Hello Chef Teton,

I received my ‘Essential Cuisine DVD set’ order, so thankyou. I can’t wait to watch them, it’ll be nice to learn from ‘friendly YOU’….as my teacher !!

I’VE LEARNT ‘FATS/OILS’ SHOULDN’T BE HEATED. But, if we’re still going to cook with ‘fats/oils’….. I’ve learnt from you & others that the healthiest cooking ‘fat/oil’ is Coconut Oil. And it’s great to get this confirmation from you too….as I became confused with so many different ‘fats/oils’ stating they are the healthiest for cooking.

I’d now like to learn how to cook with it properly. And, as you cook with coconut oil, is it Ok to ask you the following? If not, no problem, just let me know. I’ll understand.

I tried to cook with coconut oil (Organic Virgin Coconut oil) for the first time, by using it to bake a cake, but found it difficult to use. I first melted it a bit in the microwave to partly soften it, but then when added to water for the cake batter, it stuck together in formed clumps. The coconut oil wouldn’t soften when mixing it with a wooden spoon & by memory, i think it hardened more. (In future, when making a cake to bake or using it in any recipe e.g. a raw dessert…before using coconut oil: should I melt it until it’s FULLY liquid?) Unfortunately, i threw it out & didn’t get to cook with it. It was also then difficult to clean off kitchen items, e.g. bowls, spoons, as it stuck to them. I wiped off as much as I could before they were soap washed.

I’ve also read, when one actually cooks (e.g. baking, frying) with coconut oil…that foods stick to the cookware e.g. pots & pans, making them difficult to clean.

Have you ever had these problems?

Do you know how I could prevent or deal with the hardening of coconut butter when trying to cook with it & then also, trying to clean it off kitchen items, e.g. pots, pans?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Sara

Aloha Sara,

Please forgive me for not responding sooner. Hmmmm. Not sure how to answer you as I don’t fully understand what you are doing with the coconut oil. Also, my experience with baking is somewhat limited, as I usually use Coconut Oil for Raw Food Recipes, but do bake with it for cookies and some cakes. I will answer the best I can.

First, when baking cookies I always melt the coconut oil first. Beware though, do not get it too hot. I have only made cookies and carrot cake with it as I am not a big baker. When making most cookies, the directions are to melt the butter and then add the sugar. I did this once when the coconut oil got too hot and it crystallized the sugar almost instantly. So, get it warm enough to be liquid and then add your sugar. Blend and then remove from heat and add to the flour mixture. Then I would add my eggs or any other liquid. If they are very cold, the coconut oil may harden. I would not suggest a microwave as you are destroying the molecular structure of the coconut oil and it may get too hot. My cookies come out great!

As for the cake, the same thing. I just melted it first – but just don’t get it too hot. It should not clump unless it is very cold in your house and/or you are mixing it with something cold. It hardens really easily when cold. I live in Hawaii, so my coconut oil is almost always liquid except for a few days in the winter.

As for cleaning, just use hot water. I never have a problem with some hot water and a little mild dish detergent (environmentally friendly, of course). Are you using a good quality coconut oil, one that is nice and white?

I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Chef Teton

Recipe:

2 cups avocados (about 2)
½ cup + maple syrup
2-4 tbsp organic sugar (more for sweeter tooth)
2 tbsp coconut oil (Barlean’s)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp Shoyu or salt to taste

1 cup pure raw cocoa powder – make sure it is unsweetened. If you want you can use Dark Cacao powder that is slightly roasted. It is less costly and taste great. Make sure it is unsweetened.

I pint fresh Raspberries or other tart fruit
Handful – mint leaves or use for garnish

In a food processor, blend the avocados, maple syrup, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, balsamic and shoyu until smooth and creamy. Note: if the coconut oil is hard, heat slightly, just enough to soften so it will mix easily/

Add cocoa powder slowly and blend until smooth (sifting as you add will alleviate possibility of lumps).

Serve raspberries on top of Mousse as you desire and garnish with mint. Great in champagne classes or anyway at all.

Store in fridge up to one week in airtight container. You can also freeze it up to a month.

Click here to order Barlean’s Coconut Oil (best tasting and highest quality)

Take for instance nuts and seeds. All the nuts and seeds are raw – therefore the essential fatty acids in the nuts and seeds, which are sensitive to light and heat, are kept in tact. This is what makes them so powerful.

The key to healthy cooked food is to make sure you use raw fats from nuts and seeds,  and oils from them which have been milled with no heat and that have been kept away from the light in dark containers. They must also be kept cool and used within a short period of time. Oils that are milled this way are outstanding in flavor and texture. They are fabulous to use “on top” of food fresh from the bottle, without cooking. That is why I call it the “a la Oils” way. Many people skim on fat and/or stop frying foods because they have heard that low fat is better. This is true of poor quality processed oils and nuts and seeds that have been roasted or cooked in high heats. These fats are now rancid and can cause harm to the body.

But, fats are what make food yummy and that is why Raw Food is so rich and delicious. Keeping in mind Raw Food integrity with regards to fats, do the same with cooked foods. Keep your fats and oils Raw, and use them on steamed veggies, grains and legumes.

No need to skimp on taste and sensuality in your meals. Now you can learn to use good fats to make amazing scrumptous sauces and dressing to top every vegetable or grain dish with.

Learn the secrets of the best fats and oils, how to add minerals to every dish and enhance your digestion all at the same time with the Essential Cuisine a la Oils Series. The series is designed as a culinary system, so go for the entire set. What you will learn will serve you forever. Buy Now and Save $.

Raw Food DVD Series  (3 DVDs)– the fastest and easiest way to weight loss. Enjoy luscious Raw Desserts, Raw Salads and Entrees to “live” for. Purchase this Instructional 3 DVD set and learn how to eat the foods doctors are recommending.

» Watch FREE video “Golden Elixir Dressing”
» Watch FREE video “Nutberry Sorbet”

á la Oil DVD Series (2 DVDs) – Learn the how to cook veggies and get the Essential Fatty Acids your body needs and your palate craves. Purchase these 2 DVDs now and discover how to use Coconut, Flax and Pumpkin Seed Oil to make luscious sauces & dressings for vegetables that even your kids will eat.

» Watch FREE video “Swiss Chard”

Cultured Foods (1 DVD) will show you how to make your own SauerKraut and Kefir for enhanced digestive health! Purchase now – Learn the easy way – by watching.

Vegetables from the Sea

The feeling of satisfaction after a meal depends, in part, on the amount of vitamins and minerals in that meal. More and more people are finding that when they increase the mineral content of the foods on their plate, they feel incredibly satisfied. They don’t crave ‘wrong’ foods between meals. They begin to lose weight if they originally weigh in at more than ideal body weight.

Adding Minerals from Sea Vegetables is Easy

Increasing the mineral content of a meal is a simple process when you use sea vegetables, also called seaweeds. These ocean treats include kelp (Alaria, Laminaria, and other species), dulse, nori, bladderwrack, and other seaweeds. Just as the pumpkin seed oils and flax seed oils from different geographic regions have distinct flavors, you’ll find distinct flavors with the sea vegetables, depending on where the sea vegetable has been harvested from.

One way to add several seaweeds to your diet is to simply pulverize them in a coffee grinder and then store in a jar marked “mineral mixture.” You can also store the mineral mixture in salt shakers for use as a salt substitute. Add a little, one-quarter to one teaspoon, to soups, stews or salad dressings, or sprinkle on top of cooked foods and salads, right before serving.

Long History of Use of Sea Vegetables

Seaweed has long been known for its nutritional and medicinal properties. Historical records of its use date back to 100 B.C. when the Greeks incorporated seaweed into their diet and into their herbal treatments. The Japanese hand-picked sea vegetables for use as a staple ‘crop’. Hawaiians and Polynesians grew kelp farms, and cultivated more than 60 different types for food, medicines, and ceremonial rituals. Europeans used sea vegetables such as seaweed as an herbal medicine.

Nutritional and Health Benefits

Sea vegetables can be compared to a sponge, absorbing from the water everything essential to life, and one of the richest sources of nutrients. Just as sea water is rich in 60 minerals and trace elements such as iron, potassium, natural sodium, phosphorus, zinc, and manganese, the sea vegetables also tend to be good sources of these minerals and trace elements. The sea vegetables themselves are good sources of the vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, folic acid, and pantothenic acid. Also a rich source of iodine, sea vegetables maintain a healthy thyroid and can assist in long-term weight loss and weight maintenance.

Seaweeds are a treasure chest of goodness, containing amino acids and beta-carotene that firm and renew skin, and slow the aging process. In the last 5 years, skin care companies have chosen to add sea vegetables to their formulas for beautiful skin because of the high antioxidant content and humectant properties of the plants. Seaweeds also contain fatty acids that are important for cell membranes and fight against inflammation.

Several medicinal constituents are found in sea vegetables, including chlorophyll, fucoidan, carotenoids, sterols, algin, sodium alginate, carrageenan, mucopolysaccharides, and alginic acid.

Because chlorophyll, which is found in green plants and seaweeds exposed to light, has a structure very close to hemoglobin, plants containing it have been found helpful for those who have a tendency to be anemic. Chlorophyll is also a body ‘purifier’, eliminating odors that emanate from inside the body. Fucoidan promotes healthier skin, is an antioxidant that fights free radicals, and is found abundantly in kelp.

Carotenoids have multiple functions in the body, including quenching free radicals that arise from oxidized fats and infectious micro-organisms. Sterols take action against cholesterol, lowering levels in the blood. Algin, in the form of sodium alginate, is found in kelp. Algin gels in water, and by so doing, helps remove heavy metals and radioactive elements from the body such as strontium 90, found in radioactive fallout. It’s a bulking agent, providing substance for the stool, encouraging normal elimination.

Carrageenans, found in red seaweeds abundant along the Irish coastline, form gels at room temperature and can be used to thicken food products. Mucopolysaccharides, found in sea vegetables, are gel-like as well, and act as supportive tissue components in the body’s cells, especially in bones, joints, cartilage and in mucus. These possess anti-inflammatory properties.

Specifics on Sea Vegetables

Sea vegetables grow at different parts of the intertidal zone in the oceans and seas. Their colors vary, depending on sunlight exposure, depth found in the sea, and type of species. Some grow to several feet long, while others maximally attain plant length of less than 12 inches.

The kelp species, Laminaria and Alaria, grow along rocky shores below the low water mark line and reach lengths of up to 15 feet and 36 feet, respectively.

Dulse is a red, chewy seaweed that grows in deep water in the North Atlantic and Northwest Pacific near Canada. In Nova Scotia, one variety is cultivated and marketed as Sea Parsley, and found fresh in the produce section. The island of Grand Manan in the Archipelago is known for the best dulse, which is darker, thicker and more flavorful than other dulse products. Widely available in health food stores and fish markets, dulse is used for food and medicinally. One handful provides a healthy portion of Vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, fluoride, and potassium.

Nori, also called Laver, has a reddish hue and grows in thin sheets on rocky shores in the low to mid parts of the intertidal zone.

Irish moss is found in the lower intertidal zone and is up to 10 inches in length. Colors vary from dark purple red to brown, yellow, white or green, depending on the exposure to sunlight. This sea vegetable is used for commercial purposes; an ingredient called carrageenin is used as a thickener and to create gels for the pharmaceutical and food industries.

Other sea vegetables are used for organic fertilizers and in human and pet dietary supplements.

Sea Vegetables are Often Hand Harvested

Frequently, sea vegetables are picked by hand at low tide. The fronds are brought to fields to sun-dry, then shaken to remove sand, shells, and other miscellaneous. Rolled into large bales, the seaweeds are then packaged or ground later. Sea vegetables are inspected for water-borne contaminants, such as heavy metals, PCBs, herbicides, pesticides, E. coli, yeasts and molds.

One Maine sea vegetable company started out in 1971 with two people hand-picking 100 pounds of sea vegetables each, and now handles 100,000 pounds annually. More people are finding the tastes palatable and the nutrients indispensable.

Using Sea Vegetables in Recipes

The most common sea vegetables are dulse, nori, and kelp. In the recipe suggestions below, consider how easy it is to incorporate these wonderful, healthy foods into your menu items.

In soups and chowders, and in pastas, add diced or sliced dulse, nori, Alaria, or Irish moss for flavor and minerals. Powered or granule form can also be used. Alaria is known for its great flavor when added to miso soup.

In sandwiches and in salads, use dulse or nori as ‘lettuce leaves’. Pre-soak or marinate Alaria before adding it to salads.

The next time you make popcorn, use kelp granules, crushed nori, or your mineral mixture, along with some cayenne pepper, nutritional yeast, and other seasonings for a spicy snack.

Consider the addition of dulse flakes, kelp granules or your mineral mixture to bread and pizza dough, to boost the nutrients of your family. Do the same to homemade muffin and waffle recipes.

For a different type of snack, try dry-roasting nori. Or pan-fry dulse or nori in sesame oil with or without vegetables. Or simply top dulse with cheese, bake, then add salsa.

Use sheets of nori for sushi wrap.

Bring on the Right Salt, and Eliminate the Wrong One

Did you know that it’s possible to reduce your sodium level without reducing the level of salts that your body needs?

The type of salt you consume can contribute to not only your sodium levels, but also provide you with trace amounts of magnesium, manganese, lithium, and calcium, important for heart and nervous system function.

Did you know that using no salt while cooking, and then surprising your guests by adding a delicious un-refined salt on top of foods will win their taste buds every time? I call this method, “á la salt.”

Every good cook knows that a pinch of salt can change a flat, dull dish into one that bursts with flavor. When you salt food during cooking though, the natural salts in the food are changed, and in my opinion, covered up. Many chef’s believe that salt enhances the flavor of the food, which it does, but the original flavor is altered. If you add unrefined salts after cooking, the original flavors of the foods come forth, and then you get this incredible burst of salt that compliments, rather than alters.

Have you ever noticed that the less processing a food has, the better its taste? One reason this occurs is because the food’s integrity is held intact and all flavors are woven together as nature intended. The taste is fuller and richer on all levels. This is true for salt as well. There are definitely occasions where I like to fuse salt with cooking, but it is seldom. I love adding a beautiful unrefined salt as a finishing touch just before serving. Using salt this way is not only the most delicious, but it is also the safest in that you will most likely never overuse. But, let’s explore the story of salt a little further so we can dispel the myth that salt is bad for you, and clarify why it is a much needed and valuable food for our body and our palate!

Salt Varies in Flavor Depending on Geography

Salt is fast becoming the next gourmet secret to cooking a perfect dish. Just like fine wines are purchased for the aroma and flavor they develop from a geographical region, gourmet salts are not only known for their aroma and exquisite taste that melts in your mouth, which leaves no bitter aftertaste, but also their different colors.

Celtic salts arising from the pristine Atlantic seawater off the coast of Brittany, France are gray. Hawaiian Red salt has a distinctive pink color due to the natural mineral called “alaea” from volcanic baked red clay. Black salt, also called Sanchal or Kala Namak salt, is a pearly pinkish gray color.

Salts from the Mediterranean, Australia, New Zealand, the Murray River near the Alps Mountain range, the Himalayan Mountains, and even Redmond, Utah are also available, each with their own distinct colors and flavors.

Cooking Reasons to Use Gourmet Salts

Not only is salt a preservative in foods by drawing out moisture, it also is used in cooking for:

• acting as a meat tenderizer
  
• making hard-boiled eggs peel easily
  
• preventing the oxidative changes of apples, pears and potatoes
  
• enhancing the flavor of coffee and removing the bitterness if overcooked
  
• improving the flavor of poultry when rubbed both inside and on the outside of the bird
  
• keeping salads crisp, when salted immediately before serving
  
• whipping cream and egg whites – with salt, they whip better, faster, and higher
  
• setting gelatin salads and desserts quickly, when placed over ice that has been sprinkled with salt 

Physiological Reasons To Use Gourmet Salt

Our body needs salt, and it is essential to good health. Not enough causes dizziness, muscle cramps, exhaustion, and in serious cases, convulsions and death. It’s essential to our well-being.

Sodium is required for the proper functioning of our nerves and muscle contraction. It’s essential for the production of hydrochloric acid, which digests protein and the maintenance of fluid, pH, and electrolyte balance. Every quarter teaspoon of salt is equivalent to 600 mg sodium, contributing to the 2000-2500 mg of sodium we need daily.

Natural salt is the greatest alkaline-forming substance known to man. Salt helps to balance and replenishes all the body’s electrolytes. It stimulates salivation.

Salt cures were recorded back in the early 1800’s when sick people traveled to salt springs to soak their bodies for hours. Now, luxurious spas offer salt baths, salt glows, and rubs that exfoliate dead skin, relieve stress and stimulate circulation.

Excessive salt consumption, though, has been associated with high blood pressure, calcium deficiency, osteoporosis, weight gain, fluid retention, stomach cancer, and strokes. However, medical and scientific studies examined the effect of only refined white salt, not unrefined sea salt.

In the book, Sea Salt’s Hidden Powers, by Dr. Langre, he notes that violent prisoners given a natural salt, one with all the minerals remaining called Celtic Sea Salt showed improved behaviors within a few short weeks. It may be that Celtic sea salt contains natural lithium salts that can be naturally calming or it may be that the very small amounts of “active” minerals from the sea is exactly what our body is looking for.

Table Salt Versus Gourmet “Real” Salt

Table salt comes from salt mines. Most of the minerals are removed from it, leaving pure sodium chloride. Table salt is available as either plain or iodized salt. The iodization began in the 1920’s after it was found that certain parts of the country had low levels of iodine that were contributing to the development of goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland.

One problem with ordinary table salt and the minerals that have been removed is that we need the minerals. A food devoid of vitamins or minerals that it had in its original state “looks for” the missing nutrients in the body after it’s consumed, taking the missing nutrients from our body’s storage of nutrients.

Refined table salt may also be bleached. Additives such as dextrose, yellow prussiate of soda, potassium iodide, and anti-caking agents such as aluminum-oxide silicates, tricalcium phosphate, magnesium carbonate, and sodium bicarbonate may be added, which can actually interfere with our own body’s mineral absorption from foods. This makes it a less than wholesome food.

The sodium chloride in Celtic Sea salt and other naturally-occurring salts is naturally balanced with potassium and in a highly charged state so that it becomes very active in the body. This is not so with ordinary table salt.

The Process of Salt-Making

Sea salt is derived directly from a living ocean or sea such as the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. It is produced by evaporating sea water, a process that is more expensive than salt produced from mines. Not as refined as regular table salt, sea salt still contains traces of minerals such as iron, magnesium, zinc, iodine, calcium, and potassium,

Sun and wind evaporates seawater into salt brine that is collected in an open evaporating pan. The texture of salt can vary from rock salt to flakes of salt similar to snowflakes to fine particles. With slow heating, the delicate pyramid-shaped crystals of salt appear. This results in light, flaky sea salt.

When ‘young’ crystals are hand harvested under specific weather conditions by salt farmers, the result is premier condiment salt called Fleur de Sel or Flower of Salt. This salt is ideal for salads, grilled meats, and cooked fresh vegetables.

Kosher salt contains fewer additives and surprisingly, is saltier than regular table salt. Its texture is usually flakes, which dissolve easily and are less pungent than ordinary salt.

Rock salt is mixed with ice for making delicious homemade ice cream. It can also be sprinkled over ice to rapidly chill bottled beverages in picnic coolers.

Coarse salt is preferred by many professional chefs because it is easily measured with the fingers.

Smoked sea salts add authentic smoke house flavor. Naturally smoked over wood fires, the salt crystals are infused with 100% natural smoke flavor. Smoked sea salts add unique flavors to roasts, salmon, chicken, sandwiches, pasta, soups and salads.

The term “organic salt “ is an oxymoron, since salt cannot be grown organically like plants; it’s a mineral. The term ‘organic’ in the phrase organic salt refers to the production of salt during harvesting and processing according to organic methods and standards, controlled by the independent certifying body. The salt must be unrefined and totally natural. Harvesting must take place in a protected, non-polluted environment with ponds at least 500 meters away from major roads. During harvesting, only untreated wooden or polyethylene tools are allowed. The salt must be free from pesticides, industrial fumes, chemical residues and air pollution.

Add “á la Salt” to Your Dishes

Salt on top of soups, salads, and cooked vegetables completes the taste buds and the meal in a unique way, without causing harm to your health. Try it! I guarantee you will be delighted as you were will finally be able to really get the true wonderful taste of salt with your food… yum!

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Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil

More Than A Breath of Fresh Mountain Air

Let’s travel in our minds now to the foothills of the Alps, to the Austrian province of Steiermark. Imagine the breathtaking view of the Alps, the fresh mountain air with rich pine scents. Let’s head out to the farmer’s market where the aroma of fresh fruits and vegetables fills the air.

This is an area of the world known for the highest number of organic farmers per capita and it’s an area where the soil loam is rich in minerals.

Here you’ll find the Styrian pumpkin, an heirloom variety that is grown for its seeds that are then pressed into oil. One pumpkin yields only one ounce of oil, but those who have tasted its goodness agree that the rich, nutty taste of this pumpkin seed oil not only reflects the nutrients in the soil but it’s also a perfect complement to a wide variety of dishes.

The pumpkin tap root grows six feet underground, collecting as many minerals as it can, especially zinc and selenium, two minerals most Americans are deficient in. The Styrian pumpkin seed oil is rich in vitamins E and A, and like flax seed oil, it’s high in omega-3 and omega-6 oils and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which has been found to delay and/or prevent the development of cancer metastases, especially in breast cancer.

One study found a protective effect on prostate cells from pumpkin seed oil when hormones were given. The oil is known to prevent and alleviate bladder problems in both sexes, and it’s common knowledge that eating pumpkin seeds relieves enlarged prostate gland symptoms.

Pumpkin seeds have both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and contain most B vitamins, vitamin D, E, K, and C, and the minerals calcium, phosphorus and potassium. Some researchers find them helpful against depression (due to a high tryptophan content) and learning disabilities.

In the 1700’s, when the Austrian government discovered that the farmers and peasants were healthier than government officials, a thorough investigation resulted. The mystery was solved with evidence that the only thing different in the two diets was the inclusion of pumpkin seed oil in poor peasants’ diet. Rumor has it that the government then allowed pumpkin seed oil only for medicinal uses, not as a food. Now, though, times have changed and we can partake in this Austrian delicacy.

Old herbal remedy books list pumpkin seeds as an effective parasite eliminator; one tapeworm recipe suggests eating a mixture of the seeds with milk and honey, then followed with castor oil two hours later. The tapeworms are eliminated. The Chinese report the use of pumpkin seeds for the treatment of another parasitic disease, schistosomiasis.

Pumpkin seed oil is a delicious alternative to butter and can be combined with other oils to make salad dressings. You can also add the oil to salads, top baked potatoes with it, sprinkle on top of vegetable and grain dishes or to protein drinks, smoothies and shakes.

Since the beginning of time, man has partaken of a wide variety of perfect foods from his own environment in season. Now, we are able to use foods from all areas of the world with very little inconvenience and the result is the health we all desire and deserve.

Consider adding a little of each of these culinary treasures from the tropics, the old Roman empire, and the Alps to your diet and see how easily your ailments improve while your taste buds soar to a global level.

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Kefir Milk: The Food that Makes Modern-Day Miracles

Got milk? Many people sadly reply, “No!” and fondly recall milk memories – dunking Oreo cookies in milk before bed, pouring it over cereal, tasting it in soups, and eating its flavorful dessert counterpart, ice cream. These people each have their own personal reasons for choosing to leave milk out of their diet forever – usually an inability to digest milk, intestinal disease that creates upset stomachs after any milk product consumption, or the desire to appear macho based on the belief that ‘cool’ teens don’t drink milk, especially in public.

The truth is that nothing beats a glass of cold milk when you want it. However, what has happened on modern-day farms has changed our desire for this nutritious beverage that is used as a source of protein, an immediate carbohydrate source, and “good” fat calories in many cultures around the world.

You are most likely familiar with the three major controversies about milk in the diet:

1. Is milk even necessary and good for those who aren’t nursing? 

2. Doesn’t the pasteurization process kill good bacteria, leaving bad flora that are linked with Crohn’s disease, colon cancer and asthma? 

3. Will the hormones added to non-organic cow’s milk cause health problems many years later? 

Because of all these controversies about milk, many people are actively looking for a good substitute. Soy milk, rice milk and almond milk may be used as a substitute in some daily recipes, but these still don’t approximate the taste, texture and value of wholesome “raw” milk. Raw milk is quickly gaining back popularity as generations of people have experienced many health problems due to their inability to digest pasteurized milk. To read more about Raw Milk go to: www.organicpastures.com. But, this article is not about Raw Milk and/or pasteurization, it is about cultured milk – Kefir. Kefir, or cultured milk has been known as a food staple for years within cultures of people who live vibrant, healthy, disease free lives up into their 80 ad 90’s.

Healthy, Nourishing, and Healing Benefits

Kefir milk has been a regular part of the cuisine in Russia and Bulgaria for hundreds of years, most likely contributing to longevity.

Since kefir milk protein is easier to digest than non-fermented milk, the tasty beverage is an excellent choice for those with digestive disorders, the elderly, invalids and babies. Kefir milk, when made from mammal’s milk, is rich in the amino acid, tryptophan, which is helpful for its relaxing benefits on the nervous system. It also contains calcium and magnesium, is a good source of phosphorus, vitamin B12, B1, vitamin K, and biotin. By providing many nutrients in substantial amounts, kefir milk can also help eliminate cravings for unhealthy foods.

Kefir’s friendly microbes contribute to a healthy colon by reducing flatulence and promoting colon motility. The microbes ‘cleanse as they go,’ establishing a balanced inner ecosystem necessary for longevity and optimum health. Kefir strengthens the immune system and is said to have helped many alleviate their sleep disorders, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

With the numerous benefits that beg you to indulge in adding kefir milk to your diet, why not start today? Incorporate it into your daily diet and don’t forget it when socializing with friends. But beware – a glance in the mirror will soon uncover a milk mustache… and your friends will start asking you, “Got Kefir?”

Make Kefir a Permanent Food Staple for the Whole Family!

A great way to learn to make Kefir is through the DVD – Cultured Veggies/Kefir Kitchen.

To make your own Kefir, take the healthiest form of milk, raw milk from a mammal, and add micro-organisms to it to ferment it. The result is one of the most satisfying and healthiest beverages you have ever tasted: kefir milk. And, if you can’t get raw milk in your areas, and your only choice is commercial pasteurized milk, you are still ahead of the game if you enliven by culturing it. The good news is, it is so simple to make!

Just as yogurt uses Lactobacillus bacteria to ferment it with the end result of a slightly sour creamy curd that can be flavored with fruit, kefir milk uses a similar process:

1. In a glass jar, add one quart raw cow’s, goat, or sheep milk or rice, coconut or soy milk that has been warmed to about 100 degrees, and kefir starter granules. The starter granules contain not just one species of bacteria, but several strains including Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter, and Streptococcus. Surprisingly to many, kefir granules also contain beneficial yeasts such as Torula and Saccharomyces species that can dominate, control and eliminate pathogenic yeasts. (Torula yeast is one of the yeasts that nutritional yeast is produced from.) The more healthy strains of micro-organisms that live in your intestinal tract, the better. It’s possible you could discontinue your probiotic supplements with the addition of kefir milk to your diet.

2. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 1-3 days, depending on the geographical area (One day: Hawaii, southern California and southern parts of the U.S.; two days for the central states including Nevada, Kansas, Ohio, Illinois, Virginia); and between three and five days for the northernmost parts of the U.S.)

During the incubation process, the gelatinous kefir granules swell, clumping together with casein and the milk sugars. Some may be the size of a broccoli flower clump. The microbes ferment the milk and multiply, leaving millions of friendly flora, which have been proven to colonize the intestinal tract.

Lactose milk sugar, which often causes gas and bloating after milk consumption, is used up by the kefir bacteria and yeasts. The kefir milk product has a substantially lower level of lactose that those with intestinal issues can handle successfully.

Kefir Milk: It’s White and Creamy, Slightly Sour and ‘Grows’ on You…

The resulting beverage can be whisked or blended for a smoother consistency. Refrigeration slows down the fermentation process; kefir milk will stay fresh in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

There is much versatility for kefir milk in various parts of the daily diet. Add it on top of cereal in the morning for breakfast and it will perk up your day. The mixture of kefir milk with vanilla, bee pollen, honey, coconut oil, and fruit makes a great quick meal when you need energy for a few hours. Similarly, you can add cinnamon, lemon, or ginger for three smoothie variations.

Kefir milk can be mixed with mayonnaise and herbs such as basil, oregano, dill, rosemary, parsley, cilantro, or ginger for a different blend of flavors for salad dressing.

Right before serving, add kefir milk to thicken a thin soup.

Use kefir milk as a substitute for yogurt. Use it in cream pies as a binder. To create a different type of whipped cream, blend until it becomes a frothy cream and spoon a tablespoon on top of fresh fruit or fruit pies.

Add an egg and fruit to kefir milk, blend thoroughly, then freeze for a new version of homemade ice cream.

The list of what to do with this excellent cultured food is almost endless. Enjoy this delicious food every day.

Grass-Fed Beef, Free-Range Beef

Back to the wholesome farm is the only answer

The more wholesome your ingredients, the better tasting your recipes will be. It doesn’t matter if your dish is a vegetable dish, a fruit dish, an appetizer, dessert or an entrée. Every five-star restaurant knows this is true.

Many people are choosing a vegetarian or vegan diet for health or humane reasons particularly because of the unsatisfactory practices of conventional animal agriculture. If you are choosing to eat meat, poultry or sea food, then you may want to make sure that the animals you eat are as healthy as you would like to be. How they are raised, what they are fed determines the quality of their health and thus your health.  When it comes to beef, you want the absolute best. Here’s a little about Beef, which will help clarify the need for new animal agricultural practices.

The most high-quality beef is grass-fed, free-range beef for several reasons. Studies show that it’s higher in beta-carotene, contains the proper ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, is higher in stearic acid and medium-chain fats, is higher in vitamin E, contains more CLA, has about one-third less fat and less calories, and can be antibiotic-free, hormone-free, and chemical-free, compared to commercially-raised beef from feedlots. All these benefits add up to reduced risk of developing breast and other cancers, heart disease, allergies, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, and an easier time losing weight.

The big controversy about corn-fed/grain-fed and grass-fed beef started over 50 years ago when the USDA decided to let ranchers “finish” herds with grain. “Finishing” means getting them ready for slaughter. The grain fattened up the animals for market and allowed a calf to grow from 80 pounds at birth to 1200 pounds in 14-16 months instead of the usual 4-5 years.

Although it wasn’t known at the time of the USDA decision, the longer farmers fed the cattle grain, the more the omega-3 content of their meat dwindled toward zero. Essential fatty acids are found in high concentration in the grasses and in greens. Years ago, when our beef was grass fed, this high-quality protein was also a major source of the essential fatty acids, along with fish and greens. In the last 50+ years since cattle were corn and grain fed, though, Americans have been eating meat devoid of EFA’s, and as a result, our own bodies have become devoid of EFA’s. That’s why many see the necessity of using flax oil for omega-3 supplementation. The bottom line is that what is good for the cow is also good for us. It’s the cycle of life.

The Cow’s Natural Diet

Cows don’t normally eat corn (and grains) simply because they can’t digest it. The grain makes their digestive system abnormally acidic, upsetting the healthy bacterial flora that usually survives in a neutral environment, allowing other harmful bacteria to colonize.

Grazing animals such as cows, sheep, and goats, have a rumen, which is another ‘stomach’, specifically for the fermentation of cellulose from grass, hay and alfalfa, into proteins and fats by bacteria. This fermentation process is known as rumination.

Switching a cow from grass to grain can cause health problems in the animal. The rumen is always producing copious amounts of gas, which is why cows often belch. But when grains are added, the process of rumination slows down almost to a halt, and a layer of foamy slime forms, causing trapped gas. This causes the rumen to inflate like a balloon, and press up against the animal’s lungs. It’s possible the animal can suffocate when this happens.

But give a cow his natural diet and the number of problems with its health dwindles to very few. It’s similar to us: when we eat our natural diet, we do well, too.

Cows on Drugs

Corn-fed diets can also cause a type of heartburn in cows. With the heartburn, it’s not uncommon for the animals to stop eating, pant and salivate excessively, kick at their own bellies to try to relieve the pain, and eat dirt. Left untreated, the condition can lead to bloat, ulcers, liver disease, diarrhea and a weakened immune system that predisposes it to numerous infectious diseases. That’s when antibiotics are given.

According to The Union of Concerned Scientists, antibiotic use in livestock shot up from 16 million pounds in the mid-1980s to 25 million pounds in the year 2001. Scientists and health care practitioners warn that this practice contributes to antibiotic-resistant diseases.

Better Immunity with Grass Fed Beef

Corn-fed diets also raise concern about the type of corn that is used in the feed. Genetically-engineered (GE) corn has potential risks, according to a secret, 1139-page Monsanto document that showed rats on the GE corn had smaller kidneys and blood abnormalities. The report was enough for European countries to sound the alarm and warn their population not to eat beef from America.

Switching cattle from grain to grass lowers the production of acid-resistant E. coli bacteria, according to researchers from Cornell University in 1998. The more natural the diet of the cow, the more disease resistant the animal (and subsequently the less risk of E. coli for consumers). Also, an acidic environment is a perfect breeding ground for pathogenic E.coli in the meat, which can cause serious illness or death in those who eat uncooked beef. When we change the cow’s natural diet, we end up hurting ourselves.

There are other factors that affect the possibility of E. coli contamination in meat. Swedish researchers found that calves raised on a pasture showed no signs of the deadly strain of E.coli, called 01157:H7. Calves raised in pens, on the other hand, had at least one positive sample.

Consuming grass fed beef instead of commercial beef can lower your risk of two other food-borne illnesses, campylobacter and BSE. Campylobacter bacteria often affects children under the age of 5 and young adults from 15 to 29. Symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, and fever can occur from two to ten days after eating infected meat. However, in an Australian study, scientists discovered that only 2% of those cattle raised and finished on pasture carried the bacteria, compared to 58% of those raised in a feedlot.

A diet of 100% grasses and other green plants on the range means a diet containing no animal by-products; it’s the consumption of animal by-products that predisposes them to potential bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). When a case of BSE was discovered in the state of Washington in 2003, it spread alarm and fear throughout the country. However, the simple act of consuming grass fed beef rather than commercial meat protects you from BSE.

There are other aspects of commercial livestock production that should be included here; the environmental degradation that occurs as a result of the feedlots generating five tons of waste per year for every American and their sustainability, as examples. We’ll include more on these in the sustainability chapter.

Grass Fed is Not the Same as Organic

The term ‘grass fed’ can have a different meaning to various groups and organizations in the industry. The American Grassfed Association defines grass fed products from ruminants as those food products from animals that have eaten nothing but their mother’s milk and fresh grass or grass-type hay from birth to harvest their entire life long. They note, however, that grass is a significant part of the diet, but not the entirety of the diet in grass fed non-ruminants, including pigs and poultry.

The USDA, on the other hand, defines grass fed as animals that receive 99% of their lifetime energy supply from grass and forage. Animals kept in confinement, fed harvested forage, corn silage and other grains that have not been separated from their stalks, and those fed antibiotics and hormones are allowed in the latest proposed USDA claim for legal usage of the term grass fed.

Most consumers define grass fed to mean animals humanely raised in grass pastures from birth to harvest, the way nature intended. It’s possible that pastured animals can graze on land treated with herbicides and synthetic fertilizers, so get all the facts before you buy. Organic beef that is hormone and antibiotic-free may be a step up from beef from commercial feedlots, but if the animal has spent its last months prior to slaughter fed grain, the nutritional value has been compromised.

It’s important to get to know the farmers in your area on a personal basis. Take an interest in their farm operations without sounding judgmental. Ask them questions such as:

• Do you raise your cattle on pasture?
  
• Do you feed them anything else besides grass? (Listen for animal by-products, commercial feed (some of these can contain feathers, cement dust, rotten and outdated food)
  
• Do you ever feed grain? If so, how long of a period of time?
  
• How long have you been farming? How did you get started in the business?
  
• How do you finish the cattle? Do you give them grain for several months prior to slaughter? One month? Not at all? (Remember that each day the longer grain is used, the omega-3 fat content will decrease.)
  
• Do you send the cattle to the feedlot? If so, how long do they stay? How many other cattle are with them?
  
• How often do you use antibiotics?
  
• Do you ever use hormones and steroids?

The cost of grass fed beef in some markets may be higher, which makes regular use prohibitory for many people; but the benefits outweigh the cost.

If you build your menus around plant-based foods instead of beef, the savings in health and food costs is still quite significant. What you’ll most likely find is that by always deciding to make the best food choices, your pocketbook wins in the long run.

Conventional animal and chemical agriculture are also responsible for a huge toll on the pollution of our air, water and soil. One of the most powerful ways to turn your own health around, along with the health of the Earth is through your food choices. We are completely dependent on clean air, mineral rich food, proteins and other nutrients found only in vibrant soil and clean water.

Where we place our dollars has a huge impact on the economic flow and change needed for creating a healthy food supply. Investing in organically grown and sustainably raised food is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself, the environment, the economy, and your grand children. Sustainable agricultural practices play a huge role in animal welfare as well. (We will cover more on the agriculture, environmental impact and animal welfare in future articles).

Your food choices fit closely in the grand scheme of the natural order. With excellent choices, you will be rewarded in many ways.

Flax Seed and Oils

Eat Like Romans… Exhibit Strength, Stamina, Mental Clarity & Robust Health

To many, the aroma of freshly-baked bread is so pleasant that it’s almost intoxicating!

According to historical record, soldiers of the Roman Empire marched with rations of bread baked with flaxseed meal and flax seed oil 9000 years ago. They most likely felt the “grounded” feeling, a feeling of mental stability after eating their bread, just like we do today when we add it to our foods.

Additional records prove that flax was also used in India, China, Syria and Turkey for its seed and fiber to make fabric, dye, paper, fishing nets, cattle feed, medicines and soap. It’s extremely useful to us, just like coconut.

Flax may be responsible for why the Romans were so successful in their conquests.

One major reason why is that the type of fat consumed is linked with your state of mind.

In the early 1980’s, Dr. Donald O. Rudin, Director of the Department of Molecular Biology at Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute found that within two hours, patients who had various mental disorders experienced improved mood and their depression lifted with flax seed oil.

Certainly, we wouldn’t want those with mood disorders in our own military, but when you consider that omega-3s are involved in IQ and behavior, how one reacts to allergens, the status of the myelin sheath surrounding the nerves, inflammation, the ability to mentally focus, cardiovascular health and hormone modulation, flax seed meal and oil becomes more and more important.

One of Dr. Rudin’s patients experienced dramatically improved moods after only three days. Her marked sense of increased physical energy and unique exuberance was also exhibited in other patients in varying degrees. After six to eight weeks, most of them were sleeping better and were more energetic. They also were less anxious and depressed. Switching them back to a high omega-6 fat diet, such as one found in the American diet, resulted in a return of their symptoms.

Learn how to use flax and other oils of impeccable quality for great sauces and dressing.
» Featured in both the Essential Cuisine a la Oils 2 DVD set * and * the Raw Food Series 3 DVD set. Special Pricing for all!

The brain is composed of 60% fat, and nerve cells are extremely rich in omega-3 fatty acids, containing five times more omega-3 fatty acids than red blood cells.

Flax seed contains 18 carbon omega-3 fats which can be converted to other omega-3 fats, EPA and DHA (20 and 22-carbon chain fats), although the conversion rate is low (2-15%). Still, for some who don’t eat fish, which may be a much better source of EPA and DHA because it needs no conversion in the body, adding flax seed oil may kickstart health benefits.

Taking 1-2 tablespoons of flax oil daily fulfills the requirement for linolenic acid, EPA and DHA, three essential fats important for preventing cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and auto-immunity, as well as boosting our brain’s ability to think clearly without the need for mood elevators. Flax seed oil is the plant world’s most abundant source of omega-3 fats, about 55% by weight.

Researchers studied different sub-groups of the population to find possible correlations of low omega-3 fats and different health issues, and see if the addition of flax seed oil and omega-3 fats might help. Their results showed a definite correlation to those with high blood pressure, those on statin drugs that deplete the omega-3 brain fats, violent criminals, children with ADHD, women with PMS, those with calcium deposits and low bone density, and even moms who just gave birth.

In recent years, many nutritionists recommend grinding flax seeds or using flax seed meal in simple ways, for example, just sprinkle it on top of cottage cheese and add it to breakfast cereal. The ability of the seeds to swell up and draw water to itself makes it an excellent binding agent for burgers, cakes and muffins. One tablespoon flax seeds together with three tablespoons water added to a recipe can substitute for one egg.

Many people use flax seed oil as a regular component of salad dressings or take it in capsules for its healthful benefits.

Each of us is marching on a daily basis to fight our own individual battles, and using one of the secrets of the Romans, we stand a better chance to succeed.

Learn how to use flax and other oils of impeccable quality for great sauces and dressing.
» Featured in both the Essential Cuisine a la Oils 2 DVD set * and * the Raw Food Series 3 DVD set. Special Pricing for all!

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