Nsalata di Aranciu (Orange Salad)

 

It’s hard to believe that this simple Italian salad has such a unique flavor from common ingredients. You have to taste it to believe it!

I grew up eating this with crusty, homemade Italian bread still piping hot from the oven. My mother served it around Christmas and into January.

Ingredients

3 oranges

Sprigs of fresh mint leaves (but dried will do)

A good drizzle of cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of Celtic salt

Freshly ground pepper (a must, as it makes the whole dish sing)

 

So easy…….

• Peel the oranges, cut into bite sized pieces and smash down so they extrude their juice. (When the olive oil is mixed with the orange juice, it makes the salad’s distinctive flavor.)
• Cut mint into ribbons and intersperse on top of the oranges
• Drizzle olive oil over the mixture, add salt and  pepper to taste and mix well
• Serve in a festive dish

 

Mangia!

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My health philosophy combine sound nutrition, like this delicious salad, with the curative power of homeopathy.  To schedule a free 15-minute conversation with me, contact our office.

 

 

 

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Saturated Fats Are Where it’s At

I love good food.  Even my favorite movies attest to this: Big Night, Chocolat, Julie and Julia. And when it comes to foodstuff, I have

a difficult time getting past the low-fat paradigm.

As far as I’m concerned: fat is where it’s at.

Now, not all fats are the same.  Think of the distinction between a Dunkin’ Donut doughnut and my Sunday, homemade, buttermilk pancakes, blissfully fried in cold-pressed virgin coconut oil, and then drenched in raw spring butter and a splash of local maple syrup from my farmer.   If we only examine one aspect, it becomes apparent which is the superior choice.  Look at the oils. The former choice is fried in months-old soybean or canola oil; the latter is in concert with delectable coconut oil, which has the distinct fragrance of fresh coconuts.  Can there be any comparison?

So how do I rationalize the abundance of saturated fats for my family and me?  I did my homework and this is what I learned.

The notion that saturated fats cause heart disease is not only facile but just plain wrong.  Do you remember the Framingham Heart Study?  Well, if not, you ought to know that it’s the mainstay for the low-fat paradigm advocates. Yet, its hypothesis has been turned on its head.

In hindsight, some 40 years after the study became public, the director of the study confessed that “the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person’s serum cholesterol… we found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat [and] ate the most calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active.”

Can we deduce that arterial sclerosis has little to do with cholesterol and fat consumption? It certainly appears that we can when we consider those telling words from the director of the lipid theorist’s flagship study.

Interestingly, clogged arteries are not choked with saturated fats, but with calcium deposits akin to lime.  This is not what we have imagined all these years.

Instead, we’ve visualized the fats from a fresh, free range, pastured egg fried in extra virgin coconut oil traveling directly from the mouth into the stomach and then straight for the arteries.  It simply isn’t so and there’s plenty of evidence to substantiate this.

Irrespective of the repetitive conventional medical mantra and unsound pop culture advice, we can reconsider the last 40 years of fat phobia to be a wash.

If butter, organic, extra virgin coconut oil, cod liver oil, whole milk, tropical and other saturated fats don’t cause heart disease, then what does?  We know that deficiencies of vitamins A, E and D are one cause.  Where are these vitamins found?  Why, in butter, lard, tropical oils and animal fats…the very same foods we’re advised to eschew!

B vitamin and mineral deficiencies are also contributors to heart disease.  These occur as a result of eating foods of commerce, such as soda, preservatives, additives and enhancers, instead of whole, homemade fare.  Vitamin B happens to be abundant in red meat and in organ meats.

Butter, lard and tropical fats, such as virgin coconut oil,  thanks to their antioxidants, protect us against free radicals and are therefore, preventative against diseases such as cancer, heart disease, depression, infections and reproductive disorders.

Get happy!  Ward off hot flashes, heart pathology, allergies, fatigue, memory loss and winter respiratory infections.  Eat like a true gourmet; include plentiful amounts of butter, organic virgin coconut oil and fresh milk.  Then go outside and take a walk.  Your brain, heart, lungs and even your arteries will thank you for a radiant life.

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Hey, What’s Your Cholesterol?

It’s about as casual and common a question as, “How’s it going?” And because cholesterol is made out to be the dirty culprit responsible for high rates of heart disease, many stay on top of their cholesterol levels and try desperately to keep them below whatever the doctors are touting as the now, new dangerous level.

Men of all ages can’t even watch a hockey game without being prodded to “Ask your doctor if Lipitor is right for you”. Well, don’t bother asking. The answer is “No!” Plain and simple.

Lipitor’s website begins with the words, “If you have high cholesterol, you may not even know it.”  Well, that’s true. If indeed high cholesterol was the cause of heart disease, the reminder and warning might be appreciated, but what the mainstream media doesn’t tell us is this:

• Cholesterol is not a proven cause of heart disease.

Or this:

• Diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol do not equate to heart disease or high cholesterol levels.

And this:

• There is very little cholesterol or saturated fats in the arterial plaque that clogs.

How ‘bout this?

• Rates of heart failure have doubled since the advent of statin drugs[2]

The truth is, cholesterol-lowering drugs (not cholesterol) cause more harm to the heart than cholesterol levels.

Conversely, Statins are dangerous with their proven crimes:

• They inhibit the production of a coenzyme, Q10, which the muscles, including the heart need to function.
• Statins cause heart failure.
• Statin drugs are a depressant.
• Statin drugs rob the mind of its cognitive ability.
• Statin drugs have been shown to cause cancer.

Cholesterol is not the culprit it’s made out to be. In fact, it is a wonderful thing.

Let me repeat: Cholesterol truly is a wonderful thing and necessary to the body.

Did you know that cholesterol is [3]:

• Made by almost every cell in the body?
• Waterproof and helps build waterproof cell walls, allowing the cellular function to proceed without impediment?
• A powerful antioxidant, which helps protect against cancer?
• A building block for hormones- those that address stress, those that regulate mineral metabolism and blood sugars, and sex hormones, too?
• Necessary for brain function as well as the central nervous system?
• Like an anti-depressant? It helps the body make use of serotonin-the chemical that helps make us feel…well, good?

So, if you’re trying to catch cholesterol, you’re going after the wrong perpetrator!

But wait a minute-what about the “good” vs. “bad” cholesterol debate-maybe we shouldn’t be up in arms against all cholesterol, but only the “bad” cholesterol?

Yet, this, too, is an ill-waged war.

The only thing “bad” about the “bad cholesterol”, i.e., LDL (low-density-lipoprotein) is that it carries homocysteine along with the necessary cholesterol, from the liver to other areas of the body.

Homocysteine is an amino acid that we rarely hear about within the cholesterol debate.

Too much homocysteine can damage the arteries and the heart.

Instead of lowering cholesterol levels, endeavor to lower homocysteine levels, which run rampant when our body doesn’t have enough vitamin B6, B12 and Folic Acid.

Unfortunately, this is all too often the case, since the body is ultimately depleted of these vitamins thanks to processed foods (The Heart Revolution, 15). Vitamins B6, B12 and Folic Acid are destroyed by technological advances, which are appealingly called “refined” and “processed”.  Think white: white refined sugars, white flours, canning and heating processes, etc.

Let the case against cholesterol come to a close. It is a beautiful and necessary substance needed for healthy minds and bodies. As is saturated fats and cholesterol rich foods. What we don’t need is a statin drug to cover up symptoms that don’t really even exist and the onslaught of processed foods.

So if you really want to arm yourself against heart disease and truly want to stop worrying about cholesterol levels, try these easy, safe and delicious ideas:

Stock you refrigerator with free-range eggs and raw milk.

Don’t be afraid of fat-soluble vitamins A and D and the butter and lard   from which they are deliciously delivered. Enjoy gourmet, nutrient dense, foods such as coconut oil, palm kernel oil, liver and organ meats from free range animals. Find a friend who hunts and stock your freezer with venison and bones for making genuineheart-healthy bone stocks for your soups.

Eschew canned, processed fruits and vegetables as well as pasteurized dairy, especially ultra-pasteurized. And replace these with homemade or cottage industry provided sources.

Do eat fresh fruits and leafy greens. These are packed with homocysteine- regulating Vitamins: B6, B12 and Folic Acid. Then include crispy, fermented vegetables.

It’s really rather easy.  Just eat like an old time farmer, OR like a European immigrant OR a connoisseur seated at the finest restaurant in Paris or Rome.

Then enjoy your meals knowing that your heart will love it.   In fact,  it  might just have a love affair with genuine food.

Sources and further reading:

Charles T. McGee, M. (1993). Heart Frauds . Coeur d'Alene: MediPress.

Duane Graveline M.D., M. (2009). The Statin Damage Crisis. Duane Graveline M.D., M.P.H.

Kilmer S. McCully, M. a. (2000). The Heart Revolution . New York: HarperCollins .

SHerry A. Rogers, M. (2008). The Cholesterol Hoax. Sarasota : Sand Key Company, Inc.

Uffe Ravnskov MD, P. (2000). The Cholesterol Myths. Washington DC: NewTrends Publishing, Inc.

Joseph Mercola  www.Mercola.com

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Butter, Butter, Butter and Lard

I love good food.  I mean, my favorite movies are Big Night, Chocolat, Julie and Julia. So when it comes to quality, I have a difficult time getting past the low-fat paradigm.  As far as I’m concerned: fat is where it's at.  Now, not all fats are the same.  Think of the distinction between a Dunkin Donut doughnut and my Sunday homemade buttermilk waffles, drenched in maple syrup and raw spring butter.  One is fried in weeks old soybean or canola oil, the other is made with real butter from my local farmer whose cow’s name is Priscilla. Can there be any comparison?

Butter, Butter, Butter and Lard

 

The notion that saturated fats causes heart disease is not only facile, but just plain wrong.  Do you remember the Framingham Heart Study?  Well, if not, you ought to know that it is the mainstay of the advocates of the  low-fat paradigm. Yet its hypothesis has been turned on its head.  In hindsight, some 40 years after the study became public, the director of the study confessed that “the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person’s serum cholesterol… we found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, ate the most calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active”.

Can we deduce from the director of the lipid theorists flagship study that arterial sclerosis has little to do with cholesterol and fat consumption?  It certainly appears we can.  But there’s more to it than a study; there’s physiology as well.

Interestingly, arteries that are clogged are not choked with saturated fats, but with calcium deposits akin to lime.  This is not what we have imagined all these years.  Instead, we’ve been visualizing the fats from a juicy, marbled steak with buttered potatoes to practically travel from the mouth, to the stomach and then directly into the arteries.  It simply isn’t so and there’s plenty of evidence to substantiate this.  Despite repetitious conventional medical mantra and unsound pop culture advice we might reconsider the last 40 years of fat phobia to be a wash.

So, if butter, tropical fats, cod liver oil, whole milk, lard and other animal fats in general don’t cause heart disease, then what does?  We know that deficiencies of vitamins A, E and D are one cause.  Where are these vitamins found?  Why, in butter, lard, tropical oils and animal fats….the very food we’ve been directed to eschew!

B vitamins and mineral deficiencies are also contributors to heart disease.  These occur as a result of eating foods of commerce, such as soda, preservatives, additives and enhancers, instead of whole, homemade fare.  Vitamin B happens to be abundant in red meat and in organ meats.

There’s no doubt that stress contributes to heart and artery pathology.  The very nutrients that accompany traditional foods are depleted at such  times. Hence, during periods of stress, it’s prudent to take in more than the usual amount of nutrient dense foods that provide the greatest amount of animal and tropical fats.

Butter and lard, because of their antioxidants, protect us against free radicals and are therefore, preventatives for diseases such as cancer, heart disease, depression, infections and reproductive disorders.

I remember 6^th grade science where we were taught that Vitamin D, the brain vitamin is found via three main sources: cod liver oil, lard and the utilization of sunshine.  In addition, Vitamin E, the heart vitamin is found chiefly in butter. So if we want to benefit the heart and brain, the two most vital organs, how would we do this if we didn’t eat these perfect foods?

In colonial America, where people lived hearty lives often stretching to the 100 year mark, it was simply understood that saturated fats were a mainstay of daily life, particularly in the cold months.  These people lived agrarian or at least semi agrarian lives so they had whole, healthy foods available as daily fare.  Beef tallow and pork fats were rendered after the slaughter in the fall. Then these products were used to make biscuits, piecrusts and the like.  Which when consumed, would fend off the blues, respiratory infections and build robust bodies.  Organ meats such as liver, sweetbreads, kidneys and heart were a weekly fare.

Growing up in Buffalo, New York, we had liver every Monday night and as Italian Americans we enjoyed tripe or squid in homemade red sauce regularly.  We drank whole un-homogenized milk, plenty of fresh cheeses and beef or lamb regularly.   Today, spring butter is still prized in Europe because of its high concentration of nutrients.  It’s reverently stored and preserved in the form of special cultured butter and cheeses for use in later months.  The Intuits who had lives of extended longevity until the last century, ate a daily ration of whale blubber. Germans still eat a generous coating of lard on their whole grain rye bread with a slice of onion and the French enjoy ham with the accompanying fat daily.  Yet these cultures have low heart and cancer rates; or at least a great deal lower than modern Americans.  The connection? traditional fats, traditional artisan methods, traditional meals.

How can we reinstate these time-honored fats into our diet?  Simply eat like an age old European, like an old time American farmer and prepare like the finest gourmet restaurants in the world.  Unearth your great grandmother’s old-world recipes, toss out the canola oil, vegetable oils and buy a traditional cookbooks or learn the easy way, via my audio Secret Spoonfuls .  It’s where the answers get easier because it covers my own methods, tips and tricks that lightened my efforts to get authentic, gourmet foods into my family.

Get happy!  Ward off hot flashes, heart pathology, allergies, fatigue, and spring infections.  Eat like a true gourmet.  Include butter, coconut oil, organ meats, fresh milk and in plentitude.  Then go outside and take a walk.  Your brain, heart, lungs and even your arteries will thank you.

Joette has mastered the art of getting healthy foods into her children.  If you want to read more download her Digital CD; Secret Spoonfuls  Confessions of a Sneaky Mom – Get Healthy foods into Kids without getting caught. .

Nutrition and Physical Regeneration,   Dr. Weston A. Price

Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig

Photo courtesy http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Osias_Beert_(I)_-_Still-Life_with_Oysters_and_Pastries_-_WGA01569.jpg

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