Healthy Breasts

In response to the recent news of Angelina Jolie undergoing a double mastectomy as a “preventative measure” for breast cancer, I would like to offer an alternative solution to a problem and fear faced by many women. The thought of getting breast cancer or any other cancer for that matter can be

devastating for women and their families. However, there is a solution that allows us to feel empowered, pro-active, and fearless. 

The key point I would like to make is that our diet and lifestyle is the best preventative medicine. Hippocrates, the founder of Western medicine, said “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food". I believe this quote to be true, as people who are not as excessive with their intake of food tend to live healthier lives. The scientific proof of this is well-documented in T. Colin Campbell‘s book The China Study. It is undeniable that our diet and lifestyle have a direct impact on our health.

In my field of Diet and Lifestyle Counseling, I use a means of Oriental Diagnosis, which uses physiognomy and acupuncture meridians as a way to assess a person’s overall condition. While this type of diagnosis does not use fancy equipment, it is quite accurate. A skilled practitioner is able to detect a potential problem long before it is detected by medical testing. Thanks to this type of diagnosis, my clients are able to make dietary and lifestyle adjustments to cleanse their bodies, strengthen their blood and immune system, and restore their condition back to balance. Many of our clients have had complete success in recovering their health naturally, while others choose to combine medical treatment with a dietary approach to healing. Macrobiotics is not opposed to Western medical treatment when needed. It is my experience that that the two approaches to health can be complimentary. My clients who have had medical treatment heal and recover more quickly when they eat well.

In Oriental medicine there is an up-down correlation between different organs in the body. Each organ system is seen in pairs. For example, the lungs are paired with the large intestines. The breasts, while not exactly part of the lungs happen to rest on top of the lung area so there is also a correlation, which simply means that the key to healthy breasts is having a healthy digestive system. When we eat excessive foods, such as meat and dairy, combine it with sugar and other refined sweets it is just a disaster waiting to happen. If a problem does not develop in the breasts, sooner or later, a problem is likely to manifest in another part of the body. This being said, having a mastectomy is not the cure to prevent cancer, rather it is a set up for a problem to develop elsewhere. I would like to send a message to all women and say, let’s take care of our breasts and our entire body by eating a plant-based diet, or at the very least, by eating more grains and vegetables.

For healthy breasts (and a healthy body) here are my top “Power Breast” foods:

1.Whole grains, especially brown rice, millet and barley.
   *Grains strengthen the digestive system and are low in fat. 

2. Have a bowl of homemade miso soup 5 to 7 times a week.
   *Miso soup is very easy to make, it takes about 10 minutes to
     make and is very strengthening to the digestive system.
     Miso soup helps to build good intestinal flora and cleans the intestinal villi.        

     A small bowl a day helps keep the doctor away!

3. Eat one serving of quick steamed leafy green vegetables 5 to 7 times a week.
    *Quick steamed greens are rich in minerals and fiber which helps the overall functioning of the

     digestive system by keeping it clean and active to do its job eliminating excess.
     Just remember, do not overcook your greens, they need to be crunchy!

Below is a recipe for millet cooked with sweet vegetables.
This is a miso soup recipe from a previous post.

Millet with Sweet Vegetables

Millet is a whole grain with overall “settling” qualities. Energetically it is very helpful for breast problems because it helps to draw excess from the upper body and allows it to discharge naturally through the digestive system. As an added bonus, it is also very balancing for the central organs and especially helpful in stabilizing blood sugar.
Ingredients:
1/3-cup of diced onion
1/3-cup of diced cabbage
1/3-cup of diced carrots
1 cup millet; washed several times to remove any debris
3 1/4 to 4 cups of water -When serving millet as a breakfast porridge use 5 cups of water
A small pinch o sea salt - about 1/16 of a teaspoon

Preparation:
* Place onions on the bottom of the pot with just enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Add a tiny   

   pinch of sea salt (literally a few grains) and cook 5 minutes or until the water begins to evaporate.
* Layer cabbage, then carrot and millet on top of the onions.
* Add water and another tiny pinch of sea salt.
* Cover and bring to a boil on a medium flame.
* Place a flame deflector underneath the pot and simmer on low for 40 minutes.
* Remove grain from the pot, place in serving dish and cover with a sushi mat.
* The texture and consistency should be slightly moist and fluffy.

Here are some of my favorite Millet and sweet vegetable combinations:
Onion and cauliflower
Onion, leeks, parsnips
Onion, sweet potato
Onion, cabbage, parsnip

The Farmers' Market; buy fresh, local and seasonal!

For me, one of the best parts of spring is the start of the farmers’ markets. Here in Philadelphia, they are becoming more popular every year. I think this is wonderful, because the ubiquity of farmers’ markets indicates a social awareness of the benefits of fresh, locally-grown food. For me, going to the farmers’ market is foreplay for my creativity! I feel so alive surrounded by an assortment of healthy, organic, fresh, locally-grown vegetables and fruits. Their colors are brilliant. You find unique varieties that you have never seen before. These vegetables have vitality. They whet my appetite. They appeal to my sense of beauty and inspire me to get creative in the kitchen. George Ohsawa, the founder of modern day macrobiotics, said that we are to marvel at nature. Beautifully grown vegetables are a physical manifestation of nature’s energy. We can share an intimate part of this energy when we eat fresh vegetables.

Denny and I recommend having vegetables with every meal. Doing your shopping at the farmers’ market makes eating lots of vegetables easy, because there is such an abundant variety of produce to choose from. The farmers’ market also facilitates menu planning, because, unlike the grocery store, everything at the farmers’ market is local and in season. Even better, freshly-picked vegetables stay fresh longer. From an economical standpoint, shopping at the farmers’ market will also save you a considerable amount of money on your weekly grocery bill. To sum it up, you can’t go wrong with a weekly visit to your local farmers’ market! To sample one of my inspired creations, try my recipe for Arugula and Wild Mushroom Salad, yum!


Arugula and Wild Mushroom Salad

This was so delicious I just had to take a picture!

Ingredients:
Fresh Arugula - rinse well to remove any debris
Wild mushrooms - I used Beech and Maitake
Half moon slices of red onion
Tofu Cheese - seasoned to taste with umeboshi vinegar (See earlier posts for a description of this ingredient).
Organic Extra virgin Olive oil
Sea Salt (Just a pinch, about 1/16 of a teaspoon)
Shoyu - 1/4 teaspoon
Mirin - 3 to 4 drops

Preparation:
Place the washed arugula in a bowl.
Add the tofu cheese on top of the arugula.

To Prepare the mushrooms:
Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan.
Add the red onion and begin to sauté.
Add a little water, a pinch of sea salt and 2 to 3 drops of umeboshi vinegar.
Add the Beech mushrooms, cover the pot and simmer for 1 minute.
Add the Maitake mushrooms and lightly season with shoyu and mirin.
Continue to sauté for another minute to cook the mushrooms and blend the seasonings together.
Pour the warm mushrooms and onions over the arugula and lightly toss.

Suffering from Allergies?

Spring is in full bloom. Pussy willows, cherry blossoms, forsythia and magnolia trees offer a vibrant collage of color. Spring is just bursting with beauty and after the cold, damp rains that precede the flowers, I am finding that I want to spend as much time as possible outside.

However, if you suffer from allergies it can put a real damper on your outdoor activities. 

What can you do to ease your seasonal  suffering? 

There are several changes you can make to your diet to alleviate allergy symptoms.
Try eliminating foods that cause stagnation and mucus build-up in your body.
Animal and dairy foods are at the top of this list, as is refined sugar and artificial sweeteners.

If you consume these foods on a regular basis, try leaving them out of your diet for a few

days and see how you feel. I bet that you will notice a reduction in your allergy symptoms. 

For those of you who already eat a plant-based diet, there are many other dietary adjustments that 

you can make to reduce allergy symptoms. Foods that are dry, hard, baked, flaky or salty will exacerbate your allergies. Reducing your intake of fruit and fruit juices will help to curtail the itchy, watery eye symptoms. Tropical fruits are much more acidic and should be avoided completely due to their acidic nature. Sweeteners such as agave, honey, high fructose corn syrup or the more cleverly disguised “corn sugar” are highly acidifying and contribute to many allergies. Plant-based “dairy-like” substitutes should be avoided due to the thick, creamy consistency which contributes to mucus build up and is stagnating to the lymph system. Consuming cold foods and beverages can harden mucus causing more stagnation and making the excess more difficult to eliminate. In addition many of the above foods will make your condition acidic, which weakens your blood and immune system.

The key to feeling better is to eat more grains and vegetables. In addition, including foods such as miso soup and good quality pickles will improve your digestion, strengthen and alkalize your blood quality and make your body more resistant to allergic reactions.

For those of you who are not familiar with the above foods, the easiest pickle to incorporate into your diet is sauerkraut. Many health food stores sell natural, unpasteurized sauerkraut, often made with sea salt. Miso soup has long been used in Japan and has numerous health benefits..

Recipe for basic miso soup
Ingredients:
Wakame or alaria sea vegetable - Use about 1 inch per cup of water.
One to two thin slices of root and/or round vegetables per cup of liquid used.
Leafy greens
Aged barley or Brown rice miso - Use 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of miso per cup of liquid
Finely chopped scallions for garnish

Preparation:
Soak the sea veggies in water until it is soft enough to cut into even pieces.
Discard the soaking water.
Measure the desired amount of water and pour it into a stainless steel pot.
Add the sea vegetables, turn on the flame and bring the water to a boil.
Add the root, and/or round vegetables and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, measure the miso and place it in a small bowl.
Take a little of the stock and dilute the miso, then use a wooden utensil to dissolve the miso.
Add the leafy greens to the soup.
Add the diluted miso to the boiling water. Note: the water needs to be boiling when you add the miso. The boiling water activates the miso. After you add the miso the water will stop boiling. Immediately lower the flame and simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Garnish with finely chopped scallion before serving,

Note: You want to use Naturally fermented miso from a reputable source, either a good quality Natural Food store or from a Natural food Mail order company. Good quality sea vegetables may also be purchased in the health food store.

Types of miso recommended:
Aged Barley miso or “Mugi” miso
Brown rice or Sweet tasting Brown rice miso
White Miso
Or Try a combination of aged barley together with younger white miso.

                            Make your health strong and enjoy the full beauty of the season!

Photo taken by Chef Ralph

Peace On Earth Day

When I heard about the bombings at the Boston Marathon, I was shocked, saddened, and deeply disturbed. It seems that there are more and more acts of violence every day in our society. What disturbs me the most about the Boston bombings is that they targeted a global family event. The Boston Marathon attracts spectators and athletes from all over the world: people of all ages, races, and walks 

of life come to participate in or watch this annual event. Because such a global event was targeted, 

I see these attacks as a crime against humanity.

The Boston Marathon bombings are just another sign of how unhealthy our society has become. 

The real question is, what is fueling these violent actions and thoughts? Has the health of our society deteriorated to such an extent that people are becoming disconnected to their brothers and sisters, 

losing control of their humanity, and acting out their aggression on innocent people?

When people are not physically and mentally well, can they be helped?
I believe that the way we choose to “fuel” ourselves through the food we eat has a direct effect not only on our physical health but also our emotional and spiritual health. You cannot separate these three aspects of health: our physical health is reliant upon our emotional and spiritual health; our emotional health is reliant upon our physical and spiritual health; and our spiritual health is reliant upon our physical and emotional health.

Many of us live on fast foods that produce extreme energetic effects on our bodies.
A perfect example can be seen in all the problems related to blood sugar, such as hypoglycemia and diabetes. To make matters worse, our food sources have become unnatural and good-quality food is becoming scarce. Many foods contain harmful preservatives, additives, and GMO’s, and this is but a short list. For those who choose to eat animal and dairy foods, the situation is far worse. Most animals raised for food consumption live in sordid, unhealthy conditions and are not fed food that is conducive to their health. Can you imagine what energetic effect such living and eating conditions has on these animals and on the people who consume these animal products? If we make the connection between diet and health, then we are able to see more clearly that by making poor food choices it is not just our physical and emotional health that is at risk, but the spirit that makes us human.

The offers of help, prayers, and thoughts that I’ve heard and read about about in the past few days give this tragedy a slight silver lining. These acts give me hope for our society. Moving forward in order for our society to improve its health and heal, we need to look at the bigger picture and re-examine what creates peaceful people. I believe we need to take the initiative to improve our food quality and educate people on the importance of how food choices effect every aspect of our lives, including our behavior towards other human beings. Healthy people create healthy societies, and healthy societies create a healthier planet. Since we are just a few days away from Earth Day (Monday April 22nd), I would like to invite you to join me in celebrating “Peace On Earth Day.” On April 22nd, take a minute to do something for someone else, sit down to a balanced meal of whole grains and vegetables, or better yet, share a meal with someone else. Take a moment to remember that we are all in this world together!

Beat the Bloat

Now that Spring is here, we are all thinking about flip-flops, groovy sunglasses, and how to get rid of that spare tire we might be carrying (you know, the one around the middle). Perhaps you are looking in the mirror and feeling a little winter-weary when you see puffy eyes, or notice that your skin could use some TLC. All of these symptoms are often caused by and/or perpetuated by consuming too much salt or a combination of salty, hard, dry, baked foods.

Enter my "Beat the Bloat Approach”! 

Here are my favorite foods to put a spring in your step and help reduce bloating. However, please keep in mind that these are all quick fixes, and do not replace a balanced diet. In the long run, it is important to cut back on the amount of salt you use and the number of hard, baked foods you consume. Regarding exercise, the best and simplest thing to do is to walk outside as often as you can. Walking outside is naturally balancing, and will strengthen your digestion. Walking is also a great way to enjoy the warm spring weather!

Beat the Bloat Quick Fixes:

• Cucumbers: light and refreshing; also a natural diuretic.
• Asparagus with fresh lemon: although asparagus can be acidfying (too much can lead to mineral loss) bloating is often caused by too much salt. It can be helpful to eat a little asparagus to help take out any extra salt and relieve your bloat. 
• Vegetable Juice: please see my post on fresh veggie juice, "Green Cocktails Anyone" [April 2012.]
• Dried Shitake Mushroom Tea: this mild tea will help rid your body of excess salt. 
• Good-Quality Green Tea 
• Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice 
• Good-Quality Micro-Brewed Beer: serve at cellar temperature--not too cold!
• Eat plenty of quick-steamed greens with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Top Ten Reasons to Go Green (Vegetables, that is)

1. They are high in fiber and rich in minerals. 
2. They are a good source of calcium. 
3. They go great with any meal, breakfast, lunch and dinner. 
4. They can be sautéed, steamed or blanched. 
5. They can be cooked in grain and pasta dishes. 
6. Some of them can be cooked with their roots, very dynamic! 
7. They can be sautéed and added to beans dishes. 
8. You can roll them up and smoke them (don’t worry, just kidding!) 
9. They can be used in salads. 
10. They can be grown in a backyard garden or on your back porch. 

Here is a list of my favorite greens that also just happen to be the most beneficial for your health. 

Arugula
Baby bok choy
Belgian Endive
Bok choy
Broccoli Rabe
Collards
Carrot greens
Daikon radish greens
Dandelion greens
Escarole
Kale, such as Lacinto, Red Russian, Green Curly
Leeks
Lettuce greens, such as Iceberg, Romaine, Red Leaf, and Bibb
Mizuna (a kind of green that can often be found in an Asian market)
Mustard greens
Napa cabbage
Purslane
Red radish greens
Turnip greens
Wild Watercress

I wish you all good health and good luck! Also, érinn go brách!

Sweet Seduction

Entice your tastebuds (and your lover(s)...) with my Caramel Rice Pudding this Valentine’s Day. 

For an extra sensorial pleasure I use risotto rice for its creamy texture. My first preference is the Carnaroli variety because I find it to be lighter in consistency than other types of risotto rice. 

Grain-based sweeteners combined with a touch of maple syrup yield a rich caramel flavor, and high-quality olive oil creates a decadent, buttery richness. Garnish with your favorite fresh berries and a sprig of mint to enhance the refreshing quality and balance the sweetness. This dessert is both beautiful and delicious but will not give you a sugar headache-- definitely something to celebrate! I have served this dessert at dinner parties to my non-macro, non-vegan, sugar eating friends and it was even a hit with them. To me, this is the ultimate compliment.

Happy Valentine's Day, I love you all!

Mini desserts served at our New Years Party

Caramel Rice Pudding
This recipe is similar to traditional rice puddings which are usually made with milk or cream. By using the risotto rice I achieve a creamy texture without the use of any dairy or dairy-like substitutes.
Please note that the success of your pudding depends upon using quality ingredients and taking the time to cook the rice properly. If you have a special bottle of olive oil hiding in your pantry, break it out to use in this recipe. 

Ingredients:
1 cup organic carnaroli risotto rice
5 cups water
1 cup apple juice
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon organic olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of fresh squeezed orange juice

Preparation:
Heat the apple juice and water together in a stainless steel stockpot (to cook the risotto).

Heat a little olive oil in a heavier style pot. Add the risotto rice and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
Ladle the warm liquid over the rice; add the sea salt and stir. Allow the liquid to begin to absorb into the rice almost completely before adding additional liquid.
Continue to ladle the liquid into the rice and stir after each ladle is added. You will be cooking the rice slowly over a low flame. When you reach the consistency and texture you desire turn off the flame and add the fresh orange juice. Gently fold to blend all the ingredients together.

Note: If you want a more creamy texture use the entire amount of liquid. If you like the rice to have more texture use a little less liquid.

Caramel topping :
½ cup brown rice syrup
½ cup barley malt
1 Tablespoon of water
2 -3 drops of Umeboshi vinegar
1 teaspoon of fresh squeezed orange juice

Preparation:
Put the water, rice syrup, and barley malt in a saucepan.
Add the umeboshi vinegar and mix well with a wooden spoon.
Gently heat the mixture until it begins to boil around the edges of the pan.
Turn the flame off. Add the fresh orange juice and mix well.

To serve:
Add a small amount of the "caramel sauce" into a serving dish.
Add the rice, then top off with a little more sauce.
Add some fresh berries and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.