Category Archives: Good Chemicals

01

Feb. ’18

Quinoa Salad with Feta, Cucumbers, Red Peppers, and Raisins

I recreated this quinoa salad about a year ago after eating it at a restaurant. I played around with the ingredients and used my go-to olive oil and apple cider vinegar dressing. It is quick and easy to prepare, healthy and delicious! This salad has now become a staple at my house. It is filling enough to be eaten as a main meal but also makes a great side dish. I sometimes add in other leafy greens or nuts but the basic recipe is as follows:

Ingredients: (serves 5)

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 cucumber
  • I head of romaine lettuce
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil
  • 2 TBSP Apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

Directions:

  1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, dice the cucumber and red pepper and add to a large bowl. Wash, dry, and chop the lettuce, then add to the bowl.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients including the cooked quinoa to the bowl. Stir well to combine.

*you can add more or less of the ingredients based on your personal preferences. Feel free to add in other leafy greens as well.

Advertisement
Posted by . Categories: Recipes. Tags: , , , , . Leave a comment

29

May. ’16

Oat and Jam Cups (gluten free and vegan)

I came up with this recipe last summer when I made a large batch of homemade sugar-free blueberry jam and didn’t know what to do with it all.  I don’t eat PB&J sandwiches very often so I created this jam-filled snack.  These cups can be eaten for breakfast or as a healthy snack or dessert.  You can use any type of jam you like, but try to find an organic jam with little to no sugar added to keep this treat healthy. 

Yield: 12 cups

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 1/4 cups oat flour*
  • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups jam of choice

*To create oat flour, simply grind oats in a coffee grinder or food processor (1 cup of oats will NOT equal 1 cup of oat flour, so measure again after you grind the oats).  You can also substitute whole wheat flour if gluten is not a problem for you.

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Grease a muffin pan or line with cupcake liners.  

2.  In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the jam.  Mix well. Place a tbsp of the oat mixture into each cup and press down with the back of a spoon or your fingertips. Place in oven for 10-15 mins until golden.  Remove from oven.

 

3. Add 1 1/2 tbsp of jam into each cup, then add a tbsp of the oat mixture on top. If you have extra oat mixture, just distribute it evenly among the cups. Place them back in the oven for another 15-20 mins, until the cups have browned slightly on top. Allow the cups to cool in pan for at least 10 mins before removing.  

Posted by . Categories: Recipes. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

30

Apr. ’16

Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe


I love butternut squash.  It’s creamy, slightly sweet, and makes a perfect dairy-free and tomato-free base for pasta sauce.  I’ve been making this recipe from Oh She Glows for over a year now, but I wanted to adapt it to come up with something simpler yet still delicious.  I would probably enjoy puréed butternut squash on its own as a pasta sauce but I added a few more ingredients to give it more flavour.  And some greens because I couldn’t let butternut squash be the lone vegetable in this dish.  However, if you have picky eaters at home who will not eat the greens, feel free to omit them.  

Yield: approximately 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 340g package penne pasta 
  • 1 medium-large butternut squash 
  • 5 cups chopped spinach or kale
  • 2 tbsp grass fed butter (or vegan alternative such as earth’s balance)
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt 
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425*F.  Slice off the stem of the butternut squash as well as the opposite end and then cut in half lengthwise.  Scoop out seeds and place the 2 halves flesh side down in a casserole dish with an inch of water.  Place in oven for 30-40 mins until the skin starts to brown and wrinkle slightly.  

2.  Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain and set aside.  Tip: adding a little oil to the cooking water and then rinsing the cooked pasta immediately in a colander with cold water will keep it from getting mushy and sticking together.  

3.  Scoop out the butternut squash flesh, place in a blender and purée.  Set aside.

4.  Heat butter in the same pot you cooked the pasta in.  Add crushed garlic and sauté for 2-3 mins.  Add chopped spinach or kale and cook for 4-5 mins.  Stir in 2 cups of butternut squash purée, mustard powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Stir well, and cook for about 5 more mins to thicken the sauce.  

5.  Pour over pasta and top with grated Parmesan cheese if you like.  

Note: if you get more than 2 cups of butternut squash purée, you can refrigerate or freeze the extra for later. 

Posted by . Categories: Recipes. Tags: , , . 1 Comment

28

Apr. ’16

Epigenetics 102: Prenatal Nutrition and Disease Prevention

I cringe when I hear the phrase “eating for 2”.  Pregnancy is not a license to eat all of your guilty-pleasure foods as often as you want.  Pregnancy is a time when you should be extra cautious of what you put in (and on) your body.  You really only need an extra 300 calories in the second trimester and 500 calories in the third trimester, with no extra calories in the first trimester.  Instead of focusing on doubling the amount of food you eat, you should be focusing on getting the most nutrient-dense foods possible.  Doubling up on empty calories will only harm your baby.  Because what a woman is exposed to during pregnancy through her diet and environment can prevent or cause disease in her child later in life.  

How? 

By changing the baby’s epigenome.  Genes cannot be changed, but they can be turned on or off by your epigenome.  Each cell in your body has the same genes, but not all of those genes are active in every cell.  The cells in your eyes have no use for digestive enzymes (and would probably be harmed by them) so the genes that code for them are turned off in all of the cells in your eyes.  Similarly, the genes that code for photoreceptors are only needed in your eyes and are thus turned off in all other cells of your body.  How do your cells know which genes to turn on or off? That’s where your epigenome comes in.  While your genome is your complete set of DNA, your epigenome is all of the chemical compounds that control your genes.  By binding to or detaching from genes they can activate or deactivate them.  

Some genes are only active during specific periods of fetal development.  Take for example the genes that code for eye development.  These genes, and others, are active only during specific stages of fetal development, and then remain inactive for the rest of your life.  Chemical compounds turn these genes off once they have served their function to prevent you from growing a third eye.  And those genes are deactivated in the rest of your body cells right from the beginning to ensure that you don’t end up with eyes in the back of your head…or on your arms…or feet…you get the picture.  

So that is how your feet become feet and your heart becomes a heart and so on.  Because your epigenome controls which genes are turned on or off in which body part.  This is called differentiation.  Without our epigenome, we’d all be undifferentiated aliens that are not only hideous to look at but unable to function in the world.  Or even survive for that matter.  

The epigenome of a fetus or young baby can be altered by environmental chemicals in a way that increases disease susceptibility even in adulthood.   This explains why seemingly healthy people can still end up having a heart attack or getting cancer.  It was most likely programmed into their epigenome before or shortly after birth.  This doesn’t mean that eating healthy, exercising, and avoiding toxic chemicals is pointless.  An unhealthy lifestyle will only speed up disease progression and make recovery that much more difficult.  More importantly, unlike genetic changes or mutations, epigenetic alterations are reversible.  Research is showing that it is possible to make beneficial epigenetics alterations through diet and lifestyle.  So you are not doomed if you didn’t get the best nutrition in the womb or during infancy; there is still hope of changing your fate.  

Maternal stress as well as early life experiences have been linked to epigenetics changes in babies that can increase susceptibility to mental health disorders later in life.  That doesn’t mean that if you had a highly stressful pregnancy your child is doomed to become depressed or schizophrenic in adulthood.  It just means that you need to be extra mindful of providing a warm and loving environment for your child to grow up in while avoiding exposure to toxins through food and environment.  Remember, epigenetics changes are reversible.  

One of the most hopeful areas of research regarding the epigenome is the field of nutritional epigenetics.  There is potential for chemopreventive agents such as phytochemicals in food to prevent genetic diseases when administered prenatally or during early infancy by influencing the epigenome.  There is hope that even for babies who are genetically predisposed to disease, the right prenatal nutrition can alter their epigenome in a way that keeps those disease-causing genes inactive from infancy all the way through adulthood.  So perhaps the prenatal vitamins of the future will create a generation of super-babies who are immune to disease.  

My journey to a healthier, clean lifestyle started when I was pregnant with my daughter. There is no greater motivation than the daunting reality that your diet and lifestyle choices are directly responsible for the lifelong health of your precious baby.  For any of you that are pregnant or breastfeeding, please understand the importance of what you eat/drink and expose yourself to through personal care products, cleaning products, and your environment. You can either set your child up for a lifetime of good health or a lifetime of health struggles.  Your child does not have a choice, but you do.  Pregnancy is not a license to eat anything and everything.  Make healthy choices now and your child will reap the benefits for a lifetime.  

References

Kaur, P., Shorey, L. E., Ho, E., Dashwood, R. H., & Williams, D. E. (2013). The epigenome as a potential mediator of cancer and disease prevention in prenatal development. Nutrition Reviews, 71(7), 441-457. doi:10.1111/nure.12030

Sasaki, A., Vega, W. d., & McGowan, P. O. (2013). Biological embedding in mental health: An epigenomic perspective1. Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 91(1), 14-21. doi:10.1139/bcb-2012-0070

Posted by . Categories: Nutrition, Science Class. Tags: , , , , . Leave a comment

17

Apr. ’16

Apple Pie Muffins (gluten free and vegan)

 
I was craving muffins this morning and I happen to have an excessive amount of apples in my fridge right now so I decided to wing a recipe.  Since my daughter scarfed down two of these muffins in record speed I figured the recipe was blog-worthy.  These muffins are healthy, gluten-free, and vegan too! They don’t rise like regular muffins which means they are more dense and filling, making them great for a quick grab-and-go breakfast. 

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups oats
  • 1 cup almond meal
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp cloves 
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 apples, peeled and grated
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 chia egg* (or regular egg)
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • *to make a chia egg, combine 1 tbsp ground chia with 3 tbsp water and let sit 5 mins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.  Grease a muffin pan and set aside.  

2.  In a large mixing bowl combine all of the dry ingredients and stir well.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and combine well.

3.  Fill pre-greased muffin pan.  Bake in oven for 28-35 mins, until edges are brown and toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.  Let sit in pan for 5-10 mins before removing.  

Posted by . Categories: Recipes. Tags: , , , , , , . 6 Comments

10

Apr. ’16

Khichadi Recipe (Healthy Indian Comfort Food)

  
Most of you have probably never heard of khichadi.  It’s basically an Indian comfort food made with rice and lentils.  Khichadi is traditionally made for someone who’s sick or recovering from surgery or childbirth; it’s healthy and nutritious while also easy to digest.  My mom made it for me frequently after I gave birth to my daughter and I now make it regularly using sprouted rice and lentils.  I know I sound like a broken record but sprouted grains and legumes are better for you since the sprouting process makes them easier to digest while increasing nutrient bioavailability. So always choose sprouted when possible (Costco sells large bags of both sprouted brown rice and sprouted lentils).  

Yield: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp oil or ghee
  • 1 1/2-2″ piece of ginger root
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin or whole cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1 cup lentils of choice (I use a mixture of green, brown, and black)
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 5 cups water
  • Garnish: Handful of chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1.  Wash rice and lentils and set aside.

2.  Chop up the ginger and garlic and throw it into a small blender or food processor (a bullet works great for small quantities like this).  Add just enough water to blend into a thick paste.

3.  Heat oil or ghee in a large saucepan or small pot on medium heat.  Add garlic-ginger paste and cook until it has thickened, about 5-7 mins.  Add cumin, turmeric, masala, and salt.  Cook for 1-2 mins more.  

4.  Add rice and lentils and toast for 2-3 mins, stirring constantly to keep them from sticking to the bottom.  Add water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 35-45mins until the rice and lentils have softened and absorbed all of the water (the texture will be mushy, not like traditional rice). If you prefer a thicker or thinner consistency you can adjust the water content.  

5.  Garnish with fresh cilantro (optional)

Posted by . Categories: Recipes. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

03

Apr. ’16

Healthy Oat and Buckwheat Gluten-Free Pancakes

  
I’ve been trying to incorporate buckwheat into my family’s diet more often because it’s one of the few grains that counts as a complete source of protein.  Despite having wheat in its name, it actually contains no wheat or gluten so it’s perfect for anyone on a gluten-free diet.  

Ingredients:

  • 2 very ripe bananas 
  • 1 egg or chia egg*
  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup + more for serving 
  • 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
  • 2/3 cup oat flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder 
  • 1 tsp baking soda 
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • Butter or oil, for greasing the pan

*to make a chia egg, mix 1 tbsp chia seeds with 3 tbsp water. Let sit 5-10 mins until a gel forms.

Directions: 

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas and then whisk in all of the wet ingredients.  Combine well.  
  2. In a separate mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until well combined.  
  3. Preheat a skillet on medium-low heat.  Brush with either butter or oil and pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the batter onto the skillet.  Cook for a few minutes until bubbles form on top, and then flip over and cook a 1-2 mins more.  Makes 6-9 pancakes, depending on size.  Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit.  Enjoy!
Posted by . Categories: Recipes. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a comment

02

Apr. ’16

Invest In Your Health: Eat Real Food

   
One of the reasons why people choose processed food over real food is the cost.  Real food costs more, and if you’re comparing organic food the price difference is even greater.  I understand that it’s hard for a lot of families to afford fresh, wholesome food.  But it needs to be at the top of everyone’s priority list.  Your health and your family’s health should come first.  That may mean cutting costs in other departments (housing, clothing, entertainment, etc), but nothing is more important than your health.  The old saying goes “you are what you eat”, NOT “you are what you wear”, or “you are what you live in”, or “you are what you drive”…..

Good quality food made with real ingredients and nothing artificial is worth the investment; your return on that investment will be good health.  That, in my opinion, trumps everything else.  

Posted by . Categories: Nutrition, Random Rants. Tags: , , , . Leave a comment

27

Mar. ’16

Quick and Easy Healthy Oat Bites (gluten free and vegan).  

 This recipe is perfect for when you want a quick and healthy treat but don’t have much time.  All you need is one mixing bowl (no sink full of dishes!), 1 mini muffin pan and less than 20 mins.  I used buckwheat flour in this recipe because it’s gluten free and nutritious (buckwheat is one of the few vegetarian sources of complete protein), but feel free to substitute a different flour.  

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted 
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/4 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
  • 1/4 cup raisins (optional)

Directions: 

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Grease a mini muffin pan and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, mash the bananas.  Stir in the maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Add oats and buckwheat flour and combine well.  Stir in raisins.  

3.  Spoon batter into the pre-greased mini muffin tin.  Bake for 10-12 mins until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Remove from pan and let cool.  Makes 24-30 bites, depending on how large you make them.  Enjoy!

Posted by . Categories: Recipes. Tags: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

25

Mar. ’16

Maple Syrup: My Favourite Natural Sweetener 

  Let’s make this very clear:  When I say that maple syrup is my favourite natural sweetener, I mean REAL maple syrup, the kind that comes from a maple tree.  NOT the fake stuff made of high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavours and colours that so many people drown their pancakes in.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but Aunt Jemima duped us all.  Don’t believe me? Read the label.  Real maple syrup should have  only one ingredient: maple syrup.  I stopped using fake syrup a few years ago when I realized there was no actual maple syrup in it.  

If you are still using the fake version, stop poisoning yourself and/or your kids and buy the real stuff.  Yes, it’s definitely more expensive, but it’s worth it.  Read the label when you shop to make sure that you’re getting pure maple syrup.  There are plenty of brands that advertise “natural” or “no high fructose corn syrup” on the front yet the ingredient list on the back is still appalling.  

Why do I like maple syrup so much? 

Well, aside from the great flavour and aroma, real maple syrup contains a moderately high level of antioxidants and has potential cancer-fighting properties.  It’s high in zinc and manganese and contains many other nutrients in addition to the numerous polyphenols that give it anti-inflammatory power.  It has more minerals and less sugar than honey yet doesn’t lose its health benefits when heated the way that honey does, which makes it the better choice for baking and cooking.  Also, maple syrup has a lower glycemic index than table sugar, so it won’t make your blood sugar spike the way regular sugar does.  

When choosing maple syrup, the darker the better.  Syrup that is harvested from the trees later in the season has a darker colour, and also has higher levels of minerals (except for zinc) and antioxidants.  

A word of caution: although maple syrup is healthier than plain sugar, it still contains sugar so consume it in moderation.  The fact that it has healthy components doesn’t mean you can drink it by the glass.  Eating too much sugar is linked to a myriad of health problems so you should always limit the amount of sugar in your diet to as little as possible.  But if you’re going to use sugar anyway, maple syrup is a much healthier substitute.   

References:

1.  Amritpal S. Singh, A. Maxwell P. Jones, Praveen K. Saxena.  “Variation and Correlation of Properties in Different Grades ofMaple  Syrup”.  Plant Foods for Human Nutrition.  March 2014, Volume 69, Issue 1, pp 50-56

2.  Yan Zhang, Tao Yuan, Liya Li, Pragati Nahar, Angela Slitt, and Navindra P. Seeram.  “Chemical Compositional, Biological, and Safety Studies of a Novel Maple Syrup Derived Extract for Nutraceutical Applications”.  J Agric Food Chem. 2014 Jul 16; 62(28): 6687–6698. Published online 2014 Jul 1. doi: 10.1021/jf501924y

Posted by . Categories: Nutrition. Tags: , , , . Leave a comment