Super Foods -> Onions

It’s hard to imagine a culinary life without onions. A staple of so many cuisines, onions lend a unique savory and pungent flavor to an endless variety of dishes. Eaten cooked and raw, available all year round, onions are hard to avoid and once you know about their considerable health benefits, it’s difficult to imagine why anyone would want to. While onions health promoting abilities have long been recognized, it’s only recently that their considerable curative abilities have been conclusively demonstrated and thus their elevation to SuperFood status.

Cultivated for over five thousand years, onions are native to Asia and the Middle East. Their name – onion – comes from the Latin unis meaning one or single and it refers to the fact that onions, unlike their close relatives garlic, have only one bulb. Onions are now the second most important horticultural crop after tomatoes.

Onions are a major source of two phytonutrients that play a significant role in health promotion: flavonoids and the mixture of over fifty sulfur-containing compounds. The two flavonoid subgroups found in onions are the anthocyanins that impart a red/purple color to some varieties, and the flavanols such as quercetin and its derivatives that are responsible for the yellow flesh and brown skins of many varieties of onions. The flavonols are concentrated in the skin of most onions where they contribute to the color of the vegetable.

We now know that the health promoting compounds in onion, like those in garlic, are separated by cell walls. Slicing an onion ruptures these walls and releases the compounds which then combine to form a powerful new compound: thiopropanal sulfoxide. In addition to mitigating various diseases, this substance also gives cut onions their pungent aroma and their ability to make us cry.

To get the most health benefits from onions, let them sit for five to ten minutes after cutting and before cooking. Heat will deactivate the thiopropanal sulfoxide and you want to give it time to fully develop and concentrate before heating.

Regular consumption of onions has also been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. It is believed that the flavonoid quercetin in onions is the protective factor as it's been shown to stop the growth of tumors in animals and to protect colon cells from the negative effects of some cancer-promoting substances. There’s also evidence that onions may lower the risk of cancer of the brain, esophagus, lung and stomach.

SOURCE ARTICLE HERE

Super Foods -> Oats

The humble oat made nutrition history in 1997 when the FDA allowed a label to be placed on oat foods claiming an association between consumption of a diet high in oatmeal, oat bran, or oat flour and a reduced risk for coronary heart disease—our nation’s number one killer. The overall conclusion from the FDA review was that oats could lower serum cholesterol levels, especially LDLs. The FDA stated that (he main active ingredient that yielded this exciting positive effect is the soluble fiber found in oats called “beta glucan.” The press leaped on this news and oats, particularly oat bran, became touted as the magic bullet against cholesterol. Subsequent research showed that the cholesterol-lowering effect of oat bran was less dramatic than originally thought and the oat bran story faded away.

It’s time for a renewal of interest in the power of oats. New discoveries, combined with what’s been known about oats for years, have shown that their health-promoting powers are truly impressive. Oats are low in calories, high in fiber and protein. They’re a rich source of magnesium, potassium. zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, thiamine, and pantothenic acid. They also contain phytonutrients such as polyphenols, phytoestrogens, lignins, protease inhibitors, and vitamin R (they’re an excellent source of tocotrienols and multiple tocopherols - important members of the vitamin E family). The synergy of the nutrients in oats makes them an outstanding and formidable SuperFood. Indeed, the degree of protection against disease offered by oats and other whole grains is greater than that of any of their ingredients taken in isolation. In addition to their power to reduce disease and extend your health span, oats are a flagship SuperFood for practical reasons: they’re inexpensive, readily available, and incredibly easy to incorporate into your life. Oatmeal is on virtually every menu of every restaurant serving breakfast in America, and if you only remember to eat a bowl of oats regularly, you’ll be on your way to better health.

It’s the cholesterol-lowering power of oats that drew the most attention to this humble grain. The specific fiber—beta glucan—in oats is the soluble fiber that seems responsible for this benefit. Study after study has shown that in-individuals with high cholesterol (above 220 mg/dl), consuming just 3 grams of soluble oat fiber per day—or roughly the amount in a bowl of oatmeal—can lower total cholesterol by 8 to 23 percent. Given that each l percent drop in serum cholesterol translates to a 2 percent decrease in the risk of developing heart disease, this is a significant effect.

SOURCE ARTICLE HERE

Super Foods -> Low Fat Yogurt

Remember the ads that featured those elderly people from the Caucasus mountain region of the Soviet Union who ascribed their extreme longevity to yogurt? Some had lied about their age to avoid conscription in the Soviet army. Many others simply realized that the older they claimed they were, the more excited their visitors became. Before you knew it, everyone in the neighborhood was nearly 120 years old, thanks to yogurt.

Those ads were created in a time when yogurt had to be “sold.” It was assumed that no one would eat it if it didn’t promise something remarkable. Times have changed. Today, we eat yogurt simply because we like it. But many of us have forgotten about the health benefits of yogurt, which were undiscovered or at least unproven in the days of those ads. And, because yogurt now comes in so many varieties and types—from frozen dessert bars to squeeze tubes of flavored yogurt—there are some facts that we need to know to reap the benefits of this extraordinary SuperFood.

The list of the health-promoting abilities of probiotics is quite long. Some benefits have been proven absolutely conclusively while others require more study. Here is a summary of the conditions where yogurt has efficacy:

Cancer: Probiotics absorb mutagens that cause cancer, particularly colon cancer, though there’s also evidence that they’re effective in lighting breast cancer. They stimulate the immune system, partly by promoting immunoglobulin production, and help lower the risk for cancer by decreasing inflammation and inhibiting the growth of cancer-causing intestinal microflora.

Allergy: Probiotics are helpful in alleviating atopic eczema and milk allergy. In relation to eczema, it’s important to remember that probiotics are working on promoting healthy skin us well as a healthy digestive tract. Indeed, probiotics affect all surfaces of the body that have interaction with the external world, including skin, nasal passages, gastrointestinal tract, and so forth. There is some evidence that babies who are exposed to probiotics (after the age of three months) will have a better chance of avoiding some allergies later in life.

Lactose Intolerance: Some people cannot tolerate milk because they lack the enzyme to break down milk sugar (lactose). In fact, only about a quarter of the world’s adults can digest milk. This condition eliminates an important source of highly bioavailable calcium from the diet. Probiotics in yogurt digest the lactose for you. thus helping to relieve this condition. Yogurt is also a calcium- and vitamin-rich food that is readily digestible by those who suffer from lactose intolerance and is therefore an excellent addition to their diets.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Probiotics help regulate the body’s inflammatory response, which relieves the symptoms of this condition. The probiotics in yogurt have been accepted as a form of therapy that can actually help maintain remission in people suffering from IBD. A 2003 review of human studies on probiotics, for example, concluded that “the use of probiotics in IBD clearly will not provide a panacea but it does offer hope as an adjunct form of therapy, specifically in maintaining a state of remission.”

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Probiotics alter both the populations and the activities of the microflora in our gastrointestinal systems, possibly relieving the symptoms of IBS, though probiotics may prove to be more effective in prevention than in effecting a cure.

Hypertension: Probiotics stimulate the production of drug like substances that act in the body like pharmacological blood-pressure-lowering medicines.

Cholesterol Reduction: Over thirty years ago, scientists were intrigued to find that the Masai tribesmen of Africa had low serum levels of cholesterol as well as low levels of coronary heart disease, despite a diet that was extremely high in meat. The distinguishing characteristic of their diets, aside from high meat consumption, was an extremely high intake of fermented milk (or yogurt)—up to 5 liters daily. Research has now confirmed that yogurt is beneficial to those trying to reduce cholesterol. The probiotics in yogurt reduce the bile acids, which in turn decrease the absorption of cholesterol from the gastrointestinal tract. This effect seems to be seen most reliably in people who already have elevated cholesterol.

Ulcers: Probiotics help to eliminate the pathogen Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that is one of the main causes of ulcers and may also be a cause of gastric cancer.

Diarrhea: Yogurt has potential benefit in relieving what in many countries around the world is a serious threat to the health of millions. It fights diarrhea by stimulating the immune system, crowding out negative microflora in the intestines and stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria. Probiotics in yogurt are also helpful in treating diarrhea associated with antibiotic use, and some doctors are amazed that yogurt is not routinely recommended to all patients who are being treated with antibiotics.

SOURCE ARTICLE HERE

Super Foods -> Kiwi

Kiwis are perhaps the first fruit to be named for a bird – twice. Introduced to New Zealand from China around 1906, the fruit was first known as a Chinese gooseberry (the first bird) probably because, like a green gooseberry, it has pale flesh. As kiwis became more popular, and international demand spread, New Zealanders proudly renamed the fruit after their national bird – the kiwi (the second bird).

The nouvelle cuisine movement of the 1970’s did a great deal to popularize kiwis in the US and today, California provides 95 percent of the US crop. Now kiwis, or kiwifruit, are popular the world over and deservedly so as their pale green and delicious flesh, reminiscent of strawberries to some and pineapple to others, offers a potent mix of nutrients that elevate it to the status of a SuperFood.

Kiwi fruit promote heart health by lowering triglyceride levels and reducing platelet hyperactivity which in turn seems to play a role in the development and stability of atherosclerotic vascular plaques.

Kiwi can promote heart health by limiting the tendency of blood to form clots. The vitamin C and E in kiwi combined with the polyphenols and magnesium, potassium, B vitamins and copper all act to protect the cardiovascular system. In one study in Oslo, Norway people who ate 2 or 3 kiwi a day for 28 days reduced their platelet aggregation response – or potential for clot formation – by 18% compared to those eating no kiwi. Moreover, those kiwi eaters also enjoyed a triglyceride drop of 15% compared to the controls.

Four medium kiwi fruit supply about 1.4 mg of lutein/zeaxanthin. As a result, this fruit is a non-leafy green source of these two important nutrients which have been associated with a decreased risk for cataracts, macular degeneration, and the development of atherosclerotic plaques.

Kiwi is reported to have a laxative effect which can be beneficial to all but especially older people who are troubled by constipation. One study of 38 people over the age of sixty found that regular consumption of kiwi led to bulkier, softer stool and more frequent stool production.

SOURCE ARTICLE HERE

Christmas Crafts

Thank you so much for a wonderful afternoon, Naomi!

Let's Dance

Turn on your speakers, sit back & enjoy the show! Thanks Valerie M. for sharing this find ;)

Super Foods -> Honey

No wonder the word “honey” is a term of endearment. What could be sweeter and more appealing than the rich golden liquid? I’ve long enjoyed the delights of honey on cereal, toast, yogurt, and pancakes, and as a sweetener for green tea, and I’m sure once you know about the nutritional benefits of honey, you’ll be eager to use it more frequently.

Honey is much more than just a liquid sweetener. One of the oldest medicines known to man, honey has been used in the treatment of respiratory diseases, skin ulcers, wounds, urinary diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, eczema, psoriasis, and dandruff. Today, we know the validity of these timeless treatments, as research has demonstrated that honey can inhibit the growth of bacteria, yeast, fungi, and viruses.

The power of honey comes from the wide range of compounds present in the rich amber liquid. Honey contains at least 181 known substances, and its antioxidant activity stems from the phenolics, peptides, organic acids, and enzymes. Honey also contains salicylic acid, minerals, alpha-tocopherol, and oligosaccharides. Oligosaccharides increase the number of “good” bacteria in the colon, reduce levels of toxic metabolites in the intestine, help prevent constipation, and help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

The key point to remember with honey is that its antioxidant ability can vary widely depending on the floral source of the honey and its processing. The process begins when bees feast on flowers and collect nectar in their mouths. The bees mix the nectar and enzymes in their saliva to turn it into honey, which is then stored in combs in the hive. The constant movement of the bees’ wings promotes moisture evaporation and yield the thick honey we enjoy. The phenolic content of the honey depends on the pollen that the bees have used as raw material. There’s a very simple way to determine the health benefits of any honey: its color. In general, the darker the color of the honey, the higher the level of antioxidants. There can be a twenty fold difference in honey’s antioxidant activity, as one test revealed. For example, Illinois buckwheat honey, the darkest honey tested, had twenty times the antioxidant activity of California sage honey, one of the lightest-colored honeys tested. Overall, color predicted more than sixty percent of the variation in honey’s antioxidant capacity. SOURCE ARTICLE HERE

Super Foods -> Garlic

Garlic, a small and humble-looking vegetable, plays a huge role in the major cuisines of the world. It's hard to imagine Italian, French, or Asian cooking without garlic. The big news on garlic isn't its ability to flavor a dish, but rather its considerable role as a health promoter. Indeed, recent findings on the power of garlic to fight cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as its anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, give garlic the bona tides to elevate it to SuperFood status.

Garlic, a member of the lily, or allium, family, traces its origin to Central Asia. Garlic is a major flavoring agent, particularly in Mediterranean cuisine, but as far back as 2600 B.C., it was used by the Sumerians as medicine. One of the oldest cultivated plants in the world, garlic was recognized by early civilizations as a source of strength and was mentioned in the Bible. Indeed, throughout the history of civilization, the medicinal properties of garlic have been prized, and it's been used to treat ailments, including atherosclerosis, stroke, cancer, immune disorders, cerebral aging, arthritis, and cataract formation.

Garlic's power as a heath promoter comes from its rich variety of sulfur containing compounds. Of the nearly one hundred nutrients in garlic, the most important in terms of health benefits seems to be the sulfur compound allicin—an amino acid. Allicin is not present in fresh garlic, but it is formed instantly when cloves are crushed, chewed, or cut. Allicin seems to be responsible for the superbiological activity of garlic as well as its odor. In addition to allicin, a single clove of garlic offers a stew of compounds with potential health benefits, including saponins, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, selenium, polyphenols, and arginine. In addition to these compounds, garlic is a good source of vitamin B6 and also of vitamin C. As with most whole foods, garlic's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities are probably due to the sum of the whole rather than a single agent.

Two recent studies have shown that garlic can be a potent antibiotic. Particularly impressive was that garlic was effective against strains of pathogens that have become resistant to many drugs. One study showed that garlic juice showed significant antibacterial activity against a host of pathogens, even including antibiotic-resistant strains such as ciprofloxacin-resistant staphylococci. The second study, conducted on mice, found that garlic was able to inhibit a type of staph infection that's become increasingly resistant to antibiotics and increasingly common in hospitals. This type of staph infection has become a potential danger for health care workers, as well as for people with weakened immune systems. Sixteen hours after the mice were infected with the pathogen, garlic extract was fed to them. After twenty-four hours, garlic was found to have been protective against the pathogen and to have significantly decreased the infection. SOURCE ARTICLE HERE

Super Foods -> Extra Virgin Olive Oil

If you were to make one change in your kitchen—one single simple adjustment—to promote health and gain substantial benefits in countless ways, it would be: Use extra virgin olive oil in place of other fats. So many studies have verified the health-promoting qualities of extra virgin olive oil that the European Union has embraced it as the oil of choice, and is investing more than thirty-five million euros to promote consumption in its member states. In the U.S., the FDA, for only the third time, granted a qualified health claim for conventional foods containing olive oil. These foods are allowed to carry labels saying they may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Olive oil—made from the crushing and pressing of one of the oldest known foods, olives—has been enjoyed since as early as 3000 B.C. It is a staple of the extraordinarily healthy Mediterranean diet, and it is now believed that the consumption of olive oil is a prime reason for the positive aspects of this particular diet.

It seems that the heart-healthy effects of olive oil are due to a synergy of health-promoting compounds. The monounsaturated fat in olive oil has various impressive health benefits. In addition to healthy fat, olive oil is a good source of vitamin E. One ounce of extra virgin olive oil contains 17.4 percent of the daily value (DV) for vitamin E. Interestingly, part of the nutrient synergy of extra virgin olive oil is that the abundant polyphenols not only provide their own health benefits, they also protect and preserve the accompanying vitamin E.

The powerful synergy of all the cooperating compounds in extra virgin olive oil seems to have beneficial effects on health, and a wide range of studies has demonstrated that adding olive oil to your regular diet could:

• Reduce your risk for breast and colon cancer

• Lower your blood pressure

• Improve your cardiovascular health

There is reason to believe that extra virgin olive oil could play a significant role in preventing cancer. It's been estimated that up to 25 percent of the incidence of colorectal cancer, 15 percent of the incidence of breast cancer, and approximately 10 percent of the incidence of prostate, pancreas, and endometrial cancers could be prevented if the populations of Western countries would consume the traditional Mediterranean Diet. Of course, this would mean an increase in fruit and vegetable intake as well as the substitution of olive oil as a main source of fat in the diet. While we don't know exactly what it is in olive oil that provides this protection against cancer, we do know that once again it seems to be the synergy of the whole food.

There has been great interest in the role of olive oil in the development and prevention of breast cancer. The role of fat in the diet and its effect on breast cancer is controversial, and a number of studies have been published with conflicting findings. In case-control studies, consumption of olive oil has been shown to reduce the estimated relative risk of breast cancer in Spain and Greece. Moreover, in animal studies, olive oil seems to have an anti-tumor effect. Interesting research points to the possible ability of olive oil to reduce breast cancer risk. It seems that oleic acid, the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, may have the ability to inhibit the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells by inhibiting a gene that stimulates their growth.

There is some evidence that olive oil can play a role in the prevention of colon cancer as well as breast cancer. In one large European study, olive oil consumption was negatively associated with the incidence of colorectal cancer. Evidence suggests that compounds such as the phenolics in olive oil act directly in the colon to reduce oxidative or free-radical damage of the colon. This reduction of free-radical damage would ultimately have a chemoprotective result. There's also evidence that substances in olive oil inhibit the formation of amines—cancer-causing compounds that form during the cooking of meat. This would indicate that a marinade that contains extra virgin olive oil may lessen cancer risk, as it would inhibit these cancer-promoting amines from forming in the first place.

SOURCE ARTICLE HERE

New Jig Saw Puzzle website

Thanks Jean B. for the recommendation on a new jig saw puzzle website! CLICK HERE FOR THEJIGSAWPUZZLES.COM WEBSITE I have added the link to the favorite websites list. Have fun!

Look who was in the newspaper!

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

Super Foods -> Dried SuperFruits

Dried fruit can be a terrific source of health-promoting nutrients as the fruits’ benefits remain and are actually concentrated if you measure by volume. (Except for Vitamin C: there’s little C in dried fruit.) It’s getting easier to find variety in dried fruits beyond raisins, dates and prunes in your local market. Blueberries, cranberries, cherries, currents, apricots and figs are now more readily available. One thing to think about when you buy dried fruit is pesticides. Some fruit is heavily sprayed with chemicals to prevent pests and mold. Of course when the fruit is dried, the chemicals are concentrated. Blueberries and cranberries are not a heavily treated crop but strawberries and grapes (and thus raisins) are and so go organic when possible. SOURCE ARTICLE HERE

December 2012 Schedule

Mon. December 3
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
1:15-2:15 English as a Second Language
2:15-4:45 Open Lab

Tues. December 4
9:15-12:00 One-on-One By Appointment Only 1:15-4:45 Open Lab

Weds. December 5 CLOSED

Thurs. December 6 CLOSED

Tues. December 11
9:15-12:00 One-on-One By Appointment Only
1:15-4:45 Open Lab

Weds. December 12
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
1:15-4:45 Open Lab

Thurs. December 13
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
1:15-2:15 Fun with Keyboarding – Learn the keyboard using thought-provoking exercises. Not only is this class helpful for your typing skills, it gets your brain going AND we have a lot of fun!
2:15-4:45 Open Lab

Tues. December 18
9:15-12:00 One-on-One By Appointment Only
1:15-4:45 Open Lab

Weds. December 19
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
1:15-2:15 T’s, Totes & Aprons! Sign-up sheet on bulletin board.
2:30-3:30 T’s, Totes & Aprons! Sign-up sheet on bulletin board.
3:30-4:45 Open Lab

Thurs. December 20
Holiday Extravaganza!!

Tues. December 25 CLOSED
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Weds. December 26 CLOSED

Thurs. December 27
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
1:15-2:15 Travel Day - This month we’ll be visiting Arizona, Alaska & Hawaii. Sign-up sheet on bulletin board. As always, the links will be posted on the BLOG for the home users!
2:15-4:45 Open Lab

Fri. December 28
9:15-12:00 Open Lab
1:15-3:15 Open Lab
3:15-4:45 Literati Challenge! – Sign-up sheet on bulletin board.
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Schedule Changes
OPEN Mon. Dec. 3rd & Fri. Dec. 28th
CLOSED Weds. Dec. 5th, Thurs. Dec. 6th, Tues. Dec 25, Weds. Dec 26
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Clement Clarke Moore (1779 - 1863) wrote the poem Twas the night before Christmas also called “A Visit from St. Nicholas" in 1822. It is now the tradition in many American families to read the poem every Christmas Eve. The poem 'Twas the night before Christmas' has redefined our image of Christmas and Santa Claus. Prior to the creation of the story of 'Twas the night before Christmas' St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, had never been associated with a sleigh or reindeers!
Clement Moore, the author of the poem Twas the night before Christmas, was a reticent man and it is believed that a family friend, Miss H. Butler, sent a copy of the poem to the New York Sentinel who published the poem. The condition of publication was that the author of Twas the night before Christmas was to remain anonymous.
The first publication date was 23rd December 1823 and it was an immediate success. It was not until 1844 that Clement Clarke Moore claimed ownership when the work was included in a book of his poetry.