The Health Benefits of Artichokes.

The Health Benefits of Artichokes

I was inspired by a friend to post. She had artichokes for the first time and was curious to know how healthy this delicious treat was. For the record I have never tried artichokes but after the description of it’s wonderful taste I am very tempted. My friend describes it as a delicious “earthy” taste.

Nutrients in Artichokes

Artichokes are an excellent source of dietary fiber, magnesium, chromium, vitamin C, folic acid, biotin, manganese, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin A and potassium.

The Health Benefits;

- Lowers Cholesterol

- Relieves IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)

- Relives Dyspepsia

- Diabetes

- Cures Hangovers- here is one my friends will love.

All pictures are of the artichokes recipes are from:

http://www.phamfatale.com

Please find the recipes on the links above.

Asparagus; The health benifits, how to eat it, & a recipe NEEDS EDITING

There are three different colors of asparagus, white purple and the most commonly used green.

Choosing and Storing Asparagus
The key is to select straight, firm, uniformly sized spears with closed tips. Asparagus deteriorates rapidly, so it’s important to select bundles that are refrigerated. They should also be used within two or three days of purchase. If you do need to keep it for a day or two, the best way is to place the spears upright in a bowl (or even a small vase) of cold water. Alternatively, you can wrap the ends of the spears in a damp paper towel and refrigerate them.
-asparagus 101

Health benefits:
• A Natural Diuretic
• Food for Healthy Gut Flora
• A Birth Defect Fighter

How to cook Asparagus:

Like most vegetables asparagus does not have to be cooked, it can be eaten as is. You will want to cut the rough ends before you eat it. Some people like to add a little bit of olive oil. There are however many recipes for cooked asparagus.


Recipe from cooking light
Ingredients
• 4 cups water
• 1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice
• 2 1/4 cups chopped asparagus (about 1 pound)
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon hot chili sauce with garlic (such as KA•ME)
• 1 pound extrafirm tofu, drained and cut lengthwise into 9 pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup preshredded carrot
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Preparation
Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Add bag of rice, submerging bag completely in water. Boil 10 minutes. Carefully remove bag from pan, leaving boiling water in pan. Add asparagus to pan; cook 1 minute. Drain.
While rice cooks, heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and chili sauce in a small bowl. Sprinkle tofu with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add tofu to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Add soy sauce mixture; cook 20 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Combine rice, asparagus, 1/2 teaspoon salt, carrot, and sesame oil. Serve tofu over rice.

Cherries the super food

Super Food

Sweet, tart and abundant cherries are a wonderful source of food, but did you know they were a power punch against cancer, pain, weight loss and more? Cherries can be eaten alone, cooked into many dishes, or added to salads.

There are many health benefits that come from the small super fruit, you can start experiencing them if you eat 1-2 servings of cherries a day. The fruit can be eaten frozen, dry, or fresh and will still give you the health benefits you see below. Both sweet and tart cherries offer these benefits but tart cherries are better source then sweet cherries.

Health benefits of Cheery
Helping ease arthritis pain
Helping ease gout pain
Reducing risk factors for heart disease
Reducing risk factors for diabetes
Reducing risk for many cancers
Helping increase the levels of melatonin in the body
Helps prevents memory loss
Helps delay the ageing processes
Helps reduce body fat
Helps reduce inflammation
Helps reduce cholesterol levels
Weight loss

Recipe: from www.allrecipes.com
Christmas Cherry Cake

Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
12 ounces golden raisins
8 ounces halved glace cherries

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease and line with parchment paper one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Cream butter or margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add beaten eggs and orange juice and mix well.
Sift flour and baking powder. Reserve 1/3 cup of flour mixture and toss with raisins and cherries (this will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Add flour mixture to batter and blend. Add floured raisins and cherries to dough and mix until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 2-1/2 hours. Don't serve until several days old. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap or foil and store in a sealed tin.

Refrences:
http://www.choosecherries.com/health/main.aspx
http://autoimmunedisease.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_benefits_of_cherries
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Christmas-Cherry-Cake-2/Detail.aspx

Flaxseed-needs editing for pics and graph

The benefits of the super food, Flaxseed, on your Health.

Let me be honest with you and tell you that I had not heard of flaxseed until Britney Spears had been using it to help her lose weight (during her come back). During this time I was focusing on losing weight so I purchased a box of milled flaxseed (which is just flaxseed grounded into a powder). It however remained in my pantry for a while before I decided to try it.

Flaxseed tastes like nuts and can be added to EVERYTHING. After my husband and I learned of all the benefits of flaxseed we have been adding it to everything; on salads, green beans, meats, and vegetables as a topping. Flaxseed can be purchased in many forms like the actual flower, the seeds, in a powder form and in an oil form.

There are many benefits of flax seed some of them are listed below;

· Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
· Omega-3-rich Flaxseeds Protect Bone Health
· Protection Against Heart Disease, Cancer and Diabetes
· Flaxseeds Help Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure
· Flaxseed Provides Comparable Cholesterol-Lowering Benefits to Statin Drugs
· Flaxseed Oil Lowers Blood Pressure in Men with High Cholesterol
· Rich in Beneficial Fiber
· Flaxseed Puts the Brakes on Prostate Cancer Growth
· Special Protection for Women's Health
· Flaxseed Reduces Hot Flashes Almost 60%
· Fend Off Dry Eye
· Promotes regularity and healthy digestion.
· Help stabilize blood sugar levels.
· Helps increase your metabolic rate, assisting in weight loss. Especially around the waist.
· Provides a boost to the immune system.
· Promotes and maintain healthy skin.

Stay Healthy,

Love,

Cyndi

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Review: Morning Star Hickory BBQ Riblets

Morning Star Review 

By Cyndi Morel

As someone who is only three months into becoming a vegetarian I can really appreciate the easy meat-substitute meals.  My favorite is the Morning Star's Hickory BBQ Riblet.  It is delicious and high in protein.
Meat eater or vegetarian I would eat this over regular ribs anyway!

Stay healthy,
Love
Cyndi

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