DATES!!!I'm not talking the romantic kind.....although eating more of these sweet treats, and less made with processed sugar could lead to more of the romantic kind! Dates are an amazingly sweet fruit packed with nutrients and are wonderful to add to deserts instead of sugar. The date palm tree is also known as the "tree of life" because it was probability the first cultivated tree in history, dating back 8,000 years. Directions on how to cultivate and care for the date palm tree are written on sun baked bricks found in Mesopotamia, Iraq more than 5,000 years ago. The date palm was eventually brought to China 1,700 years ago and then Spaniards took it to California where most of the dates are grown today.
Dates are an excellent source of fiber and the B vitamins niacin, B6,riboflavin, thiamine and pantothenic acid; and the minerals copper, potassium,manganese,magnesium,iron, and phosphorus. They are also high in folic acid and the trace minerals zinc and selenium.
Dates contain 260% more potassium than oranges and 64% more than bananas!
Dates are also among the most alkeline foods and contain beta-D-glucan. Beta-D-glucan is a special kind of fiber that has been shown to slow the absorption of sugar in the small intestine. This helps to keep blood sugar even, especially when paired with almonds or walnuts.
Dates are also helpful for people suffering from constipation because the beta-D-glucan adds bulk and softness to the stool making elimination easier.Beta-D-glucan also aids with a feeling of satisfaction after a meal because it is a soluble fiber, meaning that it slows gastric emptying and moves through the intestines nice and easy!
Enjoy! Next, I will post my favorite date recipe.....yummmmm.
This blog will be filled with up to date information about medicinal foods with instructions and recipes to show you how to use them and when.This blog will also be infusing information about Acupuncture and how this ancient Medicine can improve over all health and well being.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
What makes Miso Soup a Medicinal food?
Miso soup is considered a Medicinal food because Miso is fermented. Miso is typically made from soy beans,barley, or other beans. My favorite brand is the South River Miso Co's aduki bean miso. You can find out more about the company and where to purchase their product on their web site. www.southrivermiso.com
The beans are fermented with a bacterial culture called koji. This process breaks down the beans and makes them highly digestible, as well as inoculating them with beneficial bacteria. This makes the miso paste great for your digestion by renewing your intestinal flora with positive and beneficial bacteria. The more beneficial bacteria you have lining your intestinal tract, the greater immunity you will possess and the more regular your elimination will be. These are both incredibly important for your overall health because the more regular your elimination, the better your body is able to rid itself of toxins, and the better your body will be at fighting illness.
Approximately 70-80% of your immune system lies along the intestinal tract. In a healthy individual, positive bacteria line the mucosa and protect it from pathogenic ones invading the blood stream. When the lining of the small intestine is compromised due to chronic antibiotic use, the birth control pill, poorly managed stress, or diets high in processed foods and sugar, the good bacteria die and yeasts and what ever comes along is allowed to populate it.This sets up an environment that will lead to digestive problems and allergies, both food and seasonal. In children causes for unbalanced flora could be C-section birth, bottle feeding and early weening to solid foods.Many of the symptoms include: frequent colds and ear infections, runny noses or sinus conditions, seasonal allergies, colic or early waking/poor sleeping habits, and unfortunatly ADHD or other behavioral conditions. In adults abdominal gas, bloating, loose stools or constipation are some of the symptoms that may be present when the bacteria is out of balance.
Supplementing your diet daily with one of the many fermented food products is one way to ensure a healthy digesting system. I will post more recipes on how to make your OWN fermented foods in the coming days.
Miso soup also contains seaweed and mushrooms. Seaweed is incredibly nutritious and very helpful for balancing the thyroid gland because is high in iodine. It is also very moisturizing and cooling to the body. Mushrooms are also immune simulators and have anti-cancer fighting properties. Maitake mushrooms are my all time favorite and have a wonderful flavor and texture.
Enjoy!
The beans are fermented with a bacterial culture called koji. This process breaks down the beans and makes them highly digestible, as well as inoculating them with beneficial bacteria. This makes the miso paste great for your digestion by renewing your intestinal flora with positive and beneficial bacteria. The more beneficial bacteria you have lining your intestinal tract, the greater immunity you will possess and the more regular your elimination will be. These are both incredibly important for your overall health because the more regular your elimination, the better your body is able to rid itself of toxins, and the better your body will be at fighting illness.
Approximately 70-80% of your immune system lies along the intestinal tract. In a healthy individual, positive bacteria line the mucosa and protect it from pathogenic ones invading the blood stream. When the lining of the small intestine is compromised due to chronic antibiotic use, the birth control pill, poorly managed stress, or diets high in processed foods and sugar, the good bacteria die and yeasts and what ever comes along is allowed to populate it.This sets up an environment that will lead to digestive problems and allergies, both food and seasonal. In children causes for unbalanced flora could be C-section birth, bottle feeding and early weening to solid foods.Many of the symptoms include: frequent colds and ear infections, runny noses or sinus conditions, seasonal allergies, colic or early waking/poor sleeping habits, and unfortunatly ADHD or other behavioral conditions. In adults abdominal gas, bloating, loose stools or constipation are some of the symptoms that may be present when the bacteria is out of balance.
Supplementing your diet daily with one of the many fermented food products is one way to ensure a healthy digesting system. I will post more recipes on how to make your OWN fermented foods in the coming days.
Miso soup also contains seaweed and mushrooms. Seaweed is incredibly nutritious and very helpful for balancing the thyroid gland because is high in iodine. It is also very moisturizing and cooling to the body. Mushrooms are also immune simulators and have anti-cancer fighting properties. Maitake mushrooms are my all time favorite and have a wonderful flavor and texture.
Enjoy!
Recipe for today!
Today's recipe will help you recharge after last nights late night watching the Super Bowl.
Start the morning with 2 glasses of warm water and 1/2 lemon. This will naturally help detox your system and rehydrate you after salty foods and any other offending foods!
My Special Miso soup with the best miso ever made! South River Miso is a local Company in Conway, Ma.They grow their own rice and make the Miso in small batches with an ancient Japanese recipe.
1.Chop 1 glove of garlic, some fresh ginger, and handful of fresh onions and place in a cooking pan with a small amount of either olive oil or coconut oil. Cook for a few minutes until the onions are looking slightly clear.
2. Add 3-4 chopped mushrooms (maitake or shitake preferred) but baby bella, oyster or any mushroom will do. Cook well on medium low heat. You don't want the garlic or oil to burn, so stir to prevent this.
3. While this is cooking place 2-4 cups of water in a pot and chop some carrots and celery.Place into the pot and cook for a few minutes. Until carrots are beginning to become tender.
4.Once the mushrooms are cooked thoroughly, add all the ingredients into the pot and allow to cook for a few minutes more. Then add a few strips of your favorite seaweed.
5.Take 1 tablespoon of Miso and place in your bowl.Then pour the soup over. Mix with a spoon and enjoy!
Start the morning with 2 glasses of warm water and 1/2 lemon. This will naturally help detox your system and rehydrate you after salty foods and any other offending foods!
My Special Miso soup with the best miso ever made! South River Miso is a local Company in Conway, Ma.They grow their own rice and make the Miso in small batches with an ancient Japanese recipe.
1.Chop 1 glove of garlic, some fresh ginger, and handful of fresh onions and place in a cooking pan with a small amount of either olive oil or coconut oil. Cook for a few minutes until the onions are looking slightly clear.
2. Add 3-4 chopped mushrooms (maitake or shitake preferred) but baby bella, oyster or any mushroom will do. Cook well on medium low heat. You don't want the garlic or oil to burn, so stir to prevent this.
3. While this is cooking place 2-4 cups of water in a pot and chop some carrots and celery.Place into the pot and cook for a few minutes. Until carrots are beginning to become tender.
4.Once the mushrooms are cooked thoroughly, add all the ingredients into the pot and allow to cook for a few minutes more. Then add a few strips of your favorite seaweed.
5.Take 1 tablespoon of Miso and place in your bowl.Then pour the soup over. Mix with a spoon and enjoy!
Welcome!
Welcome to the Medicinal Foods and Acupuncture Blog! This is very exciting for me to have a place to share all of the wonderful knowledge that I have been gathering. First I wanted to share a little about me, I am a Licensed Acupuncturist and an Certified Veterinary Technician with over 11 years of experience working with patients who are interested in optimal health.I am a mom and a dog owner so whatever I share here will be peppered with personal experiences! Over time I have discovered that there is an incredibly strong link between digestion, the foods we ingest, and well, everything else in the body! This is why I am dedicating this blog to helping people figure out how to get optimum nutrition through the use of medicinal foods with a focus on a healthy digestive system. Once the digestive system is working optimally then the symptoms that people are often plagued with will begin to heal themselves. Pain will diminish, skin conditions will clear up, headaches will disappear, weight will begin to stabilize, energy levels will improve, and mental clarity will return. The connection between the gut and the brain will be discussed at length so that people will begin to see how the signs of mental depression or anxiety will be able to be greatly improved with some changes in foods and with the dedication to breathing routines or weekly acupuncture sessions.
This will hopefully be an interactive experience with tons of recipes for you to try, so I welcome all you questions and comments.
All the recipes shared here will be GLUTEN FREE, SUGAR FREE and KID FRIENDLY!!
This will hopefully be an interactive experience with tons of recipes for you to try, so I welcome all you questions and comments.
All the recipes shared here will be GLUTEN FREE, SUGAR FREE and KID FRIENDLY!!
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