Squash: A Nurtitional Power House.

Butternut Squash and Beef Stew


a brothy version of the butternut squash and beef stew

butternut squash seeds roasted with olive oil and a pinch of salt

Hey meat lovers looking for a yummy healthy stew to keep you warm on these cold winter nights?

The aroma that came from cooking this dish was one that I had never smelt before. It was heaven, and when I tasted it, it was like nothing I have ever had. I felt like I was a chef at a five star restaurant, watching my dish get a 5 star rating.

All of these ingredients are very healthy and make for a delicious stew. Squash is a great source of natural folate, which is especially good for pregnant women. Squash also helps fight against birth defects, promotes overall good health and much more ( look below for the list).

Oh and don't throw away the seeds, butternut seeds make for a perfect snack that can be cooked just like pumpkin seeds and are one of the best foods to prevent prostate cancer.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 pounds stew beef
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cooking wine
• 1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut
• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes
• 3 to 4 cups water (add a chicken boullion for extra flavor)
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions
1. heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, and sauté until the onions are tender, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the beef in salt and pepper and flour, and turn the heat to high.
4. Cook until the beef is browned.
5. Add the wine. Stir up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
6. Add the butternut squash and tomatoes and stir to combine.
7. Add water over the beef and squash. ( or beef broth).
8. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
9. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

If you don’t know how to cut butternut squash click on the link bellow:
http://www.chow.com/stories/11338


Health benefits of squash:

• Promotes Optimal Health
• Supports Men's Health
• Promotes Lung Health
• Helps Prevent Birth Defects
• Heart Attack Preventive
• Supports Colon Health


Just a small amount of squash packs a lot of fiber, perfect for your daily fiber intake. The author of 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth states that butternut squash " is an absolute vitamin A giant, weighing at a whopping 22,868 IUs per cup... Butternut is unique among the squashes in that it has substantial amount of beta-crypoxathain, a carotenoid that may lower the risk of developing lung cancer" ( Jonny Bowden, 2007,pg.62).


Stay Healthy,
Cyndi

Naturally heal arthritis

Help heal your rheumatoid arthritis.

It is important to know what you’re suffering from. The word 'arthritis' means 'inflammation of the joints'. It is derived from two Greek words: athron, meaning joints; and itis, meaning inflammation. Arthritis occurs in various forms for example, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease which usually occurs in the older age-group. Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious disease which affects not only the joints of the fingers, wrists, hips, knees, and feet, but also the muscles, tendons and other tissues of the body.

In studies done to see what can naturally heals arthritis the following foods and vitamins have been clearly identified.

Keep in mind that the body is as healthy as the foods we put into it. Thus a balanced diet is essential to our health.

• Omega Complete or Omega 3-6-9

Omega rich foods include seafood such as fish.

• Carotene:

include: winter squash, pumpkin, persimmons, papaya, tangerines, red peppers, corn, oranges and apricots.

• Vitamin C

Like oranges, strawberries,

• Extra virgin olive oil (good to add a little to your salad)

• Selenium : Some of the best foods for selenium: Brazil nuts, tuna (to avoid mercury, buy canned light tuna), crab, oysters, tilapia, pasta (whole-wheat), lean beef, cod, shrimp, whole grains, turkey and wheat germ.

• Bioflavonoid: blackberries, black currants, blueberries, eggplant, elderberries, raspberries, cherries, boysenberries, red/black grapes, strawberries and plums

• Vitamin C, E, D and Zinc.

These are some vitamins that are very important for everyone but especially for those who have arthritis, because these vitamins directly help heal your bones.

• Green tea
  

Green tea is considered effective for treating arthritis conditions because it is has antioxidants. Expert’s claim that effective compounds like flavonoids come alive in the green tea leaves when boiled or steamed. These antioxidant compounds are also found in fresh fruits and vegetables.

Foods to Avoid if you have arthritis

Some of the food groups that are suspected of causing pain are the nightshade group. These are as follows,

• White potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Eggplant
• Bell peppers
• Red meat
• Lemons
• Grapefruit
• Corn
• Wheat
• Rye
• Milk
• Eggs
• Coffee
• Sugar
• Cheese

Dr. Nancy Snyderman states, “Some foods may be worth giving up, even without an allergy. Meat contains a type of fat that stimulates the production of inflammatory agents in your body. Adopting a vegetarian diet may help. Patients with RA put on a vegetarian diet showed improvement within a month. A vegan diet may be the most helpful. For some people, giving up dairy products was helpful.” (http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/foods-arthritis.html)

Other alternatives that help

• Reiki
• Massage
• Acupuncture

The Digestive System

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT

Your digestive tract is a system that has many functions. Its primary function is to turn food into the energy you need to survive and package the residue for waste disposal. There are many parts to the digestive system. Your mouth is the first part to the system, than your esophagus, followed by your stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, colon, rectum and anus.

There are many causes and contributions to an unhealthy digestive tract. Below you will find a list of a few of them.

• Poor eating habits
• Poor quality food
• Stress

(Gladstar, 2008, p. 93).

There are many indications of an unhealthy digestive tract:

• Sluggish elimination of waste “Sluggish bowl movements”
• Gas
• Poor assimilation of nutrients.

(Gladstar, 2008, p. 93)

VITAMINS, PROTIENS & FATS

VITAMINS: Vitamins, proteins, and fats are an essential part of a balanced diet and can help the digestive tract function in a healthy way. However, it is unnecessary to take vitamin supplements if you are eating a balanced diet. Michael Tierra believes that “most deficiencies are caused by a breakdown of physical metabolism rather than a particular nutrient missing from the food we eat” (Tierra, 1998, p. 61).

PROTEIN: Protein is very important for the body and can be found in food such as meat, eggs and dairy. Protein has two important functions. One of the functions is to repair damaged tissues and cells through there normal break down. The other function of protein is to stimulate and maintain bodily metabolism (Tierra, 1998, p. 51).

FAT: Fats often get a bad reputation for being a primary cause of obesity and thus have been considered unfavorable and unwanted. However, unsaturated fats and oils are important to one’s health. “There are some oils that in moderation actually assist in the burning of stored fat, such as; olive oil, sesame oil, clarified butter” (Tierra, 1998, p. 52).

KITCHEN SPICES

If you look for a healthy digestive system in your spice rack you may find some simple home remedies. Gladstar states that you can “add ginger and cayenne to your food or make a warm tea with them. Use fresh grated ginger and only a few grains of cayenne.” (Gladstar, 2008, p. 94).

There are many herbs and supplements that can support good digestion and many different methods to apply these herbs. The book Herbal Recipes For Vibrant Health by Rosemary Gladstar has a few recipes. Below you will find a list of Gladstar’s recipes.

• Make a mix of carminative seeds such as anise, cardamom, cumin, dill and fennel, and chew them between meals.
• Digestive bitter tincture

2 parts fennel

1 part artichoke leaf

1 part dandelion root

1 part organically cultivated gentian

½ part ginger.

Take a teaspoon before and after meals (Gladstar, 2008, p. 95).

References

Required Study Guide; Basic Herbology, HRB 131 [Pamphlet]. (2008). Birmingham: Clayton College of Natural Health Inc.

Gladstar, R. (2008). Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. North Adams, MA: Storey.

Tierra, M. (1998). The Way of Herbs. New York, NY: Pocket Books.

The Structure and Function of the Digestive System. (2009). Retrieved December 30, 2009, from

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/anatomy/digestive_system/hic_the_structure_and_function_of_the_digestive_system.aspx