Newsletter #3 April 2011
radiation - foods which cleanse
Don & I hope this newsletter finds you coping well with news of the tragedies in Japan. We send prayers and blessings to you and to everyone in this challenging time.
This month, we want to give you a list of foods which are known to cleanse radioactive substances & heavy metals from the body, along with the April schedule for our Thursday night classes & dinners (includes class: cooking with sea veggies to detox radiation & heavy metals) which we’ll be hosting at our home in Los Osos. After that, we’ve listed some descriptions & guidelines for each body type according to Ayurveda, which may help you further individualize your diet & lifestyle to maintain balance. Also, we’ve included a fantastic, sugar & gluten free breakfast/dessert recipe and linked to a radio show and column for people with celiac disease and others following the gluten-free diet.
We’ve been updating our CookWell blog (LINK) with our past newsletter content, recipes, links to info we like, and pictures of fantastic meals we’ve made together. Don’s website for life path counseling is: www.gingerbuddha.com (click on "sustenance training" to see our collaborative course outline). And my website for solo teaching in whole foods cooking is: www.cookwell.org. http://www.cookwell.org),Wheth
April Thursday Night Dinners & Specialty Classes We hope you can make it to our home in Los Osos one of these Thursdays, to eat some healing food & learn lots of new information. Our CookWell specialty classes will cover current health concerns / topics, and will include a discussion (bring notebook & pen if you’d like to take notes), a cooking demonstration, and then dinner around 7:15. Our goal is that you have a great time & that all of your questions around the slated topics are answered. And we’re now hosting our foundational CookWell classes (5 sessions total) on the last Thursday of the month, starting April 28th with session #1.
We look forward to getting to know you better, and you’re welcome to bring your own wine or beer to both classes and dinners. Please RSVP for directions: 528-8837 or courtney@cookwell.org
CLASS: cooking with sea veggies to detox radiation & heavy metals Thursday, April 21, 6-8PM cost for 1 hr class and dinner: $35 per person
We’ll discuss: how sea vegetables in the diet bind & cleanse toxins
how they work to balance us mentally/emotionally, restore yin fluids to our tissues, and give us beautiful skin and hair
recipes for each kind of sea vegetable and the specific ways each one benefits us
We’ll be serving: black & adzuki beans with kale, carrot, and kombu & dulse sea vegetables
the best chicken tacos on the planet (yellow curry, rosemary, garlic, fennel & arugula)
green salad with extra virgin olive oil & lemon juice
coconut almond amaranth cookies (sugar AND gluten free!)
CLASS: CookWell session #1 Thursday, April 28, 6-8PM cost for 2 hr class and dinner: $35 per person
We’ll discuss: your goals in incorporating wholefoods, the basics of macrobiotic theory, neutralizing phytic acid in grains by sprouting or culturing, the nightshade veggies, oxalic acid & sulfur veggies, food-based vitamin/mineral supplements, better digestibility of beans, the CookWell list of wholefoods preparation staples for your kitchen and the best cooking oils, the importance of drinking enough re-mineralized water daily, and blood type diet & lifestyle basics Then, together we’ll prepare:
beautiful pot of adzuki beans with cayenne, sage and rosemary
sprouted then simmered whole grain millet & amaranth to incorporate with the beans
ghee to use as a stable cooking oil
dark leafy greens & seasonal veggie stir-steam
sweet carrot salad
sprouted then simmered whole grain millet & amaranth to incorporate with the beans
ghee to use as a stable cooking oil
dark leafy greens & seasonal veggie stir-steam
sweet carrot salad
list of whole foods preparation staples
list of natural food stores in SLO county and recommended reading list
blood type basics
fantastic recipes #1
April Newsletter topic:
Foods known to cleanse radioactive substances & heavy metals Many prayers to our brothers and sister in Japan.
May our Hearts Be United as One in Healing.
Here on the west coast we’ve been subject to lots of information and miss-information about how to best cope with elevated levels of radiation in our atmosphere as a result of fallout from the Nuclear disasters in Japan. Shelves in the health food stores have been cleared of anything seaweed related. Taking Potassium Iodide tablets can do more harm than good. Not to mention the fact that potassium iodide may protect only the thyroid gland, leaving all other areas of the body vulnerable to radiation, and that there are considerable health risks in taking elevated levels of iodine. The fact is that in our modern world we are coping with levels of differing types of radiation on a daily basis, be it from our own power plants, wi-fi, cell phone relay towers, computers, etc...Craig Lane of Health Alkemy has recently addressed this issue in a recent news letter titled "Radiation: The Hype and Common Sense". We took particular interest in the portion of his news letter that focused on which foods can be beneficial to us in cleansing various types of radiation from our bodies.
What we all need to understand is that, ultimately, whole foods are beneficial to us at this time as well. Below is a list of foods that might lead you to discover that you have been doing many of the right things already, just by eating a quality and well-rounded Whole Foods Diet.Foods known to cleanse radioactive substances & heavy metals:
Foods high in Iodine: kelp & dulse seaweeds are the best
Foods rich in vitamin P (bioflavanoids): Citrus Pulp, Bilberry & Blueberry
Foods rich in vitamin A: Sweet potato, Fish-liver oils, Butter, Dark green vegetables, Beef liver, Yellow & orange veggies, Carrots, Egg Yolk, Dandelion Greens/Root, Berries, Apricots, Spirulina, Chlorella, Blue green algae, Chilies
Foods rich in vitamin D: Fish liver oil, Butter, Eggs, Liver, Milk, Saltwater fish
Foods rich in vitamin E: Wheat germ, Wheat germ oil, Leafy green vegetables, Avocado, Nuts, Legumes, Raw vegetable oils, Sweet potato, Whole-grain products, Asparagus
Foods high in minerals : Dark Leafy Greens, Beets, etc.
Chlorella
Cilantro
Miso (good quality stuff from South River Miso or Miso Master)
Garlic
Eleuthero ginseng
Bentonite Clays if radiation exposure cannot be avoided (do not take by itself, always mix in later and add at least psyllium to it)
Raw greens & Sprouts
Reishi and Shiitake mushrooms
Burdock root
Raw beets
Celery root
Milk thistle, Dandelion or Artichoke Leaf
And Herbs specific for your constitution: schisandra berry, turmeric, aloe vera and triphala
Ayurvedic Body Types Basics
To eat in balance with our body type and the seasons is a wonderful way to align ourselves with nature and with our own changing needs throughout the year. In general, in winter eat more foods which balance Vata, in summer eat more foods which balance Pitta, and in spring eat more foods which balance Kapha. Excellent books for in-depth information are The Ayurvedic Cookbook and Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners by Amadea Morningstar.For more general principles regarding Ayurvedic diet and private consultations with my dear friend and Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist, Holly Padove visit: www.balancedlivingayurveda.com or email: hpadove@hotmail.comlist of natural food stores in SLO county and recommended reading list
blood type basics
fantastic recipes #1
April Newsletter topic:
Foods known to cleanse radioactive substances & heavy metals Many prayers to our brothers and sister in Japan.
May our Hearts Be United as One in Healing.
Here on the west coast we’ve been subject to lots of information and miss-information about how to best cope with elevated levels of radiation in our atmosphere as a result of fallout from the Nuclear disasters in Japan. Shelves in the health food stores have been cleared of anything seaweed related. Taking Potassium Iodide tablets can do more harm than good. Not to mention the fact that potassium iodide may protect only the thyroid gland, leaving all other areas of the body vulnerable to radiation, and that there are considerable health risks in taking elevated levels of iodine. The fact is that in our modern world we are coping with levels of differing types of radiation on a daily basis, be it from our own power plants, wi-fi, cell phone relay towers, computers, etc...Craig Lane of Health Alkemy has recently addressed this issue in a recent news letter titled "Radiation: The Hype and Common Sense". We took particular interest in the portion of his news letter that focused on which foods can be beneficial to us in cleansing various types of radiation from our bodies.
What we all need to understand is that, ultimately, whole foods are beneficial to us at this time as well. Below is a list of foods that might lead you to discover that you have been doing many of the right things already, just by eating a quality and well-rounded Whole Foods Diet.Foods known to cleanse radioactive substances & heavy metals:
Foods high in Iodine: kelp & dulse seaweeds are the best
Foods rich in vitamin P (bioflavanoids): Citrus Pulp, Bilberry & Blueberry
Foods rich in vitamin A: Sweet potato, Fish-liver oils, Butter, Dark green vegetables, Beef liver, Yellow & orange veggies, Carrots, Egg Yolk, Dandelion Greens/Root, Berries, Apricots, Spirulina, Chlorella, Blue green algae, Chilies
Foods rich in vitamin D: Fish liver oil, Butter, Eggs, Liver, Milk, Saltwater fish
Foods rich in vitamin E: Wheat germ, Wheat germ oil, Leafy green vegetables, Avocado, Nuts, Legumes, Raw vegetable oils, Sweet potato, Whole-grain products, Asparagus
Foods high in minerals : Dark Leafy Greens, Beets, etc.
Chlorella
Cilantro
Miso (good quality stuff from South River Miso or Miso Master)
Garlic
Eleuthero ginseng
Bentonite Clays if radiation exposure cannot be avoided (do not take by itself, always mix in later and add at least psyllium to it)
Raw greens & Sprouts
Reishi and Shiitake mushrooms
Burdock root
Raw beets
Celery root
Milk thistle, Dandelion or Artichoke Leaf
And Herbs specific for your constitution: schisandra berry, turmeric, aloe vera and triphala
Ayurvedic Body Types Basics
Vata: usually thin with slight frame, long features, mentally quick, bright, creative, flexible, inspiring. When out of balance tends to be cold with cold hands and feet, dry skin, constipated, gassy. Challenged by worry, fear & anxiety, and overwhelmed by stress. To bring back to balance needs warming, moistening foods (, squash, rice pudding, plenty of ghee/sesame oil, and may need more building, grounding foods such as eggs and meat), and the flavors sweet (whole grains, root vegetables, maple syrup, raw honey, etc), sour (yogurt, kefir, citrus), salty (whole sea salt), and mildly pungent (warming spices such as medium curries, ginger, fennel, garlic). Vata balancing spice combo (for pots of lentils, stir-frys, etc. ~ simmer ground spices 5-7 minutes):4 parts fennel, 3 cumin, 2 cardamom, 1 coriander, 1 ginger. Pitta: medium build with ample musculature, deep set eyes, rosy complexion, moles and freckles, good memory, intelligence, and an analytical mind. When out of balance tends to be too warm and dislikes humidity, has loose stools, heartburn, sweats profusely, has itchiness, rashes and acne. Challenged by anger, jealousy, resentment, and control issues. To bring back to balance needs cooling, soothing, drying foods (salads and dark leafy greens), cooling herbs (cucumber, cilantro, dill), and the flavors sweet (whole grains, root vegetables, maple syrup, raw honey, etc.), bitter (kale, collards, dandelion greens), and astringent (pomegranates, persimmons, blackberries). Pitta balancing spice combo (for pots of lentils, stir-frys, etc. ~ simmer ground spices 5-7 minutes): 4 parts fennel, 2 cumin, 1 cardamom, 2 coriander, 1 ginger.
Kapha: large frame with round face and features, lush hair, lustrous skin and eyes, pale complexion, mentally methodical and a deep sleeper. When out of balance tends to be cool, moist and clammy, has sluggish elimination, phlegm, and fatigue after meals. Challenged by sadness, lethargy and attachment. To bring back to balance needs warming, drying and lighter foods (salads, whole grain millet, teff and quinoa, light on the fats/oils, etc.), and the flavors bitter (kale, collards, dandelion greens), astringent (pomegranates, persimmons, blackberries), and pungent(hot spices such as hot curries, cayenne, etc.). Kapha balancing spice combo (for pots of lentils, stir-frys, etc. ~ simmer ground spices 5-7 minutes): 2 parts fennel, 2 cumin, 1 cardamom, 1 coriander, 3 ginger, (½ cinnamon, black pepper or cayenne optional).
April Recipe
Fantastic, Low Glycemic Breakfast Or Dessert: In a small saucepan over low heat add 1 cup water and 2 cups any leftover grain (brown rice, quinoa or millet are great!) and stir. Add any fat & flavoring you’d like. Maybe...1 Tbsp coconut oil or butter or ghee, 1 cup fresh or from frozen berries of choice (or any low glycemic fruit: tart green apples, apricots, cherries, kiwi, peach, plum, or papya), juice from ½ a ripe lemon, 1/4 tsp whole sea salt, and 1/16 tsp stevia powder or 3-6 drops Nu Naturals brand liquid stevia. Another great flavor possibility is: 2 -3 Tbsp carob powder, ½ cup dried coconut, ½ tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 tsp whole sea salt, and 1 Tbsp grade B maple syrup or 1 tsp raw honey (honey is refined by bees and is therefore pretty high glycemic, so just use a little bit). Stir until mixed well & enjoy warm topped with more coconut, fresh pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts or almonds.
Wheat / Gluten intolerant?
Local health and fitness expert and entrepreneur Jeanne "Bean" Murdock, owner of BEANFIT HEALTH AND FITNESS SERVICES in Paso Robles, just launched the first health and fitness radio show and column for people with celiac disease and others following the gluten-free diet. Celiac Radio and "Ask Bean" will run biweekly and weekly, respectively, covering all aspects of wellness for everyone to learn. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder marked by a sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Jeanne was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1995—just three years after starting her business—and has been consulting on the condition and the diet ever since. Visit www.beanfit.com to listen, read, and to ask Bean . . . for free. Contact Jeanne for more information: 805-226-9893, info@beanfit.com.
As always, Don and I welcome any questions you may have via phone or email. For more information on the ancient whole foods philosophies we teach about, see the "about the food" page of my website www.cookwell.org.
We hope to see you sometime soon. Maybe on a Thursday night to share lots of learning, laughter and incredible food.
Namaste ~
Courtney & Don
Fantastic, Low Glycemic Breakfast Or Dessert: In a small saucepan over low heat add 1 cup water and 2 cups any leftover grain (brown rice, quinoa or millet are great!) and stir. Add any fat & flavoring you’d like. Maybe...1 Tbsp coconut oil or butter or ghee, 1 cup fresh or from frozen berries of choice (or any low glycemic fruit: tart green apples, apricots, cherries, kiwi, peach, plum, or papya), juice from ½ a ripe lemon, 1/4 tsp whole sea salt, and 1/16 tsp stevia powder or 3-6 drops Nu Naturals brand liquid stevia. Another great flavor possibility is: 2 -3 Tbsp carob powder, ½ cup dried coconut, ½ tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 tsp whole sea salt, and 1 Tbsp grade B maple syrup or 1 tsp raw honey (honey is refined by bees and is therefore pretty high glycemic, so just use a little bit). Stir until mixed well & enjoy warm topped with more coconut, fresh pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts or almonds.
Wheat / Gluten intolerant?
Local health and fitness expert and entrepreneur Jeanne "Bean" Murdock, owner of BEANFIT HEALTH AND FITNESS SERVICES in Paso Robles, just launched the first health and fitness radio show and column for people with celiac disease and others following the gluten-free diet. Celiac Radio and "Ask Bean" will run biweekly and weekly, respectively, covering all aspects of wellness for everyone to learn. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder marked by a sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Jeanne was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1995—just three years after starting her business—and has been consulting on the condition and the diet ever since. Visit www.beanfit.com to listen, read, and to ask Bean . . . for free. Contact Jeanne for more information: 805-226-9893, info@beanfit.com.
As always, Don and I welcome any questions you may have via phone or email. For more information on the ancient whole foods philosophies we teach about, see the "about the food" page of my website www.cookwell.org.
We hope to see you sometime soon. Maybe on a Thursday night to share lots of learning, laughter and incredible food.
Namaste ~
Courtney & Don
