Taste the difference California walnuts make. California’s mild climate and deep fertile soil provide the ideal growing conditions for the world’s premium walnuts. Harvested at their peak, they are then carefully sorted, cleaned, dried and prepared for you, the consumer.

The California Walnut Commission prides itself on making sure that the walnuts you purchase are of the highest quality. Plump and crisp with a rich, nutty flavour, they add texture and taste to a wide variety of dishes, from salads to desserts.

Don’t be fooled by their small size. California Walnuts are packed with good nutrition. As well as featuring cholesterol-lowering properties, they contain other heart-healthy components such as vitamin E and dietary fibre

Delicious, Nutritious and Easy:

In addition to being a delicious source of omega-3s, walnuts add quick, gourmet appeal and wonderful taste and texture to a wide range of dishes, from snacks and appetizers to salads and entrées. Their convenience and versatility make it easy to add a handful of walnuts to your diet every day. For delicious recipe ideas,

Not All Fats Are Created Equal:

The fat in walnuts is 72.4 per cent heart-healthy polyunsaturated fat, shown to reduce the levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol. Unsaturated fats, found mostly in fish and plant foods, are considered “good” fats. But the two unsaturated fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, are distinctly different. Polyunsaturated fats are the source of vital essential fatty acids (EFAs), including omega-3s, which we can only get from food.

About Omega-3s:

Mounting scientific evidence suggests that omega-3s lower cholesterol, protect the heart, defend against some cancers and help ease symptoms of inflammatory diseases like arthritis. Getting more omega-3s into the diet of Canadians has become a priority for top nutritionists. Polyunsaturated fats, like you find in walnuts, are high in these vital essential fatty acids. Although it may sound contrary to popular perceptions, everyone’s diet needs fat. It gives us energy. It makes food taste good. And you can only get essential fatty acids from your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in cold water fish, such as salmon, as well as in plant foods including walnuts, leafy greens, soybeans and flaxseed.

Walnuts and Fish Protect Against Heart Disease Differently

New research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition comparing the effects of walnuts and fatty fish in the fight against heart disease demonstrated that both can reduce the overall risk of coronary heart disease. The research, conducted at Loma Linda University in California, found that in healthy individuals, walnuts lowered cholesterol more than fish, while fatty fish lowered triglycerides

Medieval Medicine:

During Medieval times, walnuts were considered a medicine. A potion containing walnut leaves was used to treat muscular aches and pains and walnuts were believed to soothe the digestive system.

Brain Food:

Later, in the 16th and 17th centuries, herbal treatments became official medical practice and various plants were prescribed due to their resemblance to a particular body part. The walnut, with its visual likeness to the human brain, was used to treat head ailments, boost intellect and calm emotions. Even today, in Asian cultures, the walnut is considered a brain food. College students munch on walnuts by the handful before exams, hoping to boost their scores.

Join the California Walnut Commission Recipe Club — CLICK HERE to join now

Visit the California Walnut Commission Website @ http://www.walnutinfo.com

There are many factors that contribute to hormonal balance but one of them has the power to reduce insulin, inflammation and toxic estrogen and even help you live longer – and it’s likely lurking in your kitchen right now. According to a recent study by National Institutes of Health, participants who consumed an adequate amount of fibre in their daily diet had significant reductions in the risk of death from cardiovascular, infectious and respiratory diseases, with the greatest benefit seen among those who consumed the largest amount of fibre.  In fact, researchers of this 390-thousand wide study found that a high-fibre diet reduced the risk of death from any cause over the nine-year period the data was collected. Despite this, on average North Americans only take in 16 grams of total fibre a day, while Europeans consume 22 grams. With recommendations for daily fibre intake being 25-35 grams per day for women and 35-40 grams for men, it appears we are falling drastically short.

Fibre: When variety is key

There are two types of fibre – soluble and insoluble fibre – and your body needs both of them for optimal health, digestion and elimination. Soluble fibre is fantastic for lowering LDL cholesterol, and stabilizing blood sugars and insulin. It keeps the bowels moving and can help prevent constipation. Good sources include fruits (especially apples, pears and oranges), vegetables (broccoli, sweet potatoes, cabbage, potatoes and carrots), oat bran, barley, seed husks, flaxseed, psyllium, dried beans, lentils, peas, soy milk and other soy products.

Insoluble fibre helps to bulk up our stools, keep the bowels moving and speeds up transit time of food through the digestive tract. It’s an essential part of a detox program because fibre binds to excess estrogen in the digestive tract, which is then excreted by the body. Insoluble fibre can also affect the composition of intestinal bacteria. Good sources include wheat bran, corn bran, rice bran, the skins of fruits and vegetables (apples, pears, berries, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and carrots), nuts (especially almonds), seeds (particularly sunflower seeds), soybeans, dried beans and whole-grain foods. You would be surprised how hard it is to reach your daily intake goal without a fibre supplement.

More stories from Chatelaine

• 8 inspiring tips to get you out of bed and to the gym
• Simple detox tips to boost your health
• 5 health reasons to eat more garlic and an immune-boosting Caesar salad recipe
• Not getting any results from your workout?
• 6 ways to get your daily calcium without milk

Avoiding constipation

So with all this talk about fibre being good, why is constipation so bad? If things are not “moving along” properly at least once (optimally, 2-3 times) per day it is tough to feel healthy, let alone slim. Obvious negative issues associated with constipation include feeling bloated, pain in the abdomen, occasional cramping and abdominal distension.

Not only is constipation unpleasant, it is not without repercussions on other aspects of your health. Simply stated, the longer waste remains in your large intestine, the longer undesirable by-products of digestion and elimination will be permitted to reabsorb into your system. This can result in headaches, fatigue, increased menstrual pain and cramping, acne and other signs of toxicity. Chronic constipation can increase the risk of certain types of cancers; breast and colon cancer rates have been found to be higher in women with a history of chronic constipation. I encourage you to do something today if this is a pattern of constipation or if you have experienced an acute response to reducing grains in your diet.

Many supplements and foods have beneficial effects on the process of digestion as well as on other aspects of your health, making them a great choice when you need a little extra “push” and easy ways to add fibre to your diet. Your best bet however, is to concentrate on increasing your fibre intake first.

Many of the best, high fibre, low glycemic grain selections are those I have listed below. Aim to consume one to two servings per day, in addition to your fruit and vegetable.

Five great pasta and grain fibre sources

1.    Buckwheat (kasha) – 8.5 grams of fibre in a ½-cup serving
2.    Brown rice – 2.0 grams of fibre in a ½-cup serving
3.    Kamut pasta – 6.3 grams of fibre in a ½-cup serving
4.    Quinoa – 5.0 grams of fibre in a ½-cup serving
5.    Whole-wheat pasta – 2.7 grams of fibre in a ½-cup serving

Three fibre-rich bread options

1.    Pumpernickle — 2.7 grams of fibre in a slice
2.    Rye – 1.8 grams of fibre in a slice
3.    Whole-wheat – 1.5 grams of fibre in a slice

Three high-fibre cereals to start your day

1.    All Bran – 8.6 grams of fibre in a 1/3-cup serving
2.    Kashi GoLean – 5.0 grams of fibre in a ½-cup serving
3.    FibreOne – 11.9 grams of fibre in a ½-cup serving

Article courtesy of Chatelaine and Photograph by Mr. T in DC

For all you coffee lovers out there, here’s the news that you’ve been waiting for and maybe an excuse to have that refill at Starbucks before heading home.

Roasting coffee beans creates stable antioxidants, which are believed to help protect human cells from damage and premature aging, according to a new study from the University of B.C.

And you might want to go for the medium rather than the dark roast if you want the maximum dose of antioxidants, the research says. The beneficial compounds created by the roasting process start to break down with excessive roasting at high heat, said lead author Yazheng Lui, a master’s student at UBC’s faculty of land and food systems.

The work of Lui and her co-author professor David Kitts brings some clarity to a murky brew of previous research that had produced conflicting data about the abundance and nature of the antioxidant qualities of coffee, which had been attributed to caffeine and to the presence of naturally occurring antioxidants.

Green unroasted coffee beans do contain natural antioxidants called chlorogenic acids, which are believed to have antiviral and antibacterial properties, but about 90 per cent of those are destroyed by the roasting process, Lui said.

The good news is that roasting creates a whole new class of potent antioxidants called maillard reaction products (MRP), the researchers found. Maillard reactions are responsible for the changes in colour and flavour that occur when foods are roasted, toasted or fried.

“During the roasting process the (chlorogenic acids) are decreasing while the new antioxidants are increasing,” she said. “We found that the main contributor to antioxidant activity is the product of roasting.”

Because a dark roast at one coffee shop might only be considered medium at another, you can’t always depend on the label to guide your quest to maximize antioxidants in your java. But the darkest roasts will be the lowest in chlorogenic acids and may also be lower in MRPs.

The high heat and longer roasting time that delivers the most flavour and colour also degrades the newly created antioxidants, the researchers found.

Roasting coffee beans also helps to stabilize the amount of antioxidants in the coffee, because the MRPs created by roasting degrade slowly over time, while the naturally occurring antioxidants in green coffee beans degrade very quickly.

“In the six months that we were doing tests, we found that the antioxidants in the green coffee beans dropped significantly,” Lui said. “But in the roasted beans, it was the same.”

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com

Coffee Beans Photograph by:  Red S.

Title Photograph by:  SeetYing

Something you think of while you’re grocery shopping tonight from our friends at Ontario Farm Fresh.

Add some colour and flavour to your meals with this sweet root vegetable.

Selection and Storage

Beet season runs through the summer and into fall, although they are available from storage year-round. While many supermarkets carry only one type of beet (red), a number of heritage varieties are available, such as golden beets. Visit your farmer’s market or on-farm market in the fall to find interesting varieties of beets and other produce.

The best-tasting beets are small to medium and firm with smooth skins.

Eat beet greens as soon as possible after purchase. Unwashed roots can be stored in the refrigerator in plastic bags for up to a few weeks, although it’s better to eat them sooner than later.

Preparation

Beet greens are delicious lightly steamed, boiled, sautéed or stir-fried. Also, the tender young greens can be added to salads raw.

The roots can be eaten raw or cooked; either way, be careful with red beets as their juice will stain. Try handling raw beets in the sink. If you’re cooking them, don’t remove the skin until after cooking and make sure to leave the top intact when chopping off the tops. Be careful when washing beets before cooking as their juice will leak if the skin is broken.

Grated raw beets are a tasty way to brighten up the flavour and colour of a salad. Raw beets are also popular for juicing and are often mixed with carrots or other vegetable juices. Beets can be cooked in many ways – boiling is probably the most common, although they can also be steamed, roasted or microwaved. Once cooked, the skin will slip right off and you’ll be left with a bright red gem perfect for a side, salad or soup.

History

Beets have been cultivated since prehistoric times in the Mediterranean area and were originally grown only for their leaves. During the Roman Empire, people began to eat the roots as well. Today, beets and beet dishes are still widely popular throughout Europe.

Nutrition 101

One cup (250 mL) of cooked diced beets contains 50 calories. Beets are a good source of folacin and a source of vitamin C and potassium.

Title Photograph by a member of the YummyLocal flikr group:   Danielle Scott

Beet hors d'oeuvres by Melody Fury

Roasted Beet Salad by lostatplay

Now that we’re all back in the swing of things especially with school in full gear we should think more about brown bagging our lunches and one key item is we can’t forget is the fruit!  Our friends at Ontario Farm Fresh are kind of enough to share their expertise and tips on one of our all time favourites…the Apple!

Nothing says autumn quite like an apple that’s sweet, crisp and juicy. While apples are commonly eaten out of hand, most apples are great for cooking, too, whether making a kid-friendly afternoon snack or a super-sophisticated treat for your dinner party.

Buying and Storing

Look for firm apples that are free of wrinkles and bruises.

Apples produce ethylene, which can cause other fruits and vegetables to ripen faster. Keep apples away from ethylene absorbers such as bananas, watermelon, kiwi, leafy greens, carrots and green beans. Store small amounts in their original plastic bag in the refrigerator where they will keep for up to one month.

Larger quantities should be kept in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place such as a garage or fruit cellar. Cover loosely with plastic to keep humidity in the apple container.

Tips

Prevent Browning: If you’re slicing apples and don’t want the exposed pieces to turn brown, dunk the slices in a bowl of three parts water to one part lemon juice.

Mix Sweet and Tart: When baking a pie, use a mix of sweet and tart apples to ensure a balanced flavour.

Grilling Tips

• Core and slice in thick rounds or wedges. Brush with butter.
• Grill time: 2 to 4 minutes per side to warm.
• Best bastes or toppings: Butter blended with curry or cinnamon.
• Great with: Pork chops or sausage. For dessert: yogurt or ice cream.

Nutrition 101

One medium apple contains about 80 calories and is a good source of fibre and vitamin C.

Apple Picking

Before heading to the farm, click here to find out which apples are best for crunching fresh versus baking into mouth-watering desserts.

Apple Recipe

Ontario Apple, Aged Cheddar and Smoked Turkey Panini

Toasted whole grains, melted aged cheddar, lean turkey slices and a burst of flavour from the McIntosh apple provides a well-rounded sandwich.

Title Photo by:  Hugo Provoste

Keep your lemon wedges to clean your home!  No kidding around

Clean your counter tops, cutting boards, copper pots, faucet fixtures, dishes, and garbage disposals.

Garbage Disposal: Toss your left over lemon wedges into the garbage disposal to naturally disinfect the blades.

Counter tops: Squeeze the lemon juice directly onto the cutting board stains and scrub with bit of baking soda.  Let the mixture sit for a few minutes and then wipe away with a wet towel or sponge.

Copper Pots: Slice the lemon in half and pour some salt over it before you scrub away those nasty stains leftover on your pots.

Faucet Fixtures: Similar to cleaning your pots but let the lemon juices sit over night to get rid of those nasty lime stains.  Wipe off the lime in the morning with a towel or brush depending on the stains.

Dishes: Add some lemon juice (table spoon) to your washing detergent to help fight off the toughest stains.

Cutting Boards: Use lemon juice to clean those cutting boards both wood and plastic by scrubbing the juices into the stains for about 15 minutes before rinsing it off.   Smells so much better after!

Krill are tiny sea crustaceans that are extremely low on the oceanic food chain that no one’s ever heard of but now it’s the new health craze that’s bolstering Alternative medicine into the mainstream media.  Krill oil is an excellent source of animal based omega-3 fatty acid and antioxidents.

Now here’s the interesting part.  Krill oil is SUPERIOR to fish oil because it contains more antioxidants and is less perishable.

It is highly recommended that Krill oil be taken along in conjunction with other healthy habits like exercising, getting enough sleep and eating right.

Benefits of Krill Oil:

• A healthy heart
• Support for concentration, memory & learning
• Blood sugar health
• Healthy joints, with an increase in joint comfort
• Fighting your signs of aging
• Healthy brain and nervous system function and development
• Protection for cell membranes
• Cholesterol and other blood lipid health
• Helps improve liver functions
• Relief of normal PMS symptoms
• Boosts your immune system
• Healthy mood support
• Great for skin health

Do not take Krill oil if you are on blood thinners or if you’re allergic to seafood.

Here’s a video of Dr. Mercola explaining some of the importances of Krill Oil.

Other Healthy Links:

Dr. Oz’s Anti-Aging Check List

Dr. Oz ~ Longevity Shake

www.MERCOLA.com

I was watching the Dr. Oz show the other day (like many of you out there) and the feature of the show was Alternative Medicine and he had 3 guest naturopathic doctors show us all how we could improve our health and well being by changing our diet introducing other forms of medical treatments.

The North American emphasis to medical treatment typically involves heavy medication or surgeries to cure diseases and ailments but this new form of  Complimentary or Alternative Medicine (CAM) combines many traditional western practices with other therapies such as acupuncture and meditation to compliment each other.

People who often choose CAM treatment to combine with traditional western medicine to optimize the health benefits by curing body and mind.  Other reasons include avoiding possible side effects of drugs and surgeries and mostly because of the patients’ personal preference in philosophies.

CAM medicine can bring comfort, control, and a calmer piece of mind to those who choose to use them.  Studies show that 40% of adults have used CAM therapies in one shape of form but mostly to combat:  back and neck pains, headaches, colds, insomnia, anxiety, joint pains and depression.

Either way you look at it CAM medicine is building in popularity and hitting the main stream culture.  Don’t be surprised in the near future when your doctor prescribes some diet changes and meditation to go with your drugs.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatments include:

• Practitioner-based body manipulation – acupuncture, Reiki, massage, chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation
• Natural products (nonvitamin, nonmineral) – herbs, fish oil/omega 3, glucosamine, St. John’s wort, echinacea, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, garlic, flaxseed, chondroitin, coenzyme Q-10, ginger
• Breath work – deep breathing exercises, meditation
• Relaxation Techniques – guided imagery, progressive relation
• Body movement – yoga, Qi gong and Tai chi
• Diet-based therapies – macrobiotic, vegetarian

Other Dr. Oz articles:

Dr. Oz’s Anti-Aging Check List

Dr. Oz ~ Longevity Shake

LINK TO Dr. Oz Website

Everyone has to take steps to mitigate their chances (outside of heredity) in contracting cancer.  Maintaining a healthy diet is crucial in this battle and these are a few helpful foods to aide the fight.

An unhealthy diet is linked to about one third of all cancer cases. Here are the top “all-star foods” that can protect you.

By Cynthia Ross Cravit, 50Plus.com

Cancer is no longer thought to be solely the product of factors outside of our control such as heredity or accidental contact with toxic pollutants. In fact, scientists believe there is a great deal we can do to reduce our risk of developing the disease.

The 2007 Expert Report by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) found that the food we eat and other lifestyle choices such as daily physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight are key to preventing cancer. This epic report – which was five years in the making and reviewed 7,000 large-scale studies – found that an unhealthy diet is linked to about one third of all cancer cases.

In fact, according to U.S.-based The National Cancer Institute (NCI), serious diseases that are linked to what we eat kill an estimated three out of four Americans each year. These diseases include heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer.

But while the foods you eat can hurt you, they can also help you. And not surprisingly, fruits and vegetables are “All-Star foods” when it comes to protecting yourself against cancer.

Foods you gotta love
Research shows that diets most protective against cancer are predominately plant-based. Here are just a few ways food can help in the battle against cancer.

Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, kale) contain two antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin that may help decrease prostate and other cancers.

Foods that contain folate such as liver, spinach, beans, broccoli, oranges, lettuce, avocado, and asparagus are thought to help protect against cancer of the pancreas. Avocados are also rich in glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that attacks free radicals in the body. They also provide even more potassium than bananas.

Onions, chives, leeks and garlic may help prevent stomach cancer. Garlic also has immune-enhancing allium compounds that appear to increase the activity of immune cells that fight cancer.

The beta carotene found in carrots may help reduce a wide range of cancers including lung, mouth, throat, stomach, intestine, bladder, prostate and breast. (Some research suggests beta carotene may actually cause cancer, but it has not proven that eating carrots, unless in very large quantities – 2 to 3 kilos a day – can cause cancer.) Sweet potatoes also contain many anticancer properties, including beta-carotene.

Certain types of mushrooms such as Shitake, maitake, and reishi are thought to help build the immune system and prevent cancer cells from multiplying.

Fruits are also thought to provide protection against cancer. Grapefruits, like other citrus fruits, help to rid the body of carcinogens. Red grapes contain bioflavonoids, powerful antioxidants that work as cancer preventives. Like red wine, they are also a rich source of resveratrol, which inhibits the enzymes that can stimulate cancer-cell growth. Papayas are thought to reduce absorption of cancer-causing nitrosamines from the soil or processed foods.Raspberries, blueberries and strawberries are also thought to contain many cancer preventing properties.

So you might have noticed the media’s emphasis on life’s daily essentials such as beta carotene, antioxidants, and Omega 3 fatty acid but what are they really?  We’ll skip out on the first 2 items for the sake of this article and focus on Omega-3s.

Benefits to adding Omega-3 to your diet:

Boosted brain power. Reduced risk of heart attack and stroke. Lowered blood pressure. Improved eye health. These are just four of the many health benefits of a diet rich in Omega-3 fats.

Since the body cannot make its own Omega-3 fats, they must be taken in through the diet or in the form of a supplement. Omega-3s are found naturally in seafood such as salmon and tuna, as well as in vegetable sources like pumpkin and flax seeds and walnuts.

Omega-3s are heart friendly because they:

• Decrease the risk of irregular heart rhythms
• Reduce clumping together of platelets (small particles in the blood which can cause dangerous clotting)
• Decrease the growth rate of fatty plaques which clog arteries
• Lessen levels of triglyceride – a type of fat linked to heart disease

Foods rich in Omega-3, or ‘good fats’ help compensate for ‘bad’ fatty acids like Omega-6. Many people fail to maintain a healthy balance of these good and bad fats. The good news? Just two servings of seafood per week can help you restore that balance.

When it comes to your health, seafood is a great catch. Why? Because it is high in protein, low in fat, and rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Eating seafood helps control cholesterol, heal dry skin, regulate blood clotting, and fight depression and anxiety disorders.

Because seafood helps protect the heart from irregular heart beats, it also protects against heart disease. In addition, fish oils boost the immune system, which, among other benefits, can help prevent the spread of cancer by destroying cancerous cells.

Thanks to the Fish House for the awesome fish details.

All about the fish!

My Place Fish & Chips – Review

Black Pepper Garlic Salmon – Recipe

The Fish Store