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

My Main Romaine

I am finally getting back to the question of Romaine! Mom asked the other day why I love Romaine so much. It’s because it’s so darn healthy! Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not placing it above or below other leafy greens!! They all have their own benefits to your body. Romaine is simply one that Dave likes more, so I tend to use it often to keep him enjoying his salads, smoothies, and wraps!

It’s got a crisp, clean crunch that brings a mild flavor. Plus, a 2-cup serving provides over 140% of your day’s needs for Vitamin K and almost 60% of Vitamin A! It is also an excellent source of folate, manganese, and chromium; and a very good source of fiber, vitamins B1 and B2, and minerals potassium, molybdenum, iron, and phosphorous!

At only 15 calories, that seems like a pretty good deal!

Romaine is one of the few plant sources of chromium, so that’s another reason I like it! Onions, broccoli, and tomatoes are also contributors (hooray for chromium salads!)

Plus, and take this with a LARGE grain of salt - Celtic sea salt, of course! ;-) - I have this notion floating around in my head that chromium may help reverse graying hair! I cannot recall for sure where this idea came from, but it’s something that niggles at the back on my mind. (To the Research Cave, Robin!) And I have had friends, and read accounts of others, who have noticed their own hair color returning after adding daily green smoothies to their diets!! It didn’t happen right away, but after a month or so, they noticed darkening areas where they’d more recently been silvery! Woohoo! So perhaps it’s just the general nutrition gained from adding a smoothie (and thereby eliminating a less healthy breakfast option) or perhaps it’s a specific nutrient. I will research more one day!

But back to Romaine! Here’s another good health combo… the beta-carotene plus the vitamin C work together to help keep down bad cholesterol!

When cholesterol gets oxidized, it becomes the sticky, nasty plaque that clings to your arteries. This begins to block the passage of blood, narrowing the artery and making it harder for your body to get that nutrient-rich blood around! So then, in comes higher blood pressure, less oxygen and energy getting transported, and possibly even heart attack or stroke after too long. Beta-carotene and Vitamin C help prevent this awful oxidation, helping to keep your blood a’flowin’ easily! And then the fiber can come along and help sweep out the gunk and help you excrete it. (I know, fun topic!)



From MyPyramid.gov



Just try to get organic, as this is one of those Dirty Dozen highly sprayed veggies!

Have a great weekend, my friends! Tomorrow is another 5K run! Woo!

~Katie

So! Romaine! Yet another great green to add to your life! Salads and smoothies are the easy route, but there’s plenty you can do! Add it to casseroles or sandwiches; or just use it in place of bread for sandwiches, buns, or tacos; use the smaller, firmer leaves as boats for fun toppings like salsa, avocado, or julienned veggies; or use it like a sushi wrapper!

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

Coo-coo for Coconuts!

Cuckoo for coconuts!! ….Which, ironically, is actually not a nut, but a member of the fruit family called the drupe! (Drupey drupe! I love that word!) A drupe is simply a fruit with a fleshy outer layer surrounding a single seed or pit – like a peach, mango, cherry, etc! And in many cultures, the coconut fruit is an essential part of life. In Sanskrit it is kalpa vriksha, meaning "the tree which provides all the necessities of life". In Malay language, pokok seribu guna or "the tree of a thousand uses". And in the Philippines, the coconut is simply the "Tree of Life".

One of the newer fads in the sporting world is the wonder of coconut juice/coconut water. It is being touted as a sports-drink replacement, having substantial amounts of good rehydrating electrolytes, and without the processed sweeteners or artificial colorings or flavors. (Of course, either way, don’t forget this older post: When exercising rigorously, or in high heat, it is possible to lose in excess of 1 liter of fluids per hour! But, that’s pretty intense! Water is the best fluid replacement drink if you only exercise for 30 minutes, and/or you’re not sweating heavily. Otherwise, you risk simply replacing those calories you just worked so hard to burn!) One cup of coconut water will provide good doses of calcium, manganese, magnesium, potassium, and sodium... as well as other minerals and some vitamins - all things often lost in sweat.  Plus it has over 10% of the day's fiber!

Of course, most commercial coconut drinks have also been processed to a degree, and then packaged in little boxes or bottles, and shipped to you.

But we got the pleasure of tasting fresh, pure coconut water, straight off the tree!

While visiting a community nutrition program Office in Saipan, the groundskeeper, Frankie, offered to chop down a coconut for us! So he knocked it down, pulled out his machete, and chopped that sucker open!

See the wedge off the side - that became the spoon!

First, he chopped of a little slice off the shell, and said that would later be our “spoon.” Then he whacked the top off, and allowed us to have a sipping spout from which to drink. Dave was very skeptical at first – he’d tried some of the “juice box” versions of coconut milk I’d brought home before, and was never thrilled with them.  But I took a sip, and loved it! Considering the heat and humidity of the island had be pretty much lightly sweating 24 hours a day, I was thirsty and in need of hydration! So I chugged that sucker in no time! And it was so good! Just a mild liquid with a hint of sweetness – really not much flavor, just simple sweentess.

So, encouraged by my rave reviews, Dave sipped… and smiled!

Once we got finished drinking our coconuts juice, Frankie then chopped the entire thing down the middle, exposing the soft flesh. We got very young coconuts, which can be determined by the thickness and firmness of the flesh. The softer and thinner, the younger the coconut. This stuff was so thin and almost slimy! Quite a strange texture to a coconut newbie – almost like undercooked egg white. But the flavor was also mild – not any overpowering coconut here! And so healthy!

Coconut meat had been tossed in the “unhealthy fats” category for quite some time because it is high in saturated fats. But more research is now showing that may be an incomplete conclusion, as there are different TYPES of saturated fats. Yes, coconut is high in saturated fats, but they are shorter MEDIUM chains of fat, not LONG chains like those found in meats. These Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs) may be good for you! They may help boost thyroid functioning, therefore helping keep a healthy metabolism; and they may be quickly converted to energy instead of being stored as fat in your body. Plus, it’s a great source of Manganese with 1 small ounce containing over 20% of your day’s needs! Manganese is important for many things such as:

• Helping your body use other nutrients

• Keeping bones healthy and stong

• Maintaining normal blood sugar levels

• Keeping a healthy thyroid gland

• Promoting healthy nerves

• Protecting cells from age-inducing free radical damage

Not enough goodness in the coconut yet? Get this: the oils may also be an antifungal and antibacterial! Also, As a medicinal product, it is reputed for its wound healing, fighting fevers, regulating healthy blood clotting, and anti-inflammatory properties.  But, as always, more research is needed to know for sure! 

The oil can also be used on your body to add nourishing, healthy fats to your skin and hair!  I scoop out a small lump of solid coconut butter when I buy a new jar, and put it in a separate tub.  Then I use this in place of lotion on my feet at night, put on some socks, and go to sleep!  I have also heard of people who love to use it like a leave-on conditioner, or deep-conditioning treatment to wash off later.

So anyways, we got to enjoy the wonderful water, sample the unique meat… and even after that, sometimes the husks are saved and used to make things! At one store, we saw a purse, and hats made out of the soft fibers of the coconut coat. How resourceful!

That was one of our first wonderful tropical eating experiences on our trip! More coming soon!

Stay warm and safe this holiday season!

~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

Easy Omega-Rich Apple Snack

Good morning, lovely people! I hope your week has been going well! It has been a busy week at the homestead, continuing some spring cleaning and downsizing. It is such a liberating feeling throwing away bags and bags of junk! We’ve recycled box-loads of old paperwork, and unloaded a car full of items to Salvation Army. And I want to get rid of more! Seriously! It is addicting! Kind of like cleaning out your body of unwanted clutter and trash – feeling better and better the cleaner you get! (Oh yeah, I went there.)

So while you’re trying to simplify a diet with a return to whole foods, return to a simpler home life! GET RID OF CLUTTER! (I don’t have a whole lot of room to talk… my hubby is a pack-rat. But we’re working on it!) Plus, it’s always nice to give up some nice things to others who may appreciate it.

So anyways! Today is another easy spin on a classic childhood favorite: apple with peanut butter. Only, this time, it’s getting a crunchy addition.

I used to enjoy dipping my apple wedge in the peanut butter, then in Grape Nuts cereal – that extra crunch made it more enjoyable for me.

But, I now use almond butter, and don’t have any Grape Nuts hanging around the place right now, so I went for a different crunch – seeds! Chia and flax, specifically. (Yes – chia as in “Ch-ch-ch-CHIA!” Chia Pets. But I wouldn’t go buy a chia pet and steal the seeds… who knows if they’re treated or fertilized or something! Just check out your natural health store to see if they carry them)

Chia has become lovingly nicknamed “Alien Pods” at our place because of their look when they’re soaked and swollen. Toss some chia in a bit of water or milk, and they expand almost 3 times their size (great for helping you feel full as they expand!) – and they look like a little black dot in a clear egg shell :)

That's not water surrounding the pod - that's a gel formed on the seed! Alien pods!!!

But these little guys are little wonders. A single ounce of chia seed will provide 11 grams of fiber – helping you feel nice and full while pushing things through, cleansing as it goes. They are a complete protein, providing all of the 9 essential amino acids, as well as being a good source of Calcium, Manganese, and Phosphorus. These little guys are also a great source of Omega oils! …Which, you may have guessed based on the title of this post :) That 1 ounce serving contains almost 5 GRAMS of omega-3 fatty acids, and 1.6 grams of Omega-6 fatty acids.

Omega’s are being touted for so many benefits – for the heart, the mind, the hair, the skin, the joints. They help with bone health, inflammation, disease prevention…

Chia seeds are not always financially viable, though. I don’t mind paying for them now and then, because they add some fun variety. I like to sprinkle them on salads, in cereal, or soak them and add them to smoothies. They really don’t have much flavor – more just for texture!

Another good Omega source that works for this apple snack is flax seeds, the emblem of Northern Ireland! While not a complete protein, it’s darn close! Flax is a good source of Manganese and Phosphorus, but also give you a good dose of Copper, Magnesium, and Thiamin as well as a bit of Calcium, Iron, Zinc, and Selenium. Flax offers 6.4 grams of Omega-3 and 1.7 grams of Omega-6 per ounce!

And flax is pretty cheap! At my Kroger, I can get it at $1.99 per pound. And they’re light little buggers! You can get them golden yellow or a richer brown – I don’t notice a taste difference. Both have a slightly earthy, nutty flavor.

So enjoy either chia or flax seeds. Or, as I do, enjoy both!


Whichever seed, you’re getting a serving of goodness and a much healthier snack than something like potato chips or Nutter Butters!

Omega-away!

~Katie

Fire Ants on a Log

Here's a little recipe modification that I like... (and no, it's not actually flambéed, heated, or spicy. Bait and switch! Ha ha! Oh, and no real ants or logs either, just in case you were wondering about that, too...)

Many of us are familiar with the "ants on a log" snack: celery stick with peanut butter and raisins.

I prefer to use other nuts (See Not So Nuts About Peanuts post): almond and cashew are my favorites. If you don't make your own, try to find brands that are organic and definitely make sure they don't have added salts, sugars, or other additives! The ingredient list should just consist of the nut used. And instead of just raisins, I like to use soaked goji berries! (They're red, hence "fire ants.")

I take a little container and fill it with goji berries and water, let it sit for a while - it'd probably be okay with only about 10 minutes, but I just stick them in the fridge the night before so they're all pretty and plump in the morning when I pack my lunch! Spread a thin layer of nut butter on the celery, and top with goji (and maybe some organic raisins.) The raisins can add some sweetness, as I don't think the goji has a whole lot of strong flavors; or, cashew butter has some natural sweetness to it, so sometimes that's enough and I don't need the raisins at all!

This snack is great:

The water-rich celery is packed with Vitamins C and K, as well as phthalides (no, I did not misspell that!), which may help lower cholesterol, and coumarins, that may be useful in cancer prevention!

Goji berries (also called wolfberries), like most other berries, are rich in antioxidants to help prevent diseases and cell damage; and the polysaccharides in gojis may help with prevention and treatment of cancer. They are usually sold in health food stores dried. If you are interested in trying these, you may want to experiment with various brands, as companies often have varying dehydration times leading to differing hardness levels.

Almonds are full of Vitamin E, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, and even tryptophan - a compound that helps make the happy-chemical serotonin! Good moods, here we come! ;-) They're also a good source of monounsaturated fats (healthy!) And if that wasn't enough - almonds are also good for helping decrease your blood-sugar after eating to help prevent that pesky spike-and-crash.

Or if you went with the cashew butter, then you're getting a great dose of copper (yep, your body needs that! It's not just for pennies!) Copper helps with elimination of free radicals (damaging to your cells and skin – which shows as signs of aging), development of bone and connective tissue, and the production of the skin and hair pigment, melanin. Cashews are also rich in monounsaturated fats - specifically oleic acid, which is good for your cardiovascular health.

And, as always – have fun experimenting in the kitchen! Perhaps you like to drizzle some honey over it; or sprinkle on some cloves; or use dehydrated cherries or apricots… play! And enjoy your wholesome treat!

Have a great evening!

~Katie