2 Ways To Spice Up Your Green Tea

I like the taste of green tea. But I love the taste of green tea with herbal spice.

Green tea is the least processed version of tea. Because it is not processed very much, it provides the most amount of EGCG, which is the antioxidant responsible for most of the health benefits of green tea.

Even though I like the taste of green tea, I especially enjoy the taste of green tea blended with two of my most favorite herbal spices, mint and rosemary.

Mint Green Tea

Whether it be peppermint or spearmint, my favorite, mint gives tea a fresh and vibrant taste. It also adds some vitamins A and C along with manganese to your drink.

Fresh mint is easy to grow. Actually, it may be too easy to grow. It can overtake a garden bed. I prefer to grow my mint in a small container. Either way, your favorite type of mint will provide you with fresh leaves most of the year.

Ingredients for 1 Serving

• 1 green tea bag
• 1 sprig of fresh mint
• 1 cup of water
• Sweeten to taste

Recipe

1. Put tea bag and mint in a cup
2. Pour hot water into the cup
3. Let it steep for 2 to 3 minutes
4. Remove the tea bag. 
5. You can either remove the mint sprig or leave it in the cup. You can also remove the steeped sprig, and replace it with a fresh sprig for an attractive presentation.
6. Enjoy a great tasting tea.

Rosemary Green Tea

I just love the smell and taste of fresh rosemary.

So far, I have had good success in growing rosemary in Zone 6 of Southeastern Ohio. The plant in a sunny, garden location will provide you with plenty of sprigs during the warm months.

Some studies have shown that rosemary may be useful in improving your immune system, increasing your blood circulation and improving digestion.

Ingredients for 1 Serving

• 1 green tea bag
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 cup of water
• Sweeten to taste

Recipe

1. Steep rosemary sprig in hot water for 5 minutes or longer
2. Place tea bag and sweetener in cup
3. Pout rosemary steeped water into cup and steep for 2 to 3 minutes
4. Remove tea bag
5. You can place a fresh rosemary sprig in cup for presentation
6. Enjoy this spring fresh tasting tea.

Charles A. Pennison

References:

Whole Foods: " Green Tea "
Whole Foods: " Rosemary "
Whole Foods: " Peppermint "

Healthy Benefits of Chia Seeds

If you are looking for a food with the equivalent health benefits of flax seeds but doesn't require grinding, Chia Seeds are your salvation.


What Are Chia Seeds?

Chia seeds come from a desert plant that grows in Southern Mexico called Salvia hispanica.

Both the Aztecs and Mayans regularly consumed these seeds due to their ability to sustain energy and stamina over long periods of time. This is one of the reasons why these seeds were a big hit with the warriors of these tribes.

Chia Seeds Nutrition - Omega 3 Fatty Acids

These seeds have 3 times the amount of omega-3 fatty acids as omega-6 fatty acids. Compared to the same amount of flax seed, chia seeds have 77% the amount of omega-3 fatty acids.

However, you have to grind flax seeds to absorb its omega-3 fatty acids. Chia seeds do not have to be ground. You can eat them as is to absorb their full nutritional value.

Chia Seeds Nutrition - Fiber

The American Heart Association recommends that we get 25 to 30 grams per day of fiber from foods. Just one serving a day, three tablespoons, of these seeds delivers 37 to 44% of the recommended amount of fiber.

Chia Seeds Nutrition - Calcium

One servings of these seeds, or three tablespoons, gives you 177 mg of calcium, which is 14 to 18% of the daily recommended requirements, depending on your age.

Chia Seeds Nutrition - Protein

One serving or three tablespoons delivers 4.4 grams of protein, which is 9% of your daily requirements.

How To Eat Chia Seeds

1. These tasty seeds can be sprinkled on salads or cereals.
2. You can make a fruity pudding by adding 3 tablespoons of these seeds to one cup of any fruit juice of your choice. Let the mixture set for 15 to 30 minutes to form a pudding texture.
3. Add 3 tablespoons to your favorite yogurt.
4. You can grind them and add the ground seeds to your favorite muffin, cake, pancake, or any baked goods recipe.
5. Make a "Chia Fresca" by adding 3 tablespoons lemon juice to a cup of chilled water and sweeten to your preferred taste. Then add 1 teaspoon of chia seeds to the water-lemon mixture. Let the seeds soak up the water for 10 minutes, and then serve.

Eating these delicious chia seeds will add healthy omega-3 fats, calcium, protein and fiber to your diet. What a great way to enhance your health and fitness.

Charles

References:

American Heart Association - Fiber
Nutrition Data - Chia Seeds
Nutrition Data - Flax Seeds
Convert To - Chia Seeds
The Dr. Oz Show - Chia: Ancient Super-Seed Secret
Dr. Weil - What is Chia?
About.com - Chia Fresca

How To Make Cauliflower Rice To Reduce Your Carbs

Do you need to reduce your carb intake, while at the same time have a nutritional and filling meal? This Cauliflower Rice Recipe may be for you.

We do need some carbs for energy, but too much carbs can make you gain unwanted weight, and increase your LDL number. I'm currently finding ways to reduce my carbohydrate intake to help reduce my serum LDL.

One of the things that I found in my search for ways to reduce my carbs is Cauliflower Rice as a rice substitute.

Having been raised in New Orleans, one of my favorite meals is Beans 'n Rice. However, even nutritional brown rice has a relatively high glycemic load of 22. In contrast, raw cauliflower has a glycemic load of just 2.

However, I didn't want to completely give up eating brown rice, so I replace just half the rice with cauliflower rice to reduce my carbohydrate consumption with the expectation of lowering my LDL number.

Cauliflower Rice Recipe

First, this is how you make Cauliflower Rice:

Ingredients

1 cauliflower head
1/4 tsp salt or lite salt - or salt to taste

Cut the cauliflower small enough to fit into your food processor feeding tube. Using the grating disc of your food processor, cut the cauliflower into pieces the size of rice grains. You can cut the cauliflower by hand if you do not have a food processor, but the food processor is easier.

Put the grated cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl with a glass lid. I use a microwave safe casserole dish with a glass lid. Toss the cauliflower with salt to taste. DO NOT ADD WATER!

Cover the dish and place it in the microwave. Microwave the cauliflower on high for 6 minutes. Be careful when you remove the lid off the hot cauliflower, since hot steam will come out. After fluffing with a fork, it is ready to eat.

I mix about 2 cups of the cooked cauliflower rice with 1/4 cups of raw brown rice. This is how I prepare the brown rice for the mixture:

Brown Rice Recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup raw brown rice
6 chopped crimini mushrooms
1 chopped bell pepper
1 tsp chili powder
Dash ground red pepper (Cayenne)
1/4 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 tsp salt or lite salt - or salt to taste
1/2 cup water

Place all ingredients in a covered pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. If there is still a lot of water in the pot after 30 minutes, uncover and boil down some of the water.

I then mix 2 cups of cauliflower rice with the cooked brown rice. I then cover the rice mixture with cooked black beans, or you can use any bean of your choice. The extra cauliflower rice can be frozen for future use.

This is how I still enjoy my favorite dish of beans with cauliflower and brown rice. I still have an enjoyable and nutritional dish with a lower glycemic load to help improve my overall health and fitness.

Charles

A Component of Turmeric Spice May Help Slow Prostate Tumor Growth

Drink turmeric tea and spice up your dinner with turmeric and help protect your prostate from cancerous tumors.

The research team from Kimmel Cancer Center is reporting that a component of the spice turmeric, which is called curcumin, may help slow prostate tumor growth. In particular, the team is reporting that

"Curcumin, an active component of the Indian curry spice turmeric, may help slow down tumor growth in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)."

Turmeric is the spice that turns yellow mustard yellow, and is used in most curry blends.

This is further evidence that turmeric spice may be beneficial in preventing and treating some cancers such as prostate, breast, skin and colon cancer.

The Home Cooking website has some great turmeric recipes and suggestions.

Here is a great Turmeric Tea Recipe:

Here is how to make 1 serving of Turmeric Tea:

• Bring 1 cup of water to boil
• Add ¼ teaspoon of ground turmeric and ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger to boiling water
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes
• Strain the tea (optional). I personally don't strain my tea.
• Add honey and/or lemon to taste (optional). To reduce calories, use Stevia to sweeten the tea rather than honey.
• To smooth the taste, you can add just a drop of vanilla extract to the tea.

Enjoy the unique taste of Turmeric Tea. Drink it frequently, and improve your health and fitness. Live long and prosper!

Turmeic - University of Maryland

Charles

My Sardines Recipe

When I was younger, I couldn't understand how my dad could eat sardines. I just couldn't stomach those little critters. But now that I am older, I have developed a taste for these little and nutritional fish.

This is how I eat them.

Sardines Recipe

1 3.75 oz can King Oscar Brisling Sardines Mediterranean Style
1 Town House Italian Herb Flatbread Crisps for each sardine
Mustard - your choice of the type of mustard

I place 1 sardine on a flatbread crisp and top with a dash of mustard. I do this for each sardine in the can. That's it. I eat each sardine crisp one at a time and savor the flavor. I find that these sardines are actually fairly mild. However, it may also be that since I'm older now, my tasting ability may have subdued. But I like this nutritional snack.

Sardines Nutrition

According to Whole Foods, this snack will give you your daily requirements of vitamins B12 and D. In addition, you also get:

• 87% of Omega-3 fatty acids
• 78% of tryptophan
• 45% of excellent quality protein
• 30% of phosphorus
• 20% of vitamin B3
• and 17% of vitamin B2

The back of the can also states that you get

• 20% of your calcium needs
• 8% vitamin A
• and 4% of iron

Sardines are also very low in mercury, and they are not an endangered species. Since the larger fish like tuna are being over fished, the herring (sardine) population is actually increasing in the ocean.

Charles

My Yeast Pancakes Recipe

I started making yeast pancakes in an effort to reduce my sodium consumption while still enjoying my most favorite breakfast dish, which is pancakes. Sodium is reduced by eliminating the baking powder and soda from the recipe.

I use a one-half buckwheat flour and one-half whole wheat flour mixture for my batter. However, you can use either all whole wheat or an all-purpose flour for this recipe. Using yeast also gives the pancakes a sour dough type of taste. I usually sweeten the batter with Stevia, but you can use sugar, maple syrup or honey, or use no sweetener at all to get the full sour dough type of taste in your pancakes.

I started using buckwheat flour because buckwheat is a good source of selenium. It also contains all eight essential amino acids. Additional nutritional on buckwheat can be found at the Whole Foods web site titled "Buckwheat."

Ground Flax Seed is a good source of plant based omega-3 essential fatty acids, lignans and fiber.

This recipe makes two large pancakes or three to four small pancakes.

Ingredients

1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon light salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 teaspoons Stevia (optional) - or other sweetener to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil or other vegetable oil
1 tablespoon "No Sugar Added" apple sauce
1/4 chopped banana - remainder of banana will be pancake topping
1 teaspoon dry yeast
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Place milk in blender and blend at medium to high speed. Add egg and blend until mixture is a little frothy. Pour frothy milk and egg mixture in a microwave bowl and heat on high for 40 seconds. Pour heated mixture back into blender and start blending on medium.

Add yeast to milk and egg mixture while blending. Add the cinnamon, salt, vanilla, Stevia, oil, apple sauce and banana into blender and blend. When well mixed, add the flours and ground flax seed and blend until batter is smooth and well blender.

Pour pancake batter into a bowl and let sit for about 30-minutes. I usually let the mixture sit in the oven covered with a cloth. After 30 minutes, the mixture is ready. The batter typically thickens. You can add a little more milk to help it pour better onto the frying pan or grill.

Make the pancakes like you normally do. You will find that this batter browns quickly. So turn the pancake as soon as you can get the spatula under it.

I top my yeast pancakes with the remainder of the chopped banana and a handful of raisins. You will be surprised at how fluffy this recipe makes the pancakes.

Enjoy.

Charles

Health Benefits Of Curcumin From The Spice Turmeric

Turmeric is that peppery, yellow spice that is used in curry. It is also the spice that makes bright yellow mustard , well, bright yellow. It is so good at making things yellow that it is used as a textile dye.

A lot of research has been conducted over the past 20 to 30 years studying the health benefits of one of turmeric's active ingredients called curcumin. A great overview of the health benefits of turmeric and curcumin can be found at Whole Foods. In summary, turmeric and curcumin are found to be

• A potent and safe anti-inflammatory
• An effective Treatment for inflammatory bowel disease
• Relief for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• A benefit to Cystic Fibrosis sufferers
• Inhibits Cancer Cell Growth
• May help prevent Colon Cancer in combination with onions
• Helps prevent prostate cancer in combination with cauliflower
• Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia
• Improves liver function
• Provides cardiovascular protection
• Lowers cholesterol
• May provide protection against Alzheimer's Disease

Turmeric can be added to salads and vegetables to provide a tasty and peppery flavor. I like drinking turmeric tea in the morning, and it is easy to make. For 1 serving,

• Bring to boil 1 cup of water
• Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground turmeric to the water and simmer for about 10 minutes
• I don't strain the tea, but some may prefer to strain out the remaining particulates.
• Add honey to taste and enjoy.

You can also add ginger for an added zing to the tea if you prefer.

Here are some recent research articles regarding curcumin:

• Curcumin And Multiple Myeloma
• Curcumin Nanoparticles 'Open Up' Resistant Cancers
• Curcumin News and Research
• Curcumin Research
• Curcumin Selected Research
• Indena Curcumin Complex Shows Eye Therapy Potential
• Dietary Curcumin Increases Antioxidant Defenses In Lung

Remember that diet in combination with a regular exercise program is the best way to a healthier life. For illustrated examples of exercise techniques, click Exercise-To-A-Healthier-Life.com .

Also sponsored by Tshirt Art Designs .

Charles

Barley For Breakfast

Oatmeal gets most of the attention concerning a nutritious breakfast. However, many do not realize that barley may be a better choice.

40 grams of dry oatmeal gets you about 4 grams of dietary fiber, while the same amount of dry hulled barley gets you a whopping 7.5 grams of dietary fiber.

Barley is also an excellent source of selenium, which is a powerful cancer fighter. Selenium also helps prevent heart disease.

Barley is also an excellent source of copper. Copper

• helps your body absorb and use iron to synthesize hemoglobin
• helps to maintain the integrity of myelin - the covering of nerve cells
• is needed for the maturation of collagen
• is needed for the formation of elastin and bone development
• is used in a number of enzymes required for energy production.

The various forms of barley are

• Hulled Barley - This form is truly a whole grain and the most nutritious form of barley. Only the outermost hull of the grain is removed. This form also required soaking and more cooking time.
• Pearl Barley - The outermost hull is polished off, and the grain's bran layer and perhaps some of the inner endosperm layer may be removed during processing. This makes this form less nutritious than the hulled form.
• Barley Flakes - the grain is flattened and sliced, and appears similar to rolled oats. The nutrition content can vary depending on how it is process and whether it is made from hulled or pearl barley.

Hulled barley should be cooked for about 90 minutes, while pearl barley requires about 1 hour of cooking. What I usually do is place the barley in boiling water, and then turn off the heat and cover. I let the barley soak in the hot water overnight. The next morning, I cook the soaked barley for about 20 to 30 minutes and serve hot.

For one serving, use 1/4 cups of dry hulled barley. Soak in 1 to 1 1/4 cups of boiling water overnight - turn off heat and cover for overnight soaking. The next morning, cook for an additional 20 to 30 minutes. Add salt to taste. I also add 1/4 teaspoons of cinnamon, and a drop of vanilla. I then add the cooked barley to 1 chopped banana, 1/4 cups of raisins and 1/4 cups of chopped walnuts in a cereal bowl.

Barley is more chewier than oatmeal. However, I enjoy the taste, and it gives me a hearty and nutritious breakfast.

For more information on Barley see http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=127

For oatmeal information and recipes see http://www.exercise-to-a-healthier-life.com/free-recipes-oatmeal.html

Charles

Dr. Andrew Weil's Squah Soup Recipe

Exercise-To-A-Healthier-Life.com

Dr. Andrew Weil's Stress-Free Squah Soup Recipe

Full list of Dr. Weil's Recipes

Enjoy

Charles