By Carol Blair, BD, DiHom, CNC

After heavy holiday meals, you may be craving something light! Here’s a delicious option!

This may be used for any meal.  I often eat it for lunch but it is also great for a brunch.  Because it is basically raw, it is easy to digest.  Fennel is good for digestion and it has good nutrition value containing B vitamins, calcium, vitamin C, antioxidants, and carotenoids. It also has anti-inflammatory compounds. Pecans contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals and are especially rich in one form of vitamin E called gamma-tocopherols. One study showed that after eating pecans, gamma-tocopherol levels in the body doubled and unhealthy oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood decreased by as much as 33 percent.

Orange-Fennel Salad

Spring lettuce or romaine

1 small fennel bulb, slivered

Fennel green tops, chopped, as desired

2-3 oranges, peeled and sectioned

½ cup raw pecans

Handful of dried cranberries

Balsamic vinegar

 Save out a few sections of the oranges and squeeze the juice out of them.  Toss the slivered fennel with the remaining oranges, fennel tops, and the juice (a little olive oil may also be used, if desired).   Place on a bed of lettuce. Top with the raw pecans and the cranberries.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.  Delicious!

By Laurel Sterling Prisco, MA, RD

Are you reminiscing over the pumpkin pie you had over Thanksgiving? Guess what? You can make a rendition that is healthy and delicious! This is a recipe you have to try and perhaps serve at a holiday gathering!

The recipe is from The Peaceful Palate by Jennifer Raymond.

Pumpkin Pie

1-1/2 cups soymilk
3 Tablespoons agar
1-1/2 cups cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup raw sugar -- or other sweetener
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

9” pie shell

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine agar and soymilk in a saucepan. Allow them to stand for 5 minutes. Bring them to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into an unbaked 9" pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool before cutting.

By Carol Blair, BS, DiHom, CNC 

Brussel Sprouts, along with other cabbage-family foods, are high in detoxifying compounds such as sulforaphane.  These foods help reduce the risk of cancer and assist in the upregulation of phase II detoxification pathways.  This process helps to rid the body of toxic substances including harmful estrogens.

Here is a delicious way to add some of these compounds to a holiday meal. Slicing them and adding a little onion and garlic makes them less strong so the kids will eat them too. 

Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts, sliced

Onion and garlic, chopped

Small amount of olive or coconut oil

Himalaya or sea salt and pepper as desired

Slice the Brussel sprouts and sauté them with garlic and onion in a small amount of olive or coconut oil.  Season with Himalaya or sea salt and pepper as desired. Cook until tender.  Serve hot.

By Laurel Sterling Prisco, MA, RD

Thanksgiving will be here in less than a week! Looking for a healthy stuffing recipe? Will you have vegetarian guests? Here are two recipes for you!

This recipe is an adaptation of a vegetarian stuffing recipe that appears in The Vegan Handbook in an article by Susan Stafursky.

Recipe # 1: Vegetarian "Stuffing"
(Serves 8-10)

For variety, you can add raisins, substitute nuts for chestnuts, or use different vegetables.

1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 10-ounce bags of Arrowhead Mills Stuffing
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup roasted chestnuts, chopped

Sauté onion, celery, and mushrooms in broth until tender. Add water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the Stuffing, cooked brown rice, and roasted chestnuts.

Combine both mixtures. Spread into a large, shallow, lightly oiled baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until top and bottom are browned. Serve hot.

Recipe # 2: Winter Squash with Apricot Stuffing

This recipe is from Vegan Passover Recipes by Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD. The house will smell wonderful while you are baking this dish. Use a selection of winter squashes to create variations.

Vegetable oil spray
2 cups uncooked matzah farfel or 4 whole matzah, crumbled
1 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped celery (complete with leaves, if possible)
1 garlic clove, minced
1-1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped cashews (optional)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3 acorn, butternut, or small winter squash, cut in half and deseeded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large pot, such as a Dutch oven, spray oil and allow to heat. Add farfel, onion, celery, and garlic and allow to sauté for 6 minutes, or until very soft. Add stock, apricots, and cashews (optional) and allow to simmer for 12 minutes, or until mixture is thickened. Stir in parsley and pepper.

Place squash, cut side down on a baking sheet or shallow casserole. Add water to cover 1 inch of the squash. Spray squash skin lightly with vegetable oil. Bake for 20 minutes, until halfway cooked (still fairly tough). (This can be done in a microwave also, cooking on HIGH for 10-12 minutes.)

Remove squash from oven, turn upright and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Fill each squash half with stuffing. Bake for 50 minutes or until squash is soft (easily pierced with a knife). Serve an entire half for an entree portion or one quarter for an appetizer portion.

By Carol Blair, BS, DiHom, CNC

Nothing says Thanksgiving like winter squash.  This is a delicious way to incorporate other vegetables with it.  There is no set amount to each, and vegetables may be changed if desired.  Use the most of what your taste buds prefer or what is available.  Do add the parsnips though, a vegetable that is high in potassium, and gives a lighter color to the mixture. Adding too many beets can overpower the blend, but they do add a nice blush. 

Roasted Vegetables

Butternut squash cut into cubes (peel or not as desired)

Parsnips cut in medium-sized pieces on the diagonal

Sweet potatoes cut in large cubes

1 large Onion, cut in 1/8 pieces

Carrots cut in smaller-sized pieces on the diagonal

Brussel sprouts – whole or halved depending on size

1 or 2 Beets – cut into quarters or smaller depending upon size

Olive oil

Himalaya or Real Salt and freshly ground pepper blend

Toss the first six ingredients with olive oil.  Place on a cookie sheet or shallow pan and season.

Toss the beets separately so they don’t bleed. Season; then place on top for color.

Bake at 400 until tender – about 20-30 minutes typically. 

Be creative.  If you like roasted garlic, add several cloves; if you don’t like carrots, leave them out.  After all, it’s your recipe now! 

By Laurel Sterling-Prisco, MA, RD

I was recently asked to speak on Bridge Street about natural ways to increase energy versus utilizing unhealthy stimulants. Here are some of my suggestions.

For starters, there are the B-vitamins. B-complex vitamins act as coenzymes. They are heavily involved in energy production. B-vitamins are usually in multivitamins, but if someone is under a lot of stress, a good quality well-absorbed B-complex would be necessary to add in the afternoon.

Protein and the amino acids found within them assist in energy production as well. Taurine is an amino acid found in high concentrations in the heart muscle, skeletal muscle, and central nervous system. Carnitine is an amino-acid-like substance more closely related to the B vitamins. Its main function is to aid in the transport of long-chain fatty acids to be burned within the cells to provide energy for the muscles. If you cannot get an adequate amount from your diet, then a supplement or protein drink should suffice.

Greens such as spirulina, chlorella, barley grass, and wheat grass are packed full of nutrients. Chlorella is an algae with a high amount of chlorophyll. It contains B vitamins, amino acids, and trace minerals. Spirulina is a microalgae. It contains 60-70% protein, B12, iron, essential amino acids, and chlorophyll. All of these nutrients are the basis for energy production.

Ginseng works to stave off fatigue by sparing glycogen. Glycogen is stored glucose (energy) in the muscles and liver. This sparing of glycogen increases the use of fatty acids as an energy source. Those on MAO inhibitors, warfarin, and diabetes medications should know that there are drug interactions with ginseng. Diabetics may need to adjust their insulin dosages because ginseng may lower blood glucose levels.

Maca is considered a superfood by many. It contains vitamins, minerals, sterols, fatty acids, and amino acids. Maca is also considered an adaptogen. It contains a unique set of nutrients that assists in balancing the endocrine system, which helps in energy production.

Acai is also considered a superfood. It is rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, B vitamins, iron, and other nutrients. I have had customers comment on how Acai has assisted them in sustaining longer workouts.

Mushrooms have tremendous healing power. We are finding out about more and more of their health properties. I recently read that “over 1,500 years ago Tibetan herders watched their yaks eat Cordyceps and then frolic with great energy.” I also learned that in “1993, the Chinese National Track and Field Team attributed their success in breaking three world records in part to their use of Cordyceps.”

Green tea has antioxidant, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. In addition to many health-enhancing properties, it also assists in regulating blood sugar and insulin levels. The small amount of natural caffeine found in green tea can give you an energy boost as well!

Whether you get your natural energy boost from a supplement or energy drink, be sure to come in and ask one of our knowledgeable staff members what would work best for you!

By Carol Blair

You may have heard about Astaxanthin on the Dr. Oz Show recently. It is a strange-sounding word with wonderful health properties. Astaxanthin is actually a carotenoid found primarily in algae and when eaten by fish like salmon, krill, and shrimp, it gives them a pink hue. It is a fat, water-soluble antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory substance that is considered an immune modulator so it could be very beneficial in auto-immune disorders.

In clinical studies, Astaxanthin also reduces eye strain and eye fatigue. It is believed that these changes occur due to improved blood flow to ciliary muscles. It has also been shown to improve macular degeneration as it prevents light and UV damage. For those with serious eye issues, 8 mg. may be a necessary dose.

And now for some really good “every day” news! Astaxanthin has also been shown in studies to increase HDL while reducing triglycerides. Over a three- month period, 6 mg. daily increased HDL by five points while 12 mg. increased it by eight points. It is thought that for every one point increase in HDL, there is a 4-6% decrease in the risk of having a heart attack, so a five-point increase might reduce the risk by 20-30%. A little extra HDL means a lot!  Triglycerides were also reduced 37 points in the 12 mg. group.

There are several ways to obtain Astaxanthin in your diet. One serving of salmon is thought to contain about 10 mg. Rainbow trout and crustaceans such as shrimp and crayfish are good sources. Krill oil is a moderate source containing about 1.5 mg. per gram (usually about two tablets). It is more difficult to come by in vegetarian sources but red and orange bell peppers do contain some. Of course, there are supplements of just Astaxanthin for those who want higher doses.

For all of the reasons stated above and more, Dr. Oz, Dr. Mercola, and the Health Ranger, Mike Adams, consider Astaxanthin a very important substance.

By Wendy Meyerson, Natur-Tyme Owner 

At last year’s Glamour Gala, we introduced the Queen for a Day contest. Individuals across Central New York nominated women they thought deserved the ultimate pampering experience. With dozens of nominations, it was a difficult task for the crew at Y94FM to choose the three winners. Kathy Rowe revealed their beautiful makeovers at the gala! 

I am so excited to announce that we will be doing the Queen for a Day again this year and the three queens will be revealed at the Fifth Annual Y94FM Glamour Gala Presented by Natur-Tyme on Wednesday November 2^nd at the NYS Fairgrounds in the Art & Home Center!

Do you know a woman who has triumphed despite difficult circumstances or who has entirely devoted herself to the good of others or a humanitarian cause?

You have until October 24^th to nominate her at http://www.y94fm.com. Click the “Queen for a Day” button, as it appears on the scrolling screen at the top of the page. There, you will be able to click on a form where you will be prompted to set up a free Y94FM account if you do not already have one…and then you can nominate a local woman whom you think should be one of the queens! Y94FM will announce the three winners on the air on October 25th! Kathy Rowe will reveal the three queens with before photos at 6:30 PM in the Somerset Room at the Glamour Gala!*

Our Queens will receive:

• A Jane Iredale Makeover from Natur-Tyme’s Licensed Cosmetologists

(with makeup to keep)!

 
• A New Look (Cut and Color) from Lonsdale Salon + a gift certificate

for an additional service afterwards to keep the look going!

 
• A Stunning Outfit and Accessories from Showoffs!

 
* Please note that the selected women need to agree to be photographed and interviewed. They must be available on November 2, 2011 to attend the Glamour Gala and be publicly acknowledged.

By Laurel Sterling Prisco MA, RD

October is National Fair-Trade Month. The term "fair trade" describes a system of commerce that promotes a sustainable environment, labor rights, a good wage, and healthy working conditions for laborers as well as their families and communities.

The fair-trade movement began with coffee, which has had a history of production comparable to sweatshops: long work days, unfair conditions, and other forms of employee exploitation. Here at Natur-Tyme, we now carry our own private-label certified-organic and certified fair-trade coffee from Tierra Farms. There are nine great new flavors available. I am not much of a coffee drinker, but I asked people in the store and some favorites included Hazelnut and Tierra Breakfast Blend. Stop in and try some Natur-Tyme brand coffee today!

Fair-trade chocolate companies specializing in organic chocolate ingredients are increasing more than ever. Good quality dark chocolate is something I personally have on a regular basis! I am always searching for and trying out new brands and flavors, and I especially like supporting the fair-trade movement. Some favorites of mine include: Dagoba Organic Eclipse 87%, Endangered Species (Extreme Dark Chocolate 88%, Cranberries and Almonds 72%), Green & Black’s Dark 85%, and Newman’s Organics Peanut Butter Cup and Peppermint Cup. All of these are my daughter’s favorites as well!

There are also health and beauty products available that are fair-trade. Alaffia is a fair-trade skincare line that we carry. It was founded through the fair-trade of shea butter in West Africa by Olowo-n’djo Tchala and his wife Rose Hyde. The founder was a native to Togo, and he believes that “Africans can mobilize our natural resources in a sustainable manner to empower our own communities and reduce poverty and gender inequality.” One of my favorite products from Alaffia is their Shea Butter Vanilla Almond Body Milk. It feels wonderful on the skin and smells so yummy!!

Be sure to start looking for the fair-trade symbol on products you purchase. You can also find fair-trade teas and spices. Let’s continue to support these wonderful companies!

By Laurel Sterling Prisco, MA, RD 

Danay has experienced a little rut in her goal to lose weight. This is completely normal. You may have been there before yourself. It’s very important not to beat yourself up when these moments occur, but to forgive yourself and try your best to get back on track.

Do not sabotage the progress you’ve made so far. Danay writes about the struggle to pull herself out of the rut. While she has not lost weight this month, her motivation to get back on track is most definitely inspiring.

This is the progress Danay has made in her own words:

This month has been full of struggles with my nutrition; I have slipped into my old habit of eating. I started to eat fatty food one day and after that, it seemed like I could not get back on track. I felt stuck and I started to procrastinate with healthy eating and it seemed like I did not care about my health. I felt really hopeless and I was afraid. The day to meet Laurel was coming closer and I was afraid to get on the scale, because I knew I had been eating really badly. The day before meeting with Laurel, I started to make excuses why I could not meet her, but my real motive to cancel my appointment was because I felt like a failure. Finally, I decided I could not run away from the person and the place where I have received so much support and I have been able to learn about healthy eating.

I went to meet Laurel and I was pretty sad. I’m so glad that I went because Laurel was encouraging and I felt like I was not alone in my journey to a healthier life. I’m happy to say that I came out of Laurel’s office fired up;  I regained hope. Laurel helped me to understand that my bad choices in the past days could be seen as a learning experience and that I can get back on the path to a healthy life.

Even though it has not been a great month, I only gained one pound because I kept my exercise routine going as well as my healthy breakfast of a protein shake. I think anyone that is fighting a battle needs support and I have received amazing support from Laurel and have found in Natur-Tyme, a place of comfort and trust. I have developed great confidence in the products that I buy and I feel secure when I go there. With all of my heart, I urge those who are fighting the same battle to not let your mistakes bring you down; use them to have a better day tomorrow and never, never run away from your main support. Be open and let the person who is supporting you help you! Do not be afraid to talk about your mistakes because when they are brought to light, they can become amazing learning experiences.