A relative of the noxious thistles that have been running wild here in the Boulder Valley, these flowering buds originally got a start in the human food stream in the mediteranean.

Artichokes are incredibly nutrient dense and are overlooked in the world of nutrition because of the relatively small amount we usually consume at one sitting, but take a look at this:
~One small to medium size artichoke has the same amount of potassium as a small banana, without the high glycemic load
~It is a great source of magnesium, water soluble vit.-C and dietary fiber
~Artichokes, which contain quercetin, runti, anthocyanins, gallic acid, luteolin and cynarin, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid, silymarin, appear to have more phytonutrient potential than spinach and broccoli.

To Prepare Artichokes:
Trim the edges of the outer leaves
Carefully open the leaves enough to try and expunge the “choke”
This process is detailed in “The Joy Of Cooking”
Place in a pot with 4 inches of water (optional garlic, lemon and bay leaf)
Steam for 30 to 45 minutes
Test for done-ness by removing outer leaves, which should pull off easily












Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes, or let’s try the First nation style, “Sunroots”
Well, this tuber of the sunflower family doesn’t look anything like an artichoke, but contracry to popular belief, is in the same family as artichokes, which also includes burdock and dandelion as well as the familiar sunflower.
Side Note: It is amazing how many references I saw that claimed there was no relation between these plants.
The family relation explains the familiar flavor of this tuber and it’s cousin the thistle.

These little nuggets of goodness are surprisingly good for blood sugar support and therefore a great food for fast-oxidizers and parasympathetic metabolic types and for anyone working with blood sugar issues.

Getting the nutritional breakdown of Sunroots is hard to pin down, but we know for sure that they are an excellent source of inulin, which is a long chain fructo-ogilosacharide that benefits probiotics and is thereby termed “prebiotic.” Understanding the other constituents that help blood sugar control has been a challenge for me, but I did find a whole list of Edgar Cayce recommendations for sunroot and diabetes. Pretty wild. Energetically, these are way more interesting to me than a potato. This is a hardy and strong plant that will grow without cultivation. Modern potato plants are generally weak and need plenty of care. The result of the type of growing conditions is an “energetic” quality that we take into our body. One life system entraining another.

Believe or not, sunchokes were one of my favorite foods as a kid, right up there with Kholrabi, chocolate and nutritional yeast, (before I was corrupted by soda, Doritos, and cracker jacks, thanks Grandma!)

I have been playing around with preparations of sunroots this year. Mostly I have enjoyed eating them raw. I have sautéed them in butter with salt and pepper, yumm. . . and I have boiled them and tossed olive oil and fresh herbs over top. I read recently that they can be slow cooked in the oven at 200 for 12 to 24 hours, which will convert the long chain sugars and make a translucent, caramelized yumminess, which I could get into!
Seth Braun, holistic health counselor, 303 443 6543, www.sethbraun.com


In the 16th century, eating an artichoke was reserved only for men. Women were denied the pleasure because the artichoke was considered an aphrodisiac and was thought to enhance sexual power.

Need to focus?  A compound in chocolate can sharpen your mind, according to British researchers.  In a recent study, scientists gave people a cocoa drink loaded with healthy compounds called flavanols and then monitored blood flow to their brains.  The result:  Two hours after people drank the high-flavanol chocolate, blood flow to the areas of their brains involved with working memory and attention had increased by 50 percent.  “More oxygen and nutrients were delivered to their gray matter, improving brain function,” says a study coauthor, Ian Macdonald, Ph.D.  To find chocolate bars with the most brain-boosting benefits, look for the kind with the highest percentage of “cacao” (or “cocoa”), the flavanolfilled seeds from which chocolate is made.  The best tasting we’ve found: Chocolove’s Extra Strong Dark 77% cacao bar (chocolove.com.)

Men’s Health.  July/August 2007.  pg.48

Celiac Disease is the inability to digest foods with the gliadin fraction of gluten, causing damage to the lining of the small intestines.  Due to this damage, the body cannot absorb nutrients well which results in malnutrition.  Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, rye, barley, millet, and spelt.  Whether or not someone suffering from Celiac can consume oats varies by individual, some people show an improvement in nutritional status, feel better, and have higher fiber and nutrient intake with the addition of oats into their diet while others’ condition worsens. 
    Celiac is a chronic, genetic disorder that occurs twice as often in women as it does in men, especially those of a Northwestern European ancestry.  It is estimated that one in 250 or 300 people suffers from Celiac, and its development can be delayed by breast feeding.
    Sometimes Celiac is misdiagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  Its symptoms include recurring diarrhea or constipation, abdominal cramping, bloating, gas, weakness, anemia and steatorrhea.  Less typical symptoms are weight loss, arthritis, irritability, depression, fatigue, brain fog, bone pain, mouth sores, skin rash, and tingling numbness in the legs. 
    Traditional testing for Celiac was to perform an intestinal biopsy but today there are many more options.  New tests include anti-gliadin antibodies test, tissue transglutaminase antibodies test, and the most accurate, anti-endomysial antibodies test.  It is recommended that a second test be performed after a positive test for Celiac since none of the tests are 100 percent accurate.  Other tests are food allergy or sensitivity screening to test for wheat, rye, barley, gluten, and gliadin.  With Celiac gluten antibodies are positive.  An intestinal permeability screening tests for leaky gut syndrome of intestinal hyperpermeability.  A test for iron status or nutrient status can also be used because Celiac causes malabsorption of nutrients including iron deficiency anemia and low levels of vitamins A,D,E, and K, and poor fat absorption.  A lactose breath test can be used to rule out lactose intolerance, and finally and comprehensive digestive stool analysis with parasitology determines if there is an underlying cause of the Celiac disease. 

Adapted from Elizabeth Lipski’s Digestive Wellness by Sarah Holland, intern for Real Simple Nutrition

From an energetic perspective, caffeine and especially coffee, can help us tap into reserve energy supplies. This is great if we are occasionally using these substances (coffee, mate, tea, caffeinated beverages) for energy. But chronic and habitual use will inevitably lead to tapping the reserves

Think of it this way.

You have in you, a deep pool of energy. You can draw on this energy to pull an all nighter for work or school, to raise a young child, or to fight off disease. You can also get energy from the food you eat, the air you breathe, the way you think, the right exercise for your body-type and other practices, which I have and will continue to write about in this newsletter. If you become dependent on drawing out the deep pool of energy, eventually, you are going to take out some reserves that you can’t replace, and this my friends is not a good habit to develop.

For those of us living in Colorado for the last 7 years, we have become familiar with two things; wild fires and water restrictions. Since there is not a lot of open water here, municipalities have reservoirs. These basins are the reserves for the people and if they get depleted, then there can be a problem. As long as the aquifer that feeds the reservoir is robust, then the municipality knows to use that same flow for use in the people’s water supply. It would not make sense to use the water from the reservoir when the water supply is abundant, for if the water supply was abruptly interrupted, and the people had been using the reservoir instead of the fresh water, they would, as they say, be up the creek without a paddle.

Same thing with you.
The best thing to do is use the flow of energy from a quality daily life routine that provides you with multiple sources of life energy and removes the major sources or life drain. Dependence on stimulants to tap your reserves instead of using the flow of life backfires when we find ourselves in any time of “drought”, or “famine,” or even “wild fires,” or the human equivalent of air travel, travel without access to any nourishing food or experiences, or fever.

On the other hand, coffee and caffeine can be useful and even fun to enjoy.

Consider the common practice of drinking coffee during the afternoon break in many European settings. There, the pace is slower, the conversation is long and the effect of the coffee / caffeine is not intended to provide a drive or push. In this case, there is less of the depleting effect.

First of all I want to send a big thank you to Seth for including me in this newsletter! I am an experienced hair stylist and an artist who is passionate about organic sustainability, artistic integrity, and purity. I feel fortunate to be able to speak with you about healthy, organic hair care, primarily hair color. With the advances that are rapidly being made in hair color there is no reason to subject one’s self to highly toxic chemicals any longer.

If you would like to check out a great basic resource go to http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/110/hair.
Here is a sampling of the information offered:
According to "Skin Deep," a 2004 study and ranking of 7,500 cosmetic products published by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), 100 percent of shampoos tested contained ingredients that have not been assessed for safety by either the Cosmetic Industry Review panel (an industry body) or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is charged with regulating cosmetic ingredients. Other hair-raising facts:
*69 percent of hair-dye products may pose cancer risks (this is primarily the color itself)
*76 percent of conditioners contain ingredients that are allergens (phthalates,
*93 percent of shampoos possibly contain harmful impurities linked to cancer or other health problems. (parabens, sulfates)

For a few years now I have been watching the growing career of beauty health pioneer John Masters, whom many of you will have heard of since Pharmaca sells his hair care products. His eponymous salon in New York City uses organic herbal and clay based hair color and highlighting products with no ammonia and very little hydrogen peroxide. I am very happy to be able to offer you the same!

Ammonia-free hair color is a revolution that is changing the face of a traditionally toxic industry. Ammonia has always been included in hair color. It raises the pH level of the hair strand, forcing open the cuticle and allowing color molecules to penetrate the hair shaft. The problem with this process is that ammonia is a toxic, corrosive chemical that damages both the hair and the lungs. Ammonia-free hair color will not damage the hair because moisturizers open the cuticle very gently to allow color deposit. Since the cuticle scales are not corroded during processing, the hair both retains its shine and health and has a longer lasting color result. You can truly smell the difference and your beautifully colored, shiny, healthy hair will thank you.

Because the skin absorbs what is put on it, it is really just the same as eating. This way of thinking will give you the ability to carefully edit what your skin is absorbing. Nail care is another issue of toxic skin absorbtion. Many polishes contain cancer causing ingredients and harmful dyes as do the scrubs and lotions. I use only whole food ingredients, such as milk, honey, citrus, and green tea in my signature nail treatments and I have found over the years the results are much better long term. Nails grow faster and retain their moisture, age spots fade and skin is radiant. All because of whole foods.

I have been researching products and techniques throughout my career in order to truly provide a holistic approach to beauty. I would love to share my knowledge with you. There is no time but now to start making changes that bring greater health!

Crystal Jenkins is my number one hair care diva. For more information, contact me through my site at www.SethBraun.com

Factory Farming:
    Factory farming is non sustainable. Also known as Confined Animal Feeding Operations, it emphasizes high volume and profit rather than the health and welfare of both the animals and the humans consuming these animals.  Factory farms can have anywhere from 100s to 1000s of animals packed tightly together with little or no access to sunlight, fresh air, or natural movement.1 The animals are also subject to mutilation including docking cows’ tails and clipping pigs’ teeth and tails.1 Due to overcrowding there is an increased risk of disease., which leads to over use of antibiotics, which leads to antibiotic resistant bacteria.1 With this many animals in a confined space, excessive manure creates environmental degradation.1  Finally, iradtiation, used to counter the health risks of f.f. meat, leads to including vitamin depletion, and potentially hazardous byproducts.
 
    Factory farms use low quality feed such as corn, grains, additives and byproducts which increase the fat content of these animals.  Animal byproducts from slaughterhouses are mixed into the feed, and animals feces can often get into the meat while it is being butchered.2  Factory farmed animals live under duress, which consequentially leads to negative physiological byproducts, including acidic byproducts, increased bacteria and less flavorful food. 2

Free Range:
    Free Range is sustainable farming.  It respects the environment and treats the animals humanely as well as supports local economy.1 Sustainable farms are family owned and operated, environmentally friendly due to responsible management of soil, water, and the lives of the animal, and they don’t need excessive hormones or antibiotics. .1 Animals raised in a free range environment provide leaner, more nutritious cuts of meat and have higher levels of Omega3 fatty acid, 2-6 times more Omega3s.2 Americans consume too much Omega6 (factory farmed animals), and don’t get enough Omega3.3   
    Weston Price, a dentist, traveled to isolated parts of the word to discover what factors are responsible for good dental health.  He analyzed foods used by isolated people and found their food had four times as many water soluble vitamins, calcium, and minerals as well as ten times as many fat soluble vitamins from animal foods such as butter, fish eggs, shellfish, organ meats, eggs and animal fats.3  All traditional diets include some kind of animal food. According to his findings eating meat is important but factory farmed meat and fish as well as highly processed meats should be avoided.3  He also said that red meat is important because it is rich in nutrients that protect the heart and strengthen the immune system such as B12, B6, zinc, phosphorous, carnitine and co-enzyme Q10.3

“Is Your Meat Fit to Eat?”  GrassRoots Action Center for the Environment.  Factory Farm Project.   HYPERLINK "http://www.factoryfarm.org" http://www.factoryfarm.org
“Eat Well Guide.”  Sustainable Table.   HYPERLINK "http://www.eatwellguide.org" www.eatwellguide.org
“Wise Traditions.”  The Weston A. Price Foundation.   Food, Farming, and the Healing Arts.   HYPERLINK "http://www.westonaprice.org" www.westonaprice.org

Well, this tuber of the sunflower family doesn’t look anything like an artichoke, but contracry to popular belief, is in the same family as artichokes, which also includes burdock and dandelion as well as the familiar sunflower.
Side Note: It is amazing how many references I saw that claimed there was no relation between these plants.
The family relation explains the familiar flavor of this tuber and it’s cousin the thistle.

These little nuggets of goodness are surprisingly good for blood sugar support and therefore a great food for fast-oxidizers and parasympathetic metabolic types and for anyone working with blood sugar issues.

Getting the nutritional breakdown of Sunroots is hard to pin down, but we know for sure that they are an excellent source of inulin, which is a long chain fructo-ogilosacharide that benefits probiotics and is thereby termed “prebiotic.” Understanding the other constituents that help blood sugar control has been a challenge for me, but I did find a whole list of Edgar Cayce recommendations for sunroot and diabetes. Pretty wild.

Energetically, these are way more interesting to me than a potato. This is a hardy and strong plant that will grow without cultivation. Modern potato plants are generally weak and need plenty of care. The result of the type of growing conditions is an “energetic” quality that we take into our body. One life system entraining another.

Believe or not, sunchokes were one of my favorite foods as a kid, right up there with Kholrabi, chocolate and nutritional yeast, (before I was corrupted by soda, Doritos, and cracker jacks, thanks Grandma!)

I have been playing around with preparations of sunroots this year. Mostly I have enjoyed eating them raw. I have sautéed them in butter with salt and pepper, yumm. . . and I have boiled them and tossed olive oil and fresh herbs over top. I read recently that they can be slow cooked in the oven at 200 for 12 to 24 hours, which will convert the long chain sugars and make a translucent, carmelized yumminess, which I could get into!



http://HealthProfs.com/504787

We are all susceptible to pesticides in food, but children are at the greatest risk.  Children and fetuses suffer more of these effects from pesticides the most because their bodies are still developing and they are less able to detoxify most pesticides, which could lead to life long growth defects.  Negative effects of pesticides in our food are they cause low birth weight and birth defects, interfere with child development and cognitive ability, cause neurological problems, disrupt hormone function, and cause a variety of cancers.

 

Buying organic food is thee best way to reduce the exposure to pesticides in food.  A good amount of these foods you can even grow your self.  You can also peel fruit that you would normally just rinse, such as apples and pears to reduce exposure.   Also, keep in mind that this list applies not only to fresh fruits and vegetables but often to the same items when they are in canned, frozen form, or processed.

 

Here is a list of foods to buy organic, or avoid, beginning with the worst:

• Peaches: highest levels of pesticides of all conventional produce
• Sweet Corn AVOID: Probably Genetically Modified
  
• Apples: this includes applesauce and other baby foods containing apples.
• Strawberries: also one of the most pesticide laden foods.
• Nectarines: similar to peaches.
• Pears: both fresh and in baby food
• Cherries: only U.S. grown; imported cherries are ok.
• Celery: pesticide residues mainly damage brain and nervous system functioning.
• Sweet Bell Peppers:
• Spinach: residue levels have been declining as farmers reduce use certain insecticides.
• Winter or Hard Squash: not as bad as the list above.

 

Here is a list of clean, non-organic foods, but still buy with caution:

• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Kiwi
• Mangos
• Onions
• Papaya
• Pineapples
• Sweet Peas

I am surprised when I notice something new in food. An ingredient, a new manufacturing method, or even a new dietary theory. I live in this world and few things are new to me in this way. That is why I was so excited to read the ingredient list on the side of a box of Applause crackers.

Interesterified soybean, canola, corn oils… plus good old hydrogenated oils.

But what is interesterified oil? I set out to find out.

I had come accross the esterification of oils in past research, but never noted it as worth remembering because I hadn’t ever seen it in food as an ingredient. So I never thought it worth knowing about, until now of course.

I absolutely love being a food detective. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it was a not so trivial game of triviall pursuit as a child that galvanized a need to know more about one facet of life than other people. Whatever the reason, I am becoming a walking encyclopedia of cross referenced nutritional data.

I set out to discover what this is at the first place we all look. Google. Now the trick to searching google is to know the source, know the how, what and where of search engine protocol and to always have an offline back up to research as well.

I have my trusted on-line sources. Weston Price Foundation. The on-line education forum for the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (a private forum for professional health counselors around the world), Mercola.com, and several on-line encyclopedias.

On my search, I decided to go to the source, the industrial refiners of edible oils. Here is the scoop on interesterified oils from BUNGE, a large manufacturer / producer of edible oils:

” As research continues to identify the health implications of dietary fat, many consumers are focusing on the inclusion of certain fats in their diet. The advantages of reduced-trans fat, over traditional fat, have led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to consider changes in labeling a product’s fat composition. With a new, reduced-trans shortening from Bunge Oils®, food processors can positively impact the fat profile while maintaining product quality… Bunge Oils revolutionary technology produces a reduced-trans product with the functionality of traditional shortening, which enables the delivery of high quality baked goods.”

-from, http://www.bungefoods.com/ReducedTransShortening.htm

Here is what I found from the Archer Daniels Midland company.

NOVALIPID™ INTERESTERIFIED ALL PURPOSE SHORTENING (LOW TRANS)
NovaLipid™ Interesterified All Purpose Shortening is an interesterified (IE) shortening with low trans. 1 gram of Trans Fat per serving. Baking – a wide plastic range makes it ideally suited for pastries, cookies, cakes, and most other baking applications…

NOVALIPID

As food manufacturers prepare for the upcoming 2006 FDA requirement to label trans-fatty acid content on food labels, ADM is ready to help right now—with our NovaLipid line of fats and oils, each one specifically formulated to contain little or no trans fat. NovaLipid products have an extremely low taste profile, making them an excellent addition or alternative to a vast number of food applications such as shortenings, margarines, confections and many other prepared foods.

Product:  NOVALIPID™ INTERESTERIFIED ALL PURPOSE SHORTENING (LOW TRANS)

Product Trademark:

NOVALIPID™

Product Code:

106-055

	General Description:
	NovaLipid™ Interesterified All Purpose Shortening is an interesterified (IE) shortening with low trans. 1 gram of Trans Fat per serving. Baking – a wide plastic range makes it ideally suited for pastries, cookies, cakes, and most other baking applications. Contains no tropical oils. Available in 50 pound cubes.

excerpted from three pages off of the main site at: http://www.admworld.com/naen/brands/novalipid.asp or at http://www.admworld.com/naen/food/other.asp

Here is my take on this new development. Food manufacturers are not going to give up the market share of refined polyunsaturate oil, so they are getting around the trans fat labeling by mixing small amounts of fully hydrogenated oil with liquid polyunsaturate oils and calling “interesterified oil.” They claim that fully hydrogenated oil is healthier. Since there is less trans fat, they can sell this product to food manufacturers for use in commercial dressings, baked goods, candies and anything else that used to have partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list.

In plain english, interestification means mixing fully hydrogenated oil with liquid polyunsaturate oil to produce a consistency similar to partially hydrogenated oil, which is the source of trans fats. The solution to the trans fat problem; from the manufacturer perspective!

Well, it looks like I am going to have to get used to telling my clients to look for ‘interesterified oil” as well as partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list. Of course, no one can ever trust the label regarding trans fat anyway, since the FDA allows .5 grams of trans fat per serving to be labeled “no trans fat.”

Hey, I am not saying food companies are evil. No way. They are in the business of turning a profit. This major shift away from domestic hydrogenated oil by savvy consumers must have many food industry reps scared. If it was my business, would I face the facts and look at the health implications if my paycheck were on the line. I hope so, but security and safety are powerful motivators of human behaviour.

The bottom line for my work remains the same. Eat unprocessed oils. Eat mostly high quality monounsaturated oils and some high quality saturated fats. High quality means heat, light and oxygen protected oils that have not been chemically extracted. That solves the whole freakin’ problem of trans fats and gets you past the other problems we haven’t even covered, rancidity, oxidation and pro-inflammatory factors.

Are the limitations we encounter based on what happens to us or are they the product of an unwillingess or inability to change? Do we have the ability to transcend our identity as defined by our culture, tribe, education, class, race, ethnic and socio-economic rules? In regard to healing, physical and psychological, how can we heal if the dominant idea of our group states that "you can't get over this condition." In order for me to understand my own healing and thus my ability to help others as a coach and counselor, I am juxtaposing two philosophies at either end of a spectrum of options. The first is co-counseling, or re-evalutive counseling. The second is the work of Caroline Myss. The first, re-evaluative counseling, or RC for short, is a foundational piece of my training at the Institute for Intgerative Nutrition as a Health Counselor. The basic ideas are that health is not just what you eat, it is the whole picture and stuffed emotions make us sick, therefore, here is a tool to help people break up stuck emotions. RC emphasizes active lsitening, community connections, and social justice. RC philosophy is based on the idea that a build up of emotional constriction from childhood due to a combination of repressive messages from well meaning adults as well as cultural oppressions, makes for an inability to think clearly. Emotions get triggered and the whole brain is locked in what is referred to as "distress." The aim of RC is to "discharge" the distress, thereby making the mind free to think rationally. That makes total sense to me. I am on board with the basics. The second reference I am drawing on, the work of Caroline Myss, is based on the idea that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. This work tends to echo the wisdomteachings of Buddhism or yogic training. I spoke to a friend, a former Tibetan Buddhist monk and active sangha member about how one works with intense emotion, from a traditional Buddhist point of view. He suggested that the traditional approach would be to find th root cause of the strong emotion in the mind and then cultivate a new way of thinking based on reality. This would be aligned with the teachings I have received in my work with Myss. Here is an excpert from her writings on this point: Although each case presents unique factors, getting your energy back requires making different choices than the ones that caused the loss of energy. This is just as true for challenges to our physical health as it is for challenges in relationship. Either way, healing revolves around this crucial question: “Do you want to make different choic- es?” And the answer to that, quite often, is “No.” What I have realized is that being healthy isn’t as appealing to people as I first imagined. Quite frankly, in many cases, it’s not appealing at all. What is appeal- ing is being out of pain. And often, old patterns are difficult to relin- quish because—in the short run—they do relieve the pain. Change is terrifying because short-term pain relief must be given up, but healing requires learning to tolerate the pain that comes with change. Fortunately, the edgy pain that comes with new behavior—with mak- ing the choices that will change your life—is often short-lived. from: http://www.marriageofsexandspirit.com/MMS_1Myss.pdf I will be blogging about these two ends of the spectrum to learn for myself and share with others where the overlap may lie, where there is conflict and what can be gleened from that and where there is potential for development in each paradigm.