High Cost of Cheap Foods

By Mark Hyman MD: “I was in the grocery store yesterday. While I was squeezing avocados to pick just the right ones for my family’s dinner salad, I overheard a conversation from a couple who had also picked up a fruit.

“Oh, these avocados look good, let’s get some.”

Then looking up at the price, they said, “Two for five dollars!” Dejected, they put the live avocado back and walked away from the vegetable aisle toward the aisles full of dead, boxed, canned, packaged goods where they can buy thousands of calories of poor-quality, nutrient-poor, factory-made, processed foods filled with sugar, fat, and salt for the same five dollars. This is the scenario millions of Americans struggling to feed their families face every day…”

Article

Emperor’s Black Rice

By Carina Storrs (Health.com): According to ancient Chinese legend, black rice was so rare, tasty, and nutritious that only the emperors were allowed to eat it.

Although black rice is still relatively rare, researchers are trying to bring its distinctive flavor and mix of antioxidants to the masses—or at least to a grocery store near you.

Like brown rice, black rice is full of antioxidant-rich bran, which is found in the outer layer that gets removed during the milling process to make white rice. But only black-rice bran contains the antioxidants known as anthocyanins, purple and reddish pigments—also found in blueberries, grapes and acai—that have been linked to a decreased risk of heart disease and cancer, improvements in memory, and other health benefits.

On Chicago’s North Shore, Sunset Foods carries Emperor’s Black and Red Bhutan rices, and Sea Ranch in Wilmette has  Emperor’s Black Rice– Dr. Cathie

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The Surprising Avocado

By Susan Hall from Health magazine: Avocados keep you thin, protect your vision, and may even prevent cancer.

Protect your vision with a few slices of avocado at lunch or dinner. Avocados are rich in lutein andzeaxanthin, antioxidants found in the retina that keep eyes healthy; they also may help prevent age-related problems, like cataracts and macular degeneration.

Extracts from avocados kill or stop the growth of precancerous cells that lead to oral cancer and may have a similar effect on other cancers, according to a recent study. Researchers credit the fruit’s unique combo of nutrients—which include folate and vitamins C and E.

Add avocado to salsa for a bigger health payoff. A study from The Ohio State University found that people absorbed four-and-a-half times more of the cancer-fighter lycopene from the tomatoes when avocado was added; the healthy fats help you absorb more nutrients.

Skip the mayo, and go for creamy avocado on your sandwich. It packs 4 grams of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat (which lowers cholesterol), 2 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of protein per ounce, making it a lower-fat, more-filling substitute for the white stuff.

Avocado Soups & Ice Creams
Avocado Chocolate Shake
Nutritional Info

Healthy Egg Replacements

Don’t know which eggs are safe today? Skip the eggs!

“There are plenty of egg substitutes available for baking or preparing a dish that calls for eggs.

Ener-G Egg Replacer is a reliable egg substitute for use in baking. It is available at health food stores and most grocery stores.

Tofu is great for egg substitutions in recipes that call for a lot of eggs, like quiches or custards. To replace one egg in a recipe, purée 1/4 cup soft tofu. It is important to keep in mind that although tofu doesn’t fluff up like eggs, it does create a texture that is perfect for “eggy” dishes.

Tofu is also a great substitute for eggs in eggless egg salad and breakfast scrambles. Hard to believe but both yummy, just season to taste! — Dr. Cathie

In Desserts and Sweet, Baked Goods: Try substituting one banana or 1/4 cup applesauce for each egg called for in a recipe for sweet, baked desserts. These will add some flavor to the recipe, so make sure bananas or apples are compatible with the other flavors in the dessert.

Other Egg Replacement Options:
• 1 egg = 2 Tbsp. potato starch
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup mashed potatoes
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup canned pumpkin or squash
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup puréed prunes
• 1 egg = 2 Tbsp. water + 1 Tbsp. oil + 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 egg = 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed simmered in 3 Tbsp. water
• 1 egg white = 1 Tbsp. plain agar powder dissolved in 1 Tbsp. water, whipped, chilled, and whipped again”

Full article and more recipes at vegcooking.com

Don’t just try one ingredient once and give up —  experiment until you find recipes you like — you might discover a new favorite! — Cathie

Lentil and Roasted Garlic Soup