicals from infiltrating the whole tomato, so peeling is not an advantage.

6. Potatoes: They rank among the most contaminated with pesticides and fungicides. 29 pesticides are commonly used, with 79 percent of potatoes tested exceeding safe levels of multiple pesticides.

7. Spinach and other Greens (lettuce, kale, chard, etc.): The FDA found spinach to be the vegetable most frequently contaminated with the most potent pesticides used on food.

8. Coffee: Most coffee is grown in countries where there is little to no regulation on the use of chemicals and pesticides on food. The U.S. produces and exports millions of tons of pesticides, some of which are so dangerous they are illegal to use on American soil. Foreign countries import these chemicals to cultivate food, which is then sold back to the U.S. Coffee is an unfortunate culprit in the vicious cycle. It is important to look for both organic and fair trade coffee. Purchasing “Fair Trade” coffee provides insurance that the premium price paid
for this treasured beverage supports farms and workers fairly.

9. Peach and Nectarines: 45 different pesticides are regularly used on peaches and nectarines in conventional orchards. These also have thin skin that does not protect the fruit from the chemical. 97 percent of nectarines and 95 percent of peaches tested for pesticide residue show contamination from multiple chemicals.

10. Grapes (Especially Imported): Because grapes are a delicate fruit, they are sprayed multiple times throughout the different stages of growth. Imported grapes are even more heavily treated than those grown in the U.S. Several of the most poisonous pesticides banned in the US are still used on grapes grown abroad. Chile showed the highest concentration of the most poisonous chemicals.

11. Celery: 94 percent of celery tested was found to have pesticide residue in violation of safe levels.

12. Bell Peppers (red and green): Bell peppers are one of the most heavily sprayed foods, with standard use of 39 pesticides.

Milk.....it does a body good?

Milk has been deemed an essential food in American society. They claim you need to regularly consume milk and dairy products in order to get calcium to maintain strong bones and prevent osteoporosis. The kicker...that is completely false information. So, the truth....

1. We need the enzyme lactase to digest lactose, the sugar found in dairy. Between the ages of 18 months and 4 years, we lose 90 to 95 percent of this enzyme. The undigested lactose and acidic nature of pasteurized milk encourage the growth of bacteria in our intestines. This acidic environment encourages the growth of cancer cells, as they thrive in an acidic environment.

2. Dairy products also produce a considerable amount of mucus. Our bodies often respond to all of this mucus by developing a cold or allergies to fight the dairy invasion.

3. But what about osteoporosis? Researchers at top universities (Yale, Harvard, Penn State and the National Institutes of Health) have all studied how milk and dairy intake effects our bones. None of these studies found dairy to be a deterrent to osteoporosis.

4. One study funded by the National Dairy Council revealed that the high protein content in dairy products actually leaches calcium from our bones. The acidic conditions milk creates in us makes our bodies pull the alkaline calcium out of our bones to neutralize the acid, leaving us with a net calcium deficit.

5. Researchers at Yale found that the countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis (U.S., Sweden and Finland) are also those whose people consume the greatest quantities of meat, milk, and other animal proteins.

6. Dairy products are full of saturated fat and cholesterol. That being said, heart disease kills more people than all other causes of death combined in the U.S.

6. Finally, dairy has been linked to a slew of health problems. Included are; acne, anemia, anxiety, arthritis, ADD, ADHD, fibromyalgia, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, IBS, joint pain, osteoporosis, poor immune function, allergies, ear infections, colic, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autism, Crohn's disease, breast and prostate cancers and ovarian cancer.

Why, then, is dairy marketed as being healthy?

Money and politics!

The milk industry has a $19 billion/year profit margin. This money enables the milk industry to solicit a lot of support from the USDA.

There is great conflict of interest when it comes to the USDA's Dietary Guidelines and Food Pyramid. In 1998, a lawsuit was pursued against the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services. The lawsuit claimed that the USDA violated federal laws when they selected 6 of 11 people with financial ties to the various food industries to serve on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. These affiliations involved people from the American Meat Institute, National Dairy Council, the American Egg Board, Dannon Company and Nestle (to name a few).

The Johnson and Johnson company reported that lactose intolerance affects over 50 percent of the Hispanic American population, 75 percent of Native Americans, 80 percent of African Americans and 90 percent of Asian Americans. The real question, why is Johnson and Johnson so concerned with lactose intolerance? So they can ensure their marketing campaigns will focus on encouraging these people to buy Lactaid. Lactaid is a product they make that supposedly aids in the digestion of dairy. What the body denies, we can overcome?

You may say, but it tastes so good! Start by making small steps to slowly decrease the amount of dairy you consume on a daily basis. If I can do it (a once self-proclaimed cheese addict), so can you! Detox, detox, detox.

The true source of Calcium:

Why do cows have so much calcium in their milk? Because they are eating the plant-based foods that contain the calcium, which is then stored in their milk supply. So, by eating a diet rich in whole foods such as green leafy veggies (broccoli, kale, spinach), whole grains and citrus you will get all the calcium you need.

Dairy alternatives:

Almond and Hemp milk: available is regular, vanilla, chocolate and sometimes strawberry (organic is best)

Soy Milk: available in all traditional milk flavors (organic is best)

Purely Decadent Coconut milk ice cream and yogurt (delicious)

Stonyfield Farms Organic Soy yogurt - I love this stuff!

Earth Balance - all natural butter alternative (made of a mixture of non-hydrogenated vegetable oils)

Vegenaise - mayo replacement...you will never know the difference.

Healthful toppings such as salsa, hummus, avocado and guacamole are great and healthy alternatives to top mexican dishes, use as snacks and as sandwich spreads.

Happy eating:)

References: The Balanced Plate, Skinny Bitch, Raw Food Real World