Eating for healing: Functional foods that support health

If you're considering eating for healing you might be wondering exactly what to eat. Obviously, there is an overwhelming variety of foods from which one can choose.  Taking into account the fact that we should consume a certain amount of calories daily, it makes sense to select foods that provide the biggest nutritional benefit per calorie.  Functional foods are an excellent choice because they provide health benefits that extend beyond basic nutrition (1).

Functional foods -
Be aware, however, that all functional foods aren't equally beneficial. This category of foods can also include processed foods which have been fortified or enriched with vitamins and minerals that are lost during manufacturing or storing (2).  Processed wheat flour is an example of a fortified food because some B vitamins and iron are added back in to it after the refining process. Another instance of fortification is when micronutrients which aren't normally present in a food are added. Calcium enriched orange juice would be an example of this type of mineral enrichment (3). At first glance fortification and enrichment of foods seems like a good thing.  However, I think it just makes sense to consume unprocessed foods that retain their naturally occurring, unaltered nutrients whenever possible.

So, let's take a look at one functional food that deserves more publicity - black rice. This unprocessed rice has been a staple for a large part of the world's population, but it's only recently gaining popularity here in the US.  I'm not sure why it's taken so long to catch on because I love the delicious nutty taste, firm texture and exotic touch that black rice adds to any dish. Not only does this rice look and taste good, but it's health benefits are outstanding.

Health benefits -
Research has shown that consuming black rice reduces the build up of plaque in the arteries and it also helps to reduce inflammation (4). These health benefits are thought to be the result of the intact outer bran layer that black rice retains.  White rice, on the other hand, loses this outer bran layer during processing.  In addition, research published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry reported on the effects of black rice bran on skin inflammation in lab mice.  This study found that the black rice reduced inflammation by 32%, compared to controls and these benefits weren't seen in tests performed with brown rice extracts (5). These results show the potential anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic benefits that black rice bran possesses. For those looking to reduce chronic inflammation, I think this food is definitely worth adding to your diet.

Here's a quick, easy and tasty recipe suggestion:
Asian Black Rice Stir Fry
Black Rice - cook per package directions (I found the Forbidden Rice brand at Market Street)
julienne carrots
Fresh pea pods
sliced red and yellow peppers
sliced green onion
sliced bok choy
julienne squash
ginger
handful of sesame seeds
cashews

After you've prepped the vegetables, heat grapeseed oil in a wok and add the vegetables in the order listed and cook until tender but crisp. Add organic sesame oil and tamari to taste, stir and top with cashews and enjoy.

Emerging science is giving us a better understanding of how the nutrients in the foods we eat can effect our health, and black rice is just one example of an excellent functional food. So, when faced with the decision of what to eat for our next meal it's important to consider our bodies' unique and specific needs, and then choose foods that will support these needs.  The next post will discuss functional foods in more detail. Until then, when planning your menus over the next few weeks, I encourage you to keep in mind this quote from Hippocrates:  "Let food be thy medicine..." 

Sources
(1) University of Michigan - http://www.med.umich.edu/mfit/nutrition/knowhow/pdfs/FuncFoodsExamples.pdf
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_food 
(3) http://www.eufic.org/page/en/page/FAQ/faqid/fortified-enriched-food-products/ 
(3) http://www.foodinsight.org/Resources/Detail.aspx?topic=Background_on_Functional_Foods
(4) http://jn.nutrition.org/content/131/5/1421.short
(5) http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf102224b

Whole food snacking

Yummy whole food granola

It's back to school time and I thought this would be the perfect occasion to share a recipe for a great whole food granola.  It's delicious for a quick and easy breakfast with some almond milk and fresh fruit, as an after school snack, or you can enjoy it anytime. Making your own granola allows you to avoid the hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and preservatives that are typically found in prepackaged granola.

The original granola recipe comes from the The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book by Jessica K. Black, ND.  I took the liberty of adapting it to suit my family's tastes, and whether or not I want to make granola bars or more of a trail mix consistency.  I prefer to use organic ingredients whenever possible. You can also add dried fruits like dates, apricots and apples.  Newman's Own makes a good line of organic dried fruits, and they contain no sulfites. You can check out their products here. Just remember that dried fruits will increase the amount of sugar per serving. Feel free to modify. I'd love to hear about your favorite recipe changes to make your own version of  healthy granola. 

Whole food granola
Calorie Information per serving: 14 servings
% DV Calories 378, (1583 kJ),19%
From Carbohydrate, 165 (691 kJ)
From Fat 176 (737 kJ)

From Protein 37.1 (155 kJ)

Carbohydrates: Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV

Total Carbohydrate 41.5 g, 14%

Dietary Fiber 6.3 g, 25%

Starch ~20.2 g

Sugars ~9.2 g

Total Fat: 20.9 g, 32%

Saturated Fat 5.4 g, 27%

Monounsaturated Fat 8.3 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 5.8 g

14:01

~0.0

mg

15:01

~0.0

mg

16:1 undifferentiated

61.8

mg

16:1 c

~17.8

mg

16:1 t

~0.9

mg

17:01

~2.2

mg

18:1 undifferentiated

8232

mg

18:1 c

~2361

mg

18:1 t

~0.0

mg

20:01

9.9

mg

22:1 undifferentiated

~0.9

mg

22:1 c

~0.0

mg

22:1 t

~0.0

mg

24:1 c

~1.9

mg

Protein 10.7 g, 21%

Note: I used the Nutrition Data tool found here to calculate the calorie information and to convert to metric amounts.   

Ingredients:

• 6 cups (81 grams) rolled oats
• 1/4 cup (339 grams) honey
• 1/4 cup (200 grams) raw millet
• 1/2 cup (250 grams) unsalted almond butter
• 1 cup (108 grams) raw slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup (168 grams) ground flax seeds
• 3/4 cup (138 grams) raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds shelled)
• 1/2 cup (46 grams) raw shelled sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup (322 grams) maple syrup Grade B
• 1/4 cup (218 grams) coconut oil

Preparation:
When possible use organic ingredients. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients (honey, maple syrup, almond butter and coconut oil) into a saucepan and heat to liquid consistency. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well. Press and flatten into a baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool, break into chunks and store in air tight container. You can try brown rice syrup in place of the honey and add unsweetened, shredded coconut and dried fruits (if you're not diabetic).Enjoy.

No wheat - whole grain bread

I'm discovering a whole new way of approaching food. Rather than thinking of it as just sustenance for my body, I'm looking at food as medicine. In an effort to reduce inflammation, I'm trying the elimination diet which was suggested by my doctor.  This diet is where certain foods aren't eaten for a period of time.  Then the eliminated foods are added back into the diet one at a time. Adding foods back into your diet this way allows you to see specifically which food triggers any allergy symptoms. Then you can better pinpoint the food most likely causing problems.

Experts have found that increasing numbers of people have a sensitivity to the gluten that is found in wheat. Interestingly, this may be ocurring as a result of the farming techniques used to produce wheat in our country. Pesticides, fungicides, and chemical plant growth regulators are being used to grow wheat. Then the wheat is altered further when it is processed into white flour. Many prepackaged foods, and of course, white bread, are all made with this refined, nutrient stripped white flour. The Weston A. Price Foundation has a fascinating article that discusses what happens to wheat from seed to storage here. The article was an eye opener for me.

One of the symptoms of gluten sensitivity is that it causes the immune system to respond with intestinal inflammation. So for now, I'm temporarily eliminating wheat products. It's just that... I really enjoy eating whole wheat bread.  I wondered how I was going to get my bread fix? Well, I found the most amazing honey, whole grain bread recipe in the Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS,CN, and it contains no wheat!

Bob's Red Mill Whole Grains

Although the recipe doesn't suggest it, I made a loaf in the bread machine on the whole wheat cycle. After I proofed the yeast mixture, I put it into the bread machine first, then added the dry mixture and let the machine do the work. Even though the bread machine's whole wheat bread cycle goes through several series of rising and punching down, it still came out deliciously. I did take the pan out of the bread machine after about 35-40 minutes.

Don't let the dough put you off. It's not the usual wheat or white bread dough consistency. I found it to be rather slick, shiny and a bit runny by traditional dough standards.  However, it baked up into a wonderfully moist, dense, crusty and very tasty loaf of bread.

 Some, if not all, of the grains required in the recipe you can get from Bob's Red Mill online, or at Whole Foods or Central Market (in the Dallas area).  The recipe suggests for a slightly sweeter tasting bread, you can replace the amaranth and buckwheat flours for equal amounts of sorghum flour if desired. I thought the bread was sweet enough without substituting, but more sweetness might be a nice change for a breakfast bread. If you can't find some of the flours, I used whole grains and ground them into a flour in my Vita-Mix.  I'm sure a food processor would work just as well too. Here's the recipe:

Honey Whole Grain Bread

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (100 to 110 degrees F)
• 1 tsp whole can sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup teff flour
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour 
• 1/4 cup amaranth flour
• 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and oil a 9x5 inch loaf pan.  Place the warm water and tsp of sugar into a small bowl.  Make sure the water is the right temperature.  If the water is too cold the yeast will not become active and if the water is too hot it will kill the yeast.  Add the yeast and stir.  Proof the yeast by allowing it to stand for 5 to 10 minutes. It should become bubbly, if not start over with fresh yeast and water. Then add the honey, oil, and apple cider vinegar. Stir well with a fork or wire whisk. 
2. In a large bow, add the arrowroot powder, tapioca flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, teff flour, buckwheat flour, amaranth flour, xanthan gum, sea salt and baking soda.  Combine the flours with a wire whisk.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk them together as you are pouring to avoid lumps.  Continue to whisk for another 30 to 60 seconds or so, or until the batter thickens and becomes smooth.
3. Transfer batter to the oiled loaf pan and gently spread out with the back of a spoon.  Place pan, uncovered, into the 200 degree oven.  Let rise for 30 to 35 minutes with the oven door cracked open.  After it has risen, close the oven door and turn the oven temperature up to 375 degrees F.  Bake for 30 minutes. Loosen sides with a knife and place onto a wire rack to cool. 

Enjoy with some almond butter. I'd post a photo, but it's already gone! Yum.  Feel free to share any gluten free bread recipes that you've savored.
  
Sources
Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, 2nd edition, Alissa Segersten, Tom Malterre, MS,CN

Have you tried farro?

I discovered farro the other day while shopping at Whole Foods. It's a relative of wheat but is more easily digestible and has a great flavor. It's also known as Emmer.  Farro is sometimes referred to as spelt.  From what I understand they aren't the same thing, but are closely related. Having said that, if you're doing baking, farro and spelt flours may not be interchangeable.  In any case, farro has an interesting history. It's an ancient grain that fed the Roman legions and it has a high nutritional value. Nutrition data for a ½ cup of raw farro is:

• 170 calories
• 1.5 g of fat
• 0 g saturated fat
• 0 mg of sodium
• 34 g of carbohydrates
• 5 g of dietary fiber
• 2 mg of iron
• 6 g of protein
• 4 mg of niacin
• 60 mg of magnesium
• 2 mg zinc

Image from Bluebird Grain Farms

I've purchased whole grain farro from Whole Foods, but theirs is exported from Italy and is pricey.  I found Bluebird Grain Farms, a family owned farm in Washington, that sells their farro and other grains online.  I like to support family farms. http://www.bluebirdgrainfarms.com/

According to their site, farro is prepared like brown rice, cooks in 50-60 minutes or can be soaked overnight to reduce the cooking time. It makes a fabulous pilaf, grain salad, risotto, it can be added to soups, and sprouted or ground for breads. When cooked, it adds a sweet, full-bodied flavor and a chewy texture that I really enjoy.

I wanted to make muffins yesterday so I decided to grind the whole grain farro into a flour using my Vita-Mix.  This was the first time I've tried making my own flour and it was strangely empowering! I know, strange. Anyway, here's the muffin recipe that I made yesterday, taken from the Vita-Mix cookbook, with a few revisions:

Farro Muffins with Fruit and Carrots

• 3/4 cup (180 mL) whole farro
• 1 tsp. flaxseed
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) raisins (optional)
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) carrots, cut in pieces
• 1 cup (240 mL) pineapple chunks, whole strawberries or total juice (or 1 large orange, peeled) I used the orange
• 1 Tbs. light olive or grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) light brown sugar, packed (I used about 1/8 cup agave nectar)
• 1 to 2 egg whites (optional - use with thick mixtures such as those using orange or carrot) I used 1 whole egg

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).  Lightly coat a 6 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Place whole kernel farro and flaxseed in the Vita-Mix container.  Secure lid. Select Variable speed #1.  Turn on machine and quickly increase speed to #10; then to high.  Run for 1 minute.
3. Add cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Replace the Lid.  Blend for 5 seconds.  Pour into a large mixing bowl.  If desired, add raisins.
4. Place desired fruit or juice, carrot pieces, oil, brown sugar and, if desired, egg whites into the Vita-Mix container.  Select variable, speed #1.  Turn on machine and quickly increase speed to #10, then to High.  Run 10 to 15 seconds. Pour fruit mixture into the flour mixture.  Stir until smooth and all ingredients are moistened.  I added walnuts too at this point.  Spoon into a greased muffin tin, filling each cup full.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 minutes.  Makes 8 muffins.
6. Note: Do not decrease the oil measurement.  It is the minimum amount needed to produce a moist muffin.  If you use honey or decrease the brown sugar the muffins will taste of soda.

The muffins came out moist and tasty.  Thumbs up from my hubby and son. Enjoy.

1 Muffin has 159 calories, 3 g. fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0g cholesterol, 3.8 g. fiber, 4.5 g. protein, 12.7 g. sugar, 50% RDA of Vitamin A

Sources:

http://www.bluebirdgrainfarms.com/
Vita-Mix cookbook http://www.vitamix.com/index.asp

Refined grains and chronic inflammation

My doctor suggested that I consider making changes in some of the foods I eat. Her thinking is: eliminate foods that can cause the body stress and it will then be better able to prevent disease or cope with any disease present. This makes sense to me. One of the ways the body copes when it is stressed is through the immune system response of inflammation. The inflammatory response to injury or germs, for example, is a good thing.  It's the chronic inflammatory response that's not so good.

Some of the foods we frequently eat can cause chronic inflammation, others can reduce inflammation. One group of foods to avoid are those made with refined flour. I'm replacing these with whole grains, which experts believe help reduce chronic inflammation.

Image from www.grainsessential.ca

What are whole grains? Well, this may be obvious but it's important so I'll point it out anyway- they're whole. This means whole grains contain all parts of the grain; the starchy endosperm, the bran, and the germ. In comparison, refined grains and flour are composed of only the starchy endosperm of the grain. They are missing a significant portion of important nutrients. Let's look at a slice of white bread.  The Mayo Clinic states that "a slice of commercially prepared white bread has 66 calories, 1.9 grams protein and 0.6 grams fiber. A slice of whole-wheat bread has 69 calories and provides 3.6 grams protein and 1.9 grams fiber." But that's not the only difference.


Let's now look at the link between eating refined grains and chronic inflammation. Foods have an effect on blood sugar. This is measured by the glycemic index (GI). A food that has a low glycemic index will raise blood sugar much more slowly than a food with a high GI.  According to Dr. Weil, chemical reactions occur in the body between the sugars and protein that produce pro-inflammatory compounds called AGEs (advanced glycation end products). These AGE's can be moderated by keeping blood sugar levels low and stable. So inflammation can be controlled by by eating low GI foods.

Recent research suggests that the glycemic load of foods may be just as important to consider as the index, but that's for another post.  Make sure to check out The University of Sydney, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, Human Nutrition Unit link to their glycemic index tool.  You just enter a food and it tells you the GI and load.http://www.glycemicindex.com/ 

The bottom line - eat more whole grains. 

Sources:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA359518
http://www.glycemicindex.com/