With giant piles of snow all around us, it’s hard to believe that the month that kicks off spring is finally here…but it is!

I love spring! I can’t wait to walk through my yard to see how many of my tulip and daffodil bulbs have survived the winter, and hope to discover lots of flower buds on my lilac bushes. I look forward to planting my small vegetable garden. It always amazes me how one tiny little seed grows so quickly to provide a delicious bounty.

Seeds are truly remarkable. They store vital energy and information required to produce a new, complex life-form. When a seed germinates, it is bursting with energy and nutrients – in fact, many sprouted seeds, as well as sprouted grains and legumes, are excellent, nutrient-dense additions to our diet. You have probably eaten some type of sprouted seed, grain, or legume, but did you know that sprouting makes them more nutritionally complete and easier to digest?

The process of soaking and sprouting creates many beneficial changes, including:

an increase in nutrient content, especially of Vitamin C, Bs and carotene
the neutralization of anti-nutrients and enzyme inhibitors (such as phytic acid) which compromise digestion and the absorption of many important minerals
the breakdown of complex sugars into more easily digested monosaccharides
the partial breakdown of gluten and other difficult-to-digest proteins, allowing easier absorption (gluten-containing grains include oats, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, and especially wheat)
the production of enzymes that promote better digestion
Sprouting is not a new concept. Since biblical times, various grains, seeds, and legumes were soaked overnight and then dried in open air until they began to sprout. The sprouted forms were then used to make bread and other grain-based foods which were referred to as ‘the staff of life’.

A variety of sprouts and sprouted grain products (such as breads, cereals, and pastas) are now available at most grocery stores. For those of you interested in doing your own sprouting at home, basic instructions and various tips for successful sprouting are given below. These were provided courtesy of a very kind client who has lots of experience with sprouting grains, seeds, and legumes of all types. Don’t be afraid to experiment in order to get the desired results.

One word of caution: various health books, including Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig and Eating Well for Optimum Health, by Andrew Weil, M.D., do not recommend alfalfa sprouts as they contain canavanine – a natural substance which can be toxic to man and animals. In addition, various tests have shown that alfalfa sprouts inhibit the immune system and can contribute to inflammatory arthritis and lupus.

You can add sprouts to salads, soups, sandwiches, stir-fries and more!

Enjoy!

MATERIALS, INSTRUCTIONS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL SPROUTING

Materials

30 ounce glass jar (e.g. mason jar)
Fine nylon mesh cut into 4 x 4 inch square
Elastic bands
Dish cloth and/or other non-transparent material to cover jar
Shallow tray
Basic Instructions

Place seeds in mason jar.
Wash seeds by covering with water. Swirl around and drain water out of jar using nylon mesh or other appropriate strainer. Secure a piece of mesh on the mouth of the jar using an elastic band.
Soak seeds in jar. The amount of water used should be approximately 4 to 6 times the amount of seeds. Wrap jar in dishcloth or other non-transparent material and secure with a couple of elastic bands and allow seeds to soak for 6 to 12 hours.
Rinse seeds and thoroughly drain water from jar.
Wrap jar in dishcloth or other non-transparent material and secure with a couple of elastic bands. Place jar on its side in a well ventilated area at room temperature. Avoid exposing the jar to direct light. Shake jar gently to evenly distribute seeds along the side of the jar.
Every morning and evening, rinse and drain seeds. Leave the mesh cover and wrapping on jar and put it back on its side, distributing seeds evenly, out of direct light.
When seeds have fully sprouted, place jar near a window. If leaves have sprouted by evening, store in the fridge overnight and expose to full sun the next morning.
When leaves have turned green, the sprouts are ready to eat! Store sprouts in fridge and rinse every day. Will keep for 7 to 10 days.
Tips

Certain seeds (e.g. very small seeds such as wheat grass and watercress) are best sprouted in a shallow tray. A plastic, cafeteria-style tray works well. Line the tray with a damp dishtowel. Sprinkle seeds on dishtowel and keep it continually moist. Drain tray of excess water and keep covered with slightly moist paper towel and out of direct light during the sprouting stage.
You may have to experiment with the amount of seeds to use. For a 30 ounce mason jar, 4 level tablespoons is a good amount for most smaller seeds; 8 tablespoons is a good amount for larger seeds and legumes (e.g. sunflower, wheat berries, mung beans). If too many seeds are used in the jar method, the sprouts in the middle may not get enough sun exposure to turn green.
Soaking time may vary depending on the seeds. The starchier, denser seeds may take longer (e.g. chick peas require at least 24 hours). These sprouted seeds may also need light steaming/cooking to be more digestible.
Sprouting time will vary depending on the seeds. Most seeds sprout within 5 days.
For a chlorophyll rich sprout, sunlight exposure is required. One afternoon of exposure to sunlight is sufficient. Slow, indirect sunlight is preferred.
It is also beneficial to soak raw nuts and seeds (without sprouting them) to make them more digestible. Place a small amount (the amount you would consume in one or two days) in a glass container and cover with double the water. Let soak overnight (4 – 8 hours), rinse and enjoy as is or in your favourite dishes. Store in refrigerator.

Successful sprouting takes practice – experiment and enjoy!

References

The Maker’s Diet, Jordan S. Rubin N.M.D., Ph.D., Siloam, Lake Mary, FLA, 2004

Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon with Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., New Trends Publishing Inc, Washington, DC, 2001

Eating Well For Optimum Health, Andrew Weil, M.D., Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2000

The month of February brings us Valentine’s Day. One of the most popular Valentine’s gifts is the traditional heart-shaped box of chocolates. Ironically, in addition to the long-standing Valentine’s connection between hearts and chocolate, there is a more recent health connection. If you are a chocolate lover, you are in luck. In the past several years, there has been a growing body of evidence that consuming chocolate in small quantities (I repeat, small quantities) offers specific health benefits – with heart health currently topping the list. Before you run out to stock up on chocolate, be aware that not all chocolate is created equal.

The health benefits of chocolate come from the flavonoids (most commonly, epicatechin) contained in the cocoa beans. These flavonoids have strong anti-oxidant effects. Unfortunately, the flavonoids are destroyed with processing. Dark chocolate has the most flavonoids – almost 4 times more than milk chocolate. White chocolate is not a source of flavonoids as it contains neither cocoa solids or chocolate liquor.  Most countries do not consider it to be chocolate at all – even the FDA does not classify white chocolate as chocolate.

It is best to eat chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa. With any chocolate, always read the ingredients and make sure that cocoa is listed first. Many commercial chocolates and chocolate bars list sugar before cocoa. These bars offer few health benefits and will contribute to a growing waist-line. Note that cocoa beans are approximately 50% fat. Although a significant amount of this fat is the monounsaturated oil, oleic acid (the same fatty acid contained by olive oil and known to offer heart healthy benefits), moderation is key with any high fat food.

The book “Foods That Fight Cancer”, written by Richard Beliveau, Ph.D., and Denis Gingras, Ph.D, includes a chapter entitled “Chocolate: A Healthy Obsession”. This chapter explains the history of chocolate, the science behind its health benefits and is summarized with the following two points:

• Dark Chocolate, which contains 70% cocoa mass, supplies the body with important amounts of polyphenols potentially capable of exercising beneficial effects on chronic illnesses, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
• The daily consumption of two 20-gram squares of chocolate that is 70% cocoa mass may have definite health benefits and should replace or reduce that of sugar- and fat-filled candies with no phytochemical content.

The potential health benefits of good quality dark chocolate emerging from recent research include:

• A decreased risk in cardiovascular disease (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 2007; Archive of Internal Medicine, 2006)
• A decrease in blood pressure and cholesterol (Journal of the American Medical Association, July 4 2007)
• A positive effect on psychological well-being (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007)

Unfortunately, not all the news about chocolate is good news. In her book, Bitter Chocolate: Investigating the Dark Side of the World’s Most Seductive Sweet, award-winning author and broadcaster Carol Off, exposes the unethical history of the cocoa industry. Almost half of cocoa comes from the Ivory Coast in West Africa. Some cocoa farmers have resorted to abusive labour practices (including child labour and trafficking) in order to “compensate” for the labor intensive harvesting and preparation of cocoa beans, as well as the extremely low price of the beans brought about by economic and government forces. Fortunately, there are an increasing number of fair-trade dark chocolate products available.

One of my favourite brands of chocolate is Cocoa Camino.  Cocoa Camino offers a delicious and unique variety of premium Fair Trade Certified and certified organic chocolate and cocoa products produced by La Siembra Co-operative. La Siembra’s mission is to offer high-quality Fair Trade Certified organic products that improve the livelihoods of family farmers and the well-being of communities at home and abroad.  To find a retailer in your area that sells Cocoa Camino products, visit:http://www.cocoacamino.com/lr_v10/locator.php

Finally, keep in mind that health promoting antioxidants are found in numerous other food sources – especially fruits and vegetables – and that these sources should not be replaced by chocolate! Remember that along with its health benefits, chocolate is still a source of calories, fat and sugar. More is not better! As with most things in life, moderation is key; however, it’s great to know that there is a healthy choice with good quality dark chocolate….and luckily (or unluckily for us chocolate lovers!), only a small amount can provide big health benefits.

Enjoy!

References: 

http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/healthandfitness/a/chochealth.htm

http://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/health/chocolate.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/valentines/qa-off.html

Foods That Fight Cancer: Preventing Cancer Through Diet, Richard Beliveau, Ph.D., Denis Gingras, Ph.D., McClelland & Stewart Ltd, 2006. ISBN 0-7710-1135-0

Happy New Year!

It’s hard to believe that it’s 2008 – and that it’s that time of year again for making resolutions.

Not surprisingly, most New Year’s resolutions are health-related, with losing weight being one of the most popular. Unfortunately, many individuals do not achieve this resolution for a number of reasons, including setting unrealistic expectations or not following a practical plan.

Successful, long-term weight management is more likely to be achieved when our long-term goals are broken down into modest and realistic short-term goals, which are then met by adopting practices that are reasonable to incorporate into our daily lifestyle. Losing weight does not have to be about misery and deprivation!

It is estimated that approximately one third of North American adults are currently dieting. Over the decades, many weight loss diets have come and gone, with various levels of popularity and reported success.

It is well documented that following many of these diets on a short-term basis, especially those that restrict or deprive the body of certain foods (and therefore, nutrients), often leads to hunger and cravings and does not produce healthy, long-term results. There is a growing body of documentation which suggests that some of these popular diets are actually detrimental to our health if followed on a long-term basis.

Surveys of individuals who have successfully lost weight and have kept it off, conducted by the National Weight Control Registry and Consumer Reports, reveal that most did it on their own, without resorting to commercial weight loss products and/or programs. For the most part, they attributed their success to eating less, making better food choices and exercising more.

There is no magic weight loss strategy that will work for everyone due to unique variations in metabolism, food sensitivities and other physiological factors; however, for many of us, weight loss most often comes down to a case of not consuming more calories than our body needs. So the next time you indulge yourself with that second helping or decadent treat, make sure you plan on some extra exercise to burn off those extra calories!  Keep in mind that it takes approximately one hour of brisk walking to burn off 400 calories – about the amount of calories you’d get from eating a muffin purchased from a very popular coffee shop!

While there are certain supplements that make fat-burning claims, most lack confirming human clinical results – and the majority of these supplements stimulate the central nervous system (which is already exhausted in many individuals), often causing jitters and/or sleep loss. I am aware of only one natural, whole food product that has clinical results to confirm its thermogenic effects (the process by which the body increases its metabolic rate, requiring the use of internal stores of energy, such as fat). Unlike other fat-burning products, it boosts metabolism, specifically of visceral fat (the kind around the belly), without stimulating the central nervous system.

Coconut oil has recently been receiving some attention for its many health benefits – one of which is promoting weight loss by boosting metabolism. Studies show that after eating a single meal containing MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides), which are prominent in coconut oil, metabolism remains elevated for at least 24 hours.

Researchers at McGill University in Canada have found that if an individual replaces all the oils in their diet that are made of LCTs (long-chain triglycerides) – e.g. soybean oil, canola oil, safflower oil – with oils that contain MCTs, such as coconut oil, up to 36 pounds of excess fat can be shed per year.

In their book “Eat Fat, Loose Fat”, Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon present a revolutionary, science-based food program which explains why the consumption of healthy, saturated fats – especially coconut oil – is essential to achieving weight loss and good health.

As the popularity of coconut oil grows, numerous brands are appearing on store shelves, with various levels of quality and taste. Look for brands which are biologically pure, made with fresh, organic coconuts and minimal processing. As with most products, you get what you pay for. For more information on the many health benefits of coconut oil, visit: http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/  or read the book “The Coconut Oil Miracle”, by Dr. Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D.

The best “diet” to adopt is based on moderation, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, some whole grains, healthy fat and protein choices, avoiding certain foods and following proper food combining guidelines.

If weight loss is one of your New Year’s Resolutions, I would be happy to assist you in developing a food plan that will help you reach your goal. Sometimes even small changes can make a significant difference. Never underestimate the power of nutrition!

Happy New Year and here’s to a healthier, more vibrant you in 2008!

The pomegranate is an ancient fruit originating from Persia.  Its name is derived from the Latin words pomum (apple) and granatus (seeds).  Indeed the pomegranate is an apple of many seeds – and many legends!  It is mentioned frequently in the Bible, Greek mythology and other ancient writings, often described as “Life Blood”.  It was considered a sign of fertility due to its hundreds of seeds.  Pomegranates are eaten as part of Jewish tradition during Rosh Hashanah, as a reminder to do good deeds.  Jewish tradition says that it contains 613 seeds, the same number of laws individuals of Jewish faith are commanded to obey.  In Muslim tradition, the prophet Muhammad is told his followers to “Eat the pomegranate, for it purges the system of envy and hatred.”

Pomegranate season is typically from late October through to January.  There are many varieties of pomegranate.  The one found in most North American grocery stores is between the size of an orange and a grapefruit.  It has thick skin ranging in colour from pink to reddish.  The skin contains clusters of small kernels.  Each kernel is made up of a tiny seed that is surrounded by a delicious, firm, juicy, crimson-coloured pulp.

Pomegranates are a good source of vitamin C, potassium and fibre.   Health benefits relating to the pomegranate can be attributed to the fact that it is rich in polyphenols.  These substances are strong antioxidants that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular related diseases as well as cancer.  In fact, several clinical trials have been approved to determine whether or not the consumption of pomegranate juice has any effect on atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries due to plaque build up), prostate cancer or prostatic hyperplasia.
(Source: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=pomegranate).

Pomegranate juice has also been touted as an excellent tonic for the urinary bladder and kidneys.  It also has a mild laxative effect.  According to Spanish folklore, pomegranate juice is beneficial in relieving stomach upset, belching and flatulence. 

Consuming the kernels of the pomegranate is also a delicious way to reap the benefits this fruit has to offer – including its fibre content – something you will not get from drinking the juice. 

If you’ve never bought a fresh pomegranate before, here are some tips on how to get at the tasty kernels!  The juice from the kernels stains, so care must be taken when separating them from the skin. Here is a relatively easy, mess-reducing way to collect the kernels.