All posts filed under: Healthy Food

Microbes: We are them. They are us.

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We have known for centuries that we share our bodies with microbes. But we always assumed they lived in places, like skin, mouth, and gastrointestinal tract, which are “outside” our bodies, and that they just use us for housing. Living on us but not interacting with us. However, new findings from the Human Microbiome Project and other lines of study have strongly suggested that our relationships with our microbes are much closer than we thought. Much closer. Who, or what, are we? DNA studies of human tissue have revealed that, at least in number of cells, there are nearly as many of  “them” as “us”. But they are too small for us to see them. But, for instance, about 90% of the cells in the gut are microbes! Not only that, but microbes seem to inhabit every tissue of our bodies, albeit in small numbers (at least compared to skin and guts). And yes. This includes the brain. What are they doing there?   Most of our microbes are in our guts.   There are …

Why I Love Greek Yogurt

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Just a few years ago, probiotics were considered to be an “alternative” thing that only hippies were into. Most “probiotics” were pills with only one or two bacterial species, and there was little concern about quality control. Most medical practitioners considered probiotics to be a rip-off, or a fad. And there was no evidence that probiotic bacteria can even live or form colonies in our guts, so it was assumed that they could not affect our health.   My how things have changed.   Technological advances, thanks to the Human Genome Project, have given us a much better idea of the microbes in our guts. Instead of relying on culture techniques (trying to take bacteria from our guts and grow them on an agar plate or in a tube- which they don’t like, because they only like to grow in our guts), we can now identify them using DNA/RNA sequencing of their genes. And wow! We discovered that thousands of different kinds of bacteria live in our guts, and some of them are the same …

Quinoa-An Alternative Grain

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Quinoa (“keen-wah”) is a grain originally from South America. It is getting popular now because it has high protein, is a good source of calcium, phosphorus and iron, but has little or no gluten. It is not related to the grassy grains such as wheat and rye. Rather, it is related to spinach and tumbleweeds (tumbleweeds!).   Uncooked quinoa It is easy to cook and versatile. It can be used in dishes such as couscous and salads in place of bulgur wheat, or added to soups. Cook it like rice: about one cup quinoa to two cups water. Bring to boil, then simmer until water is absorbed (about 12 minutes). Makes about 2 cups of cooked quinoa. The salad below was brought by a friend to a brunch, and has the added benefits of avocado, citrus, and blueberries. It is delicious and nutritious! Quinoa and Blueberry Salad    2 cups quinoa, cooked    1 cup blueberries    2 large avocados, diced    1 cup pecans    Lime Basil Dressing:    1 tbsp olive oil, extra …

Curried Roasted Carrots with Yogurt

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This dish is easy, tasty, and works well as a side dish or appetizer to bring to parties. I have adapted it from a recipe in Sunset magazine, which has lots of easy and quick recipes for colorful food! Wash and peel 2-3 carrots (depending on size) and slice them diagonally. Peel about half a head of garlic cloves, and cut the bigger ones in half. Toss the carrots and garlic in a bowl with olive oil and spices, about 1 tsp curry powder 1/2 tsp turmeric a pinch of ground cumin a pinch of ground cardamom Let them sit about 10 minutes, stir, and place in a roasting pan. Grind some sea salt over them, and roast at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let cool. Spoon a small carton of greek yogurt into a serving dish, and put the carrots and garlics in the middle. Drizzle the olive oil left over from roasting around on the yogurt. Eat with pita chips!