Author avisha Categories Blog, Cancer Coaching, Food & Nutrition Posted on 0 Comments

Eat A Rainbow of Colours

Making a commitment to eating a rainbow of colours when it comes to fruits and vegetables is important not only for your palate but also for your gut.  Your gut houses the majority of your microbiome, your community of commensal, symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms, and eating your fruits and veggies helps to maintain a healthy balance of these organisms. Fruits and vegetables also offer vast health benefits from a variety of over 6000 flavonoids, a class of phytonutrients, that provide pigment to plants and are commonly noted for their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits.  But as research is uncovering, many flavonoids possess other health benefits including anti-cancer properties.  And it is here that we come full circle.  We need a healthy gut microbiome to convert flavonoids to their health promoting metabolites.

Apigenin is a type of flavonoid that has been studied extensively for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Apigenin has been shown to possess anti-carcinogenic properties on a variety of cancers including pancreatic, colorectal and breast cancer and is also being examined for its effects when combined with chemotherapy agents.

Apigenin is found in a variety of foods and herbs such as apples, broccoli, basil, onions, artichoke, oregano, chamomile and cilantro.  But it is most prominently concentrated in parsley and celery, two of the most commonly used staples in our kitchen.

Celery is labeled as the go to for making soups and broths and as the key to a successful calorie restriction plan as it is full of water (95% of it is in fact H2O) and fiber, the perfect combination for the war against weight.  Now you can add celery’s cancer fighting properties to its list of healthy benefits. And Mother Nature has made it so convenient to consume and the perfect vehicle for dips and nut butters.

 

apigenin

Parsley is the most widely used herb in kitchens. And for good reason:

  • It comes in many varieties.
  • It’s available all year round.
  • It’s easy to grow.
  • It freshens your breath.
  • It has a very pleasant taste in a wide variety of dishes.

As well as the noted Apigenin flavonoid, parsley is high in Vitamin K and Vitamin C and is a good source of Vitamin A.

Chemoprotective foods such as celery and parsley can be easily incorporated in to our daily diet and they are just two examples of how nature provides us with powerful weapons in our cancer prevention and cancer fighting arsenals.

 

allergies
Author avisha Categories Blog, Food & Nutrition, Lifestyle Posted on 0 Comments

Seasonal Allergies. Tips for surviving the Spring.

The coming of spring brings new flowers, bright colours, warmer weather and for many people the aggravation of seasonal allergies.

Allergies are an over reaction by our immune system to an otherwise harmless substance called an allergen. In the case of spring time allergies, the allergen is pollen. Pollen initiates an immune response causing the release of chemicals in our body such as histamine and resulting in various symptoms including sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy eyes and post nasal drip. This can surely take the joy out of spring.

So let’s take a look at some things that we can do to survive the Spring season.

First and foremost we must pay heed to our gut as the bulk of our immune system resides there and its tolerance is strongly influenced by our gut bacteria and intestinal function.  So we must:

  • Eat a whole foods diet
  • Get adequate fibre
  • Eat fermented foods
  • Avoid sugar and processed foods
  • Chew our food well

When it comes to diet:

  • Increase consumption of foods such as garlic, parsley, apples, broccoli and green & black tea. These are all high in the bioflavonoid quercetin. Quercetin can help prevent the release of histamine
  • Increase foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids. They can help quell the inflammation caused by allergic reactions. Such foods include wild caught salmon, ground flax seeds & chia seeds
  • Increase intake of foods high in Vitamin C such as red peppers, kiwi, broccoli, green leafy vegetable and strawberries. Vitamin C can help to reduce histamine release
  • Have a cup of Nettle tea. It is a natural antihistamine
  • Eat foods high in antioxidants such as blueberries, sweet potatoes and leafy green vegetables as they can help to modulate the body’s inflammatory response
  • Keep hydrated to help the body flush toxins

Supplements to consider in support of the diet recommendations include:

  • Probiotics
  • Vitamin C
  • Fish Oil

On the lifestyle front:

  • Stay indoors first thing in the morning and on dry, windy days. The best time to go outside is after a rain
  • Stay away from cut grass and hand over the gardening chores for the spring
  • Get at least 7-8 hours of good quality sleep
  • Use a Neti Pot for nasal irrigation
  • Try acupuncture to relieve your respiratory distress

Take the time now to prepare your body for the spring time so that you too can enjoy the riches of the season!

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Grainy Greek Salad
Author avisha Categories Blog, Food & Nutrition, Recipes Posted on 0 Comments

Grainy Greek Salad

Recipes certainly have a place in the kitchen  both as a source of inspiration and as a guideline for preparation. But if there is one thing that I would truly love to get across to you is to have the confidence to go off the grid and experiment with new ingredients either in a whole new creation or by incorporating them in to family favourites.  There will be successes and there will be failures.  But it’s all a process.

Variety is not only the spice of life but it is also key to getting the wide array of important nutrients in to your diet that your body needs to function at its best and fight off disease.

So take an old favourite and enhance it by adding a superfood like hemp hearts.  Or replace some of the usual ingredients with something new and see how it flies.

This easy recipe is a twist on the conventional Greek Salad.  The addition of the black rice to the quinoa makes the salad a bit chewy adding a nice texture to it.  I added hemp hearts to pump it up.

This recipe does not have any greens in it.   But here is your chance to be creative.  If the mood hits you try adding some spinach or arugula.

Grainy Greek Salad

Ingredients

2/3 cup quinoa

1/3 cup Black rice

2 cups water, salted

1/2 english cucumber, chopped

1 small red onion, diced

1/2 avocado, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives

1 Tbsp. Hemp Hearts

1/2 cup Greek Feta Cheese

Dressing

2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar

1/8 tsp. Honey

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tsp. dried oregano

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredient together well.

Directions

  1. Bring water to boil and add salt
  2. Add quinoa and rice.  Cook until tender and let cool
  3. Place rest of ingredients in bowl.  Add cooled quinoa and rice
  4. Add prepared dressing to ingredients and toss
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy!

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Looks Aren't Everything
Author avisha Categories Blog, Food & Nutrition Posted on 0 Comments

Looks Aren’t Everything

Snow White took a bite of the perfect red apple and look where it got her. Right?

Supermarkets go to great lengths to make sure that their produce looks pleasing to the eye. Let’s take that perfect red apple as an example.  As apples grow they develop a natural waxy surface making them look dull. This is called the ‘bloom’ and it protects the apple as it grows and helps it to maintain water. But much of this natural wax is lost from tree to table during supermarket production and then replaced with a food grade synthetic wax and polished up to give us that most enticing shiny look. If you buy the dull organic apples then the polishing is left to you.

Supermarkets also go to great lengths to remove misshapened, marked and otherwise ugly fruits and vegetables from their stock because they too lack visual appeal.  What’s the result? We have been brain washed in to the belief that the best fruit or vegetable on the stand is the one that is most appealing to the eye.  But this line of reasoning is flawed for two reasons. First off discarding all but the pretty produce creates needless waste. Secondly those bumps and bulges may not be a reflection of an unfortunate ancestry.  What they may be in fact are battle scars serving as a visual sign of a war fought and won and perhaps an indication of heightened nutritional value.

Plants produce phytoalexins when they come under attack from things like mould, fungus and parasites. They accumulate at the site of the potential invasion protecting themselves from the enemy. And this fight for survival has the potential for increasing the nutrient value of the host.

There have been several studies supporting the anti-cancer benefits of certain phytoalexins. For example, Glyceollins, a phytoalexin isolated from activated soy, demonstrated anti proliferative effects in ER-positive breast cancer and BG-1 ovarian cancer[1]. Resveratrol, a more widely recognized phytoalexin found in common foods such as grapes, blueberries and raspberries has been studied extensively and shows broad spectrum application in cancer care. Resveratrol has been found to inhibit the growth of certain prostate[2] and breast cancers[3].

As mentioned by dismissing “ugly” produce we are creating needless waste. According to the United Nations Environment Program, about 20 to 40 percent of all produce is thrown away due to its strange shape, size, color, and overall unattractive appearance.

Taking aim at this issue is an innovative program in France initiated by Intermarche, its third largest supermarket. It purchases ugly fruits and vegetables that are headed for the garbage and sells them at a discount to its costumers. As well Intermarche has developed their own line of soups and fruit juices made from the ugly ducklings of the produce world. The project has shown great success and it is a valuable concept for decreasing food waste.

So all in all, what is the moral of this story?  Well truly it is a simple one; when it comes to filling your basket with produce don’t be fooled by the pretty exterior of your fruits and vegetables. Their beauty may only be skin deep.

[1] http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2802480

 

[2] http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/109662003772519813

 

[3] http://www.fasebj.org/content/25/10/3695.abstract

Author avisha Categories Food & Nutrition, Recipes Posted on 0 Comments

Sourdough Toast with Avocado Mash

Embracing healthy fats is a new concept for many of us.  But as our understanding of the importance of good fats grows,  it is clear that we need to find ways to incorporate them in to our daily diet.

Our brains are made of 60% fat.  Fats are important for the integrity of our cell membranes.   They are essential for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K.  Fats help to modulate body temperature.  They are a source of energy for us.  Fats are components of our hormones.  And fats form a protective cushion for our organs.

This simple recipe is full of good fats:

  • Avocados are an excellent source of healthy monounsaturated fat, vitamins and antioxidants. They are rich in carotenoids and provide essential health-boosting nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, vitamin E, B vitamins, and folic acid.  And avocados are high in fibre, with about 10 grams in each.
  • Flax seeds are a great source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which is an omega-3 essential fatty acid.  As our body does not make omega-3’s from scratch it is vital that we include them in our diet.   Flax seeds are also a good source of fibre.
  • Hemp seeds are a good source of omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids as well as being a complete protein source and a good source of fibre.
  • Extra virgin olive oil is a wonderful source of monounsaturated fat and well documented for its many health benefits.

Toast with Avocado Mash

Ingredients:

1 avocado cut, scooped and mashed

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/8 tsp. hot oil (optional)

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/2 tomato, sliced

1 slice of sourdough bread, toasted

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp. Ground Flax seed

1 tsp. Hemp Seed

Directions:

  1. Mix mashed avocado, lemon juice, hot oil (if using) and salt & pepper
  2. Toast one slice of sourdough
  3. Place tomato on top of toasted bread
  4. Place mashed avocado mixture on top of tomatoes
  5. Drizzle EVOO on top and sprinkle with ground flax seed and hemp seed

Enjoy!

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