Weekly Clean Up! ~ October 10th 2011

Here is this week's WEEKLY CLEAN UP. Life has been very busy lately, but I've been learning SO much related to the blog and hoping to find more time in the future to share it all! In the meantime, here are a few great articles... and make sure you try the recipe of the week!

Global Survey Finds People Who Are Informed And Proactive About Their Health Tend To Distance Themselves From Those With Unhealthy Habits
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/235646.php

Children's Food Choices Seem To Be Affected By Direct Advertising And Parental Influence
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/235596.php

Improved Presentation Of Fruit In Schools Doubles Uptake
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/235303.php

Vegetable Gardens Are Booming in a Fallow Economy
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/us/09gardening.html?ref=nutrition

Are Barefoot shoes really better?
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/are-barefoot-shoes-really-better/

Recipe of the Week: Pine Nut Meatballs with Assorted Veges and Spinach
The new recipe we tested this past week was amazing! And, a great way to add in a lot of tasty vegetables with little prep day off.
http://paleopot.com/2011/05/paleopot-pine-nut-meatballs-with-assorted-veggies-and-spinach-crock-pot-slow-cooker-recipe/

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Posted in: Health Science / News

U.S. Obesity Trends... Alarmed Yet?

A striking graphic representation of the growing epidemic of obesity in the U.S.  Colorado was the only state left with obesity rates < 20% up until this year and unfortunatly they've now joined the ranks. Also take note of the "red" states centralized in the South, more then 30% of residents have a BMI over 30 and are classified as obese (these graphics do not include those overweight, BMI > 25).

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html

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Posted in: Health Science / News

Attacking the Obesity Epidemic...

Check out this interesting article in the NY times by Jane Brody, "Attacking the Obesity Epidemic by First Figuring  Out it's Cause." A new term I learned this week, "obesogenic environment" certainly applies here as she briefly reviews the changes in American's daily lives over the past few decades.

"Many environmental forces, from economic interests of the food and beverage industries to the way our cities and towns are built, have conspired to subvert the body’s natural ability to match calories in with calories out.  And the solution to the nation’s most pressing health problem — the ever-rising epidemic of overweight and obesity at all ages — lies in the answer to this question: Why did this happen in the first place? 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/health/13brody.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

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Posted in: Health Science / News

The Weekly "Clean" Up

The Weekly “Clean” Up
Week of September 05, 2011

Hello September, end of summer, and the start of school.  I know I haven’t been posting too much the last week or so as I’ve been getting settled in to my new schedule, but now that I am actually taking courses on topics relevant to the blog, I can promise that it will only get better for here on!

To kick off this new chapter and the start of a new (academic) year, I’d like to introduce a new type of post for the Clean Health Project - a weekly “clean”-up! Each week I come across a ton of articles with relevant news, recent studies and seasonal recipes and now plan to share my favorites with all of you. So, scroll through, see what peaks your interest and click to learn more!

As always, I appreciate anything you spot as well – so keep the articles and suggestions coming!

“Expanding Waistlines May Boost U.S. Health Cost $66 Billion a Year by 2030” – Recent figures have suggested that obesity will double by 2030. Bloomberg applies a financial lens by translating the increase to health care costs. Close to my heart is a comment by Boyd Swinburn, “we are in an obesity and chronic disease crisis although it doesn’t feel like it” (too most). http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-25/expanding-waistlines-may-boost-u-s-health-cost-66-billion-a-year-by-2030.html

“Preaching a Healthy Diet in the Deep-Fried Delta” – Unfortunately the South has some of the highest obesity rates and a food culture that does not lend itself to slim waist lines.  A priest in Mississippi has taken a local, innovative approach by preaching and incorporating health and nutrition into the church’s practices, which is now spreading into the 7 million member Baptist community. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/22/us/22delta.html?ref=nutrition

“Schools Restore Fresh Cooking to the Cafeteria” – Breaking from the low cost, poor nutrition cycle offered by school food suppliers, Colorado is changing course and making school food from scratch! While there are roadblocks and cost implications, it’s a great model for teaching kids early the importance of knowing what you are eating and where you food comes from. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/17/education/17lunch.html

“Tending to a community garden may foster higher fruit and vegetable consumption” – If you are not quite ready or don’t have the space for your own garden, look for a local one in your community, pitch in and you may just up your weekly vegetable intake! http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-community-gardens-health-20110805,0,1293514.story

“Make Vegetables the Meal” – Have you ever tried stuffed peppers? There are a ton of different varieties and you won’t even notice that your meal is missing meat. I’m making the stuffed yellow pepper recipe listed  tonight!  http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/02/making-vegetables-the-meal/

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Posted in: Health Science / News

"Creamy" Broccoli Soup

While it’s certainly not winter yet and I am hoping it’s a long Fall to get to there, hunkering down in the house for the “big” storm this weekend made me think about one of my favorites, a warm bowl of soup. I used to love broccoli and cheese soup when I was younger, but all the cream and cheese doesn’t fit so nicely into clean eating. I did some searching and came up with a FANTASTIC recipe that is creamy and delicious.  The creaminess actually comes from cashews and cauliflower! While the recipe requires some chopping and a little bit of blending, you’ll have a completely from scratch broccoli (and if you like, cheese soup) that is ready in just about 30 minutes!

Ingredients:
1/2  cup raw cashews
1 quart low-sodium veggie broth, divided
1 tbs. coconut oil
1/2 cup onion, 1/4 inch diced
1 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut into large chunks
3 cups broccoli, separated into chopped stems and bite-size florets
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sea salt
Crumbled goat cheese (or parmesan)

Directions:

1.     In a blender or food processor, grind the cashews into a fine powder.  Add 1 cup vegetable broth and blend until it makes a smooth cashew cream.

2.     Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add coconut oil. Sauté the chopped onion, cauliflower, broccoli stems, and a handful of florets for 5 minutes.

3.     Add remaining vegetable broth and the previously blended cashew cream. Bring to a boil, then lower to medium and cook until veggies are very soft, approximately 20 minutes.

4.      In small batches, transfer the soup base to a blender and blend until completely smooth.

5.     Transfer back to the pot, add the broccoli florets and cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until broccoli is heated tender. Add pepper and sea salt to taste.

6.     Divide soup mixture into serving bowls (makes 4 servings) and sprinkle with goat cheese
(or parmesan) as desired. Enjoy!

Adding the broccoli florets to the soup base

A little goat cheese for added flavor!

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Posted in: Clean Food

Grilled Summer Fruit

I've tried grilled pineapple before, but I’ve always been curious how other fruits would turn out on the grill.  I’ll take grilled meat or fish over roasted or fried any day, so I was curious if I would feel the same way about fruit. While I don’t think I’ll be grilling my fruit for breakfast any time soon, these recipes that I tested are a great way to incorporate fruit into your dinner menu and add a sweet, natural flavor to your meal.

Enjoy the last days of summer with this grilled fruit and chicken menu:

·        Grilled Peach and Green Bean Salad

·        Grilled Watermelon with Arugula and Goat Cheese

·        Spicy Blackened Chicken

Grilled Peach & Green Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, stems trimmed
1 teaspoon salt Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large ripe peaches, pitted and quartered
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
2 ounces goat cheese, coarsely grated

DIRECTIONS:

1.     Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the beans until just slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in cold water, pat dry and place into a medium sized bowl.

2.     Next, make the peach vinaigrette in a blender. Blend till liquid 4 peach quarters, the mustard, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a separate, small bowl and slowly whisk in 1/3 cup of the olive oil.

3.     Preheat an outdoor grill to high and skewer the remaining 8 peach quarters, placing them side by side to keep them from spinning. Brush the skewered fruit with the remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper and then grill on both sides, about 1 – 2 minutes per side.

4.     To create the salad, slide the peaches off the skewers into the medium size bowl. Mix with the green beans and then gently toss with the vinaigrette. Transfer to a large serving platter or bowl, sprinkle with hazelnuts and goat cheese, and serve.

Grilled Watermelon with Arugula & Goat Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

1 small (5 pound) seedless watermelon, cut into 8 (1-inch-thick) slices
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 bunches watercress or arugula, trimmed
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.      Preheat grill to medium or high heat

2.      Brush watermelon slices with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill the watermelon 1-2 minutes on each side.

3.       In a medium bowl, toss the greens with vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

4.      To assemble, sprinkle each grilled watermelon slice with goat cheese, top with the greens and then serve.

Spicy Blackened Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

4 Boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.     First, make the rub to blacken the chicken. In small bowl, mix together paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry.

2.     Brush the chicken slices lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with the spice mixture. Flip the chicken over and repeat. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to grill.

3.     Heat grill to medium heat and place each chicken strip on grill. Grill on each side for approximately 3 – 4 minutes or till completely cooked through depending on thickness.

4.     Remove from the grill and serve!

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Posted in: Clean Food

Call Me Crazy Cauliflower (Crust) Pizza

Call Me Crazy Cauliflower (Crust) Pizza

So this recipe is aptly named because my family thought I was NUTS when I wanted to make and serve them pizza crust made out of cauliflower. They even got me so nervous about my experiment that I made a back-up pizza made from store bought crust just in case. It was a good lesson in not letting the critics get to me, because in the end the cauliflower crust pizza WON over the other and everyone was AMAZED that it tasted so good.

Now, this is not a recipe for the faint of heart as it takes a little preparing (you can’t buy the crust pre-made people) and you have to make sure you get the right level of crispiness.  I was able to get it pretty close to perfect on the first try so are hoping all of you will as well!  The only downside to the recipe in my book is the amount of cheese in it, but for all of you pizza lovers out there (me included) it’s definitely a nutritious step up from the original take and there are always vege’s to even things out!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust:

Ingredients:
2 heads cauliflower, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1/4  tsp sea salt
1/2 cup egg whites
1 cup low fat mozzarella cheese
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley
1 can organic, natural tomato sauce
Toppings of choice (vegetables, lean meat or cheese – see recommendations below!)

Directions:

·    Chop up cauliflower into bite sizes pieces and place in a good processor. Process until the cauliflower becomes course, similar to the texture and look of rice. If you do not have food processor you can also use a cheese grater – it just takes a bit more time.
* Tip: Make sure the cauliflower is DRY before you blend, otherwise it will not crisp as well.

·    Heat a skillet to medium heat, add the cauliflower, cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes until soft and slightly browned, then add the salt.

·    Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and slightly grease a pizza pan / stone or cookie sheet

·    In a large bowl combine the cooked and cooled cauliflower, egg whites and cheese. Lightly mix in the oregano and parsley, and then press the crust mixture into the pizza pan.

Baked Crust

·    Bake at 450 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes until crisp and crust-like

·    Remove the crust from the oven and top with organic, natural pizza or marinara sauce, top with lots of vegetables, and dust lightly with cheese (recommendations below!)

Crust with Toppings

·    Place the pizza back in the oven on low broil for another 2 – 3 minutes or until cheese is melted or a light golden brown (make sure you broil, not bake the pizza to avoid sogginess)

·    Remove from the oven and cool before slicing and serving!

* Tip:  Make sure you serve this pizza with a fork and knife. While it tastes just like pizza, it doesn’t have the complete firmness to allow you to pick it up and eat it with your hands.

Ready to Eat!

There are a TON of variations for what can go on top of the cauliflower crust, so use your favorites or one of the recommended topping options below.

Roasted Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Pizza (pictured above)
2 Roma Tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh mozzarella (ball shaped)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
Sautéed onions and red peppers
* I roasted the tomatoes (light dust of olive oil and sea salt) before adding them as a topping to the pizza– highly recommended!

Veggie Pizza
Chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Chopped Broccoli

Diced Onion
Spinach
Sliced Mushrooms Sliced
Red Bell PeppersLow Fat Mozzarella or Goat Cheese


Spicy Chicken Sausage Pizza
Spicy Chicken Sausage (Trader Joe’s)
Red Pepper Slices
Yellow Pepper Slices
Red Onion Slices
Dash of Hot Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese

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Posted in: Clean Food