All those Zucch's!!

I do love zucchini, but each year, why do I plant more than one zucchini plant?

 

I have used zucchini many ways; in soups, stir fry’s, raw with Hummus, grilled, pickled, and of course that yummy zucchini bread.

Even though Zucchini is made up mostly of water and is very low in calories, one medium raw zucchini has 33 calories, 2.37 g of protein, and 6.1 g of carbohydrates and 2 g of fiber. Zucchini and other dark green vegetables are a good source of vitamin A and Vitamin C. These vitamins are necessary for developing the immune system. Zucchini is also a source of potassium, which is essential for the function of all organs, tissues and cells in your body.

Here is a good Recipe to try:

Zucchini-Tomato Au Gratin (Vegetarian Times)

* 1 ½ lb. tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices

* 2 medium zucchini (1 lb.), cut into ⅛-inch-thick diagonal slices

* 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
* 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
* 2 Tbs. roughly chopped olives (Optional)
* ¼ cup thinly sliced basil leaves
* ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese (Or other cheese of your choice),    divided

1. Drape tomato slices over colander, sprinkle with sea salt, and let drain 45 minutes.

2. Spread zucchini on baking sheet.  Let stand 30 minutes to sweat out excess moisture and pat dry.

3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 1 tsp. oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute zucchini 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to plate. Do this in 2 batches if necessary, adding more oil between batches (Or, you can grill zucchini if you prefer).

4. Layer half of zucchini slices in 8-inch-square baking pan. Top with half of tomatoes. Sprinkle with half of garlic, 1 Tbs. olives, half of basil, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; season with freshly ground black pepper. Repeat with remaining zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, olives, and basil. Drizzle top with 1T oil, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Cover with foil, and bake 10 minutes. Remove foil, and bake 20 minutes more, or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

 

 

If you have a favorite recipe, please share. ;)

 

 

Our Yummy Summer Produce to Prevent Cancer

In combination with exercise and a healthy weight, the American Institute of Cancer Research states that about 35% of cancer cases are preventable through a healthy diet.  It is so important to have good nutrition if you have cancer because both the disease and the treatments can affect your appetite.
 

 

Eat plenty of Vegetables and Fruits.  Choose mostly plant foods and fill your plate 2/3 full with a selection of colorful nutrient-rich Vegetables and Fruits.

**Scrub all raw Vegetables and Fruits before you eat them.

Do not eat foods (like raspberries) that cannot be washed well, to prevent infection.

Once Cancer Treatment is over, Good nutrition is just as important.
You will hopefully find that the eating problems that developed from the treatments will get better.  

 

My Top 3 Recommendations:

* Vegetables and Fruits that contains Vitamin C: grapefruit, oranges, bell peppers, and broccoli.  Diets high in vitamin C have been linked to a reduced risk of stomach, colon, esophagus, bladder, breast, and cervix cancers.

* Orange vegetables and leafy greens.  Studies have shown that people who eat a diet high in beta-carotene have a reduced risk of cancer, particularly of the lung, colon, and stomach because of the antioxidants. 

* Cruciferous Vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage contain great phytonutrients that block the metabolism of some carcinogens and stimulate the body's production of detoxification enzymes.

 

 

 

Those Dang Allergies

This is the time of year when your Allergies could be insufferable.  Did you know that the food you are eating could be to blame?  The Allergy and Asthma Center of New York have found that raw fruits and vegetables have proteins that are similar to tree, grass, and weed pollens.  A third of people that have seasonal allergies, learned that their bodies reacted the same way with these foods. 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are allergic to Tree Pollen…

Avoid: Almonds, Apples, Celery, Cherries, Hazelnuts, Pears, and Parsley

 

If you are allergic to Grass Pollen…

Avoid: Melons, Oranges, and Tomatoes

 

If you are allergic to Weed Pollen…

Avoid: Carrots, Celery, Coriander, Fennel, Parsley, Pepper, and Sunflower

 

If you are allergic to Ragweed Pollen…

Avoid: Bananas, Cantaloupe, Chamomile, Cucumbers, Honeydew, Watermelon, and Zucchini. 

 

 

2013 Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen List

The Dirty Dozen Plus and Clean 15 lists - This list will help you determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and which are the most important to buy organic.

 

 

Dirty Dozen
We suggest that you buy organic versions of the following (or from local farmers markets, or grow in your own garden) whenever possible:

Apples

 

Celery

Cherry tomatoes

Cucumbers

Grapes

Hot peppers

Nectarines

Peaches

Potatoes

Spinach

Strawberries

Sweet bell peppers

Kale /Collard greens

Summer squash

 

 

 

 

 

Clean Fifteen
The Fruits and Vegetables from the Clean 15 list are generally low in pesticides:

Asparagus

Avocados

Cabbage

Cantaloupe

Sweet Corn

Eggplant

Grapefruit

Kiwi

Mangos

Mushrooms

Onions

Papayas

Pineapples

Sweet peas - frozen

Sweet potatoes

 

 

Cancer Prevention

Certain foods can reduce the risks of illness and a healthy diet can help the body heal itself. Integrate the following items into your diet to reduce your cancer risk:

 

~ Avoid polyunsaturated vegetable oils, margarine, vegetable shortening, all partially hydrogenated oils and all foods that might contain trans-fatty acids. I recommend using Coconut butter. Use it in replace of margarine and butter.
 
~ Each day, drink some green tea.
 
~ Avoid all processed and packaged foods.
 
~ Eat more cold-water oily fish, freshly ground flaxseed and walnuts. This will Increase your omega-3 fatty acid intake.
 
~ Eat a plethora of fresh vegetables and fruits.
 
~ Buy organic produce products whenever possible and ensure products are hormone free.
 
~ Eat more mushrooms. I would recommend Shiitake, Maitake and Oyster mushrooms.
 
~ Reduce your consumption of animal foods and replace them with plant-based proteins.
 
~ Remove Sugar from your diet.

 

Deficiency of Vitamin D and Cancer Risk

Studies show similarities between women with a deficiency in vitamin D and breast cancer. This study explained that those who had already been diagnosed with Cancer and had low levels of vitamin D had an increased risk for the cancer to spread and progress. Studies also show adequate levels of vitamin D may even protect women from developing breast cancer to begin with.

Recently, a group of cancer experts collected over 200 studies available for research on vitamin D and cancer. They looked at cancers of the colon, breast, prostate and ovaries. 67% of the data showed that Vitamin D is protective against colon cancer, 69% of the data showed Vitamin D is protective against breast cancer, 50% showed it helps prevent prostate cancer and 75% of the research shows vitamin D is protective against ovarian cancer.

Vitamin D is important for the formation, growth and repair of bones as well as immune function and cell growth. According to the National Institute of Health, These are the daily amounts of vitamin D for different ages:

 

Birth to 12 months ~ 400 IU

Children 1-13 ~ 600 IU

Teens 14-18 ~ 600 IU

Adults 19-70 years ~ 600 IU

Adults 71 years and older ~ 800 IU

Pregnant and breastfeeding women ~ 600 IU

 

Even though we can get Vitamin D from milk, fortified cereals, fish and eggs, we get the majority of our vitamin D, from the sun. The sun's rays activate vitamin D synthesis in the body and it only takes ten minutes of outside time to reach satisfactory levels. 

It is important to get your vitamin D Levels tested before deciding if a vitamin D supplement is right for you.