Author Archives: Kimberly Crocker

Hypertension: Best Fall & Winter Foods to Reduce Blood Pressure

Fall & Winter Foods that contribute to overall reduction of blood pressure are in abundance as we move through the cooler moths. Eating seasonally is important for your body’s overall health as the variety of nutrients contribute to the body’s natural cleansing and healing abilities.

Fruits and vegetables that are higher in potassium rid the body of excess sodium, providing balance for the body and reducing overall blood pressure and contribute to weight loss. The following list of nutrition have all been researched and have shown evidence of reducing hypertension. Include them in your daily dietary intake!

Vegetables                                                                                             Fruits  

  • Baked Potato                                                                         Bananas
  • Beans                                                                                      Dried Apricots
  • (brown, kidney, lima, pinto, white)                                  Oranges
  • Lentils                                                                                     Prunes
  • Dark Chocolate (1 square per day)
  • Mushrooms                                                                            Dairy
  • Olives and Olive Oil                                                               1% Milk/Skim
  • Pumpkin                                                                                  Yogurt
  • Soybeans
  • Spinach                                                                                    Fish
  • Sunflower Seeds                                                                     Salmon
  • Winter Squash
  • Yams
  • Zucchini

Herbs and Spices to Reduce Hypertension

The following list of herbs, spices and vegetables have shown to reduce blood pressure. Their protective properties also contribute to overall heart and kidney health.

  • Cinnamon
  • Cardamon
  • Hawthorn (found in supplement form)
  • Garlic
  • Onions

Low-Acid Food Diet

Watermelon is at the top of the list of the Low Acid Diet

Each individual’s “bio-chemistry and predisposition” to disease is unique and  are continuously being explored in the medical world. While a new diet is not designed to be a monthly fad, the Low Acid Diet can be applied to most individuals, especially those who may combat stomach discomfort.

The normal bodily pH of 7.35- to 7.45 keeps our bodies in homeostasis. Water has a neutral pH 7; all  foods and beverages can then labeled as more basic, for numbers higher than pH 7, or they maybe be classified as acidic, for numbers are lower than pH 7.

The Low-Acid Diet has benefited: weight loss, treats those suffer from Acid Reflux, GERD, curves Osteoporosis, and improves Laryngopharyngeal Reflux. This diet is safe for those who like to change their dietary routine and/or introduce some new foods into there meals or snacks.

A salad with the Low Acid Diet ingredients can benefit anyone!

Watermelon ranks the highest on the list of basic nutrition, other foods are: beans, nuts, olive oil, lettuce, celery, broccoli and grapefruit.  Interestingly, many of these foods are also contributors to keeping the liver healthy by synthesizing bile salts and secreting bile acid so that toxins do not build in the body and regular bowel movements occur daily. Those who suffer from IBS will also be able to follow this diet.

Complete nutrition includes both basic and acidic foods and should be a part of 3 square meals. Acidic foods have been listed as the following, consume in moderation: processed foods, coffee, alcohol and animal proteins found in dairy products, red meats, chicken, fish.

Researchers have explored acidic food’s impact on bone health, having shown that “dairy products do not have a negative impact on bone health”, Department of Community and Health Sciences, University and Calgary, Canada; confirmed by Researchers at Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center.

In conclusion, all foods can be eaten in controlled amounts, those with specific needs should review individual concerns with your doctor or dietitian before adjusting your dietary intake.

By: Kimberly Crocker- Scardicchio

Additional Reading at Eat Know How:
Fennel Seeds to Soothe and Restore Health
Fast Food: Fatty Liver
Gas Pains, Drink Lemon Water

Visit Recipes for ideas on how to supplement your meals.
Fava Bean Soup
Vegetable Couscous
Lentil Soup with Natures Cure

Reference

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie

Enjoy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Dough Bites. A healthy alternative to cookie making.  No added flour, nor oil, not even white sugar! Easy to make gluten free…
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups (400 grams) canned or cooked chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel. 200g chickpeas = 440g soaked chickpeas
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter (will not work with “Hydrogenated Peant Butter)
1/4 cup (80 grams) honey (or Agave)
1 teaspoon baking powder*
Reserve until last
1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips

*For grain-free baking powder, combine 1/2 Tablespoon Baking Soda and 1 Tablespoon Cream of Tartar. Use 1 teaspoon in recipe; seal and save remaining ingredients, store in refrigerator and use up to 2 weeks.

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C.
Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and mix until smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they’re combined.
Add in the chocolate chips (stir it if you can), or pulse it once or twice.
Mixture will be very thick and sticky. Place a small amount of oil on hands, form dough into 1 1/2″ balls. Place onto a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They will not rise.
Bake for about 10 minutes. Yields about fourteen 1 1/2″ cookie dough balls.

Almond Citrus Talapia

Almond Citrus Talapia

Improve on the dietary benefits by adding almonds to talapia fish! Talapia is an easy fish to prepare, but carries lower amounts of nutrients compared to other fish.  Adding a handful of crushed nuts to coat the fish, boosts the health of  the heart and blood pressure by more than tripling  the amounts of: omega oils, vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium.

The dinner is easy to prepare and in less in than twenty minutes is ready to serve!

Preheat Oven to 350 F

6 fillets of Talapia
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup crushed almonds
Zest of 1 lemon

For Rice
1 & 1/2 cup Arborio Rice
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame seeds

Side of Spinach
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
6 cups of packed spinach

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 F
16 minutes to prepare rice
In a large pan add 4 cups of water and rice, bring to a boil, reduce to low heat and cover allow to boil for 14 minutes.

4 minutes to prepare fish
While the rice is boiling, begin to coat the talapia fillets with bread crumbs and place in a baking dish one at a time. Sprinkle with salt. Scatter almonds over all the fillets. Top off by placing lemon zest onto each fillet. Drizzle olive oil over the fish. Place into oven and allow to bake for 12 minutes.

3 minutes to prepare soy sauce
Place sauce pan on medium heat, add soy sauce and sesame seeds. Bring to a simmer for 3 minutes and turn off heat. Cover with lid.

2 minutes to prepare spinach
In a frying pan, warm oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add garlic and spinach to pan. With 2 spoons or tongs begin to toss the spinach in pan for 30 seconds. Turn off heat remove pan from heat and cover pan with a lid to seal heat; spinach will continue to slightly wilt.
Drain water from rice.

Presentation
Place rice onto dish. Pour soy sauce over rice. Next, layer spinach onto bed of rice. Lastly, place baked almond talapia on spinach! Enjoy!!!

Cod with Potatoes and Herbs

Creamy Potato Cod and herb dish!

Cod is an easy fish to work with as it seems to absorb most flavors that are added to it while baking in the oven. A great source of phosphorous and potassium add cod to your dietary plan twice a week.

Phosphorous is a mineral that bones and teeth need; it is a contributing factor to how carbohydrates and fats are used, how energy is stored, and how protein is made for growth, maintenance and cellular reparation.

While potassium is important for contributing to electrolyte balance flushing excess sodium from the body.  Low potassium is associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, cancer, digestive disorders and infertility.  Additional dietary intake of 4 fruits and 5 vegetables a day provides our bodies with the vitamins and minerals needed to keep us healthy and strong.

Serves 2-4 people. Easy to make with two recipes to choose from. Preheat oven to 400 F (180 C)

Cod

1 Potato large (yellow gold)
1 Onion peeled and sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp Capers
1 Tbsp Parsley, freshly chopped
2 fillets Anchovies
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup milk or 1/2 & 1/2 cream
2 Cod fillets

Preparation Option 1

In a sauce pan add olive oil, capers, parsley and anchovies; allow to simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes. Thinly slice one potato and line the bottom of a baking pan with the sliced potatoes. Place cod on top of the potato slices; salt fillets. Pour milk or cream over cod and potatoes. Top off by spooning onion sauté over cods. Place into oven and allow to bake on 400 F (180 C) for 20 minutes.

Preparation Option 2

1 Potato large (yellow gold)
1 Onion peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Thyme
1/2 cup milk or Half and Half Cream
2 Cod Fillets

Thinly slice one potato and line the bottom of a baking pan with the sliced potatoes. Place cod on top of the potato slices; salt fillets. Pour milk or cream over cod and potatoes. Top off with thyme and sliced onions. Place into oven and allow to bake for 20 minutes on 400 F (180 C).