Fruit, Nuts From Nuts Online

There's a time and place for everything. To extrapolate from this adage, there is most assuredly a product and taste for everyone. In the health food world of commodities the consumer is presented with a marvelously huge selection. But as one (especially one who is new to health food) soon realizes, there are a limited number of staples which must be continually purchased to satisfy anticipated usage.

A problem is usually noted at this point: most health foods come in small packages. Common solutions are funny to watch. Sometimes the cart, basket or organic cotton reusable grocery bag is filled to the brim with fifty-two 4 oz packages. Other times, arrangements are made to get a discount by buying cases of the product at a time. This translates into fifty-two 4 oz packages in a cardboard box at maybe 15% off. Yet another method I've been introduced to recently is the co-op. A group of families orders products from a distributor -- cutting out the retailer -- in bulk.

There are more solutions, however. One way to buy healthy foods in healthy amounts is Nuts Online. The company is already one that I like. The website tells a tale of how one man's entrepreneurial spirit and determination became a thriving multi-generational and family-oriented business. Weighing that against a corporation suffering from giantism, corruption and environmental concerns there is no question which I would choose to patronize.

Nuts Online offers a huge selection of nuts, fruits, coffees, teas, seeds, spices and more. And there are many options such as raw, organic etc. to satisfy even a Health Food Purist. Prices per pound with increasing bulk savings presents a solution to the problem of health foods in small packages.

Nuts Online recently sent some of their popular products my way:

Turkish Figs - Historically I've never had much interest in figs. I think one time long ago I must have had a bad experience or something. But to my surprise the figs from Nuts Online were soft and really, really good.

Mixed Nuts - Here's a great product. A combination of every nut I could think of if I had to make a list on the spot, save pine nuts. But on that note, the pine nuts are nearly half the price as would be found at a normal retail store.

Goji Berries - This hot Himalayan Fruit is in so much demand these days. I've noticed people get really picky about them, even for a purist. The berries from Nuts Online had no additives and were exceptionally soft for what is usually a very tough fruit.

Dried Strawberries - With nothing else, these freeze-dried strawberries had more flavor than I am used to. Great for mixing into yoghurt and cereal, or by itself.

[The Nuts Online Website]

Stop Eating These Four Foods For Better Health

There is this popular saying used to brush off the idea that what one eats might never be acceptable. It goes like this: 'Everything in moderation.' This pithy, clever expression contains much wisdom, and indeed proves a safe way to avoid harm. But there are some things I do not believe the body should be subject to -- even in moderation. 

To this end, I have compiled a short list of foods I believe to be unforgivable as well as the reasons why. It would do one well to realize these foods are a health risk not worth taking. And unless one wants to be done up at last, one should consider seriously the purist approach to these foods: cut them out completely.

1. Doughnuts

The healthiest part of a doughnut is the hole in the middle. Doughnuts are so uniquely unhealthy it boggles the mind. They are fried, full of sugar and white flour and contain comically high amounts of artery-choking trans fats. It is as if they were designed to make people fat and die of heart of disease. One doughnut will run you 200 to 300 calories and spike your blood sugar like there's no tomorrow. 

2. Soda

The number one source of calories in the US is now soda. The average American drinks about 60 gallons per year. One can of soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories, not to mention the caffeine and artificial colors and flavors. But at a fast food joint it is not uncommon to see drinks approaching 42 ounces. Simple logic would then allow us to make the assertion that one might take in up to 35 teaspoons of sugar from the drink of a fast food meal alone. Diet Soda is no savior -- artificial sweeteners like aspartame are serious neurotoxins that are increasingly being linked to diseases such as MS, Alzheimer's and others. 

3. French Fries

Potatoes are composed primarily of simple sugars that will raise blood sugar and blood insulin levels. When potatoes are fried they have the added bonus of trans fats and acrylamide which is a very potent carcinogen. Polyunsaturated oils (canola, soybean, safflower, corn etc.) used to fry the french fries are also very unstable, becoming rancid when exposed to oxygen and forming unhealthy free radicals in the body. 

4. Chips

Until recently most chips contained trans fat. Some still do. But even without the trans fat chips have the high potential to contain the carcinogen acrylamide like french fries and most fried food.

By simply eliminating these foods from your diet, you will significantly improve your health. This can be one of the easiest ways to improve your overall wellness, or it can be a struggle.

[Facts from Dr. Mercola's website]

Living Harvest Brand Hempmilk

Milk is from mammals, or so I thought. I was under the impression milk had to be milked from an animal. If you are like me, the revelation of an alternative to this simple idea will rock the foundations of everything you used to know as truth (or not).

The soy industry produces the majority of these 'alternatives to dairy' but they are also made of rice, almond and, so it seems, hemp. What constitutes a 'milk' capable of replacing milk? Almost universally found in these products are vitamin D, appreciable levels of protein and calcium. These traits cover a lot of the nutritional reasons people drink milk to begin with, but are more viable options for vegetarian, vegan and lactose-intolerant people.

But, as big as soymilk and the soy industry has become, there still remains a huge debate about whether or not soy is actually the miracle food the industry claims it to be. Of course, a lot of the studies pro and con will be found to be funded by the soy and milk industries, respectively. Additionally, many people are allergic to soy.

In any case, people seek alternatives to the alternatives -- and of one great alternative I know of no one who can claim to be allergic to or against on health grounds. That alternative is hempmilk.

One glass of Living Harvest Hempmilk has 900 mg Omega 3 fat, every essential amino acid, 4 g digestible protein, many essential vitamins and minerals and nearly 50% RDA of calcium.

One glass is also rarely enough, because this drink is delicious. Of the 3 flavors I have tried, not one let me down. The original is nutty, creamy and goes perfectly with smoothies or by itself. It is just sweet enough not to taste strange as other hempmilk products sometimes do.

[information at Living Harvest Hempmilk's website]

Reason #253 to Buy Organic

While I do not whole-heartedly believe in the perfect consumer democracy whereby the consumers vote with their dollars to enact change, I do think it is wise to use our increasingly worthless dollars to buy organic products.

If an average citizen (or more appropriately a 'consumer' these days) wanted to plant a garden s/he would probably need to acquire seeds. The seeds could be a) bought from a seed company or b) taken free from the produce s/he already uses on a daily basis.

If our average citizen chose option 'b' chances are the seeds would either die before germination or mature as a diseased and unfruitful plant. 

The reason: the species used for most commercial agriculture is either bred for specific traits (size, resistance to pesticides, resistance to herbicides, time until spoilage etc.) or genetically modified with the same traits. Therefore, when the seeds are taken and grown in a simple setting such as the garden of our average citizen where no chemicals are dumped on the plant to protect it from disease and insects, the plant cannot survive.

Organic produce, on the other hand, legally cannot be grown with such chemicals and therefore must be naturally resistant to diseases and alternative methods must be employed for pest control. All the seeds from organic produce will work wonderfully in our average citizen's garden.

Adagio Brand AnTEAdote Tea

After a long time of changing diets and lifestyles, reading and experimenting there are a few basic guidelines I seem to have rested on. 

Perhaps most adamantly I try to control my blood sugar and insulin levels by limiting sugar and grains and by cardiovascular and weight training. Next, I try to create a balanced ratio (for my personal metabolic type) of omega 3 to 6 fats, raw to cooked food and fat to protein. After these enough quality water, sun exposure, antioxidants and DHA fats round off the basics I try to maintain.

I find the great majority of products I would consider worthy of a Health Food Purist happen to fulfill these basic guidelines without fail. A perfect example of such a product I have recently tried is Adiago brand AnTEAdote teas.

AnTEAdote is a line of bottled high quality, brewed teas -- pure and simple. The only added ingredient is vitamin C to preserve the color. So the teas give the wonderful antioxidant benefits teas have long been touted as having, some extra vitamin C and some water without any sugar. If that doesn't fit seamlessly into a sensible set of guidelines (such as the tenets I've rested on) I don't know what does.

The jasmine has to be my favorite with very sharp fruit and floral notes, but every flavor I tried was wonderful. Each variety is brewed full flavored but lightly, avoiding the acidity and tannin over-brewing creates. The oolong, green, white and black are recognizable and simple.

As part of a good healthy lifestyle the benefits of tea go beyond physical health. I find my morning and evening tea-drinking ritual relieves stress and indeed promotes a sense of wellness.

[Information at Adagio's website]

Frützzo Brand Yumberry Juice

The first thing I had to find out before writing this review was the origin of the name. It seems the name is part marketing-genius and part coincidence. The fruit, which is enormously popular in China and has been grown there for over 2,000 years, is called yang-mei. A garden products importer from Indiana, Mr. Stenftenagel, thought the name sounded a bit like 'yummy' and as a result had the idea to call it yumberry. 

Who knows? Maybe as the fruit's popularity grows (as I suspect it will after tasting Frützzo's juice) all other known names will fall out of use in English-speaking nations.

As the US market is the envy of the world of business, sales, and capitalist endeavor it is no wonder new and exotic products are being introduced and popularized faster than you can say "third party certified."

Goji berries have made leaps and bounds and now occupy regular shelf space at even the smallest health food stores. Pomegranates have always been just around the corner, on the bottom shelf and behind the spelt noodles, but only recently gained a spot in the sun owing to the antioxidant content and marketing campaigns. Also, flax seeds are beginning to feel pressure from chia seeds of the lower americas.

Juice is a bit of a treat for me. I don't indulge, no, rather I savor and enjoy the fine tastes to be had from a what is an astonishingly healthy drink. I recently tried three Frützzo brand juices. One pure and simple yumberry, one yumberry-blueberry mix and one yumberry-pomegranate blend.

Many other companies create fruit blends, but most do it wrong -- adding apple or grape juice as filler. Frützzo, on the other hand, has created a line of juice blends matched by nothing else I have tasted. They are a bit like fine wine blends of, say, merlot and cabernet sauvignon from an up-and-coming winery -- the new and wonderful taste of the juice world.

The taste of the yumberry itself is not unlike a sweet cherry or pomegranate, but sugar remains significantly lower than many other comparable fruit juices. The blended yumberry-blueberry and pomegranate retain flavors of each distinct fruit, giving the beverage a pleasant and complex taste. As with most dark juices, appreciable amounts of antioxidants make the prospect of regular consumption an increasingly tempting prospect.

[Yumberry information at Frützzo's website]

Simple Smoothie Recipe from the Health Food Purist

Here is a simple smoothie recipe to get you started in the morning, recharged after a long day or full when a meal fails to satiate the daemons within the belly who perpetually demand more food. (In the case of the latter one might also wish to entertain the idea that one has some sort of parasite or worm and take appropriate action.) The majority of the time I make this smoothie to satiate the daemons, but my daemons are the product of a fast metabolism.

I love it any time of the day. It has beneficial bacteria to support a healthy digestive system, antioxidants, little sugar and isn't devoid of fat and protein. Remember, reducing fat only means weight loss because of overall reduction of calories. Fat is as important as anything in a healthy functioning body, and the same goes for protein. Sugar is the main thing to reduce to lose weight and for overall well-being. 

HFP Simple Smoothie

2/3 cup kefir (plain or flavored)

1 scoop protein powder (vanilla flavors taste best)

4 ripe strawberries

1/2 banana

1 handful blueberries

1 handful ice cubes

Thoroughly blend all ingredients in a blender and pour into a tall glass. If it doesn't pour easily simply add more kefir. You might try freezing the berries and removing the ice from the list. Organic raspberry kefir tastes great with this recipe but plain is lighter and has less sugar. Vary any of the ingredients to suit your personal preference. Enjoy!

Annie Chun's Pad Thai Rice Noodles & Sauce

These quick and easy dishes are produced, distributed, sold and consumed at a dizzying pace. The problem I have with them are the 12,000-ingredient lists full of words only the brightest among us can pronounce. It seems these products are processed, full of preservatives, artificial flavors and artificial colorings -- all in the name of "quick and easy." It is therefore a comfort to find another great convenience product from Annie Chun's with great ingredients and taste. This Pad Thai dish takes 10 minutes to prepare and with just a few additional ingredients creates a complete meal.

Making restaurant-style Pad Thai is as simple as cooking the noodles, sautéing some chicken, scrambling some eggs, and adding the rest of the contents of the box. I also added the recommended chopped peanuts, bean sprouts and green onions. All told there was enough delicious Pad Thai for three people, but as my appetite frequently exceeds that of three people I finished it off myself.

I like how Annie Chun's tries not to sacrifice authenticity for the sacred notion of "convenience." The noodles are made of rice flour and water. The sauce is made of brown sugar, water, tamarind, soy sauce, onion and shallot puree, fish sauce, canola oil, tomato puree,  rice vinegar, garlic, corn starch, lime juice, spices and onion powder. And I'm pretty sure the box is made of a paper of some kind.

I am classifying this product as a "convenience" food but these days the straight-forward ingredients and need for a cooker might cause some to considered it quite "homemade."

[Pad Thai Noodles with Classic Pad Thai Sauce at Annie Chun's website]

The Conclusion of a Concluded Debate: Is Organic Better?

Well it's settled, we can bust out the agave nectar and chug like its y2k+1. The heated debate over whether organic food is healthier than conventional food has been concluded yet again. This is just mind-boggling; The Organic Center creates a study to study past studies. This "study to rule them all" shows once and for all there is enough scientific evidence to say organic is better (this after years of studies leaning towards organic, including a $20 million EU-funded research effort.)

I am quite certain anyone even taking the time to read the review is already onboard the organic trolly of love and fresh pineapples. I am equally certain anyone reading the review is silently wondering, "Wait, this hasn't been settled yet?" Sure, it's another step to reinforce the enlightened organic view of the world. But it is also prolonging the ability of conventional agribusiness's to play upon the idea that there is still a debate.

Our course of action: Simply refuse to entertain the notion that organic food is the same as conventionally grown food.

Our reasoning: Common Sense.

If one becomes forced into a debate over the subject one might ask, "Tomato plus poison better than tomato?" (simple language goes a long way)

[article at Natural Newswire]

Wasa Multi Grain Crispbread

So I've been convinced for a while of the negative health effects of grain. It has been said and shown the effect of most grain is identical to sugar in the body; upon ingestion insulin levels spike in order to control the high blood sugar. Also, as much as 90% of humans might be allergic to wheat to some degree, and symptoms are often wrongly attributed to other causes. But grains are something few can live without, and most don't wish to. Many people across the globe have been enjoying what I would consider an excellent compromise between having your grains and being healthy, too: crispbread.

Crispbread is largely a product of northern Europe. Swedes eat the most in the world, followed closely by Danes and Norwegians. While it has spread all over the world, these areas remain the heartland for crispbread. Wasa, a Swedish company, is the largest producer in the world. They make excellent products in a great variety.

Crispbread is simply what it sounds like -- thin pieces of crispy bread. Most people might be more comfortable calling them crackers, as opposed to bread. But the ingredients are undeniably that of bread: whole grain rye flour, whole grain wheat flour, whole grain oat flour, whole grain barley flour, yeast, water and salt, depending on the variety, and Wasa makes enough varieties to keep everyone happy.

The compromise is ideal because the amount of grain is significantly reduced by substituting crispbread for regular bread. In one of the larger varieties Wasa offers, multi grain, one slice is 14g with 2g being fiber and another 2g protein. Contrast that to a regular slice of bread somewhere in the neighborhood of 50g. Bread is made of mostly carbohydrates, and carbohydrates are not stored for long in the body but are quickly turned into fat. So crispbread is superb especially for those looking to lose weight. Also, most is made in European Union counties, and since the EU does not allow genetically modified produce the grain used in Wasa, produced in Sweden and Germany, is non-GMO.

In Scandinavian countries open-faced sandwiches are eaten much more than two-sided sandwiches. This reduces the amount of grain even more. Wasa has a large recipe section for great topping ideas but my favorite thing to do is top the crispbread with pesto and tomato slices. Goat cheese and cucumbers come in a close second.

[Wasa crispbread at the Wasa website]

Eden Organic Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

Normally spicy things repel me. I just didn't grow up eating anything spicy. On the rare occasions something spicy would end up on my plate I would take a bite and reel in pain exclaiming, "Sick! You people are sick! Masochists! Who would purposefully inflict pain upon themselves in this aweful way!?" 

But lately spicy has added a whole new twist to the food I love so much. It adds new depth to old foods and opens up an entirely new area with which to explore. Spicy can be downright healthy as well.

I had the pleasure of sampling a bag of Eden Organic Spicy Pumpkin Seeds the other day. Eden Foods has worked hard to create a high standard for themselves and this provides a nice amount of comfort and trust in the brand. They have been against genetic modification and irradiation forever, and meet and exceed most organic certifications. They keep salt to a minimum in their products, and they carry a variety of things. 

The pumpkin seeds are quite addictive. The spicy comes from cayenne pepper. Cayenne pepper is from the hot red chili pepper and named for the city of Cayenne in French Guiana. Cayenne has been used as an herbal remedy for nerve pains and upset stomachs. It is known as being anti-inflammatory and also a pseudo-antioxidant. What more, it gives the pumpkin seeds a nice twang to make it an interesting snack.

[Info about the spicy pumpkin seeds at Eden Food's website]

Gjetost Ski Queen by Tine: A Cheese Worthy of Your Personal God

I feel more strongly about this cheese than I do most other things in my life. I am willing to risk sacrilege on behalf of Ekte Geifost and Gjetost by Tine. So tightly bound in the vice-like grip of the mere taste-memory of the cheese, I would do terrible and illegal things to get more. 

It is a unique brown cheese from Norway, where the goats and cows live in paradise and drink 5 martini's a day. The result of mildly intoxicated livestock, blending of ingredients and slow cooking result in a smooth, sweet caramel flavor. Milk, cream and whey from cows and goats blend perfectly into an absolutely delicious gourmet cheese.

The first time I ate the cheese was last Summer in Denmark while visiting family. It was presumed the rich and heavy flavor might not be to my liking, but how this assumption could have been made I do not know. For, the divine properties of the golden fudge-like gift from above more correctly tastes you, instead of the other way around. The cheese makes a quick peregrination through your soul, and leaves a gift of sweet, nutty flavor in it's wake.

When I left Denmark I was sad for many reasons, not the least of which was the loss of a good friend: Tine cheese. I brought back a few blocks undeclared in my checked baggage. When these blocks were gone, a depression filled me and a deep well of emptiness opened in my being. But it was not long before Tine's Ski Queen cheese was found in the fine cheese sections of various grocery stores. 

It is this cheese that gives me hope. It is this cheese that gives me a sense of the bigger picture, of the greater things in life. It is this cheese that provides an example of perfection with which to emulate.

[Norwegian Cheese website with info about Ski Queen]

Eden Organic Pasta Pizza Sauce

Much can be said about pizza. The idea came from Italy where Roma tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and spinach represented the red, white and green of the Italian flag. Dominoes makes 1,000,000 pies a night in the US. And perhaps no other single food has caused so many heart attacks. Eden Organic Pizza Pasta Sauce is great for making a healthier home-made pizza pie.

The other day I made a pizza by simply spreading half the can over a hearty whole grain pizza crust. I topped it with grated mozzarella, havarti, and parmesan cheese. Popping it in the oven was followed by quick consumption (I ate the whole thing). I could have gone for two, but moderation is someone's virtue, to be sure. 

It is surprising how easy it is to make a good pizza, especially with a product like Eden Organic's Pizza Sauce. There are other options no doubt, but the organic ingredients and great taste make it infinitely more appealing than the trash you might otherwise use. Plus, the way I made the pizza one can would make two pies --  just about enough for hor d'oeuvres.

4-Egg Spinach French Omelet Recipe

This recipe is great. Spinach is one of those precious foods that shouldn't really be heated, but is there any other way to make a spinach omelet? As they say: you have to wilt a few spinach leaves to make a spinach omelet.

The spinach retains something of value even when heated, to be sure. Coconut is a robust oil and maintains its many healthy qualities even when heated. This recipe was taken from the website of the health food company Nature's Approved. The only thing I would change with it is the lack of cheese. Just think what a handful of feta or goat cheese could do for this omelet. To go one step further, imagine an omelet made entirely out of coconut oil. 

4-Egg Spinach French Omelet for Two

Makes 2 Servings

 

3 Tablespoons organic extra virgin coconut oil

4 Eggs, brown or white (free-range, organic)

2 Tablespoons Water

2-3 Cups Organic Spinach, fresh

½ tsp Black Pepper, ground

½ tsp Cayenne Pepper, ground

Salt, to taste

 

Directions:  In a bowl, beat eggs, water, (salt), black pepper and cayenne pepper. (Adding water makes the omelet light and fluffy, hence the ‘french’ part)  In a large frying pan, cook 2-3 Cups Spinach (or more, if you are a real ‘Popeye’) with 2 Tablespoons of organic virgin coconut oil.  Cook several minutes until wilted, then add into the beaten eggs. 

In the same large frying pan, add a dab of coconut oil or butter (to prevent the omelet from sticking) and heat pan. Pour whole mixture into pan and cook over medium heat for few minutes with lid off, for a few minutes, then lid on to ensure the top of eggs are cooked.  Remove from pan when lighted cooked. Check with spatula for doneness. 

[the recipe at the Nature's Approved website]