Chicken Scarpariello With Sausage and Peppers Recipe
Looking for a healthier take on the classic sausage and peppers recipe? This chicken scarpariello dish has both chicken breasts and chicken sausages and is overflowing with delicious flavor. Of course, I recommend using organic, free-range chicken products, which I personally think taste better in addition to being healthier options overall.
This chicken scarpariello with sausage recipe takes less than an hour to make and can feed at least six people. It’s a perfect choice if you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing dish that only requires one pot and minimal effort. Before we dive into the how-to’s of this recipe, what is chicken scarpariello exactly?
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons avocado oil
4 chicken breasts
3 chicken sausages
2 sweet cherry peppers, halved and de-seeded
1 orange pepper, sliced
1 cup dry white cooking wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 shallot, sliced into rounds
1 cup okra, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon sage
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
In a large oven-safe pan over medium-high heat, warm avocado oil.
Brown chicken and sausage separately and then remove when braised but not fully cooked.
Reduce to medium heat and add garlic, peppers, mushrooms, shallots, okra, oregano, sage, salt and pepper.
Sauté until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.
Add wine and broth to deglaze the pan.
Scrape bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula to incorporate the flavors.
Place chicken and sausage on top of the vegetables and bake in oven for 30 minutes.
Are genetically engineered food and lab-grown meat the most sustainably regenerative choices available? Impossible Foods, creator of the meatless bleeding Impossible Burger, made with GMO soy, would like you to think so. After the release of its 2019 Impact Report,5 senior manager of impact strategy, Rebekah Moses, told FoodNavigator-USA:6
“We have done a tremendous amount of diligence and we’re confident that in using GMO soy, we are not taking a step backward in terms of sustainability.
Soy is really high yielding, it’s a good source of protein and it’s more efficient than wheat. You get so much more protein in a given harvest vs the amounts of water, energy and inputs needed to grow it.
Everything is very field-based, but at a high level, there is very little difference if any difference in the environmental impact of conventional vs herbicide tolerant soy and in some cases using herbicide tolerant soy enables you to adopt more sustainable practices such as the ability to reduce tillage, which is a win for the soil.
Similarly, the chemicals you spray to manage pests — that includes insects and weeds — in herbicide tolerant crops are lower toxicity than the alternatives [used to grow conventional soy].”
Impossible Foods takes aim at regenerative farming
Impossible Foods also points out that since meat from cows require about 30 pounds of corn and soy for every pound produced, GMO soy burgers reduce the net use of herbicides.
However, while this is true for livestock raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), it’s absolutely not the case for organic grass fed beef production, as pastured cattle eat grasses and never lay a nose to GMO grains of any kind.
So, while GMO soy burgers may have an environmentally competitive advantage over CAFO beef, it cannot compete with regenerative grazing as far as herbicide usage (or toxicity thereof) is concerned.
Despite such well-established facts, Impossible Foods takes aim directly at regenerative ranching in its report, claiming grass fed cattle ranching generates higher amounts of greenhouse gas emissions than cows raised in CAFOs.7,8 What it fails to include is evidence9 showing grass fed ranching actually has net negative emissions after all relevant factors are taken into account.
Is fake food really the answer we’re looking for?
Impossible Foods’ impact report is hard to reconcile with other established data showing GMO soybean and corn farms are a primary source of water10 and air pollution.11 GMO soybeans and corn have also been identified as primary destroyers of grasslands and forests.12,13
Regenerative grazing is also a key activity required for the optimal sequestering of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into our rangelands and pasturelands, while GMO soy production is associated with resistant super weeds14 and super pests and uncontrollable cross contamination.
Impossible Burger also skirts the issue of nutrition by focusing solely on the intake of protein in general, ignoring the fact that grass fed beef contains a complex mix of nutrients (including healthy fats) and cofactors you simply cannot recreate by mixing together an assortment of plant-based components.
GMO soy linked to ecological devastation
To learn more about the ecological impact of soy, check out the Greenpeace documentary “Soy: In the name of progress.” Also take a look at Dan Charles’ 2013 NPR article,15 “Pictures don’t lie: Corn and soybeans are conquering U.S. grasslands.” He writes, in part:
“Grasslands are disappearing … They’re being replaced by fields of corn and soybeans … A study16published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows actual pictures — derived from satellite data — of that changing landscape.
The images show that farmers in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska converted 1.3 million acres of grassland into soybean and corn production between 2006 and 2011.
‘This is kind of the worst-kept secret in the Northern Plains. We just put some numbers on it,’ says Christopher Wright, from South Dakota State University, who got funding from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy to take a close look at this phenomenon …
Wright’s images are striking, and these changes are having profound effects on the environment of this region. For instance, it’s bad news for wildlife, because corn fields are much less inviting habitat for a wide range of wild creatures, from ground-nesting birds to insects, including bees.
Corn and soybean fields are increasingly encroaching into the Prairie Pothole region of the Dakotas and Minnesota, the most important breeding habitat for waterfowl in North America.
In southern Iowa, Wright says, much of the land conversion is taking place on hillsides. The soil of those fields, without permanent grass to hold it in place, is now much more likely to wash into streams and ponds.”
Modern agriculture largely responsible for death of our oceans
Chemical runoff is indeed among the most significant threats posed by these gigantic monocrop fields. As noted by National Resources Defense Council:17
“Nutrient pollution, caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in water or air, is the number-one threat to water quality worldwide and can cause algal blooms, a toxic soup of blue-green algae that can be harmful to people and wildlife.”
Similarly, a June 11, 2019 PBS News Hour article18 warns that “A ‘dead zone’ the size of Massachusetts could hit the Gulf this summer,” based on the latest forecast19 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“If this prediction holds true, this event would be the second largest on the list of Gulf dead zones in more than three decades,” PBS reports, noting this dead zone “would be 50% larger than the average seen in the last five years.”
The reason for the massive increase in algal blooms that kill marine life by sucking up all the oxygen is blamed on heavy rainfall increasing chemical runoff from fertilizer-enriched farmland — in the case of the Gulf, farmland surrounding the Mississippi River. As reported by The Washington Post:20
“Analyses from U.S. Geological Survey monitors in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya watersheds showed that discharge from these rivers was 67 percent greater than the 1980-2018 average. The amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus spilling into the Gulf were 18 percent and 49 percent above average, respectively.”
What’s more, “Even if nitrogen runoff was eliminated today from the Mississippi River, a 2018 study in the journal Science found, it would take at least 30 years for the Gulf dead zone to recover,” The Washington Post notes.21
Savory Institute responds to Impossible Foods’ attack
Impossible Foods specifically mentions the Savory Institute in its report, boldly claiming that Savory’s regenerative grazing theories have been “thoroughly debunked.” In response, the Savory Institute issued a statement saying:22
“This is not the first, nor will it be the last, attempt to discredit Holistic Management as a sleight-of-hand for promoting and profiting off of large scale industrial agriculture …
Claims that our work has been ‘debunked’ disregard not just the millions of acres that have been regenerated globally and the tens of thousands of farmers, ranchers, and pastoralist communities who have stewarded this land transformation and witnessed it firsthand …
[T]hey also overlook the growing body of peer-reviewed evidence documenting that properly-managed livestock can be a net positive for grassland ecosystems,23carbon drawdown,24wildlife habitat,25 and rural communities.26”
Savory also highlights a third-party lifecycle analysis27 (LCA) of a holistic ranch, showing properly grazing livestock “when taking a full accounting of all greenhouse gases in and out of their farming operation,” is a net carbon sink. As noted in the analysis, “Carbon footprint evaluation of regenerative grazing at White Oak Pastures”:28
“Traditional LCAs don’t account for soil carbon sequestration and therefore don’t take into account the full carbon story for regenerative agriculture systems … Soil samples were taken and evaluated to quantify soil carbon sequestration and allow a highly credible inclusion of this information into the LCA …
As there is little information published on this topic and the outcomes challenge much conventional thinking on beef’s carbon footprint, careful consideration should be given to the conclusions and messaging.”
According to this analysis — notably performed by the very same company that conducted Impossible Burger’s LCA — the carbon footprint of beef from White Oak Pastures is 111% lower than conventional CAFO beef, as the “system effectively captures soil carbon, offsetting a majority of the emissions related to beef production.”
Regenerative grazing creates net carbon sink
All things considered, including enteric emissions, manure emissions, soil carbon capture, vegetation carbon, miscellaneous farm activities, slaughter and transport, the total net carbon emissions from the beef production on White Oak Pastures was found to be a negative 3.5 kilos of carbon emissions per kilo of fresh meat, making this integrated, holistic system six times more carbon efficient than the average CAFO production model. Importantly, as noted by Savory:29
“What Impossible Burger seems to have conveniently omitted is that their GMO soy-based product is still a net carbon emitter in comparison to White Oak’s properly-managed livestock that create a net carbon sink.
Could it be that GMO soy-based Impossible Burger feels threatened by the regenerative movement? In a world where current agricultural practices have eroded soils to the point of having less than 60 harvests left (according to the UN FAO30), the solution is not to maximize efficiencies in the broken, extractive, industrial model …
Rather, as environmentally-conscious businesses and individuals, we must address the root cause and adopt land management practices that honor the symbiotic relationships of plants and animals. One cannot exist without the other, so we must reevaluate our preconceived notions and return to farming in nature’s image.”
White Oaks Pastures invites Impossible Foods for a visit
Will Harris, owner of White Oaks Pastures and president of the American Grassfed Association, has taken matters a step further, issuing an open invitation to Impossible Foods’ officials to visit his farm to get a thorough understanding of how regenerative grazing actually works. In a statement, Harris writes:31
“As an independent professional rancher, who has practiced regenerative land management on our family farm for more than 20 years, I can state unequivocally that Impossible Burger’s claims about regenerative grazing are incorrect.
Not only is our business financially successful on a large scale, but we are accumulating data showing that our practices are enhancing the carbon sequestration potential of the soil on the lands we manage.
Today I am publicly inviting Impossible Foods representatives to visit my farm and see for themselves the many social, economic and environmental benefits of regenerative grazing.
I would be grateful to share our recent Life Cycle Assessment that clearly demonstrates that the carbon footprint of our farm results in a positive impact on the environment — a claim that imitation meat companies cannot make.”
Meat replacement companies need to demonstrate superiority
On his website, Harris also highlights some of the other benefits of regenerative farming and why we need it:32
“Land is meant to be a living thing. It contains the natural order of all living things: Life, Growth, Death, Decay, Life, Growth, Death, Decay. The land is our teacher. Looking back to the evolution of our ecosystem informs the way we manage land today.
The energy cycle, carbon cycle, mineral cycle, microbe cycle, water cycle have all co-evolved with plants, microbes, and animals since our planet’s creation. Our passion is to create an environment that allows these cycles to flow freely: microbes feed plants which feed the animals which spread urine and feces to microbes which feeds the plants which feed the animals.”
Just how exactly does cultivating fake meat in an industrial facility improve the ecology of our environment? Again, we’re not just talking about which strategy is the least destructive, we’re talking about which one actually improves the environment the most.
“Talk is cheap” they say, and in the case of Impossible Burger’s claims that certainly rings true. They (and other meat replacement companies) really need to tangibly demonstrate how their system is better, overall, and not just on some minor point, than the regenerative system.
Grazing livestock is integral to ending ecological destruction
In the podcast above, Sustainable Dish interviews Ronnie Cummins, executive director and co-founder of the Organic Consumers Association, about the importance of grass fed livestock farming for climate stability, environmental health, sustainability and regeneration.
As explained in many previous articles, livestock are important components that make farming truly regenerative, as they help build healthy soils. Lab-derived meat substitutes do not actually contribute anything to this healthy ecological cycle.
When animals are raised according to regenerative agriculture, a healthy ecosystem is produced and then more or less effortlessly maintained. So, eating meat is not synonymous with environmental harm; it’s industrial farming practices — CAFOs — that inflict the damage.
Some also believe eating meat means ripping out more forests so animals can graze, but I’m certainly not advocating for that. U.S. cropland is currently dominated by a two-crop planting cycle of corn and soybeans, largely for animal feed. Like CAFOs, these monocrops are devastating the environment, and even though they’re plant foods, they are part of the problem, not the solution.
Getting rid of these large swaths of corn and soy fields — which are laden with chemicals and largely devoid of life — is key, as is reverting them back to what they were before, namely grasslands for grazing animals.
Grasslands are key to fixing many environmental problems, and herbivores are a necessary part of this ecosystem. By mimicking the natural behavior of migratory herds of wild grazing animals — meaning allowing livestock to graze freely, and moving the herd around in specific patterns — farmers can support nature’s efforts to regenerate and thrive.
Long-term health effects of fake meat are still unknown
Aside from the fact that fake meat production doesn’t have any regenerative capabilities that would benefit the ecosystem, there’s also the issue of health effects. A number of studies have highlighted the risks of ultraprocessed foods, showing they raise your risk of cancer, and the more ultraprocessed foods you eat, the greater your risk.
In one,33,34,35,36 which included 104,980 participants followed for an average of five years, 18.74% of the men’s diet and 18.71% of women’s was ultraprocessed, and each 10% increase in ultraprocessed food raised the cancer rate by 12%, which worked out to nine additional cancer cases per 10,000 people per year.
The risk of breast cancer specifically went up by 11% for every 10% increase in ultraprocessed food. While sugar and unhealthy fats are key staple ingredients suspected of causing these effects, there’s reason to believe fake meat might have a similar impact, for a number of reasons.
For starters, the Impossible Burger meat substitute is the epitome of a highly-processed food — seeing how it’s manufactured from start to finish, and involves the use of man-made ingredients — placing it squarely in the higher-risk category.
Secondly, GMO soy has been shown to have a number of health risks all by itself. Third, the human body is not designed to process fake meat and there’s no telling what the long-term health ramifications might be. Even the liberal U.S. Food and Drug Administration has raised concerns over the soy leghemoglobin in the Impossible Burger being a possible human allergen.37,38,39
Fourth, GMO soy is loaded with glyphosate, the health risks of which are of increasing concern as it’s now being found in most processed foods, including non-GMO foods. Recent testing by Moms Across America (MMA) revealed concerning levels of glyphosate in the Impossible Burger.40
Fake meat isn’t about humanitarianism; it’s about profit
You really need to question the rationale for creating expensive fake meat alternatives when a far less expensive and more reasonable answer is readily available. What’s worse, fake meats may ultimately create more problems than they solve, as laboratory derived meat substitutes are not part of the ecological cycle and health hazards are as yet entirely unknown.
This basic lack of understanding affects safety regulations pertaining to processing and manufacturing as well. Commenting on the open questions pertaining to fake chicken production, Al Almanza, former acting deputy undersecretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, noted that we still do not know “what’s normal or abnormal, and thus potentially unsafe, in a cultured-chicken plant.”41
Without this knowledge, food inspectors have no idea what to look for, companies cannot devise and implement proper safety protocols and regulators cannot make regulations to ensure safety. The same applies to fake beef,
In its report “From Lab to Fork: Critical Questions on Laboratory-Created Animal Product Alternatives,”42 released in June 2018, Friends of the Earth calls for more stringent safety assessments, regulations and labeling requirements.
The report highlights a number of health and safety concerns and environmental impacts hidden beneath “climate-friendly” claims. It also points out the lack of substantiation for “clean meat,” “animal-free,” “plant-based” and “sustainable” claims.43
All in all, it seems that, contrary to the PR being churned out, the creation of fake meat products is not about feeding the world or eliminating animal suffering. It’s about dominating billionaires looking to put patents on the food system.
Go grass fed, not lab bred
While many view lab-created meat substitutes as the lesser of two evils when comparing it to the CAFO meat that currently dominates the market, taking nature out of the equation altogether is not the answer, especially since holistic herd management is an integral part of the regenerative agriculture equation.
Ultimately, creating fake food is not the answer to solving the problems associated with conventional meat. For health reasons as well as ecological reasons, I recommend skipping the meat alternatives and opting for real beef raised the right way instead.
When you do shop for meat, go to a local organic farmer or look for Demeter (biodynamic) and American Grassfed Association (AGA) certifications. Both indicate high-quality, sustainable and environmentally sound food.
There is a lot of punch packed into this simple cucumber salad, so expect to duke, or should I say Cuke, it out with your friends.
1 cup of low fat sour cream or plain yogurt
¼ cup of chopped green onions
1 tbsp. Each of lemon juice, and sugar
1 tbsp. Minced fresh dill
¼ tsp. salt
6 cups peeled seeded and diced English cucumbers *
To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients except for
the cucumbers in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30
Minutes.
Add dressing to diced cucumbers in a medium bowl. Mix well.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Best if eaten with in 24 hours.
Makes 6 servings
Hint* When a recipe calls for seeded cucumbers, split the cucumber lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and the watery membrane with a spoon. Salads made from seeded cucumbers stay fresh longer.
Have you ever thought of wonton soup as a health food? Probably not. But with my gluten-free, gut- and figure-friendly wonton soup recipe, you can think again! For my wonton soup recipe, I use a combination of gluten-free cassava flour and tapioca flour to make the wonton dough. I also fill the wontons with ground turkey instead of pork or shrimp since I avoid both of those foods.
And the healthy choices don’t stop there. I also add a ton of vegetables, herbs and spices to this soup to boost its nutritional value. The vegetables in this wonton soup recipe may just leave you with a stronger immune system, healthier heart and gut and improved digestive tract. You’ll also feel completely satisfied from this hearty recipe.
What is Wonton Soup?
Wonton soup is commonly prepared in Chinese cuisine. It includes wontons, which are tiny dumplings that are filled with a seasoned ground meat. The traditional way to prepare wonton dough is using a combination of flour, egg, salt and water, but for my wonton soup, I chose to use cassava flour and tapioca flour so the wontons are completely gluten-free.
My favorite thing about wonton soup is that it includes a bunch of nutrient-dense vegetables, like mushrooms, cabbage, carrots and onions, plus a handful of anti-inflammatory herbs and spices, like ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper and cilantro. With so many ingredients in wonton soup, you are getting a slew of health benefits, from improved digestion and heart health, to a reduced risk of obesity.
INGREDIENTS:
Wonton Wrapper:
1 cup cassava flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 cup hot water
½ cup avocado oil
Filling:
½ pound ground turkey
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ginger powder
1 green onion, chopped
2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
½ cup carrots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 teaspoon salt
Soup:
8 cups chicken bone broth
4 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 cup of mushrooms
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon ginger powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot, combine broth, aminos, garlic, onion, ginger, cayenne, sesame oil, chili flakes, cilantro, salt and pepper.
Bring broth to a boil and then simmer on low.
While broth is simmering, combine cabbage and carrots in a strainer placed over a bowl. Pour 1 teaspoon of salt over the top. Let sit for 10 min.
Massage cabbage and carrots to release excess water. Ring out the water and place in a medium sized bowl.
Add ground turkey, onions, coconut aminos, garlic, ginger and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix flours, avocado oil and hot water. Knead dough thoroughly until smooth.
Lay parchment paper on a flat surface and sprinkle flour.
Place 2 tablespoons of dough on the parchment and flatten with a rolling pin. Cut dough into 3 inch squares.
Place 1 tablespoon of turkey filling in the center of the dough. With one lightly wet finger, trace two edges of the wonton dough in an “L” shape.
Gently, enclose wonton fillings to create a triangle shape. Fold the wings inward, making sure to release any air pockets.
Bring the broth back to a boil and gently drop wontons into the soup.
A new study suggests that men who eat lots of red meat are much more likely to have bowel problems, pain and nausea than their peers who stick mainly with chicken or fish.
Researchers examined more than two decades of data on more than 46,000 men and found frequent red meat eaters were 58 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diverticulitis, a common bowel condition that occurs when small pockets or bulges lining the intestines become inflamed.
“Previous studies have shown that a high fiber diet is associated with a lower risk of diverticulitis, however, the role of other dietary factors in influencing risk of diverticulitis was not well studied,” said senior study author Andrew Chan, a researcher at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
“Our result show that diets high in red meat may be associated with a higher risk of diverticulitis,” Chan added by email.
Diverticulitis is common, resulting in more than 200,000 hospitalizations a year in the U.S. at a cost of more than $2 billion, Chan and colleagues note in the journal Gut.
New cases are on the rise, and the exact causes are unknown, although the condition has been linked to smoking, obesity and the use of certain nonprescription painkillers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
While diverticulitis can often be treated with a liquid or low-fiber diet, severe cases may require hospitalization and surgery to fix complications like perforations in the gut wall.
Researchers examined data collected on men who were aged 40 to 75 when they joined the study between 1986 and 2012. Every four years men were asked how often, on average, they ate red meat, poultry and fish over the preceding year.
They were given nine options, ranging from ‘never’ or ‘less than once a month,’ to ‘six or more times a day.’
During the study period, 764 men developed diverticulitis.
Men who ate the most red meat were also more likely to smoke, more likely to regularly take NSAIDs, and less likely to eat foods with fiber or get intense exercise.
By contrast, men who ate more chicken and fish were less likely to smoke or take NSAIDs and more likely to get vigorous exercise.
After accounting for these other factors that can influence the risk of diverticulitis, red meat was still associated with higher odds of developing the bowel disorder.
Each daily serving of red meat was associated with an 18 percent increased risk, the study found.
Unprocessed meats like beef, pork and lamb were associated with a greater risk than processed meats like bacon or sausage.
It’s possible the higher cooking temperatures typically used to prepare unprocessed meats may influence the composition of bacteria in the gut or inflammatory activity, though the exact reason for the increased risk tied to these foods is unknown, the researchers note.
Swapping one daily serving of red meat for chicken or fish was associated with a 20 percent reduction in the risk of this bowel disorder, the study also found.
The study is observational, and doesn’t prove red meat causes diverticulitis.
Other limitations of the study include its reliance on men to accurately recall and report how much meat they ate and the possibility that the results may not apply to women, the authors point out.
Even so, the findings should offer yet another reason to consider cutting back on red meat, said Samantha Heller, a nutritionist at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City who wasn’t involved in the study.
Diets high in red and processed meats have been linked with increased risks of inflammatory bowel diseases, so the link found in this study “is not surprising,” Heller said by email.
“Focusing on a more plant based, higher fiber diet that includes legumes, whole grains, nuts, vegetables and fruits, replete with appropriate fluid intake, may go a long way in helping reduce of inflammatory bowel diseases, diverticulitis, and other chronic diseases,” Heller added.
Well, lime is diva-vine – especially when it is grouped with tropical friends.
These grilled tuna steaks are sure to top the flavor charts!
Grill Makes 4 servings
1/2 cup mixed tropical fruit jam (a pineapple-mango-orange combination works well)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. chopped, fresh cilantro
1 tsp. grated gingerroot
1 tsp. sesame oil
4 tuna steaks, about 6 oz. each and 1-inch thick
To prepare marinade, combine jam, hoisin sauce, lime juice, cilantro, gingerroot, and sesame oil in a small Bowl. Stir well.
Rinse tuna steaks and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange steaks in a glass baking dish. Pour marinade over fish. Turn pieces to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Brush grill with a little oil to prevent fish from sticking. Heat to medium-high. Grill steaks for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Baste with extra marinade during cooking. Be careful not to overcook.
Tuna should be lightly browned on outside, but still slightly pink in middle. (Overcooked tuna is very dry, so pay attention!) Serve immediately.
Per serving: 336 calories, 3.3 g fat. 0.7 g saturated fat, 40.4 g protein, 31.8 g carbohydrate, 0.5 g fiber, 77 mg cholesterol, 321.6 mg sodium % calories from fat: 9
We all know that we should include more raw food in our daily diet such as fresh fruits and vegetables. But some foods, even some vegetables, can be toxic in their undercooked state.
“Many foods can be dangerous when eaten raw,” the team dietitian for the Orlando Magic basketball team tells Newsmax. “For example, eggplant contains solanine, a poisonous compound that can cause vomiting, diarrhea and damage to the central nervous system and needs to be cooked. Animal protein in general — dairy, raw cauliflower,poultry, pork and eggs — can be very dangerous when eaten raw because of the bacteria and parasites that can be found in these foods.”
Here are six more foods that should never be eaten raw:
Cookie dough. We’ve all been guilty of licking the bowl, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a formal warning titled “Say No to Raw Dough!” urging folks NOT to yield to temptation and indulge. Raw dough contains flour and often eggs, both products that can harbor harmful germs and bacteria in their uncooked states.
Potatoes. This vegetable, like eggplant, contains solanine. Green potatoes are particularly high in solanine and can be toxic even when cooked, according to Prevention. When you bake potatoes in a casserole or stew, make sure they are thoroughly cooked.
Sprouts. Adding bean sprouts to salads is a great way to jazz up the meal, but uncooked sprouts can contain harmful bacteria, such as salmonella and E. Coli.
Steak tartare. As delicious as this gourmet dish of raw ground beef mixed with eggs dish appears, that’s how dangerous it can be. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says on its website, Eatright.org, that we should never consume rare or even medium rare meat because in the grinding process, harmful bacteria on the surface gets ground into the meat. Ground meat needs to cooked to an internal temperate of 160 F.
Raw milk. Drinking raw milk has become trendy as many people believe it can cure many diseases, but Collingwood warns it’s a health hazard. “Drinking unpasteurized milk can be dangerous because of the bacteria it can contain,” she says.
Raw asparagus. This is another vegetable that should be cooked even though it’s not toxic, according to Alternative Daily. Cooking enhances the cancer-fighting antioxidants in this vegetable and increased the absorption of vital nutrients like vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. Cooking will also help break down the fiber making it more easily digestible.
“While you may have eaten raw cookie dough or steak tartare without incident in the past, all it takes is one time that you willnews get sick and it can be potentially deadly, especially for someone with a compromised immune system,” says Collingwood.
For people battling high cholesterol, choosing meals wisely can be a challenge, but it is essential. Restaurants, parties, even an office potluck may present unhealthy temptations. But simple dietary modifications can help you eliminate those unhealthy choices:
Reduce sugar and flour. Recent research indicates that added sweeteners and flour-based carbohydrates, which are far too abundant in the American diet, are major contributors to obesity and heart disease. Be aware of the flour-based foods that may seem less obvious, such as breads, tortilla chips and cereals, as they are all high carbohydrate foods. As far as your cholesterol profile goes, they will raise your triglycerides. Recent research suggests that higher non-HDL cholesterol, comprised of LDL and triglycerides connect strongly to heart disease risk. Gluten Free means there is still flour and sugar in the products.
Avoid trans-fat. Stay away from items that list “hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil” on the label, especially snack foods such as chips or popcorn. Try baked or air-popped versions instead.
Use fresh garlic regularly in your meals. Garlic has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels.
Drink green tea daily. The antioxidants in green tea help lower cholesterol and prevent the cholesterol in your blood from oxidizing. Women need to limit the amount that they drink daily.
Eat plenty of soluble fiber. It has a powerful cholesterol-lowering effect. The best sources are beans and lentils, apples, citrus fruits, oats, barley, peas, carrots and freshly ground flaxseed.
Dairy Products : The sugar and the additives they they are allowing in dairy products now will increase your cholesterol. Even if it says organic, or gluten free, you will not be able to consume dairy products.
You do not see anything in here written about eggs , red meat, bacon or ham, because all of that has been dis-proven time and time again.
In addition, relax. There is quite a bit of data connecting stress, both physical and emotional, to elevated cholesterol levels. We talk about relaxation a lot, but rarely do we think of it as a way to lower cholesterol.
Always contact us if you need help, or have a question?
Chocolate avocado cookies are healthy fudgy chocolate cookies made of 5 simple ingredients 100 % gluten free + low carb + paleo + sugar free.
Ingredients
1ripe avocadoabout 1/2 cup mashed avocado
1/4cupnatural maple Flavored Sugar-Free Syrupor maple syrup (if not low carb)
1/2cupnut butterpeanut butter or almond butter (if paleo)
1eggor chia egg if vegan
1/2cupunsweetened cocoa powder
Optional
1/4cupdark chocolate chips, no sugar addedor choose your favorite one
1teaspoonvanilla extract
2-3dropsliquid stevia drops
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180 C (360F)
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slightly oil the paper with 1/2 teaspoon of liquid vegetable oil (coconut or peanut oil) . This will prevent the cookies to stick to the paper. Set aside.
In a food processor, with the S blade attachment, add ripe avocado and sugar free maple syrup (or liquid sweetener you like). Process for 30 seconds until it forms a creamy avocado batter with no lumps.
Stop, add egg, nut butter and cocoa powder. Process again for 30 seconds. Scrap down the bottom and side of the bowl and process for an extra 15 seconds to make sure all the batter is combine – no lumps.
Transfer the chocolate cookie batter onto a mixing bowl. It will bit moist and sticky that is what you want. Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla – if used.
Combine with a spatula until the chocolate chips are evenly incorporated. Test the batter and adjust with 2-3 drops of liquid stevia – only if you want a sweeter cookie. I did not add any to mine and my kids love them but if you have a sweet tooth I recommend few drops of stevia to make them sweeter. Add one drop at a time and see how it taste.
Prepare a small bowl with warm water, dip a spoon in the water and use that spoon to sample some chocolate cookie batter from your bowl. The water will prevent the batter to stick too much to your spoon.
Spoon the chocolate batter onto the baking sheet – I used another spoon to push the batter out of the first spoon. Use a silicon spoon or spatula to flatten the cookie into a cookie shape. The batter won’t stick onto silicon which makes it easier to spread.
Repeat until you form 6 jumbo cookies. Those cookies won’t spread so you don’t need to leave more than half thumb space between each.
Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of each cookies if you like.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the centre is set.
Cool down 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer onto a cooling rack to cool down.
Store the cookies in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
More than 54 million American adults suffer from some form of arthritis according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Furthermore, the CDC predicts that by the year 2040, an estimated 78 million adults are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
But experts say that eating the right, anti-inflammatory diet can help protect your joints and alleviate some of the symptoms of this potentially painful disease. These same anti-inflammatory foods can also stave off other dreaded diseases as well, because we know that inflammation plays a major role in almost every major disease. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it’s the culprit in many forms of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and even depression.
According to Health Fitness Revolution, here are the top 10 foods and nutrients to eat to treat your arthritis — and improve your health:
Foods rich in calcium. Dairy products that are low in fat like milk and yogurt are rich in calcium and vitamin D, which can help increase the strength in your bones and joints. If you are lactose intolerant take a supplement or eat leafy, green veggies.
Vitamin C. This water-soluble vitamin is essential to slow down the progression of osteoarthritis. Consume more fruits like strawberries, pineapples and kiwis.
Broccoli. Aside from being rich in vitamin C, broccoli contains sulforaphane, a compound that can help prevent and slow down the progression of osteoarthritis.
Garlic. Garlic contains diallyl disulfide, a compound that can help alleviate arthritis. Chop garlic into your pasta, soups and stews or take supplements such as Kyolic Aged Garlic extract. Adding garlic to your diet could benefit not only arthritis symptoms but also your overall health since it has also been associated with reduced risk of certain cancers and heart disease.
Fish. Fatty fish contains inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce the inflammation in your joints and relieve pain. Aim for at least 4 ounces of fish, like salmon, herring, sardines or cod, twice weekly to reap the benefits.
Soy. Like fish, soy also contains omega-3 fatty acids. If you’re aren’t a fan of fish, try eating soybeans with your meals. Soybeans are low in fat, with lots of protein and fiber.
Tart cherries. You may find relief from these cherries that are chock full of powerful anthocyanins, antioxidants that give the cherries their red color. You can find tart cherry supplements at your health food store or eat the actual cherries themselves. Tart cherry juice is a great tasting option but look for the unsweetened variety.
Green tea. Studies have shown that an antioxidant in green tea called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) actually cancels the molecules that come together to cause joint damage. Green tea is also full of polyphenols that are great for healthy joints.
Whole grains. Whole grains should be your new best friend. They contain a compound called CRP which can help reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Eating breakfast of whole grain cereal or oatmeal is a great way to introduce whole grains into your diet.
Ginger. A recent study assessed the effects of ginger extract on patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. A whopping 63% experienced improvements in knee pain after only six weeks. You can consume ginger in fresh, powdered or dried form or use the extract itself.
You Are What You Eat, So Dont Be Cheap, Easy, or Fake
