Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM.
Consumption of animal protein and fat has been correlated with intestinal cancer death and breast cancer. There is a high relationship between intake of foods with cholesterol and colon cancer. Our bodies make all the cholesterol we need, so we do not need to consume any. If we do, excess cholesterol goes down to our colon and may help cancerous or precancerous polyps grow faster. Intake of dietary cholesterol has been associated with the risk of cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, pancreas, lung, breast, kidney, bladder, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, while a diet low in cholesterol may play a role in the prevention of several cancers. It is Meatless Monday and a great day to reduce cancer by reducing cholesterol consumption!
It is Transition Tuesday and last week we discussed starting with giving up dairy – for a week, or a month, and once you have succeeded, give up processed meats next. They are the most harmful of all meats and include bacon, sausage, deli turkey, turkey sausage, ham, hotdogs, pepperoni, cold cuts - anything that has additives. There are transitional plant-based options in the cold section of all grocery stores – bacon, sausage, deli meats, and more. They are highly processed and have additives but are not as damaging to us as real meats. Consider them transitional options until you can leave them all behind. Continue to explore the recipes and options to plantify your plates by emphasizing beans, sweet potatoes, and lentils – hearty foods that will make you feel satisfied. Have a terrific Tuesday by transitioning to health!
Our Standard American Diet has become so full of the wrong foods that are low in nutrition, high in calories, chemicals, salt, sugar, and fat - to the point many of them are not food at all but food-like substances. The substance abuse of our diet irritates the lining of every blood vessel, adversely affects our gut microbiome, and spikes insulin - all of which are catastrophic for our health. Eating at home more, buying real foods where nothing has been added and nothing has been taken away, and reducing all processed foods can result in health improvement within a matter of days! How bad do you want to feel good? You can start TODAY!
It is Fix-it Friday and you are going to love Zucchini Rollatini!
INGREDIENTS
½ cup cashews
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups frozen spinach
1 cup canned chickpeas rinsed and drained.
¾ cup cooked quinoa
Pinch crushed red pepper (optional)
2 medium zucchinis
1½ cups oil-free marinara sauce (store-bought or
homemade)
2 tablespoons whole wheat breadcrumbs
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
For cashew cheese, in a small bowl soak cashews in ⅓
cup hot water for 20 minutes. Transfer cashews and soaking water to a blender; add
nutritional yeast, lemon juice, ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder, and salt and
black pepper. Cover and blend until smooth and thick like cream cheese.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place spinach in a strainer;
rinse with hot water to thaw it. Drain and squeeze spinach to remove all excess
moisture. Finely chop spinach. For filling, in a large bowl coarsely mash
chickpeas. Add spinach, cashew cheese, quinoa, the remaining ½ teaspoon garlic
powder, and, if using, crushed red pepper; stir to combine. Using a mandolin or
vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini lengthwise into long, thin strips. To
assemble rollatini, lay one zucchini strip on a clean surface and spoon 1
tablespoon of filling on one end of the zucchini strip. Starting with the filled end,
roll the zucchini all the way up. Place the roll, seam side down, in a 3-quart
baking dish. (If the roll starts to unwind, secure it with a toothpick.) Repeat
with the remaining zucchini strips and filling. Spoon marinara sauce over
zucchini rolls and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the
edges of the rolls are golden brown. If using, sprinkle with parsley. Serve warmly.
Refined starches, sometimes referred to as "the great grain robbery" are the things we think of as comfort foods: macaroni and cheese, cinnamon buns, cookies, bagels. It all begins with refining wheat to make white flour and in the process, we lose 70% to 90% of the vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and nearly all the good phytochemicals are removed. So, they try to "enrich" products made with white flour, by adding nutrients back in, but only a few. It then is devoid of many great nutrients, and very importantly essential fatty acids and fiber are lost. Then what else is added? Sugar, salt, oil, artificial flavors and color, preservatives, chemicals. By making cakes, cookies, pies, breads, crackers, and other foods we have extracted the good stuff and added the bad stuff. Rethink your health on the shelf and replace these foods with whole food comfort, like hummus, sweet potatoes, and portobello mushroom burgers - go to meatlessmonday.com to find out more!
From the Archives:
Yesterday we talked about the "great grain robbery" where refined grains have been degraded to the point of being harmful. But we do need grains every day! Learn to read labels - if it says "made with whole grains" then they are refined. Why not replace refined grains with whole grains? Use brown rice instead of white rice, and eat whole-grain Ezekiel bread instead of white or other loaves of bread. Pasta is now made from beans and lentils, and there is a delicious Right Rice that is 90% vegetables (lentils, chickpeas, and peas) so it has twice the protein, 5 times the fiber, and 40% less carbs than regular rice. Their seasoned bags are wonderful, and you can find them on Amazon.com to improve your health on the shelf. Have a terrific Tuesday everyone!
On this wonderful Wednesday, why do we seem to be seeing the word "fiber" everywhere? It is pure power when it comes to our health! It reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, GI disorders, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and several cancers. It also helps us feel fuller and more satisfied longer, and our gut microbiomes thrive on it! How do we get enough? It is simple: eat plants. Only plants have fiber, and ALL plants have fiber! Veggies, fruits, whole grains, legumes, fruits - all are good sources. Beans, lentils, split peas, and avocado are among the highest - berries, fruit, dried fruit, flax seeds, grains, and artichokes are next. Power up your plantified plates to hit the goal for more fiber everyone!
You may have heard of "sterols" - they are naturally found in both plants and animals and the most well-known one is cholesterol. Plant sterols are like cholesterol but lower total and LDL cholesterol levels, which cholesterol does not. The best sources of plant sterols are soybeans, other beans, seeds, and nuts. As we have mentioned before, the best fats in these foods are found naturally, not pressed out in oils and when heated, they can become damaged and are no longer helpful for our health - just the opposite. Do not heat your seeds and nuts - eat them raw or even better, soak them overnight to turn up their goodness. Funny how foods are best when they are consumed in the same way they were created :)
More and. re athletes is turning to whole food plant-based diets, for multiple reasons. The first question many of them get is, "How do you get enough protein?" For decades we were told that the highest quality protein comes from meat, and part of that came from a theory that only "complete proteins" are found in meat. This was largely disproven in the 1980s but many of us are not aware of it - all plant foods contain ALL NINE essential amino acids - those we cannot make. Legumes - beans and the like - are inexpensive and loaded with so much good protein. You may not think of drinking soy milk to count as one of your 3 bean servings a day. Or scrambled tofu or add lentils and peas to salads and soups. The book "Nourish" by Dr. Reshma Shah and dietician Brenda Davis will give you lots of great info for everyone in your home, even the little ones - have a fantastic Friday everyone!
Resource: Nourish: The definitive plant-based nutrition guide for families
