Organic Apple Picking

We went to Avalon Organics (http://www.avalonorchards.net/index.html) this past weekend and

picked SO many apples!  It was important that we went to an organic orchard as we did not

want to walk through fields of pesticides, nor did we want to bring them home with us.  All they

did was spray Kaolin Clay once early in the season on their crops and those nasty little pests

kept away! Apples are a low glycemic food, rich in fiber, eliminate bad estrogens, and are rich in

nutrients.

Organic food has fewer hormone-disrupting and cancer-causing pesticides and higher levels of

cancer-fighting nutrients.  As the Harvard School of Public Health recently released their data

stating that by choosing 5 servings of organic fruits and vegetables per day, most people can

lower their volume of pesticides they consume daily by 92%.

Another study out of Harvard shows that even tiny, allowable amounts of a common pesticide

class can have dramatic effects on brain chemistry. Organophosphate insecticides (OP’s) are

among the most widely used pesticides in the U.S. & have long been known to be particularly

toxic for children. This is the first study to examine their effects across a representative

population with average levels of exposure. Finding :: Kids with above-average pesticide

exposures are 2x as likely to have ADHD. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2010/05/17/peds.2009-3058.abstract

 

Fall is here with Squash Soup

I was craving soup the other day and quickly whipped up this delcious batch of healthy squash soup.  Squash is rich in beta carotene, anti-oxidants, vitamin C, is a good source of fiber, supports the immune system and protects the eyes.
Here is what I did.....

 

sauteed onions

added cut up squash

 

puree soup and add freshly grated apple and finished pureeing

season with salt, pepper, cinnamon or fresh ginger.
enjoy!

So What Might You Be Eating?

I gave an informal lecture to a mom's group last week and we discussed food ingredients.  There are a lot more additives put into food, especially into packaged foods.  I compiled a short list of ingredients to try avoid and thought I would share with y'all!

     Aspartame:

more popularly known as Nutrasweet and Equal. Aspartame is believed to be carcinogenic and accounts for more reports of adverse reactions than all other foods and food additives combined.  Aspartame is also a neurotoxin. Known to erode intelligence and affect short-term memory, the components of this toxic sweetener may lead to a wide variety of ailments including brain tumor, diseases like lymphoma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue, emotional disorders like depression and anxiety attacks, dizziness, headaches, nausea, mental confusion, migraines and seizures.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (in Canada called glucose/fructose-read you labels and you will see how often glucose/fructose is in your food!):

As discovered by Princeton researchers HFCS leads to obesity. They discovered that rats which had access to high fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to basic table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same. 

Food Dyes: Blue #1 and #2; Red #3, Yellow #6, Tartrazine

may contribute to behavioral problems in children and lead to a significant reduction in IQ. Animal studies have linked other food colorings to cancer. Banned in Norway, Finland and France. Has been proven to cause thyroid cancer and chromosomal damage in laboratory animals, may also interfere with brain-nerve transmission

Check product ingredient lists for beet, carotenes, annatto (a paprika extract)—all are natural colorants.

MSG:  

    is known as an excitotoxin, a substance which overexcites cell

to the point of damage or death. Studies show that regular consumption of MSG may result in adverse side effects which include depression, disorientation, eye damage, fatigue, headaches, and obesity. MSG effects the neurological pathways of the brain and disengaged the "I'm full" function which explains the effects of weight gain.

Sodium nitrite

  is used as a preservative, coloring and flavoring in bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats corned beef, smoked fish and other processed meats. Highly carcinogenic once it enters the human digestive system.  This chemical is used as it turns meats bright red. It's actually a color fixer, and it makes old, dead meats appear fresh and vibrant.

Avoid Microwaved popcorn:  

    the bags are lined with Perfluorooctanoic (PFOA) acid which lines the bags, and when heated the compound is released. It is toxic, carcinogenic and a hormone disruptor.  Here is the post of how to make stove top popcorn. http://forhealthyroots.blogspot.com/2011/05/stove-top-popcorn.html

Summer Holiday and Tomato Sauce.....

It has been a little while since I have been in this space.  It has been busy!!  We went away in mid-August to a farm with our friends in Prince Edward County.  We had such a wonderful time.  There was this amazing garden that we were free to help ourselves to and there were literally hundreds of tomatoes, potatoes to be dug up, brocolli flowers, and squash.  The kids had a great time running into the fields and picking a part of dinner.

 just on the other side of the road is the garden

My good friend's E and R were with us and both are phenomenal cooks.  I learned a lot watching them quickly prepare delcious meals.   I decided to try make a homemade tomato sauce from all the freshly picked tomatos.  I boiled a pot of water and dropped about a dozen tomatoes into the pot for about 30 seconds to help deskin them.  I peeled the skins off and de-seeded them and threw them in a pot.  I had been slow cooking some onions and added these with some fresh garlic and basil and let it stew for about 2 hours.  It was amazing! The picture below is from Ewan's bday dinner.  I brought home some tomatoes and made it again for his family.  What was so amazing was the garlic was from our friend's farm and the basil from our garden.

 

Here are a few other shots of our trip

dexter in the open field

3 boys and a girl at sandbanks

his furry friend

Can't wait to do it all again next year!  How was your summer holiday?