Cleansing. It's a big topic. Celebrities are talking about it, it's featured on Dr. Oz, you'll see it in magazines, and just try to avoid it at a health food shop. The problem is, with all this talk out there, how are you supposed to tell what's true and what's false? In this talk, I go through the most common myths about cleansing, and then tell you the truth, as well as give practical tips about how to help your body keep itself clean. Check it out!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
What's The Deal With Cleansing?
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Cancer Prevention in Your 20s and 30s.
Twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings have important work to do in cancer prevention, but few know it! In this lecture, I go over the basics of cancer, and talk about prevention in real-life, concrete terms.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
First in a Series of Webinars
In the past few months, I've taken a bit of a break and haven't posted new blogs. In that time, however, I've been hard at work putting together a series of webinars on health-related topics! They'll be coming out monthly throughout 2013 and possibly beyond.
The following is the first in the series, entitled 'Three Supplements Everyone Should Take'. Unfortunately, the video and audio don't sync perfectly, which is something we'll be able to fix in the upcoming editions. I hope you enjoy it and will tune in for future webinars.
If you are interested in signing up to attend future webinars, click here to be routed to my webinar sign-up page.
The following is the first in the series, entitled 'Three Supplements Everyone Should Take'. Unfortunately, the video and audio don't sync perfectly, which is something we'll be able to fix in the upcoming editions. I hope you enjoy it and will tune in for future webinars.
If you are interested in signing up to attend future webinars, click here to be routed to my webinar sign-up page.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Cabbage Done Spicy
This final recipe comes from the book Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates, and details a dish invented on the fly by a Tibetan chef who was working at Moosewood many years ago. Though the book itself is below the par of most of Moosewood's books, this dish has been a guaranteed crowd pleaser with just about everyone I've served it to. The original recipe calls for this to be served as a burrito, though I find it's just as good on its own with rice. Additionally, this being a Moosewood recipe, the original was vegetarian, though my adaptation contains meat.
2 cups chopped onions
2 tbsp oil (I find that untoasted sesame oil is a great option, but avoid olive oil at all costs)
2 tbsp minced/pressed garlic
3 tbsp fresh ginger root
1 tsp salt
4 cups shredded napa cabbage
1 or 2 tsp asian chili paste (such as sriracha)
2 cups peeled and grated carrots
8-16 oz seitan/tempeh/chicken/pork
1 tsp dark sesame oil
To start with, let me say that I recommend preparing the ingredients beforehand, rather than on the fly. The shredding and grating involved in this recipe is fairly labor-intensive and the ingredients are subsequently added to each other fairly quickly.
Before, however, you tackle the vegetables, deal with the meat, if you're using meat. Though this is a stir fry, I don't recommend cooking the meat in the stir fry, as the flavor is less impressive cooked that way, and if you're going to use meat, do it justice and get maximal flavor out of it. I recommend salting and oven roasting it, similar to the roast chicken recipe. Allow it to cook until slightly browned, then allow to cool. When cooled, slice it into thin strips, perhaps a quarter inch wide. I typically use chicken thighs, but pork chops can be just as good.
Ok, now that you've finished prepping the vegetables, it's time to get to work. I typically use a wok for this dish.
Start by frying the onions over medium heat until golden brown. Add the garlic, ginger root and salt, and cook for about 2 minutes, until the aroma rises nicely. Next, stir in the cabbage and cook until the cabbage is limp (about 10-15 minutes). I recommend napa cabbage for this recipe, as it wilts well, and makes a great stir fry.
Once the cabbage is soft, add the chili paste, carrots and seitan/tempeh/meat. Cook 10-15 minutes more, until all veggies are soft and golden brown. When finished, remove from heat and drizzle the dark sesame oil over the dish and mix well. Serve immediately.
If the last dish didn't make you a fan of cabbage, this one is guaranteed to do so.
2 cups chopped onions
2 tbsp oil (I find that untoasted sesame oil is a great option, but avoid olive oil at all costs)
2 tbsp minced/pressed garlic
3 tbsp fresh ginger root
1 tsp salt
4 cups shredded napa cabbage
1 or 2 tsp asian chili paste (such as sriracha)
2 cups peeled and grated carrots
8-16 oz seitan/tempeh/chicken/pork
1 tsp dark sesame oil
To start with, let me say that I recommend preparing the ingredients beforehand, rather than on the fly. The shredding and grating involved in this recipe is fairly labor-intensive and the ingredients are subsequently added to each other fairly quickly.
Before, however, you tackle the vegetables, deal with the meat, if you're using meat. Though this is a stir fry, I don't recommend cooking the meat in the stir fry, as the flavor is less impressive cooked that way, and if you're going to use meat, do it justice and get maximal flavor out of it. I recommend salting and oven roasting it, similar to the roast chicken recipe. Allow it to cook until slightly browned, then allow to cool. When cooled, slice it into thin strips, perhaps a quarter inch wide. I typically use chicken thighs, but pork chops can be just as good.
Ok, now that you've finished prepping the vegetables, it's time to get to work. I typically use a wok for this dish.
Start by frying the onions over medium heat until golden brown. Add the garlic, ginger root and salt, and cook for about 2 minutes, until the aroma rises nicely. Next, stir in the cabbage and cook until the cabbage is limp (about 10-15 minutes). I recommend napa cabbage for this recipe, as it wilts well, and makes a great stir fry.
Once the cabbage is soft, add the chili paste, carrots and seitan/tempeh/meat. Cook 10-15 minutes more, until all veggies are soft and golden brown. When finished, remove from heat and drizzle the dark sesame oil over the dish and mix well. Serve immediately.
If the last dish didn't make you a fan of cabbage, this one is guaranteed to do so.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Cabbage Done Heartily
This recipe is a take on colcannon, a traditional Irish dish involving cabbage and potatoes. It works as a great standalone meal, and reheats very well in the oven. It involves a few pots, but the result is excellent, and worth the work.
Colcannon is a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs type of meal that is fantastic in the dark and dreary days of late autumn and winter, and what's more, it features bacon! But wait, isn't this a natural health blog? What's bacon doing in the recipe? Quite simply, I've found that the appeal of bacon is stronger than the repulsion of Brussels sprouts or cabbage, and that not only does bacon work with the flavor of crucifers quite well, but is also an effective way of introducing people to these fantastic, health-promoting foods.
2 pounds potatoes
2 1/2 cups chopped/shredded green cabbage or kale
2 cups chopped Brussels sprouts or broccoli
8 oz bacon
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Peel and chop the potatoes, then boil them in salted water until soft. Waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold or red potatoes) work as well as mealy potatoes (such as Russets) both work well, though clearly produce slightly different dishes. I personally prefer waxy potatoes, which give the dish a chunky consistency, whereas mealy potatoes make for something more like a mash.
Meanwhile, steam the cabbage/kale and Brussels sprouts/broccoli. The trick here is to steam them just enough that they can be easily pierced with a fork, and then remove them from the water (if you're using kale, add that after the rest of the veggies have cooked, and allow it to cook until wilted). Many of us grew up eating overcooked veggies in general, and overcooked crucifers in particular. Not only does overcooking bring out the sulfurous flavor of these veggies, but it also gives the veggies a soggy, limp consistency. And seriously, if you're trying to get people to eat challenging veggies, at least cook them so they're appealing.
Ok, so finally, the bacon part. Cook the bacon as usual, and then allow to drain on a plate. Please allow for house/apartment to smell like goodness and draw all parties to the kitchen. Using the bacon grease, cook the onion until browned, adding the salt and pepper as it nears completion.
Now for combining. Drain the potatoes and veggies and place in a large bowl, add the onion mixture, crumble in the bacon, and mix thoroughly. Place in a casserole and top with shredded cheese. Place under broiler and allow the cheese to melt and bubble.
Serve immediately. For a true British Isles experience, serve this with stout or porter.
Colcannon is a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs type of meal that is fantastic in the dark and dreary days of late autumn and winter, and what's more, it features bacon! But wait, isn't this a natural health blog? What's bacon doing in the recipe? Quite simply, I've found that the appeal of bacon is stronger than the repulsion of Brussels sprouts or cabbage, and that not only does bacon work with the flavor of crucifers quite well, but is also an effective way of introducing people to these fantastic, health-promoting foods.
2 pounds potatoes
2 1/2 cups chopped/shredded green cabbage or kale
2 cups chopped Brussels sprouts or broccoli
8 oz bacon
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Peel and chop the potatoes, then boil them in salted water until soft. Waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold or red potatoes) work as well as mealy potatoes (such as Russets) both work well, though clearly produce slightly different dishes. I personally prefer waxy potatoes, which give the dish a chunky consistency, whereas mealy potatoes make for something more like a mash.
Meanwhile, steam the cabbage/kale and Brussels sprouts/broccoli. The trick here is to steam them just enough that they can be easily pierced with a fork, and then remove them from the water (if you're using kale, add that after the rest of the veggies have cooked, and allow it to cook until wilted). Many of us grew up eating overcooked veggies in general, and overcooked crucifers in particular. Not only does overcooking bring out the sulfurous flavor of these veggies, but it also gives the veggies a soggy, limp consistency. And seriously, if you're trying to get people to eat challenging veggies, at least cook them so they're appealing.
Ok, so finally, the bacon part. Cook the bacon as usual, and then allow to drain on a plate. Please allow for house/apartment to smell like goodness and draw all parties to the kitchen. Using the bacon grease, cook the onion until browned, adding the salt and pepper as it nears completion.
Now for combining. Drain the potatoes and veggies and place in a large bowl, add the onion mixture, crumble in the bacon, and mix thoroughly. Place in a casserole and top with shredded cheese. Place under broiler and allow the cheese to melt and bubble.
Serve immediately. For a true British Isles experience, serve this with stout or porter.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Cabbage Done Savory
Cabbage is one of my favorite winter vegetables, in part because it's surprisingly versatile. The next three recipes will feature cabbage prepared three different ways. It's not everyone's favorite vegetable, but it deserves to be in everyone's diet, so hopefully you'll find you enjoy one of these three recipes.
Throughout these next few recipes, we'll be using different types of cabbage as well, and today's type is red cabbage. Though all types of cabbage are rich in cancer-fighting compounds, such as sulphoraphanes, indole-3-carbinol, and a variety of vitamins and minerals, red cabbage is unique in containing anthocyanidins, compounds which give the cabbage its unique color, and which also are potent antioxidants.
The first recipe is designed to accompany the roast chicken recipe from earlier this week, and features a savory, but mild take on cabbage that won't steal the show from that fantastic chicken.
1 red cabbage
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup water
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sweet apples peeled, cored and chopped
1/4 cup raisins
5 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts
As always, peel off the outer leaves of the cabbage, and remove the core. Shred the tender leaves of the cabbage.
Add all ingredients except pine nuts to a large pot, and simmer over low heat for about an hour, until the cabbage is quite soft. You'll want to initially bring the mixture to a simmer and then reduce the heat, so that the cabbage steams.
Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet or pan until lightly browned on all sides, and stir into cabbage before serving. Even over low heat, this requires close attention to avoid burning the pine nuts (which can be quite expensive).
(Recipe adapted from Claudia Roden's The Food of Spain)
Throughout these next few recipes, we'll be using different types of cabbage as well, and today's type is red cabbage. Though all types of cabbage are rich in cancer-fighting compounds, such as sulphoraphanes, indole-3-carbinol, and a variety of vitamins and minerals, red cabbage is unique in containing anthocyanidins, compounds which give the cabbage its unique color, and which also are potent antioxidants.
The first recipe is designed to accompany the roast chicken recipe from earlier this week, and features a savory, but mild take on cabbage that won't steal the show from that fantastic chicken.
1 red cabbage
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup water
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sweet apples peeled, cored and chopped
1/4 cup raisins
5 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts
As always, peel off the outer leaves of the cabbage, and remove the core. Shred the tender leaves of the cabbage.
Add all ingredients except pine nuts to a large pot, and simmer over low heat for about an hour, until the cabbage is quite soft. You'll want to initially bring the mixture to a simmer and then reduce the heat, so that the cabbage steams.
Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet or pan until lightly browned on all sides, and stir into cabbage before serving. Even over low heat, this requires close attention to avoid burning the pine nuts (which can be quite expensive).
(Recipe adapted from Claudia Roden's The Food of Spain)
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
A Podcast About Medicine Done Badly
A few weeks ago, I posted a link to an article by Ben Goldacre, a columnist at the Guardian who's just published a book called Bad Pharma. Soon thereafter, Ben was interviewed for the Guardian's Science Weekly Podcast, and an abbreviated version of the interview was featured in their weekly podcast a few weeks ago. Just yesterday, the full version was released, and let me tell you, it's excellent. While Ben has been a harsh critic of complementary medicine (and so he and I don't agree on everything), his critique of the pharmaceutical industry and the effect they have had on both debasing science, as well as putting patients at risk, is excellent. The interview is about an hour long, but is well worth your time. I hope you enjoy it.
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