Eat To Live: Foods That Heal, Diabetes

Eat To Live: Foods that Heal


This course focuses primarily on Type II Diabetes, also known as Non-Insulin dependent Diabetes. However the dietary suggestions are appropriate for Type I diabetes (you only need be careful that your carbohydrate exchanges at each meal coincide with your insulin dosages); the healthy eating concepts discussed in this class are also beneficial to those suffering from cardiovascular disease and hypertension which often go hand in hand with Adult Onset Diabetes.


If you or a family member or friend has recently been diagnosed with Type II diabetes, then you are aware that it is a disease caused primarily by diet but there are other risk factors that make us pre-disposed to Adult Diabetes.

Factors that Lead to Type II Diabetes:

Being Overweight (especially in the abdominal area)
Sedentary Lifestyle
Genetics / Blood Type
Abundance of Fast and Convenience Food


As far as genetics and Type II diabetes go, the connection is this: our bodies contain a feast and famine trigger, cultivated over millennia and it is our body’s ability to store fat that has enabled us to evolve and flourish as a species. However with the Industrial Revolution and other technological advances geared towards eliminating hunger worldwide we have made obtaining food far too simple. Even worse in this century we introduced fast and convenience foods that are unhealthy because of their refinement, excessive number of calories, and chemicals used to preserve freshness.


Simple Dietary and Lifestyle changes can dramatically change the course of your Type II Diabetes and stave off complications from the disease for good.

Add 30 minutes of exercise daily. This does not have to be formal exercise at the gym, walking is ideal, gardening and housework also count. Simply preparing your own meals, rather than popping them in the microwave will help you expend energy.

Use fresh whole foods; if you read the label on a box and there is a long list of ingredients, most of which you can’t pronounce, put the box back on the shelf.

When shopping at the grocery store shop for food only on the perimeter of the store. Most refined and prepared foods are in the center aisles so by avoiding them, you avoid temptation.

It isn’t only about what you should eliminate from your diet but what you need to add. Adding an abundance of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, fiber rich whole grains, and healthy monounsaturated fats will help with weight control and overall health.

When treating yourself go for quality not quantity. You will be far more satisfied if you have a delicious home-made treat than some boxed fat-free option, which often leads to over-indulgence.




The Good Fat Diet vs. The Fat Free Diet

There has been an enormous amount of debate on this issue, especially when it comes to weight control. The fact is enjoying food is an important part of all our lives, and you will be much more likely to adhere to a diet that allows copious amounts of healthy mono-unsaturated fats.


GOOD FATS
Avocados
Expeller pressed Canola Oil
Fish Fat
Flaxseeds
Nuts
Nut Oils
Olive Oil
Olives
Peanut Butter
Peanuts

NEUTRAL FATS**
Soybean Oil
Safflower Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Sunflower Oil
Corn Oil

BAD FATS

Dairy Fat

Meat fat

Coconut Oil

Palm/Palm Kernal Oil

Hydrogenated/Trans Fats

** These fats should be consumed in moderation. They upset the balance between the Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids. Prepared foods are almost entirely made of the omega 6 polyunsaturated fats and consumption of these products further upsets this delicate balance.



Carbohydrates have gotten quite a bad rap in recent years as the low carb craze has reached every corner of our country. There is some truth to the fact that these low carb diets help with immediate weight loss, however it is not a healthy diet over the long term and can actually lead to some health problems in the future. However there are some carbohydrates that are better for us than others and it is in carbohydrates where we find Fiber, a crucial soldier in the fight against Insulin Resistance.

Just Like the chart above for fats, there are carbohydrates that are better than others, and there are also some carbohydrates you should avoid except for the occasional treat.


EXCELLENT CARBS

Beans, all kinds
Sprouted Bread
Oatmeal

Fresh Fruit

Real Rye Bread

Bulgur

Whole Wheat Couscous
Tofu
Barley
Whole Grains
Brown Rice
Whole Wheat Pasta
Buckwheat
All Vegetables

NEUTRAL CARBS

Durum Wheat Pasta

Rice

Potatoes

BAD CARBS

Sweets

White Bread

Sugary Soft Drnks (including sports drinks)

Chips/Pretzels

Cookies

Crackers

Cakes/pastries

Jams and Jellies

Sugary Cereal

Protein should come mainly from vegetable sources, but having lean meat, poultry or fish a few times a week is part of a healthy way of eating. When choosing animal products it is important to buy those bred without any antibiotics or hormones. Always try to buy free-range. Animals that eat their natural diet have the proper Omega 3 and Omega 6 ratio of 1:1 in its meat; optimal for good health.

HEALTHY PROTEIN

Cold Water Fish

Omega 3 Eggs
Scallops
Shrimp
Venison
Buffalo

NEUTRAL PROTEIN

Chicken

Lamb

Free Range Beef

Turkey

Chicken Sausages

BAD PROTEIN

Grain Fed Beef
Bacon

Pork sausages

Anything Fried


There are always days when what we eat is not what it should be, taking a good multi-vitamin is a way to ensure our body gets the nutrients it needs to perform optimally. Keep in mind no vitamin contains the bounty of nutrients found in whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables.


Each day your goal will be to incorporate as many whole foods as possible into your daily food regimen. Your focus should be on what healthy foods should I eat today rather than what junk foods can I try and avoid. While it is important to eliminate those high saturated fat and refined sugar products, it is just as important to make sure you are eating a diet of assorted, vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables, those colors tells us a lot about which valuable carotenoids, phyto-chemicals, and minerals they have in abundance.


We start our day with breakfast and this is a great place to make a healthy change. Instead of processed cereal opt for oatmeal (not instant) or low-fat yogurt with granola and fruit, or even an egg fried in a bit of oil on whole grain toast. These are all better options, and when you don’t eat before you leave the house, you are likely to grow hungry and make unhealthy choices because the only things available are a bagel or some other terribly refined breakfast pastry.


If you are working, aim to bring your lunch to work as often as possible. You’ll save money and it will be much easier for you to make smart and healthy decisions about what you eat. If you have access to a microwave bring leftovers from dinner the night before or some homemade soup, these will add more variety than always packing a sandwich. Salads are ideal, it is a great venue to add up your vegetable servings. A large salad with tomatoes, red peppers, grated carrots, or any other vegetables in the refrigerator can provide you with more than half of your daily RDA of vegetables.

Snacks are another area where simple changes go a long way. Nuts are an ideal way to fight hunger and are a powerhouse of nutrients. Just be sure that you are eating raw, unsalted nuts. Throw in some dried fruits, cranberries or apricots for even more vitamins and minerals. Fresh fruit, which is always best eaten alone is another great snack option.


When preparing dinners the best suggestion I can make is, always make plenty extra. This guarantees they’ll be some leftover either for lunch or for dinner some other night when you come home late or are simply too tired to cook.

Here are some recipes, all of which are diabetes friendly and designed to keep blood sugar levels stable. Some recipes make large portions, to be frozen or used throughout the week. A general rule of thumb, most leftovers keep for about 4 days in the refrigerator as long as they are kept in tightly sealed storage containers. One trick when it comes to storage containers, rectangular tubs fit in the refrigerator much better than round tubs and can be easily stacked for convenience; if you can’t find the food in your fridge it will go bad and you’ll end up grabbing an un-healthy alternative.


Refined baked goods are one of diabetic’s greatest enemies, so learning a few recipes that you can make at home will help out quite a bit if you like your muffins as much as the rest of us.


Zucchini Muffins


2 Eggs
½ cup Orange Juice
¼ cup Honey
1 cup Plain Low-fat Yogurt
1tbs. Stevia
1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 ½ cups All-purpose Flour
½ cup Oatmeal (uncooked)
¼ cup Wheat Germ
¼ cup Oat Bran
½ cup Flax Meal
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Ground Ginger
½ tsp Ground Cloves

2 cup Grated zucchini
½ cup Raisins or Dried Cranberries
½ cup Walnut pieces

*beat eggs then add wet ingredients to bowl, stir well
*combine and thoroughly stir the dry ingredients in a separate bowl
*add the dry mix to the wet ingredients in 3 batches, stir well in between each new addition
*Add the zucchini, raisins and walnuts and stir until fully incorporated
*Bake muffins in a pre-heated 375o oven for 15-18 mins., or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
*depending on the size muffin you make this recipe will yield 12-18 muffins

A Quick Note – I highly recommend purchasing the silicone muffin cups to line your muffin tins with, they make clean up a snap and help you bake a more evenly cooked muffin, 6 for $1 at the Christmas tree shop! Also mini muffins are a good option, especially if you have kids or grand kids, and they are a perfect addition to a packed lunch.


Banana Muffins

1 ½ cups Whole Wheat Flour
½ cup Oat Bran
1/3 cup Flax Meal
1Tbs Baking Powder
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Ground Ginger
½ tsp Ground Cloves
½ tsp. Freshly grated Nutmeg

1 cup Vanilla low-fat Yogurt
4 (1 cup) Mashed Bananas
1 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk/Skim Milk
2 Eggs


*beat eggs then add wet ingredients to bowl, stir well
*combine and thoroughly stir the dry ingredients in a separate bowl
*add the dry mix to the wet ingredients in 3 batches, stir well in between each new addition
*Bake muffins in a pre-heated 375o oven for 15-18 mins., or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
*depending on the size muffin you make this recipe will yield 12-18 muffins

Whole Nutrition for the Healthy Child

Whole Nutrition for a Healthy Child

Good eating habits are best started as young as possible. How often do we hear parents say, she ate great when she was a baby, but now that she’s a toddler she wont eat anything that’s healthy. A lot of this has to do with what foods you are offering your child, and you can’t negate the influence her friends have over her withwhat they are eating at school.


Fact vs. Myth


There is so much conflicting information available today regarding nutrition, as busy parents it is hard for us to know what information is worth listening to. I will lay out some facts I find most important about Pediatric Nutrition:

1)Is it that important to buy Organic?

I am a firm believer in buying organic foods, especially since a child’s system is far more vulnerable to the negative attributes of pesticides and fungicides. Sometimes the increased costs are simply too much, so a better question is what are the most important foods to buy organic?

Milk: We have been told for years that milk makes a body strong and healthy, when in fact this isn’t completely true, and Americans are one of the very few cultures that actually consume large quantities of milk. However, if you are milk drinkers, and the idea of Soy, just isn’t going to happen, opt for Hormone, BGH and BST, free milk. The hormones dairy farmers use has a direct connection with early maturity among young girls and should be avoided at all costs.
Brands to buy: New England Family Farms $2.79 (half Gallon) Stop & Shop
Trader Joe’s brands are all BGH and BST free
Consider that cheese and yogurt fall in this category as well and you should try to purchase as many organic dairy products as possible.


Meat and Poultry: Same thing applies here as with dairy but an added concern is the antibiotics many factory farmers use to reduce illness among livestock. Many scientists believe the antibiotics we consume in our foods has led to antibiotic resistant bacteria and is the real cause of these new super bugs. Instead of organic another option is Free-Range or grass fed, when these animals consume their natural diet, their meat is far healthier for human consumption.
Brands to Buy: Bell and Evans Chicken and Turkey
Coleman Burgers
Nature’s Promise (stop&shop’s in house organic line)


Fruits & Vegetables: It is a toss up here. While it is great to buy as much organic produce as possible, it can get very expensive so this is where you need to be a savvy shopper. It is always best to eat fruits and vegetables that are seasonal which usually means they have been grown locally, local is better than organic. The more vegetables and fruits you can get your child to eat the better. Some fruits and vegetables you should always aim to buy organic are: Strawberries (non-organic strawberry farmers still use MBTE, a proven carcinogenic), Bananas, which are now comparable in price to non-organic, Peaches, Melons, and Grapes. A good rule of thumb is the higher the water content, the more you should consider going organic.


Grains, ie. Pasta and Rice: In this category it is far more important to encourage your child to try new and different whole grains than worry about organic. Organic varieties do tend to be far more expensive and if you have an otherwise healthy child I wouldn’t worry as much about organic vs. regular pasta. However, I would like to stress that trying new grains like Quinoa, Colored Rice blends, or Bulgur is a great way to incorporate healthy whole grains in your child’s diet.


2) All processed foods are unhealthy.

For the most part it is a yes when it comes to processed foods not being a healthy food source. The reasoning behind this is mostly the additives used to preserve freshness and flavor.

(an excerpt from the pediatric nutrition module of my coursework at GCNM)

12 Key Additives to Avoid and their Health Risks

1) Hydrogenated Fats : Obesity, Cardio vascular disease
2) Artificial Food Colors: allergies, asthma, hyperactivity
3) Nitrites and Nitrates: carcinogenic
4) Sulfites: allergic and asthmatic reactions
5) Sugar and Sweeteners: obesity, cavities, diabetes and hypoglycemia and candida
6) Artificial Sweeteners: Behavioral problems, hyperactivity, allergies, can cause seizures
7) MSG (monosodium glutamate): allergic and behavioral reactions, headaches, chest pains
8) Preservatives (BHA, BHT, etc.): allergic reactions, hyperactivity, possible carcinogen
9) Artificial Flavors: allergic or behavioral reactions
10) Refined Flour: low-nutrient calories, altered insulin production
11) Salt (excessive): fluid retention and blood pressure increase
12) Olestra (an artificial fat): diarrhea and digestive disturbance

As far as eliminating all processed foods from your family’s diet, you need to be realistic about this goal. If your family is used to consuming a large amount of pre-packaged, processed foods, the transition will be difficult, so start slowly and work your way up. If your child suffers from any of the above health concerns, try to eliminate any of the foods known to exacerbate the condition.

On a more positive note, there are now many food manufacturing companies out there dedicated to giving consumers better quality pre-packaged foods, most of these brands tend to be found in the Health food section of the grocery store.

My child hates healthy foods and would starve if I didn’t give him his Hot Dog.

A child that is truly hungry will eat whatever you give him or her, and if your child is refusing to eat what you are serving for dinner, DO NOT MAKE HIM A SEPARATE MEAL! This will only set the tone for future battles at the dining table, and if your child skips a meal it is not the end of the world. If you are worried that not eating will interfere with his sleep offer your child their favorite fruit, maybe a banana or an apple, and nothing else. It may take a few meals, but believe me your child will adjust, and you will be a much happier mom when you only have to make one meal for everyone at the table.




Simple Changes to Improve your Child’s Diet

1) Switch to all-natural Peanut Butter, why take an healthy snack and make it unhealthy with added sugar and fat, Brands to Try: Teddie all natural (Stop &Shop)
Smart Balance
Any fresh Peanut butter is great as well
***if you child is allergic to peanuts a great substitute is Trader Joe’s Sunflower Seed Butter

2) When it comes to Jelly or Jam try to buy Organic since berries are one of the types of fruits you want to try and buy organic, also look for reduced sugar or no sugar, not artificially sweetened, varieties.

3) Limit Juice intake to no more than 6oz. of 100% juice daily, no juice can compare nutritionally to eating fruits whole. When packing school lunches try to alternate juice boxes with either water or soy milk, which you don’t have to worry about spoiling if it isn’t kept cold.
A simple labeling fact
100% juice, 6 oz. box: 21 grams sugar
Soy Milk, 8oz box: 11-13 grams of sugar

*** a good way to get your child to try soy milk is to try chocolate

Other words for sugar: Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose, Maltose, Evaporated Cane Juice, Brown Rice Syrup are just a few ways producers try and avoid the word sugar

Also try and avoid any foods containing High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is nutritionally worse for you than plain old sugar.

4) After a child’s 2nd Birthday you can switch to 1% or even skim milk, this helps control calorie consumption if that is a concern.

5) When introducing new foods make sure you eat some with your child so they see you eating it. Season the food as you would your own, even children prefer tasty to bland food. If your child has an aversion to many foods try and find out why, is it color, texture or flavor. Armed with that information you may be able to incorporate those foods into your child’s diet in creative ways.

6) Try not to only think about what foods to avoid, it is far more important to think about what foods to add. A rich and varied diet based on Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grains, and Lean Meats and Eggs is the key to maintaining a strong immune system and a healthier body. The earlier you get your child sampling different foods, the more diverse their palates will be and the fewer fights you will have trying to get them to eat their vegetables.

***Again I can’t stress enough the importance of setting a good example for your children, if you have less than stellar eating habits don’t expect your children to be any different.

Debunking Food Myths

Debunking Food Myths:
The Truth behind the Science of Food

Contemporary lifestyles are consumed by food. Either we are eating it, reading about it, shopping for it or trying not to eat it; too often our thoughts revolve around what we should or should not eat. Food has shifted from a source of true pleasure and enjoyment to a profound source of stress in our lives, and it is here that we have a fundamental problem. As humans we are programmed to derive pleasure from food, not only by the simple act of eating it, but also preparing it and sharing it with friends and family. What is common today are schedules so full that our meal times are what get pushed aside and often forces us to make unwise food choices; for example fast food or frozen dinners or worse yet we skip meals and simply pick at whatever we find in the refrigerator and call that dinner.

As part of our obsession with food, the science of “Nutritionism” has arisen and along with it every week a new article seems to announce this year’s super food, guaranteed to improve your health. Sorry to disillusion you but there are no such things as super foods. There are no doubt certain foods that have more nutrient value than others but if you truly want to take care of you body as a whole and use nutrition as a tool to guide it on the road to wellness, than think diversity and think vegetables. Part of what you will take away from this workshop is that we need to spend more time adding new and different foods in to our daily food regimen and not just worrying about what foods to take out.

So let’s start by tackling some of the more common myths that you may have heard about and for some reason you can’t figure out why they are not working for you.

1. Milk does a body good. It is hard to argue with such a successful ad campaign but think hard about the fact that no other species on this planet consumes the milk of another being. Than look at other human cultures around the globe, outside of the U.S., Western Europe and Australia, and you’ll see that dairy plays a very small role in daily food intake. This is not to say that an occasional piece of cheese, a bit of ice cream or even a bowl of yogurt and granola is horrible for you, rather dairy needs to be drastically reduced in most of our diets, and for some it is best avoided except for the occasional treat. As far as those claims that a diet which includes 24 oz. of lowfat milk will help you shed pounds quicker, it may work for some simply by displacing other more caloric foods with milk. Water will fill you just as well and has far more health benefits for the human body than milk does.


2. Supplements are a great way to make sure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need. There is a lot of discussion when it comes to supplements but the simple fact is that we often don’t understand all the components in foods that make them healthy for our bodies, making it impossible for us to mimic benefits of eating certain foods using supplement form. The best way to ensure you get enough of the nutrients you need, is to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, and by all means take a good multi-vitamin to help make sure you are getting all that your body needs.

3. Avoid eating fats. I blame this notion as one of the major causes of our country’s current obesity epidemic. In the 1980’s we viewed fat as the cause of all dietary problems, so companies started concocting everything from cookies to ice cream that was miraculously fat free. What those food scientists forgot to mention was that they were replacing all the fat with sugar, because you have to get flavor from somewhere. There are many man-made fats that are very unhealthy, the Trans (hydrogenated) fats, but thankfully most of these are being eliminated from most processed foods and eateries. On the flip side, there are many healthy fats, primarily mono-unsaturated fats that reap huge benefits in our bodies. Fats play a critical role in curbing inflammation, proper nerve development, and overall cell growth. The fact is enjoying food is an important part of all our lives, and you will be much more likely to adhere to a diet that allows copious amounts of healthy mono-unsaturated fats.

Below is a chart to help inform you on which fats are healthy and which are best avoided or used only minimally.

GOODFATS
Avocados

Expeller pressed Canola Oil
Fish Fat

Flaxseeds/Oil
Nuts
Nut Oils Palm
Olive Oil
Olives
Peanut Butter
Peanuts

NEUTRAL FATS**

Soybean Oil

Sunflower Oil

Safflower Oil

Corn Oil

Grapeseed Oil

BAD FATS

Coconut Oil

Dairy Fat

Meat Fat

Palm Oil

Palm Kernal Oil

Hydrogenated Oils/Trans Fats

** These fats should be consumed in moderation. They upset the balance between the Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids. Prepared foods are almost entirely made of the omega 6 polyunsaturated fats and consumption of these products further upsets this delicate balance.

4. Cereal is part of a wholesome breakfast. You may not want to hear it but there are very few cereals that can truly be called healthy. Read any label and the second ingredient is almost always sugar, or evaporated cane juice or brown rice syrup or any other fancy names which simply mean sugar. Cereal is also a processed wholegrain, meaning many of the nutrients inherent in the grains have been stripped during the processing and the cereals are then enriched, not ideal. You are better off with some old fashioned oatmeal or an egg with a slice of sprouted whole grain toast.

5. Juice is a great way to increase your daily fruit and vegetable intake. Juice by no means acts as a replacement for eating plentiful amounts of fruits and vegetables. The simple fact is that when you press juice out of the fruit all you are getting is the water and sugar from that fruit. All of the fiber and most of the nutrients, many of which are found in the colorful skins, are left behind. If you like to drink juice opt for some of the fresh fruit juices like Odwalla and Naked which are often made with purees as well as juices, but try not to use juice as a substitute for the real thing.

6. Eat three square meals a day. Culture tells us that there are three distinct times of the day we are supposed to eat, when in reality our bodies function much better when we feed it smaller amounts throughout the day, say five or six times. Let me stress that I believe meals are very important on a social level, dinner is a great time for a family to catch up, however if you are hungry at 3 or 4 in the afternoon, eat something, don’t wait until dinner at which time you’ll be ravishing and tend to overeat. Also in line with this, try to consume the majority of your calories before 5 or 6pm. The simple truth is that any food you consume within 3 hours of going to sleep commonly gets turned to fat because we simply are not active enough to burn off all of the calories.

7. All meats are created equal and have similar effects on your health. This is an area I often find shocks people. One major reason that eating red meat these days is unhealthy is because our cattle are grain fed. By feeding cows corn and soy, instead of their natural diet of native grasses, we upset the delicate balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids in their body. Therefore when we consume the meat we are further upsetting that same balance of essential fatty acids in our bodies. The same goes for grain fed poultry and even farm raised fish. You also can’t negate the prolific use of hormones and antibiotics on these cattle and poultry farms, all of which are nest avoided.

8. Organic means it’s healthy. Nothing could be further from the truth and I fear the organic craze will manifest itself much in the same way as the fat free revolution. People are often under the assumption that just because something says organic than it must be good for you. A cookie is still a cookie whether it was made with all organic ingredients or not. Eating organic is definitely the way to go but in the form of whole foods, not processed foods.

9. Fruit is an ideal dessert. Fruit is no doubt a great food for us all to eat, however since fruit is digested so quickly if we eat fruit after a meal that consisted of protein and complex carbohydrates which digest more slowly, we sort of gum up the works and throw our whole digestive process off balance. Fruit is always best consumed on its own, preferably first thing in the morning while you still have last night’s dinner digesting in your system.

10. It takes too much time and money to prepare healthy foods. This is the greatest myth of all! I won’t lie about the fact that you will need to spend some time in the kitchen and actually do some cooking from scratch, but there are efficient ways of cooking and you’ll be amazed that when you stop buying processed foods, and less meat and dairy, how much money you can actually save. Here are some key tips to help you keep healthy food on the dinner table.

Stock your pantry well with healthy items like Olive oil, canned beans, whole grains, chicken or vegetable stock, canned tomatoes, tuna, anchovies, etc.

The same goes for your freezer, always have some frozen vegetables in the house

If you tend to buy in bulk to save money, package it in smaller containers before freezing so you can pull out only what you need

When cooking most anything, a soup, a casserole, or whatever you like, make twice as much as you need and freeze some, or pack leftovers to bring to work for lunch because work lunches are an area of our diet that we tend to neglect and lead us to making un wise food choices.

Pick one afternoon or evening a week to cook; spend a few hours in the kitchen making a few different dishes you can enjoy all week. Be sure to choose dishes which share some of the same ingredients which will make both shopping and cooking much easier.

As silly as it may sound, switch to square Tupperware. It fits in the refrigerator more easily and if you keep your fridge neat you won’t end up with a bunch of forgotten leftovers which just end up going bad and wasted.

Here are some easy and healthy recipes to help you get started on a path towards improved health and wellness through good nutrition.

Recipes

Ginger Sesame Mixed Grill

This is a great marinade for Salmon, Tuna, Chicken, Shrimp or Beef
Marinade

¼ cup Sesame oil

¼ cup Good quality soy sauce

¼ cup Honey

¼ cup Orange juice (optional) J

uice of one lemon

3tbs. Toasted sesame seeds **

1 tsp. Crushed red pepper

Combine all of the marinade ingredients and whisk together
Both the Steak and the Chicken can be put in the marinade the day before to soak up all those yummy flavors; one hint, to make clean up easier marinate in freezer bags being sure to use separate bags for the beef and chicken

Shrimp and fish should not sit in the marinade for more than 1 hour
Grill you meats until proper doneness and serve with Lime Curry Sauce

Lime Curry Sauce
½ Cup Greek Yogurt or Plain Yogurt drained
Juice of 2 Limes
1 tbs. Good quality curry powder
½ tsp. Nutmeg
½ tsp. Cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth, keep chilled and set aside until serving

Tropical Fruit Salsa

This is a great accompaniment to grilled meat or fish because the enzymes in most tropical fruits help the digestive system to properly break down proteins. Bromelain, which is abundant in Pineapple and other tropical fruits, also helps relieve joint pain.
1 Medium Red Onion finely chopped

1 Medium green, yellow or red pepper, chopped

1 Ripe Mango or ½ Pineapple cubed

2 tbs. Freshly chopped Cilantro Juice of 1 or 2 Limes

1 tsp of Habanero Hot sauce (or more to taste)

Combine all ingredients and let sit for at least 1 hour before serving so the flavors can combine


Vietnamese Fresh Rolls
1 cup Various Vegetables, Cucumbers, Peppers, Carrots, Daikon and Bok Choy are all good choices,
julienned (choose vegetables that are crisp and do not give off a lot of water)
*you can also add thinly sliced herbs, mango, grilled chicken, cooked shrimp or beef
1 package of Rice paper Wrappers
1 Package of Mai Fun (Mung Bean threads)

Thinly slice vegetables and set aside
Soak Noodles in hot water until soft, drain and set aside
Soak each rice sheet as you are making the rolls, keep wrapped in a damp towel
Fill rice sheet with some vegetables, or shrimp and some mai fun and roll tightly