A Healthy Alternative.

[Loupy]

Oils Demystified: How to use and cook with the best oils for optimal health...
From Grace @ motheringwithgrace.com/


Trying to navigate the health arena is confusing and contradicting at times. Even the information that I share in this series can be refuted. So to start with I will say that what I share with you is coming from a whole food, less processed perspective. I am sharing with you only what I have learned through the classes, books, websites and experiences I have had over the last few years.

When beginning with oils there are three terms that you need to know. All oils are defined by this vocabulary.

polyunsaturated- These oils are liquid at room temperature: corn and other vegetable oils, fish oils
monounsaturated- These oils are liquid at room temperature: olive oil, canola oil
saturated- mainly solid at room temperature: butter, lard, shortening, tropical oils

Every oil contains a mixture of each of these.

It’s also important to understand each oils smoke point.
When an oil is heated to a high temperature it reaches a smoke point. You can usually tell this is happening by the bluish smoke that is emitted. This is important because this is the temperature where fats and oils begin to break down. When this happens the smoke produces toxic fumes, harmful free radicals and nutrition is compromised. A low smoke point means an oil should not be cooked with.

There are so many good oils to choose from but today I’m only going to share with you what you would find in our kitchen.

Coconut Oil- I love this oil, it by far wins my award for most versatile. You can sauté vegetables with it, pan sear fish, melt and pour over roasted vegetables, and be subbed out for vegetable oils in baking. It last for a very long time without going rancid, and it has lots of wonderful health benefits.

*Smoking point 350 degrees F

Olive Oil. It’s a staple for use in homemade salad dressings and to sauté vegetables, it can also be used in marinades, sauces, and bread dips. Olive oil is a high energy food and one of the most digestible of all fats. It’s a monounsaturated fat so it has no cholesterol, this is a great oil to use if you have concerns with your heart or cholesterol.

*The smoking point for Olive Oil varies based on quality but a good rule of thumb is to not cook with it above 400 degrees F.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil-I use this oil sparingly in cooking because it should only be used on low heat unless you have a very high quality oil. We use it for many of the same uses as regular olive oil: salad dressings, to sauté vegetables, marinades, sauces, and bread dips.

*Smoking Point 320 degrees F

Butter- Butter has gotten a bad wrap, but I promise you it’s his Frankenstein step cousin ‘margarine’ you have to worry about. Butter is just as interchangeable and versatile as coconut oil, but shouldn’t be heated at too high of a temp or it will scorch.

*Smoking point 350 degrees F

Palm Oil- This oil has a high smoke point so it’s great for frying, stir-fry’s, grilling, and sautéing it’s a flavorless and odorless oil so when you cook with it you don’t have any subtle flavors coming through.

*Smoking Point 450 degrees F

Fish Oil- We don’t cook with this (yuck) but the health benefits can’t be ignored. Although I do tend to ignore them. I just can’t stand the taste of it, but the hubs moves past it and makes sure he has his recommended daily dose. Barleans has a wonderful line of smoothie tasting options that even I can stomach.

I haven’t yet experienced with nut oils, but I plan on trying out a few in the near future. I also don’t tend to use lard or other animal fats but there is plenty of research out there that using these fats from organic grass fed animals has positive health benefits.

What you won’t find in my kitchen is any kind of Seed and Vegetable oils.

(ok this is a lie)

You will find both- {I’m embarrassed to admit.} I bought them in a weak moment.

But NEVER AGAIN, pinky promise.

Here’s why.

Most of what is labeled as vegetable oil is refined soybean oil. These polyunsaturated fats are extremely processed and when they come into contact with heat and light they are prone to oxidation and free radical production. (It undergoes a chemical process that makes it a bad fat) This causes inflammation in our bodies due to their high reactivity to heat and light. This kind of inflammation can lead to problems like cancer and heart disease.

Although the oils that I choose to have in my pantry are comprised of mostly saturated fats, they are natural saturated fats, which are least reactive to heat and light and therefore the least likely to cause inflammation in our bodies.

I would like to end this the same way I started, with a reminder that all oils/fats will be detrimental to your health if you consume too much of them in your diet.



© 2007-present Mothering with Grace. All Rights Reserved.

[Loupy]

WEEK 2

Welcome back to week two in our series A Healthy Alternative. This week we will turn our focus to Sugar.

The average American consumes 150 pounds of sugar a year! Yikes, that is as much as a grown adult!

In case your wondering why it’s a big deal, {trust me, it’s a big deal} Sugar is linked to: cancer, diabetes, obesity, hypoglycemia, colitis, arthritis, asthma, yeast infections, gallstones, appendicitis, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, high cholesterol, migraines, food allergies, diabetes, eczema, and free radical damage…just to name a few.

Most of us know that sugar is bad for us, so we think we are doing our bodies a service by choosing artificial sweeteners. The truth is- as bad as refined, processed white sugar is for us, the artificial stuff is worse! I won’t spend time going over the horrors of using the stuff…just don’t.

My “In real life” friends are nodding their head in that – {I’m sick of Angela talking about artificial sweeteners- kind of way}.

So if white sugar is out and you have to Just Say No to artificial sweeteners then what’s a gal to do?

5 Sugar Alternatives to get you started.

1. Raw Honey

This is different from the regular syrupy kind that you are most likely used to seeing on your grocery shelves. Raw honey has not been heated to high temperatures which kills off any of the good nutrients. Raw honey is very effective in the treatment of many illnesses, while sugar shuts down the immune system and if you are buying regular {processed} honey- you might as well be buying sugar. Because honey is a simple carbohydrate it will enter the bloodstream quickly so if you are a diabetic you might want to limit your use of this sweetener. When shopping for honey a good rule of thumb is to look for ones that are darker in color, they will be higher in antioxidants, and if you can buy local honey from a health food store or a farmers market it will benefit you even more.

2. Unsulphured blackstrap molasses

Molasses is rich in potassium, iron, calcium and the B vitamins. When choosing molasses be sure you choose organic blackstrap molasses. One of the many benefits of molasses is that it is not going to cause your blood sugar to spike so you can use it generously. It has a much richer taste than honey and other sweeteners, you will want to experiment with it before serving it to your friends for the first time.

3. Rapadura

Rapadura is a type of natural sweetener that is derived from the sugar cane plant. It can sometimes be referred to as sucanat. All of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients found in the cane juice are retained. Rapadura contains molasses which makes it naturally sweeter than white sugar.

4. Pure Maple Syrup

If you are looking for a quick and yummy way to satisfy your sweet tooth then Maple syrup is your ticket. This natural sweetener comes from the sap of maple trees and is a simple carbohydrate which means that just like honey it will enter your bloodstream quickly. Pure maple syrup offers the benefit of over 54 antioxidants, and can help prevent diseases caused by free radicals. When buying maple syrup look for grades of B or C, and be sure you look to see if the syrup was produced with formaldehyde. Yes, I said FORMALDEHYDE. If so steer clear of it.

5. Stevia

Stevia is a natural sweetener derived from the sweetleaf plant. This natural sweetener is 25 times sweeter than honey and 300 times sweeter than sugar. Needless to say less is more. Stevia is both carb and calorie free and if you are diabetic this is the sweetener for you as it has no effect on your blood sugar. And if you just have to have sugar in your coffee or tea then this is a good choice.

Easy Sugar Conversion Chart – Substitution for 1 cup sugar

For Liquid sweeteners, reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of liquid sweetener used, or add an additional 1/4 cup flour.

1/2 to 3/4 cup honey

1/2 to 3/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup molasses and 1/4 cup of a less sweet sweetener (like rapadura)

1/2 cup Rapadura

1 teaspoon Stevia

What’s a Super food? Next week I’m going to share a few of the “Not So Weird” super foods and why you need them in your diet.

Be friendly. Make sure you don’t leave here without leaving your email address so that you don’t miss a single post in this series!

Ok fess up, What artificial sweetener do you currently use, and have you tried any of these natural ones?

[Loupy]

WEEK 3

Not So Weird Super Foods

I don’t know when I jumped on the super foods bandwagon but when I committed to adding more of them into our diet I found that there were lots to experiment with. I will admit there are a few out there that I haven’t quite worked up the nerve to try…yet.

Here are a few that you can be sure won’t scare your taste buds or families away.

Chia Seed

Number 1 on my list. This superfood’s orgins can be traced back to 3500 BC, even then they were known to increase stamina and energy. Today they are popular because of their high fiber content, omega fatty acids, calcium, antioxidants and even protein. These tiny seeds are best eaten after they have been soaked to allow them to bubble up (a lot like tapioca) this allows for maximum benefits which includes grabbing all that yucky gunk through our intestinal system and disposing of it.

Chia seed could easily be added into your diet by throwing a tablespoon of it into your smoothies or add it to oatmeal, pancakes, soups…anything you like.

Beans

Yep just plain old boring beans. Beans help lower blood pressure and reduce the bad cholesterol. Wild enough that it is, there have been studies that have shown that beans contain chemicals that inhibit the growth of cancer and help control insulin and blood sugar levels.
If you have littles in your house that can’t refuse to eat a bean, {we don’t know a thing about that} put a cup of cooked beans in a food processor and then add them to your soup or other meals {they will never know}.

Quinoa (keen-wah)

This may be a new one for you. But it’s worth checking out. I will admit that it’s a bit of an acquired taste, but there are lots of varieties and thousands of great recipes to try out. You can find several on my Pinterest page. My favorite is cilantro lime quinoa. Quinoa is considered a supergrain, it’s packed with nutrients. It provides as much protein as milk, contains more iron than most other grains, and has high quantities of potassium and B vitamins. Quinoa also has folic acids as well as minerals like copper, zinc and magnesium

You can easily sub out any recipe that calls for rice and it blends in soups nicely. Costco sells a quinoa/rice blend in a microwave pack that is delicious. Seriously good.

Garlic

Garlic is AMAZING. Not only does it keep vampires away, but it keeps colds at bay as well. Although, fighting colds aren’t it’s only superpower, garlic possess antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties, add it to your diet every opportunity you get.

Ginger

Chinese medicine has used ginger to cure and prevent health problems for 2000 years. We should too!
This odd little root helps aid in digestion- (this is my go to tea for stomach aches and morning sickness)

It helps fight and prevent colds, it’s anti-inflammatory and strengthens immunity. Ginger may be powerful weapon in the treatment of ovarian cancer. A study conducted at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center found that ginger powder induces cell death in all ovarian cancer cells to which it was applied. A similar study was found for colorectal cancer. Bottom line- you need ginger.
I buy the root fresh and cut off about 1/2 an inch and blend it in my morning smoothie.

Of course these aren’t the only superfoods, the list is long- I picked a few that would be easy to incorporate into your diet today.

[Loupy]

WEEK 4

Grains and Flours

A few years ago I sat in a class and learned that the bread I was eating and feeding my family was lacking any real nutrition.

Although we had been buying whole wheat bread, which was a better alternative to plain white bread, it still wasn’t offering the kind of nutritional benefits that I was looking for as I was beginning this journey to a healthier lifestyle.

If you are still eating white bread- I want to share a few truths with you.

The flour that is used in white bread is…white flour. White flour works the same way as white sugar in your body. When white bread is being produced, twenty six essential nutrients as well as the bran have been removed from wheat so that you can have that pretty white flour. They do return four of those nutrients in a chemical form to produce “enriched” flour.

And you know when you buy that 2 pound bag of bleached flour, they are very honest in their labeling. It does say bleached, for a reason.

Ok enough about that.

So lets say you have already made the jump from white to whole wheat flour and your ready to experiment with a few other grains. I want to get you started with a few good ones.

Spelt:
Spelt is an ancient grain. It is rich in essential fatty acids and higher in fiber than wheat. Spelt is a high energy food due to its higher fat and protein content than wheat, it is easily digested and has a nutty flavor and aroma.

Oats:
Oats are rich in calcium, phosphorus and iron. Oats provide high energy, containing one of the highest amounts of grain protein and fat. The higher fat content gives you a sense of fullness when eating them and therefore makes a great breakfast food. Oat flour can be made by placing rolled oats in a blender and blending until it looks like flour. It can then be used to make cookies, pie crusts and many other baked goods.

Quinoa:
I talked about the wonderful benefits of quinoa, but it’s a grain that we don’t want to leave out. This grain can easily replace rice as a side dish.

Brown Rice:
Just like white bread, white rice isn’t doing you any favors. You can easily replace any recipe that calls for white rice with brown rice. Throw it in casseroles and soups for an added boost of healthy complex carbohydrates. Brown rice can be ground into rice flour and when mixed with another kind of flour can give you good results.

Kamut:
I personally don’t love the taste of kamut but many people do and I would encourage you to try it. (how is that for an endorsement) It does have a much higher protein content than wheat and boast of being higher in magnesium and zinc, and up to 65% higher in amino acids. If you have a wheat allergy then this is a great alternative. It also makes for a lighter fluffier bread than regular whole wheat bread.

So now you have a few new grains to try, what are you going to do with them?

*Well all of these grains can be ground into flour. If you have a grain mill this is easy, but if not you can also use a high powered blender like a Vitamix or Ninja, (make sure you check to see if yours can do this before trying) You can use that flour to make anything that you would traditionally make with white flour with just a few adjustments.

*You can also cook your grains on the stovetop, It only takes a quick search on Pinterest to find yummy recipes for each of these power grains.

*If you are feeling super crunchy then sprout them and use them in salads, smoothies or just on their own.

[Loupy]

WEEK 5

Harmful food additives

I don’t believe any of us intentionally choose foods that are not helpful to our overall well being, sometimes we buy out of habit or because we don’t know any good alternatives. If you fall into one of those categories I hope to help you with that in future posts.

This list below is by no means exhaustive and I would encourage you to do your own research.

Additives linked to cancer in rats or known carcinogens:
Caramel Coloring-
This is found in soft drinks, sauces, breads and pastries. The problem with this ingredient is on it’s own it’s not unsafe but it’s a common practice to produce it with ammonia.

Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)-
These are Petroleum-derived antioxidants and preservatives. These additives are completely unnecessary in the products that you eat and could easily be replaced with vitamin E. Look for these ingredients in chewing gums and breakfast cereals.

Artificial colors and flavors-
Not only have they been found to increase tumor development in lab rats, and some studies suggest hyperactivity in children, they are also most exclusively found in high processed foods and candy. It’s best to avoid them altogether.

Additives linked to other various health concerns:
Azodicarbonamide- This is a synthetic dough conditioner. This chemical is also used in the production of Industrial foam plastic and other petroleum based products, and has been outlawed in Europe and Australia. It has been known to trigger asthma symptoms.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)-
I avoid this additive as much as possible. MSG is a flavor enhancer found in many processed foods like Hamburger helper, salad dressings, chips and Chinese foods and sauces to name a few. This additive has been known to cause nausea, headaches, chest pains, and weakness.

Olestra-
This additive is found in fat substitute products. It’s calorie free, and passes through the body undigested. In doing so, it takes important fat soluble vitamins with it. It has been known to cause diarrhea, bloating, and anal leakage.

Sadly this list could get quite lengthy, I chose some of the most common ones, here is a great resource if you are looking for a quick reference guide [http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm] to food additives.

Bottom line- Try and eat your foods as close to natural as possible.

[Loupy]

WEEK 6

The “Spices” of life

We wrap up our 6 week series talking about Spices and how to use them to aid in prevention and healing.

Spices have been used for centuries for medicinal purposes. With the introduction to modern medicine we have stopped relying on them as much, and we now refer to anything outside of doctor prescribed medicine as “alternative”. Thankfully there has recently been a revival of “old” medicine and people are making their way back to the basics.

Adding spices into your diet is just another way to promote good health, while expanding your taste buds. I have a good friend who makes it a point to buy a new and different spice every time she visits the grocery store. I love her adventuresome spirit!

motheringwithgrace.com/healing-spices/

As you can see the benefits of spices are numerous. Just think about how much healthier we would all be if we took a few habits from each part of this series and incorporated them into our lives.