Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Tasty Super Food!

Super Food - a natural food regarded as especially beneficial because of its nutrient profile or its health-protecting qualities." Super foods are fresh, easy-to-eat items that offer disease-fighting vitamins, omega fatty acids, antioxidants and essential minerals. In addition, most of the foods are filling, allowing you to enjoy them without overeating.
When eaten with regularity, super foods can help fight disease, lower cholesterol, boost immunity, improve memory function and maintain heart health.  -eHow

I like to make my own super food at home and this is how I do it:

You will need:

2 cups natural peanut butter
1/4 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp agave nectar or honey
cinnamon and sea salt to taste

Directions:

In a coffee grinder blend the hazel nuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds until smooth.  In a large bowl add the blended nuts and seeds and add the peanut butter, stir in the cinnamon and agave nectar.  Add sea salt until it taste the way that you like it.  I would prefer that you keep this in the fridge and due that the natural oils can go rancid if not used quickly.

Use this just as if you were using regular peanut butter.

Why I use these ingredients:

Natural Peanut Butter:
Contains unsaturated fat which lowers your risk for heart disease by reducing your total cholesterol, lowering your bad cholesterol, LDL, and raising your good cholesterol, HDL. One serving also has  easily digested plant-based protein, which contributes to muscle tissue repair and growth.  One serving of peanut butter has 15 percent of the recommended daily intake for vitamin E. This fat-soluble vitamin acts as an antioxidant, fighting the cancer-causing free radicals in your body. Vitamin E helps lower your likelihood for getting cancer and other chronic diseases.
Hazelnuts:
Hazelnuts are high in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid that helps to lower cholesterol.
They containing minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium, and they can help lower blood pressure.  Hazelnuts contain cardioprotective arginine, an amino acid that relaxes blood vessels.
They are one of the best nut sources of cardioprotective monounsaturated fatty acids and are lowest in saturated fat.

Sunflower Seeds:
Healthful sunflower seeds contain important nutrients and are a good source of polyunsaturated oil. They are chock full of vitamin E, B1, manganese, magnesium, tryptophan and selenium, as well as other important nutrients such as phosphorus, B5, and folate.

Sesame Seeds:
Sesame seeds provide manganese and tryptophan, iron, phosphorus, and zinc, vitamin B1(thiamin) and vitamin E, as well as copper and calcium.

Agave Nectar:
Sahelian (2010) stated that agave nectar is known for being sweeter than honey and its low glycemic index, which means that one will not have a rapid rise and fall with blood sugar and insulin response as one would with cane sugar. This is because of its high content of fructose. It also contains a high amount of inulin, which has been shown to contribute to weight loss. Agave also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

Cinnamon:
As well as the weight loss benefits, consuming cinnamon on a regular basis could aid in the regulation of blood sugar levels (which helps with prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes), anti-clotting effects on the blood, relief from arthritis pain, boosts in memory and cognitive function, as well as lowering cholesterol and preventing heart disease. A study, conducted by researchers at the US Department of Agriculture in Maryland even went so far as to claim that their research shows that cinnamon reduces the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.

Health info from suite101.com


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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

My favorite glaze or sauce for meats

I love having a sauce or glaze when I am having a great piece of meat.

Here is my "Go To" Sauce:

What you will need:

1/2 c of your favorite red wine
2 TBSP of a prepared BBQ sauce
2 TBSP butter
1 tsp agave nectar
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
S&P and garlic powder to taste

Directions :

Put everything in a saucepan except for the parsley, let reduce until it coats the back of a spoon (5 minutes on med heat) throw in your parsley at the end and serve! You can base your meat or serve it on the side.

Sweet and sticky... My favorite!