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Eating Healthy With Sprouting Grains

July 1, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
sproutgrains

Grains are filled with Omega 3s and provide large amounts of roughage that support intestinal heath. That is why grains are possibly one of the healthiest foods available to us. The important thing to remember about grains is that all grains are not all that nutritional. Sprouting grains top the list in healthy grains. There are making their way into breads, pasta and even salads. Regular grains that most of us know of and have eaten are vastly different from sprouting grains. Lets take a look and see what so different between the two.

Whole Grains vs. Sprouting Grains

There are three main differences between sprouted grain and whole grain: 1) sprouting activates food enzymes; 2) sprouting increases vitamin content, and 3) sprouting neutralizes anti-nutrients like phytic acid which bind up your ability to fully absorb minerals.

When examining the nutrient density of sprouted wheat to un-sprouted wheat on a calorie-per-calorie basis, you’ll find that sprouted wheat contains four times the amount of niacin and nearly twice the amount of vitamin B6 and folate as un-sprouted wheat; moreover, it contains more protein and fewer starches than non-sprouted grain. Another plus is that it is lower on the glycemic index making it more suitable for those suffering from blood sugar issues and diabetes.

When grains, seeds and nuts are germinated, their nutritional content changes and, if they are kept un-cooked, they retain their natural plant enzymes which boost metabolism and give the body a much needed increase in vitamins and minerals. The enzymes present are beneficial for helping aid in the digestion of the seeds and nuts in the digestive tract. As well as retaining the enzymes, they also retain the nutrients that would otherwise be destroyed by cooking. Sprouted grains, seeds and nuts also encourage the growth of good bacteria, known as pro-biotics, which help to keep the colon clean, and are high in protective antioxidants.

Sprouts, as well as being very digestible, are a good source of fiber and protein, and are high in vitamins and minerals. As an example, sunflower sprouts are high in vitamins A and C, while mung bean sprouts are high in vitamin C, iron, and potassium. Most seeds are high in phosphorus, which is important for alertness, increased mental abilities, and healthy bones and teeth.

When cooked, wheat can cause mucus buildup, allergic reactions and even constipate the digestive tract, reducing the ability for the body to absorb the nutrients. In its sprouted form, the starch is converted to simple sugars, easier to for the body to break down into energy, meaning that many wheat intolerant people are able to eat sprouted wheat bread without any problems.

Flourless bread is made with grains and legumes that are sprouted before grinding into flour. Sprouted grains have increased vitamin and nutrient content because the seed is first sprouted, making it alive and active in its growth process, allowing the ground meal to retain those nutrients.

Some of these sprouted grain breads take on a very sweet taste because sprouting changes some starches in grains to sugars. In addition, the bread is moist and is made without yeast. The bread can also be made with no or low salt, and it is sometimes flavored with raisin and cinnamon to make the bread almost dessert-like. Sprouted breads are generally denser, allowing the fruits to evenly spread throughout instead of sinking to the bottom.

Sprouted grain breads incorporate ingredients in the most unrefined stage possible. This is why these sprouted grain breads are often referred to as live food. They do not contain highly processed flours and the nutrients have not been stripped from the grain and then added back into the product later on.

Sprouted grain breads are very healthy. For the most part, sprouted grain breads use organic ingredients and are grown without pesticides and herbicides. They have a low glycemic index of about 45 and are low in saturated fat.

A few of the sprouted grains that are used most often in these breads include wheat, spelt and millet. Having a regular diet that includes sprouting grains, whether it is sprouts on a salad or the flour used for baking or cooking, is beneficial to not only your digestive system but your all around good health. Give sprouting grains a try you might be surprise at just how great they taste.

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The Right Beef Is What’s for Dinner

June 21, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
roast

Take a second to think about this statement “nothing has developed from eating just grains.”  Now stop and ask yourself if you can think of any animal that has survived or even thrived on just eating grains? The answer to that question is absolutely not. Then why should our beef be strictly grain fed? Most cows are only grain fed and are shot full of hormones, antibiotics and even steroids to keep them bulky enough to sell at market. Now stop and ask yourself this question, is it really what I want to feed my family?

If you look back fifty or sixty years ago, almost all beef was grass fed. Remember the whole cowboy routine where the cattle would be driven across the plains? That was how it was always done. The only problem with this method was it took a long for the beef to put on enough weight to slaughter, think four to five years.

Today, cattle are around 14 to 16 months at the time of slaughter. Now just how is a cow supposed to go from 80 pounds at birth to 1,200 pounds at slaughter in just over a year? It takes enormous quantities of grains, protein supplements, antibiotics and growth hormones to put on that much weight that fast.

Cows are called ruminant because they have four stomachs and chew cud on a grain diet. The most dangerous thing about a ruminant cow is bloating. We commonly know about this issue with pets, but we never consider it with cows. The starch from the grain prevent gas from being expelled the normal way, so the cow’s stomach fills up with air and turns on itself, blocking the flow of blood to vital organs and pressing against the cow’s lungs. If this is not corrected immediately, the cow could suffocate.

Grain-fed animals are more susceptible to a form of cow heartburn, called acidosis. Usually this causes the ruminant to get very sick and need antibiotics. Many of the cattle farms today keep a continual stream of antibiotics flowing for their cattle so they do not have to continuously pay a veterinarian to come out and take a look at the same issue over and over. Why not solve the problem all together and use the antibiotics all the time?

This overuse of antibiotics is not only dangerous to the cows; it also has a lasting effect on us. Feedlot beef, as we know it today, would be impossible to maintain if it weren’t for the routine use of antibiotics. Unfortunately this leads to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, creating new super-bugs that are growing stronger against the antibiotics that we are using, forcing scientists to produce stronger drugs and cattle farmers to raise prices to cover these costs.

Grain-fed cattle also have a higher susceptibility to E. coli bacteria due to the acidity that forms in their intestinal tracts. Cattle digestive systems are naturally Ph neutral and the E. coli bacteria thrive in acidic habitats. This increases our risk of getting E. coli when we eat undercooked meat.

Unlike grain-fed cattle, grass-fed beef is not full of all the antibiotics and hormones and take the time to bulk up instead of trying to force it. Because of this, the grass-fed beef is not only lower in overall fat and saturated fat, but it also has the added advantage of providing more omega-3 fats. These omega-3s are found in grass, which is another source high in these good fats. Once cattle are fed grain, they start losing the omega-3s from their tissues and generally only have a remaining five percent left by the time they go to market.

Because of these high amounts of good fats, grass fed beef has a bigger flavor profile that beef is supposed to have. Also because of the omega-3s, grass fed cattle are almost four times higher in Vitamin E and are much higher in CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which is associated with lowering the risk of cancer.

Just one last tip, don’t expect the grass-fed beef to taste the same as the beef you have been consuming. It is quite a different taste but one many people enjoy more than grain feed meats.  The next time you get a chance, try grass-fed beef and see what nature intended natural beef to taste like. Your body will thank you and the cattle farmers who are trying to do right by nature will thank you. Give your pallet a chance to explore what real beef should taste like it might what’s for dinner every night.

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Is Dairy All it’s Cracked Up to Be

June 17, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
milk

Over the last few years dairy producers have been pushing the increase of calcium in our daily diets. Eating more dairy foods and drinking more milk is all we hear about anymore. Calcium is necessary for our bodies to remain healthy but the way we get this calcium is not the best way to achieve what our bodies need. Over the past 20 years dairy products have changed and it’s because of the changes that dairy may not be quite the calcium producer that we need.

The Unhealthy Side of Dairy

Most dairy found in grocery stores is terrible for your health because it comes from cows that are fed high-protein grains and are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics to increase productivity. Everything they are putting into the cow gets transferred into your dairy. Does this sound like it is as good for you as the dairy producers want you to believe?

Many dairy producers use pasteurized and homogenized milk to produce their dairy products. These processes remove the proteins from milk making them un-useful for your body and even border on being harmful. Because these enzymes are broken down at high temperatures, they destroy phosphatase, which is an enzyme that helps your body absorb the calcium found in milk. It also destroys the vitamins B12, B6 and C while killing off all of the good bacteria.

Homogenization of milk alters the fatty contents and good cholesterol found in milk, making it easier to form free radicals, which can cause cancer. Producers homogenize the milk to give it a more universal texture and to keep globules of fat from floating to the surface (think about the layer of film produced on the top of buttermilk).

Cows are often bred to have an overactive milk supply, so that farmers can get the most out of the cow as possible. This can lead to mastitis as well as milk duct infections. To solve this problem, cows are just fed more antibiotics and hormones in order to keep producing.

Choosing Healthy Dairy Products

Milk is a healthy food choice when it comes from cows that are grass-fed, like Jerseys and Guernsey, not modern Holsteins which are forced to over-produce. The good bacteria and healthy diet in the grass-fed cattle reduce the risk of milk-producing infections. This milk is usually not pasteurized, killing off all of the benefits of the milk since the cows are better kept using modern day controls to help ensure clean and safe production.

Because this milk is not homogenized either, the calcium remains intact and allows our bodies to absorb more of the nutrients we need. Of course, the milk tastes different than we are used to because all of the nutrients were processed out of it.

Calcium can be found in almost every food we ingest. For instance sesame seeds have a level of calcium that is almost ten times that’s in milk. The Dairy Board doesn’t advertise this. In reality dairy is not a bad thing it’s the way dairy products are processed that can cause us harm.

Try raw milk or goat’s milk and try other types of dairy such as raw milk cheese to see how they taste. Experience the way nature intended for this healthy food to taste. You might find you really like the rich flavors and textures. Keep an open mind and your taste buds as well as you’re healthy with thank you in the end.

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Eating Inexpensively While Eating Healthy

June 10, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
beans

In today’s economy poor world people are looking for an inexpensive way to purchase healthy foods. Options for eating healthy are numerous and believe it or not they are less expensive than most people know. Eating at home is defiantly less expensive than eating out. Knowing what kinds of foods are high quality but not high priced will help in creating those delicious healthy meals at home.

Beans

No matter if you buy bean from the bulk isle or get them in a can, they are cheap and packed with protein. Out of the hundreds of varieties, there are countless numbers of ways to utilize beans in your cooking.

Frozen Fruits and Veggies

Many people have the misconception that fresh fruits and vegetables are the best way to go. It turns out that many of the fresh produce you see in the store, is actually around a week old by the time you pick it up and give it a squeeze. Once picked, produce begins to lose its nutrients, so by the time it gets to the store, there aren’t much of the original nutrients left.

Frozen produce is typically flash-frozen 24-48 hours after picking, locking in the highest concentration of nutrients available. Since they come in packages, they tend to be cheaper by the pound than their plump partners and can store for longer periods of time. The next time you go to the store, take a look at the price of frozen spinach versus fresh spinach. Even if they are priced around the same mark, think about how long the fresh spinach has been sitting there

Oats

Oats are one of the most, if not THE most, versatile foods around. They taste like whatever you cook them with, they can be creamy or crunchy, baked, fried, sautéed; you name it, oats can probably do it. The bigger the container, the cheaper it will be. Oats are loaded with fiber and contain a decent amount of calories for the serving size.

Quinoa

For the group of people who must have pasta at least three times a day, quinoa is a great alternative without all of the carbs and for a fraction of the price. Finding quinoa in the bulk isle is a steal; it is easy to prepare, completely healthy and cheap as all get-out. Quinoa is more like a grain than pasta, but can double in some of the same ways that pasta does, plus it is a great addition to salads.


Brown Rice

Not only is brown rice healthy, with around 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber and only 170 calories per serving, it is dirt-cheap. The great thing about rice is the servings are measured by dry volume, which means, when the rice is cooked, your serving size nearly doubles. Brown rice can be used in burritos, casseroles, fried rice and is even hearty enough to stand up in many stews.

Feeding our families healthy meals doesn’t mean breaking the bank. Remember to keep the meal simple. Not only is a simple meal less expensive but it is the best way to ensure all the nutrients stay in the food while also giving you that great taste your family loves. Try a few of these healthy foods and see just how easy it is to eat healthy while saving dollars.

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Chili Pepper Mushroom Millet

October 24, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
chili-peppers

chili-peppersWhat You Need:

10 button mushrooms, cut in half
2 T of mild chili pepper, chopped
2 T shallots, chopped
2 C of chicken broth
1 C of millet grain
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 C cilantro, chopped
1/2 t of salt

How to Make It:

Spray the cooker lightly with a non stick cooking spray.
In the sprayed cooker place the mushrooms, chili peppers and shallots.
Brown the ingredients 5 minutes on medium heat.
When the ingredients are browned pour the chicken broth over the top.
Stir in the millet and bring the cooker to high pressure.
Cook for 10 minutes.
Release the pressure for 10 minutes on its own.
The tomatoes and cilantro are stirred in.
Sprinkle with the salt and stir to combine.

This goes great with any type meat and is quite a colorful dish. Millet is a soft grain that can be found in most grocery stores.

Makes 4 servings

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