All posts by Deidre

A child of Colorado, Delaware, Oregon, and California – where she obtained her first college degree and became a Nursing Home Administrator – Deidre Edwards now resides in North Carolina. While helping her husband start a video production business and raising their two children, Deidre returned to college to earn her nursing degree. A teacher at heart, she soon applied her nursing skills and knowledge to helping high school students expand their medical career interests through the Health Science Program she established. After retiring from teaching, Deidre wrote her first book – Toolkit for Wellness – as a response to the health issues she witnessed while working. She witnessed both students and staff had struggling with excess weight, diabetes, poor food choices, and stress issues – yet everyone shared the desire for a healthier life. Her easy-to-understand explanations of body functions and how foods break down, clearly show her passion for teaching others. Deidre’s dual passion in learning about habits and habit formation is expressed in her books and regular blog writings so others can learn how to make big improvements through daily small changes. Life took a dramatic turn when Deidre’s husband became confined to bed under Hospice care at home for over two years. With all of her nursing skills on board, and a deep love between them to sweeten the moments, she provided the loving, quality-of-life care he needed. Still the teacher at heart, Deidre realized there was a huge need to light the way for others as they walked the path of caregiving for a loved one. Hence, she wrote Toolkit for Caregivers and Love Lives Here, Toolkit for Caregiver Survival. Together, both books address the caregiving processes, skills, and issues for before, during, and afterward. Deidre continues to be involved with her community through choral singing groups, volunteering for the North Carolina Symphony, Chamber of Commerce, church functions, and activities with friends and family. She also enjoys the time she spends promoting her books and speaking with others about health and caregiving.
Blogging for good health!

Just One More Thing …

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As a follow up to last week’s post about do-it-yourself Near East Quinoa and Rice blends, let me share by adding about a tablespoonful of olive oil to the mixture as it cooks, rounding out the depth of the flavors.

In fact, while cooking any kind of rice or quinoa, I’ve come to add either olive oil or my “happy” butter from grass fed Irish cows. As a lover of butter on hot rice, adding just a tablespoon during cooking satisfies my butter desire while decreasing the quantity I might consume when applied afterward.

Also, this recent dive into quinoa, inspired a fun new texture ingredient for how I tweak gluten-free boxed muffin mixes.

Whenever we want to linger over coffee or tea in the morning before our first real meal, a mini-muffin will fill the bill.

There’s something about a mini muffin that just says, “I love you!” Increase that love message by cranking up the nutritional factors.

Here’s what I am doing:

Tweaking Concepts for Muffin Mixes

For plain gluten-free mixes such as King Arthur, create your own flavor profile such as:

Orange-Coconut-Walnut

To the dry mix add:

Zest of one navel orange

Handful of walnut pieces, chopped

1 – 1 ½ cups/ 235 – 355 ml, cooked quinoa, cooled

¼ cup/60 ml collagen hydrolysate

2 TBS/ 15 ml freshly ground flax seed

Cinnamon to taste

For the water/milk component measure out:

Juice from that orange

One half can of full-fat coconut milk (use half of the solid coconut cream and half

of the coconut fluid)

Enough water or dairy of choice to measure up to the required fluid total

Follow the package directions regarding eggs and melted butter. If the batter is too dry, add a bit of fluid of choice, stirring after each small addition.

Mix, spoon into prepared mini-muffin tins and bake as directed.

Cranberry-Walnut-Orange-Apple

Add chopped fresh or dried cranberries

Chopped walnuts

Orange zest and juice

½ cup/ 120 ml unsweetened applesauce

Try freshly ground chia seeds instead of the flax

Cooked quinoa

Collagen hydrolysate

Cinnamon

Blueberry-Lemon-Coconut

For the gluten-free blueberry mix such as Krusteaz, add all or some of the following:

Zest of one lemon – lemon is the perfect complement to blueberries

1 – 2 TBS/ 15-30 ml of lemon juice

½ cup/ 120 ml unsweetened finely grated coconut

And the usual options as mentioned above:

Cooked, cooled quinoa

Collagen hydrolysate

Ground flax seed

Walnuts

Cinnamon

I had no cooked quinoa the other day but managed to cook and cool some by the time preparation for everything else was complete. Remember to thoroughly rinse the raw quinoa in a colander under running water prior to cooking to help neutralize the factors that inhibit nutrient absorption.

This is concept cooking at its finest!

There’s no pressure for precise duplications, but the texture of these muffins, with the added quinoa, makes me want to keep it as a go-to tweaking element.

Personal allergies to nuts or dairy can easily be accommodated by switching out ingredients.

To learn more about the nutrients behind these ingredients and how to prepare nuts for optimal nutrition, check out my book, Toolkit for Wellness.

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In health-

Deidre

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Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Recipes, This -n- That

Let’s Take A Trip To The Nearly Near East

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I have a problem with quinoa.

No, it’s not the spelling or the pronunciation – (KEEN-wah).

It’s the texture – or that its texture is so loose and not stuck together, which makes it seem too light, fluffy, and not substantial.

Oh, they make sticky quinoa just like sticky rice; but, for me, it’s too sticky.

Now I sound like Goldilocks. Too loose. Too sticky. Searching for the middle ground.

When my sweetheart showed me his favorite quinoa at the store, we bought and prepared it for dinner that night. Just like Goldilocks, this one was just right.

What was the difference?

The Near East brand he liked was a mixture of both quinoa and brown rice and offered the perfect blend of herbs and spices.

Voila and Eureka!

But I didn’t like buying a small box of the stuff every time I wanted savory quinoa. I have giant bags of quinoa and brown rice at home; so, all I had to do was duplicate the spice blend.

After snapping a picture of their ingredients list on the box, I set out to create my own version of their recipe for yumminess and texture.

I know labels start with the largest quantities of ingredients and in descending order, continue to the least. That list gave me a hazy road map – the rest was up to me.

Ingredients:  Quinoa**, parboiled long grain brown rice, salt, maltodextrin, yeast extract, onion powder, garlic powder, dried rosemary, dried parsley, tomato powder, dextrose, sugar, citric acid, spices, tapioca maltodextrin, natural flavor, sunflower oil, olive oil, tocopherols – preservative.

Clearly, some items were never going to be in my version: maltodextrin, yeast extract, dextrose, citric acid, tapioca maltodextrin, natural flavor, (highly processed) sunflower oil, and tocopherol preservatives. I also had plans to replace the sugar with a pinch of erythritol and monk fruit sugar alternative.

Did you know that according to Better Homes and Gardens magazine, “natural flavor” is a mystery ingredient defined by the FDA as:

“a substance extracted, distilled, or similarly derived from natural sources like plants, (fruits, herbs, veggies, barks, roots, etc.), or animals, (meat, dairy products, eggs, etc.), via a method of heating, with its main function in food being flavoring not nutritional.”

Why am I not leaping for joy?

As for the tomato powder, I’ve never had any. Is it a thing? But I found a tomato/basil seasoning blend recently and will be using it as I prepare for this post. We’ll see how it works out.

On to my concept recipe with no measurements for the spices:

Nearly East Quinoa and Brown Rice with Olive Oil

In a saucepan put:

  • 2/3 cup/ 156 ml       quinoa – rinsed in water and drained to reduce the anti-nutrient content
  • 1/3 cup/ 78 ml         brown rice
  • 2 cups/ 473 ml        water
  • Salt
  • Onion powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Crushed dried rosemary
  • Dried parsley
  • Optional pinch of sugar or erythritol
  • Additional spices/herbs that may contain:
    • Dried tomato flakes
    • Dried basil
    • Dried oregano

Give everything a good stir, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook until all water has been absorbed.

We have been totally satisfied with the results of combining two parts quinoa, with one part brown rice, along with this assortment of spices and olive oil.

It’s also more economical to easily duplicate this mix from what is already in your cupboard than buy it pre-done.

This quinoa/rice blend is a handy side dish and makes a nice addition sprinkled cold on a salad or added to a breakfast bowl instead of grits.

Why do we eat quinoa?

It’s an ancient grain once considered to be sacred by the Incas.

Really a seed, quinoa is prepared the same way grains are. Full of protein, nutrients, and fiber quinoa is also gluten-free and contributes to an anti-inflammatory diet. Rinsing before cooking reduces the elements that prevent our absorption of key nutrients.

Note: If you have chronic kidney stones, the oxalates in quinoa could contribute to stone formation.

The fiber, protein, and a host of nutrients make quinoa a smart carbohydrate to incorporate into your diet. Adding brown rice to the mix doubles down on the high fiber and nutrients.

Both grains can contribute to balancing of blood sugar levels, weight loss, regularity, and reducing cholesterol. What’s not to like?

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In health-

Deidre

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Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Recipes

Big Red Gets Your Body Fed!

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When in doubt, go for the color.

Colorful fruits and vegetables are chockfull of benefits. They are often described as having phytonutrients – which means they have plant-derived compounds that are good for us.

Whether you can quote all the phytonutrients found in each colorful bite or not doesn’t matter.

Just know colorful foods are full of goodness, have less or none of the bad, will not weigh you down, are convenient and affordable, and offer a whole body health boost – as stated by the American Heart Association.

Today, we are concentrating on all things red, with a recipe for red/purple onions at the end.

Lycopene is the standout phytonutrient of red fruits and vegetables. The push to add extra tomato sauce and paste to recipes is because studies show lycopene helps to prevent, and even reverse, prostate cancer.

Watermelon is even higher in lycopene than tomatoes, and it also has citrulline which may help treat Erectile Dysfunction.

But reds are not just benefitting the guys.

We are all getting an abundance of vitamins and minerals with each bite – along with a host of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Remember, excess inflammation drives disease and oxidative stress drives aging and causes the creation of free radicals which contribute to disease.

My recent foray into red onions included an inspiring meal at B J’s Restaurant and Brewhouse in Cary, NC. The food in this chain restaurant was fresh and did not taste mass produced. The Cauliflower and Quinoa Power Bowl with Blackened Salmon sent me home in search of marinated red onion recipes and a desire to recreate the basic parts of this dish.

Many recipes for marinated red onions often include large quantities of sugar in the brine mixture. That’s a no go for me. Others involved several boiling water baths for the onion rings.

Meh. Too much work.

I finally settled on this combination of ingredients that was easy:

Marinated Red Onions 101

In a large, wide-mouth glass jar or large bowl, place 1 large red onion, sliced into thin circles.

In a smaller bowl, combine the following:

1/4 cup / 60 ml         red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup / 60 ml         water

2 Tbs. / 30ml              extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. / 5 ml                 Dijon mustard – I used spicy brown mustard this time

1 tsp. / 5 ml                 honey

1 Tbs. / 15 ml             chopped fresh herbs or 1 tsp. / 5 ml dry herbs (to taste) – I used dried oregano

1/2 tsp. / 2.5 ml        sea salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste.

Whisk the ingredients until well-combined and pour over the onions.

If using a glass jar, screw on the lid and shake a bit to coat and break apart the onion slices. Refrigerate and shake every so often.

If using a bowl, stir the onions and marinade, separating the onion rings as you go. Cover, refrigerate, and stir occasionally.

These rings will be crunchy and tasty in a few hours, and deliciously wilted in a day or two.

Marinated red onions offer visual, taste, and textural appeal to salads, protein entrees, tacos, burgers, and to top savory quinoa.

You don’t have to tell the family they are getting blood pressure lowering sulfur, lots of quercetin to calm inflammation and impart antibacterial protection, fiber, probiotics, or a host of other things.

Nope. Just enjoy the compliments

Look how our dinner plates turned out. The protein was sliced boneless pork chops.

Recipe for my homemade version of Near East Rice with Quinoa next time.

See if you can add some red pepper, tomato, strawberry, raspberry, watermelon, apple, cranberry, cherry, red onion, pomegranate, or beet to your next meal.

In health-

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!

Wash Day Blues? Here’s One Solution!

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Foodtalk4you readers: Aww. Come on.

Me: Yes? Got a problem?

Readers: Yes. First you told us we’re eating foods that will do us harm.

Me: That’s right. The introduction of processed foods into any society marks the beginning of modern medical illnesses.

Readers: Then you told us we even talk to ourselves the wrong way.

Me: Absolutely. Negative self-talk doubles down on predictably bad outcomes.

Readers: You also told us we might be breathing the wrong way.

Me: Correct. Aren’t you enjoying your lower pulse, blood pressure, and increased energy since you stopped breathing through your mouth?

Readers: Hmmm, yes.

Me: So why the long faces?

Readers: Now you’re going to tell us how to do the “@#$%&” laundry?

Me: Well, yes. Seems I might have been doing laundry wrong myself. See, I’ve learned about a guy who is THE laundry guru. I read an article about him in Reader’s Digest that made sense, so I bought his book. You know, I love to pass on helpful information.

Readers: You do specialize in sharing great ideas.

Me: Thank you. Are you ready to learn something cool?

Readers: Okay. You’ve never steered us wrong before. You’re probably going to say we need to wash in special detergent using bottled water, right?

Me: Funny. No. Just sit back and follow along. I think you are going to like this.

My mom adored doing the laundry. Back in the day, she taught me to enjoy the fresh outdoor scent in the sheets and towels, before machine dryers were a thing.

We’d even watch the clothes slosh around in the washer with fascination, while wondering why my grandmother was such a hold-out as she continued to use her wringer washer well into the late 1960s.

Most of our concerns today seem to center on water and power conservation – along with being kind to our clothes and gentle on our skin and to the environment.

Therefore, many of us use cold water exclusively. Patric Miller’s book is making me think differently. He holds free Laundry Camps at the Mall of America in Minneapolis where he shares his research and experience in the care of textiles.

Bottom line: The cold water in our homes is usually 53 degrees F or so, and is too cold to dissolve our cold-water detergents that need 58-62 degrees F. The result is that soap can accumulate in our clothes, along with the dirt and body oils, it is not helping to release.

To prove his point, simply put a cold water washed item in some truly warm water and watch it suds up.

He also suggests using the express cycle exclusively to save wear and tear on fabrics – clothes will be in warm water for only 8 minutes – too short of a time to bother delicate items. This short cycle saves time and water.

Fabric softeners? They are coating our clothes with silicone. How healthy could that be for our skin?

Miller suggests using a ball of crunched-up aluminum foil to prevent static cling in the dryer. The aluminum should neutralize the electricity and you can use the tight ball of aluminum foil several times before replacing it.

His best dryer idea is to use at least three wool dryer balls to eliminate static and cut drying time by up to 40%. I have just purchased my first set and will report back to you how I like them. No aluminum or silicone!

Shortening wash and dry times will more than pay for the small bit of warm water used. Replacing dryer sheets with wool balls will save some cash, trash, time, and exposure to chemicals.

Miller has more tips on effective sorting, keeping blue jeans blue, and keeping whites, white. I think you would benefit from using his strategies.

Decreasing our exposure to chemicals in the fabrics touching our skin can go a long way to improving our personal health and that of our planet.

Here’s to cleaner laundry.

In health-

Deidre

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It’s Our 8th Birthday at FoodTalk4You!!

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Today, exactly 8 years ago, foodtalk4you.com was born.

We have covered quite an assortment of topics over the years – all to uplift and edify those who knew there must be a more natural way to get and stay healthy.

Research in the last 12 months has revealed new paths to self-renewal that I have shared with you. As a nod to our anniversary number, here are what I believe are our top 8 by reader popularity.

  1. Last April, I introduced you to Breath – The New Science of a Lost Art, by James Nestor, which sets the stage for optimal health through how we breathe. Who knew our very anatomy and physiology would be so dependent upon how we get air into our bodies? Nestor dramatically shows how he reversed his mouth breathing and a host of common health problems. All breathers should read this book.
  • A post in May shared how to do a Body Scan prior to, and just after, exercise. Why did this make the top 8? Because this easy 2-minute body scan is yet another way to be more mindful of our bodies. Our thoughts are so often directed away from ourselves that we seldom “check in” with how we are doing.
  • Combining two posts featuring crockpot soups from Creamy Fascination and Game Day Crock Pot Soup , we are reminded that home cooking from scratch can involve minimal preparation and effort yet yield wholesome goodness.
  • With supplies as simple as a fine-tipped pen and a shading pencil, creating a relaxing artistic process with little-to-no skills was shared in October with Zentangles. How I love to grab a small piece of paper to practice organized doodling. There are Facebook groups, ZIA Tangling for beginners and Zen Tangle 101 to learn and share – including how people are managing their personal limitations by exploring this art form.
  • My foray into a better understanding of how to avoid human infirmities started off in 2022 when I discovered Metabolical by Robert H. Lustig, MD. Lustig is putting things together for me with more clarity than I’ve read before. If you believe we are designed for health like I do, this one is for you. It set the stage for me to read the eighth article in our list.
  • Whether you are a person of faith or not, the writings of John Roedel in his Hey, God, and, Remedy, books speak to the souls of anyone who has ever had self-doubt, trauma, depression, or personal angst of any sort with words of understanding and compassion. Both of his books provide me with a helping hand that comes through the page and into my own.
  • I saved the best for last. The one written resource that is improving my natural health is undoubtedly, Vitamin K and the Calcium Paradox. As shared in early March, I am learning about, not just one vitamin, but several. There will be more posts about this in the future, but by applying the wisdom from this one book, you could save your life.

That is our top 8. Sheree and I hope you have enjoyed FoodTalk4You so far and you have learned helpful knowledge over the years to improve your health.

You keep reading and we’ll keep sharing!!

In health-

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Recipes

Someone Say COOKIES??

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Who among us does not enjoy a good homemade cookie?

Small, portable, and usually clean to eat, cookies can be a satisfying treat.

They can also pack a wallop in terms of the ill-effects of high fat, white flour, and white sugar. Not exactly health food.

But could it be?

Simply converting a few ingredients to gluten-free versions helps; but we’re still left with high fat and sweeteners. I reserve such cookies to special indulgences over the holidays – and only when I can give most of them away.

A recipe for a healthy cookie crossed my path the other day that really caught my eye. Naturally, I tweaked it to pack in even more goodness, and the results are quite pleasing as I paired it with my afternoon cup of tea.

No butter to soften and no flour at all! Let’s look at this recipe without further delay:

Healthy Cookie

Makes 24 cookies.

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 cup apple sauce – I just cooked up one apple, mashed it, and used all of it

2 cups of gluten-free rolled oats – I used a bit more because of the increased applesauce –

1 Tablespoon whole flax seeds, freshly ground –

1 Tablespoon chia seeds, freshly ground  

About 3 Tablespoons water to moisturize the ground flax and chia for 5 minutes

¼ cup dried fruit, softened and coarsely chopped – raisins, craisins, cherries

¼ cup chopped nuts

3 ounces of good chocolate, chopped – I used 72% dark chocolate  

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Optional: 3-4 Tablespoons of erythritol and monk fruit plant-based sugar alternative 

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas and add ingredients in order given.

Yes, I did use a bit of the erythritol and monk fruit sugar substitute. This is not the chemical wasteland that phony sugar substitutes are and does not give the sugar/carb hit that comes when people turn to honey, agave, or maple syrups.

Spoon onto a lightly greased baking sheet or use parchment paper to line pan.

Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

NOTE- The dried fruits and ground seeds may be used dry, but you may need to add up to ¼ cup of your favorite milk type if the dough is too stiff.

About seed grinders: I tried to find an equivalent to my decades old – yet trusty – seed/spice grinder on Amazon and would recommend this one for spices and seeds. This one has great reviews and is a good price.

I like having a simple small device dedicated to seeds and spices. Coffee beans get their own grinder and I do not have to worry about extra clean up to avoid crossing up flavors.

My cookie was rich and satisfying – one did the job.

Here’s to an afternoon treat with lots of fiber, good fats from nuts and seeds, minerals, and antioxidants.

In health-

Deidre

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Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Habit Building, Stress Reduction

Three-Legged Stools

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Sometimes we need reminders – that includes authors of healthy lifestyle blogs.

Yes, even me.

You see, we were wondering why something wasn’t working so well as I bustled around the kitchen this morning – “being all healthy.”

Soaking chia seeds for my sweetheart’s smoothie. Grinding up flax seeds for us both. Sautéing unbreaded okra slices for my gluten-free breakfast bowl. Drinking a glass of water as our first fluids of the day. Vitamins.

All the good things … Except.

Someone was complaining of “death balls” after a trip to the bathroom.

And someone else left the bathroom in happy amazement and relief.

What was the difference between the two of us?

It goes back to that truth-giving, three-legged stool. Take away just one of those legs, and the stool no longer functions.

Regardless of age, the human body needs three things in consistent daily supply for optimal bowel function. Yes, we’re talking about poop – and I’ve done this before HERE – but it bears repeating. Not sorry if this is TMI.

Repeat after me –

MY BODY NEEDS:

  1. WATER
  2. FIBER
  3. EXERCISE

There should be enough water to lighten up the color of urine – which will be darker first thing in the morning. The number of 8-ounce glasses varies depending upon the level of hydration and if there is sweating. Generally, the number is 8 glasses.

Fiber minimums for adults are 21-25 grams for women and 30-38 grams for men. Most of us are dramatically deficient in getting enough fiber. You can read about ramping up fiber in our March 8th post.

Okay. That’s two legs of the stool. Isn’t that enough? No, foodtalk readers, it is not.

Nothing takes the place of exercise.

When I took my walk early yesterday morning at a jauntier pace than usual, and then did a repeat walk in the afternoon, I left the bathroom smiling today.

What with doing taxes at the computer for days and sitting to write a bit more, the walks were less peppy and not as long. The resulting disappointments in the bathroom were predictable.

Duh!

In health-

Deidre

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Consider the Egg – Broken Yet New

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Is it the end of the road, or the beginning of an amazing new chapter of our lives?

Are we broken and losing pieces of ourselves or are we shedding what we no longer need?

A Facebook friend shared someone’s thoughts about feeling broken, and I felt inspired to pass on few ideas to you. Maybe your day will take on a brighter focus as you grapple with breakage.

Next time you crack an egg, consider what is transpiring.

There’s something good inside of that egg. To use that goodness – to turn it into a glorious soufflé, cake, or a humble plate of scrambled eggs – we first must destroy that perfectly constructed shell.

Broken.

Being broken may simply be that opportunity to break out to become something new, better, certainly changed, and full of untold possibilities.

We may not have asked for that change – I bet that egg didn’t either – but life is less about our opinions, about our circumstances, and more about what we do with what we have.

So, there we are.

Broken.

What are we going to become?

In health-

Deidre

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Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Recipes

Celebrating The Orange and Green!

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Saint Patrick’s Day conjures up images of the Chicago River waters running emerald, or a draught of green Guinness from the local pub.

As most of the northern hemisphere is still trying to shake off the hoary frosts of winter – it was 19 degrees F in our area this past weekend – and as our southern hemisphere readers are gearing up for fall, I was looking for some warming comfort food.

Most decorations for this festive season’s nod to all things Irish, which center on everything green; but in search of the perfect comfort food, I was reminded of the other Irish color: orange.

So, I’m pulling up a blast-from-the-past – Good, Better, Best Butternut Squash Soup – that dishes up orange and a bowlful of yumminess.

Plain butternut squash soup is – good.

When caramelized onions and garlic are added, you get something – better.

Add anti-inflammatory spices, creamy good fat from coconut milk and bone building gelatin, and you’ll have the best steamy bowlful of butternut squash goodness you’ve ever had! It’s the BEST!

By using my trusty immersion blender, I simply blitzed the cooked soup ingredients into creamy wonderfulness. No more using a dripping ladle to fill a blender in small hot batches to blitz, then having to pour the soup into ANOTHER pot to finish. Yay! I can’t recommend my immersion blender enough!

This recipe was originally crafted with the flesh of a previously roasted butternut squash. Peeling this hard gourd was dangerous with a knife. Then I picked up a new vegetable peeler that was shaped differently, so now peeling thicker skins is a breeze. 

Armed with the most effective equipment, let’s dive into our soup recipe:

GOOD – BETTER – BEST BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Into a large soup pot on medium heat add:

1 yellow onion, chopped*

½ bulb of garlic (that’s about 5-6 cloves), peeled, smashed, and chopped*

*Make sure to let these prepared allium family vegetables rest at least ten minutes before cooking. See my book, Toolkit for Wellness, page 162, to learn why.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil to cover the bottom of the pot

A dollop of grass-fed butter for an extra yummy factor (about a tablespoon or so)

Slowly sauté onion and garlic in oil and butter until clear. Reduce heat and add a tablespoon or two of water to continue cooking to caramelize veggies. This may take 7-10 minutes.

Add the following seasonings and ingredients:

2 teaspoons of curry

1 tablespoon of turmeric

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

½ can full fat coconut milk (if the cream is solid, scoop out about half to use and pour about half of the clear fluid into soup pot)

¼ cup of Great Lakes unflavored gelatin, evenly sprinkled over the top of the ingredients

1 – 32-ounce organic free range chicken broth with about ½ cup of water to rinse out container

Flesh of one raw butternut squash, peeled and cubed

Simmer with lid on until the squash is tender – about 30 minutes depending upon the size of the squash pieces.

When the squash is tender, use your immersion blender to turn this soup into creamy goodness.

There’s nothing left to do but serve and enjoy! A dollop of sour cream, crema, or Greek yogurt on top of each bowl is a nice flavor touch, as well.

Butternut squash is low in calories, has no cholesterol, and is a rich source of antioxidants and vitamins. In fact, it has more Vitamin A than pumpkin. Vitamin A is an antioxidant and is vital in skin and eye health. Butternut squash also is a great source for flavonoids which convert into Vitamin A and is a rich source of B-complex vitamins.

The onions and garlic add to the anti-inflammatory features of this soup as do the spices which are very beneficial to fighting inflammation.

The gelatin is an excellent source of protein and is extremely helpful to bone and joint health.

The coconut milk is a source of good fats that help power you through your day.

The taste? Mmmm good!

Keeping warm and in health-

Deidre

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Cha – Cha- Cha – Chia!

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The information I shared from recent readings HERE and HERE, discussions about a more holistic approach to wellness with my daughter has spurred me on to being more pro-active with my health.

Some changes are easy enough to do such as taking Vitamin K2, fish oil with EPA/DHA, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and a nightly magnesium supplement.

But incorporating my daily servings of flax and chia seeds had been hard because the weather is still too cold for me to drink smoothies; otherwise, these seeds would be a cinch. They are perfect for adding to a blender.

What I like to do for smoothies is briefly presoak the scoop of chia seeds in some warm water, allowing them to swell up and gel. This one step prevents them from sticking to the sides of the blender.

Since learning that ground flax seeds quickly go rancid, I now grind just the amount I’ll be using that day in a coffee/spice grinder. The goodness in both flax and chia seeds is found on the inside of the seed; consuming them whole can be counterproductive if all seeds are not thoroughly chewed.

Let’s review what both seeds contain and how we are helped:

Omega-3 fatty acids – associated with heart health, lowering cholesterol, decreasing inflammation

Soluble Fiber –absorbs water and slows down digestion. Soluble fiber can help lower cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar levels, and lower the risk of heart disease.

Protein – a good source of plant protein

Antioxidants for general health, heart health, and blood pressure control

Lignans

An array of minerals including the high levels of potassium in flax seeds, which is vital to proper muscle function and helps maintain lower blood pressure.

Flax seeds also contain lignans – a phytoestrogen associated with reduced risk for osteoporosis and has protective antioxidant properties

If you are new to consuming these fiber-rich seeds, start with a teaspoon of each seed, freshly ground, and gradually increase to 2 tablespoons each. While fiber is one of the desired critical elements in these seeds, new users may experience bloating, gas, or abdominal discomfort.  These little guys absorb A LOT of water.

Check out these three photos showing one scoop of chia seeds with almost a cup of water added. After just two minutes, see what happened! This is part of the benefit – fiber absorbs water – but if you are not drinking enough water, instead of assisting in smooth digestion through the intestines, fiber can contribute to constipation.

It is important to note that before starting any kind of supplementation or dietary changes, users should contact their health care professional to check for any conflicts with pregnancy, lactation, medications, or allergies.

If you’re not throwing these gems into a smoothie every day, how are they supposed to be consumed?

I have found many ways to add these seeds to what I was already eating. Check this out:

Ground flax seeds can be added to most dry ingredients for baking without significantly changing flavors or appearance. Ground chia seeds, which are virtually flavorless, will show up as dark specks. Your muffins, breads, and cookies will have a slight crunch.

In baking, ground flax seeds can be an egg substitute when combined with water at the ratio of 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed to 3 tablespoons of water – let sit for a few minutes before using.

Stir ground seeds into peanut butter. The peanut butter I use has just two ingredients – peanuts and sea salt, whereas my sweetheart prefers Skippy peanut butter – whose ingredients are peanuts, sugar, palm oil, and salt (what’s wrong with that label, Foodtalk readers?).

To compensate for the pinch of sweetness missing from Skippy, I added my go-to sweet spices of cinnamon and a few drops of vanilla, along with the ground flax seed.  Result? I was thrilled with my tasty new creation, and he was pleased with the flavor and texture! It was so good and the satiety from ground flax seeds lasts for hours.

Sprinkle whole flax seeds on your salad for a crunchy topping.

Combine ground flax to meat balls, meatloaf, and casseroles. This is also a sneaky approach to disguise new ingredients to unadventurous family members.

Use ground seeds in breading ingredients for an extra crunch factor.

Add both ground seeds to your cooked cereals.

Try whole seeds as a part of your Overnight Oats recipe, soaking them in your preferred choice of milk – perhaps with a touch of sweet spices such as cinnamon and vanilla. Add some berries in the morning and you are set for an easy breakfast.

Use whole or ground flax seeds instead of croutons. Simply crisp in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly.

Add ground or whole flax seeds to your homemade granola.

Add ground flax seeds to your salad dressing.

Boost your soup recipes with ground flax.

Use ground flax as a thickener to your gravies.

Let me know of your own flax and chia seed successes, and please share this post if you have found it useful by using the options in the MORE button below.

In health-

Deidre