I have been cooking, during all the drama and horror of my Mom’s Alzheimer’s. I was thrilled to find okra at the farmer’s market. I cooked up an Okra Stew, with tomatoes, garlic, onion, cayenne pepper, black pepper and brown rice. And, Pumpkin Risotto is a wonderful dish for this time of year. Risotto never tasted as rich as it does with pumpkin and pumpkin seeds in it, served with watercress.
I have been really busy lately, dealing with my Mom’s Alzheimer’s, etc. It has used a lot of my energy. One thing that it has enforced in me is how important it is for us to live healthy, eat healthy and exercise. Alzheimer’s is now thought to be caused by high cholesteral. If this is really the case, we can absolutely control it through diet and lifestyle.
I have been visiting my Mom for a bit, who has Alzheimer’s. One of the pieces of information I gleaned from my travels was that high cholesterol is now considered one of the roots of this horrible disease. People asked me if I am worried that I might have Alzheimer’s too. My answer is, “No.” I eat no bad cholesterol. I exercise daily. My diet primarily consists of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. I eat some grains, but no gluten. I am not worried about Alzheimer’s. But, if you subscribe to the “normal” N. American diet, you should be worried. And, I will tell you that you do not want to lose your mind, the way my Mother is losing hers!
http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/news/20090804/high-cholesterol-linked-to-alzheimers
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/health/dementia05.html
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2008/04/18/linking-alzheimers-and-cholesterol.html
Greens & Zucchini
Carrot & Goji Berry Salad
The best way to fill your tummy is with crunchy, raw veggies. I love any kind of raw salad, like these. This is so much better for you than heavy foods. We all need to eat more raw foods. You receive more energy from the food and do not ever feel as full and weighted down. Salads are easy and delicious. Buy your favorite veggies and chop them up, season them and enjoy.
My new favorite food is Raw Green Energy Soup. We have a lovely family staying with us for awhile. The man is from the states, the woman is from Sweden and they have a 5-year-old son. They have introduced us to their green soup and we are loving it. There are many variations but this is what it usually winds up looking like.
Green Energy Soup
Raw foods are rich in enzymes. Enzymes are needed for the digestive system to work. They are necessary to break down food particles so they can be utilized for energy. The human body makes approximately 22 different digestive enzymes which are capable of digesting carbohydrates, protein and fats. Raw vegetables and raw fruit are rich sources of enzymes.
While all raw foods contain enzymes, the most powerful enzyme-rich food is sprouted seeds, grains, and legumes. Sprouting increases the enzyme content in these foods enormously.
Raw Hummus is less likely to give you gas, for example, as the enzymes help you digest it much more easily.
Sprouting Garbanzo Beans
We are always trying new things here at Cashew Hill. My daughter had an idea that we should add mint leaves and crushed peanuts to our spring rolls. They were great!
And, we had our Vegan Eggless Benediction over brown rice and found it to be wonderful as well. It is a meal that everyone seems to enjoy, whether vegan, vegetarian or carniverous.
We keep experimenting on our vegan kitchen. We will share some of what turns out great. The sun is shinning here on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and we are spending plenty of time out in it.
I have been busy this week, running my lodging establishment in Costa Rica. I realized yesterday that I was too busy to prepare good food for myself and to enjoy the moment. I told myself to slow down and savor the moment.
My favorite meal is a good salad. I am not talking about lettuce and tomato here. I am talking about lettuce, spinach, basil, purple cabbage, tomato, purple onion, avocado, carrot, sweet pepper, cucumber, celery, sunflower seeds and a wonderful homemade dressing.
Colorful, Crunchy Salad
Of course, we don’t lay tomato slices out in the sun to dehydrate. We use our Excalibur dehydrator. But they are truly pure sweetness and add a gourmet taste to any meal.
Just out of the dehydrator and piled on the screen
