Monday, October 26, 2009

The Botany of Desire October 28th on PBS



Michael Pollan is the author of The Botany of Desire, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, and The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, which was named one of the 10 best books of 2006 by The New York Times and The Washington Post. It won the California Book Award, the Northern California Book Award, and the James Beard Award for Best Food Writing and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Pollan is also the author of A Place of My Own and Second Nature.

A contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine, Pollan is the recipient of numerous journalistic awards, including the James Beard Award for Best Magazine Series in 2003 and the Reuters-I.U.C.N. 2000 Global Award for Environmental Journalism. His articles have been anthologized in Best American Science Writing, Best American Essays and The Norton Book of Nature Writing. Pollan served for many years as executive editor of Harper's Magazine and is now the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley
.





These books are available at www.CrimsonMoon.com

Sunday, October 25, 2009

How many Colors are you eating?


With so many diets out there, it's no wonder that we are confused about what to eat. It is being said that on an average we may eat only around 3 colors of fruits and vegetables a day and that is on the high side. The average American diet consist of really one main color white and its variant side kick, beige. Isn't funny that that is the main color we eat as well as those are the 2 most popular colors that interior designers are touting as the "in" colors that most are living in and around these days.

Funny enough, as I am writing this and researching online, what comes up but a link to CBS, with a series called "What Color is Your Diet?" Here is a brief introduction on eating by color per David Heber, MD, PhD. from his book called "What Color is your Diet?"

Heber groups produce into seven color categories:

Red Group
(tomatoes, can of V8 juice, pink grapefruit, watermelon)
These contain the carotenoid lycopene, which helps rid the body of free radicals that damage genes. Lycopene seems to protect against prostate cancer as well as heart and lung disease. Processed juices contain a lot of the beneficial ingredients. One glass of tomato juice gives you 50 percent of the recommended lycopene.

Yellow/Green Group
(spinach greens, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, yellow corn, green peas, avocado, honeydew melon)
These are sources of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These are believed to reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Lutein is a yellow-green substance that concentrates in the back of your eye. It may also reduce atherosclerosis.

Orange Group
(carrots, mangos, apricots, cantaloupes, pumpkin, acorn squash, winter squash, sweet potatoes)
These contain alpha carotene, which protects against cancer. They also contain beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.

It protects the skin against free-radical damage and helps repair damaged DNA. Beta-carotene is also good for night vision. It's important to note that these beneficial nutrients can be received from other foods, too. For instance vitamin is found in dairy products and meat. But it's not as beneficial because you get high calories and fat along with it.

Orange/Yellow Group
(pineapple, orange juice, oranges, tangerines, peaches, papayas, nectarines)
These contain beta cryptothanxin, which helps cells in the body communicate and may help prevent heart disease. Also, an orange contains 170 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C. It's interesting to note that the skin of an orange is high in a protective fat that has been found to kill cancer cells in humans and animals, which highlights the fact that two-thirds of all drugs come from the plant world.

Red/Purple Group
(beets, eggplant, purple grapes, red wine, grape juice, prunes, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, red apples)
These are loaded with powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins believed to protect against heart disease by preventing blood clots. They may also delay the aging of cells in the body. There is some evidence they may help delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Green Group
(broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage or bok choi, kale)
These contain the chemicals sulforaphane and isocyanate and they also contain indoles, all of which help ward off cancer by inhibiting carcinogens. It's a fact that ten percent of the population - like George Bush Sr. - doesn't like broccoli. But it is important in diets because of the beneficial chemicals it contains.

White/Green Group
(leeks, scallions, garlic, onions, celery, pears, white wine, endive, chives)
The onion family contains allicin, which has antitumor properties. Other foods in this group contain antioxidant flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol.

Here is a link to this article to read more. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/07/19/earlyshow/health/main515724.shtml
It breaks down all the health benefits per color and really gets you started eating a Full Spectrum Diet.

When we eat many colors, we are getting all the mineral and vitamins as well as the full spectrum of color. The Sun being the oldest form of color therapy and it contains the all the colors in its rays, and the sun helps the plants mature and bear the fruit, we are also able to nourish ourselves with color energy for the mind, body and soul.

As Andrew Pacholyk states: Medical researchers continue to find elements in fruits and vegetables that strengthen our immune system, impede the development of degenerative disease like cancer and heart disease, and contribute to good health in many other ways.

From Natures Paint Box: RED


The Power of Red

Tart cherries contain powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins- which provide the distinctive red color and may hold the key to the benefits locked inside (chandra 1992, Wang 1997, 1999). Studies suggest that these disease-fighting pigments possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and anti-carcinogenic properties (Blando 2004). Tart cherries are one of the richest sources of anthocyanins.

Cherries are amazing little RED fruits that pack a punch! Just looking at the research coming through the pipes of the Internet, we read many of the health benefits that they have to offer, such as;

Cherries are one of the few known food sources of melatonin, a potent antioxidant produced naturally by the body's pineal gland that helps regulate biorhythm and natural sleep patterns. Scientists have found melatonin-rich tart cherries (commonly enjoyed as dried, frozen, juice or concentrate) contain more of this powerful antioxidant than what is normally produced by the body. Eating cherries can be a natural way to boost your body's melatonin levels to hasten sleep and ease jet lag.

According to Russel J. Reiter, PhD, a nutrition researcher at the University of Texas Health and Science Center and one of the worlds leading authorities on melatonin, try eating dried cherries one hour before desired sleep time on the plane. After arrival, consume cherries one hour before desired sleep each night for at least three consecutive evenings.

Michigan State University has been researching the benefits of cherries and they have found that they are known to reduce the pain of arthritis, gout and headaches. The anthocyanins and antioxidants in cherries are amazing. It may not be a cure - but it certainly does relieve pain. The red pigments in cherries contain natural anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are anti-inflammatory pain relievers 10 times stronger than aspirin or ibuprofen. They help shut down the enzymes that cause tissue inflammation in the first place.


Tart cherries have also been found to aid

kidney stones
gallbladder ailments
tooth decay
preventing varicose veins
reducing cholesterol
reducing the risk of heart attack
helping with sleep
reducing the risk of cancer
reducing inflammation
reducing headaches

There is also evidence that cherries are so powerful they may reduce the risk of cancer by fifty percent. "Preliminary research is showing they contain unique plant chemicals that can prevent and treat many of today's worst health problems," says University of Iowa biochemist Raymond Hohl, M.D., at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. "It appears that cherries shut down the growth of cancer cells by depriving them of the proteins they need to grow," explains Dr. Hohl.

Antioxidants found in Tart Cherries

The same chemicals that give tart cherries their color may relieve pain better than aspirin and ibuprofen. Cherries may provide antioxidant protection comparable to commercially available supplements, such as vitamin E and vitamin C.
Eating about 20 tart cherries per day could reduce inflammatory pain and benefit the consumer with antioxidant protection. Twenty tart cherries contain 12 to 25 milligrams of active antioxidant compounds Date posted: 2/1/1999. Source: American Chemical Society .

~Painting your Plate Red~
Choose a cherry muffin over a blueberry, add them to your tossed salad, for breakfast add them to your oatmeal or yogurt, they work wonderfully with rice or pasta dishes, I put them in my chicken salad (white chicken meat, celery, walnuts, and dried cherries! WOW), or eat them straight out of the bag (dried or fresh, it's your call here!)

Get out and get your cherries! There are easy ways to incorporate cherries into your diet, whether you drinking on the run (grab the 100% cherry juice), taking the supplement, or adding the berries to your food, it can't get easier and the benefits are numerous!

There is even a Cherry Festival
http://www.cherryfestival.org/cherries/health.php

And, for more great info and news on cherries check out http://www.choosecherries.com/
Top picture: http://www.idletype.com/index.php/image/bowlofcherries/

So, whether you are into Wild, Tart or Sweet cherries,get Inspi(red),
these little RED Fruits have a lot to offer!

Musing through Yellow


I knew banana's were good, were a complete food per Dr. Mindell, but there is more good news! They are also wonderful for High Blood Pressure, who knew? Loaded with a hefty dose of potassium, which is best known as a blood pressure regulator. Many cardiologists believe that High Blood Pressure is caused as much by low potassium as by high sodium. According to Eva Obarzanek of National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, "High Blood Pressure is not an inherent part of aging," aren't we all happy to hear this! Unfortunately, the western diet that consist of processed food, is stripped of the potassium that we need. Two hundred years ago, the average person consumed eight times more potassium than sodium. Today, that ratio is one to four in the opposite direction (accoding to The Color Code: A Revolutionary Eating Plan for Optimum Health). No wonder hypertension is practically a national epidemic. Get your Yellow ON! eat more banana's!

Combining Color and Scent, well, just makes a lot of sense. Considering how the Sun has all the colors in the rays which feed the plants, that we use to feed and heal ourselves, we are then getting our color through the plants as well. When using Aromatherapy with Color Therapy look to the essential oils of bergamot, Birch, Cardamom, Celery, Coriander, Cajeput, Citronella, Cumin, Lemon, Lemongrass, Marigold, Grapefruit, Basil, Fennel, Vetivert, Cinnamon, Camphor (yellow), Angelica, Aniseed, Caraway, Cedarwood, Ginger, Oregano, to name a few. To find out more on this subject, there is a great book by Suzy Chiazzari, Colour Scents.
For Chakra Therapy and Yellow, we would look to the Solar Plexus Chakra / Navel Chakra / Manipura /10-leaf-lotus. When looking here we find that this Chakra is associated with our sense of self-esteem and self-worth. It is also a place where we tend to feel strongly the emotion of fear and intimidation. It is the area that governs the pancreas, adrenals, liver and stomach. The Bija Mantra for the Solar Plexus is Ram (pronounced RUM).

Chakra Tonic: ~~Papaya Pineapple Smoothie~~

Papaya is the "acknowledged universal healer" in the INDONESIAN healing tonic tradition of Jamu. The enzyme papain seems to be able to digest almost anything. It is found in the juice of the fruit and is highly concentrated in the leaves of the plant. Pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain, which is also an appetite suppressant.
1/2 pineapple cut into small pieces
1 small papaya or 1/4 to 1/2 large papaya cut into small pieces
1 cup apple juice or 1 cup purified water

Bonus super ingredients; 1 teaspoon probiotic formula, or small vial of Siberian ginseng for adrenal support.

Place ingredients in a blender and puree at high speed. Serve and enjoy this tropical cleansing/digestive smoothie.

For this and other tonics grab the book, Chakra Tonics: Essential Elixirs for the Mind, Body, and Spirit, Elise Marie Collins


Yellow is used for the nerves and brain; is a motor stimulant and a nerve builder. It has a stimulating, cleansing and eliminating action on the Liver, Intestines, and the Skin. As well, it purifies the blood stream and activates the Lymphatic system. To the ancients, yellow was the animating color for life; it suggests joy, gaiety, merriment. It is the color of the intellect, of perception rather than reason. (Color Therapy, R.Ambers)

This is just the beginning of my Musings through Yellow...