Here’s a list of the ingredients in each bottle of Body Balance…

Alaria esculenta

The brown alga name Maria esculenta is translated to mean “edible wings.” Alaria sea vegetables have a nice flavor, and they are popular as a food item in some cultures. Like other brown sea vegetation, Alaria esculenta contains fucans—carbohydrate-related nutrients that are often described as the “slimy stuff” found on the outside of the skin of the plant.

Alaria esculenta is made up of 42 percent alginate. In addition, it contains fucoidan, and a number of amino acids (or protein building blocks) . Lastly, Alaria escuienta is relatively high in potassium  which helps promotes a healthy nervous system.

Aloe Vera A Sumerian clay tablet, found in the city of Nippu written around 2200 BC, is the first document to include Aloe vera among plants of great healing power. Egyptian writings record Aloe as being used medicinally 1,500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. The Hebrews in the Bible’s Old Testament carried Aloe with them in the wilderness for 40 years to be sure they would have it in their new land. Greek physician Dioscorides wrote of using Aloe for constipation, burns, and kidney ailments.

Life Force’s aloe plant is grown in fertile fields at the base of a volcanic mountain in Mexico near the equator.  This is significant for several reasons. Fields are fed with water rich in volcanic trace minerals.  Sunlight and rain is ideal for aloe, and even the wind plays a part.  Certified “organic” under the protocols set by QAI (Quality Assurance International). Aloe is hand-farmed from preparing the soil, to planting, to cultivating, to artfully cutting the leaves.

Ascophyllum nodosum Ascophyllum nodosum is a slow growing sea vegetable found in the northern Atlantic ocean. It grows by attaching itself to rocks and boulders and can live to be several decades old.

It contains high amounts of fucoidan—a specialized polysaccharide. Fucoidan molecules tend to bond with sulphate groups. While this may not say much to the rest of us, scientists know that the higher the sulphate group count in a plant, the higher the plant’s medicinal potential.

It is believed its high fucoidan count may be why in studies an extract from the sea plant helped prevent blood coagulation.  This could be beneficial for those at risk for heart disease and stroke. Additionally, fuicoidan has been shown to have significant cancer-fighting properties.

Black Cherry Body Balance is a tastier drink because it has black cherry flavoring, all natural and of course being a botanical, it also contributes its share of phytonutrients.  Black cherry contributes to supporting healthy uric acids
levels, which supports health

Chondus cripus

Chondus cripus grows in thick patches and has leaf tips that are iridescent. Once the sea plant is removed from the water, however, it loses its color. This plant is rich in iodine, which is known to promote a healthy thyroid. Chondus cripus is a powerful antioxidant that has a unique genetic structure.

Scientific literature reports that one single gene isolated from Chondus cripus contained a polypeptide of 825 amino acids.  The role of antioxidants is important to health. Sickness, particularly chronic illness, has been attributed to the high presence of free radicals in our modern society.

Fucus vesiculosus The common name for Fucus vesiculosus is bladder wrack. It is grown on the coastline of colder regions including the northwestern United States and northern Europe. The plant has receptacles that are usually swollen at the ends, which has everything the plant needs to reproduce (both eggs and sperms).  When it’s about to die, the seaweed’s swollen ends will burst.  This way the plant manages to reproduce itself.

The plant has a thick skin that secretes a sticky substance that helps keep it moist. It contains fucoidan and myostatin, which have been reported to have varying health benefits such as being an anti-coagulant (blood thinning and anti-clotting), anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral. There will be more about fucoidan and it benefits in the section about the brown sea plant Ascophyllum nodosum.

Fucus vesicuiosus also contains alginate. Besides helping to excrete toxins from the body, alginate may also positively affect the immune system T-cells and support the endocrine system (or hormonesystem) in the body. Lastly, alginate from Fucus has been used to help control gastroesophageal reflux disease (also known as GERD). GERD is a type of chronic heartburn. Statistics show that more than 60 million Americans experience heartburn once a month. The alginate from Eucus may help control the reflux problem and reduce the acidity content of the stomach.

Gigartina chamissoi Gigartina chamissoi is a leafy, red seaweed. There has been quite a bit of research done on the natural carrageenans found within Gigartina. arrageenans are a special kind of polysaccharide. Originally, carrageenans from red seaweed were extracted and used for gelling and thickening agents in the food industry. Then it was discovered that some of these carrageenans worked well in skin products and cosmetics.

Within the last few years, scientists have discovered that the carrageenans in Gigartina also possess some unique medicinal properties. Among other things, they have found them to be antibacterial as well as antiviral. In fact, one study showed that an extract of Gigartina could kill the bacteria Streptococcus. In addition, in 1997 scientists from Argentina found carrageenans in Gigartina to be anti-herpetic (able to kill the herpes viruses) and anti-coagulant (able to prevent blood from clotting).

Honey The types of flowers the bees pollinate determine flavor and color of honey.  The darker shades of honey are believed to have more antioxidants.  The study showed no weight gain in participants for the month they were consuming honey.  And, some claimed that eating honey for breakfast actually made them feel full and satisfied.

Eating honey along with supplemental calcium appeared to enhance calcium absorption in rats, according to a study from Purdue University.  In addition, the researches suggested that the absorption of calcium increased as the amount of honey taken was upped.  Sugar is a crystalline carbohydrate extracted from sugar cane and sugar beets. It is a non-nutritive empty calorie that robs the body of vitamins and minerals. Sugar is addicting. The biggest culprit?  Soft drinks, which account for one-third of our total sugar intake.  Honey contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, and is a wonderful beauty aid that nourishes the skin and the hair.  Honey acts as an antibacterial and antifungal agent and helps disinfect and speed the healing process in wounds, scrapes and burns.

Laminaria Laminaria is a perennial type of sea plant, meaning that it grows back year after year. As with the some of the other brown sea vegetables, Laminaria digitata contains potassium, iodine, and calcium, which may promote health of the nervous system, thyroid gland, and bone structure. There has been quite a bit of research done on Laminaria digitata because of its apparent health benefits. We will discuss just a few studies.

A couple of recent studies (in 2003 and 2004), demonstrated that in a laboratory setting Laminaria digitata displayed strong anti-cancer properties. For example, in the first study a solution extracted from Laminaria digitata had a strong inhibitory activity against the spreading of human leukemia cells. The second study looked specifically at tumor cells. In this experiment the extract from Laminaria digitata killed tumor cells in both in vitro and invivo tests.  In vivo means the extract was able to kill the tumor cells within a living biological organism (such as rats), whereas in vitro means the experiment was done in a test tube or some similar medium.

Another study, completed as recently as 2005, showed that a preparation made from Laminaria digitata acted as an effective vaccine against several disease-causing fungi in the human body such as Candida albicans, which is involved in various gastrointestinal as well as vaginal infections.

Palmaria palmate High in potassium and calcium, the red sea plant Palmaria palmata is named for its resemblance to the palm of the human hand. Like other red sea vegetables, it is also known for its high levels of healthy antioxidants.  One scientific journal reports that Palmaria palmate has anti-cancer properties.  Extracts from the sea plant were tested on human cervical cancer cells.  It was found that chemicals in the sea plant stopped the cells from reproducing and spreading.

Another health benefit of Palmaria palmate may be to those with irregular blood sugar and even those with diabetes. Scientists found that the polysaccharides in Palmaria palmate affect the intestinal absorption of glucose and insulin response.

Porphyra yezoensis Nori, a sea plant known to scientists as Porphyrayezoensis, is one of the most widely used sea vegetables in Japan. It has been grown in Japan as a food source for hundreds of years. As a plant, it is highly nutritious. It contains minerals such as zinc and copper, as well as various vitamins and provitamins.

As of late, Porphyra yezoensis has also become the subject of a number of health-related studies. It has been shown to help healthy liver activity, prevent the occurrence of gallstone disease, and control blood cholesterol levels. It also contains sulfated polysaccharides, which may inhibit the growth of certain tumors and help prevent ulcer activity in shay ulcers.

Porphyra yezoensis is a potent source of vitamin B. Diseases aggravated by low levels of vitamin B in the body are dermatitis (skin inflammation), depression, and anemia (low iron). One recent study, published in 2001, showed that Porphyra yezoensis has high amounts of bioavailable vitamin B

Stevia Stevia is a genus of about 150 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America.  As a sweetener, stevia’s sweet taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or liquorice-like after taste at high concentrations.

With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives.  Stevia also has shown promise in medical research for treating such conditions as obesity and high blood pressure. Stevia has negligible effect on blood glucose, therefore it is attractive as a natural sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate controlled diets.

Ulva Iactuca Ulva Iactuca is often called sea lettuce. It grows in many areas around the world but especially in the northern hemisphere. Ulva Iactuca has a long history of being used in different cultures medicinally. In Cuba, sea lettuce was boiled and then drunk as a juice to kill intestinal worms. In Bretagne, the plant was applied directly on wounds to help stop infection.

The main elements within Ulva lactuca are bioactive substances as well as fiber, iron, calcium, and magnesium. It contains polysaccharide fibers that cannot be dissolved or degraded by digestive enzymes.

This aids in digestion.  One particular polysaccharide within Ulva iactuca is called ulvan. Ulvan is asulfated polysaccharide that has been shown to kill cancerous colon cells. Researchers from France reported ulvan proved to be useful in killing various human cancer cells.  The iron content in sea lettuce is high, 15 times higher than the iron found in an egg yolk or spinach.  Iron is known to stimulate the immune system and improve overall strength and physical performance.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.   These products are not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any disease.

A dupla dinâmica do prato dos brasileiros, o arroz com feijão tem aparição diária em nossos pratos e é um casamento perfeito.
A maioria dos grãos não tem em sua composição o aminoácido lisina, enquanto nas leguminosas falta a metionina. Juntos eles contém os 8 aminoácidos essenciais para o organismo humano.
Aqui vamos falar do modo de preparo básico, e algumas dicas para facilitar seu preparo e digestão, mas sempre vale seguir aquele truque que a mãe ou a vó da gente ensinou.

ARROZ

Esse modo de preparo serve para quase todos os grãos.
Porção: cerca de meia xícara por pessoa (se usado como acompanhamento).
Tempo de cozimento: de 30 minutos a 1 hora (dependendo da espécie de arroz, da marca e do tempo de molho).
Qual tipo usar: orgânico, não refinado, integral.
Armazenamento: Recipiente bem fechado, de preferência de vidro (plásticos podem soltar resíduos químicos).
Antes de cozinhar:

• Lave em água fria corrente. Isso retirar resíduos indesejáveis e reanima sua energia dormente.
• Coloque de molho em água filtrada ou mineral de 1 a 12 horas. Isso retira o ácido pítico e ajuda na digestão.
• Refogue numa panela seca (sem óleo ou água) em fogo médio até sentir o aroma. Isso realça o sabor natural, faz os grãos cozinharem por igual, e diminui o sabor residual amargo que porventura possa ter.

Ao cozinhar:

• Acrescente os temperos que gosta, como alho, cebola, sal, mas se aventure com novos, como ervas ou algas, ou ainda vegetais, como cenoura e beterraba. Isso adiciona sabor e nutrientes. Refogue todos juntos com o arroz no óleo de sua preferência para prevenir que os grãos grudem. Não deixe dourar, pois isso adiciona um gosto amargo indesejável, e dificulta a digestão. Acrescente água assim que arroz começar a ficar transparente.
• Coloque a água para ferver antes de começar o refogado, assim ela estará na temperatura ideal quando precisar acrescentá-la. A quantidade é de 2 xícaras de água para cada xícara de arroz.
• Depois que colocar a água na panela, não mexa mais. Ao mexer, o amido do grão se quebra, e o faz ficar grudento. A excessão é o arroz arbóreo para risotto, pois o prato pede a consistência mais cremosa que o amido proporciona.
• Cozinhe sempre em fogo brando, com a panela com tampa semi-aberta, até a água secar.

Após o cozimento:

• Teste se o grão está cozido, mordendo um ao meio e conferindo que ele não tem mais uma parte branca por dentro e está todo translúcido. Caso precise de mais tempo de cozimento, acrescente água fervente (cerca ce meia xícara) e cozinhe por mais 5 minutos.
• Mexa os grãos com um garfo, ‘afofando’, e deixe-o descansar no vapor da panela por 10 minutos.

FEIJÃO

Esse modo de preparo serve para quase todas as leguminosas secas.
Porção: cerca de meia xícara por pessoa (se usado como acompanhamento).
Tempo de cozimento: de 50 minutos a 1 hora (dependendo da espécie de feijão, da marca e do tempo de molho)*.
Qual tipo usar: orgânico.
Armazenamento: Recipiente bem fechado, de preferência de vidro (plásticos podem soltar resíduos químicos).
Antes de cozinhar:

• Separe algum resíduo ou caroço indesejeavel e lave.
• Coloque o feijão de molho em água filtrada ou mineral, o dobro do volume de feijão. Há dois tipo de molho: o tradicional, que é deixar de 8 a 12 horas (de um dia para o outro); e o rápido, que é colocar o feijão com água para ferver por 5 minutos, desligue o fogo, e deixe de molho de 2 a 4 horas (pode ser na hora que você está tomando café da manhã para fazer no almoço). Em ambos os casos, escorra a água, enxágue, e proceda com o cozimento.

Ao cozinhar:

• Feijões grandes pedem a proporção de 3 xícaras de água para 1 xícara de feijão. Feijões menores, como lentilhas, 2 para 1. Se quiser mais caldo, acrescente mais água.
• Quando a água atingir ponto de fervura, diminua o fogo. Retire a espuma que se formar no centro da panela com uma colher ou escumadeira. Cozinhe com a panela com tampa.
• Acrescente folhas de louro, ou sementes de cominho ou erva-doce, ou ainda anis-estrelado para ajudar na digestão. Um pedaço de 2 a 6 cm da alga marinha Kombu ajuda a diminuir a formação de gases.
• Só adicione sal ao final do cozimento, ou irá inteferir no tempo de cozimento (o feijão pode ficar duro).

Após o cozimento:

• Teste o ponto de cozimento do feijão, pressionando um caroço com a língua contra o céu da boca. Se ele se desfizer, está no ponto. Se ainda resistir, cozinhe por mais 5 minutos, acrescentando água, se necessário.
• Tempere o feijão a gosto, refogando com óleo, alho, cebola, purê de vegetais, carnes, bacon.
• Congele várias porções para uso diário, cozinhando apenas uma vez por semana, e tempere de modo diferente a cada dia, para adicionar variedade.

* Você também pode usar a panela de pressão, que diminui o tempo de cozimento pela metade. Apenas ajuste a quantidade de água a seu gosto e somente feche a panela após retirar a espuma.

Fontes:
- Feeding the Whole Family – Cooking with Whole Foods. Autora: Cynthia Lair.
- Integrative Nutrition – Feed your Hunger for Health & Hapiness. Autor: Joshua Rosenthal.

At first (25 years ago), it seemed weird, but I was told seaweed was already in the cheese, yogurt, jello, cosmetics and so many other products we buy, I said “I’ll try it.” Now, I eat sea vegetables (sounds better, doesn’t it?) every day. You can do, and you should because it’s an easy way to keep your body happy, without drugs or doctors.

How do they work? Well, the scientific answer would take a long time, but the bottom line is they have a lot of well-balanced minerals, and when we were in the ocean, we came from this stuff. Now that we are on dry land, we should be eating more fish that comes from this stuff, but we don’t. We eat garbage, and fish that comes from pesticide swamps inland. Seaweed is also a beauty secret, it’s great for your skin and nails and hair.

If you have high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, anemia, or joint problems, then seaweeds are for you.

What types should you consider?

Wakame-I buy this at Whole Foods usually, for about $8, and it lasts for 1-2 years. Every day, I make soup from scratch, using water, vegetables and miso. Most of the time I also add a few flakes of Wakame, which taste nice and make the soup prettier. I also add vegetables, beans, grains, tofu etc., always different, sometimes blended, takes just fifteen minutes. INCREDIBLE HEALTH BENEFITS FOR EVERY HUMAN.

Nori-I buy this (pretoasted) at Whole Foods too, for about $6, and it lasts about six months. About once per week, I shred a sheet and add it to soup, salad or stirfy, or even a sandwich or tortilla. A couple of times per month, I make rice balls (brown rice, vinegar, umeboshi plum, nori, sesame salt), and maybe once a month I make nori rolls (sushi without the fish). THIS STUFF TASTES GREAT, ALSO VERY GOOD FOR YOU.

Kombu-I get this at Whole Foods too, for about $9, and it lasts about six months. I use it to create soup stocks and sauces, but mostly to cook beans and grains (unless I’m using sea salt). It helps things cook faster, and has a hearty flavor. ALSO VERY GOOD FOR YOU.

Dulse-This is red seaweed, and yes, I get it at Whole Foods, for about $10, and it lasts 1-2 years. You can use it in soups, toast in and put in on salads or casseroles, and use it in stirfries etc. VERY YUMMY, ALSO GOOD FOR YOU.

Agar-This is also known as Kanten Flakes, and can be gotten at Asian markets, or online, or you guesssed it, at Whole Foods. $7 a packet, it only lasts me a couple of months. I use this to make fruit (or vegetable) kantens, usually desserts with apple juice and fruit. So delicious, and GOOD FOR YOU!

Arame-This I also get at Whole Foods, costs me $9, and it lasts for two years. It’s a bit fishy, I eat it because it’s good for me. Generally, I cook it with onions and sweet potatoes, but there are many recipes you can find. Because it’s strong, I only eat it about twice per month. YES, IT’S GOOD FOR YOU!

I hope that helps, please feel free to get in touch for any advice…

david@kaganmedia.net, or http://www./DavidsOrganic.com

Let me fill you in on one of the best kept nutrition secrets . . . Japanese sea vegetables and how easy they are to add to your diet.

Did I lose you already? Are you thinking seaweed, yuck? Well keep an open mind for two seconds.

Sea vegetables are so easy to use, and the way I use them you don’t even taste them (I’m not big on fishy taste). And triple bonus . . . as a group they are among the most nutritious foods on earth.

First I’m going to tell you a very basic, beginner’s way to use them. Then I’ll tell you all the amazing things they do for your body.

Make your way to a health food store like Whole Foods and go to the section of the store that has ingredients for Asian foods. The sea vegetables come in bags and are often hanging in a display similar to the candy displays that sell gummy worms and cinnamon bears, etc. (And we need to grow just as attached to these bags of sheer goodness as we are to the worms and bears.)

Some recommended sea vegetables are kelp, kombu, wakame, nori, dulse, arame and hijiki. They aren’t all that expensive so I started off with kombu and then added wakame and arame to my cooking. Most look like dried up seaweed and not all that appetizing but all I do when I’m cooking oatmeal, or brown rice, or soup, pasta or bean dishes is cut off a piece of one of them and throw it in the pot. Then when the dish is done cooking, I fish it out, kind of like cooking with bay leaf, and I either cut it up into small pieces and throw it back in or leave it out. I can’t really even taste them, but, oh the benefits.

According to Michio Kushi in The Macrobiotic Way, compared to garden vegetables, dulse is 30 times richer in potassium than bananas and has 200 times the potency of beetroot when it comes to iron. Nori rivals carrots in Vitamin A and has twice the protein of some meats. Hijiki contains 14 times more calcium than whole milk, kombu equals corn in phosphorus, and kelp has 150 times more iodine and 8 times more magnesium.

Michio goes on to say that sea vegetables contain Vitamins A, B1, C, and E and the all-important B12 , an essential compound that is rare in vegetarian diets but is needed by the body for healthy neuromuscular function and blood rich in iron.

For centuries people all over the world have harvested sea vegetables for use as food. The Chinese, Irish, British, Icelanders, Canadians, American Indians, Hawaiians, Koreans, Russians, Eskimos, and South Africans to name a few. But according to Christina Pirello in Cooking the Whole Foods Way, the real pros are the Japanese who more than any other culture developed the art of cooking sea vegetables. In fact, in Japan sea veggies are “farmed” almost as heavily as land vegetables.

I think they may be on to something.

Sea vegetables help keep energy level high, nerves tranquil, and the muscles, heart, hair, and blood healthy. They are also important for neutralizing excesses of acid in your system (if you haven’t already, you’ll be hearing more and more about the benefits of keeping your system more alkaline instead of acidic to prevent degenerative diseases).

Red meat, sugar, poultry, eggs, fats and oils make the body overly acidic which is the perfect breeding ground for bad stuff like heart disease and cancer, and it also causes calcium to leave your body to try to balance things out, causing bones to weaken and teeth to decay. Not pretty.

So the way I’m dipping my toes into the water on this one is to let the sea veggies show up subtly in the dishes I listed above. When I’m ready to dive in I’ll try a few dishes where they’re the main attraction, but I’m working up to those so if you have some tasty recipe ideas, please share. And remember I DO NOT LIKE FISHY TASTING ANYTHING! (Even my fish better not taste fishy.)

So give them a shot. Grab a bag of kombu or wakame and toss in anywhere from a stamp-size piece in oatmeal to a six-inch strip in a pot of soup. The taste is subtle and most likely no one will even know it’s in there but probably best not to tell the family what they’re eating. Some of them are still getting used to the idea of eating broccoli on a regular basis.

Ingredientes:

• 1 colher (sopa) de azeite
• 2 cenouras grandes, cortadas em cubos
• 1 cebola grande, cortada em bocados
• 1 folha de louro
• 1 raminho de tomilho
• 1 pau de Kombu (alga seca)
• 1,5 l de água (ou o líquido de cozedura de outros legumes, leguminosas, etc.)
• Sal, a gosto (pode substituir por missô ou por molho de soja)

Modo de Preparar:

• Aqueça o azeite numa panela e junte-lhe a cebola e as cenouras cortadas. Mexa e deixe em fogo forte durante 1 minuto.
• Acrescente a água (1,5 l) ou outro líquido, o pau de Kombu, o louro e o tomilho, e deixe ferver durante 1 hora, destapado.
• Retire do fogo e despeje os vegetais e a água para um passador, reservando o caldo num recipiente limpo.
• Tempere o caldo com sal, ou com 1 colher de sopa de molho de soja ou 1 colher de chá de missô.

Fonte: http://nutridoc.inforportal.net – Portugal

I have always wondered about the fifth taste umami (deliciousness) which is flittingly indescribable – mouthfeel, savoury, mmm-ness. I recently came across a couple of good sources of information. Rowan Jacobsen’s post on Oysters has a great description of umami (not to mention Oysters).

Harold McGee breaks it down into amino acids (especially glutamic acid) and the actual taste receptors for umami. In his highly recommended book “On Food and Cooking”, McGee tells us that the word umami was coined in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda who noticed that naturally forming MSG (monosodium glutamate) on Kombu seaweed had characteristics of taste that were different from the usual four – sweet, sour, bitter and salty.

Umami is naturally intensified from protein breakdown by aging or curing – foods like Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, soy sauce and miso are very high in umami. Some foods like kombu, shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes (especially the seeds and surrounding jelly) are born with it. I also remember reading somewhere that umami may directly affect the limbic system which seems to agree with my personal experiences with foods that are high in it.

Este “post” está dedicado a todos aquellos compis “vegetas” que os iniciáis en el mundillo o a los que queréis saber más… El proceso de “formación” no acaba nunca porque hay muchos productos que no se publicitan y resultan formidables maneras de conservar la salud, vivir bien a gusto e incluso mantenernos más jóvenes. Eso, por no hablar de la importante reducción en el uso de fármacos,  que logramos sustituir por productos totalmente naturales.

Seitán “la carne vegetal” : De ahí podemos adquirir una gran parte de proteínas de origen vegetal. El seitán se elabora y está formado principalmente por gluten de trigo, por lo que no sería apto para celíacos. Si lo compráis directamente, tiene un aspecto marrón y lo hay en filetes, pincho moruno, ya guisado, etc.  Yo lo hago en casita, compro el gluten, lo amaso y a la olla a presión. Si queréis más información…

Tofu o “queso de soja”: Conocidísimo derivado de la soja. Se compra hecho o se puede hacer en casa con la “Sojamatic”. Al ser derivado de la soja el aporte proteíco es bastante interesante. En el mercado hay gran oferta de “tofus” ; natural, finas hierbas, ahumado,etc. Si lo comes sólo te parecerá bastante insípido, yo lo utilizo para hacer patés vegetales y para la boloñesa.

Soja texturizada: En cuanto la descubráis no podréis prescindir de ella. La hay “gruesa” y “fina” y tiene el mismo aspecto que la “carne picada”. Nos sirve para hacer lasaña, pasta boloñesa y rellenar diferentes hortalizas. Sabe pelín a soja, pero cuanto más la remojeis (remojo previo en agua caliente) y empapéis en salsitas , más sabrosa queda. Si queréis dar el palo a amigos y conocidos “carnívoros”, hacedles un platito de espaghetti a la boloñesa…con “carne de pollo”, ni se darán cuenta!

Quinoa o “quinua”: Se trata de un cereal andino con muchísimas propiedades nutricionales. La más importante para los “vegetas”, es que nos aporta gran cantidad de proteína, aminoácidos (en especial un tipo de aminoácido sintetizado que solamente se encuentra en la carne de animal), vitaminas B (familia muy necesaria) y mucho más hierro y minerales que el resto de cereales (como arroz, trigo u otros). Se prepara como los arroces, además podéis utilizarla para hacer tortillas…quedan de muerte!. No contiene gluten.

Algas: Las algas son todo un mundo. Las hay muy diferentes y su sabor también cambia bastante. Aportan gran cantidad de minerales, por lo que son interesantes como complemento, en dietas vegetarianas y también carnívoras. Yo utilizo alga kombu en los guisos de legumbres (después de la cocción se desecha), nori para el sushi, hiziki y espaguetti de mar para hacer fideuá o tempura, etc. Para quien no haya comido previamente algas, es mejor comenzar con las de sabor más suave, como la hiziki.

Con esto no hemos acabado… hay otros productos muy útiles para complementar la dieta vegetariana, mantenernos sanos y demostrar a la gente que somos personas responsables con nuestra salud.

Japanissa käytetään paljon merilevää. Se sisältää paljon jodia, jota tarvitaan kilpirauhasen toimintaan ja kehitykseen. Se sopii myös vegaaneille ja kasvissyöjille, jotka eivät käytä maitotuotteita jodin lähteeksi. Merilevässä on  kalsiumia, kuparia,  rautaa, sinkkiä,  seleeniä,  magnesiumia, kaliumia, joitakin B-ryhmän vitamiineja ja beetakaroteenia sekä pieniä määriä omega-3-rasvahappoja. Nämä auttavat aivojen ja silmien kehitystä, suojelevat sydäntä ja verenkiertoa ja pitävät yllä immuunipuolustusta ja hermostoa. Lisäksi on tutkimuksia, joista selviää että japanilaisilla naisilla on vähemmän rintasyöpää. Arvellaan että se johtuu merilevän sisältämästä jodista ja seleenistä. Muutoin merilevä olisi aivan ihanteellista ruokaa paitsi että  sen suolapitoisuus on hyvin korkea. Siitä ei ole haittaa jos merilevää ei käytä suuria määriä, eikä lisää ruokaan suolaa.

• Dulse on Atlantilla kasvavaa merilevää. Se täytyy liottaa ennen käyttöä. Sopii keittoihin, pastakastikkeeseen ja salaatteihin. Sitä voi myös paahtaa uunissa ja käyttää jauheena ruokiin sekä koristeeksi.
• Kombu ja Wakame ovat leveälehtisiä ja kasvavat suurina metsinä meren pohjassa. Kombu on yleensä perusaine japanilaisessa keitossa ja wakamea käytetään miso-keitossa. Jos lisäät wakamea kuivien papujen keitinveteen niistä tulee helpommin sulavia.
• Nori on makein näistä. Sitä on yleensä myytävänä kuivattuna hiutaleina tai levynä. Sitä voi ostaa valmiiksi paahdettuna ja käyttää sushin (sushi on riisikäärö, joka on täytetty kalalla, vihannessuikaleilla, pikkelsillä, wasabilla ja/ tai kananmunalla) käärimiseen. Hiutaleita voi käyttää keittoihin, salaattiin ja uppopaistetuihin ruokiin. Siitä voi leipoa myös leipää.

Organic French lentils, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots and kombu – what’s not to love?  I made a pot of this soup before going to the spa on Sunday, and it was the perfect dinner to come home to – after treating myself to a lovely massage, I continued to treat myself to a delicious, healthy dinner.  Now that’s what I call pampering!

Lentil Vegetable Soup

1 quart organic chicken or vegetable stock
1 quart water
1/2 cup French lentils
2 strips kombu (sea vegetable, available in the Asian aisle of your market)
3 carrots, sliced in thin rounds
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
1/2 teaspoon kelp granules (optional)
kosher salt and fresh pepper
pinch of cumin, oregano and thyme
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

• Bring water and stock to a boil in a large stockpot.  Add lentils and kombu strips (break them in half before adding them, to make them easier to eat) and cook on a low boil for 45 minutes, until lentils have begun to soften.
• Add vegetables and season with kelp granules, salt and pepper, dried herbs and spices, and continue to cook until lentils have completely softened and the carrots and zucchini are cooked through as well, about 10-15 more minutes.  Stir in crushed tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes or so to allow the flavors to combine.

Source: Adapted from Sara Snow

Ingredientes:

Para o arroz

• 80 g de açúcar
• 8 g de sal aproximadamente
• 120 ml de vinagre de arroz
• 300 ml de saquê
• 2 1/2 xícaras (chá) de shari (arroz japonês, para sushi)
• 2 1/2 xícaras (chá) de água
• 1 pedaço de alga Kombu

Para montar

• 500 g de atum limpo
• 500 g de salmão limpo
• 2 palitos de kani
• 10 cm de alga Nori

Modo de Preparar:

Passo 1

• Misture o açúcar, o sal, o vinagre e o saquê numa panela e ferva até dissolver o açúcar.
• Deixe esfriar.
• Lave o arroz e escorra por 20 minutos.
• Cozinhe o arroz na água, com a alga, por 30 minutos – quando começar a ferver, retire a alga.
• Coloque o arroz numa vasilha e junte a mistura de saquê.
• Mexa bem.
• Forre uma esteira própria para sushi com papel-filme.
• Estenda por cima uma tira de alga Nori.
• Espalhe uma porção de arroz, deixando 2 cm sem arroz.
• Acomode o kani no meio e enrole a esteira.

Passo 2

• Corte os rolinhos de sushi com a ponta de uma faca afiada.
• Corte fatias diagonais de salmão e atum.
• Coloque uma fatia de peixe na palma da mão e uma porção do arroz temperado por cima.
• Dobre levemente a mão (formando uma concha) e pressione levemente o arroz em cima do peixe.
• Vire o sushi com cuidado, de maneira que o peixe fique por cima.
• Sirva em seguida.

Fonte: Chef Osami Oyama – http://contigo.abril.com.br

Humans can aptly be described as opportunistic eaters to a certain degree.  Our diet breadth is undoubtedly stunning.  We ingest almost everything we encounter.  Few things are immune to our virtually insatiable all-purpose stomachs.  Not even kelp.

Kelp, seaweed, and algae are largely interchangeable, though some kelp is not seaweed but all seaweed is algae.  It’s a bit of a tricky relationship, really.  Now, obviously there are a plethora of different kelp varieties, and we are not so bold as to have tried ingesting them all.  A particular type of kelp, however, has been quite popular for some time now to the point where it is cultivated in large quantities and holds commercial significance.  I am, of course, referring to kombu (昆布), dashima (다시마),  or hǎidài (海帶), which is a group of edible kelp species including saccharina japonica.

Saccharina Japonica

Kombu is not to be confused with nori (海苔).  The two are different types of algae, brown and red, respectively, and are easily distinguished by their appearance and texture, especially when dried.

Dried kombu.

Kombu is eaten and used in the kitchen primarily in China, Japan and Korea, but it has spread, as different cuisines diffuse, across the globe.  That said, in Japan, kombu is used to the fullest.  It is a chief ingredient in dashi (だし), a classic Japanese soup stock (which is, amongst other things, the standard soup base for miso soup).  While kombu is typically a foundational element in many dishes, it is eaten on its own prepared in a variety of methods: dried and seasoned, sliced and marinated, boiled to soften, raw, as a snack.

Dashi in progress: kombu being removed from boiling water.

Kombu no tsukudani, a tsukudani (佃煮), or items simmered in mirin and shoyu, made from kombu.

Kombu will carry a distinct white powdery residue, particularly prominent when dried, which is where a lot of the flavour supposedly comes from, and thus more white powder may imply better quality.  The flavour of kombu typically described as similar to that of mushrooms, and not obnoxiously salty and fishy at all.  Also, omitting the precise science of it, kombu is strongly associated with umami (旨味), a taste (best described as ’savoury’) discovered by the Japanese in the early 1900s, and mono sodium glutamate (MSG).  Overall, kombu (or some sort of substitute, powered or otherwise) is a staple in Japanese kitchens, and is marketed as a nutritious food item, high in dietary fiber, iodine, and other minerals.

A rather impressive fact is that kombu is speculated to date back to the time of the Jōmon, who are, put simply, prehistoric Japanese.  What I find most interesting, however, is that it can also used medicinally to mitigate flatulence, indigestion and constipation, apparently.  Who knew?

Kombu is seaweed often used in Japanese cooking. It is one of the two principle ingredients in the Japanese soup stock dashi.

Add to a pot of dried chickpeas to aid in the softening of the beans.

Yummy!!!

After watching a TV program exploring MSG (including how it was discovered) and remembering that the seaweed Kombu is often called for in bean dishes in my Vegan cook books I decided to try something different.

• 4 Cups water
• 3 Tbsp vegetable broth powder
• 4 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 3-4 inches Kombu seaweed
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger (1/2inch piece)
• 2 Tbsp garlic
• 1 bell peper, sliced into strips
• 3/4-1cup celery, slices
• 1 package whole wheat soba noodles
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tsp cumin
• 1/2 Tsp coriander
• 1/2 Tsp chili powder

Add the Kombu, broth powder, 3/4 of the ginger, 3/4 of the garlic and the soysauce. Leave at a rolling boil for 5-10 minutes. Add the noodles and cook following the directions. Stir occasionally to make sure the noodles get completely cooked. The gluten from the noodles will thicken the sauce. Pour everything into a bowl and set aside.

Heat the olive oil over high heat in the sauce pan, add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander and chili powder. Lightly brown the garlic and ginger.  Add the celery and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the pepers and continue to saute for a minute, get a few of the pepers a nice brownish edge. Add the cooked pasta and 1/4-1/3 cups broth. Toss frequently until the liquid is gone.

Enjoy.

This was sooooo good! The celery had a slight crunch to it and the pepers were sweet. It would be great with pea pods, broccoli, water chestnuts, maybe some nice napa cabbage. The flavors seemed really rich and it was really hearty.

Now, you want to know why the MSG is meantioned? Because I have always wondered why so many of my recipes called for a piece of kombu seaweed when making a broth or cooking beans. I thought it was a more “natural” verson of sea salt and maybe helped the beans from splitting. Well, I don’t know if it does help the beans from splitting. But I did learn that Kombu seaweed was the origional component that msg was extracted from. Apparently steak and parmisian cheese also have msg. It’s that hearty flavor. Mono Sodium Glutumate. So a little saltly and a little sweet/hearty. It makes flavors richer.

And, for those of you cringing thinking of the health affects. Well, apparently its mostly a myth. Studies support the fact that it doesn’t really cause headaches or all that “stuff”. Although people with cronic headaches and msg haven’t been studied.

I can however say I have cronic headaches (everyday, all the time) and my headache isn’t any worse then it normally is. Actually it is a little better, but that’s most likely blood sugar. I defintily plan on adding Kombu to other broths, rice and beans when I cook them!

BTW, why its so prevalent in Chinese food, it was dicovered over in Asia (I *think* Japan). So it makes sense that it would be used most over there. I just did a search and found this site. It seems pretty good and I defintily plan to go read the rest of the article.

OK, I just spent the last two days combing the Internet and various ethnic and regular grocery stores for all the stuff on my global food order list.  I am glad to announce that the worst is behind me.  Today I was looking for fresh nopales in a Mexican market and then I went to the Asian market in Broomfield.   It was a zoo in there.   I have yet to find a product that Andoni wants called Katsobushi which is a combination between kombu and dashi.  I finally had to give up.

Yesterday I was on the air on Gabby Gourmet in a phone in spot to promote the conference.  That was a new experience.  They were impressed with my radio voice, which is strange because I’ve had several disk jockeys tell me that I have a perfect radio voice.  Who knows maybe I’ll become a regular on her show.

This whole project has been intensely educational and in between grumbles about impossible to locate product requested by star chefs who probably won’t use the product anyway, I am learning tons.

I rush into school tomorrow to meet up with Carrie Balkcom and one of my recent graduates and we will start to divide the different chefs stuff.

Andoni Aduriz should be dropping by to pick up his stuff (what I have managed to get so far) and take it to JWU to begin prep.

The tsunami of IACP energy will descend upon us in earnest tomorrow.   Should be an interesting week.

THE basic starter kit for someone wanting to begin eating macrobiotically is not different from what you would need in any kitchen – the usual round of pots and pans, and cooking utensils. The main difference, though, is that for macrobiotics, we ask that the utensils be ‘clean’ ie, that they are not treated chemically, as are, for example, teflon coated pots and pans.

Apart from the cooking utensils, you will also need some foods which are not part of the average Asian diet.

Here is a list of things you will needs to get started:

Utensils:

Stainless steel or cast iron pots and a skillet

Claypots

Pressure cooker

Steamer – for cooking and for re-heating food.

Chef’s knife and a paring knife

Bancha twig tea is the aqua vitae of the macrobiotic world!

Foundation foods:

Kombu & Wakame

Other sea vegetables – arame, hijiki, agar agar (or kanten)

Sea salt (as dirty-looking as possible, for these contain the highest content of natural minerals)

Shoyu or tamari

Bancha twig tea

Medium or long-grain brown rice

And that’s it. You will probably add to this as you begin to cook different foods. And if you are already an avid cook, then you would probably already have most of the tools you need.

One last thing. Macrobiotics is about TRUTH – being true to your body and yourself. Don’t feed yourself food which is not ‘true’ – ie overfertilised, over-hormonised, over-chemicalised food. While our bodies were built to last, the assumption is that we would co-operate and feed them with fuel that they know and understand.

Chemicals which are not naturally occuring in the ground, but which have been added to it to increase crop yield, are not something our bodies ever thought they would have to deal with. And so, they may react in ways unanticipated – for example, through uncontrolled, abnormal cellular growth.

I recommend trying to eat organically as much as possible. And if not, try to get the best quality possible (ie, grown with good, reliable farming practices). It might cost a little more – but ultimately, it is still alot cheaper than any medical bills you might have to pay for chronic illnesses which arise out of poor eating habits.

I will say now that I avoid all foods from China, as much as possible. But the farming practices there are not reliable. And given the number of food scares coming out of China over the past years, TRUTH is something that is not yet established in its farming industry.

Having said that, I also acknowledge that it is cheaper, generally, to buy from China. So, if you must buy your food from China, I encourage you to soak all your vegetables (from China and elsewhere) for 20 minutes before use to leech out any chemicals. If you wish, you can add a few drops of apple cider vinegar to the soaking water to strengthen the leeching process. But beware, not too much or you might end up with a pickle!

Den nyttiga grönkålen spretar och väller över alla breddar dessa dagar. Frostnupen står den tåligt kvar i snö och blir bara godare av det. Nyskördade krusiga vippor av denna bladkål siktades och håvades in på Möllevångstorget i lördags. Istället för att kokas till den vanliga redda grönkålssoppan användes de till en variant baserad på japansk misosoppa. Antingen gör du egen dashibuljong eller så finns dashipulver eller bonitoflingor och kombu i affärer som säljer asiatiska livsmedel. I Malmö vet jag att det finns på Asien Trading och Kina Center Livs.

Ingredienser:

1 stånd grönkål el ca 500 g fryst
1 l dashibuljong
¾ dl misopasta, helst vit

1. Skölj och repa grönkålsbladen. Koka dem mjuka i ca 15 minuter och finhacka dem sedan.

2. Värm dashin. Rör ut misopastan i lite buljong och blanda sedan ner detta i buljongen.

3. Rör ner grönkålen och hetta upp soppan försiktigt, mison ska inte koka.

4. Servera med ägghalvor eller tofu.