maca.

ok. one more post. another book i have to return to the library is david wolfe's superfoods.
since having the "super ex" smoothie at organic lives, i have become convinced that maca is one of my favourite things. when i am feeling BLEH or hungry or not in the mood for ANYTHING, i have maca in my smoothie (often with cacao and frozen banana) and i'm SET. i am happy and ready to go! i'm not the only one this happens to either, i swear!
so perhaps it's best that i list some things that david wolfe shares about maca, also known as peruvian ginseng...

this root is known to improve the following conditions:

• anemia
• chronic fatigue
• depression
• infertility and sterility in humans and livestock
• lack of libido
• malnutrition
• menopausal symptoms
• menstrual discomfort and disorders
• poor memory
• stomach cancer
• stress tension
• tuberculosis

pretty good, huh?

maca is great with cacao and it's also great in salad dressings and broths... it has a slightly malted flavour, kind of coffee-ish to me sometimes (though i don't drink coffee, i only know the smell). this root's powder is a great emulsifier: it can draw fats/oils together with starches/sugars in a beverage or dessert. 

the recommended amount to have daily is two heaping tablespoons and it's recommended you take one week off per month of consistent use to keep it working nicely for you! 

i generally seem to have a smoothie (with maca!) thursday mornings - seems to be the day i enjoy the boost the most!

the china study.

i requested this book (by t. colin campbell, phd) from the library and finally got it but of course i haven't had to time to read. i got about 1/4 through if that means anything.
so it's due back now but i want to make some notes while i have the book.
i was flipping through to see what i'd be missing and the "eating right: eight principles of food and health" looks especially interesting. i can't wait to read more but for now, here are just the principles to get you thinking:

principle #1: nutrition represents the combined activities of countless food substances. the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

principle #2: vitamin supplements are not a panacea for good health.

principle #3: there are virtually no nutrients in animal-based foods that are not better provided by plants.

principle #4: genes do not determine disease on their own. genes function only by being being activated, or expressed, and nutrition plays a critical role in determining which genes, good and bad, are expressed.

principle #5: nutrition can substantially control the adverse effects of noxious chemicals.

principle #6: the same nutrition that prevents disease in its early stages (before diagnosis) can also halt or reverse disease in its later stages (after diagnosis). 

principle #7: nutrition that is truly beneficial for one chronic disease will support health across the board.

principle #8: good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence. all parts are interconnected.

curry acorn squash bread!

since getting a dehydrator end of september, i've started experimenting making raw "bread". my first bread was garlic, flax, almond and oil and it was so soft, it was hard to keep it in one piece so you really couldn't put anything on it (which is what i wanted!). paul liked it though.
for my second one, i added chia goodness as there's sprouted buckwheat and such in there that i expected to add a nice heartiness. and it was definitely hearty... really nuts and seedsy. i liked it as i could stack stuff on it. paul didn't.
well, here's the latest... a curried acorn squash bread.

one slice is missing of the 4 slices i made as i had to test it, you know? ^_^ i smeared some coconut oil on there and it was perfection! so... to make it... of course i'm not measuring which maybe i should be if i'm posting recipes but i'll do my best:

approx. 1/4 cup ground flax seed, soaked overnight in about twice the water as flax

approx. 1/8 cup (or maybe 1/16) ground almond

about 1/2 acorn squash, cubed then processed in food processor

1 tablespoon or 2 of a curry blend of spices (including turmeric, cardamon, ginger, chili, pepper, fenugreek, clove, garlic, mustard, cinnamon, bay leaf, salt, coriander)

i spread it onto the teflex with a spatula and made it square and scored the square into 4 squares and then dehydrated for about 7 hours at 105 degrees, then i flipped it onto the mat (sans teflex) so the other side could get air and that was on for probably about 7 hours too.

i love it but the true test will be paul tonight ^_^

this is the 2nd "bread" i had made that i enjoyed the texture of but wished i had added some spices to it. though i suppose the toppings could make it fine but i don't know, tons of flavour is fun!

a few weeks ago when i had kale chips and crackers and strange yam chips (i really have to use the peeler to make them thin and proper rather than an odd slice of chewy crunchiness) and banana cacao strips...

and a few weeks ago when i had crackers made and a "cheesy" type thing made with macadamia nuts that i wasn't sure what to do with so i put it on top of salad. this meal was AWESOME and it took maybe 5 minutes to put together!

last weekend or the weekend before, i took over a snack package to paul of a banana cranberry flax crepe type roll, apple chips, cacao almond coconut macaroon, strawberry chips, kale chips, sprouted teriyaki sunflower seeds, red onion flax crackers and my 2 kinds of breads! i gotta get in the habit of making so many things at once so i can do this more! it was so fun putting together all these treats for him!