Favorites for Beautiful Hair and Skin

Happy end-of-the-month post!

I hope you have found your way over to the new and growing ADDN site, subscribed, and are enjoying revisiting the old blog posts!  I had forgotten some of the information and recipes I've shared, and it's been fun getting re-motivated to take care of my health!

As the weather is turning colder, I am seeing and feeling the dryness settle in.  My hands don't want to stay moist and the cracks are looking like a dry desert!  Ugg!  And the hair is getting the flyaway wisps everywhere!  No fun!

So here is a list of some of my favorite foods to maintain health, happy skin and hair!

Five Beautifying Foods and Drinks:

WATER

It may seem simple, but proper hydration is critical!  Correct fluids are important for the health of your skin cells and scalp.  Clean, filtered water will support your skin and hair health.  Eating abundant produce will also allow you to get a good intake of water, since fruits and veggies are water-rich!

COCONUT WATER

Or, you can opt for coconut water, because it will also supply a nice dose of minerals, which your hair will drink up!  Minerals and hydration in one - what a nice treat!

HEMP

Hemp will have good omega-3 fatty acids in whatever form you find it: hemp milk, hemp oils, or hemp seeds.  But my form of choice is the seed, because then you are also getting a lustrous 11 grams of protein with each serving!  Omega-3s help with scalp health and generating hair follicles.  Protein is a large part of the make-up of a strand of hair, so adequate protein is important for strong, shiny locks.

 BERRIES

The deep hughes of dark berries and cherries come from the phytonutrient group called anthocyanidins.  These phytonutrients help the collagen fibers link together in a way that strengthens the connective tissue matrix, keeping your skin strong and healthy.  Plus they have good vitamin C which works in partner with Vitamin A for healthy collagen.

SWISS CHARD

This often praised vegetable has yet another wonderful benefit!  It is a rich source of biotin.  Deficiencies of biotin have been linked to numerous skin and hair problems, such as hair loss, seborrheic dermatitis, and even cradle cap in infants!

So there you have it!!  Five foods for fabulous skin and hair!

I hope September has treated you well, and October is even better!

Hugs!
~Katie

Banana Crepes

Another fun and easy recipe!I have enjoyed using my dehydrator to make little bananas chips, but this time we went with a crepe! Just blend up your bananas, and either leave it at that, or add some flavoring.

Banana Crepes
5-6 bananas
1 Tablespoon vanilla, to taste

Put in blender or food processor and process until smooth. Ladle into 3" rounds and dehydrate until leathery. About 18-24 hours

They will be taffy chewy, which for me is delicious!

Then just top as you like!

I first made a macadamia-cashew-berry blend (equal parts of each nut, then strawberries to taste.) The strawberries weren't really quite ripe yet, so the flavor wasn't strong.

Berry Spread
1 c. macademia nuts
1 c. cashews
1 c. fruit of choice to flavor

Blend all together, adding water or lemon juice as needed to thin. Spread on crepes!

So then I tried a blend with the nuts, and added blackberries and raspberries - a much stronger, tart flavor! So good!

Using fun little stencils, I spread the berry sauce on the crepes, and decorated with some strawberries. What a pretty breakfast to start your day! And full of healthy fruit to give you a god surge of energy, and proteins from the nuts to keep you going!


And there you have it! If you don't count the time in the dehydrator, this is a quick treat! So, just plan ahead, and you can store the crepes probably for about a week or two in the fridge. The nut spread also will keep for a while. I keep them separate so when I crave it, I just whip out a crepe, slather it with some berry spread, roll it up, and go!

So if you have a dehydrator, I hope you'll have fun trying this one :)

~Katie

Tropical Salad on a Wintery Day

Hello all! :) Today I wanted something that reminded me of WARM WEATHER! I was so excited by the warmer days we had, and then this!! Cold and rainy, and even little flakes of SNOW!! Gaaa!!!

So I went to the store, and treated myself to some wonderful, healthy, enzyme and nutrient rich tropical fruits!

And I made a beautiful, colorful salad! Pineapple, papaya, banana, and half an avocado... with a splash of lime juice, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a handful of macadamia nuts! Very much like my tropical smoothie (just blend!) but I wanted to savor the unique flavors of each fruit, and I am a sucker for texture - and I crave the little crunch of the nuts in this dish!

This pretty plate packs a punch! With over 100% of the RDA for Manganese and Vitamin C, it also carries a healthy dose of Potassium, Magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Folate, and even the lovely B-6! And over 10 grams of protein and 20 grams of fiber! AND! It's rich in phytosterols, which are good to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. That's one heck of a meal there, my friend!

Now I should go turn on some Hawaiian music, put on the flip-flops, and relax ;-)

Have a great week everyone!

Hugs!

~Katie

Beautiful Berry Smoothie

That was my green smoothie today.  Lovely berry rich!

I started with a basic green base:

Romaine (I use almost half a head, but you may want to start smaller!)

1 apple

1 banana

juice of 1/2 lemon

Then decided to give it a kick:

1 cup spinach

1 to 1 1/2 cups frozen berry medley

Yum! 

Romaine is one of the top sources of the lovely mineral chromium, which is important for keeping healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.  I have also read before that chromium is important for healthy color in your hair.  And I've had friends tell me after a while doing green smoothies every morning that their hair was losing some of the gray and getting back to their natural colors!  Hmmm.... ;-)  Sometime to chew on!  Er, uh, to sip on!  I'm hoping to research that more...

Spinach has all sorts of wonderful benefits - hooray Popeye!  Spinach is kickin' it in with TONS of Vitamin K, an abundance of Vitamin A, mega amounts of manganese, friendly folate, and so many other wonderful vitamins and minerals!  Spinach really is one kickin' health food! 

And berries.  Ah, beautiful berries!  Berries are an antioxidant explosion of goodness!  Good for vision, good for the brain, and full of minerals.

So mix up something fun :)  Have a great weekend!

~Katie

Simple Fruit Fruit-Bowl

Good morning!

Just popping in to share a quick pic of an easy, healthy breakfast! Admittedly, this is even better in the summer months when the fruit is more in season, and you can get ripe berries... but sometimes I just get a hankering for fruit in the morning, and so I enjoyed some this morning!

Simple Fruit Fruit-Bowl (makes 2)

Cantaloupe

Berries or other fruit

Toppings of choice

So simple! Just cut a cantaloupe in half, scoop out the seeds so that it doubles as a bowl! Then fill with your favorite other fruits! I just used some berries since that's what I had on hand. Then I drizzled some honey on top and sprinkled on a few macadamia nuts.

If you want something a little heartier, maybe a dollop of almond butter, or a base of cashew cream. Want a little more flavor kick? Sprinkle with ginger or clove. For a festive garnish, you could add some minced mint! Perhaps a squeeze of lime. The possibilities are endless :)

But this is a wonderfully refreshing start to a morning, without loading my system down with heavy foods. Up and at 'em!

Plus (well, c'mon, you know I've gotta talk about the healthy side of this dish!) cantaloupe is a low-calorie major dosing of that skin-lovin' combo: Vitamin A and Vitamin C with 1 cup providing over 100% of your RDA for each! They're also both good antioxidants, keeping those damaging free radicals at bay. Fight on, you lovely melon! This delight also provides a punch of potassium, B6, B3, fiber, and folate. The B vitamins are important for your body to be able to derive energy from food and actually use it. People who lack B vitamins sometimes suffer from more stress, depression, and fatigue (though, of course, those are multifaceted conditions.)

So start your morning off right! Healthy fruits and/or veggies are a good boost for my mornings!

~Katie

Saipan Fresh Markets!

We got to experience the Tuesday night market in Garapan. It was, all at once, completely normal, and totally new! I love farmers markets, and have been to several - so in a way, seeing all the little tents lined up, and foods displayed was just like home. ...Until you look closer, and realized you don't recognize anything!!

What's a girl to do?

Try it all!

They were very friendly people there - when you didn't know what something was, they'd try their best to explain how it tasted, how you prepare it. Or, when all else fails, just shove one in your hand and tell you to take a bite! That was how I got to experience my first guava! Delicious! I'm sad they are not available here in Ohio :(

We also go "coconut juice" which would have been great... but they added sugar to it. Sad... something so simply wonderful, and they had to dump in processed junk! Ah well, it still tasted good, and was more exploring of culture, since that's the popular way to do it! (I'll keep mine fresh from the nut next time, thank ya!)

Here was an actual catering stand - they had the most variety, mostly processed foods they'd already made.

So, of course, we had to try some new items.

Not exactly the most natural of foods... I mean, would you look at that neon orange?! But it's local rice cake (coconut milk, rice, and sugar all blended into a smooth texture) so we wanted to see what it tasted like.

Quite good, really! Creamy and somewhat chewy, sweet and mild.

Then there was sweet rice (rice, coconut milk, brown sugar, not blended.) Very similar, but Dave preferred this one.

And then we had to try the "Eat like a Local Plate." So VERY not healthy!!! And I really didn't eat much of it - picked at the rice, and ate the (uber oily) veggies. Then Dave enjoyed all that many meaty stuff ;-) (And yes, hot dogs are apparently a local staple there, as well!)

We took our little tray, walked to the back of the market where we found a nice log, sat, and ate our food while the sun set. Oh, and had a friendly neighborhood mole run out and squeek at us! I guess they're common there!



The market all lit up!



We went back to our hotel, where they finally convinced us to get the free foot massage, and then coaxed us into the pedicure - yep, Dave too! But I'll share about that later, and the unnaturalness of that! (Even though I did enjoy going crazy with blue

toes with butterflies... it's something you may want to keep in moderation!)

After that, a good sleep, and then the next morning, day three on the lovely beaches!

And I got to start my morning off with fresh guava! YUM! Ok, admittedly, this stuff has one heck of a potent smell!! Dave was whining about it the night before, so I stuck it in the fridge. And - oh MAN! Opened the fridge in the morning and was about knocked over by the gush of guava scent! It's not a bad smell, just so strong when so fresh! Guavas have no cholesterol, saturated fat, or sodium; and they have all these wonderful nutrients: potassium, folate, a good 5g of cleansing fiber, and skin-so-soft helping Vitamins A and C - over 200% of your need of Vitamin C in one fruit!

Now that's a nice way to start a morning!

And I also got to try some local oranges that morning (yep, going Vitamin C happy!)

It turns out, the cold nights in California and Florida are what help give oranges their namesake peel. With nothing but warms and tropical weather year round, Saipan oranges aren't orange! They're green! But still sweet, juicy, tart, and delicious!

So after I enjoy my fruit breakfast, we go and relax on the beach some more. I mean, come on, who could refuse??

So that was our experience with the local food and market - more good memories!

Viva la Veggies!

Good evening, everyone!

Sorry for not posting lately - I guess I let my "staycation" get me a little lazy! My goal to sweat every day ALMOST happened... but I let a visit from my sister give me "reason" to slack. Ah well. I know I could have gone for my jog while she rested, but it was just such a nice cozy home, and I didn't feel like leaving!

But it's back to the grind! Dave and I have been enjoying playing guinea pig on ourselves. 6 days, nothing but fruits and veggies. (Is this a long-term plan? No. It would not be something to recommend long-term, but for less than a week, we were curious!)

Day 1 started out great! Dave admitted that his system was loving the easy digestion, and that he didn't feel so "bogged down" with trying to process junk. He was a whirl-wind Mr. Mom and spent the whole day checking off tasks left and right, and getting the home all clean!

Then the end of day 1 came.... and we both crashed. Tired, and I had a splitting headache. But we just went to bed early, slept a solid 10 hours (yikes!) and began days 2 and 3.

Those days were rough (I would have posted, but we were so tired from it!) Still felt lethargic, some brain fog, and the headache only slightly diminishing. Fruit-packed smoothies helped give us some natural sugars for energy; and adding some veggies helps sustain the long term health. Saturday evening, I pulled out some veggie wraps for us. Dave's supportive comment: "when I saw those plates of nothing but veggies - no cheese, no dressing... I thought I was going to die!" A little dramatic, but that's my man! And that brave soul managed to eat two entire wraps!

Admittedly, with only lemon for seasoning, they were a little bland, but still amazing nutritional sources! So much goodness wrapped into one little bundle! And easy on the digestion!

Pure Veggie Wraps

Shredded carrots

Raw corn

Mung bean sprouts

Onions

Chives

Broccoli sprouts

Lemon Juice

Large Veggie Leaves (ie: collards, Romaine, cabbage)

Top a large leaf with items of choice, squeeze a little lemon juice if desired, roll and devour!

I enjoyed cabbage leaves just because they are so sturdy. The Romaine tended to break and leak more! But all are good and healthy!

Day 4 is bringing back some energy. Dave was actually up and awake today, and I feel great! Having fun playing with the kids at work (enjoying some old-school Michael Jackson "Thriller" with one little boy!) and finding time to let you all peek in on our craziness! :)

Dave has forbidden me to mention the "holy name of Chipotle" for the next few days. Ha! He has also had dreams of Oreo Cakes, and dwells on thoughts of hot dogs and M&Ms. Hopefully his cravings for junk will soon start to lessen - mine have! I am craving fruit! Craziness!

I hope your week is off to a wonderfully energetic beginning! See you again soon!

xoxox

~Katie

Peach Wrap

I love it when I can eat a dessert for a meal! And last night, I did just that! I needed to use some more of those luscious peaches that I have hanging around, and figured I'd try a wrap! So here's a simple recipe:

Peach Wrap (makes 2)

2 whole grain tortillas

4 Tbs Chocolate Fruit Dip

1 Peach

Handful nuts

Cinnamon to taste

So, I used a sprouted tortilla (again, I'll post on sprouting later), spread a little of yesterday's Chocolate Fruit Dip on it, layered on half the peach in slices, sprinkled with cinnamon and some nuts, and rolled away! You could also drizzle with honey for an extra sweet treat!

I tried it with almonds on one half, and macadamia nuts on the lower half. Honestly, I couldn't tell too much of a difference - they both added an enjoyable crunch! Either way, I got a good whole grain, some healthy fats, and some juicy fruit! Yummy To Go!

~Katie

Passion For Peaches!

Happy Summer Time!! Guess what fruit is now in season?

PEACHES!!!

And when you get a good peach, it is Oh-So-Good! An okay peach is still pretty tasty, but a great ripe peach is just beyond words!

And I am so thankful that my parents had a ginormous crate of peaches that they were willing to share! We made a drive by the homestead, and swiped about twenty peaches, since they are verging on ripeness! So, this week - it's peach recipes!

And a simple start...

Peach Summer Smoothie:

1 apple

2 large, beautiful peaches

2 c spinach

1 sprig parsley

1/2 c frozen mango

water to thin

Blend, and enjoy the summer sensation!

Parsley's not just for garnishing anymore! A mere two tablespoons will provide you with over 100% of your daily need for Vitamin K! Because of some of its volatile oils, parsley has been labeled a "chemoprotective" food - meaning it can help inhibit tumor growth from various dangerous carcinogens (like benzopyrenes in cigarette smoke or that summer favorite charcoal grill smoke.) It is also rich in various flavonoids (specifically apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin) which make it a rich source of antioxidants! It can actually increase the antioxidant capacity of your blood!

Peaches are a wonderful source of natural sugars, for some good natural energy - but they are also chalk full of nutrients! One peach has 3 grams of healthful fiber, 2 grams of protein, and is a good source of niacin - useful for cholesterol levels, and it's also good for a healthy nervous system, digestive system, and good for healthy skin, hair and eyes! Peaches also pack some good potassium, and has vitamins A and C!

Nothing beats a seasonally ripe peach! But go organic - they're part of that Dirty Dozen highly pesticided fruits. So enjoy some peaches while they're here - and let's see what recipes we can find for peaches (or just enjoy plain!) I have eaten so many peaches already that I may just start to grow some fuzz....

~Katie

Drink the Summer Rainbow

Good morning, everyone! I hope you've had a good week, and that your weekend is off to a great start! I know one way to get a good kick to your energy... c'mon you know what I'm gonna say... Smoothie!! :) (Do I sound like a broken record yet?)

I love Saturdays because they are Farmers' Market days here in my town! We have a humble little market with only about 8 farmers, and a few other entrepreneurs. You can also find soaps, lotions, baked goods, and crafts.

But before I restock my fridge with new produce from the market and the grocery store, I needed to make some room! So it was time to use up left over produce. I was surprised how much variety I still had! And it all looked so pretty! So this morning I did a rainbow smoothie. In produce, each color food carries its own health benefits - so get that variety!



So here's what I put in my smoothie:
Red: goji berries
Orange: peach
Yellow: pineapple and frozen mango
Green: kale and Romaine
Purple: strawberries and blackberries

Then I sprinkled in a few Tablespoons of flax seeds for some extra protein and omega oils.

Blend and enjoy!

This is a power-packed drink of fiber, vitamins and minerals, very alkaline and antioxidant rich... and a lot of great natural sugars to kick start the morning! It made a nice, thick, heavy smoothie - keeps me full for hours! (And keeps me skipping along as I browse the produce section at the store while being crowded among all the other Saturday morning shoppers.)

David Heber, MD, PhD wrote a book called What Color Is Your Diet? In it, he goes over the different colors and benefits.

White: Usually it is agreed that there is also the white color category - that would include things like onion, garlic, chives, and mushroom. Yeah... I didn't feel like putting that into my smoothie! I'm not that adventurous! Other white/green foods that I could have included, though, are celery and pears. These foods all contain flavonoids that protect your cell membranes.

Red: I talked about benefits a little bit in an earlier post during Valentine's Day. But, to refresh, bold red foods include tomatoes, watermelon, etc. Think bold bright, leaning more towards pink than purple. These foods are rich in lycopene, which helps fight cancer.

Darker Orange: carrots, sweet potato, and squash are great for the eyes! All the carotenoids help with night vision and are also great disease fighters.

Yellow-Orange: brighter colored oranges such as the orange fruit, nectarines, and papaya are phenomenal sources of Vitamin C - great for the immune system! Since Vitamin C is water-soluble, your body doesn't like to store it too much. So it's important to get vitamin C from food on a daily basis!

Yellow-Green: corn, spinach, avocado, and peas are part of this group. They are rich in the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These components are now being linked with eye health and protection from macular degeneration!

Green: And the darker greens - kale, broccoli, sprouts, cabbage... these are such an important part of health. I've talked about it a little before, but these are rich in sulforaphane and help stimulate the liver, enhancing your body's natural detoxing and cleansing processes. They also contain isothicyanate and indoles, which help your body break down cancer-causing checmicals.

Purple: now you move into foods that are a darker red, such as grapes, berries, and eggplant. This color comes from anthocyanins that protect the heart.

So do like Skittles and taste (or drink!) the rainbow; but go for the natural, healthy rainbow instead of the sugary nutritionally-empty rainbow! ;-) You'll find that pot o' health in the end!

~Katie

Sunny Apple Trail Mix Cereal

Happy Wednesday, friends! You're halfway through your week! I know I’m excited about that :) And I have an evening planned of yoga, apple fun in the kitchen, and relaxing!This morning I tried another apple recipe – basically a hodge-podge of stuff tossed together to make a cereal. It reminded me of trail mix, with so much variety and simplicity! But healthy and so filling! A great combination. And I love when recipes are flexible – who wants to strictly follow a recipe, then find out their missing an ingredient? Or take the time to measure everything out? Not with this! Simple guesstimations, my friend – and it all worked out!

Sunny Apple Trail Mix Cereal:

½ apple, diced

¼ cup oatmeal (I prefer using soaked steel-cut oat groats, but I was out :( I’ll post on that later – why I think they are healthier for you!)

Small handful of sunflower seeds - 2 Tbs? (These are amazing sources of the anti-inflammatory antioxidant vitamin E as well as Magnesium for nerves and muscles, Selenium for healthy cell integrity and cancer prevention, and the B vitamin Thiamin for heart function and efficiency of energy supplies. Of commonly eaten nuts and seeds, sunflower seeds have the highest concentration of phytosterols, which may help lower cholesterol.)

Small handful of almonds - 2 Tbs? (Almonds help control the rate the sugars enter your blood stream – nice and easy, baby! Like sunflower seeds, they are a good source of Vitamin E and magnesium; but these guys also contain a good dose of manganese, tryptophan, copper, B2 riboflavin, and phosphorus – all important to balance health.)

Small handful of organic raisins -1/4 cup? (A sugary food, so use in moderation. But they have their place. Raisins contain some of the trace mineral, Boron, which is needed for healthy bone formation. Some studies are finding boron to protect postmenopausal woman from osteoporosis.)

A drizzle of agave - 2 tsp?

A dusting of Cinnamon -1 tbs? (You may know by now that I love this spice! A good blood sugar regulator; and oh so yummy in my book!)

Toss it all together, and top with your choice of milk! Remember – if you pick to drink dairy or soy, PLEASE go organic! I used coconut milk today.

I got about halfway through my bowl (enjoying every bite) when I realized that trail mix usually has chocolate chips in it. Well, I didn’t want to go tainting my organic and natural breakfast with chemicals and sugar, so I instead grabbed my bag of organic cacao powder, and sprinkled some of that on top! Yum! Just a slight hint of chocolate to balance the nuts and fruit, and another little ninja kick of antioxidant power! Hiya!

Another addition I threw in as I went: chopped up a banana. Hooray for extra potassium!

So enjoy mixing and matching fruits and nuts; try different spices or milk types. Loads of simple breakfasts here!

So see what you can do – try to break away from all that processed, sugary stuff that's harsh on your body and health: pop tarts, sugary cereals, pastries… get yourself some good, natural energy to start off your day!! (The green smoothies are great, too! But… without my blender, I’m looking to other power-packed foods to get me going.)

Have fun!
~Katie

Apple Week!

I am a woman of themes. I don't know why - but I always have theme parties in the back of my head. Sadly, most of these theme dreams are never realized (though I did get to do a little Harry Potter themed party once!) but it has still stuck with me.

So I thought - why not have a theme for new recipes? What's on sale at the store - and what can I make from that?

This week: the simple apple!

I already discussed many of the benefits of this little guy in an earlier post with the Winter Salad; but it's been a while, so I thought I'd refresh a few points and share a few ideas!

The apple - a good source of vitamin C, antioxidants, insoluble and soluble fiber, and flavonoids - if you eat that skin!

The University of Illinois has a page on some fun facts about apple. My favorites:

*The crabapple is the only apple native to North America (yay crabapple! These grow near my apartment, and every spring, people make sure to avoid the one parking spot under that tree as those mushy apples topple down, leaving your car looking like a poor, helpless victim!)

*2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States (And yet, I feel like I only see 4 or 5 different types in my store...)

*The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony

*In colonial time, apples were called winter banana or melt-in-the-mouth

Hmmm... I saw no mention of Johnny Appleseed....

Ah well - on to the recipes!

The first recipe I found was for an apple-carrot "cake" (though I would describe it more as a dough; I should try dehydrating it!) It called for carrot and apple pulp which meant it was time to pull out the juicer!!

So, I guess, technically, the first recipe we made from the apple was fresh apple juice (yum, yum, yum, and YUM! SO much better than store-bough processed stuff!!) And then we had to juice the carrot to get the pulp, so that added an interesting tang of apple-carrot juice. Still delicious! Dave has asked to make fresh juice a bigger part of our diet. Sure thing! So I just need to find some more recipes that use the pulp - I hate the idea of just throwing that away! (...unless I started composting at some point.)

So, the next recipe was apple and carrot pulp mixed with blended raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon. The recipe also called for shredded coconut, but the store was out :( I think it could add a good texture to the "cake." Instead, I topped it with more raisins and walnuts. Some oats may have been good too!

It will need some tweaking, but all in all, not bad! The taste is good - just want to work on the texture to make it a little drier, and hold together better.

Veggies, fruit, and nuts; dairy free, gluten free... All natural, all health! So I ate some for breakfast this morning :) Cake for breakfast - what a good life!

~Katie

Other recipes planned this week: Sauteed apples; apple cabbage slaw, and baked apples!

Season's Eatings! Farmers Markets and Freshness

It's almost May! And do you know what that means?

FARMERS' MARKETS!!

(Ok, well, it means that here, at least!) The grand opening for the market near my home will be opening in May :)

One great way to incorporate healthy eating is to support your local farmers. Big Agra - or big industrial agricultural production sites - are great for getting huge amounts of edible stuff out to you quickly... but usually they do so at the cost of quality and nutrition. Most over plant, under nourish, over fertilize and pesticide, and even manipulate genes to pump out quanity over quality.

But local farms often are smaller, more natural, organic productions. And hey - let's face it - working as a farmer cannot be easy! I know I'm a procrastinator, and know many others who are, too! Can you imagine procrastinating on a farm?! "Well, I know it's mid July already, and the ______ should be knee-high by now..." (You know you're from Ohio when you can fill in that blank!) ;-) "...but I haven't felt like getting up before the sun to work - I'll plant it tomorrow. I think I'd like to sit at a desk and check my email instead..."

Ok, I have no real experience on farms (one week when I was a child, but that's not going to give you a taste of year-round farming!) and I hope to get to talk with my local farmers and learn more this summer!

I digress...

Supporting your local family farms is great for your health- it's fresher! Even your "fresh" produce at the stores could have taken a minimum of 7 days to get from the field to the shelf! And once picked, it begins losing nutrients!

Supporting your local family farms is great for the environment - less transportation fuel burned to get it to you. Check your store-bough food sometime - it will have a "grown in" type label on it. Chances are, it's not the same state you live in. Maybe not even the same country!

Supporting your local family farms is great for your natural detoxing- less pollutants, chemicals, and genetically modified items! Maybe your farmer can't advertise that they're organic (see the Ode to Organic post- it costs money to get that label, that they may not have!) But most smaller farms will use natural products to feed their animals and grow their plants. Just ask!

Supporting your local family farms is great for your experience - every chance you have to talk to a new person with new life experiences is a time for you to enrich your appreciation of diversity! Sounds cheesy, I know - but I spent almost an hour with Dave at a market one year talking to a teacher who also likes to grow wheat as a hobby! He told us all about how he grows it, mills it, and then comes to the market to sell wheat flour and mixes for bread, pancakes, and the like. Or one Amish gentleman who said his favorite pesticide was his knife (he just flicks away some invaders!)

Supporting your local family farms is great for your wallet - usually local produce will cost less since it doesn't have to travel so far; plus in-season produce is usually cheaper anywhere!

So what's coming up in May for all the Ohioans?

*Asparagus *Broccoli *Greens (Mustard, Turnip) *Herbs (Cilantro, Dill, Parsley) *Lettuce *Peas *Radishes *Rhubarb *Spinach *and more! (You can check out some more information here.)

And strawberries are just around the corner, coming mid- to late- May! Yum!

So, I hope you at least check out a local market. So many new people, new foods, new ideas. And you'll be eating food that's in season - meaning, it's MEANT for that month for ultimate nutrition and taste! No gasses forcing ripening; no hormones forcing growth... just good, seasonal eating!

~Katie

PINEAPPLE!!!!

...Can you tell I'm excited about pineapple? :) I confess - it's one of my faaavorites!

I love pineapple, so I am super anxious to have one tonight :) Typically pineapples come in to season around March, so I am looking forward to many more pineapple delights in future months! But, Whole Foods had a delicious looking pineapple, so snag it earlie, I did. And I’m glad I did!

I could just sit down and devour a whole pineapple by itself for a meal!

Thankfully, pineapples are also chalk-full of good health benefits! Not only is it a super source of Vitamin C (awesome antioxidant and immune-system supporter) but 1 cup will provide over 100% of the recommended manganese for your day! Manganese is another antioxidant, and also helps with enzymes used in energy production. Pineapple also contains bromelain, which is being studied for its anti-inflammatory and digestive aide properties. And pineapples are on the "safe list" if you can't find organic! They aren't usually too heavy in the pesticide department.

Enjoy pineapple plain, in a smoothie, in a fruit salad, or diced onto a green salad to add some tart sweet juiciness, or puree it with some frozen banana for an icy treat! I’m sure there are many good recipes for pineapple, just try to get more fresh fruit and veggies somewhere!

(Ok, somewhat shameful plug - I love the silly TV show PSYCH and for whatever reason, they always have a pineapple somewhere in it! Ok, but my point here - they apprently are doing a Pineapple Recipe contest! If you come up with something, post it! Or check back and they'll post the submitted recipes. Click on the pic to go to their site)

So enjoy your pineapples and other fruits! Wanna split a pineapple? ;-)

~Katie

Happy Hearty Valentines!

Ah, love. That wonderful emotion that makes our hearts flutter!

And the heart… what a wonderful part of our body! So, for the lovely holiday, let’s take a look at keeping that heart healthy so you may have years and years of twitter-pated fluttering!

The American Heart Association lists 7 simple steps to a healthy heart:

1. don’t smoke;
2. maintain a healthy weight;
3. engage in regular physical activity;
4. eat a healthy diet;
5. manage blood pressure;
6. take charge of cholesterol; and
7. keep blood sugar, or glucose, at healthy levels.

So how are you doing on those?

Part of that healthy diet (aside from just a lot of fresh produce, like you must know I love by now!) is getting a wide variety of color in your produce! Each color is produced from various phytochemicals and nutritional components, and each have important roles in health.

And since it’s Valentine’s Day, I wanted to focus on the red colors since red is for love (*insert cheesy “awwwww” here*) Plus, the dark reds and purples are for – can ya guess? – heart health!

Foods like grapes, blueberries, strawberries, eggplant, açaí, cherries, raspberries, and red apples are colored that way in part because of anthocyanin pigments. These flavonoids are a great source of antioxidants that help protect you from heart disease. Anthocyanins have been shown to help protect cell structures in the body and to prevent oxygen damage in all of the body's organ systems.

When picking out fruits for their anthocyanin properties, make sure you get them fresh or frozen. Anthocyanin is water soluble and relatively delicate, so processing often destroys it. A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found anthocyanin levels of red/purple foods were almost undetectable in canned foods.

So enjoy your fresh red and purple foods; indulge in some Spiced Walnut Truffles for your heart; curl up with a good romance book or movie; and enjoy your weekend, however you spend it!

Much love!

~Katie

Make a date with a date!

Has ADDN gone into matchmaking? (“Mawwiage, is whot bwings us, togevvah, today…”) Naw, just wanted to talk about one of my favorite little snacks – the date! :)

After the Christmas holidays, Kroger had a big clearance on organic Medjool dates, and I swiped up their entire collection!

Now, unlike an apple or banana, I don’t often just “dive in” to eating a plain date. (Well…ok, now and then I do!) But a date is essentially just natural sugar with a little punch of fiber (2 grams per date.) Yum! Ok, so, admittedly, you don’t want to devour a tub of dates just like you should avoid an entire tub of cookies… but when you need sweet, it’s a natural, unprocessed alternative. Yum yum! There are various types of dates, each with their own hints of flavor – the Medjool actually has almost a caramel-maple flavor to it. Yum yum yum!

And it goes great with nuts! YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM! :)

Dave and I have tried almonds, walnuts, and pecans, but so far, almonds are my favorite flavor combo. And, of course, while each nut has its own unique benefits, I do love the almond for its powerhouse of protein, massive manganese, and vast vitamin E! (And, that lovely tryptophan) And don’t forget its heart-healthy fats. In moderation, enjoy! I usually enjoy 2-4 of these at a time. Be careful! They're addicting!

Dates do have a pit, so I like to cut a slit to the pit, pull it out, and replace it with an almond or two! Crunch with gooey; nutty with sweet; fruit with protein… okay, maybe we ARE going into matchmaking! ;-) But at least it’s a healthy match!

Have a happy, sappy Valentine's weekend!

xoxox

~Katie

This morning I made a smoothie that has some great benefits for your skin!

Skin So Smoothie
3 c. grapes (organic red grapes with seeds are best)
½ lemon
2 collard green leaves
1 c. spinach
1 Tbs flax oil

Throw it all in a blender, and blend it all! I added ice to chill mine.

Grapes: So many benefits in that red skin! And I could probably do an entire post about the health properties. But for today, I’m looking at the grape seeds. The oil in grape seeds is commonly found in facial products because of its beautifying benefits. I talked with a woman who makes her own soaps, trained by her Cherokee grandmother who was a medicine woman for her tribe. She says “You are right about the grapeseed oil. It is VERY good for your skin, hair, nails. It is one of the 11 oils that go into my lotions for its healing properties.” So can you get these benefits by ingesting rather than applying topically? Sure! Beauty really does start from the inside, and can be compounded by the products you use on the outside. Grape seeds and skins also are anti-microbial, helping you’re your pores and cells stay healthy! Additionally, grapes are rich in antioxidants which will help protect your skin from aging oxidative damage to the cells (fine lines, wrinkles, and less firmly toned skin). They are also rich in manganese, which helps regulate blood sugar levels and promotes optimal functioning of your thyroid gland.

Lemons: rich in enzymes, also help stimulate your liver function; and your liver is one of your main organs to rid your body of waste and toxins, and burns fat. They are also packed with the powerful antioxidant Vitamin C. And the Mayo Clinic states that research now suggests a diet rich in vitamin C may promote younger looking skin.

Collard Greens and Spinach: These are rich in vitamin A, which is very important to skin health. It helps with tissue repair, and the formation of skin-tightening collagen and elastin, fibers that help support skin structure. And collards, being from the same family as kale, have strong properties that help your liver detoxify your body.

Flax Oil: Rich in omega-3s and omeg-6s in a healthy balance, these essential fatty acids (EFAs) are beneficial for many parts of your body! One of those benefits being healthy skin. EFAs help with healthy cell membranes, which helps the cells no only work as a barrier for harmful things, but to allow nutrients to cross, and let waste out of the cells. It also will help hold the healthy waters in, keeping cells hydrated and firm.

And of course, the whole beverage is water-rich produce, so that adds extra hydration to your body, keeping joints, eyes, cell, and everything supple and lubricated! The healthier you are inside, the more it will show outside! But it does take time. You won’t notice huge changes overnight, as your body is going to be more concerned with healing your inner cells first. But over time, you will notice your outward appearance picking up the healthy glow!

Drink up :) And keep that hydration going here in these cold, dry days!

~Katie

A New Twist

Good morning, sleepy heads!! (Ok, honestly, I have no idea how tired you are - but with the pace life seems to move, it's probably a fair guess. That, and it's early.)

So today I decided to do my juice a little differently.

Most people buy their orange juice from the store. But, have you ever had fresh squeezed orange juice?! Oh so yum! But, when you juice a fruit, you leave out so much! You're getting mostly water and natural sugars with some vitmains - but you leave out the fiber and some of the great phytochemicals with it!

So today, rather than juice my oranges, I just blended them! (Can you tell I love my blender? Yeah, I probably use it 3-5 times a week.) Leave on some of the white pithy parts - that's good fiber! And you get all the lovely pulp blended up nice and smooth. It's actually almost a creamy juice with all of that :)

And to chill it, you can either pour it over ice, and ice and make it more of a slushy, or - my fun twist for the day - I used frozen mango! So simple, so good, so healthy.

Oranges are extremely rich in that wonderful antioxidant, vitamin C, packing over 100% of the RDA recommendations in one fruit! (Varies by size, of course. But that’s your average fruit.) Another compontent in oranges, the molecule herperidin, is now being studied for it's ability to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as work as an anti-inflammatory agent. But herperidin is found more in that white pith and the peel, so try to keep what you can of that white goodness! Don’t worry, once you blend it all up, you don’t notice any bitter traces.

Mango has that lovely beauty combo: vitamin A and vitamin C, good for tissue health and bone health. And the beta carotene is also great for healthy vision. And the extra 3g of fiber in mangos never hurts, either!

Orange Juice With a Twist
1 orange, peeled and quartered (get out what seeds you can)
1/2 c frozen, chopped mango
water to blend

Drink up! This is a great variation on a weekend morning juice :)

~Katie