Hold the Mayo/Salad Dressing, Pass the Vegenaise please!

You may have noticed in the Summer Black-eyed pea Salad recipe that I posted earlier, I used Vegenaise versus traditional mayonnaise or salad dressing. The original version of Vegenaise is made with Canola Oil. However, I used the Grapeseed Oil version. Science is showing healthier benefits with grape seed oil, which offers health benefits that include improving the look of your skin and lowering cholesterol levels. Your list of nutritious alternative to many other types of oils should include grapeseed oil.

We should all be looking to maintain high levels of antioxidant intake which boost our immune system and helps prevent our cells from becoming cancerous. Grapeseed if loaded with antioxidants, with no cholesterol and no sodium, but it's the light, nutty taste that brings out the flavor in foods. Just think - grape seed oil for the hair, grape seed oil for mosquitoes, and the list goes on...... Read more: Grape Seed Oil Benefits eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5418066_grape-seed-oil-benefits.html#ixzz1T9zchw2V

A carnivore friend of mine told me that it tasted like mayo to him. Hmm....Go ahead to your local health food store and buy a small jar. If they don't have it, ask them to get it - they are there for you ;~) Try it and tell me what you think.

Yours in health,

Dr. Velonda

Looking forward to meeting new friends in Washington, D.C. Sept 3rd. Join me at the Agape Faith Ministries' 10th Annual Back to School Community Festival. We'll be tasting smoothies, doing the Cupid Shuffle, Winning hula hoops, giving away school backpacks........... For more info Contact Minister Tamara Smalls at 202-903-5696



Summer Blackeye Pea Salad

I recently met Rose Parker, Macrobiotic Counselor at the Art & Health Fair presented by the Wellness Plan in Midtown Detroit, Michigan (7/23). Our vendor tables were side by side at the event. The following recipe is adapted from the salad she was sampling and demonstrating how easy it is to prepare. Yum, yum...please enjoy, share with friends and tell me what you liked most about the recipe:

Summer Black-eyed Pea Salad

1/2 Red onion, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled & chopped

2 medium garlic gloves, chopped

2 medium celery stalks, chopped

1/2 Red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 Orange bell pepper, chopped

1/2 Green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup Blackeye peas, soaked, cooked to tender and drained

1/3 Hulled barley, washed, cooked to tender and drained

2 tablespoons Vegennaise

Herbamare to taste

Allspice to taste (or Braggs Sprinkle)

Cayenne pepper to taste

Mix together all the above ingredients. Chill and serve on red leaf lettuce with sesame seed crackers or pumpernickel bread!

Yours in health,

Dr. Velonda

Salt Overload

Salt is an essential component of our body's fluids. Salt provides the body with sodium which our body needs to help transmit nerve impulses, help muscles contract/relax and assist the body in maintaining the right balance of fluids. However, too much salt results in too much sodium which in turn can lead to a host of health problems. Too much sodium in the diet is a risk factor that contributes to high blood pressure, which significantly increases the risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke. How much is too much? "The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day — or 1,500 mg if you're age 51 or older, or if you are black, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284 ).  Researchers and medical professionals alike agree that high blood pressure is a major cause of strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, and kidney disease.

Two important steps to "shaking" the salt habit is to omit salt from your table and replace salt in your cooking with different seasonings such as pepper, lemon, thyme, basil and other herbs. Need more tips for reducing salt in your diet? Visit http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/tips-for-reducing-salt-in-your-diet

Yours in health!

 http://www.befitinc.com

No more canola

I recently recieved an email from NaturalNews.com which reminded me of why I stop using canola oil sometime ago.

You'll want to view this article and video revealing how canola oil is the No. 1 ingredient in a pesticide product that kills bugs. It's 96% canola oil! Here's the article:
http://www.naturalnews.com/032853_canola_oil_pesticides.html

And here's a short video which also reveals how soybean oil is used in pesticides:
http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=AEE77E1636E97778AB05E6F31D6B1C27

Grapeseed oil and sunflower oil are great replacements!

An Avocado a Day...

You may have been told that avocado is a vegetable that is too high in fat.

While it is true that avocado is a high-fat food, several components of it's fat contain research proven health benefits. Three components deserve celebration - phytosterols, PFAs and oleic acid:

• Phytosterols help keep inflammation under control. The anti-inflammatory benefits of  avocado fats as it relates to problems involving arthritis are well-documented.
• Polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs) provides anti-inflammatory benefits.
• Oleic acid is a fatty acid in avocado helps our that increases our absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like carotenoids (think antioxidants).
• Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid that has also been shown to help lower our risk of heart disease.

Avocados are high in dietary fiber, potassium and vitamin K. Avocados are one of the "World's Healthiest Foods"  visit http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5

Avocado key lime crunch

FILLING
5 ripe avocados
1/2 cup agave nectar
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoon vanilla
4 to 6 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Combine avocados, agave, lime juice and vanilla in a blender or food processor, blend until creamy. Continue to blend as you pour in coconut oil. Let filling chill for a bit as the coconut oil will solidify and help the filling to be a little thicker.

Hazelnut and pecan crunch
1/2 cup of filberts (hazelnuts), finely ground
1/2 cup of pecans, finely chopped
Combine ground and chopped nuts

Spoon crunch into small serving bowls, top with filling and serve

Obama Administration promote wellness

June is the nation’s first-ever Prevention and Wellness Month thanks to the Obama administration.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently shared the following comment on preventive health care: “There's nothing more important than health. It's what allows us to do our jobs, spend time with friends, and watch our children grow old." I've always said that it is easier to keep our bodies from breaking than it is to fix once broken. Prevention, Prevention, Prevention!!

We know that children learn what they live and healthy children are better students.If you need some help getting the little ones excited about healthy eating visit  http://www.superhealthykids.com

You can enjoy a health sizzling summer if you Eat light, don't eat late and hydrate. 

Eat light: This is a great time of year for smoothies and salads galore. There many recipes that are light but packed with lots of nutritious energy.(Easy smoothie: Blend together 3 handfuls of spinach, 2 pears, 1 apple, 3 cups of alkaline water, 2 tablespoon flax seed.)

Don't eat late: Follow the Eat Right-Sunlight Theory(TM), which simply instructs us to follow the sun. As the sun's energy level decreases with sunset, the rate of the human metabolic process slows down. Excessive calories consumed after sunset most likely will be stored as fat.

Hydrate: We can go days without food but not water and warm weather increases our bodies water requirement. Remember your bones are 13% water and every system in your body uses water! Skip the bottle water and reach for alkaline water. your cells will love you for it. To learn more about KAGEN Alkaline water visit http://www.7kangenwaters.com 

Yours in health,
Dr. V

Processed foods and GMOs

Did you know that 75% of processed foods contain genetically modified organisms? How is that possible, you ask? Most processed food contain some form soy, corn or canola oil which top the list of GMO crops. Going vegetarian is a great way to minimize this concern because currently most fruit, vegetables, grains and beans are not genetically modified (except some potatoes, squash and papaya).
More on avoiding GMOs >>>>
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/blog/advice/how-to-avoid-gmos-in-your-food

Would you be surprised to know that the GMOs that have been introduced into our food supply since the mid-1990s are found in 60-70% of the foods in the US? There are many reports indicate that GM foods have never been adequately tested and have never been shown to be safe for human consumption. Check out this article which explains why GMOs are extremely dangerous- http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/campaign-healthier-eating.php

This is the best time of year for plant based eating! Farmers Market, here we come ;~)

Yours in health,
Dr. Velonda