<![CDATA[PureSanté - Health Articles]]>

<![CDATA[PureSanté - Health Articles]]>Thu, 10 May 2012 16:00:49 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Cheese Thins Recipe]]>Wed, 10 Nov 2010 04:44:34 -0800http://www.puresante.com/1/post/2010/11/cheese-thins-recipe.html

Cheese Thins

- 170 grams quality hard cheese, finely grated (Substitute cheddar cheese)
- 55 grams (4 tablespoons) butter, diced and softened 
- 100 grams (about 3/4 cup) Gluten free flour
- 1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt, plus more for sprinkling 
- 1/4 teaspoon ground chili pepper/chilli flakes
- a dash whole milk or cream, as needed (see below)

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cheese, butter, flour, salt, and chilli flakes. Using a dough blender or bench/bowl scraper, mix these ingredients together until they form a dough. If the mixture seems too dry and crumbly to come together into a ball -- this will depend on the cheese you used -- add a dash of milk or cream until it does.

The mixing can also be done in a blender, food processor or stand mixer.

Shape the dough into a log or whatever sliceable shape strikes your fancy, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm enough to be easily sliced, about an hour, and up to a day. (You can speed things up by placing the dough in the freezer for 20 minutes instead.) (I made small balls & pressed them flat with a fork.)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

Remove the dough from the fridge, slice it thinly -- about 2 mm or 1/12 inch -- and arrange the slices on the prepared sheet (they will expand a little, so give them just a bit of elbow room). You will need to work in batches; return the dough to the fridge between batches.

Sprinkle lightly with salt and chili pepper and bake for 10 to 14 minutes, depending on your oven and the thickness of your slices, until golden. Let the cheese thins rest on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring them to a cooling rack. Taste when cool, and adjust the baking time accordingly for subsequent batches.

 

]]><![CDATA[Christmas Nut Cookies]]>Mon, 08 Nov 2010 02:19:44 -0800http://www.puresante.com/1/post/2010/11/christmas-nut-cookies.htmlThese cookies are a great basic cookie for anyone who cannot have any wheat or other grains and who must limit sugar intake. They are not very sweet, but we find them sweet enough when you are able to appreciate the subtle flavour of the white chocolate mixed with the nuts and the spices.

You will Need:

200gr Ground Almonds
100gr Ground Walnuts
1 cup Arrowroot Powder
1/2 cup Poppy Seeds
1/2 cup Butter
1 Bar Melted White Chocolate
3 Eggs
2 tsp Cinnamon ground
3 tsp Christmas Blend of Spices-Nutmeg, Cloves, Anise,

Instructions:

I am a bit intuitive and experimental when I bake - using gluten free ingredients means you need to adjust the quantities generally as you go along in order to get the right consistency of the dough, so don't be afraid to add a bit here and there until you get the right consistency.

Melt the white chocolate and the butter until it is a nice runny liquid.
Mix the ground walnuts, Almonds, spices and Poppy seeds together in a large bowl.
Add the egg and white chocoloate and butter and mix together, if the mixture seems very runny add more nuts and arrowroot. If too dry, add another egg.

Keep adding Arrowroot powder and ground nuts until the consistency is of the kind you can gently press onto a floured (with arrowroot powder) board. Use various cookie cutter shapes to make christmas cookies. Keep the dough about 5mm thick, no thicker than 1cm in order to ensure proper cooking of the cookies.

Bake in the oven for 10-15m at about 160 degrees until lightly brown and the cookies are drying out so that the insides are not still moist. This will ensure better storage life of the cookies in a container.

Enjoy!
]]><![CDATA[What to Buy Organic]]>Wed, 20 Oct 2010 07:50:08 -0800http://www.puresante.com/1/post/2010/10/what-to-buy-organic.htmlThis article points out the importance of choosing organic produce for a variety of fruits and vegetables that are consumed on a regular basis by most people. Unfortunately, when staple foods are laced with pesticide residues the cumulative effects of all of them together can pose quite a burden to the body's detoxing abilities.

A handy little tip is to keep a little card with you in your purse or wallet with the list of fruits and veges that are the most important to buy organic so you can refer to it when shopping.
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Pesticides & Organics
Is it worth it to buy organic?

Rocky Mountain News, Lisa Ryckman
Published October 23, 2007

Sometimes, but not always.

An analysis of 100,000 federal pesticide tests by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research organization, found that some produce is simply more contaminated. The group's study found that people are exposed to about 20 pesticides a day eating the "dirty dozen": apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries.

Scientists disagree whether the low levels of contaminants you're exposed to in conventional produce would be harm- ful. But if you'd rather not take chances, it's probably worth it to pay more for organic varieties of those fruits and veggies, particularly if you have kids.

But it's probably not worth it to spend more for asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pine- apples and sweet peas. Research by the EWG found that pesticide residues are rarely found on those.

http://www.ewg.org/node/25505]]><![CDATA[Organic Really Is Better]]>Wed, 20 Oct 2010 07:31:55 -0800http://www.puresante.com/1/post/2010/10/organic-really-is-better.htmlMany people have wondered whether eating organic really makes any difference or is any healthier than conventionally grown produce - well now the proof is in!

This landmark study has finally resulted in substantial evidence that proves that eating organically grown foods are much more nutritious. The additional costs for buying organic produce really should not be seen as such but rather the true cost of buying nutrient rich foods rather than cheaper nutrient depleted foods. The benefits will outweigh the costs in the long run as you experience better health and enjoy the delicious taste of these foods.
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THE biggest study into organic food has found that it is more nutritious than ordinary produce and may help to lengthen people's lives.

The evidence from the £12m four-year project will end years of debate and is likely to overturn government advice that eating organic food is no more than a lifestyle choice.

The study found that organic fruit and vegetables contained as much as 40% more antioxidants, which scientists believe can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease, Britain’s biggest killers. They also had higher levels of beneficial minerals such as iron and zinc.

Professor Carlo Leifert, the co-ordinator of the European Union-funded project, said the differences were so marked that organic produce would help to increase the nutrient intake of people not eating the recommended five portions a day of fruit and vegetables. “If you have just 20% more antioxidants and you can’t get your kids to do five a day, then you might just be okay with four a day,” he said.

This weekend the Food Standards Agency confirmed that it was reviewing the evidence before deciding whether to change its advice. Ministers and the agency have said there are no significant differences between organic and ordinary produce.

Researchers grew fruit and vegetables and reared cattle on adjacent organic and nonorganic sites on a 725-acre farm attached to Newcastle University, and at other sites in Europe. They found that levels of antioxidants in milk from organic herds were up to 90% higher than in milk from conventional herds.

As well as finding up to 40% more antioxidants in organic vegetables, they also found that organic tomatoes from Greece had significantly higher levels of antioxidants, including flavo-noids thought to reduce coronary heart disease.

Leifert said the government was wrong about there being no difference between organic and conventional produce. “There is enough evidence now that the level of good things is higher in organics,” he said.
]]><![CDATA[Basic Guidelines for Healthy Living]]>Wed, 20 Oct 2010 07:30:54 -0800http://www.puresante.com/1/post/2010/10/basic-guidelines-for-healthy-living.htmlStart the day with a good filling breakfast. Some healthy options are: Eggs, avocados, full fat plain yoghurts, cheese, protein milkshakes (with good quality Whey Protein) or nut butters on thin toast or crackers.

Each meal or snack should contain a good portion of at least one kind of high fat/protein food from any of these categories: meats, poultry, dairy & cheese, eggs, nuts and seeds, coconut & coconut creams.

Avoid eating refined carbohydrate foods. This includes: white rice, white flour, breads, pastries, cookies, cakes, chips, pastas, sugars, honey, chocolates, candies, breakfast cereals, etc. If you eat any whole grains or starchy foods they should only be eaten in small portions to compliment a meal.

Only eat when hungry, and then eat enough to be satisfied. Overeating of any food will cause weight gain as your body will have to store any un-utilized energy from your food as fat. Match your intake with your activity level and overall calorie needs.

The most important thing to do is to learn to listen to your body. Take note of when you feel hungry soon after eating to know if you have had enough fat/protein, helping you feel full, or too many carbohydrates which will stimulate your hunger. Don't be afraid to experiment with quantities. Do what makes you feel the best and gives you the most sustained energy.

Choose organic produce whenever possible. Beware of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables as pesticides & herbicides cannot be completely washed off or removed by peeling. They are taken up by the roots into the plant itself from the ground water. The fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide contents are: Peaches, Apples, Bell peppers, Celery, Nectarines and Strawberries. (In order from worst to least)

Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables, and cucumbers, zucchinni, beans, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, squash and peas.

Limit Fruit. It is very high in natural sugars and will spike your blood sugar resulting in stimulated hunger, and possible cravings. Berries, relatively unripe bananas and green apples or pears are the best options. If you do eat fruit, eat it in conjunction with something like cheese, yoghurt, peanut butter or other high fat/protein foods. You can get the nutrients you would be missing from limiting fruit by increasing your fresh vegetable intake instead.

Use good quality (preferably virgin) coconut oil, olive oil and (preferably raw) butter liberally when cooking, and as spreads, salad dressing, and on foods. The addition of these healthy fats are helpful to the immune system as they contain caprylic acid and lauric acid which have antimicrobial properties. Saturated fats are also important for providing energy and cholesterol which is the precursor for making hormones as well as aiding in optimal brain function and maintaining cell membranes.

Avoid all processed vegetable oils, hydrogenated oils (which produce trans fats), and margarine as they are heated, chemically treated and deodorized, producing a rancid and toxic product even before it is sold. These oils are damaging to the cell membranes in the body, and among other things, lead to cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. This includes corn oil, cottonseed, rapeseed, sunflower, soybean, canola oil, and any other seed or nut oil that is not cold pressed, virgin or extra virgin and stored in dark glass bottles.

Raw Organic full fat dairy products are the best. Pasteurization kills all the beneficial enzymes (including lactase needed to digest lactose) and reduces the vitamin content by approximately 50%. Healthy raw milk contains beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus that prevents bacterial infection in the milk.

When raw dairy products are not available, fermented (& organic) pasteurized dairy products are the second best option.(eg. Plain/natural yoghurts, kefirs, buttermilk, cheese) When possible choose un-pasteurized cheese such as Gruyere, Emmental and Comté. Always choose full fat varieties.

Avoid UHT and homogenized dairy products. Homogenizing reduces the size of the fat molecules to prevent them from separating in the milk but this causes an enzyme - Xanthine Oxidase (XO) also present in milk to bind to the tiny fat molecules and unnaturally pass into the bloodstream during digestion. The XO enzyme has been linked with atherosclerosis and heart disease. Ultra High Temperature (UHT) pasteurization damages the fragile milk proteins and produces other unhealthy and toxic substances in the milk.

Buy organic poultry (chicken & turkey) and eggs to avoid hormones, antibiotics and toxins from commercial feeding practices. The quality of animal products you eat is very important, organic is always best. Organic animals should be fed natural diets specific to species. eg. grass, hay etc. The difference between being healthy on a high fat/protein diet or leading to toxicity issues, digestive or endocrine disruptions is the quality of the products.

Beef, lamb and wild game are the best meats for high fat/protein diets. Pork is the least preferable meat due to pigs non-ruminant digestive systems and therefore the easier build up of toxins in their bodies, as well as common infection by the trichinella parasite - a very harmful parasite that can cause serious infection in humans. A recent study showed that approximately 50% of pork from eastern europe was infected.

Limit Fish and eliminate Shellfish intake. Most wild and farmed fish (Especially large fish like Tuna) and shellfish are contaminated with PCB's, dioxins and toxic heavy metals such as mercury. Farmed fish and shellfish are also fed unnatural diets often containing grains, chicken feaces, antibiotics and agricultural waste products and are more susceptible to infection with parasites and bacteria. Their fat composition is also lower in Omega 3's. Wild Alaskan Salmon and smaller species of wild fish are the safest options, consumed occasionaly. You could compensate for decreased fish consumption by taking a good quality, Mercury and PCB free Cod Liver Oil Supplement to provide essential Omega 3's as well as a good dose of Vitamins A, D and E.

Avoid Soy Products. Soy's original purpose as a cultivated plant was for nitrogen fixing used to fertilize the soil, not as a food. In Asia, soy products were traditionally only ever consumed after being altered through fermentation and then only in small quantities as condiments. Soy contains many anti-nutrients that negatively affect Calcium, Zinc, and Iron levels. Soy provides excessive amounts of Manganese and Fluoride that can lead to toxicity. Processed soy products also contain many heavy metals, especially Aluminium, Cadmium and Lead. High levels of Phytoestrogens in soy off balance the endocrine system and can lead to breast cancer in women and reduced fertility in men. Soy Products are goitrogenic - depressing thyroid function. They also contain haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together.

Avoid processed foods as they lack nutrients and are often full of sugars, preservatives and artificial ingredients. Many artificial colours, flavours and preservatives cause reactions in sensitive individuals. Limit intake of processed meats such as salamis, cold cuts etc. as they generally contain harmful nitrates. MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), Hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, "Natural Flavour", E621 - E635 are all flavour enhancers that should be avoided. (Almost all commercial chips, soup mixes, bouillon and instant meal mixes contain MSG) Chips and fried carbohydrate foods contain carcinogenic acrylamide substances and damaged fats.

Avoid Caffeinated beverages as much as possible. Caffeine depletes the body of magnesium, increases production of stress hormones and adrenalin which stresses the heart and excites the brain as well as having a laxative effect.

Avoid Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharin, Acesulfame-K and other artificial sweeteners. They are all synthetic artificial sugars and break down in the body to form toxic substances that destroy brain neurons and have been linked with mental problems. Other healthy options include Stevia, Lo Han and Xylitol.

Avoid Teflon coated cookware. Teflon releases toxic fumes from the flourinated polymers that break down when heated, even at low heat *anything above 70 degrees allows the fumes to be released. Stainless steal, glass, cast iron or enamel are best.

Avoid Aluminium cookware, foil, canned drinks, antacids and anti-perspirant deodarants. Aluminium is a toxic metal that has been associated with headaches, Alhzheimers disease, and many other conditions as it builds up in the body disrupting normal function.

Avoid storing food in plastic containers. Certain plastics leach chemicals into foods. Avoid PVC (#3), Polystyrene (#6) and Polycarbonates (#7) which are known to leach carcinogenic dioxins, endocrine disrupting pthalates, Bisphenol A and toxic styrenes. As alternatives store food in glass or ceramic containers or paper/cardboard bags and boxes.

Regular exercise helps to optimize your body's performance. Exercise also lowers insulin levels, helps prevent cardiovascular disease, hormonal imbalances and offers benefits to the immune system.

Sleep is important not only for restoring energy, but also for controlling appetite and food cravings as it helps control blood sugar levels. Adequate deep sleep each night also helps the immune system function at its optimum and allows the body to repair and detoxify while increasing memory and mental function. Studies have shown that women are more prone to hormonal effects from lack of sleep, causing irritation, irrationality and other stressed hormonal responses.

General Notes:

**If you have a slow metabolism, low stomach acid, fat malabsorption issues, or low bile production then you are not advised to eat a high fat or protein diet until those issues are resolved. In these cases eating a high fat/protein diet can cause digestive discomfort and lead to other problems.

**The information provided in this article is the opinion of the author, based on scientific research. It is not intended to replace medical advice or treat, cure or prevent any illness.

]]><![CDATA[Random connection between Cortisol and Lung function]]>Wed, 20 Oct 2010 07:21:01 -0800http://www.puresante.com/1/post/2010/10/random-connection-between-cortisol-and-lung-function.htmlFrom reading through my studies I have had a thought about the connection between cortisol production in the adrenal glands and the ability of the lungs to get oxygen across the alveoli membranes. Apparently in order for the alveoli to produce enough surfactant which is needed to help the transfer of oxygen/carbon dioxide across the membrane into the blood supply it needs adequate cortisol.

Therefore, if any person is having trouble producing enough cortisol, due to adrenal stress, or chronic inflammation in the body, which would be exhausting the cortisol supply, this can cause lung distress. Interesting thing to remember when someone seems to be having a hard time getting enough air, or feels wheezy or asthmatic or has other problems with the lungs - think adrenals as well - things could be connected via the need for cortisol.
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