Eat Real Food

Just by chance, we caught the premier of a PBS documentary titled "In Defense of Food" at the end of December. It came at the perfect time - just as we were feeling the negative effects of holiday overeating and too much of the wrong foods. So the message really hit home!

The program is based on a book by the same name by journalist Michael Pollan. If you too are trying to get onto a healthier eating regiment as this new year begins, I highly recommend you watch this show. If you can't find being repeated on your local PBS station, you can watch the whole program online. The messages and tips are simple, easy to adopt, and make sense.

The bottom line, as summarized into 7 words by Pollan, is "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." The program has good tips like "Eat plants, not food made in plants," and "Don't eat anything your great-grandmother would not have eaten." Pollan suggests ways to help us all get back to eating "real food," versus the highly processed offerings so prominent in the contemporary Western diet. He shows how people automatically eat less simply by using smaller plates, without feeling like they've reduced their portions. The messages are great, and the presentation is excellent.

For continued good advice from Pollan, like the In Defense of Food Facebook page and start your own path to getting eating healthier today!

Weighing In on Gluten-Free

My Pumpkin Cranberry Bread is great with gluten-free flour.

It's nearly one year since I made a major change in my diet and became gluten-free. I wasn't suffering from celiac disease or even suspecting that I had a gluten intolerance. My gluten-free friend Kathy was visiting, and showed me the swollen joints on her fingers, resulting after she ate something in her travels which she didn't suspect had gluten - french fries with a breading. I had never seen such a reaction. Soon after that, another friend recommended I read Wheat Belly, a best seller about why modern wheat is causing so many of us to develop gluten sensitivity. By the time I finished the book, I decided that even if only 1/4 of the negatives the author attributed to gluten were accurate, I would be healthier without it in my diet. Now I am ready to report the positive side effects I directly relate to being gluten-free which have motivated me to stay on this regimen forever.

First I should admit that I am blessed with incredible good health. Other than a cataract in one eye at the young age of 43 and in the other at age 58, I have little more than a few occasional aches and pains to complain about. Certainly, factors such as genetics, environment, regular exercise, high activity, low stress, good sleep habits, preventive medicine, active social life, good living environment, normal weight, and medical screenings (mammogram, colonoscopy, dermatology body check) are part of my overall well-being. Undoubtedly, spending 24/7 with my best friend, business partner, and husband of 37 years, Rick, has an enormous positive effect on my life too, as does happiness in general. I count my blessings.

As the "Welcome" section of this blog states, my lifestyle diet for over 20 years has vastly differed from the prevailing American diet. Around the early 90s, my mother was living with Lupus, and Rick had been found to have abundant Epstein-Barr antibodies. So I plunged into learning how to strengthen the immune system with lifestyle choices. I researched healthier ways of eating, and eliminated foods and ingredients with artificial ingredients/colorings/preservatives, and those which are processed, genetically modified, raised in toxic conditions, irradiated, and/or void of nutrients. I was learning to cook all over again, substituting alternatives for refined sugars, trimming the fat from our diets, and experimenting with previously unfamiliar ingredients and recipes. Over two decades, my "eat"  and "don't eat" lists are frequently refined; I avoid foods raised inhumanely and in unhealthy environments. I don't buy imports from certain other countries, such as seafood from China, Thailand, or Vietnam. I favor locally grown, organic, seasonal, and wild harvested foods. I organically grow, preserve, and cook an increasing percentage of my diet every year, and I enjoy the process of "cooking from scratch." I buy beef, eggs, honey, chicken, and goat cheese from local friends and farmers. I buy monthly from an organic food coop, helping stock my pantry with good ingredients. About 18 months ago Rick and I also began drinking a green smoothie in place of one meal 4 or 5 days a week, using fresh greens and flavorful culinary herbs from my own gardens plus a variety of fruits and berries. Last November we started doing a daily glass of organic apple cider vinegar and local honey (served hot or cold) - which I think helps stop painful "charlie horses" in my leg muscles, among other attributed benefits. I drink water, green tea or herbal tea, and not much else except an occasional glass of red wine. So my diet definitely is a major positive factor in my overall health.

So what has the gluten-free diet done for me? Here is a list of my personal health changes I directly attribute to eliminating gluten:

Who's that chunky baby with my Dad - heavens, it's me!

Weight Loss - I don't own scales, but I knew my body was changing within weeks of going gluten-free by the fit of my clothes. For years, my 5'3" carried ±125 lbs., after peaking in the 130s in my late 20s. On two different doctors' office scales (that kind with the weights which don't lie) in the past 3 months - fully clothed, with shoes on, and after eating lunch - my weight holds stable at 115. I was never skinny - my thunder thighs as a baby turned into to "chubby" sizing in pre-adolescence. I'm not trying to brag, but it's nice to be back to my high school graduation weight. I haven't eaten sugary dessert type foods much for many years, but, since so many are made with wheat flour, staying gluten-free also helps me resist temptation. Coffee ice cream and extra-dark chocolate are still on my short list of occasional indulgences!

Weight Shift - For years, I've been unsuccessful reducing my "tummy" with diet or exercise. I never had a pregnancy, so stretched muscles were not my excuse. As the book title "Wheat Belly" suggests, and the content describes, modern wheat causes body fat to be stored in the "belly". After going gluten-free, my belly flattened.

Skin Improvements - I'm fair skinned with skin cancers in both parents, so I try to avoid sun exposure and get full body skin exams. I had had an itchy rash along my neck-hairline for decades which the dermatologist didn't indicate was anything too serious, but it was irritating to me. Dandruff shampoos, cortisone creams, and other treatments failed; going gluten-free nearly miraculously reduced the rash right away. My skin overall has a better feel now too.

Fast Healing - From a deeply sliced finger which happened about 1 week into the gluten-free diet, to any other healing my body required over the past year, all indications are that my immune system is quickly reacting and providing rapid healing. Even cold symptoms rarely last more than 1 day.

Improved Digestion - My stomach no longer "churns" or "gurgles" when I lie in bed at night, and I very seldom have any gas in my digestion any more. My first colonoscopy three months ago revealed just one small polyp.

Check my numbers: early this year I had my annual GYN physical, included a fasting cholesterol and full blood profile. My HDL (good) cholesterol was the best in the 13 years I've been keeping track, at 74, and the ration of cholesterol/HDL, which should be less than 3.5, had dropped from 3.3 in 2004 to 2.59. My glucose was down from 85 a year earlier to 80. Incidentally, I don't take any prescription medications; daily I take a 81 mg aspirin, red yeast rice, fish oil, lutein, and other vitamin/mineral/herb supplements.

I won't lie - being gluten-free is sometimes challenging and has required me to educate myself. Since I don't suffer from the very serious intolerance of celiac disease, I don't have to be "pure" so I can make a few exceptions. I won't turn down an invitation to eat homemade pasta! My friend Ken, who first share Wheat Belly with me, is owner/chef at a lovely New Hampshire bed and breakfast. He was so thrilled with his results of going gluten-free that he decided to make his business gluten-free, giving those with any level of gluten intolerance a great lodging alternative. He has also been successful in making his menu gluten-free offerings so delicious that guests who don't care or might be turned off by "gluten-free" don't even notice. We design and administer his website, and I learned a great deal when I helped write copy for his gluten-free info page about the complex process of eliminating gluten, not only from the menu, but from the entire facility and preparation process. It's amazing what was involved; read about it here.

Quinoa flakes are one of my new grain discoveries.

I'm gluten free at home and I make careful choices when eating out. At lunch, I've discovered that many restaurants will accommodate my requests for their sandwich offerings to be served without the bread. At home, I've eliminated wheat, rye, and barley flours from my kitchen staples, in addition to other ingredients where gluten hides, such as:

• soy sauce [I buy San-J wheat-free tamari]
• salad dressings [I make my own]
• ice cream [beware of flavors with add-ins like cookies]
• beer [I don't like it anyway]
• spice blends [I mix my own from individual spices]

Being gluten-free forced me to discover alternate grains, which are delicious additions and substitutions in my recipes and meals - like quinoa, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, and black rice. I truly haven't really missed yeast breads, and I've had fun experimenting with gluten-free flours in my old favorite baking recipes (like biscotti, gingerbread, quick breads). I've ground my own flours from gluten-free grains, beans, seeds, and nuts - even from coconut. I've tried many new recipes for homemade crackers, pizza dough, pie crust, English muffins, and other baked goods which are usually made from gluten ingredients, and I'll continue to share my favorites in this blog. My trials have not all been successful, but I'm gradually creating a big file of delicious gluten-free recipes.

Big food companies are quick to jump on a bandwagon, and "gluten-free" is a new buzz word. Processed food and drinks labelled gluten-free fill the supermarket shelves, but they are not necessarily healthy foods. As with any packaged, prepared foods, you have to watch the ingredients. Many gluten-free baked goods substitute starchy flours or add stuff you don't need to make them taste better. I'm still discovering some gluten-free products which give me the best results in my recipes; Bob's Red Mill is a great brand, and their GF All-Purpose flour is my favorite flour mix (Pamela's GF flour made everything I baked with it too chewy); Thai Kitchen Stir-Fry Rice Noodles work well in stir-fries as well as in my oriental cold salads. Tinkyada is another good gluten-free pasta maker. Of course, the list of foods which are naturally gluten-free is long (fruit, vegetables, dairy, eggs, meat, poultry, beans, etc.), so there's still plenty of great food to savor!

I don't fool myself with thinking that my diet will prevent me from ever getting a serious illness or disease. I've witnessed sickness and aging enough to know that my youthful wish for a long life has to be edited to a wish for a long healthy life. Unfortunately, we live in a very toxic world, where our air, water, soil, livestock, poultry, cleaning products, health & beauty aids, produce, and more are laden with poisons and chemicals. It's impossible to live a normal life and avoid such a list. I figure teh best I can do is to try to reduce my exposure to such things, while sharing my knowledge to help people, like you, become more aware, better educated, and able to make smarter choices to make your life healthier.

Special Diets 101

What's vegan food? Is organic food better? Who eats gluten-free?

Colorful icons and highlighted boxes are popping up on food packages, new designations are appearing on restaurant menus, and new terms are all the rage in advertising of food items.  "Non-GMO," "gluten-free" and other tags have joined the ranks of "cholesterol-free," "nonfat," and "sugar-free." The giant food industry is quick to jump on new eating trends in order to expand their sales, and they are constantly flooding the supermarkets with new concoctions to cater to special dietary needs (not necessarily in the interest of good nutrition). Huge corporate food producers have bought up small niche companies in order to add "healthy" divisions to their offerings (General Mills owns Cascadian Farms and Muir Glen; Kraft owns Back to Nature; Dean owns Horizon and Silk; Kellogg owns Morningstar Farms, and the list goes on and on).

Food labels and designations can be confusing and might turn you off from a product, just because you don't understand what they mean. Do all vegetarian burgers taste like cardboard? Are gluten-free cookies as good as "the real thing?"  Of course, there is an element of trust with buying any labelled food product (is it truly organic?), which is a subject for discussion in itself. But if you are curious about these new dietary terms, here's a short guide to the most frequently used diet terms flagging foods today.

Note first that by "diet" I don't mean weight-loss diets (which I personally believe are destined to failure) or diets prescribed for specific health issues (like coronary blockages). I am an advocate of an every-day LIFESTYLE DIET. From my own research, experience, and practices, I know that I can maintain normal weight and good health through nutrition… combined with other living habits such as regular exercise, unpolluted air and water, adequate sleep, no smoking or prescription meds, limited alcohol or caffeine, and low stress. Thankfully, I don't suffer from any chronic diseases or major ailments. I'm not overweight, I have lots of energy, I rarely get sick, and my memory is pretty sharp... so I must be doing something right, huh? I believe in being responsible for my health. Years ago I observed friends who discarded a lifestyle of overeating and indulging in non-nutritious foods only after suffering a heart attack or getting cancer treatments. It just made sense to me to start following a path of prevention through eating healthy food. I've investing lots of time educating myself and continuously learning about different foods and how to prepare them, and I enjoy sharing my knowledge to help others.

My homemade gluten-free pumpkin bread, from organic butternut squash I grew

My own lifestyle diet is a combination of several of those listed below, but I'm not totally rigid. As you know from reading this blog, I like food which tastes good and doesn't make me feel like I'm missing any pleasures of eating. My diet is rich with plant foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, herbs). I prefer organically produced whole foods, favor foods locally raised and produced, eat gluten-free and non-GMO, limit seafood to wild-caught options, drink green tea, use raw apple cider vinegar and honey daily, drink daily green smoothies, opt for red wine when drinking alcohol, choose free-range poultry products, look for meat and dairy items without added hormones and antibiotics, and I love very dark chocolate. I limit sweets, and use sweeteners such as stevia from my garden (fresh, dried, and in a tincture), local honey, sorghum syrup from nearby Mennonites, maple syrup from Vermont friends, and some agave and coconut palm sugar. I avoid processed foods, trans fats, and most imported foods (particularly from countries whose food production systems introduce many toxins). I mostly cook from scratch, and I don't knowingly eat foods which contain artificial sweeteners, chemical additives, nitrates, fake flavorings, artificial colorings, chemical preservatives, and other non-food ingredients. I was surprised when a friend started chuckling, overseeing me offered a handful of candy and spontaneously reacting with the reply: "No thanks, I don't eat food that color."

Manufactured foods turn me off. I recently started boycotting products from manufacturers who contributed to the campaign against GMO labeling in California, figuring they must want to include GMOs in their ingredients. When the processes of refining foods results in loss of nutrients - as when the bran and grain are removed from wheat to make white flour - manufacturers "enrich" their products by adding replacement vitamins and minerals - these don't belong on my plate. I don't eat "super-foods" to which manufacturers have added ingredients which they think are deficient in my diet, like vitamin D in orange juice. I don't eat "fake foods," like imitation crab.

Organically grown strawberries fit the "whole food" designation

Or like Cool Whip, invented as a substitute for whipped cream, and originally did not even include any dairy components. Its ingredients list frightens me, and I don't want most of these things in my body: water, hydrogenated vegetable oil, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, skim milk, light cream, caseinate (a milk derivative), natural and artificial flavor, xanthan and guar gums, polysorbate 60, sorbitan monostearate and beta carotene for coloring… no thanks! I'm also fussy about the details - I love salmon and appreciate its health benefits with omega-3 fatty acids, but I refuse to buy farm-raised salmon, bred in foreign polluted waters, dosed with antibiotics to counter the poor living conditions, and fed artificial colors to give it "red" flesh for eye appeal. Also, I'm not attracted to "cheap" food (I am suspicious of it too); I am willing to pay higher prices in order to stick to my preferences, because it's worth it to me and good quality food is one of my priorities. I admit to occasional deviations from my lifestyle diet though; if a friend invites me to a dinner of homemade pasta (with wheat flour), I don't decline, and I enjoy the meal (though it might make me gassy hours later). But if I know a dessert is made with Splenda, I happily pass.


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The lifestyle diet list below is by no means exhaustive or definitive, but you can use it as a general guide. I am not claiming that any one of these diets is exclusively beneficial or even better than another. I don't even believe that all of these are necessarily healthy - I know vegetarians who are hooked on diet soda and sugary desserts, I've seen gluten-free crackers that are unnecessarily laden with starches and sugar, and I've met raw foodies who look like walking skeletons. There are those who choose one diet or another for reasons other than nutrition too, like vegetarians focusing on animal rights. I merely hope this article will help you understand some dietary options and allow you to make better choices about what you eat.

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Organic foods are those grown and produced without using synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. They also not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, chemical ripening, or chemical additives. They do not contain genetically modified organisms (see below), artificial food additives, and, in the case of livestock, have not been treated with antibiotics or growth hormones. Proponents cite evidence that organic food is more nutritious, safer and more healthy than conventional food. Many advocates of organic food argue that it avoids introducing known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) and other toxins into the diet and also results in more flavorful food.


Organic food has become a very highly regulated industry, under regulations set by the USDA (which also allows other certifying bodies, like Oregon Tilth). Organic certification product labels indicate that government regulations and established standards are adhered to, and third-party inspectors have insured the organic procedures. To receive official organic certification and display labeling as such, producers must pay. Some small operators opt to avoid these fees even though they maintain the same organic growing and production practices; you might encounter this among vendors at farmers' markets or local farms.

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Whole foods are those which undergo minimal or no processing and/or refining. They are offered close to how they are produced by nature. They are not genetically modified (see below), colored, made by synthetic methods, or laden with additives. They do not contain added ingredients. This is more a category of foods than a type of diet. Whole foods might be used to describe foods such as dried beans, minimally treated fruits and vegetables, wild caught seafood, spices, herbs, raw unprocessed dairy products, whole grains, nuts, seeds, free range eggs, organically raised meats. Obviously, the chain which goes by the name Whole Foods offers much more than this definition; it's a health food supermarket. Proponents believe that eating the whole foods can help prevent and heal diseases, since they offer more complex nutrient profiles and include naturally occurring substances which are often lost in processing. Whole foods are generally offered in their natural harvested state, and are also sometimes preserved with methods such as dehydration, canning, or freezing.

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Vegetarian diets are plant-based, concentrating on vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices. Vegetarians, by definition, exclude red meat, poultry, game, and seafood. One vegetarian I know says she doesn't eat anything which ever had eyes!

More specific definitions of vegetarians exist. Ovo-lacto (or Lacto-ovo) vegetarians do not eat animal flesh of any kind, but consume eggs and dairy products (cheese, yogurt, cow's milk, etc.); lacto-vegetarians nix eggs and eat dairy products; ovo-vegetarians nix dairy and eat eggs.

Vegans (I've heard it pronounced "vee-gans" or "vay-gans") restrict their food choices further than vegetarians, excluding all animal products from the diet (including food items like honey since it's produced by bees, or baked goods which use dairy milk solids, or gelatin products since gelatin comes from animal bones and other parts). Many vegans extend their animal-free choices to health and beauty aids, clothing and furnishings (no leather, sheepskin, suede, wool, furs, down), drugs, and many other non-food products, for ethical reasons.

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A gluten-free diet avoids the protein "gluten," found in grains most commonly used to make flour, such as wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten provides the elasticity in doughs used for breads, and modern wheat varieties have been hybridized in ways which have resulted in increased gluten content. Many derivatives of these grains are also ingredients in a wide variety of processed food products, including flavorings, seasonings, condiments, and sides.

A growing number of people are eliminating glutens because they are sensitive or intolerant to ingesting glutens. Some, like me, follow a gluten-free diet for improved health, finding it brings relief from allergies, skin problems, joint pain, acid reflux, digestive problems, and other ailments. Researchers now believe that a third of us are likely gluten intolerant/sensitive. Others who must totally avoid glutens suffer from the autoimmune dysfunction called Celiac disease. These sufferers can have dangerous reactions even to minute gluten residue from cooking utensils and surfaces, like grills used to cook wheat flour pancakes and then used to fry eggs, or a rubber spatula used to mix standard cookie dough and then used to stir a rice dish. Non-gluten grains (like oats) processed in factories which process wheat might be contaminated with gluten and can cause serious problems for those most sensitive.

For this reason, food products marked "gluten-free" are supposed to contain no gluten-laden ingredients and are supposed to have been processed and prepared in environments where no gluten products have been used or handled. Alternatives to foods commonly made from wheat include non-gluten grains (oats, corn, rice, quinoa); starches (tapioca, corn, potato); nuts and seeds (sorghum, buckwheat, millet, almonds).

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Non-GMO:  Genetically-modified organisms most commonly refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption whose genetic composition has been altered, using molecular biology techniques. Genes from one species (sometimes from plants, sometimes from animals) are inserted to different plant species, often using a virus or bacteria as a carrier. Plants have been modified in the laboratory to introduce traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or insects, or longer shelf life. Soybeans and corn are the top two most widely grown GMO crops, with cotton, rapeseed (or canola) and potatoes trailing behind.

Non-GMO eggplant growing in my garden

Proponents of GM foods hail them as the answer to feeding the exploding world population. Opponents site many problems and risks, including unintended harm to other organisms, reduced effectiveness of pesticides, cross-breeding of GMO plants into non-modified crops, sterilization of plant seeds, and other damaging effects to the environment, human health and economic concerns. There are hosts of known and unknown effects on human health from GMO food crops, and those who eat non-GMO foods aim to avoid unexpected and negative impacts on their health.

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The Paleo Diet (also called Primal Diet or Grain-Free Diet) is onbe I've encountered while looking at gluten-free blogs, and I had no idea what it meant. It is based on the simple premise that if cavemen from the Paleolithic era (10,000 to 2.5 million years ago) didn’t eat it, you shouldn’t either. Paleo advocates say we should eat the way humans ate when they were hunter/gathers. These humans predate the agricultural revolution during which grains reigned; they ate what nature offered. Followers of the Paleo diet believe our modern diet differs enormously from that of the distant past, which the human digestive system remains the same, with numerous health problems resulting. This diet eliminates refined sugar, dairy, legumes, and grains. It focuses on meat, fish, poultry, eggs, fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. Foods allowed are generally gluten-free, grain free and high in protein.

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Raw Foods are those which have not been cooked, processed, microwaved, irradiated, genetically engineered, or exposed to pesticides or herbicides, and some advocate a diet based totally on eating raw. Foods allowed include fresh fruits, berries, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and herbs in their whole, natural state. Proponents say cooking obliterates most of the vitamins in food and nearly all of the immune-boosting plant nutrients. Dehydrated foods are allowed, but only those dried below specified temperatures.

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Glycemic Index Diet is based upon eating from its list of “good” carbs - bran cereal and many fruits and veggies, like apples and carrots, for example - to control appetite, delay hunger, and promoting weight loss. “Bad” carbs, like white bread and instant mashed potatoes, are quickly digested and released into the bloodstream, spiking blood sugar and making you hungry sooner. The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of a carb’s effect on blood sugar. Good carbs are lower on the glycemic index. They are digested slowly, so you feel fuller longer, and your blood sugar and metabolism don’t go out of whack. This way of eating is suggested for cutting risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. To eat this way, you track where different carbs fall on the 0-100 GI index. You fill up on low-GI carbs (55 and under), eat smaller amounts of medium-GI carbs (56 to 69), and limit high-GI carbs (70 and up). Lists of carbs in each category are available online.


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Now you are armed with knowledge to design a lifestyle diet which you can follow!

What's with Wheat?

Are you overweight, diabetic, suffering from arthritis, heart disease, allergies, rashes, acid-reflux, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, pre-diabetes, estrogen related cancer, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, Crohn's disease, constipation, high blood triglycerides, insomnia, cravings...or a belly you can't shed? I don't know too many people - especially in the baby-boomer generation - who can't find something they experience on this list.

I strongly recommend a book I just finished which is on the NY Times bestseller list: Wheat Belly, by William Davis, MD, a preventive cardiologist. This book is not just for people who are gluten-intolerant or thinking they have celiac disease, although it is good for all of those to read too, it's for everyone to read and benefit.

The basic premise of the book is that "…traditional wheat has been replaced by the high-yield, semi-dwarf strains that we know are genetically removed from the wheat of 1950." The hybridization of the wheat now grown worldwide has changed the way it affects our biochemistry, compared to ancient grains certainly, but even when compared to wheat grown 100 years ago. And this alteration is affecting us in many many negative ways.

You can get more of the flavor of the book at the author's blog:
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

Read a review of the book, including the author's comments.
http://healthyfoodnaturally.com/2011/09/13/book-review-wheat-belly-lose-the-wheat-lose-the-weight-and-find-your-path-back-to-health/

Me and my husband Rick eliminated wheat from our diet over two weeks ago, after I read a lot of the blog. A wheat-free diet takes some adjusting, label reading, menu reading, and self-education, but it's been painless (literally). There are loads of tips on how to do it in the book, including recipes, and there's lots of helpful info online too. We've all seen the supermarket shelves full of "Gluten-Free" labeled products, but, as the author warns, you don't want to substitute other non-healthy foods when you eliminate wheat.

I'll report on my own progress in this blog, and I hope you'll read the book, at the very least.

From the author:
"…the U.S. government, with its repeated advice to 'eat more healthy whole grains,' transmitted via vehicles like the USDA Food Pyramid and Food Plate, coupled with the extensive genetic transformations of the wheat plant introduced by agricultural geneticists, underlie an incredible deterioration in American health…." - William Davis, MD

I'm Drinking Leaves!

Most of us eat leaves, although we think of them as lettuce or spinach, or perhaps as basil or parsley. Many Southerners eat vegetables I never heard of as a child in New England, like collards, kale, chard. But the typical modern diet - even for vegetarians and raw foodies - does not include a lot of "greens." Their bitterness is not real appealing, and our jaws, teeth, and digestive juices have changed so drastically from our prehistoric ancestors' that we are not even capable of extracting most of the nutrients from the greens we eat. I felt like I took a big step when I "learned" to love spinach, then did the same with kale when I discovered it was packed with lutein, so good for the health of our eyes. Now I've taken a mammoth leap forward and I'm eating a huge variety and large amounts of greens - actually, I'm drinking them!

I first learned of Green Smoothies several months ago, when my friend Gloria mentioned her new interest in making them. Blending fruits with spinach didn't sound too good, but I was intrigued. I googled it, and quickly realized I didn't have a blender with the power to chop up the leaves properly. I kept seeing mention of the Vitamix machine, a very powerful blender which can pulverize ingredients, break cell walls and create extra smooth consistencies - but with a huge price tag! I decided any blender which cost more than I paid a few years ago for my kitchen stove was not for me. So I continued using my food processor for our afternoon all-fruit smoothies.

Then I happened to watch a very interesting movie (which I highly recommend) called "Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead" with my husband. For the first 10 minutes, Rick was not real taken with the message of juicing vegetables for improving health, weight loss, and "rebouting" your system, but I wanted to continue watching so he agreed. Fast forward to the end, and Rick was the one saying "I want to try this." I already owned a well-used Braun juicer, the centrifuge type which sends the juice out one slot and the pulp/skin/seeds out the other slot. Years ago I was making so much carrot juice that Rick's feet turned orange! My juicer is a basic, less powerful juicer than the one used in the movie to juice various combinations of vegetables and fruit, which also disposed of the pulp. Then I remembered the Vitamix, and started researching the pluses and minuses of it versus a juicer, particularly because the Vitamix doesn't remove the pulp, it pulverizes it to make it edible. Lots more fiber (which most of us need), and much added nutrition. I could tell from the recipes that making smoothies in a high speed blender required a smaller volume of raw ingredients than juicing in a juicer requires. Juicing one cup of carrot juice takes a lot of carrots. And a juicer can't extract from non-juicy fruits like bananas, while those are good smoothie ingredients. Green smoothie blenders break down whole foods to the cellular level and beyond, making the huge amount of nutrients readily available for your body. Juicers have their advantages for some, but talking with friends who own Vitamix machines convinced me that this was the best way for me to make veggie/fruit smoothies - as well as lots of other foods.

Introducing my newest, most favorite, kitchen appliance - the Vitamix 5200, a high speed blender, reaching speeds of up to 240 miles per hour. The Vitamix brand has been around for decades, and owners rave about them. I discovered I had two friends who had Vitamix machines "somewhere" in storage units, unreachable for various reasons, so those were not options for me to purchase. I watched used ones go for nearly the cost of new on eBay, so I decided to return to the Vitamix web site. Then I saw a link to "Factory Reconditioned" models. Still pricey ($349), but less than a perfect model, and included full warranty of a new machine. I had bought a reduced-price "blemished" Excalibar dehydrator from its manufacturer two years ago, and had to search for anything wrong, but saved money. I justified the purchase of the Vitamix by reminding myself of the $300+ monthly cost of our Blue Cross catastrophic health insurance (with a $7000 deductible) and figured I'd rather have something tangible and valuable for that same amount of money, so I dove it and made my purchase, with a dealer's voucher which saved the $25 shipping charge. I have not regretted it once.

Since it arrived about two months ago, my Vitamix has been used at least once daily except for maybe two days. I love it! It is easy to use, easy to clean, comes with a big recipe book and CD, and has recipes online. For someone like me, who makes meals from scratch, Vitamix smoothies are a very easy, filling, satisfying, healthy, and fast meal… with no dishes. Rick and I are increasing the amount of living, raw, whole food in our diets, thus upping our intake of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytonutrients, omega 3s, and loads of other nutrients. I was surprised to learn that greens are a source of protein also. We are consuming a great deal of fruits and veggies, in place of meals. Smoothies from fruits and vegetables are ideal for anyone who gardens, like me, for both fresh and frozen ingredients. I had chopped and frozen spinach and kale last spring when they were growing in abundance, and now I can break up frozen pieces, adding concentrated amounts to smoothies. This is holding me until I can harvest cool-weather greens in my garden again this fall and winter, which I've already begun to plant in abundance.

I just finished reading two books given to me by my friend Judi, written by Victoria Boutenko, the pioneer and inventor of Green Smoothies and author of the Green Smoothies Blog. If you are interested in learning more, I highly recommend her book Green Smoothie Revolution. I have absorbed loads of info from the author's extensive research and experimentation, on why greens are so nutritious and beneficial to our health, and have become even more convinced that buying the Vitamix is a lifestyle changing event for me. The book includes testimonials from those who have lost lots of weight, nourished and healed their bodies, and reversed signs of aging... things most everyone I know would like to do!

Rick and I did a 4-day smoothie fast when I began using the new Vitamix, and since then we have been substituting a smoothie for one meal per day. In addition to the green leaves, I sometimes add other vegetables, always mixed with fruit. I've found that frozen banana chunks (which have always been the mainstay in my fruit smoothies) really helps sweeten smoothies made with vegetables, to the point where you barely taste the vegetable ingredients. In addition to the bananas, I use one or more other fresh (preferably seasonal, which has been easy this summer) or frozen fruit, like berries, cherries, peaches, apples, pears, grapes, and plums, as well as citrus (lemon, orange, lime), fresh pineapple (shell cut away, but the core is easily chopped). I've recently been gathering wild passion fruit from my meadow and adding its pulpy seeds to smoothies. I do about a 40/60 mix of vegetables to fruit, using stronger flavored fruit (like blueberries) with stronger flavored veggies (like beet greens). It is important to vary the greens you use, rather than always using spinach, for example. For greens I've used spinach, kale, beet greens, romaine lettuce, parsley, and the green leaves of my sweet potato vines. For other veggies, I've added summer squash or zucchini; cucumbers, carrots, celery, yellow snap beans, tomatoes, and cooked sweet potatoes or winter squash or beets. (Note: Victoria Boutenko, the "inventor" of green smoothies mentioned above, recommends only non-starchy vegetables with greens.) I sometimes add fresh herbs, such as basil, fennel, mint, parsley, and lemon grass, and I will continue experimenting with others from my herb garden. If I find my combination a little bitter, usually just a few drops of diluted stevia are enough for me, but you can add agave or honey. I have grown stevia in the past, and plan to do so again - then I can just use the green leaves from it. The Vitamix easily grinds nutritious nuts, seeds, and soft grains, so I might add whole flax seeds, chia seeds, shelled hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, or raw rolled oats. Added flavorings I've used include cinnamon, fresh ginger root, dried coconut, carob powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, Roma (a roasted barley/chicory powder which tastes like coffee), spices like cloves and cardamon, vanilla and other extracts, and zest from organic citrus fruit. An avocado makes the smoothie very creamy, without altering the flavor, and tofu would also work. The blender needs some liquid to work properly, and I've used water, lemon juice, fruit juice, soy milk, homemade kefir, aloe juice, and also almond milk which I made in the Vitamix from raw nuts. I've read that dairy products will interfere with digestion of the greens, so I don't use milk or yogurt in the green smoothies. You can add lecithin or protein powders also. Rick prefers frozen smoothies, and the Vitamix has no trouble grinding ice cubes in with the smoothie ingredients… some frozen smoothies we've eaten with a spoon.

When I grow sprouts again this winter, I'll add those to smoothies. Harvesting wild foods from my land has fascinated me, and I continually try to educate myself with field guides and online references. I look forward to harvesting wild plants for my smoothies next spring, like dandelion, trillium leaves, chickweed, watercress, lambsquarters, purslane, wood sorrel, wild mustards, grape leaves, and daisy leaves. Many wildflowers which grow here are also edible, such as daylilies, violets, red bud, yucca, chicory, dandelions, and clover. If you know someone who's land is overrun with kudzu, they have an excellent source of edilble greens! Even now, in September, I am picking tender young leaves on the ends of the branches of sassafras and muscadine as I walk my trails, and adding these to my smoothies. Boutenko says wild green are more nutritious than cultivated vegetables. The possibilities for different combinations are endless, as you can see, and I am enjoying experimenting and creating different tastes and textures. Caution, many wild plants are very poisonous to eat, so be sure you know what you are using if you harvest them.

Beyond smoothies, I've been using my new Vitamix for many other dishes. I made delicious fresh marinara sauce so fast, since the organic tomatoes from my garden went into the blender whole (no peeling or seeding). A combo of my recipe and one in the Vitamix book produced the smoothest hummus ever, using whole toasted sesame seeds instead of tahini, and a peeled whole lemon vs. juice. Chocolate mousse is my favorite Vitamix indulgence so far, with curious ingredients including avocados and a touch of balsamic vinegar. I've also made salsa, dips, salad dressings, wonderful applesauce, and batter for my favorite gingerbread (it came out the best ever). The Vitamix can be purchased with a dry blender for grinding grains, but I have both a manual and electric flour mill so I didn't get that container option. But I ground dehydrated red hot chili peppers into a powder in seconds in my Vitamix, since the peppers are brittle not hard. Now you understand how I've put the Vitamix to so much use. The Vitamix can also make vegetables soups; running the motor for 3-5 minutes heats the contents, so the soup goes right from the blender to the serving bowl. I am anxious to try soups when the weather cools, as well as other recipes I've earmarked such as black bean brownies.

I promise not to fill this blog with green smoothie information and Vitamix recipes - there are others doing this much better than I can, plus I have loads to write about with gardening and food you chew! However, I highly recommend green smoothies, even to my friends who are long-time vegetarians. And if you have your own favorite green smoothies or Vitamix recipes, please share in my comments box.

I hope I've intrigued you enough to make you want to try a green smoothie yourself - or ask me for a taste test when you visit - and I'll be happy to share what I am learning with you.

The Numbers Are In…

As you know from my writings, I am a big proponent of a good nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle. One reason why I share my recipes, my choices of ingredients, and info on growing organic food is to help others. Certainly genetics are a factor in our health; reducing stress is important, and making time for laughter, good friends, and fun activities has positive effects. But I lean heavily in favor of a healthy diet and regular exercise. Is it ok to eat a bowl of ice cream or side of fried onion rings once in a while? Of course! But by maintaining a basis of every-day good eating, you'll most likely never need to "diet."

I just got results from a medical checkup, and I am pleased to be able to brag. I don't take any prescription meds, and, at age 56, my weight is about the same as it was 30 years ago, my blood sugar is 85, my total cholesterol is 184, my LDL (bad) cholesterol is 102, and my blood pressure is 100/70.

So thanks for following this blog and I hope the information helps you maintain or start a healthier life!