Day  45:

Juice: Grapefruit Greens

Grapefruit Greens:
2 Grapefruit
1 Handful of Watercress
1 Bunch of Parsley

Hey guys. Sorry for the radio silence, but I was abroad for a little while and just didn't have the time.

Let's talk about watercress - a new ingredient.

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a semi-aquatic or aquatic plant native to Europe and Asia. Watercress is a member of the Brassicaceae, botanically related to garden cress, mustard and radish and, according to www.watercress.com, it "is the most ancient of green vegetables known to [be consumed by] man".

Watercress is renowned for it's many health benefits, but the most frequently talked about is it's cancer fighting properties. The leafy green plant has high levels of phytochemicals known as isothiocyanates, the same disease fighting components found in brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, kai choi, kale, horseradish, radish and turnip. Isothiocyanates, or ITC's, has been shown to "inhibit the development of tumors" and various types of cancer cells. (Source)

Watercress is also rich with vitamin A, B and C, iron, calcium and potassium, so it has a bunch of other benefits too. It's good for your eyes, bones, blood, liver, and even your skin, hair and nails.

So there really is no negative to adding more watercress into your diet.
 

Day 41: 

Juice: Pale Faced

Pale Faced:
2 Grapefruits
1 Apple
1/2 Fennel Blub
1 Small Bunch of Fresh Mint

This juice was incredibly interesting. Each element had a very strong and distinct flavor and blending it all together created a surprisingly nice flavor. Fennel is in season right now folks, so whenever you can incorporate it into you juices. It is jam-packed with phytonutrients. See Entry 30 for more about Fennel.

Lately I have been researching cravings - food cravings to be specific, not just normal hunger cravings.

Wait, what's the difference you ask?

Well, a hunger craving is a general craving for food. The generic tummy grumble and the body asking for sustenance to fuel itself. Food cravings are those pesky, very specific, almost insatiable cravings for a particular kind of food, regardless of whether you are hungry or not.

I was researching if food cravings could be linked to nutritional deficiencies and was surprised to find a huge amount of variance on the subject. A lot of research has gone into Carbohydrate and Sugar cravings and how they can be triggered by mineral deficiencies and blood sugar control. Mainly these studies were done while researching for diabetes. One study sites "Five minerals (and their co-factors) are critical for adequate blood sugar control: chromium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and vanadium."(Source) The study talks about each of these minerals specifically and discusses how cravings (mainly sugar and chocolate) relate to each mineral. I found the study's summary very interesting:

"The average American diet is already deficient in these minerals but in frequent dieter even more so...Because it is likely that mineral deficiencies are widespread, particularly in the dieting population, it is important that some assessment of mineral status be made. Correcting mineral deficiencies can go a long way toward helping the frustrated dieter control her impulses to eat something sweet, something fatty, or something devoid of nutrition in an attempt to satisfy an inner compulsion" (Source)

Great information, right? But where to start?

Well, I found this amazing chart on Natropath website:  http://www.naturopathyworks.com
Check it out for more information on how to target specific cravings.

I also found a lot of studies supporting the idea that food cravings are purely psychological.  One study sites mental imagery as the key to food cravings. Mental Imagery is when people crave a specific food, they have vivid images of that food. The study suggests that while one is imagining a food one is distracted and has a hard time mentally processing. But the study itself does not limit this specifically to food: 

"Mental imagery (imagining food or anything else) takes up cognitive resources, or brain power. Studies have shown that when subjects are imagining something, they have a hard time completing various cognitive tasks." (Source)

The study goes on to explain that subjects, while craving food, were asked to vividly imagine "common sights (for example, they were asked to imagine the appearance of a rainbow) or smells (they were asked to imagine the smell of eucalyptus)" and this decreased there food cravings.

However, it does not explain if thinking to other "common sights" as well as the food craving improved productivity. (Source)This study seemed to merely outlines how food cravings can be disruptive mentally, but does not clearly explain the origins of food cravings.

Another psychological study suggest that "food cravings involve a complex mix of social, cultural and psychological factors, heavily influenced by environmental cues," due to the simple fact that "few people crave vitamin-rich green leafy vegetables and many other foods contain more phenylalanine than chocolate—including salami and cheddar cheese." (Source)

• phenylalanine - an essential amino acid (a building block for proteins in the body), meaning the body needs it for health but cannot make it. You have to get it from food. (Source)

I can see that. It makes sense that sometimes cravings can be linked to stress and emotional issues.  Perhaps I am biased, since I was raised in a holistic/natropathic environment, but my question is: Stress actually produces chemical reactions in your body. You produce body adrenaline, right? So, how is a craving not linked to a chemical reaction in your body?

Also, a study was done in 2011 of "98 female students at the University of Pennsylvania [it] found that those who reported the most cycle-related cravings also had a history of dieting, eating disorders and high body mass indexes" (Source) which works in tandem with what our earlier study which found that "mineral deficiencies are widespread, particularly in the dieting population".

But, the biggest outpoint in most of the psychological studies on food cravings is that most of the researchers agree that Pica - the persistent craving and compulsive eating of nonfood substances - such as pagophagia (the practice of consuming ice) and geophagia (literally, earth-eating), amylophagia (eating starch) are associated with iron deficiency.

"...some studies have shown that pica cravings in individuals with iron deficiency stop once iron supplements are given to correct the deficiency. low blood levels of iron commonly occur in pregnant women and those with poor nutrition, two populations at higher risk for pica." (Source)

I'm still not quite sure what to make of all this - I don't think most researches do either - but I willing to accept it is a little bit of both. A little bit physiological and a little bit psychological.

What do you think?

Other Sources:

•  A Cognitive Experimental Approach to Understanding and Reducing Food Cravings
• Eva Kemps, School of Psychology, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100 

•  Are food cravings the body's way of telling us that we are lacking certain nutrients?
• Peter Pressman of the Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, Calif. and Roger Clemens of the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy 

• How to Fend Off a Food Craving
• By Melinda Beck, The Wall Street Journal

Day 38:

Juice: Pink Grapefruit

Pink Grapefruit:
2 Grapefruits
1 Handful of Raspberries
1 Handful of Strawberries

So, again we have a situation of our berries being out of season, but you can still get the tasteless winter berries or if your in the mood (as I was) buy the berries frozen, juice the Grapefruit, blend the juice with the berries and enjoy a smoothie! It was delicious! I love smoothies and don't worry the whole back of my book of recipes is smoothies...so we'll get there.

I'm not sure about the temperatures everywhere else in the world, but tight now in New York City they have been volleying between 40 degrees and 20 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 to -6 Celsius). It's been cold. Which means, you need to watch out for dehydration.

I know dehydration is something most of us consider to be a hot weather problem (and it is), but it is a cold weather problem too. Actually, Robert Kenefick, a researcher at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) argues in his paper (published by Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise in 2005), that you are more at risk for dehydration in cold temperatures. (Source)

How? Great question.

Now, as our bodies loose water (sweating, illness, exercise, etc...) our sodium (electrolytes and a mineral) levels rise in the blood. Overall blood volume decreases. This triggers the hypothalamus gland (a small gland in your brain) to secrete a fluid-regulating hormone plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP), which runs and tells the kidneys to slow down the production of urine (it tells you to pee less to save the water). This restores the bodies fluid levels. The hypothalamus gland also sends a message to the brain's cortex to make you thirsty, so you drink more to restore the sodium levels.

Basically, fluid levels drop and your brain says drink.

But in the cold the body reacts differently. When you are cold "vasoconstriction takes place – the body decreases blood flow to the periphery of the body to decrease heat loss." (Source)

Your limbs get cold, right? Fingers, toes, etc... Because you body keeps all the heat in the middle to keep you warm. So, what this means is, your body does not detect a "blood volume decrease", so the hypothalamus gland, doesn't secrete the signal as strongly. Your kidneys get a "hey, maybe we should take in some more water when you get a chance" instead of "Red Alert! Drink Now!". "It’s a trade off – maintaining the body’s core temperature becomes more important than fluid balance,” Kenefick says. So, the sodium levels in you blood keep rising which can cause a laundry list of problems:

"seizures, an irregular heartbeat, muscle weakness, and other problems...such as chronic heart or kidney disease, endocrine diseases (such as problems with the adrenal, pituitary, thyroid, or parathyroid glands), eating disorders, or bone disorders." (Source)

Thankfully, there is an easy solution to prevent this - drink lots of water. Even if you "don't feel thirsty" 'cause your body might be confused.

Also, sometime thirsty feels like hungry. Our dear old hypothalamus gland controls a lot of things, including hunger and thirst. So, it send relatively the same signal, whether you're hungry or thirsty. This means you need to pay attention to you body OR whenever you feel hungry drink 8 oz of water and wait (30 mins is recommended). If you are still hungry, eat. If not, note down the feeling you just had was thirst.

It is a great idea to keep a water bottle on your person at all time, clearly it is just as important as a wallet. Also, know what foods/liquids can help you with this. Celery Juice is your best friend for re-hydration. Check out Entry 7 for more on how wonderful celery is OR take a look at this article at naturalnews.com. By the way, I love this site.

Emotional Lifestyle:

I have been preparing for my juice fast. No dilly-dallying here. When I decide, I decide and BAM it's done. This Sunday - Feb 24th 2013 - I'll be starting a 30 day juice fast. 

 What does this mean?

• I will not eat any solid food. I will consume juice and only juice. I am defining juice as any fruit, vegetable I can pass through a juicer. including nut milks (even though I use a blender to create nut milk, because I cannot afford to buy the nicer juicer to process nuts). 
• This is considered to be a liquid diet, but not all liquids are created equal. No coffee. No Milk. No store bought juice (it has to be made for me, in front of my very own eyes). Just fresh juice. 
• I am also planning to do a budget analysis. Compare how much I spend of food normally to how much I spend during the fasting period.

I know, I know...woah. I am not sure I am fully prepared either, but I have been doing my research and getting ready.

"Getting ready", how? 

• I have begun to lighten up my diet - eating lighter fair, like salads and soups and cutting back significantly on carbohydrates, dairy, and sugar. About 50% of my daily intake is raw food (meaning unprocessed). 
• I have also begun to cut back my Caffeine intake...this one is a tough one for me, because I LOVE coffee. I typically drink 3-4 cups a day, never less than two. So, this is day three of only one cup of coffee. I have already experienced caffeine withdrawal symptoms: headache, sleepiness, lethargy, irritability, lack on concentration, muscle pain/ stiffness, and flu-like symptoms. (Top Ten Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms).
• Continually researching. Knowledge is the best tool! And all of my discoveries will be - of course - shared with you!

 Happy Juicing!

Day 37:

Juice: Grapefruit Blues

Grapefruit Blues:
2 Grapefruits
1 Large Handful of Blueberries

Okay. So, a lot of the fruits featured in these juices currently are out of season right now. I know people will claim that nothing is out of season anymore, but that's just not true. Even though the berries you get from the store may look like blueberries - we all know they don't taste like summer fresh blueberries. They also don't have the same nutritional content as those berries in the summer.
[I covered blueberries and berries in general in Entry 15 & Entry 16]

Eating seasonally is important for many reasons, but especially if you want good nutritional value. Now, summer is a cake walk. All the good stuff is around in the summer, right? Fall is pretty good too, but suddenly we get to winter and all there really is are root vegetables. I'm sorry, what?! And Spring isn't much better, maybe even worse with the fresh fruits and vegetables we all know and love. How can you do this? Well, I started by doing some research.

When people (nutritionist, ecologists and Cosmo magazine - yeah, I read an article once) tell you to eat seasonally, they are doing this because not only is good for the environment it is good for you.  The most sited evidence for this is a study done in London in 1997 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The study found significant differences in the nutrient content of pasteurized milk in summer versus winter. "The Ministry discovered that these differences in milk composition were primarily due to differences in the diets of the cows." (Source) It was also found by researchers in Japan that the differences in the vitamin C content of spinach harvested in summer versus winter was three-fold.

Think about it.

Seasonally was the only way to eat for most of the human existence. Raw and unfettered fruits and vegetables. Now, sure the average lifespan was much shorter, but they didn't have the same amount of chronic disease or autoimmune disease (it was around, just not as prolific). Now we have modern technology - which I love. Don't get me wrong here, modern medicine can do a lot and I am truly thankful for that! But, wouldn't it be wonderful if we (our society) didn't have to ever use it.
Just because we can doesn't mean we should, right? This is great advice for HBO. So, eating with the seasons demands you diversify your food and your nutritional intake, which has been proven everywhere, to improve your health. Variety is the spice of life.

World's Healthiest Foods (one of my favorite websites) provides a seasonal guide:

• Spring: 
• Focus on tender, leafy vegetables that represent the fresh new growth of this season. The greening that occurs in springtime should be represented by greens on your plate, including Swiss chard, spinach, Romaine lettuce, fresh parsley, and basil.
• Summer:
•  Stick with light, cooling foods in the tradition of traditional Chinese medicine. These foods include fruits like strawberries, apple, pear, and plum; vegetables like summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and corn; and spices and seasonings like peppermint and cilantro.
• Fall: 
• Turn toward the more warming, autumn harvest foods, including carrot, sweet potato, onions, and garlic. Also emphasize the more warming spices and seasonings including ginger, peppercorns, and mustard seeds.
• Winter: 
• Turn even more exclusively toward warming foods. Remember the principle that foods taking longer to grow are generally more warming than foods that grow quickly. All of the animal foods fall into the warming category including fish, chicken, beef, lamb, and venison. So do most of the root vegetables, including carrot, potato, onions and garlic. Eggs also fit in here, as do corn and nuts. 

 

Emotional Lifestyle: 

It is on. I am gonna do a juice fast and I think it's gonna be a long one (21-30 days). I know! So, I am researching, getting prepared, but it is happening in March. Get ready, because all of you will be privy to real time updates on this blog...stay tuned. 

Day 34:

Juice: Grapefruit Basic

Grapefruit Basic:
1 Grapefruit
1 Apple
2 Carrots
1 Stick of Celery

This was good. I got up early this morning and made this juice. It totally picked my morning up.

While researching for this blog last week, I stumbled upon a very interesting article online: Limonin: Health Benefits in Citrus Fruits. It mentions a compound found in citrus fruits call Limonin. 

Limonin:

(lî`mō´nĭn)

n.

1.

(Chem.) A bitter, white, crystalline substance found in orange and lemon seeds.

Limonin enters the body as a sugar molecule and is absorbed into the blood stream. From there, Limonin works as an active antioxidant fighting the breakdown of cell DNA. According to a scientific team working with the USDA, has been shown to "fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach, and colon." (Source) 

How does it do that? You might ask. 

Well, researchers have found Limonin can remain the the blood stream for up to 24 hours - an impressive amount of time - and this "longevity" is probably why limonoids' have such an ability to fight cancer cells. The USDA also states that though most people think about vitamin C when they think about citrus research has shown "limonin glucoside is present in citrus and citrus juices in about the same amount as vitamin C." (Source)

 

What does this mean?

Keep juicing is what it means and while you're at it include some citrus with seed and peels! 

Happy Monday!

Day 31: 

Juice: Pure Grapefruit

Pure Grapefruit:
3 Grapefruits

All the juices I have done to date have been fruit juices - sweet and delicious - and all of them have had the same base ingredient - Apples. But today is the start of fruit juices with a different base ingredient - Grapefruits. If you are someone, who is not too into grapefruits (mainly because unsweetened juice can be quite bitter) reduce the amount of grapefruits used and toss in an apple. This will sweeten the juice and allow you to enjoy the juice without missing out.

Since I already talked about grapefruits - Entry 21 - I'm going to give you some juicing tips and best practices to help you going forward. For anyone just getting started in juicing check out Entry 12 it is a short little "how to" for juicing.


Tips:
1.) Line the pulp catcher:
To help with clean up after juicing, use a plastic bag (any grocery store bag will do) to line the pulp catcher. This way the the pulp catcher wont stain and it is one less thing you have to clean.

2.) Use your pulp for other things - don't waste good nutrition:
You can save pulp in your fridge for up to 12 hours, but it is best to use it as soon as possible. Some ideas:
- Stir pulp into veggie sauces, dips or soup.
- Fruit pulp can be used for fruit sauces, jams, or (even more fun) freeze it into homemade fruit pops.
- Mix pulp into meatballs, meatloaf, or burgers. It will give it some nice flavor and keep them moist.
- You can also sneak it into layered casserole dishes, like lasagna. 
- Bake it into pound cake, muffins, or biscuits.
- I also saw someone mix honey (or any binder agent really) into pulp and make healthy 'cookie snacks'. I haven't tried it yet myself.

3.) Drink your juice as soon as possible:
After you juice fruits and vegetables, juice begins to oxidize (it tends to change color as it oxidizes, especially apple). It is the same thing that happens when you cut and apple and leave the white exposed - the browning is oxidization. *Note: Oxidized or discolored juice is not bad. It just doesn't have as much nutritional value as it would fresh because oxidization it the breaking down of the natural enzymes in the fruits and vegetables.

4.) Stock, Wash and Store before juicing:
This means plan your juices and buy what you need for a few days or the week. Then wash it all before it goes into the refrigerator and store it so it is easily accessible to you. This tip is a VERY popular rule of thumb for juicing, because this way one never has an excuse not to juice. If everything is ready to go when you want a juice, then you are more likely to juice.

5.) Store in glass:
I don't really ever store juice. I usually consume it in the morning or evening right after I make it, but if you are taking some to work or just want to store excess juice for the next day...please use glass. Plastic, not only leeches chemicals into anything stored in it, but it also can react badly to juice as it oxidizes. There have been stories of plastic containers cracking, breaking and exploding while holding juice. Glass also helps slow the oxidization process.

Day 30:

Juice: Bellyful

Bellyful:
3 Apples
1/4 White Cabbage
1/4 Small Fennel Bulb
1 Small Bunch of Mint

This is a warm, yet crisp and very refreshing. This is a great mid-morning snack. Sweet enough that it still feel like breakfast, but substantial enough that it can pass for lunch. 

Fennel, my dear friends fennel or foeniculum vulgare. A vegetable I really had never eaten until recently. Fennel is a hardy perennial (a plant which grows back every year) and a member of the  Apiaceae family (formerly the Umbelliferae) - meaning it is related to carrots, parsley, dill and more - like over 3,000 more species. Needless to say it is a large family.

Fennel looks kinda like a cleaner, nicer version of celery root. It is a white or pale green blub with stalks protruding from it, which are topped with feathery green leaves. In season during, both fall and spring, but fennel can be found all year long in most stores around the US. However, you may find the taste is the best during the spring and fall.

Fennel is crunchy in texture and slightly sweet and has an anise-like taste. Often fennel and anise are listed as the same plant by people (mainly on the internet), however they are not the same plant. They are related - both members of the Apiaceae Family (I told you it was a large family), but they are different plants. The confusion stems from the fact that "the whole plant (bulb, stalks, fronds) of fennel is consumed while it is usually just the seeds from the anise plant that are eaten..." (Source)

Fennel Seeds

Fennel is an amazing vegetable resource to have in your fridge. Full of vitamin C, potassium, manganese, folate (also called Folic Acid is a B-complex vitamin) and a variety of other phytonutrients, fennel has a wide variety of health benefits. The essential oils in fennel - the oils that give fennel its anise smell - "stimulate secretion of digestive and gastric juices, reduce inflammation of stomach and intestines and facilitates proper absorption of nutrients from the food" (Source), aiding any symptoms of indigestion, constipation, flatulence, diarrhea. In fact, chewing fennel seeds after a meal is a common practice in India.  Hence the name of this wonderful juice. Fennel has also been shown to help with colic, respiratory disorders, menstrual disorders, eye care, bad breath, hair loss and more, so it is not just for the intestinal track.

Emotional Lifestyle:

Recently, I watched a very interesting and disturbing documentary called Farmageddon (2011). It is about small farms being unlawfully forced to shut down by the USDA for unexplained reasons (most of the time). It is a little long an repetitive, but the information is sound. It is an interesting look at the government attempting to control what people eat, by controlling one's access to it.

If you are from New York, this has been a big topic here, as Mayor Bloomberg has been trying to put in laws about soda and junk food. However, this documentary is looking at small farms all around the country who are providing healthy, organic food for (mainly) their local communities and are being shutdown. Even when a farm has the right paperwork and their animals tested, the government has been threatening, harassing and killing livestock on these farms...for what reason?...it is often unexplained by anyone. It is interesting (though a little long), but definitely worth the time. 

Day 29: 

Juice: Prime Cooler

Prime Cooler:
3 Apples
1/2 Cucumber
1 Inch Ginger Root
1 Small Bunch of Fresh Mint

Sorry for the lack of posting friends...I have been continuing on the 400 Days without you. The busy holiday season has stolen all of my weeks away. But, now I'm on vacation and now...I have some time.

 
Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) a gourd from the Cucurbitaceae family and the fourth most cultivated vegetable after tomatoes, cabbage and onions. Cucumbers are the in the same botanical club as melons and squashes.

Though not well publicized, cucumbers are rich in phytonutrients, especially in cucurbitacins, lignans, and flavonoid.  Lignans: "any of a class of propyl phenolic dimers including many found in plants and noted for having antioxidant and estrogenic activity". www.merriam-webster.com Basically, Lignans can have some compounds that act like natural estrogen in the body and in doing so can help the reduce or prevent cancers - especially hormone related cancers - lower cholesterol and atherosclerosis. They have also been shown to help reduce symptoms of menopause.

*Remember estrogen is present in both men and women, so this is beneficial for all.*

Cucumbers are known to have a good amount of polyphenols (a branch on the lignans tree). Polyphenols: "a polyhydroxy phenol; especially : an antioxidant phytochemical (as chlorogenic acid) that tends to prevent or neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals." www.merriam-webster.com Antioxidants, especially polyphenols, have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers, including breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers. According to World's Healthiest Foods:

"...fresh extracts from cucumber have been shown to provide specific antioxidant benefits, including increased scavenging of free radicals and increased overall antioxidant capacity. Fresh cucumber extracts have also been shown to reduce unwanted inflammation..." (www.whfoods.com)

So, juicing them is a fantastic idea! It is good for the heart, cells, metabolism and your taste buds!

Being a part of the melon family it may not surprise you to learn that cucumbers are incredibly hydrating - 95% water. So, a juice drink of cucumber and celery is like a homemade sports drink.
See Entry 7 of this blog for more about the hydrating components of Celery.

A bulk of the nutrition in cucumbers actually resides in the skin and seeds, so when possible consume both. However, something to be cautious of is that most commercially grown cucumbers, both organic and non-organic, are waxed to protect them from bruising during transit. Organically grown cucumbers - in order to get the label 'organic' - have to used non-synthetic waxes, which are free of all chemical contaminants. Non-organic, however, may be waxed with synthetic waxes that contain unwanted chemical contaminants.

So, it is suggested that you buy only organic cucumbers, but I am realistic and I have a budget, so if you purchase non-organics just peel before juicing. No need to ingest harmful chemicals and carcinogens along with the nutrients to cleanse the body of such things.

Emotional Lifestyle: 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS ALL!!!
 

Day 28: 

Juice: Cranapple

Cranapple:
3 Apples
1 Handful of Cranberries
1 Handful of Grapes

I have always been a fan of cranberry juice, usually plain, but I really like this juice. The tartness of the cranberries mixed with the multi-layered sweetness of the Apples and Grapes - delicious. This is also the first time I have juiced Cranberries and when I finished I looked up how to make homemade jam with the pulp. These are the great resources I found:

1. http://www.all-about-juicing.com/ (Fruit Sauce & Other Recipes)
2. http://www.ehow.com/ (Homemade Jam)

*If you try any of these, I'd love to hear about it.

The Cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon, is one of the few crops native to New England (woot, woot!). Cranberries grow in acid bogs that lack a sufficient amount of nitrogen for most plant life. They are low, creeping plants that have - grower refer to them as vines - thin, wiry stems. Pollinated by bees, the cranberry flower appear mid-summer, they are white to light pink and bell-shaped.

According to UCLA's botany website:

"The common name cranberry is a modification of the colonial name 'crane berry,' because the drooping flower looked like the neck and head of the sand crane, which was often seen eating the fruits." (http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/)

 Now, Cranberries has always gotten a lot of good press. When one thinks of cranberries, usually one thinks of a high vitamin C content, a good portion of fiber and maybe it has been mentioned as being an anti-oxidant. Cranberry juice is also commonly known to treat Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). But, its complete phytonutrient package is what makes cranberries such an impressive and important fruit.

World's Healthiest Foods lists "5 key categories of health-supportive phytonutrients in cranberries" in the chart below: (Source)

Type of Phytonutrient	Specific Molecules
Phenolic Acids	hydroxybenzoic acids including vanillic acids; hydroxycinnamic acids inculding caffeic, coumaric, cinnamic, and ferulic acids
Proanthocyanidins	epicatechins
Anthocyanins	cyanidins, malvidins, and peonidins
Flavonoids	quercetin, myricetin, kaempferol
Triterpenoids	ursolic acid

Most of these phytonutrients have been studied independently for - mainly - anti-cancer, antioxidant and, anti-inflammatory properties (If you have been following my blog, we have talked about phenolic acids and flavonoids - btws). However, one of the main things researchers have discovered is that "...isolated phytonutrients in cranberry do not account for the same degree of health benefit as phytonutrients taken as a complete, synergistic group." (Source) The whole is more than the sum of its parts - if you will.

All of phytonutrients in cranberries have been shown to help protect against heart disease, cancer, gum disease, stomach ulcers, urinary tract infections and other diseases. A great resource for more information is the www.cranberryinstitute.org.

Day 25: 

Juice: Grape Ape

Grape Ape:
3 Apples
1 Bunch of Grapes
1 Nectarine

This is my first time juicing grape. Grape Juice is an iconic grade school juice like Apple, but I had never tried making grape juice before. (Obviously, I make apple juice all the time, since it is the base for most juice recipes.)
It was delicious and a beautiful color (though you can't really tell from my picture).

When I was a kid I had a love hate relationship with grapes. Mainly because I had to mow our fourteen acre farm and concord grapes - the native grape species - grew their way all over our property. I would battle them and their woody vines all summer long with an ancient lawn mower and a rusty pair of bush shears.

Inside, I would enjoy their sweet tartness by the handfuls, but outside it was grape guts everywhere. No mercy. Give them an inch and next summer they'd take a mile. A amicable resolution has not yet been reached...it is a war that is still being fought. (Some may wish to refer to it a 'police action'- to each his own).

Needless to say, Grapes are worthy opponents, but even better allies (ain't that always the way). Grapes, though small, are crammed full of nutritional benefits (good things come in small packages). Worlds Healthiest Foods has provided a list of Grapes phytonutrient content:

"While a single grape variety is unlikely to contain all of the phytonutrients listed below, grapes as a group have been shown to provide us with the following health-supportive nutrients:

• Stilbenes
  • resveratrol
  • piceatannol
  • pterostilbene
• Flavanols
  • catechins
  • epicatechins
  • procyanidins
  • proanthocyanidins
  • viniferones
• Flavonols
  • quercetin
  • kaempferol
  • myricetin
  • isorhamnetin
• Phenolic Acids
  • caffeic acid
  • coumaric acid
  • ferulic acid
  • gallic acid
• Carotenoids
  • beta-carotene
  • lutein
  • zeaxanthin

In addition to the above-listed nutrients, grapes have also been shown to contain the hormone and antioxidant melatonin as well as unique oligopeptides (small protein-like molecules) that have anti-bacterial and other properties." (Source)

Woah, right! Now, I know that is a list of a lot of words you may not know the meaning of, but the key thing to take away from this is...to mix it up. Look for other varieties at the store and mix 'em all up. 

But also, this astounding list of nutrients means grapes can benefit "cardiovascular system, respiratory system, immune system, inflammatory system, blood sugar regulating system, and nervous system. Another area of special benefit is cancer prevention, with risk of breast, prostate, and colon cancer emerging as the most likely areas of grape anti-cancer benefits." (Source)

So, It turns out this grade school favorite made the list for good reason, so just 'cause you aren't in school anymore doesn't mean you can't enjoy a little blast from the past!

Emotional Lifestyle:

Sometimes as a nanny/babysitter I have a hard time believing I, essentially, get paid to play.

 

This is how I spent my Thursday. I build a block castle. 11 month old baby is the wrecking ball. I build another. Repeat.

It is civilization in fast forward...............................or a really bad habit for preschool.

Day 24: 

Juice: Apple Lullaby

Apple Lullaby:
2 Apples
1/4 Lettuce
1/2 Lemon

This is the first time I have ever juiced lettuce. Spinach, Kale, sure. Lettuce...never. I used iceberg lettuce, because that's what I had on hand, but you can use whatever lettuce you like.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is a member of the Aster or sunflower family Asteraceae.

Aster: any of various chiefly fall-blooming leafy-stemmed composite herbs (Aster and closely related genera) with often showy heads containing disk flowers or both disk and ray flowers. (http://www.merriam-webster.com)

 Lettuce was first cultivated in Egypt, there is evidence of its cultivation as early as 2680 BC. The Romans referred to lettuce as lactuca, due to the white substance excreted when the stems are cut now called latex. (lac meaning milk in Latin). Latex, specifically Lactucarium in lettuce, is the reason behind this juice's name. Merriam-Webster describes Lactucarium's effects as resembling "opium in physical properties and was formerly used as a sedative" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/lactucarium). So this should be the night time juice of choice. It also tastes like lemonade. Typically when I want to have juice lemonade I just do apples and lemon, but lettuce was a tasty new addition. I also might put less lemon in if I was going to eat it at night.

Emotional Lifestyle:

I try to be like this girl everyday...and after the hurricane I am trying to appreciate everything I have and how lucky I am to still have it.
Enjoy!!

Addition: "I LIKE THIS BLOG!"

Day 23: 

Juice: Waterapple

Waterapple:
3 Apple
2 Thick Slices of Watermelon
1 Lime

Now, I don't like watermelon. I'm just not a fan, but juicing it is fine, especially if it is mixed with other stuff. Since I don't like watermelon I didn't want a whole melon lying around, instead I went to the corner grocer and purchased pre-cut watermelon. When doing this, look for the date on the package - usually it will have the date it was packaged, not an expiration date - try to find one that was packaged within a day or so.

Fun fact: Sometimes you see fruit salad with a slice of orange. This is because Vitamin C helps slow down the oxidization process. If you ever want to make some juice to go, Vitamin C powder should help it keep. Also, be sure to refrigerate it.

Watermelon is 92% water, which is where it gets its name. It is low in calories and refreshing on a hot summer day. Watermelons are believed to have actually originated in Africa several thousand years ago. They are a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. Cucurbitaceae family consists of various squashes, melons, and gourds, including crops such as cucumber, pumpkins, luffas, and watermelons.

Besides being a great source of Vitamin C and A, Watermelons are a great source of beta-carotene (See Day 6 for more), potassium and magnesium. It also turns out that watermelons are an anti-inflammatory powerhouse with an array of phenolic (Definition of Phenolic) compounds like our friendly neighborhood flavonoids (See Day 11 for more), carotenoids, and triterpenoids. Recent studies have also shown that watermelons may be "especially important for our cardiovascular health" (Source) because of a carotenoid called lycopene. Cancer.org describes lycopene as:

"...one of the major carotenoids in the diet of North Americans and Europeans. Carotenoids are pigments that give yellow, red, and orange vegetables and fruits their colors...lycopene may lower the risk of heart disease; macular degenerative disease, an age-related illness that can lead to blindness; and lipid oxidation, the damage to normal fat molecules that can cause inflammation and disease. It is also said to lower LDL ("bad" cholesterol), enhance the body's defenses, and protect enzymes, DNA, and cellular fats. A major claim for lycopene's benefits is in the prevention and treatment of cancers of the lung, prostate, stomach, bladder, cervix, skin, and, especially, prostate." (Source Page)

 So even I, who is more against watermelon than for it, will recommend you add it to juices...frequently. To fight the bad, ingest the good!

Day 20: 

Juice: Bleeding Apples 

Bleeding Apples:
3 Apples
1/2 Beet (beetroot)

This would be a great juice for Halloween morning to get you in the spirit. Blood red and wonderfully sweet, it is a perfect Trick or Treat snack.

Beetroot or Beets. It is not the first time you have seen beets in a recipe on this blog and it will not be the last. Beets are a longtime juicing favorite.

Beets (beetroot) belong to the chenopod (or Chenopodiaceae) Family - including beets, chard, spinach and quinoa. This is a powerhouse of a family. I mean, have you ever heard anything but good things about those foods? So, its not surprising that this small, blood red vegetable is packed with phytonutrient goodness. Beets are especially known (and researched) for the betalain pigments contained within.

betalain [′bed·ə‚lān]
(biochemistry) 
The name for a group of 35 red or yellow compounds found only in plants of the family Caryophyllales, including red beets, red chard, and cactus fruits.
(thefreedictionary.com/betalain)

Betalains pigments are responsible for rich color of beets and have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. Also, report was recently released showing the that nitrates (contained in betalains) in beets can 'boost stamina'. The study actually used beetroot juice. "Beetroot juice has previously been shown to reduce blood pressure. The researchers believe their findings could help people with cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic diseases - and endurance athletes." (Source)

The two main reason to juice beets:

1. Betalain pigments are actually visible in other foods (like the stems of chard or rhubarb), but for beets the high concentration of betalains in the flesh and skin, making this vegetable a betalain powerhouse. So, consuming the beet with the skin on is a great idea. *Here's where a vegetable brush and wash would come in handy before popping them in the juicer. 
2. It has recently been proven that betalains are far less heat stable than most plant pigments. Meaning, you loose the nutrient content the longer you cook them. So, consuming them raw is ideal. *I'm not sure about you, but I am not a fan of just biting into a beet, so chucking them into my juicer is a perfect solution.
3. Beets are also sweet in flavor, so they are another way to sweeten up vegetable juice.

How can it get any better than that?

Day 19: 

Juice: Waldorf Salad

Waldorf Salad:
2 Apples
2 Stalks of Celery
1 Tablespoon of Cold-Pressed Hemp-Seed Oil

In honor of full disclosure...I did not make this juice. Ah. I know, I know...I made our dear old friend Apple/Celery juice, but I did not add any of the hemp-seed oil. I didn't have enough time to research it and see if I would actually use an entire bottle of the stuff.

 So, here is the research and you all can decide if you want to invest in hemp-seed oil.

Hemp-seed oil, as you may have guessed, comes from the hemp seed. It is actually pressed (juiced) from the seed.

Here is a link to a, very long and kind of boring video, that shows the process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXMGpZj4Vdo
After the first few minutes you can shut it off. It's just kind of nice to get a taste.

Hemp seed is becoming much more common in grocery store in North America. It looks like it has grown in popularity along the growing awareness of essential fatty acids, which makes sense since hemp seed (and thus, hemp seed oil) provide a wonderful amount of fatty acids.

So, what are these essential fatty acids everyone keeps talking about?
Mainly the Omega's, like Omega-3 or Omega-6. They are reffered to as 'necessary' and 'essential' because "the body can' t make them -- you have to get them through food." (Source) These fatty acids are commonly found in fish oils (such as salmon, tuna, and halibut, other seafood including algae and krill) some plants, and nut oils. Hemp seed oil considered a nut oil.  

In 1999 U.S. National Institute of Health held a workshop to study theses essential oils and it "demonstrated the impressive benefits of a balanced omega-6/omega-3 ratio in our diet: reduced risk of athero-sclerosis, sudden cardiac death and certain types of cancers, decrease in the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, mood improvement in bipolar disorders and optimized development in infants." (Source). It also goes on to compare different nut seed oils, it says "hemp's main nutritional advantage over other seeds lies in the composition of its oil, i.e. its fatty acid profile, and in its protein which contains all of the essential amino acids in nutritionally significant amounts and in a desirable ratio."

So, not only could these fatty acids help with internal issues like cancer, heart disease, but they have shown to help with cognitive disorders like depression, bipolar disorder...did I also mention it is great for your hair. The essential oils stimulate hair growth and heath. It is often used as a hair treatment. Article: Why Hemp Seed Oil Is A Miraculous Hair Care Elixir

Hemp seed oil, much like Spirulina Powder, is probably a good thing to keep around the house and stir into different juices at your will. After all, if you are along for the ride, you'll be making a lot of juice over the next year or so.

Day 18: 

Juice: Double Apple

Double Apple:
2 Apples
1/3 Pineapple
1 Small Bunch of Mint


Oh, this is delicious!
Pineapple is my favorite fruit and I am big fan of mint in my juice, so.....this juice is bliss in a glass!
*Note: I wanted a little less juice, so I only used one apple.*

Pineapples are amazing and we'll have time to talk about them another day. But today I just want to go over how to cut one up. When I first started juicing, cutting up a pineapple seemed daunting. Having pretty much only eaten them out of a can or bought them pre-sliced from the store, I wasn't really sure what to do. Eventually, I sucked it up and bought one whole took it home and... googled 'How to cut up a pineapple'. Now, for all of you out there I have written up some instructions for you.

Step 1: 
Get a Pineapple, Cutting Board and a Big Ole Knife

Step 2: 
Cut off the top and the bottom of the pineapple.

Step 3:   
Shave the outside of the pineapple off with the knife. Since you are juicing it, don't worry about it being perfect. The juicer can handle a little bit of the rind. 

Note: 

If you are cutting the pineapple to eat, you will not want the core (the whitish part in the middle). So, you should cut the sides off around the core and cube it. However, for most juicers (even the cheap little ones) the core wont matter.

Step 4:

Slice it and cube it. Store it any way you'd like. 
Again don't worry about imperfections on the outside.

Day 15:

Juice: Apple Blues

Apple Blues:
3 Apples
2 Handfuls of Blueberries

"Kaplink, Kaplank, Kaplunk"
- Blueberries For Sal by Robert McCloskey

Blueberries!

A summertime favorite for me. Nothing says July like Blueberry Pie. Nowadays, Blueberries they can be enjoyed all year long, not just in the summer months.

The blue bulbs are actually one of the few fruits native to North America. They are perennial flowering plant from the Vaccinium family. 

Well loved by Americans, Blueberries have been widely lauded for their "antioxidant capacities". Full of micronutrients like dietary minerals: manganese, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and more, and  vitamin C, vitamin K as well as a healthy dose of dietary fiber, blueberries pack quite a nutritional punch. 

In recent studies, Agnes M. Rimando a Research Chemist at the Natural Products Utilization Research (with the USDA) states that some of the nutrient components in blueberries - mainly pterostilbene (pronounced "tare-o-STILL-bean") (Source) - may help fight heart disease, cancer and cholesterol. She theorizes that "constituents in blueberry skins that can activate a protein involved in the breakdown and import of fats." (Source).

So, not only a guilt free treat (blueberries are low glycemic), but also a great idea for you bodies daily function.

Emotional Lifestyle:

Okay, so the other night I watched the documentary Mansome (2012) by Morgan Spurlock - the documentarian who made Supersize Me. Yes, he has made other documentaries. Mansome is an attempt to look at the 'recent' identity crisis of men in the American culture through increasing popularity of 'manscaping'. Urban Dictionary defines Manscaping as "to groom a man. Shaving, waxing, cleaning up the superfluous fur." (Source) So, it is mainly about male hair.
Interested? It's on Instant Netflix.

Now, for those of you that have read my earlier posts or know me personally, you may have gleaned my position on this issue, but on the female side. However, I too have noticed the change. In the media and in the real world.

As a whole, the documentary is...okay. I just didn't think it did well "tying it all together". The attempt at transitions was a witty and sarcastic repartee between Jason Bateman & Will Arnett (who were actually executive producers for the film) while spending a day at the spa. Now, while this was hilarious and very Arrested Developmenty (LOVE the show), I think it detracted from what the documentary wanted us to look at. It put you in the mood to laugh at ridiculousness, so when we were supposed to be learning about why men of today's world would buy a product called "Fresh Balls" (which keeps the boys fresh day and night) or why a guy's beard is so important to him that he lives his life around it's maintenance and attends facial hair competitions, we were ready to laugh at it instead of actually look at it. I would have preferred to hear their actual thoughts and ideas on the issue.

But some of the individual segments are definitely interesting.
One of the women interview, Dr. Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist. (http://www.helenfisher.com/) During an interview in the documentary says makes note that men throughout history and many cultures have always been into there appearance - no dispute here. She then goes on to say, but now men are "allowed" to care about their appearance - okay.

'Allowed'? Or a commercial market now being played by our capitalistic society to buy material products and make other men/women rich?


Another interviewer (and I can't remember his name) mentioned that men's magazines are now playing on the insecurities of men, the way women's mags have been working over women for a long time. So, are they really being 'allowed' to do something they always wanted to do or covertly coerced?

...Welcome to the emotional bombardment boys! Bring your A Game. You'll need it...

Day 14: 

Juice: Apple Pie

Apple Pie:
4 Apples
1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

*Note: It is hard to stir in cinnamon after the fact because it tends to get all clumpy. So, I poured the juice into a jar and shook the cinnamon into the juice. "Shaken. Not Stirred" 

*Also, this morning I wanted less juice, so I reduced the amount of apples. You are always allowed to do that.






I was incredibly excited for this juice. Okay I confess, I tend to sneak peaks at what lies ahead...I can't help it. Natalie Savona's book is just so beautiful and enticing. I kinda spend hours flipping through it. Eh heh.

This juice however grabbed my attention because of the cinnamon. I j'adore cinnamon! I put it in everything practically. I love it in coffee during the winter. I love it in almost all deserts and chocolates. I even douse my mashed up winter squash (mainly butternut) and sweet potatoes with it. But, I have not - until this morning that is - tried it in my juice.

Excitement.

Cinnamon has been highly regarded in many civilizations throughout history. As a spice, as a scent or perfume and as a medicinal. Cinnamon is native to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malabar Coast of India and Burma, but is now cultivated across the globe. 

The cinnamon tree is allowed to grow for two years before grower coppice the tree.  What is Coppicing? You may ask.

cop·pice
noun
- an area of woodland in which trees and shrubs are, or formally were, periodically cut back to ground level to stimulate growth and provide firewood or timber.

Branches of the Cinnamon tree are then harvested. The tough outer bark is beaten off  and discarded. Only the thin inner bark is used. It is cut into meter long strips which curl as they dry. (Source)

As Cinnamon is a favorite spice of many (not just me) it has been widely studied over the years. It contains many essential oils which contain many active ingredients like: "cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol, plus a wide range of other volatile substances." (Source) These in ingredients help in many ways, helps with blood clotting, serves as an anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and new research is showing it helps to regulate blood sugar levels by enhancing insulin activities. I found a great article which researches cinnamon's many benefits for the purpose of helping those with Type 2 Diabetes. (From USDA)

So, not only is cinnamon amazing, but it is also comforting. It is known as a stomach warmer as well, much like ginger. I use cinnamon all year, but more so during this time of year - Fall and Winter. It just reminds me of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Emotional Lifestyle:

Watch this. Don't try this.

If this is your first time ever seeing GloZell, I highly recommend you catch up. The Willow Smith Video is good and the one she does about Westley Snipes. She is hilarious pretty much all of the time.